SFCC 3/20/09

The Voice
of West Feliciana Business

Editor's note: The following is the monthly President's report delivered to the Chamber Board of Directors. It is reprinted here for the benefit our members.

The Chamber continues to make great strides in 2009. For the second month in a row, each of our committees has met to discuss important Chamber business. The committees are truly the backbone of our organization and their work is making a positive impact. At our March Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, March 19 at 4pm at the River Bend Training Center, we will hear reports from each of our five standing committees, review their work, adopt their ideas where requested, and allow the committees to move on towards their goals for this year.

Here are a three of the many items our committees will be asking the Board to take action on:

· A request by the Member Services Committee to join with three other organizations in funding the update and reprinting of a parish map for use by our businesses, citizens and visitors.

· A recommendation by the Governmental Relations Committee that the Board of Directors authorize a resolution requesting the Police Jury take initial steps towards developing a Home Rule Charter for West Feliciana Parish.

· A recommendation by the Governmental Relations Committee that the Board of Directors authorize a resolution requesting the Police Jury to seek official designation as a "Bicycle Friendly Community" by a national cycling organization.

I am very pleased with our current level of membership in the Chamber. With a half-dozen new members in the last week or so, our Chamber stands at 111 members across all categories. Credit goes to our Member Services Committee, our Executive Secretary Linda Osterbeger, and everyone who has helped recruit and retain members.

Between now and the end of May the Chamber expects to conduct 5 ribbon-cuttings at new businesses, 3 ribbon-cuttings at newly remodeled businesses, and 1 ground-breaking for a business to be constructed in 2009. This is terrific news for our community and we are proud to be a part of it.

Your Chamber leadership continues to monitor the important developments at both The Bluffs and the former Tembec mill site. As two of the top three taxpayers in the parish, each of us has a vested interest in both. Despite a tremendous effort by parish officials, it appears the likelihood of the mill re-opening to paper production is gone. Now, we must circle the wagons as a community and help chart a course for this industrial corridor in our parish.

Please remember that our locally owned and operated establishments need your help. The Chamber encourages everyone to give local businesses first shot at their dollars. Take a look at what's offered and you might just be surprised at the selection, price and service you can receive right here at home.

Last week, Linda and I represented our Chamber at a "Celebration of Tourism" at the West Baton Rouge Convention Center in Port Allen. Area Chambers of Commerce along with CVB's and Tourism Commissions from a 7-parish area were in attendance. At the event, it was announced that tourism was responsible for over $1 billion in economic impact last year - just in the 7 parishes represented.

With the Pilgrimage this weekend, it will be a busy time for all of us. Please take a moment to welcome visitors to our parish. Tourism remains one of our most important industries in West Feliciana and we recognize that people have a choice where to visit and spend money. A friendly "hello" and "glad you're here" in our businesses can only help create repeat visitors.

As always, let me know if there's anything I can do for you.

Let's keep Moving Feliciana Forward!

Respectfully submitted,
Michael SmithThis email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it , President

Latest News

The West Feliciana Parish Relay For Life is scheduled for Friday, May 1, 2009 at the West Feliciana High School. This annual event is the American Cancer Society's signature fund-raising event that brings communities together in hope, celebration and memory.

If you or your organization wishes to participate by putting together a "Team" or just volunteer to help, or if you know or are a "Survivor", please call Amy Spillman at 225-721-1742.

The West Feliciana goal is only $30,000.00. Let's go past that amount and help towards saving lives with research, education, advocacy and service.
"Let's Save Some Lives"!

New Chamber Members

Welcome Two NEW Chamber Members!!!

The St. Francisville Chamber of Commerce welcomes two "New" members- Elliott Pharmacy and The LA Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living.

Elliott Pharmacy opened its new location in January of 09 in the Spring Creek Shopping Center. They are a full service pharmacy with a gift department along with many other needs for your one stop shopping needs. Pharmacist Clifton Elliott assures his customers will receive that "special" attention. A ribbon cutting for Elliott Pharmacy will be in the very near future. We will keep you informed of the date.

The LA Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living is a non-profit public health organization that works for "Better Living" in Louisiana.

The Chamber welcomes you both to the community!

Annual Audubon BirdFest

The 8th Annual "Audubon Country BirdFest" will be held on April 4, 2009. There will be several birding field trips into spectacular wildlife areas and privately owned properties. Over 175 species of birds are known to reside or migrate through the area. The field trips will feature some popular sites.

The event is sponsored by the Feliciana Nature Society and will be headquartered at the St. Francisville Inn in St. Francisville, LA. All field trips are limited and advance reservations are required at $20 per person.

For more information please contact, Tracey Banowetz at 225-655-4028 or

banowetz@bellsouth.net or Laurie Walsh at 225-635-3873 or lauriemainst@bellsouth.net .

BR Uncorked Event

Two of the seven founders of Baton Rouge Uncorked are here in St. Francisville! Miles Higgins and Luke Williamson started a philanthropic organization that hosts quarterly events that donate the entire proceeds to a selected charity.

