Newsletter

October 2008

Farmer’s Appreciation Event Rescheduled

Due to Hurricane Gustav the Farmer’s Appreciation Event was canceled for September 4th. It has been rescheduled for Tuesday, October 21st at Winnsboro First Baptist Church on Highland Street at 6:00 p.m.

The event is hosted by the Chamber and the sponsor is Franklin Parish Farm Bureau. Co-sponsors include Entergy, Franklin Cotton Warehouse, Franklin State Bank and Trust Company, Helena Farm Chemicals and Scott Tractor of Rayville.

Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain will be the Chamber’s featured guest for the event.

Farmer’s and their spouses will receive complimentary tickets, while tickets for non-farmers are $10 each. Call the Chamber office at 435-4488 and make your reservations.

Guests will enjoy fried Louisiana pond-raised catfish with all the trimmings, as well as the music of the folk group band “Back Porch”.

Also on tap is the auction for the parish’s first bale of cotton for 2008.

Merchants from all over the parish have donated door prizes for the event.

Remember to call and make your reservations by Friday, October 17, 2008.

“Prairie Street Prowl” Downtown Winnsboro

Plans are being made for the fifth annual “Prairie Street Prowl,” the popular downtown Halloween event sponsored by Winnsboro Main Street. Children, ages 12 and under, are urged to dress in costumes and come trick-or-treat and enjoy festive activities with the merchants on Friday, October 31st, from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m., on Prairie Street, downtown Winnsboro.

This will be the town’s official observance of Halloween, so don’t miss this opportunity to let the kids trick-or-treat in a safe atmosphere at “Prairie Street Prowl.”

“MAIN TO MAIN”
Remember November

Winnsboro Main Street will again this year have the annual “Main to Main” event, which is scheduled for November. They will be sponsoring two very special events for the month.

Once again the wildly-successful parishwide “Found on 15” rummage sale is scheduled for November 7th and 8th. The rummage sale will run all along Highway 15 from Baskin to Wisner.

Churches, schools, organizations, shops and individuals are encouraged to join in the fun and use the opportunity to bring visitors and dollars to the parish.

As a part of “Main to Main” the U.S. Navy Band from New Orleans will perform a Veterans Day concert on November 11th at 7:30 p.m. at a yet-to-be- determined venue.

More information will be available on this as the dates draw nearer.

Business of the Month

Robert Lowe & Associates, Inc/United Country Wes Lowe Realty has been selected as the Chamber’s “Business of the Month”.

After graduating from Northeast Louisiana University in Building Construction and spending eight years in industrial and commercial construction, Wes Lowe moved back to his hometown of Winnsboro with his family in 1988 to begin Robert Lowe & Associates, Inc.,with his father Robert Lowe. “We have been appraising single family dwellings, commercial property and agricultural properties since 1988.” Currently Robert Lowe & Associates, Inc. works with local lenders, out of state lenders, USDA-FSA, NRCS, Rural Development, appraisal management companies and many individuals.

In 1996 Lowe started Wes Lowe Realty and in 2007, Lowe joined the United Country Franchise to become United Country Wes Lowe Realty. “I joined with United Country to offer local sellers the opportunity to sell their property to buyers outside the local market. We advertise in United Country’s Real Estate catalogs that are published throughout the year and are sent all over the United States,” Lowe said the association has been a good one. “We’ve had calls from California, Arizona and Hawaii just to name a few, asking about some of our properties for sale in these catalogs and our website. United Country has one of the best marketing programs including a website that gets more than a 115 million hits per month.”

Wes Lowe earned Louisiana State General Certification in 1991 when appraisal certification was first implemented by the State of Louisiana and the Federal Government. Lowe has recently obtained an ARA designation with the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and specializing on agricultural appraisals. “We recognize the importance of agriculture to our local and regional economy, and I’m glad to be a part of this industry.”

Robert Lowe & Associates, Inc. has other appraisers working including Matt Clark, a Louisiana State Certified Residential Appraiser with over 10 years of experience. Lisa Lowe is a Louisiana State Residential Trainee Appraiser and also works as office manager.

Real estate agents working for United Country Wes Lowe Realty include Carla Martin, Larry Bruce, Ashley Lively, Jerry Boyd and Matt Clark.

“We were one of the first real estate offices in Winnsboro to join the Northeast Louisiana Association of Realtors and Multiple Listing Service, which helps our sellers and buyers looking for property on the Internet and to continue to be successful you must have a good Internet presence working with all agents to sell real estate.”

United Country Wes Lowe Realty sells houses, commercial, agricultural and recreational properties. “Currently home sells are somewhat down, but not as bad as other markets. Lands values have had a drastic increase over the last two years. It would be a very good time to sell any type of agricultural or recreational property with many investors looking for property. Call us if you would like to sell property or to buy any property.”

“I have enjoyed raising my family in Franklin Parish and serving the people in this community,” Lowe said.

Business website info needed

Business links for Chamber members are needed for the new updated website, www.winnsborochamber.com.

If your business has a website they would like to link from their listing on the Chamber website directory, contact the Chamber office and let Jane know the information.

Please check your business information on the website to be sure it is accurate, and report any discrepancies to the Chamber office as soon as possible.

NewBirth Creative located in Winnsboro designed and is maintaining the Chamber site. For more examples of their work, visit their website at www.newbirthcreative.com.

Chamber calendar available online

Chamber members are urged to use the Chamber Calendar to post events of interest. The calendar is located on the Chamber website at www.winnsborochamber.com, and posting an event is easy. Simply press the submit an event tab, fill out the fields as indicated, and submit.

This site is being developed and enhanced by the Chamber as a calendar of events for the entire parish.

Email addresses are needed at the Chamber office. Call Jane with yours today!