Come join your fellow businessman and women from the Jasper County area for networking, lunch, and an informational presentation on Wednesday, February 15th at noon at the Colfax Historical Society Building located at 1720 Highway 117 South.

The only cost of attendance is your meal which will be $8.00 and provided by Poppy's of Colfax. Poppy's will be serving hamburgers or a chicken sandwich with fries. Drinks will also be provided.

Shannon Maher, with National Merchant Alliance will be the guest speaker. Shannon works in downtown Colfax.

Please feel free to invite guests and bring promotional materials to distribute!! Bring a business card and $1 to be included in a drawing!

Please RSVP with the Colfax Main Street office at 515.674.9071 or colfaxmainstreet@gmail.com.

The Jasper County Business Lunch Club will hold a meeting the 3rd Wednesday of each month at various restaurants and locations in Prairie City, Monroe, Colfax, and Newton where a different business will give a presentation. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to host a meeting or give a presentation, please contact Hollie Nunnikhoven at 515.994.2822. Check us out on Facebook @ Jasper County Business Lunch Club.

The December 2011 Volunteer of the Month award goes to Teresa Faidley. It was Teresa's great idea to do a Snow Ball Drop at Country Christmas this year. Not only did she come up with the idea, but she followed through with all of the implementation details and pulled off a very successful first time event.

When not planning fun events, you can find Teresa working at the Professional Hair Designers or enjoying quality time with her new granddaughter, Fiona.

Thanks for all of your help, Teresa!

The 2011 Country Christmas had lots of new and traditional activities for all to enjoy. The first ever Snow Ball Drop help on the west end of Howard St was a huge success despite the rain. A big thank you to Teresa Faidley and Brenda Tjaden for organization and execution of this event!

Several businesses opened their doors for later hours, provided in store specials, and conducted a variety of Christmas themed activities for people to take part including a book signing by Colfax native, Jennifer Wilson at Weirick’s Pharmacy. Thank you to all our local business owners!

The Cross Family opened up their empty storefront to host a winter wonderland with snacks and pictures with Santa. Thank you for allowing Main Street to use your building and show off the amazing history in that store front from the metal ceiling to wooden shelves and drawers complete with ladder. Also, thank you to the La Femme Women’s Club for decorating the Cross storefront windows, the Colfax-Mingo High School students for your help decorating the interior and also Ray Dutton for displaying your home made craft projects.

Several of our local elementary students participated in the kids coloring contests will winners in each grade level. Congratulations to the 2011 Colfax Country Christmas Coloring Contest winners. From left to right: Aubrianna Woody (4th grade), Olivia Uecker (3rd grade), Autumn Jacobs (2nd grade), Cale Duffy (1st grade) and Jocelyn Trier-Lind (Kindergarten). Not pictured: Hope Holzworth (5th grade) and Berkley Jobe (Pre-School). Each winner received five dollars in Colfax Bucks.

Colfax Main Street will be hosting a business lunch meeting on Thursday, January 5th from noon to 1:00 PM at the Teen Challenge of the Midlands. Mike Hunsberger with Teen Challenge will be the speaker. Everyone is welcome to attend to learn more about Teen Challenge and Colfax Main Street.

The purpose of the business lunch meeting is for local businesses to keep up on the happenings of Colfax Main Street and their local business community. All Colfax business owners, mangers, employees are encouraged to attend. Lunch will be $8 and includes chicken alfredo, salad, breadstick, cheesecake dessert and drink. Please RSVP with the Colfax Main Street office if you are interested in attending.

If your business or organization is interested in hosting the February business lunch meeting or presenting a topic please contact the Colfax Main Street office at 515.674.9071 or email colfaxmainstreet@gmail.com.

Main Street will be hosting a holiday party for all of our investors, volunteers and business partners. This event will be on Wednesday, December 28th at 6 pm at the Thirsty Turtle. A big thank you to Kim Billings for allowing us to host the event in her business!
Feel free to bring holiday snacks to share and pizza and appetizers will be available for purchase from Cowboy Bob. There will be plenty of fun and spirits to go around, including happy hour specials. Please RSVP with the Colfax Main Street office if you are interested in attending. Colfax Main Street office phone 515.674.9071 or email colfaxmainstreet@gmail.com

Downtown Colfax will be bustling on Tuesday, January 31st and Wednesday, February 1st when Main Street Iowa will be hosting the Winter Workshop in Colfax. All Main Street Iowa communities are required to bring at least one participant. The focus of the workshop will be “Upstairs Downtown” and will focus on upper story revitalization. Stay tuned for more details!

Are you having trouble finding a perfect gift for that special someone? How about Colfax Bucks? They can be accepted at many local businesses. Simply contact the Colfax Main Street office to get your Colfax Bucks and support local businesses!

Just a few reasons why your local investment helps Colfax:
•Our local merchants in Colfax care about and invest in your community. They donate part of your dollars back to local groups and charities;
•Your local purchases support local jobs;
•You save money by shopping at home. You drive less, save time, and you'd be surprised how often the retail prices are lower, too.

If you are interested in advertising here, please call the Colfax Main Street Office 515.674.9071 or email colfaxmainstreet@gmail.com

For November, the volunteer of month goes to Felicia McDonald. Felicia moved to Colfax a few years ago with her husband, Kevin and three children, Myli (4), Jase (6) and Katelyn (10).

You can find Felicia at many local activities with her children, which includes soccer, baseball, dance and girl scouts. She enjoys volunteering her time at the elementary school and reading. Felicia started volunteering with Main Street to meet new people in the community and loves to be able to help support events that are family friendly.

The Colfax Main Street Volunteer of the Month is chosen by the Colfax Main Street Organization Committee. To nominate a volunteer, please call 515.674.9071 or email colfaxmainstreet@gmail.com.

We realize it is not always possible to buy what you need locally and so merely ask you to Think Local FIRST!

Top 10 Reasons to Support Colfax Businesses!
1. Buy Local -- Support yourself: Several studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally owned business, rather than a nationally owned businesses, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms -- continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community.

2. Support community groups: Non-profit organizations receive an average 250% more support from smaller business owners than they do from large businesses.

3. Keep our community unique: Where we shop, where we eat and have fun -- all of it makes our community home. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of this place. Our tourism businesses also benefit. “When people go on vacation they generally seek out destinations that offer them the sense of being someplace, not just anyplace.” ~ Richard Moe, President, National Historic Preservation Trust

4. Reduce environmental impact: Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases requiring less transportation and generally set up shop in town or city centers as opposed to developing on the fringe. This generally means contributing less to sprawl, congestion, habitat loss and pollution.

5. Create more good jobs: Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally and in our community, provide the most jobs to residents.

6. Get better service: Local businesses often hire people with a better understanding of the products they are selling and take more time to get to know customers.

7. Invest in community: Local businesses are owned by people who live in this community, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in the community’s future.

8. Put your taxes to good use: Local businesses in town centers require comparatively little infrastructure investment and make more efficient use of public services as compared to nationally owned stores entering the community.

9. Buy what you want, not what someone wants you to buy: A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term. A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based not on a national sales plan but on their own interests and the needs of their local customers, guarantees a much broader range of product choices.

10. Encourage local prosperity: A growing body of economic research shows that in an increasingly homogenized world, entrepreneurs and skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character.