The next event is on Thursday, March 19, 2009 at the Sheraton Atrium in Baton Rouge. For more information on the event and the organization, visit their website at www.batonrougeuncorked.com

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.

SFCC 03/11/09

The Voice of West Feliciana Business

Many people have been calling the office and the talk about town is the construction at the intersection of Highway 61 and LA Highway 10. The DOTD engineers have made a report to the Chamber office. DOTD is dredging and cleaning the debris from the ditches. There is no report of a time frame. They are working on the many projects on the highway everyday. The intersection has only 2 lanes open with NO TURNING LANES. You must go to the one traffic signal to turn. The turning arrows do work so please observe them. All roads approaching the intersection are double-yellow lined, so do not pass and be extra careful.

As far as the piles of dirt on either side of Highway 61, it will be used to refill the ditches and any other construction areas as needed.

LA Timed Managers media contact, Samuel Moore, reported to the chamber the latest projections for the Highway 61 expansion project.

The expansion from Thompson Creek to St. Francisville is 18% complete with the projected completion date as late June of 2010.

The expansion from St. Francisville to Bains is projected to be completed in February of 2011.

That means that we should just relax and slow it down for quite some time. We encourage those who come through our parish to do the same especially since next weekend is Pilgrimage Weekend.

As I have heard before:

EXCUSE OUR MESS- THIS IS PROGRESS IN THE MAKING!


Welcome New Member!

Welcome Stateline Travel Center

Newest Member of the Chamber is - The Stateline Travel Center. The new building on Highway 61 North of the parish at the Mississippi/Louisiana State Line will be opening very soon. The new facility will replace the current State Line Truck Stop next door that has been open since October of 2001.

The Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon cutting for the new facility in the near future. We will keep you informed on the opening.

The Chamber welcomes you to the community!


The Upper Crust Bistro Has New Location
The Upper Crust Bistro has announced it is OPEN at the new location. The new location is in Zachary, LA, 19900 Old Scenic Hwy at Lake Pointe Centre near Copper Mill. They are open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner. Call them at 225-654-5600.
Camille and Scott Thibodeaux invites everyone to come by and check out their expanded menu and dining accommodations.

The Chamber congratulates them on their new location. They remained dedicated members even though they moved!


Scholarship Applications are at Schools
Chamber of Commerce Scholarships are at Schools
The Greater St. Francisville Chamber of Commerce has distributed scholarships applications to schools. If you have a student who is a senior and lives in West Feliciana Parish and will be attending a college in the fall of 2009, please have them check with the guidance counselor at school for a scholarship application.

This year the Chamber will present up to 7 scholarships for $500 each to qualifying applicants. The scholarship monies were generated through the chamber's annual "Swing For Scholarships" Golf Tournaments.
If you need any information or an application, please call the office at 225-635-6717. The deadline to have the applications into the office is April 24, 2009

"Main Street" Workshop
St. Francisville Main Street hosting Workshop
Representatives from the LA Office of Historic Preservation, Valerie Gaumont and Alison Saunders, will be presenting a workshop on Commercial and Residential Historic Tax Credits and Main Street Basics on Thursday, March 12, 2009 at 6:00 pm at Town Hall in St. Francisville. Ms. Saunders will be available for site visits with pre-arrangements before and after the workshop. This is a wonderful one on one opportunity to learn about the advantages of historic tax credits. Ms. Gaumont will talk about how Main Street functions. They are always looking for volunteers or people interested in the board functions of Main Street.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a site visit, please call Laurie Walsh, St. Francisville Main Street at 225-635-3873 or email at lauriemainst@bellsouth.net


WFHS Project Graduation Garage Sale

The West Feliciana Project Graduation 2009 is having a "Garage Sale" on Saturday, March 14,2009 at 8:00am to 2:00pm in the parking lot at the First Baptist Church at the intersection of Highway 61 and LA Highway 10 in St. Francisville. They will also have hot lunches available to purchase from 10:00am until 1:00pm.

Project Graduation is an all-night, alcohol and drug free party for graduating seniors hosted by parents and the community to offer a fun and sage alternative on graduation night. WFPG will be held after graduation on Friday, May 15, 2009.

If you would like additional information on how you can help WFPG 2009, please contact Charlotte B. Odom at 225-635-5342 or contact West Feliciana High School at 225-635-4561.


A Wine and Cheese Evening
A Wine and Cheese Evening during Pilgrimage
Join in on Friday, March 20,. 2009, the evening of the Audubon Pilgrimage for wine and cheese to celebrate the weekend. Tickets are $15 per person for the Friday evening's activities that includes a sing along at St. Francisville United Methodist Church and cemetery tour at Grace Episcopal Church. Tickets may be purchased at the Historical Society prior to the event or at the door. The event will be held from 6:30pm until 9:00pm. The event is sponsored by the Bank of St. Francisville.
For more information, call 225-635-6330.

