Enterprise
City of Progress
Enterprise in the News
July 2016
In the heat of summer in the South, watermelons are always trendy, but they’ll be especially fashionable as food or clothing on Watermelon Day at the Enterprise Farmers Market.
The festivities celebrating the refreshing summertime staple will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, July 9 at the Market on the corner of North Main Street and Highway 134 West.
Twenty farmers/vendors are expected to be set up with produce including watermelons, cantaloupes, tomatoes, peas and a myriad of other tasty homegrown items as well as arts and crafts.
“It’s going to be an awesome day,” said Market Director Birgit Briggs, who is sure the public will want to come out and enjoy activities for both children and adults.
A highlight of the day, she said, will be the demonstration by expert watermelon carver Betty Hall of Prattville. Mrs. Hall will be carving a watermelon flower during the morning. While pumpkin carving has been in vogue for years, carving of other fruits and vegetables have become trendy in recent times. Watermelons can be carved to transform into animals, boats, baskets and flowers, which are Mrs. Hall’s favorite.
Watermelon Contest Day coming up July 9
July 5, 2016
A resident of Prattville, Mrs. Hall is a self-taught vegetable carver. “I saw it on YouTube, and I loved it!” she said. “I thought it was something I could do, so I took a regular kitchen knife and a piece of fruit…I just demolished the fruit and almost cut my thumb off!”
Once she purchased the kind of knives most suitable for carving, she began to practice. Now, she can turn watermelons, cantaloupe, squash, carrots, pumpkins and other vegetable or fruit items into what she describes as “incredible edibles.”
“I’m looking forward to being with you on July 9,” she said. “It’s gonna be fun.”
While it’s always in fashion to eat watermelon, Briggs reminded that it’s also fun to wear it – preferably not the real thing but pretty fabric creations that reflect the watermelon theme. She invited everyone to get into the spirit of the day and enter the annual Watermelon Fashion Contest, which will begin roughly at 10 a.m.
In the past, Briggs said, some contestants have modeled home-stitched clothes while others have made ensembles from store-bought duds. Some have been whimsical and casual and others more formal. Whatever their fashion tastes, contestants will have fun showing off their unique styles in the contest. She suggested that the contest would be great for students, club members, even siblings to have some competitive fun.
All ages are invited to participate.
Fashion show participants are asked to register by 9:30 a.m. Cathy Roth and her dog, Odie, won the competition last year.
The Best Tasting Watermelon Contest was won last year by Glynis Kimbrough. Several farmers are expected to compete for the title on July 9.
Lorenzo Harrison will be defending his championship title in the adult category in the Seed-Spitting Contest, a fan-favorite which is expected to take place about 9 a.m. Harrison’s winning spit was 43.3 feet. With a spit of 19.9 feet, Dalton Holloway was the junior category winner.
Other activities include face painting, a petting zoo, inflatable activities and two educational presentations. At 10:30 a.m. The Olive Fruit will present a program on olive oil, entitled “More than a Taste, It’s an Experience.”
At 11 a.m. Elsie Hilton will present “Herbs: Healthy, Helpful and Historical.”
Activities get under way at 8 a.m. with a door prize giveaway. Children will enjoy visiting a petting zoo and playing on the inflatable activities.
Food and refreshments such as fresh-squeezed lemonade and sno cones will also be available thanks to several local vendors.
For more information, click on the following link:
Westside Neighborhood requests historic sign at old College Street Elementary School
July 6, 2016
City of Enterprise photo
At the July 5 City Council meeting, Robert Wilkerson of the Westside Neighborhood informed council members that the about $2,000 had been raised toward putting up a sign in front of the historic College Street Elementary School building, which is being purchased by the city after the Enterprise School System vacated it two years ago. Plans are to establish a museum and cultural center in the building.
The donation offer was taken under advisement. The city already has plans and budgeted funds to put up a sign recognizing the importance of the school in the city's history.
For more information, click on the following link(s):
Parks and Recreation Month recognized by Mayor, City Council
July 8, 2016
Mayor Kenneth Boswell thanked Enterprise Parks and Recreation Department Director Billy Powell and his staff as he and the Enterprise City Council recognized July as Parks and Recreation Month. Boswell said Powell and the staff members do an outstanding job during this busy tournament season and all year round in serving the youth of this community.
