RBS News

Audubon Cable Channel 20 Tune in to AUDUBON CABLE CHANNEL 20 to catch up on all the events we
have been covering since May -- plus a few extra features! If you like what you see, please give us your feedback via email customerservice@rbs100.comor at our website. In addition, be sure to let the cable company know how you like our programming as well. A few of our features airing now...

• Angola Rodeo
• High School Football Games
• Graduation Ceremonies from May, 2007
• Audubon Bridge Project
• Various community events such as The Day the War Stopped, Cruisin' in the Country, and the Bird Festival.
• and many more...

RBS website

Business Networking and Training Conference

Small Business Networking and Training Conference

The Defense Energy Support Center's Small Business Networking and Training Conference will be held on December 11, 2007 from 8:00 am to 4:15 pm at the Baton Rouge Marriott, 5500 Hilton Avenue Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70808. The conference is free but the deadline for registration is December 7, 2007. For small companies, this conference is an excellent opportunity to learn about various programs within DESC and potential contracting opportunities.

For more information

Online registration

Transitory Theatre

A Merry Medieval Christmas In it's fifth year now, the St. Francisville Transitory Theatre bring you its annual Christmas in the Country production, and this year you won't get cold watching the show! A Merry Medieval Christmas is a fun, up to date version of the medieval mystery plays. Traditionally these plays would be presented in sequence, on roaming carts. Over the course of a few days players would tell the entire story of the Bible. We won't make you sit through the whole thing, we'll just hit the highlights. We go from Creation to the Annunciation in about an hour, and you can sip warm cider while you watch!

A Merry Medieval Christmas will run December 7th and 8^th at 7:00pm and December 9th at 2:00pm at the Market Hall on Royal Street in St. Francisville. Tickets are $5 per person, available only at the door. Box office opens 6:30pm, night of the show. Arrive early, seating is limited to 50 per show. For any questions or directions, check our website or e-mail us at sftheatre@gmail.com, or just call (225) 721-2124.

Read more

News Clippings

WFP and St. Francisville in the News

James Minton of The Advocate reports that the West Feliciana Parish Port Commission accepted a draft feasibility and planning study for port facilities on the Mississippi River in the southern part of the parish.

Prepared by Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure, the report suggests five possible avenues of development, gives cost estimates for each and highlights the assets and liabilities of the entire 2,000-acre area included in the study. The possible options are a business/industrial park, a bulk storage and shipping area, a refinery, a heavy manufacturing site and a multi-use site that includes a heavy manufacturing plant and a light industrial park.

Read more

James Minton of The Advocate reports that the new Solitude low-water bridge has opened. West Feliciana Parish Manager Ambrose Sims reports that people were riding back and forth over the new Solitude low-water bridge last Tuesday to celebrate the reopening of the Mahoney Road route between St. Francisville and Solitude.

Bayou Sara's rushing waters uprooted the bridge's concrete spans in December 2005, but on Tuesday "low water" was a fitting description for the stream's flow.

Read more

St. Francisville History

St. Francisville Historian at WFP Library

Sunday, December 2nd, 3:30 p.m.

Our own award-winning local historian, Libby Dart, will be at the West Feliciana Parish Library on Sunday, December 2, at 3:30 p.m. This is a change from the original scheduled date of November 29.

Ms. Dart will present an overview of St. Francisville's history, with a slide presentation. Call Milly at 784-0260 to reserve your spot.

Wreaths Sale

Women's Service League of St. Francisville
Annual Christmas Wreaths Sale

Wreaths will be available in front of the WFP Library on Ferdinand St., and at Sage Hill Antiques opposite the post office, on Saturdays and Sundays, November 24, 25, December 1, 2, and December 7-9. Proceeds benefit several philanthropies, including Jane C. Butterworth Park, Relay for Life, Young Life of West Feliciana Parish, West Feliciana Parish Food Bank, and West Feliciana Parish Public Schools.

Christmas Festival

St. Francisville's Christmas Festival

December 7th -9th

Come celebrate St. Francisville's Christmas Festival where the historic district is 
illuminated in tiny white lights. Some of the activities include a live nativity,
vintage dancers, strolling & gospel choirs, and of course, the Children's Christmas
parade.  
 
A complete schedule is available on the Chamber's Calendar.  
 
