May Connect @ Lunch

The Chamber’s Connect @ Lunch workshops portray and explain various ways businesses and organizations, large & small, can utilize and implement social media into their existing business plan.

May’s meeting centered on Twitter & Blogs for business.

Twitter, like other famous inventions, evolved from an idea on a notepad to one of the world’s most popular means of social media.

The first tweet was sent on March 21, 2006, and it took them three years, 2 months, and 1 day to reach the billionth Tweet. No, that the hype has caught on, there are around 340 million tweets each day.

Twitter now has more than 140 million active users expressing themselves in 140 characters or less.

Blogs can be used for various reasons. Bloggers may utilize it as a sort of diary, and businesses can utilize it as another website that can speak, descriptively, for them 24/7. On blogs, 270, 00 words are written per minute, and 77% of active online adults read blogs.

During the Connect @ Lunch presentations, businesses share best practices and attendees are invited to ask any questions they might have, pertaining to the subject. For the slides from previous presentations, visit www.slideshare.net/emdunc89.

2012 Breakfast of Champions

On Thursday, May 3, the 2012 Breakfast of Champions was held at the Courtyard Marriott in place of Business & Biscuits for Small Business Month.

The Breakfast of Champions differs from normal Business and Biscuits because past Small Business of the Year recipients are invited to participate on a panel and share stories of successes and failures. Attendees are able to ask questions, directed toward that panel, so that, while in attendance, they can discover, connect and learn from those business owners.

This year, there were around 80 in attendance, with a panel consisting of Patrick Wigley of Wig’s Wheels, Bill Wakefield of Wakefield’s, Derek Brown of WideNet, Bill Couch of Couch’s Jewelers, and Donnie McClellan of SPAR.

When posed with the question, “What has helped you make it through this economic hard time?” responses included:

Bill Couch, “Service, our follow up, tradition, and family. They see us as trustworthy.”

Donnie McClellan, SPAR, “This is a tough time for all small businesses, and we saw we were going to have to diversify to other markets and vehicles that give us more diversity.”

Derek Brown, WideNet, “We learned lessons the hard way and had to rediscover what many people already know. One of the most horrible things is cold calls. We discovered the power of networking, and the Chamber was the key component to that and opened other doors, serving as a low cost entry point.”

Bill Wakefield, “I think we are successful because we are in Calhoun County. We have so much that we can draw from. We have a phenomenal university, which we don’t utilize enough, and a terrific hospital, that creates numerous jobs. Our Chamber has activities that try to help small businesses. It is a feather in all our caps to be able to call on our Chamber that is so active and excited about helping small businesses do business.”

Patrick Wigley, Wig’s Wheels, “I sell bikes, which promotes a healthy lifestyle. People take that and get into distance riding, as a personal challenge. People challenge themselves for a healthier lifestyle. We are unique, where we have mountains and flats. Trail builders come, with a stereotype, and when they get here, say “Oh, this is a cycling destination.”

Each year, one lucky attendee wins an advertising package, valued at around $4,000. This year’s winner was Andrea Skinner of Autumn Cove.

Thank you to all of those who attended and participated. Also, special thanks to Member of the Month Verizon Wireless and Courtyard Marriott for sponsoring and hosting another great Chamber event.

LCC Quality of Life Day

By: Michelle L. King

First of all, let me start off by saying that the Quality of Life Day was probably one of the best days we’ve had thus far in LCC. Don’t get me wrong, all of them have been wonderful and we’ve learned so much….but, the scavenger hunt takes the icing on the cake!

As soon as the team rosters were announced for that day, our team got busy. We were emailing one another and trying to strategize, so we would come prepared with our game face on when the day arrived. First, we decided that we would all make white t-shirts that said “I (heart) Anniston” on them. This would really show our team spirit! However, one person, unfortunately, never saw the emails and that was Johnny, but no worries. We were prepared to make it work. 

