December 16, 2013Volume 17  Issue 20
 
Our Featured Investor


KFMO/B104 Radio
804 St. Joe Drive
Park Hills, MO 63601
573-431-1000
Email: B104 Radio

Inside this Edition
Parade Canceled
Thanks KFMO/B104
Holiday Meeting
New Board Members
Investor Renewals
Holiday Hours
Money Smart
Pharmacy Program
Textcasting
Serenity Donation
Toy Drive
Critical Needs
Debbie Thomure
Winter in MO
Websites
Your Facebook


Quick Links

Board of Directors
Chamber Ambassadors
Events Calendar
Handshake
WELCOME NEW INVESTORS!


Powell Automotive
573-431-2204


Sun Loan Company
573-431-6504


Rita Martin
ritamartin47@gmail.com

Look Who's Still Investing!!


H & R Block
Since 2012


Habitat for Humanity
Since 2011


Habitat ReStore
Since 2011

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Chamber News   
Christmas Parade Canceled
Due to the weather conditions, the Chamber board opted to cancel this year's Annual Christmas Parade.  We regretted the need to cancel this beloved event, but strongly felt that everyone's safety was at risk.

We hope that next year's Christmas Parade brings perfect holiday weather and that you will again plan to join us for the 2014 Christmas celebration!

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas and Most Prosperous New Year!


Thank You KFMO/B104 Radio!!


A HUGE thank you to everyone at KFMO 1240 AM & B104 Radio, for hosting the December First Friday Coffee! What a fun time we had!! We appreciate everyone who came out to network with us!  

 

KFMO/B104 Radio has been a dedicated Chamber Investor since 1974 with many of their employees, including station Manager, Larry Joseph, serving on the Chamber board throughout their nearly 40 years as a chamber supporter!   

 

KFMO is all talk, all the time, with extensive news coverage and interviews with local people. If it happens locally, you'll hear it on ''The Radio'' KFMO.

 

They offer 'Farming Programs' from the Brownfield network, 'The Morning Drive' with Mike Ramsey, 'Swap and Shop', Advice on 'How to Get Out of Debt' by Dave Ramsey, Political Talk with Mike Huckabee, 'Outside the Box' with Erik Hanson, CBS Sports Radio and Local High School Games.

KFMO does extensive coverage of high school football, volleyball, basketball and baseball. 200+ games a year!

 

You can find out more about KFMO/B104 Radio and the services they offer HERE!

 

Holiday Investor Meeting - Fun Times!!


Thank you to everyone who attended the December Investor Meeting on Tuesday December the 10th.  We appreciate all who participated in the gift exchange!  What fun it was watching you all "steal" from each other!!

A extra special thanks also goes to Lead Pastor, Kevin Kappler, or Pleasant View Church.  Pastor Kappler agreed to fill in as our special holiday entertainment following a cancellation by the Central High School Swing Choir due to the weather.  Those of you who attended know that Pastor Kappler did a phenomenal job!  He made us smile, made us cry and reminded us some very important holiday meanings!  Thank you Pastor Kappler!

Special thanks also goes to our board members!  Thanks to many of them, attending investors were treated with homemade cookies as a small token of the Chamber's appreciation for each of our investors!

And finally, as always, we appreciate Charboneau's A & C Restaurant for hosting our luncheon not only in December, but year round!  They do an excellent job of taking care of us, and we can't thank them enough for their hospitality!

Remember, there will be NO INVESTOR MEETING IN JANUARY due to the Annual Installation Banquet.  We will meet again on February 18, 2014 at Charboneau's!  Enjoy the remainder of 2013!

 

Please Welcome Our New Board Members & Officers!


Following our November Election and December Board meeting, we're excited to announce the election of two brand new board members, the re-election of two very dedicated board members, and the election of our 2014 officers!!

First of all, congratulations to Bob Gerig of Belgrade State Bank Ginger Pizarro of the Daily Journal.  Both individuals were re-elected to serve a second, three-year term on the Chamber board! 

Bob and Ginger have been incredibly hard workers for the past three years, and we couldn't be more pleased and honored to have them on board for three more years!  Be sure to congratulate them the next time you see them!