See Schedule of Events
 
Merchant's participating in the Christmas Festivities, many offering special holiday
sales and/or events, can be found at the St. Francisville Festivals website.
 
See Participating Merchants' Specials

Ballots Due Dec. 1

Board Member Election Ballots Due December 1st Ballots for the election of Members to the Chamber's Board of Directors should have been received by the membership and are due back, with your vote, by December 1st. If you have not received a ballot, please send an e-mail to sfchamber@bellsouth.net.

Planning Meeting

Parishwide Workshop at Hemingbough

The public is invited to attend the parishwide workshop on Thursday, November 29 at Hemingbough. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m.

This is for all districts combined.


Participants will gather at tables of 10 people and play a "game" designed to allow residents to easily show their hopes and desires for the future. This game uses a map of the entire parish to represent the 'board' and "game pieces" representing different development options, such as, housing, mixed-use, office, park, etc. The parish land use choices will be illustrated with real-world examples, so that participants will understand the character of the development implied, and the affect it could have on their community.



The workshop will challenge participants with the task of deciding where new growth should and should not occur within the parish, the general form that new growth should take, and the type of transportation system needed to serve it, as well as highlighting opportunity areas for change.


This is a fun community event, and we need your participation and input!

Learn more

Nov.25 Greetings

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! And, now, the holiday shopping season is upon us. Please remember when you are out buying gifts for those on your Christmas and Hanukah gift list, to THINK ST. FRANCISVILLE!

Now this is just a personal story, but even when I lived in Baton Rouge, I always did my holiday shopping here in St. Francisville. Why? Because it brought home the spirit of Christmas. St. Francisville has so many wonderful stores with such a varied and beautiful array of gifts, I could easily find something (or several somethings) for everyone on my list. But unlike an excursion to a shopping center or mall, here in St. Francisville the mood was festive and relaxed, I loved the beauty of the town, the store owners and their staff were friendly and helpful, and my fellow shoppers courteous and gentle. No mall can offer that -- and, especially not at a discount!

Enjoy at home what others must travel for -- do your shopping in St. Francisville!

Season's Greetings from the Chamber,
Molly McGraw Porter, Executive Director

RBS - Local Coverage

Audubon Cable Channel 20
Tune in to AUDUBON CABLE CHANNEL 20 to catch up on all the events we have been covering since May -- plus a few extra features! If you like what you see, please give us your feedback via email customerservice@rbs100.comor at our website. In addition, be sure to let the cable companyknow how you like our programming as well.

See website

St. Francisville Transitory Theater

A Merry Medieval Christmas
A Merry Medieval Christmas will run December 7th and 8th at 7:00pm and December 9th at 2:00pm at the Market Hall on Royal Street in St. Francisville. Tickets are $5 per person, available only at the door. Box office opens 6:30pm, night of the show. Arrive early, seating is limited to 50 per show. For any questions or directions, check our website or e-mail us at sftheatre@gmail.com, or just call (225) 721-2124.
See website

News Clippings

WFP and St. Francisville in the News
James Minton reports in the Nov. 18th edition The Advocate that the police jury is considering two petitions from developers asking them to create special community development districts ("CDD"). The police jury accepted a petition asking it to create the Woodhaven district at its Nov. 8 meeting and the petition for the Bluffs Community Development District on Nov. 13. The Legislature authorized the special districts in 2001. A CDD can borrow development funds by issuing tax-free bonds that would later be repaid through assessments collected from the development's site buyers. These funds can only be spent on public infrastructure.
Public hearings on the proposals will be held at 5 p.m. Dec. 18.Read more

The Business Staff for the November 16th edition of Advocate reports that Tembec hopes to find a new operator by 2008 for a St. Francisville area paper mill that ceased production in July. No firm deal has been identified, though Tembec has hired Finnish consultant Jaakko Poyry to do a global search for prospects. Read more

Families in Need of Assistance

Your Donations Help FINA Help Others
Families in Need of Assistance (FINA) is asking your organization to consider a donation to FINA. Many public parish entities, local churches, and businesses such as yours share a common bond in caring for the less fortunate. FINA was founded to help coordinate these services by discouraging, and in some cases eliminating, duplication of services to the same families, our funds go further to help more families in need.

