September 24, 2007

Greetings!

Our first announcement has to be that we have offered the position of Chamber Director to Mrs. Molly Porter. No doubt you will say that she is over qualified, and we would agree (off the record and after we have negotiated pay, of course.) None the less, she has agreed and we are thrilled to have Molly come on board. An attorney by education and a Chamber Member that still has her shingle out, she has offered her services and we are happy to accept them! She will instantly be drafted to serve on the Communications Committee and you will have less to suffer as a result! Welcome Molly!

Angola Rodeo can mean one thing for sure; company's coming! The largest event in the Parish calendar, goes on each Sunday in October. Get ready to put out the welcome carpet. Of course, you need to plan to get off of La 66 and US 61 before 4:30 pm on Sundays.

Kudos have been given and we add ours to West Feliciana Middle School teacher Whitney Wealdon. She has been recognized as a Louisiana Teacher of the Year.

Congratulations to Ms. Wealdon and the entire School system for this honor!

The country folk of the Parish say that the "snakes are walking" at this time of year. There is increased activity and you are more apt to see them at this time. Take extra precautions as you go about your activities, especially if out in rural areas!

Words From Our President

Chamber President
Miles Higgins

A COMMUNITY TO BE PROUD OF!

Many of you may know that the Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) is currently hosting their Canvas trip to Portland, Oregon. Due to other commitments, this is the first year that I have not attended the BRAC Canvas trip. Although I am not there physically, my thoughts travel with the group. I thought this would be a good opportunity to share some of what I have experienced on the previous three trips to Austin, Nashville and Raleigh-Durham. The group of local business leaders now in Portland is there with the purpose of learning what that community did right and what they could have done better. The goal is to come back with "lessons learned" and apply those lessons to further our region's successful growth. On all of the previous trips I attended, St. Francisville was showered with great compliments for our community. During group meetings, we are singled out for the positive progress by our schools and the natural beauty of our unique landscape, among other things. What they can't see from outside is the people that really make St. Francisville what it is! There is a strong blend of families that have been here for generations and young professionals newer to the area. Universally, there is a common goal of protecting what attracts all of us to this area. One of the side benefits from a trip like the Canvas trip is that our local/regional leaders have three days to interact and further develop relationships with one another. As the leadership here in St. Francisville continues to evolve, we all need to make concerted efforts to further develop our relationships similar to the way these relationships are cultivated on the BRAC Canvas trip. Ultimately, all of our local leaders want the same thing; to preserve the beauty and integrity of our great community. Let us continue to work toward that end!

Miles Higgins, President

Greater St. Francisville Chamber of Commerce

Affordable Housing

by Magan Munson

Hello Everyone!

My name is Magan Munson, and I work for U.S. Senator David Vitter in his Baton Rouge office. Our office in conjunction with USDA is hosting a public meeting to discuss USDA funding opportunities through its Affordable Housing and Cooperative Business Programs. We have invited residents in Zachary, Baker, West Baton Rouge, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, West Feliciana, East Feliciana, St. Helena, Livingston, Ascension, St. James, and Assumption Parishes to take advantage of this informative program. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me through this email address or the numbers listed below. We encourage you to forward this information on to your chamber members, businesses, and friends as they are also more than welcome to attend.

Addis Community Center
7520 Hwy 1 S.
Addis, LA

Oct. 2, 2007
9 A.M. - noon

Thanks!

Magan
Magan Munson
Community Liaison
United States Senator David Vitter
858 Convention St.
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
(225) 383-0331 (office)
(225) 383-0952 (fax)

Governmental Relations Committee

Governmental Relations Committee

Candidate's Forum # 2 by Mike Smith

The Greater St. Francisville Chamber of Commerce invites you to save the date of Monday, October 8th, for Candidate's Forum #2. Come and hear the candidates for yourself. This event will be held at the First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall on the corner of US 61 and La 10. Beginning at 6:00 p.m. and ending at 7:30 there is space for all interested.

