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By Kevin Speakman

The Franklinton Chamber of Commerce assembled at Sugar Shack in Franklinton for their monthly meeting on Wednesday.

Newly elected Chamber of Commerce president Penny Jones is overseeing the growing organization, and announced a new website and telephone number to contact them.  The Chamber is expanding rapidly alongside their town and is excited about the collaboration between members and the community to drive prosperity in Franklinton and the surrounding areas.

Upcoming events include “Team Up to Clean Up,” a parish-wide effort on April 27 that encourages people to tidy up parks, public areas, and roads. Trash bags and gloves will be provided by the Chamber by request.

The meeting hosted special guest speakers Raymond Cade, president of the Mount Hermon Ruritan Club, and Tiffany Carney, director and founding member of the Washington Parish Balloon Festival.

Cade invited members to participate in one of the Ruritan’s various projects, which include community-based programs, fundraisers, and family-fun events. The club, founded in 1947 is part of a national Ruritan organization which Cade described as the rural equivalent of the more well-known Rotary Club.

Carney spoke with passion about the new Washington Parish Balloon Festival and the history of its founding. Back for its second year at the Washington Parish Fairgrounds, Carney is excited about the fast growth and community involvement in the festival.

The three-day festival begins on May 31 at 5 pm and includes hot-air balloon rides, carnival games, a rodeo, food, and live music.  Volunteers and sponsors are welcomed to get involved and help establish the festival as a yearly event that offers a unique experience to the whole family at an affordable price.

The Chamber of Commerce, which has added 40 members recently, represents a cross-section of local business owners and interested residents who work together to provide Franklinton and the surrounding areas with the logistics, networking, and communication necessary to facilitate healthy economic growth and community-based solutions to local business problems.