Once we all arrived, we were excited because we were going to be eating a “tourist” breakfast. Well, it wasn’t exactly what we expected. We learned that it could be interpreted in different ways. We of course thought it would be a sit down meal (not a buffet….LOL) – but “tourist” sized in fact. We assumed, and we all know what that means. At that point, we each grabbed a snack, except for Johnny, who was running late because he locked his keys in his car.

When we received our team packet, we were raring and ready to go. All six of us piled into John’s Anniston Water Works truck, three in front and three in back, and headed to the first location we selected. On the way to location one, we decided we would make Johnny an “I (heart)Anniston” shirt so he’d fit in with the rest of us. Once we arrived in the parking lot, it was time to get busy and creative on the t-shirt. After all, we did not want to take our first team picture in front of the location without Johnny in matching team attire. So, we used the yellow t-shirt he was already wearing. We were surprised he agreed to it, considering how much he loves his clothes! He handed it over. John broke out some markers he conveniently had in his tool box…imagine that. It was surprising to know that he’d even have something like that in his work truck. He was prepared!!! Ashley and Dollie got to work on the t-shirt in the parking lot using the hood of the truck in order to lay the t-shirt flat. The rest of us started reading over the rest of the clues and making some notes. We were planning our moves and determining which direction and locations would get us the most points. We wanted to WIN obviously, so big pointers are what we set our sights on.

We took our picture at location one and headed on over to location two, which was right down the road. The establishment was not open yet, but John had connections. He knew the owner. We were let in (when other teams would have to wait) and we took our second picture. On the way out, Tina decided to ask for a “special” souvenir and she got it! I won’t tell you what it was because it would give away the clue of where we were.

By the time we left location two, we were all starving to death….and it was ONLY 9:30am. We headed to location three, which would take us a little longer to get to. On the way, Tina starting feeling a little woozy. Car sickness maybe, I thought? At that point, all I could think about was us being in such close quarters and her possibly tossing her cookies. Luckily, that did not happen, for ALL our sake. We finally arrived and decided to have a tailgate party at 10:15am in the parking lot at Mt.Cheaha. No, it wasn’t your ordinary tailgate kind of party….haha. We broke out the cooler and started passing out what was supposed to be our lunch. Johnny’s eyes lit up because he was starving. He had not eaten prior to coming to the Chamber. Someone had given him a pack of crackers when we first started on our journey, but it wasn’t enough. We all gobbled down our now “brunch” and chilled out for a few minutes. Then, it was time to take a long hike down to Bald Rock. We never imagined it was such a long way down to it on the wooden bridge/trail. It was very foggy out, so you never really knew how much further you had to go because you could not see two feet in front of you. You could hear a few of us at different times mumbling under our breath, just like a kid on a road trip “are we there yet?” I think we walked off everything we had just eaten between walking there and back. It felt like we had walked 5 miles. Our legs were burning and our feet hurt. By the time we made it back to the truck, we swear we were hungry AGAIN!

We left Mt.Cheaha and headed in another direction to hit 3 more sites that were in close proximity of one another. The whole time, we never heard a peep out of Johnny, which we all know is unusual. It was because he was asleep. The rest of us were talking about the clues, etc. There was definitely no shortage of laughter. As we arrived at each location we would all swarm out of the truck, rush to take a picture, and then huddle back in and take off. In all, our team visited, if my memory serves me correctly 18 locations. It would have been 19 had the famous Popeye billboard still been up. We came to one conclusion and that the billboard was whisked away in the April 27^th tornado….and the Chamber did not know it. We took a picture anyway of where the sign used to be, but I don’t think we got points for the effort….haha.

Once we returned to the Chamber for the final portion of the day, we got busy working on our skit. We chose to do a “Did You Know” type skit that would draw attention to the things that were politically incorrect relative to the day’s journey. During the preparation for the skit, we all laughed so hard that we all were choked up and our faces were bright red. It wasn’t until this time that we actually derived our team name. It was C3 (as in C to the 3^rd power). It stood for “Calhoun County Cruisers.”