Next, please welcome our two newest additions to the Chamber board -- Rita Martin, an Individual Investor, and Chad Speakar of KREI/KTJJ Radio!

Rita Martin:  Rita was born & raised in the country and is active in many community and school committees. Rita has served on many fundraising committees including the Desloge Library Board for nine years.

Rita is currently an active member of the Alzheimer's Association, Habitat for Humanity's Welcome Home Fundraising Committee, and the Farmington, Desloge, & Bonne Terre Chambers of Commerce.  She has been active in the Park Hills- Leadington Chamber of Commerce since 2012.

Rita and her husband Steve have two grown children, Kristen and Jerrad.

Rita's goals for the Chamber include: "To continue the established legacy of great networking connections and help to build a chamber mentoring program to give new or floundering businesses help in gaining success in the community."

Chad Speakar: Chad is the Program Director for J-98 and KREI Radio.  Employed for 14 year with the station, Chad's job is to oversee and direct everything that goes on the air.

Aside from the Park Hills - Leadington Chamber, Chad is a member of the St. Joseph School Board and coaches various sports.

Chad and is wife of 18 years, Kelley, have two children.  Alexandria who is 14 and Brianna who is 11.

Chad's goals for the Chamber include:
"To help make Park Hills and increasingly attractive community for businesses and residents, and to help build community pride."

2014 Chamber Officers
Finally, please help us in congratulating your New Officers for 2014!  They include:

Congratulations to each and every one of you!!    

 

INVESTOR RENEWALS - E-MAILED
 


Investor renewals were emailed on Friday, December 13, 2013.  If you have not received an email from us with your attached invoice, please contact us today.

Renewal time is a great time to consider Enhanced Memberships as well!  We've included all the details on Enhanced memberships with your invoice. Please don't hesitate to contact the Chamber office if you any questions regarding enhancements or your renewal!

Thank you in advance for your continued dedication!!

CHAMBER OFFICE CLOSE FOR HOLIDAYS & VACATION
 


We will also be closed beginning at 12:30 p.m. on December 16, 2013 and continuing through January 1, 2014.  We will re-open at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 2, 2014.

We hope these closures do not cause you any inconvenience, and we wish you all an incredible holiday season!!

 



Investor Announcements 
East Missouri Action Agency

Money Smart for Small Businesses 

 
Are you tired of searching around to get all the information you need to manage your business properly?  Have you not been able to take business classes because you didn't have the time -- or the money?

Then this course is for you!!

Money Smart for Small Businesses is a training course designed specifically for persons just starting out in business.  It provides a quick introduction to the essentials of creating and operating a venture.  The course manual brings the business basics together for future reference.

Read more here:  MONEY SMART COURSE

Mineral Area College
 

Perryville Higher Ed Center to Offer 12-Week Pharmacy Tech Program

  
Mineral Area College's Pharmacy Technician Program is branching out to the Higher Education Center in Perryville. Through MAC's participation in the MoHealthWINs program eligible students can receive top-notch healthcare career training, plus personal assistance and job placement services at no tuition cost. Since its launch at the Park Hills campus in October 2012, 18 program graduates have been placed in full-time pharmacy technician positions.

The 12-week Pharmacy Tech program will accept up to 20 students per class, with two classes offered in 2014. The spring class runs April 28-July 22.  The fall class runs Sept. 22-Dec. 18. Classroom and lab training hours are 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with eight-hour clinical experiences on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting on Week 6 of the program. Clinical experiences are held at participating pharmacies and hospitals.

Find out more here:  12-WEEK PHARMACY TECH PROGRAM

Mineral Area College

MAC Offering Textcasting for Weather Alerts, MAC Events

Wintery weather in the mix and busy semesters at Mineral Area College bring to mind one of the classic cliff-hangers of students everywhere: Will classes be canceled because of inclement weather?

 

Mineral Area College students can be among the first at their college to know whether to brave the weather and show up that day. They can also find out about other timely events and notifications such as early class dismissals, payment information, emergency information, and school event reminders, thanks to the textcasting and e-mailing service provided to the community college by Belgrade State Bank.

