Wednesday, October 29, 2008

SFTCC- 10-29-08

SFCC 10/29/08

Greetings!

Wow!

Our inaugural trip to Madison exceeded our expectations! From the second we boarded the bus, everyone was engaged. This trip demonstrated, more than any one thing, that we have a strong passion for our great town and parish.

On the bus trip, we heard encouraging updates from the Steve Jones on the CDF, Lloyd Lindsey on the School Board, Dorcas Brown on Green Building Practices / Comprehensive Plan and Mark Chustz on the Parish Hospital and more.

Once we arrived in Madison, we heard from a wide array of speakers but undoubtedly the Mayor of Madison, Mary Hawkins Butler, stole the show. Her willingness to tackle the tough issues head-on and continuously stand her ground has significantly contributed to their success. She shared a passion for Madison that we have for St. Francisville.

Other speakers included commercial and residential developers, the Directors of Public Works, Permits, Code Enforcement, Community Development and the City Economic Development Consultant. One thing that was clearly evident was how well the various public entities work together. All of us that attended have committed to continue to strive for the same level of concentric cooperation. The Chamber, Community Development Foundation and local business leaders are committed to working with the parish and town to make St. Francisville reach its potential.

We wrapped up our trip with a "Lessons Learned Session" where we divided up into groups and then presented our findings from each group.

Stay tuned to a follow-up newsletter on our findings and future meetings!

discover, decipher, design!

Miles Higgins
Board President


"THANK YOU"
The Greater St. Francisville Chamber of Commerce sends a large "Thank You" to chamber businesses and people who were an important part of the Discovery Trip 2008 to Madison, Mississippi. Fred's, The Wine Parlor, Audubon Package Liquor, St. Francisville IGA, Feliciana Supermarket, Temple Designs, Amanda Temple, Tom Temple, West Feliciana Sports Park, Randy Alberez, Melissa Higgins, Miles Higgins, The Relocation Center and Bank of St. Francisville.
The chamber also thanks the support and attendance of everyone who attended the event.
The success of the Discovery Trip 2008 would have not been possible without your work, donations, and encouragement.


Swing for Scholarships
Get those "Swing for Scholarships" Applications In
The Chamber's "Swing for Scholarships" golf tournament applications are now available. The event is planned for November 10,2008 at The Bluffs. Get those clubs and your team ready for a good time.
Deadline for team applications are November 3, 2008. You may call the chamber office at 225-635-6717 for more details and for an application.

Red Ribbon Week Speaker Today
at WFHS Auditorium
Guest speaker, Bobby Petrocelli, will speak at WFHS High School Auditorium tonight, October 29th at 6:30pm. This event is FREE and open to the public. Mr. Petrocelli is a professional speaker, author, educator and coach. He is a motivated and dynamic speaker who will share his experience of the tragedy of the loss of his wife to a drunk driver.
This speaker is a "must see and hear" person that will make you look at the way you live-change.
Relay For Life

Relay For Life Meeting
Join the community in the fight against cancer by attending the Relay For Life meeting on Thursday, October 30th at 6pm at Town Hall. Do you know someone who has cancer or are you a survivor? Come to be part of this worthwhile event for our community. Call Amy Spillman, Relay Chair, at 225-721-1742 for more information.


Trick or Treat Down Main Street
Trick or Treat Time!
Come join the fun downtown and visit local businesses and residents for Trick or Treat. Stroll along Ferdinand and Royal Streets for this safe and Happy Halloween tradition on Friday, October 31st from 5:30pm until 7:30pm.
For more information, call Laurie Walsh at the Main Street Office at 635-3873.

Contact Information
Linda Osterberger; Executive Secretary
phone: 635-6717

Thursday, October 16, 2008

SFCC - 10-15-08

Greetings
45 People will leave out at 7:15am on Wednesday October 22nd for Madison, Ms. to "discover, decipher, design".

Other news from the chamber is about the debris removal in the parish. The Police Jury has informed me that the company hired should complete the contract by the end of October. Residents may call the Police Jury at 635-3864 and enter extension 3 or call the Debris Removal line direct at 784-3739 for information and location pick-ups.