Other October Events

Besides the rodeo in October, there are a number of other events going on. An archeology exhibit will be presented at the Market Hall on Royal Street In conjunction with Louisiana Archaeology Week, the West Feliciana Parish Tourist commission, Historical Society and St. Francisville Main Street will host a Wine and Cheese Reception on Thursday, October 4, 2007, downtown at Old Market Hall. The reception will feature a discussion of the recently completed Archaeological Investigations of the Star Hill Sugar Mill Site.

The Chamber Swing for a Scholar Tournament is scheduled for November 12th. This event is jointly sponsored by the Greater St. Francisville Chamber of Commerce and it's Education Committee. Area youth are granted scholarships from the monies raised. Though a November event, we need to hear from you earlier, so that we can make plans. Once again, The Bluffs has been generous and helpful in all of this! Thanks to Michael Clarke and Landon Petty for all they have done! For more tournament information, contact Clay Pinson at Highlands Bank.

A group of citizens have joined with a local organization to raise funds for St.Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis, TN. Rides, softball tournaments, tennis tournaments, wild game cook offs and much, much more will bring you out to hear bands, play sports and give money to this worthy cause. Scheduled for the Saints homecoming weekend (an open LSU date) October 26-28th. Come help raise funds for the children and families that benefit from St. Jude's ministries!

A very interesting series on healthy cooking with organic food is to be aired on LPB. An October 4th seminar at Lane RMC, is the setting and you are invited to participate and call for more information. This is a part of what the CDF is working on with regard to Organic Foods. Watch and learn more about your health and something that may impact West Feliciana Parish.

Past Things

The big trial is over and it is hoped that some closure has been brought to the families of those lost in the storm. Mrs. Mangano and others commented on how warmly they were received in St. Francisville. We hope that nothing like this happens again, but this service to justice is a good thing that is hoped for by all of those that enjoy freedom! Thank those that participated in this and other services to justice, when you see them.
On this matter of justice, the Police Jury is not going to pursue a law suit against a property owner, so that they can ease the burden on an adjacent Developer in the East end of the Parish. We applaud them for this piece of justice!

Other Events

There are other events worth noting, this week. The regular Chamber of Commerce meeting will start at 8:00 a.m. at the Town Hall. BYOC

A presentation of the findings of the Archeological efforts at Star Hill will be available this week. Contact Laurie Walsh at Main Street for more details!
635-3873.

The Baptists will begin worship services in their new sanctuary and invite you to come celebrate with them! Call Brother Joe Radcliffe for more details.

Library Events

On Tuesday September 18th, Penny Reinhardt will offer a presentation on geneology. This introductory level talk will begin at 10:00 a.m. and is an adult class.

Your library is offering this as a part of a series referred to as " A little Something Extra @ the Library!" There will be other offerings of mini-workshops. For more details or to reserve your spot, call the Library and ask for Milly Morgan at 635-3364.

BIG CHEWY ALL AMERICAN REDS

The St. Francisville Inn's Wine Parlor will host its first Wine & Cheese tasting.
BIG CHEWY ALL AMERICAN REDS

Featured Wines: Pinot Noir, Syrah, Red Zinfandel, Meritage Red Blends, Merlot
And Cabernet Sauvignon!!!!! All of these wines are small production (boutique) wines.
"These aint no wimpy wines folks" Brian Gibbons.

We will feature 10 wines and 5 different cheeses. A tasting sheet will be provided for you.

Please call to make reservations, we will limit reservations at 30 persons.
The price per person is $25.00.

The tasting will be on Friday-September 21, 2007 at 7:00pm.

Any wines ordered that night will be special ordered and discounted 10%.

To make reservations call Laurie 635-6502 or email lauriemainst@bellsouth.net

Greetings

As we have searched around the Parish, looking for other things that make for our West Feliciana experience worth noting, we come to a National Brand of fuel that is spelled the same, everywhere but West Feliciana. Yes, when northbound driving through Hardwood, you have the opportunity to buy Mobli gas. Not a brand from the sub-continent of Asia, nor something from the Jungle Book, this gas burns good and you get friendly service inside. They even take the credit card for the National Brand offered to Southbound customers.

We are a tolerant community and enjoy our little distinctions!