DONALDSONVILLE • DUTCHTOWN • GEISMAR • GONZALES • PRAIRIEVILLE • ST. AMANT
THE ASCENSION
AD DVOCA VOCATE T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
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W e d n e s d ay, J a n u a ry 15, 2025
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Blood drive aids terrorist attack victims
Darlene Denstorff AROUND ASCENSION
Freedom Ball tickets on sale Retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Roman Kemp Cason, Queen Lucy Cason and Ball Captain Danielle Lennix will lead the annual Elks Freedom Ball at 6 p.m. Feb. 1 at the Price LeBlanc PACE Center, 2824 St. Anthony Ave., Gonzales. Proceeds from the ball will be reserved to provide services that benefit the health and wellbeing of veterans — those who serve, have served, and have given their lives in support of their country. Supporters can participate by purchasing a table of eight for $500 or by individual tickets for $50 before Jan. 25. For more information, contact Lee Melancon at (225) 4451383 or by email at lee.melancon@cox.net. For tickets, visit tinyurl.com/ydakthwp.
Halee Gregoire reads while donating blood during the Ascension Parish Battle of the Badges Blood Drive on Thursday in Gonzales.
Volunteers lined up last week in Gonzales and Donaldsonville to donate blood for the victims of the New Year’s Day terrorist attack on Bourbon Street. The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s office hosted the Vitalant bloodmobile during blood drive at its two offices for a Battle of the Badges competition.
STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON
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Donaldsonville Mardi Gras plans announced Donaldsonville’s Mardi Gras parade is set for 2 p.m. Feb. 16. The route is from Marchand Drive and Church Street to Railroad Avenue and will end at Mississippi Street. Text or call (225) 323-1918 to obtain a copy of the Mardi Gras parade application. Deadline to apply to participate in the parade is 4:30 p.m. Feb. 6.
Krewe of Ascension Mambo Krewe of Ascension Mambo has set its 2025 parade for 2 p.m. Feb. 22. The krewe’s ball is planned for Feb. 15 at Price LeBlanc PACE Center in Gonzales.
Christmas tree recycling Jan. 15 is the last day to recycle Christmas tress at LamarDixon Expo Center. Residents can enter the main gate of the facility, at 9039 St. Landry Road, Gonzales, and follow the signs to the unpaved parking area on the left. Trees should be bare and not attached to a stand. For more information, call (225) 450-1506.
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PHOTO BY WENDY LOUP
Members of Girl Scout Troop 10641 pass out popcorn and prizes during Saturday’s annual Girl Scout Cookie Rally at First United Methodist Church in Gonzales. The Junior, Cadette and Senior troops helped teach the younger members about cookie sales. ä See story. PAGE 2G
A major liquor distribution center may be coming to Ascension Parish BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer
The largest wine and spirit distributor in the country is in the process of opening a distribution center in Geismar. Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, a Miami-based distributor, is setting up a nearly 375,000-square-foot warehouse at 6602 Industrial Drive, according to documents filed with the Ascension Parish Clerk of Court’s office. The company emerged from a merger between Glazer’s Wholesale Distributors and Southern Wine & Spirits of America in 2016, according to its website. Glazer’s was founded in Dallas in 1933, while Southern
Wine & Spirits was founded in Miami in 1968, the company’s website states. It is the 10th largest private company in the U.S., with 24,000 employees and $26 billion in revenue for 2024, according to Forbes. The company did not respond to requests for comment. The company distributes 8,600 brands with 3,000 trucks in its fleet, according to a company fact sheet. And it orchestrates 7.1 million customer deliveries annually to more than 250,000 customers. “The multi-generational, family-owned Company has operations in 44 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and Canada,” the company says on its website. “ … Newsweek has recognized Southern Glazer’s Wine &
Spirits as being one of America’s Greatest The next year, records show the IndustriWorkplaces for Diversity for 2024.” al Development Board of Ascension voted 5-0 to acquire the property from Gonzales ‘State-of-the-art’ warehouse Property Partners for $100. As part of the The arrangement was several years in agreement, the board was also authorized by the company to issue bonds to help fithe making. In 2022, Gonzales Property Partners nance the project. LLC purchased the property for close to In the filing, the document stated the $6.5 million from LJG Land Company LLC, warehouse would be equipped with a a business owned by New Roads devel- “state-of-the-art material handling sysoper L.J. Grezaffi. Southern Glazer’s CEO tem for storage and distribution of wine Wayne Chaplin is listed as manager for and spirits on the Property pursuant to the Gonzales Property Partners, which also re- Lease.” Chief Supply Chain Officer Bobby Burg ports a mailing address of Southern Glazer’s corporate headquarters, according to referenced a Louisiana warehouse in a the Louisiana Secretary of State business ä See DISTRIBUTION, page 2G database.
2256 Hwy 70