The Town of St. Francisville is continuing their regular debris removal, but residents are reminded that they must have limbs put at the road and cut to handle and no roofing or repair materials please.

FEMA has been by the chamber office and reported that the Blue Roof Program is complete in our parish. People with damage to their roofs that the program put a FEMA Blue Roof, needs to have your roof repaired by a professional. With the warm weather, these tarps are temporary and may not provide protection in case of rain.

There is alot going on for the next few weeks here in St. Francisville, so give yourself and break and visit us for a relaxing weekend.

Linda Osterberger
Executive Director
St. Francisville Chamber of Commerce


Symphony Concert Saturday

The St. Francisville Symphony Association will hosts its first of three concerts this Saturday, October 18, at Grace Episcopal Church. Selections from Handel, Shostakovick and Mozart will be performed. Tickets are available at the Bank of St. Francisville, by calling the BRSO at 383-0500, or at the door. Other concerts are scheduled for December 5, 2008 and April 4, 2009.

"Swing for Scholarships" Applications now Ready

The Chamber's "Swing for Scholarships" golf tournament applications are now available. The event is planned for November 10,2008 at The Bluffs. Get those clubs and your team ready for a good time.
Deadline for team applications are November 3, 2008. You may call the chamber office at 225-635-6717 for more details and for an application.

Garden Symposium This Weekend

Friday and Saturday, October 17,18 and 20th, Southern Garden Symposium will be held in St. Francisville. This annual event attracts garden enthusiasts from across the South. For more information call Lucie Cassity at 225-635-3738.

OLMC Church Raffles Colorado Ski Trip

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church is raffling a Colorado Ski Trip for 2 people. The drawing will be held on October 19, 2008. Contact the church office for tickets and details at 225-635-3630.

Movie Under the Stars

"Meet the Robinsons" will be shown at dark on Friday, October 24 at Parker Park. The Women's Service League will provide refreshments while you sit back, relax and enjoy the movie. All you'll need is a canned good for the Food Bank for admission and a blanket and/or chairs.

Town Hosts Dedication to Mr. Richard Holcomb

On Saturday, October 25, 2008 at 10am, The Town of St. Francisville will hold a dedication ceremony to Mr. Richard "Dick" Holcomb, the former Mayor Pro-Tem of St. Francisville at the railroad park on Ferdinand St. (site of the red caboose). This is a special dedication to a special person who was dedicated to St. Francisville. Light refreshments will be served. The public is invited.


Yellow Leaf Arts Festival


The 6th Annual Yellow Leaf Arts Festival will be held at Parker Park on Saturday and Sunday, October 26 and 26. There will artists display and selling their wares as well as demonstrating their artistic talents. Musical groups will also be playing. Bring the family out for a weekend of fun.

Relocation Packets are now Available

If you know of anyone who is moving to St. Francisville, they can call the Chamber office at 635-6717 and request a re-location packet. Information about the parish and parish facilities along with phone numbers they will need and some brochures from Chamber businesses and maps of the town and parish are enclosed in the packets.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

SFCC - 10-08-08

Greetings!

It's fall. Everyone is ready to get over the hurricanes and get out of the house. "Information calls" are a regular at the chamber office. These wonderful people are coming here for one reason or another. All calls are ended by "I hope you enjoy our beautiful town". I know the Tourist Information Center in town is getting calls; we are sending a lot of them to this amazing place. Have you ever been there? It is located at the Museum downtown. You could spend hours just looking around. You must go to visit if you have never been there. We tip our hat to all those ladies who plan events for our town and parish not to mention those who know the history by heart. If you keep reading our "newsletter", we will try to keep you informed on what's going on.

The big talk right now is "what is going to happen to the town when the bridge opens"? The beauty and the ambiance of our town will still be here. Our reply is, when you have family or friends who come to visit or just want to get away, even for a couple of hours, bring them to town and just park the car and walk. We still have some great unique shops open downtown and numerous businesses throughout the parish, and the Churches are a "must see". The history and beauty of each one is like no other place. This is such a wonderful place to raise children and grow older.