"Light Up The Night
"Light Up The Night" during the Pilgrimage
The West Feliciana Historical Society invites you to "Light Up The Night" on Prosperity Street in St. Francisville for the 4th Annual Saturday Soiree. The soiree will be held during the Audubon Pilgrimage on Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 7:00pm. Ticket prices are $40/person and includes dinner catered by V Catering and Chef Scott Varnedoe, live music and complimentary beer and wine. A cash bar will also be available. To purchase tickets, please contact the West Feliciana Historical Society at 225-635-6330.


Annual Audubon BirdFest
The 8th Annual "Audubon Country BirdFest" will be held on April 4, 2009. There will be several birding field trips into spectacular wildlife areas and privately owned properties. Over 175 species of birds are known to reside or migrate through the area. The field trips will feature some popular sites.
The event is sponsored by the Feliciana Nature Society and will be headquartered at the St. Francisville Inn in St. Francisville, LA. All field trips are limited and advance reservations are required at $20 per person.
For more information please contact, Tracey Banowetz at 225-655-4028 or
banowetz@bellsouth.net or Laurie Walsh at 225-635-3873 or lauriemainst@bellsouth.net .
Or visit www.audubonbirdfest.com

BR Uncorked Event
BR Uncorked Event Next Week
Two of the seven founders of Baton Rouge Uncorked are here in St. Francisville! Miles Higgins and Luke Williamson started a philanthropic organization that hosts quarterly events that donate the entire proceeds to a selected charity.

The next event is on Thursday, March 19, 2009 at the Sheraton Atrium in Baton Rouge. For more information on the event and the organization, visit their website at www.batonrougeuncorked.com .


Calling All New Folks!

Relocation Packets are now AvailableIf 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.

SFCC 03/05/09

Greetings

Greetings! The following article is very timely for you and your business and I encourage you to read it today. The article is timely because now is the best time to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season - which begins June 1. Hurricane Gustav tested many of us in the local business community to the extreme. Please use this article as a tool to "self-check" your response to Gustav. Hopefully it will help you to determine what went right and what went wrong in your organization. Through this effort, we can all be better prepared when and if the need arises. Our friends at LWCC have granted our Chamber permission to reprint this information and we thank th em. This article was contained in a recent LWCC newsletter. We hope you find it as helpful as we did.

Read more...

Latest News

Reprinted With Permission From LWCC With thousands of Louisiana businesses affected by the damaging impact of last year's hurricanes, business owners or managers should take time to consider how well or poorly they prepared for the storms. The following questions may help evaluate how well organized and equipped you were to withstand the potential impact on your business and workforce, and it may assist you in preparing for future emergencies.

Read more...

New Chamber Member Newest Member of the Chamber is - The Victorian of the Felicianas- The owners are Dr. Prem Menon, M.D. and Dr. Vilma Menon, M.D.. They own a beautiful facility on Carah Drive off Highway 10 that accommodates events from meetings, and family reunions to weddings and receptions with a "Southern Flair". You may visit their website at www.thevictorian.info . The Chamber welcomes you to the community!

Area Events

Baton Rouge Career Center Job Fair The Baton Rouge Career Center is have a Veterans and general public combined Job Fair on April 7, 2009. There will be 70 or more of our regions largest employers participating. These Corporations will be interviewing, collecting resumes and hiring. The hours are 9:00am until 1:00pm at Crown Plaza Baton Rouge (4728 Constitution Ave.) Baton Rouge, LA. The first two hours are reserved for Veterans. From 11:00 am until 1:00pm are open to the general public. For further information, contact Bob Hartman- 225-922-1320 or email at rhartman@ldol.state.la.usThis email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Light Up The Night

"Light Up The Night" during the Pilgrimage The West Feliciana Historical Society invites you to "Light Up The Night" on Prosperity Street in St. Francisville for the 4th Annual Saturday Soiree. The soiree will be held during the Audubon Pilgrimage on Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 7:00pm. Ticket prices are $40/person and includes dinner catered by V Catering and Chef Scott Varnedoe, live music and complimentary beer and wine. A cash bar will also be available. To purchase tickets, please contact the West Feliciana Historical Society at 225-635-6330.

"Main Street" Workshop

"Main Street" Workshop St. Francisville Main Street hosting Workshop Representatives from the LA Office of Historic Preservation, Valerie Gaumont and Alison Saunders, will be presenting a workshop on Commercial and Residential Historic Tax Credits and Main Street Basics on Thursday, March 12, 2009 at 6:00 pm at Town Hall in St. Francisville. Ms. Saunders will be available for site visits with pre-arrangements before and after the workshop. This is a wonderful one on one opportunity to learn about the advantages of historic tax credits. Ms. Gaumont will talk about how Main Street functions. They are always looking for volunteers or people interested in the board functions of Main Street. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a site visit, please call Laurie Walsh, St. Francisville Main Street at 225-635-3873 or email at lauriemainst@bellsouth.netThis email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Chamber Features

Relocation Packages

Calling All New Folks! 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. Contact Information Linda Osterberger; Executive Secretary phone: 635-6717 Join our mailing list!