Frog pond re-opened during Chamber open house

RAYNE - A full house was welcomed for the Rayne Chamber of Commerce’s “Open House” and special events were held Thursday, Sept. 12, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Chamber office.
Guests were welcomed to the Chamber office between the hours of 1-7 p.m. where they toured the facility, enjoyed refreshments and viewed a collection of Chamber memorabilia and exhibit of Chamber history. The welcome social and “Business of the Quarter” began at 5:30 p.m.
In addition to awards and acknowledgments presented to special guests, Boy Scouts of Troop 61 in Rayne were also paid tribute for their dedication and hard work the past few months as their refurbished the Chamber frog pond and landscaped the patio area as an Eagle Scout project.
“We want to thank the local Boy Scouts, along with their parents and other volunteers, for their hard work and dedication in bringing our frog pond back to its glory and beyond,” stated Chamber President Jeremy Lavergne during the evening introductions.
In addition to refurbishing the frog pond, the Scouts also cleaned and enhanced the Chamber’s patio area and completed renovations at the Chamber.
Accepting a special plaque for the Scouts’ dedication for the finished product were Scouts Jacob Sonnier, Dax Constantin, Jonathan Guidry and Troop Leader Dineen Constantin.
While accepting the award, the Scouts announced the group would continue to update the grounds and help with the upkeep of the patio and frog pond area.
Lavergne also thanked all donors who helped with the purchase of frog pond equipment and landscaping materials for the project.
A number of past Chamber presidents were in attendance and acknowledged for their past service and introduced, including John Sarver, Kelly Stutes, Martha Royer, Beverly Rayon, Roland Boudreaux, Angie Broussard, Sara Doga and Warren McBride.
Accepting the Business of the Quarter Award during the evening portion of the program was LeBlanc’s Trailer Sales of Rayne as the business celebrates 100 years of service. Accepting the award were Larry, Clara and David LeBlanc, joined by a number of family members.
Also recognized during the special ceremonies were three generations of Chamber volunteers, Hilda Haure (first Chamber secretary), her daughter Vanessa Comeaux (past board member), and her granddaughter Tiffany Thibodeaux (present-day board member). Chamber Executive Director Fran Bihm acknowledged Mrs. Haure with a special corsage.