So in closing, despite the fact that our team was not a front runner in terms of points, that is not what really mattered. What mattered was the fact that we had a great time, the teamwork & comradery were awesome, we visited some great sites in and around Calhoun County, & we have grown as a class since September 2011.

LCC & YLCC: Law and Justice Day (YLCC Perspective)

By: Leslie Haynes

YLCC day for May was combined with LCC for our law and justice day. The day had its pros and cons. We started out the morning meeting our LCC partner for the day and eating Jack’s biscuits, which were really good! In the morning sessions, we heard from a representative from the Calhoun/Cleburne County Drug Task Force, the District Attorney and his Chief Assistant, and a few others. It was interesting hearing about different jobs and experiences these people have had. Before lunch, we went to the Calhoun County Courthouse to sit in the Carr murder trial. I really enjoyed the trial, and have enjoyed keeping up with the trial in the paper since then.

Following the trial we went to the Calhoun County Jail, where lunch was provided for us. I did try it, but personally did not like it. After lunch we toured the jail; I had no idea there were so many people in our county jail! Overall, I really enjoyed the day and have become much more interested in law enforcement and government than I was before.

LCC & YLCC: Law & Justice Day 2012

By Derek Jensen

It was a chilling contrast. I was walking with a group of high school students who are some of the best and brightest teenagers in Calhoun County when we passed a large window. Among the curious faces peering out from the other side of the glass stood a former classmate of these high school students. They were on a tour of the Calhoun County Jail. He was an inmate.

The young man and his former classmates exchanged sheepish waves as we moved past the jail cells en route to the kitchen. Our tour continued but this brief and slightly awkward exchange replayed in my mind throughout the day.

The group I was with was touring the jail as part of “Law and Justice” day for both the Leadership Calhoun County (LCC) and Youth LCC programs. The students in YLCC were all juniors from various high schools in our county. They’re an impressive collection of high-achieving, motivated kids with great potential and bright futures ahead of them. As we spoke during the day I learned about their extracurricular activities, college plans and future ambitions. I also pondered what their incarcerated classmate was planning for his future as he spent his days and nights in a jail cell.

It’s overstated, but it’s still true that life is made up of a series of choices and on this day we saw several extremes of both positive and negative choices. We met many dedicated men and women who work in the jail, at the District Attorney’s Office, inside the courtroom and on the streets. They’re doing their best to deter crimes, prosecute those who break the law, help the helpless, and advocate for those who are often overlooked in our society. None of their jobs are simple or easy, but each of them has made a choice to take on these challenging responsibilities each day because they believe what they do helps our community. Their decisions to serve don’t mean the problems they’re trying to address—such as abuse, drug use, neglect or dishonesty—will go away. It does mean that we have a handful of people who are willing to lead the way in tackling difficult problems. It means the rest of us can also make the choice to stand up and help where we can. We may not carry a gun and badge or be the District Attorney, but we can all choose to take actions everyday that will make our community a better place. We can choose to spend time mentoring youth. We can choose to better understand and assist those with disabilities. And, we can choose to encourage and support our friends and neighbors.

Even if we don’t solve all our communities’ problems, maybe we’ll at least have a few less of them to worry about. And if that prevents one more teenager from having to wave to his classmates from behind bars, then we’re already making progress.

Calhoun County Cycling

On April 21st, Anniston was a city of cyclist in town for the Noble Street Festival and Cheaha Challenge.

At the Noble Street Festival, Wig’s Wheels had a group of stunt bikers performing in front of their shop along Noble Street. Restaurants, from Cooter Brown’s to Mellow Mushroom, lined Noble Street for the Red Diamond Restaurant Tour.

Laughter, smiles and music resonated from the carnival like Kid Zone & Music Cafe.

All the while, the events of the Sunny King Criterion raced through and around downtown Anniston.

 
Sunday, April 22nd, area cyclists and cyclists from all over the U.S. took on a challenge, the Cheaha Challenge.