A list of organizations represented on the FINA board is listed below:

West Feliciana Parish School Board Central Office Happi Llandiers
West Feliciana Parish Sheriff's Department Quad Area Agency
West Feliciana Food Pantry & Clothes Closet Rotary Club
West Feliciana Ministers' Conference Grace Episcopal Church
First Baptist Church Healing Place Church
West Feliciana Middle School Women's Service League
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic
SF United Methodist Church

The FINA board oversees the expenditure of any funds, and no individual is given money directly. Appropriate documentation is obtained to ensure applicants for assistance are truly in need. Since its founding in the fall of 2005, FINA has helped numerous families and supported in their endeavors other community groups who serve families. We hope this coordinated effort will lessen the number of requests for assistance that our organizations and businesses receive individually.

Please feel free to contact a board member directly for further information. Donations may be made payable to FINA and mailed to:

Families in Need of Assistance (FINA)
Attn: Mike Clark or Jesse Perkins
P.O. Box 1910
St. Francisville, LA 70775

Thank you for your support in this endeavor.

Macy's Parade

Captain of WFHS Fleur de Lis Dance Team Wins Invitation to NY Parade
by Molly McGraw Porter
Sabrina Spencer, a senior at West Feliciana High School and captain of the its Fleur de Lis Dance Team, will be performing at this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York with the Universal Dance Association (UDA).

According to NBC's broadcast schedule, their coverage of the parade begins at 8 a.m. (our time), with Sabrina and her dance team appearing immediately after the 10th commercial in the telecast, or in more meaningful terms, right after the Snoopy balloon.

Sabrina won this honor when her dance team represented West Feliciana Parish at Dance Camp in Hammond, Louisiana. Sabrina recieved the honor of becoming the UDA Drill-Down Queen, the UDA All-Star Dancer, and her invitation to participate in the Parade, after winning out over 600 competitors from across Mississippi and Louisiana.

Parishwide Workshop

Parishwide Workshop at Hemingbough
by Molly McGraw Porter
The public is invited to attend the parishwide workshop on Thursday, November 29 at Hemingbough. Registration for this hands-on workshop will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Participants will gather at tables of 10 people and play a "game" designed to allow residents to easily show their hopes and desires for the future. This game uses a map of the entire parish to represent the 'board' and "game pieces" representing different development options, such as, housing, mixed-use, office, park, etc. The parish land use choices will be illustrated with real-world examples, so that participants will understand the character of the development implied, and the affect it could have on their community.

The workshop will challenge participants with the task of deciding where new growth should and should not occur within the parish, the general form that new growth should take, and the type of transportation system needed to serve it, as well as highlighting opportunity areas for change.

This is a fun community event, and we need your participation and input!

Learn more

Greetings!

Congratulations to the winners of the runoff elections for the Police Jury seats, Lea Reid Williams for District 1 and Ken Dawson for District 6. Also, a special thanks to Butch Jones for his years of service to the Police Jury, as well as to all who ran.

Many thanks also to the teams, hole sponsors, and participants who turned out for the annual Swing for Scholarships Golf Tournament held last Monday at The Bluffs. With 21 teams competing, the Chamber met its funding goals for the scholarship. Special thanks go out to the Chamber's Chair for this event, Clay Pinson, our President, Miles Higgins, and to Michael Clarke and The Bluffs, for making this Tournament such a great success.

One last note on the election of nominees to the Chamber Board - biographies of each of the candidates will be posted to the Chamber's website later this week.

Go to Chamber's website

A Happy Thanksgiving to All,

The Board and Staff of the St. Francisvile Chamber of Commerce

Future of Energy

Future of Energy is Topic

by BR Buisness Report - Steve Clark - Nov. 8, 2007

How Louisiana and the United States will meet exploding energy needs is the focus of a town hall meeting being hosted by the LSU Center for Energy Studies and ConocoPhillips at 7 p.m. Tuesday, November 13th at the Baton Rouge River Center. Baton Rouge residents and those of the nearlying parishes are invited to discuss the future of energy as part of a Conversation on Energy, a public outreach program that will include local business and industry leaders in addition to ConocoPhillips' David Dismukes, a professor and associate director of the center, who will serve as moderator. Baton Rouge is the 33rd stop on the ConocoPhillips national "listening tour." Registration is free and begins at 6:30 p.m. Validated parking will be available at the east and west garages at Government and St. Louis streets. Seating is limited. Register in advance at conocophillips.com or call (888) 877-5917.