 
Find out more here:    TEXTCASTING AT MAC   

Serenity HospiceCare

Serenity HospiceCare Donates to Women's Shelter
   
It's not every day that Serenity HospiceCare staff have livestock present during their weekly team meeting.  But the last week of November that's exactly what happened.
Back in April of this year, Serenity's Clinical Practice Council, which is made up of staff from all the disciplines including office staff, had a great idea for a fundraiser.  The council was created as a way to encourage staff feedback as well as give them the opportunity to have an impact on a variety of workplace issues.  The members of the Clinical Practice Council are: Dennis Rogers, LCSW; Cami Sloan, Medical Records Manager; Greg Slinkard, Chaplain; Jenni Thorn, RN/Director of Patient Care; Shelley Layton, Executive Director; Stephanie Boyer, LPN; Robyn Walton, RN/Director of Nursing; and Brandon Leach, RN/Director of Spiritual Services.
Find out more here: SERENITY DONATION  
 
SEMO Family Violence Council & KTJJ Radio

Toy Drive

  
Chris Auffenberg Chevrolet and KTJJ the Boot encourages you to help Fill a Truck with Toys on Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at Farmington Walmart.

All toys collected benefit the Southeast Missouri Family Violence Council this Christmas and throughout 2014!

Donations are also being accepted at Chris Affenberg Chevrolet located at 830 Valley Creek Drive in Farmington through December
23rd.

Find out more here:  TOY DRIVE 
 
United Way

Critical Needs

 

As you can imagine, the winter weather hit United Way donations hard as donors and many bell ringers couldn't make it to the wells. We thank all those who did!

 

But, our totals today for four days of bell-ringing equal the usual total for one day.

 

Therefore, we are adding bell-ringers wherever we can on days we usually don't ring at Penneys and Big Lots.

 

If you missed your bell-ringing slot, or would consider helping us out again, please contact me as soon as possible!

 

Help us meet the need in St. Francois County in 2014.

 

To help, contact Donna Hickman at 573-760-8929 


US Bank

Debbie Thomure to Retire
  
Mary Forest, U.S. Bank district manager, made the announcement, saying, "We have appreciated Debbie's devotion to her customers and fellow employees and wish her well in the next exciting phase of her life. She has left a great team in place at our Leadington office. That staff will continue to provide great service to our customers and carry on Debbie's commitment to the community."

Thomure, a Kaskaskia, Ill. native and graduate of Chester High School, started her banking career in1970 at Bank of St. Mary as a teller/accountant, then moved on to University Bank of Carbondale, Ill. in 1976, working as a teller. In 1983, Thomure and her husband, Ron, moved to Farmington, and Thomure began working as an operations clerk for Mercantile Bank of Farmington, which later became U.S. Bank.  She also attended Mineral Area College, focusing on banking courses and small business training.

 

Read more here:   DEBBIE THOMURE RETIRES 
 

Around Missouri  

Don't Let Snow Ruin Your Day   

 
If indoor fun is more to your liking, Missouri can fill the wishes of any family. With our diverse indoor activities, it won't be hard to find something the entire family can enjoy, from sweet treat to looking into the past; we have family attractions scattered across Missouri.

Head to Joplin and stock up on gourmet chocolates at the Candy House Chocolate Factory. Tour the factory and indulge yourself in caramel apples, truffles, jelly beans and many more delicious candies. Enjoy "Freebie Friday," where � lb. of candy gets your family another � lb. for free. You can follow the Candy House on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and see all the daily candy specials they have to offer.

Find Out More Here:  WINTER IN MISSOURI


All About Business 
Do You Have A Website??
 
Here's a really good reason why you should...

If you don't currently have or can't can't currently afford a professionally done site of your own.  The Chamber can help!  Contact us at 573-431-1051 to find out how!!
 

Facebook... It's a MUST for Small Businesses.

Do you have a Facebook Page?  Have you visited the Chamber's?  

 

In today's world, if you don't have a Facebook page, you could be losing business and very valuable feedback.

 

 

Don't know how to set one up?  Need some pointers for your page?  Contact us, we'd be happy to help.

And don't forget to check out our Facebook Page!  It's the fastest way to keep completely up-to-date on what's happening in your local Chamber of Commerce.

Go check it out now:   Park Hills - Leadington Facebook

 
December's Featured Investor

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KFMO/B104 Radio!