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You can always go

The Baton Rouge Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Foundation for Historical Louisiana have unveiled a brochure designed to enhance and promote heritage tourism and historic preservation in the city. The free brochure—Baton Rouge, A City of Landmarks Walking Tour—spotlights historically significant buildings, heritage sites and vintage homes in the downtown area.

They did it again

Moran Printing Inc. was recently selected by Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation to receive a Top Performer Award for the second consecutive year. Moran provides Gulfstream with onsite production of printing products, including aircraft manuals, business forms, stationary products and training manuals.

Twice as nice

The Massage Therapy Centre in Denham Springs is opening its second location, on Lakeview Drive just south of the new Juban Road exit off Interstate 12. The Range Avenue location will retain the corporate office and appointment scheduling for both locations.

Awards/Honors

The Bayou Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors received a national Community Service Award for initiating a cooperative program with the American Red Cross to distribute cards to people in need following Hurricane Katrina. The chapter issued more than 12,000 cards worth more than $13 million.

Five LSU Health Care Services Division hospitals received the 2006 Louisiana Hospital Quality Award from the Louisiana Health Care Review Inc. for their commitment to sustained performance and improvement in providing quality care to patients. The LSU HCSD is the fifth-largest public hospital system in the country and is the medical provider for almost 20% of Louisiana’s population.

Louisiana Economic Development received the Leadership & Innovation Award for refining and creating strategies to address the unique needs of citizens and businesses following hurricanes Katrina and Rita at the fifth annual Economic Development Leadership Awards at the CoreNet Global Summit.

The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine presented staff awards to Tina Bowden, Elliott Brown, Catherine Koch and Sandra Robinson at a spring reception. Ernie Tanoos received awards for outstanding achievement and administrative support.

Michael S. Block, DMD, professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Dentistry, received the W. Harry Archer Award from the American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Block graduated from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine in 1979 and completed his residency program at the LSU School of Dentistry in 1983.

The LSU College of Basic Sciences inducted five members into its Hall of Distinction. Inductees include James G. Traynham, emeritus professor of chemistry, and New Orleans geologist Edward B. Picou Jr. Also inducted posthumously were Boyd Professors Emeritus Philip W. West and Grover E. Murray, and former dean of the college, Arthur R. Choppin Sr.

Kris Kirkpatrick and Karen Zeretzke were honored as “Champions for Children” by Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana during their 21st conference on child abuse and neglect. This is the highest honor bestowed by the nonprofit organization.

The Our Lady of the Lake Marketing team earned top honors at the 28th Telly Awards and the Aster Awards. Telly Awards recognize outstanding TV commercials and programs as well as film productions. OLOL was presented with two bronze awards for a commercial series. The Aster Awards recognize health-care institutions and advertising agencies for excellence in advertising. OLOL was presented with one gold award for the Children’s Miracle Network calendar.

The American Chemical Society honored three people at the annual Coates Award banquet. Harold Young of Chemtura received the Coates award, Randy Chaya of Albemarle Corporation received the Technician of the Year award and Lori Otts of Zachary High received the Outstanding High School Teacher of the Year award.

The Audubon Council has been awarded a $10,550 grant from the E.J. Ourso and Marjory B. Ourso Foundation. The grant will fund an after- school tutoring program for low-income girls at the Donaldsonville Activity Center. Girl Scouts-Audubon Council has conducted the program for the past seven years.

The Louisiana Protective Order Registry received the Criminal Justice Information Services Division Assistant Director’s Award for outstanding contribution to state and local public safety, at a session at the Louisiana Supreme Court. According to FBI CJIS Assistant Director Thomas Bush III, LPOR displayed exceptional initiative and unselfishness in making itself available to the FBI around the clock.

Group Contractors was recently awarded a $6.4 million bid to design and build a shipping and logistics warehouse in Geismar. It is currently building a 143,000-square-foot shipping facility for Kinder Morgan Inc., expected to be complete in January 2008.

Sandra Bergeron, chairman of the Board at TraceSecurity, was inducted into the J. Mack Robinson College Business Hall of Fame at Georgia State University. The Business Hall of Fame recognizes leaders for their industry success and their contributions to the community. It is the highest honor the college awards to business leaders.

The Louisiana Speaks Pattern Book received the 2007 Charter Award, an annual prize awarded by the Congress for New Urbanism. The prize honors projects around the world that promote neighborhood development that encourages walking to destinations as an alternative to urban sprawl. Elizabeth “Boo” Thomas, Ray Gindroz and Suzanne Turner accepted the award.

Baton Rouge Area Chamber has recently been recognized by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives with several national Awards for Communication Excellence. The program is designed to honor, reward and celebrate the achievements of outstanding communication programs, campaigns and projects, and includes all areas of communication excellence.

The Downtown Development District was recently awarded a $15,000 grant from Keep Louisiana Beautiful Inc. The funds will be matched by the city of Baton Rouge to further its initiatives to maintain a clean and vibrant downtown environment. This grant will provide the necessary funds to purchase 40 new trash receptacles for the downtown area. The goal is to continue this effort until every area of the business district has available receptacles.

Ochsner Medical Center-Baton Rouge has received the Gold Level 2006 Louisiana Hospital Quality Award presented by Louisiana Healthcare Review Inc., the Medicare quality improvement organization for Louisiana. Ochsner was recognized for improving the quality of health care given to patients in three of four clinical areas and is one of only 21 hospitals in the state to achieve this level of recognition or higher.

The Excel Group has been named as the recipient of the Associated Builders and Contractors, 2006 National Safety Excellence Award for the North American Industry Classification System Code 236-Category 6. The award recognizes companies whose safety performance and programs are exemplary, and is given based on data submitted, and interviews with companies’ safety directors and owners.

Designations

Branden Barker of Latter & Blum Property Management Inc., has earned the Certified Property Manager designation from the Institute of Real Estate Management. The designation is awarded to real estate managers who have met requirements in the areas of professional education, examination and experience. He was also awarded the Certified Commercial Investment Member designation by the CCIM Institute.