Police Jury Notes

Police Jury Actions and Postings to Chamber Calendar

by Molly McGraw Porter

The WFP Police Jury accepted a land donation for a new parish library Thursday and agreed to restore the tower clock in the 1903 Courthouse. Sally Thomson Parker of Union, S.C. donated the 4.6-acre tract on Burnett Road adjacent to the town's ball park, but Parker stipulated in the act of donation that the land not be used to expand the athletic fields.

20th JDC Judge George H. Ware, Jr., asked the jury to spend approximately $50,000 to restore the tower clock by contracting with Manhattan, Kansas' expert David Seay. Seay will be in town next month to evaluate and propose a firm bid for the restoration work. Earlier restoration efforts "did more harm than good," said Judge Ware.

read Advocate article

The police jury agenda is now a regularly posted item in the Chamber's Calendar. The next meeting, a continuation of this earlier meeting on November 8th, is on November 13th.

see Calendar

Wine Tasting

St. Francisville Inn's Wine Parlor
The St. Francisville Inn's Wine Parlor is hosting a Wine Tasting on Thursday, November 15, 2007 starting at 6 p.m. We will sample 15 to 20 different wines we think you will enjoy for the Holidays. We provide stemless glassware, if you want to bring your favorite stem please feel free to do so.
The price is $9.00 per person.

Parish Planning

District Meetings and Parishwide Workshop Schedule

by Molly McGraw Porter

Fregonese Associates, a planning firm based in Portland, Oregon, is developing a parishwide comprehensive plan for the Police Jury. A series of meetings throughout West Feliciana Parish has been set to provide information and gain citizen support for this comprehensive planning effort currently underway. "This series of meetings will provide residents with an opportunity to discuss concerns such as housing, transportation, growth and development. The plan will provide a road map to help the parish accommodate residents of all ages and incomes," said Parish Planning and Zoning Administrator Nancy Jensen.

The Next Scheduled Meetings are:

Mon., Nov. 12 5: 30 p.m. West Feliciana Parish Community Center 10498 Highway 965/District 7

Thurs., Nov. 15 5:30 p.m. Lake Rosemound Fire Station 5140 Rosemound Loop/District 6 & eastern portion of District 4


The public is also invited to attend the parishwide workshop on Thursday, November 29 at Hemingbough. Registration for this hands-on workshop will begin at 5:30 p.m. This meeting will allow residents to use maps to chart various future growth alternatives for the parish. The workshop will challenge stakeholders with the task of deciding where new growth should and should not occur within the parish, the general form that new growth should take, and the type of transportation system needed to serve it, as well as highlighting opportunity areas for change.

read more

LSU Education

LSU Continuing Education Coming to St. Francisville

Wednesday, November 14, 2007-1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

St. Francisville Inn- 5720 Commerce Street

Join us for an informal session to learn more about LSU Continuing Education Programs and to explore future opportunities in the St. Francisville area.

· Meet program representatives from LSU

· Learn about interesting LSU programs that could be presented locally

· Enjoy free refreshments

· Meet others with similar interests in our area

For more information, please call

Julia @ LSU at (225) 578-5076 or

Lloyd Lindsey @ West Feliciana Parish Schools at (225) 635-3891

Education in SF

Information Session on Local Program Planning

by Molly McGraw Porter

St. Francisville Inn · November 14 · 1:30 to 3:30 pm

The LSU Continuing Education department will be presenting an informal session to learn more about LSU Continuing Education programs and to explore future program opportunities in the St. Francisville community:

· Meet program representatives from LSU

· Learn about interesting LSU programs that could be presented locally

· Enjoy free refreshments

· Meet others with similar interests in your area

More information will be in next week's newsletter. In the meantime, for more information, call Julia at 578-5076 or visit their web site at www.outreach.lsu.edu