Endurance and determination were key as around 700 participants took on various mile options and the steep climb of Horseblock, Adam’s Gap,and Cheaha. Some courageous riders, including the Chamber’s Manager Linda Hearn, took on the 102 mile option. On-lookers stood in amazement at the amount of dedication and drive the cyclists displayed as they biked across Calhoun County.
Events like this and others display to residents and visitors all that Calhoun County has to offer.
For more information on Calhoun County, call the Chamber at 256-237-3536 or visit www.calhounchamber.com.

YLCC Gadsden State/Technology Day

By: Leslie Haynes

Today, April 12, YLCC went to Gadsden State Community College Ayers Campus to tour their Engineering and Technical Departments.

We started the day with a welcome to the College by Ms. Michele Conger. From there, we were split into two groups and my group went to the Electrical Engineering lab. There we were instructed by Mr. Brady, Ms. Webb, and Smokey about how robots work and the things they are able to do. They also taught us about soldering different components onto different kinds of radios. I enjoyed being able to both operate the robots and solder some stuff instead of just hearing about how to do it. When we finished there our group went to the Drafting and Design computer lab. Mr. Abernathy showed us the various things drafting and design is required for. He also taught us how to use CAD, a computer drafting program. Following that, we all enjoyed Dad’s BBQ for lunch. I think one of the best things about this day was all the hands on things we were able to do.

Calhoun County Civil Rights Experience

In looking for the ultimate Civil Rights experience, one can travel to Washington D.C. and stand at the Lincoln Memorial where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech, or one could travel to Memphis’ Civil Rights Museum and absorb all of the rich history the city has from the prominent era. Thankfully, Calhoun County has its own Civil Rights gem of historical significance, located in our own backyard.

At 1031 Gurnee in Anniston, on May 14th, 1961, the first bus of Civil Rights activists, known as the Freedom Riders, was met by a hostile crowd at Anniston’s Greyhound bus station. The Freedom Riders, who were testing out the south’s segregation laws that were still being enforced despite the outlawing of it nationally, had left Washington D.C. on May 4, 1961 and were scheduled to arrive in New Orleans on May 17, 1961.

Their stop in Anniston, Alabama on May 14th on Gurnee Avenue would forever embed the city in Civil Rights history.

Today, Gurnee Avenue mirrors that of the 1960s, with the building that served as the Greyhound station and other local businesses still intact. Through the Spirit of Anniston’s Civil Rights Trail, everyone has a chance to experience a piece of history.

As you stand there looking at the bus mural, informative panels recap the infamous day’s events as they unraveled.

When the bus pulled into the alley, the stations doors were closed and locked. The crowd, awaiting their arrival, surrounded the bus, and the undercover agents onboard the bus prevented the unruly group from getting on the bus. However, the smashing of windows and slashing of tires could not be prevented. When the police finally arrived, a path for the bus was cleared, and the bus was motioned to exit.
The gathered mob rushed to their cars to follow the bus as it made its way down Highway 202, but the bus was eventually forced to stop due to flat tires.
The riders, trained not to acknowledge attackers, remained in their seats until a fire bomb was thrown on the bus, exploding, and setting fire to the bus.
The explosions scattered the crowd, but as the passengers exited the bus, some were beaten by the remaining crowd or had severe smoke inhalation and were in need of medical treatment. After they were taken to Anniston Hospital, the hospital began to receive threats, so fearing the worst, hospital administrators asked the riders to leave. With the help of Civil Rights leaders, they were able to depart for Birmingham.

Today, 901 Noble Street, the site of the 1960’s Trailways station, also has a bus mural and informative panels recapping events that also occurred May 14th, 1961.
The second Freedom Rider bus arrived in Anniston about an hour after the first. Upon their arrival, Klu Klux Klansmen came onboard the Trailways bus, beat the passengers, moved the black passengers to the back and white passengers to the front, and made themselves comfortable in between the segregated passengers for a long ride to Birmingham, where another unruly mob awaited their arrival. There, the passengers were beaten again.