The Chamber encourages business and economic development so our families can "stay in the parish" for most of their needs. The "Discovery Trip" to Madison, Mississippi is quickly approaching. A large number of seriously interested people have jumped on board with the same desire to learn from another town's growth and bring some ideas back to our town with the interest of all the people in the parish.

The members and individuals who support the chamber are very appreciated. A goal for 2009 is for those who are not members, to join us in the effort to continue to build a better place for our families and businesses. 'What a wonderful place to live', and your Chamber of Commerce will be here to support the town and parish.

Linda Osterberger
Director
St. Francisville Chamber of Commerce

"Swing for Scholarship" - Applications Ready
The Chamber's "Swing for Scholarships" golf tournament applications are now available. The event is planned for November 10, 2008 at The Bluffs. Get those clubs and your team ready for a good time.
Deadline for team applications are November 3, 2008. You may call the chamber office at 225-635-6717 for more details and an application or use the online application. You may submit online or click on the user friendly print button on the top right of article.

Some of the proceeds from this event benefit the chamber's scholarship fund.

Debris Pick-up in St. Francisville
The Town of St. Francisville can only pick up yard and tree materials, building or roofing materials CANNOT be picked up by the town. Your contractor should arrange for disposal of these materials.

Town Hosts Dedication to Mr. Richard Holcomb
On Saturday, October 25, 2008 at 10am, The Town of St. Francisville will hold a dedication ceremony to Mr. Richard "Dick" Holcomb, the former Mayor Pro-Tem of St. Francisville at the railroad park on Ferdinand St. (site of the red caboose). This is a special dedication to a special person who was dedicated to St. Francisville. Light refreshments will be served. The public is invited.

Freedom Walk Scheduled for October 11,2008
The Freedom Walk remembering 9-11 and honoring Veterans has been rescheduled for this Saturday, October 11, 2008. The walk was rescheduled from September 6th due to the hurricane.
The "American Supports You" Freedom Walk calls on people to reflect on the lives lost on September 11, 2001, honor our veterans, past and present, and renew our commitment to freedom and the values of our country.
The walk will start at 10 a.m. by Parker Park. Come experience a patriotic day with many events throughout the day including the walk. Registration begins at 8 a.m. for those who have not pre-registered. Contact Estelita Travis for more information at 225-635-3640.


Red, White and Blue Sale Day this Saturday
Walk, snack and shop St. Francisville's dowtown stores all day this Saturday, October 11th. This sale is in conjunction with the Freedom Walk. Many businesses are offering % off savings along with snacks and food at each location while you spend the patriotic day in St. Francisville. Bring the entire family and friends for a "fall weekend". For more information, call Laurie at 635-3873.

Open House & Review of Draft WFP Plan
There will be an Open House & Review of the Draft West Feliciana Parish Comprehensive Plan on Monday October 13th, from 5-8pm at Hemingbough in St. Francisville. A brief presentation at 6:30pm with members of the Support Committee, consultant team and Parish staff present to discuss recomendations and take your comments. Come review the vision and plan for West Feliciana!

Congratulations Sam D'Aquilla
The Chamber congratulations Sam D'Aquilla on his continued position of District Attorney for East and West Feliciana. Mr. D'Aquilla is a member of the Chamber of Commerce.

OLMC Church Raffles Colorado Ski Trip
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church is raffling a Colorado Ski Trip for 2 people. The drawing will be held on October 19, 2008. Contact the church office for tickets and details at 225-635-3630.



Wednesday, October 1, 2008

SFCC - 10-01-08

Greetings - Sept. 30, 2008

The Voice of West Feliciana Business

Greetings!

The Chamber office is staying quite busy these days. Fully recovered from all the hurricane action, the beautiful weather has brought everyone refreshed and ready for the fall with numerous calls about events going on in the parish, those taking advantage of the weather are ready to get out and "St. Francisville" is on their list. Apparently weddings are planned for our area because there have been calls about businesses that can cater all the needs of the special event to" what the guests can do while visiting" and "where can we eat". The chamber membership list is by the phone to answer the calls.