Schedule for 200years

Celebrating 200 Years

A Main to Main Event

FRIDAY-NOVEMBER 9, 2007 6:00 p.m.-Book Signing "THE SPIRIT OF ST. FRANCISVILLE" by local author Anne Butler, photographer Darrell Chitty, with works by painter Murrell Butler -Old Market Hall-Royal Street 8:00 p.m.- Music at the Magnolia Café on Commerce Street- "A Band Named Sue" SATURDAY-NOVEMBER 10, 2007 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.- FELICIANA STITCHERS QUILT SHOW AND SALE-Come by Parker Park to shop for that special quilt and to watch the stitchers make these beautiful one of a kind pieces of work. 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.-ARTS AT THE MARKET-Birdman Coffee & Books on Commerce Street- The Arts For All members are displaying their work all month long. 10:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m.-HAPPY 200 YEARS IN ST. FRANCISVILLE-Pick up your birthday card at one of the following participating stores to receive your 10% discount. Fill in the back, drop off at any participating store to be eligible for the drawing. Stores: Border Imports, Britches & Stitches, Grandmother's Buttons, Harrington Gallery, Hillcrest, Historical Society Museum, The Massage Clinic, Sage Hill, The Shanty Too, Wine Parlor, Tommy Savage Books, and The Vintage Store. 7:00 p.m.-DATE NIGHT AT THE MOVIES- Mom and Dad, get a babysitter and join us at the 4-H Barn on Wilcox Street to watch Hillary Swank on the big screen in the movie that was filmed right here in St. Francisville. Admission is one canned good for the WFP Food Bank. 7:00 p.m.-DYLAN SNEED will be performing at the Birdman Coffee and Books on Commerce Street SUNDAY-NOVEMBER 11, 2007 2:30 p.m.-SCHOOL DAYS AT JULIUS FREYHAN HIGH SCHOOL-Fidelity Street. All Veterans are Welcome and will be honored by the WFHS NJROTC Color Guard. There will be Oral Histories of Days Gone By from past graduates. The Auditorium will host a Reception with the WF Community Choir and to top off the afternoon, there will be a Black and White Photo Exhibit celebrating THE SPIRIT OF ST. FRANCISVILLE 200 YEARS. Come spend the afternoon with us at this splendid Old School.

Parishwide Planning

District Meetings and Parishwide Workshop Schedule by Molly McGraw Porter

Fregonese Associates, a planning firm based in Portland, Oregon, is developing a parishwide comprehensive plan for the Police Jury. A series of meetings throughout West Feliciana Parish has been set to provide information and gain citizen support for this comprehensive planning effort currently underway. "This series of meetings will provide residents with an opportunity to discuss concerns such as housing, transportation, growth and development. The plan will provide a road map to help the parish accommodate residents of all ages and incomes," said Parish Planning and Zoning Administrator Nancy Jensen. The Next Scheduled Meetings are: Monday, November 5 5:30 p.m. West Feliciana High School Auditorium Thursday, November 8 District 4 5:30 p.m. Tunica Fire Station, 15804 Tunica Trace The public is also invited to attend a workshop on Thursday, November 29 at Hemingbough. The Hemingbough meeting will begin with registration at 5:30 p.m. and the workshop at 6 p.m.

Golf Tournament

Swing for Scholarships

Chamber of Commerce's Golf Tournament Held; Nov. 12, 2007 Location: The Bluffs Country Club For more information and online registration visit our website.

Sign up now >>> 4 Person Scramble!

$500 Team $200 Sponsorship

(Spot in Tournament) (Hole sponsorship and Banner Recognition)

Registration & Range Open at 10:30 Shot Gun Starts at 12 Noon

Lunch Buffet Begins at 11:00 Awards Ceremony to Follow

Registration forms available at our website: www.stfrancisvillechamber.com

and can be submitted on-line or by fax to (225) 635-9455

SFC's Greetings Nov 5

Greetings!

This coming week brings additional planning sessions and a weekend celebration of St. Francisville's 200th Birthday Celebration. Highlight of the bicentennial observation will be an Open House on Sunday, November 11, at the Julius Freyhan School just off Royal Street. Preservation and restoration efforts are underway for this undisputed gem of architectural history. On Friday, the debut of Anne Butler's The Spirit of St. Francisville will be held at a reception at 6:30 and the author will be on hand to sign copies. The Baton Rouge Advocate, in its November 4th Magazine section, praised Butler's book as "a labor of love."

Anne's new publication highlights the beauty of our town. And, it is this beauty that lends St. Francisville its unique sense of place. Let's all attend the planning sessions to make sure the vision for St. Francisville's future has its beauty and uniqueness as its hallmark.

Molly McGraw Porter

Director, St. Francisville Chamber of Commerce