For more information, click on the following link(s):
Bids opened on new fire station
July 8, 2016
After bidding out the job twice, Enterprise city leaders were hopeful July 7 that bids for renovating a former car dealership on Plaza Drive into the new Central Fire Station would be acceptable. Find out if they were by clicking on thefollowing link:
City elections to take place in August
July 8, 2016
City elections are coming up Aug. 23. The map at left shows the council districts.
For more information, click on the following link(s):
Source: Enterprise Ledger
Mayor gives pep talk
to state tourney players
July 8, 2016
Mayor Kenneth Boswell gives members of the Enterprise all-star teams taking part in the state tournament at Oxford a pep talk prior to their opening-round games on Thursday. Pictured are the Enterprise AAA Minors All-Stars. All four teams won their opening-round games on Thursday – Coach Pitch 22-8; Machine Pitch 10-0; O-Zone 10-5; and AAA Minors 14-6.
For more, click on thefollowing link:
Enterprise Ledger photo
Watermelon Day at the Farmers Market ...
July 9, 2016
Hundreds of people of all ages visited the Farmers Market Saturday morning to celebrate the annual Watermelon Contest Day, which always focuses on summertime's favorite summer fruit.
In the photo at left, are contest winners for the day: Back row, Adult see-spitting champion Dodge Kudrna (33 feet); Ashley McCoy, whose watermelon was the Sweetest Watermelon Tasting Contest winner; and Jason White, holding the sleepy winner of the Watermelon Fashion Contest, Lucy White;
front row, Youth category champion seed spitter J.D. Kudrna (18 feet, 9 inches) and second place fashion contest winner Layla Herbster.
For more fun photos of the day's activities, click on the links below.
WTVY
City of Enterprise photos
Watermelon carver Betty Hall of Prattville demonstrates how to make a beautiful and edible treat for summertime in the South.
City gets go-ahead
for Skate Park
July 9, 2016
The City of Enterprise received a letter last week from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs confirming the award of $50,000 through a Land Water Conservation Grant. The grant was awarded last fall and is designated for the purpose of constructing a skate park at the Recreational Center off of Lee Street. The resolution received last week provides assurance that funding will be made availalbe and clears the way for work to begin on the park.
For more, click on thefollowing link:
Plans proceed for next
Movie Under Moonlight
July 13, 2016
City of Enterprise Tourism Director Meredith Brunson is busy preparing for the second "Movie Under Moonlight" showing set for Aug. 5.
“Movie Under
Movie Under Moonlight” is a free event. Just bring your blankets and chairs and come early to relax and enjoy goodies provided by various food vendors. Popcorn, ice cream, sno cones and other food items will be for sale. Several inflatables and a water slide will also be set up to add to the fun for kids of all ages.
Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. and the movie will begin shortly after sundown, about 7:30.
Council awards 3 construction bids:
July 14, 2016
The City Council last week awarded three construction bids. One was for demolition and clearning of more nuisance buildings in the city and another is for street repairs and water main improvements on Brook Circle.
A third bid for $190,000 from L and K Contracting Company is for establishing a sewer outfall and installing possible residential stubouts in the Camelia Commons area.
For more information, click on the following link:
Clark Cinema breaks ground on 12-plex
to be constructed at Camelia Commons
July 13, 2016
By this time next summer, Clark Cinemas may be moving into a new, one-of-a-kind multi-plex movie theatre. The new cinema is being constructed in the original Camelia Commons site on the south side of the Boll Weevil Circle, and Mayor Kenneth Boswell said it is expected to be an "anchor" for other retail establishments to begin to move into the planned shopping center. For more about the groundbreaking, click on the following links:
City of Enterprise photos
Parks and Recreation Department
prepares for upcoming tournaments
July 5, 2016
Southeast Sun photo
Enterprise Parks and Recreation Department Director Billy Powell praised his staff for doing a great job maintaining the softball complex and other facilities, and getting them ready for the upcoming tournaments to be hosted here this summer.
The EPRD will host two sub-state tournaments which start July 7, and two state tournaments are scheduled for a July 15 start date.
For more information, click on the following link(s):