For those who have forgotten, the St. Francisville Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the "Discovery Trip 2008" to Madison MS on October 22 & 23, 2008. The applications for this trip are available at the chamber office. You can call me at 225-635-6717 and I will be glad to send you an application via e-mail. Deadline for applications is October 6th. The goal of this endeavor is to bring together community leaders and interested residents to learn from the successes, ideas, and planning Madison has undergone. We know positive results will be achieved from this trip so the successful growth of West Feliciana will benefit. Spaces are limited so call today!

Along with all the activity, on November 10, 2008, the annual "Swing for Scholarships" Golf Tournament will be held at The Bluffs. All proceeds from this event go into the Scholarship Fund. The Chamber of Commerce awards three scholarships to deserving students every year. Team applications are now available for this event. Please get your team together and call the chamber office for an application to participate in this worthwhile event for our youth.

Sometimes we feel like we ask too much, so this past Sunday, representing the Greater St. Francisville Chamber of Commerce, Al and I assisted the Red Cross with "Rockin out the Hurricanes" event at Walk-ons in Baton Rouge. Bands played and all participants had a good time. In four short hours, we raised over $1700 for the emergency/disaster fund for the Red Cross. I bring back a warm "Thank you" from Kendall Hebert and Pam Chenevert for the participation.

September is just about gone and October starts the festival and holiday season and St. Francisville is "back and as beautiful as ever". Have a great week!

Linda Osterberger
Greater St. Francisville Chamber of Commerce
Director

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Ooh La La Ribbon Cutting

Ooh La La Tanning and Hair Salon has rescheduled the new business's ribbon cutting for Friday, October 3rd at 6pm. The business had to reschedule due to Hurricane Gustav. Owner Miss Lacy Maxwell welcomes everyone to come and see the "new salon in town". The Chamber welcomes this new business to St. Francisville.

View Larger Map

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Relocation Packets are now Available

If you know of anyone who is moving to St. Francisville, they can call the Chamber office at 635-6717 and request a re-location packet. Information about the parish and parish facilities along with phone numbers they will need and some brochures from Chamber businesses and maps of the town and parish are enclosed in the packets.

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Applications for "Discovery Trip" are Now Available

Applications for the "Discovery Trip" to Madison, Mississippi sponsored by the St. Francisville Chamber of Commerce are now available. Anyone who is interested may contact the chamber office at 225-635-6717 for more information.
There are limited spaces available so reserve your space today!! Deadline for the applications is October 6, 2008.


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"Swing for Scholarships" Applications Ready

The Chamber's "Swing for Scholarships" golf tournament applications are now available. The event is planned for November 10, 2008 at The Bluffs. Get those clubs and your team ready for a good time.
Deadline for team applications are November 3, 2008. You may call the chamber office at 225-635-6717 for more details and an application or use the online application. You may submit online or click on the user friendly print button on the top right of article.

The proceeds from this event benefit the chamber's scholarship fund.

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Early Voting for October 4th Election Starts Saturday

Early voting for the October 4th election will begin on this Saturday, September 20th, at the Registrar of Voters Office at 5932 Commerce St. in St. Francisville. The office is located next to the Police Jury Office. The early voting will continue thru Saturday, September 27th. The office hours are from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m., closed on Sunday.

If you are unable to vote on October 4th, you can vote early! Remember to vote- it is your privilege and the American thing to do! What's on the Ballot?

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Freedom Walk Scheduled for October 11, 2008

The Freedom Walk remembering 9-11 and honoring Veterans has been rescheduled for October 11, 2008. The walk was rescheduled from September 6th due to the hurricane.

The "American Supports You" Freedom Walk calls on people to reflect on the lives lost on September 11, 2001, honor our veterans, past and present, and renew our commitment to freedom and the values of our country.

The walk will start at 10 a.m. by Parker Park. Registration begins at 8 a.m. for those who have not pre-registered. Contact Estelita Travis for more information at 225-635-3640.

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