MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Evan's Jewelers

When Harold Evans bought Bell’s Jewelers in March of 1965 the merchandise mix included kitchen appliances, dishes and club aluminum. A lot has changed in 43 years! Harold had been working in Clinton at Jay’s Jewelers, and for the first 2 years, the Evans’ commuted between Clinton & Wallace. Becky, Mark and brother Russ (who now runs Evan’s In Warsaw) grew up in the business and learned the art of jewelry repair from their dad. The store carries a full line of precious and semi-precious stone pieces, silver & pearls, charms and gifts, and does engraving for plaques and awards, but the mainstay of the business is the steady stream of customers needing repairs. From watch batteries to resizing rings to more involved repairs, Harold & Mark are always working on something! Harold is an expert at clock repair, and you’ll always find a beautiful old clock waiting for it’s owner to come take it home.
The family business eventually grew to include another family- in more ways than one! Back in the day, Bridgette’s mom worked in the store during the week, and her dad worked on Saturday. Bridgette started working on Saturdays at the age of 13 (yes, there was a time when 13 was not too young to have a job!). Her sister Ann married Mark’s brother Russ, and initially Bridgette had no interest in Mark- and instead set Mark up with her friends. But as fate would have it, the romance would be theirs, and Bridgette and Mark married. For over a year now, Bridgette has added a new dimension to Evan’s...her hand painted polka dot and ribbon initial canvases can be seen on many a front door and in countless kid’s rooms, and her polka dot monogram license plates are all over town! She has painted bird houses, candle sticks, trunks, and furniture by request, and has painted name canvases with the motif for the child’s favorite sport or hobby included. This past fall Bridgette held craft classes for youngsters. The kids got to create and paint some cute crafts- and enjoyed the pride of making something all by themselves. Stop by Evan’s next time you’re downtown- you’ll always get a smile and some good conversation from this group- they are truly an example of what makes our town special!

Art at the Depot- September 13th

For the second year, The Longleaf Arts & Crafts Guild will present Art at the Depot Saturday, September 13th from 9am-5pm. This much anticipated event is part of the Guild’s annual membership drive. The event celebrates the culture, art and history of Eastern NC. This year’s featured speaker is Evelyn Knowles, quilter. She will be speaking at 11am. In addition to the many artisans who will be showing and selling, the Farmer’s Market will be open with produce, food and craft vendors selling goods, and there will be Bluegrass & Gospel performers and cloggers. Special children’s activities are planned as well. The Downtown Merchants are planning a sidewalk sale that day as well! For more information, visit www.longleafguild.org

NEW CHAMBER MEMBERS

New Chamber Members:

Katina Richardson
Pink Lady Sno Cones
WalMart parking lot
Phone: 910-620-9291

Rodney Paul
Paul’s Painting & Pressure Washing
Phone: 910-631-2478

Victor Tadeo
Liberty Inn Motel &
Del Rio Restaurant
Phone: 910-285-9400

Hope G. Smith
Art of Hope
105 W. Main St.
PHONE: 910-285-4940

NEW MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Walgreens

Walgreen’s in Wallace has been open a year now, and they have recently joined the Chamber of Commerce. The store has 21 employees, and fills a void left in the evening when the downtown drugstores have closed. This convenience, along with the company’s prescription savings club program and diverse merchandise selection accounts for much of the store’s success. You can order a prescription, find the newest makeup items, get your pet’s Frontline products, order a gift item personalized with your favorite picture from the photo department and have it shipped to grandma, pick up the stamps you didn’t get to the post office for, and get some ice cream all in one stop. They also run extensive sales- the August promotions flyer was 20 pages long and full of everything from vitamins to back to school items to grocery items. The management staff includes David Jackson, Manager; Benjamin Whitman & Chrissy Randall, Assistants; and Head Pharmacist Jennifer Cavenaugh Knowles who chose to come home to Wallace in her career capacity. The staff is well trained, and very friendly. Karen, who runs the photo department, has been with the company for 9 years and has been very happy with the company culture and the career opportunities she has had. The next time you need lipstick, dog food, milk, tuna, socks, photos processed, vitamin C and cough medicine, and you’re short on time- check Walgreen’s out. You’ll be amazed at what you’ll find!

WRA Plans New Flags for Wallace

The Wallace Revitalization Association is planning to give the town a fresh new look. They are planning to replace the Discover Wallace flags that are starting to show wear, with new flags. The final colors and design have not been finalized, but among the designs being rendered for consideration are the Wallace Depot and the downtown clock. They may even decide on a mix of designs. The number and placement of the flags will also change- they are planning for 200 flags with flag locations to include US 117, the Tin City area, Hwy 41 near 40 and the River Landing area as well as the downtown area. The plan is to direct visitor’s attention to the downtown area from the areas that are most traveled. The cost of the project is $22,000- all of which will come from fundraising events. It is anticipated that raising that amount will take over a year and the anticipated completion time for the project is 2 years. Harriet Farrior is the Chairperson for the project, and the committee includes A.J. Cavenaugh, Susan Carone and Ken Wilson. For more information or to get involved, contact Harriet at 285-2299.

Teach & Inspire at WRH this year!

Mike Jarosinski is looking for a few good men & women to assist in the Occupational Prep classes this year at WRH High. They need businesses that students can visit, as well as ones where students can shadow workers, and also receive training. They also need info on the numbers and types of jobs in the area and what they pay. Speakers from local businesses as well as from the Chamber of Commerce are also welcome.
This is a great opportunity for local business owners to help shape the career decisions of our young people, and show them the opportunities available right here at home for them after graduation. If you are interested in participating in the program or need more information, contact Mike by phone at 910-409-7078 or email him at jarosinskij@bellsouth.net.

Christmas at Twilight

Frank Brinkley & Sheila Young are looking for your help in making Christmas at Twilight a wonderful event this year. The first planning meetings will be held soon, and the event is scheduled for Nov. 22. The success of this event depends on the efforts of many volunteers. To volunteer this year, please contact Lou Powell, Executive Director, Wallace Chamber of Commerce office at 910-285-4044 or email Lou at lou@wallacechamber.com.

4th Annual Muscadine Festival

The 4th Annual North Carolina Muscadine Festival will be held Saturday September 27th from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. at the Duplin County Events Center. More than 20 wineries will be participating this year, and music will be provided by The Embers, Key Lime Pie and The Drifters. Along with the wine tasting and music, there will be all the exhibitors and food vendors, and plenty of activities for the kids. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the gate. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster. You can go right to the ticket purchase page via the link about the festival located in the news section on www.uncorkduplin.com, the Duplin County Tourism page. The Annual Gala Dinner will be held September 5, poolside at River Landing. For more information, email Lynn Davis (lynn@muscadineharvestfestival.com) or call her at 910-290-1530.

Smart Start Book Drive Continues

Duplin County Partnership for Children - Smart Start is having a book drive. Please help us give our children a head start by donating new or gently used books to our Drop off locations in Wallace are: The Chamber of Commerce Office M-F 1-5, Thelma Bryant Dingus Library, Latinos Restaurant, Panaderia La Imperial, Piggly Wiggly, Wal-Mart, Wallace Troop 35 Boy Scouts.