Street clock to be placed in downtown Abbeville

The state presented municipalities in Vermilion Parish with funds in September that can go to cover various costs.
Through the Louisiana Local Government Assistance Program (LGAP), Abbeville, Erath, Gueydan, Kaplan and Maurice each received $13,000.
With its portion, Abbeville is going for something that will stand the test of time, or at least help visitors to the city’s downtown area tell it.
With the help of the Vermilion Parish Police Jury, Abbeville is placing a clock on the southwest corner of the Vermilion Parish Courthouse. The police jury is matching Abbeville’s funds to share the cost of the clock.
Abbeville Councilman Brady Broussard Jr., who is helping to spearhead the project, met with police jury last Wednesday.
“It was a two-part
request made to the police jury,” Broussard said. “The first was to request matching funding. The second part was to decide on the location.”
Broussard worked with Abbeville Main Street Manager Charlene Beckett and members of Keep Abbeville Beautiful in zeroing in on the best location for the clock.
“They were all excited about the potential of this project,” Broussard said. “After assessing the possibilities, it was decided that the courthouse grounds, which is controlled by the police jury, as the best place for visibility.
“The southwest corner of the courthouse was chosen, something the police jury agreed with.”
The clock will be across from the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office, a building on which the downtown area’s previous clock was located many years ago.
The new four-sided clock will have Vermilion Parish written on its face and Abbeville on the top.
Broussard said placing a clock back in the downtown area is long-overdue.
“Historically, we had always had a downtown city clock,” Broussard said. “It was there for decades.
“This will reestablish that.”
This Verdin clock will likely be there for decades. The clock will be weather proof and sealed to make sure no water or moisture seeps inside. Verdin clocks are painted in a proprietary, high-tech paint finish that is said to stand up against cold, humidity, salt spray and sunlight exposure.
“Of course this couldn’t have happened without the Mayor (Mark Piazza) and city council’s approval,” Broussard said. “The police jury was very respective and we thank them for their support.”
Broussard said he is pleased when the entities work together.
“When we work together,” Broussard said, “we can do more for our people. We can do so much more together. This is a win-win for everyone in the parish.
“We all benefit from this.”
Beckett said the clock will be a great addition to the downtown area.
“There are several good things happening in down town,” Beckett said. “This is certainly one of them.
“It’s nice to have a clock back in the down town area.”
Broussard said he hopes visitors find that to be the case.
“This is for our public,” Broussard said, “but it is also for tourism. Tourism produces a $38 return on investment. This will instill pride and bring visitors to the courthouse. I think this can do its little part in increasing tourism. People can take their pictures with this clock, reminding everyone where they went on their travels.
“I believe this clock will have a lot of benefits.”