Events like this and others of historical significance have occurred in and around Calhoun County, and thanks to organizations like the Spirit of Anniston, these historical sites and details are preserved, and the stories live on today. With the incorporation of the Civil Rights Trail in the Alabama Tourism’s Civil Rights Museum Trail brochures, Calhoun County’s place in civil rights history is being highlighted.

Self-guided tours of the Civil Rights Trail are available!

For more information about Anniston’s Civil Rights history and the Civil Rights Heritage Trail, contact Betsy Bean at the Spirit of Anniston by calling 256-236-0996.

1st Connect @ Lunch

The Chamber’s Small Business Committee’s first Connect @ Lunch was presented Wednesday, February 8^th, from 12-1 pm.

The purpose of this series is to assist Chamber members and other area businesses in developing strategies to implement an online presence, provide insights that assist in connecting technology to their existing goals, give various ways the implementation’s success can be measured, and describe how to manage the time and staff needed for a successful online presence.

The first presentation focused on Website Basics for the Technologically Challenged, meaning the importance of a website and how to plan an effective website for those who might be hesitant in developing one because of their computer knowledge.

Members Services Coordinator Emily Duncan spoke on website usage and trends. Did you know 90% of Americans use internet search engines when searching for information on a brand or product; however, 46% of small businesses do not have websites, which could promote all their products and services 24/7.

Derek Brown of WideNet Consulting spoke on the planning of an effective website & elements one needs to consider when developing a website, including organization and basic web design.

Chris Williams of WideNet Consulting spoke on the technical side of website planning, including html and pixels.

Future topics for this series include:

March 14- The Importance of Social Media in Today’s Business World

April 11- Facebook for Business

May 9- Twitter & Blogs for Business

June 13- LinkedIn for Business

July 11-BrandBuilding with Youtube, Streaming Video, and Photos

August 8- Online Marketing

September 12-Mobile and Email Marketing

October 10- QR Codes, Living Social, Groupon, and Foursquare

November 14- Social Media Policy and Plan Development

 For more information or to RSVP, please contact Emily Duncan at 256-237-3536 or by email at emilyd@calhounchamber.com.

The charge to attend these workshop luncheons is $10 for Chamber Members, per workshop, and $20 for non-Chamber members, per workshop.

2012 Economic Forum & 33rd Annual Meeting

The 2012 Economic Forum and 33^rd Annual Meeting were held on Thursday, January 26^th, 2012 at the Bridge at Anniston First United Methodist Church.

The Economic Forum featured speakers like JSU’s Dr. Mark Hearn and Dr. Richard Cobb, BB&T’s Bucky Hellwig, and Anniston Army Depot’s Jack Cline. These presenters provided economic updates from the local to the national levels.

“I had a great time at the Economic Forum and Annual Meeting,” said Joe Jankoski of the Calhoun County Community Development Corporation. “It’s a great networking opportunity with people I don’t normally get to see, and the number of people in attendance shows how many people truly care about making Calhoun County the best it can be.” 

The Annual Meeting, which was wonderfully catered by Garfrerick’s Café, featured Alabama’s Governor Bentley as guest speaker. Speakers and awards presented highlighted the year before and looked forward to the possibilities of the future.

On award recipient, Deidre Mundy of The Anniston Star, said “The Annual Meeting is a great event, bringing a very large number of Chamber members from all over Calhoun County together to reflect on the past year and gear up for the coming year. The Annual Meeting truly “Connects our Communities.” Deidre was awarded Ambassador of the Year at the Annual Meeting for her participation in Chamber events. “I am very proud to play such a rewarding role with the Chamber. Being involved in the Chamber connects me to all of Calhoun County, not just businesses but to the people involved in the businesses. Through my involvement with the Chamber, I have met some amazing people, helped businesses grow and prosper, and made some lasting friendships,” said Deidre.