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Press Room
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Stay on top of what exciting things are happening on Louisiana's Cajun Coast. Here in the Press Room we provide easy, up-to-date access to important news and photos regarding the Cajun Coast. You are just one click away from news and press releases outlining our most recent events and announcements.
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Speedster Returns to Patterson, La. |
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Release date: Jan 15, 2010
News Advisory Contact: Arthur Smith
Jan. 15, 2010 504-568-6945
Harry Williams’ Classic Boattail Speedster Returns to
Patterson, La. for Extended Stay
What: A beautifully restored 1928 Isotta-Fraschini luxury sports car owned by south Louisiana timber magnate and aviation pioneer Harry P. Williams goes on display at the Wedell-Williams Memorial Aviation Foundation collection at the Louisiana State Museum, Patterson.
When: Friday, January 15. The car will arrive at the Museum at 8:30 a.m.welcomed by Wedell-Williams foundation board members and museum staff. Installation is expected to be completed by 10 a.m. when the museum opens to the public.
Where: The museum is located off Highway 90 in Kemper Williams Park,adjacent to the Patterson Civic Center. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call (985)399-1268.
The Car: In the 1920s and 30s, cars produced by the Italian manufacturer Isotta-Fraschini were the epitome of speed and glamour – an irresistible match for air racing enthusiast Harry P. Williams and his actress wife, Marguerite Clark.
Between 1925 and 1931, the company made only 950 cars, which were highly favored by Hollywood silent film stars like Clara Bow and Rudolph Valentino. An Isotta-Fraschini played a small but pivotal role as Norma Desmond’s “loaner” in the movie Sunset Boulevard.
The Williams’ bought their Isotta-Fraschini in 1928, one of only two such custom boattails ever produced. The other one, in unrestored condition,sold at auction for $1.5 million. Equipped with a powerful 160- horsepower, the car could reach a top speed of 100 miles per hour.
After Williams’ death in 1936, the car remained garaged in Patterson until it was sold in the 1960s. The current owner, Peter Boyle, has loaned it to the museum for an extended exhibition – set among the beautiful racing aircraft developed and built in Patterson by Wedell-Williams Aviation.
Interviews: Classic car collector Peter Boyle of Oil City, Pennsylvania
Diana Buckley, Curator of Science & Technology, Louisiana State Museum
Members of the board and volunteers of the Wedell –Williams Memorial Aviation Foundation.
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5th Annual Eagle Expo: February 25-27, 2010 |
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Release date: Dec 11, 2009
Cajun Coast Announces 5th Annual Louisiana Eagle Expo
MORGAN CITY- The 5th Annual Eagle Expo will be held in Morgan City, Louisiana February 25-27, 2010.
The three-day event will include guided boat tours into Lake Verret, Turtle Bayou, Bayou Black and the Atchafalaya Basin. The Expo will also feature seminars by wildlife experts, a Thursday night Welcome Party, a Friday night dinner and an all-day photography workshop given by CC Lockwood.
Moving into its fifth successful year, the Eagle Expo is a tribute to the return of the American Bald Eagle to Louisiana, which was recently removed from the endangered species list in June 2007. Laws banning the use of harmful pesticides such as DDT and greater public awareness and education have increased the bald eagle population throughout Louisiana and the United States. Currently, there are 284 active nests in Louisiana with a large concentration in the St. Mary and Terrebonne Parish areas.
The Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau has partnered with the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program (BTNEP), the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Black Bear Conservation Committee, National Audubon Society, Conrad Industries, Johnny’s Propeller Shop and volunteer birding enthusiasts to showcase not only the American Bald Eagle, but the numerous species of birds and wildlife found within the Atchafalaya Basin and surrounding areas.
For a complete event schedule, costs and a registration form, contact the Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau at 985-395-4905 or visit www.cajuncoast.com. You may also download a form at http://eagles.btnep.org.
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