ACE Game Room celebrated the grand re-opening of their Fort Wayne location and the grand opening of their Indianapolis store with a ribbon cutting ceremony and “Sale-a-bration” yesterday evening. They are located at 2525 W. Jefferson Blvd., one mile east of Jefferson Pointe on right hand side.
Yesterday's event kicked off a four-day long “sale-a-bration” and customer appreciation event to celebrate the grand re-opening of the newly remodeled Fort Wayne store as well as ACE’s new store in Indianapolis. A portion of the proceeds from the sales this weekend will go to benefit a local charity in Fort Wayne.
ACE Game Room Gallery continues the open house celebration and sale through Sunday for the general public. Don't miss out on great deals on pool tables, poker tables, video game machines, bar sets and much, much more! ACE Game Room is also giving away flat screen plasma TV's with purchases over $2,000 - stop in for details!
At ACE we believe families that play together stay together. Visit the newly renovated Web site at acegameroom.com for a comprehensive look at product lines and sale details.
For more information, call (260) 432-3443.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Mike's Express Car Wash Celebrates 60th Birthday
Chamber member, Mike's Express Car Wash will celebrate their 60th anniversary tomorrow by donating a portion of their proceeds to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana. Similar fundraisers will be held at Mike's locations in Indianapolis and Cincinnati. Customers who purchase a car wash will also receive a coupon for a free wash in the future.
Make a donation at Mike's to BBBS and receive a free car wash with purchase from September 27 - October 4.
Mike's locations in Fort Wayne are:
6313 Lima Rd, 4201 Coldwater Rd., 2599 W. State, 1509 S. Calhoun, 6215 W. Jefferson Blvd. and Chapel Ridge.
Make a donation at Mike's to BBBS and receive a free car wash with purchase from September 27 - October 4.
Mike's locations in Fort Wayne are:
6313 Lima Rd, 4201 Coldwater Rd., 2599 W. State, 1509 S. Calhoun, 6215 W. Jefferson Blvd. and Chapel Ridge.
YWCA Art & History Auction Next Week
It's not too late to RSVP for this wonderful event! (click on image for larger view)
Thursday, September 25, 2008
DC Wrap Up: Part 3
By Bob Coffee, Karan Flick, and Pone Vongphachanh, Fort Wayne Area Association of Realtors
This year the D.C. Fly-In was moved from our traditional July visit to September. We knew the weather would be cooler but who could have foretold that we would be here at the time when the hottest debate would be occurring about our economic future. In meeting with our elected officials, it is clear that many of them feel that they are walking on a tightrope without a net. We heard that $700 billion is considered real money even to those in Washington D.C. This is a major, major issue that caught the members of Congress flat-footed. They’re having a huge problem getting their minds wrapped around this situation. Their first impulse was likely “let others deal with this.” Now they realize they must all be involved. One predicted “We’ll probably play chicken on Sunday.”
Some think there may be a temporary fix bill and then wait until after the election for further action. Just this morning we met with Congressman Pence. He is steadfast in his belief that we should first take a deep breath and not take hasty action during this time of crisis. His long term belief is that “less government intervention is more.” Other comments that we heard during our visit were “There are two things that drive the market: fear and greed. The greed has happened and now the fear is driving things. There needs to be a better balance of these two motivators.”
This situation is so large and complicated that no one knows what to do, even those who are very bright. What we should do is stabilize the situation and avoid the worse case scenario. We also need to protect the taxpayers from the downside. Then we need to study what contributed to where we are now and put regulations in place to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
One elected official shared a quote from his favorite book that captured how many feel at this time. “As I cast my vote I look down into my open grave.”
We also heard from Governor Daniel’s liaison in D.C., Debbie Hohlt. She shared Governor Daniel’s charge to her when she was appointed to the position. Governor Daniels told her to “Go to D.C. and work to get our fair share of the pie (historically Indiana has not gotten their fair share) but don’t do anything to make the pie bigger. Our job is to look out for the Hoosier taxpayer.”
As always, another great value of the trip was getting to know those from Northeast Indiana better. We had Don Schenkel in our group to hear his perspective on the current crisis from a local bank viewpoint. We had a good contingent from local government officials, entrepreneurs, defense companies, utilities, real estate professionals, etc… This is the value that the Chambers deliver -- bringing diverse representatives together and providing the opportunity to get to know one another. Together we bring great synergy to the table that everyone can appreciate. We are the drivers of the economy. Those in D.C. need to hear from us, realize that we care, and know that we are watching them closely. In closing, to paraphrase Congressman Pence:
1. Have faith in God
2. Have faith in our Country
3. Be careful to not put too much faith in Government
Reporting from D.C., Bob Coffee, Karan Flick, and Pone Vongphachanh.
This year the D.C. Fly-In was moved from our traditional July visit to September. We knew the weather would be cooler but who could have foretold that we would be here at the time when the hottest debate would be occurring about our economic future. In meeting with our elected officials, it is clear that many of them feel that they are walking on a tightrope without a net. We heard that $700 billion is considered real money even to those in Washington D.C. This is a major, major issue that caught the members of Congress flat-footed. They’re having a huge problem getting their minds wrapped around this situation. Their first impulse was likely “let others deal with this.” Now they realize they must all be involved. One predicted “We’ll probably play chicken on Sunday.”
Some think there may be a temporary fix bill and then wait until after the election for further action. Just this morning we met with Congressman Pence. He is steadfast in his belief that we should first take a deep breath and not take hasty action during this time of crisis. His long term belief is that “less government intervention is more.” Other comments that we heard during our visit were “There are two things that drive the market: fear and greed. The greed has happened and now the fear is driving things. There needs to be a better balance of these two motivators.”
This situation is so large and complicated that no one knows what to do, even those who are very bright. What we should do is stabilize the situation and avoid the worse case scenario. We also need to protect the taxpayers from the downside. Then we need to study what contributed to where we are now and put regulations in place to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
One elected official shared a quote from his favorite book that captured how many feel at this time. “As I cast my vote I look down into my open grave.”
We also heard from Governor Daniel’s liaison in D.C., Debbie Hohlt. She shared Governor Daniel’s charge to her when she was appointed to the position. Governor Daniels told her to “Go to D.C. and work to get our fair share of the pie (historically Indiana has not gotten their fair share) but don’t do anything to make the pie bigger. Our job is to look out for the Hoosier taxpayer.”
As always, another great value of the trip was getting to know those from Northeast Indiana better. We had Don Schenkel in our group to hear his perspective on the current crisis from a local bank viewpoint. We had a good contingent from local government officials, entrepreneurs, defense companies, utilities, real estate professionals, etc… This is the value that the Chambers deliver -- bringing diverse representatives together and providing the opportunity to get to know one another. Together we bring great synergy to the table that everyone can appreciate. We are the drivers of the economy. Those in D.C. need to hear from us, realize that we care, and know that we are watching them closely. In closing, to paraphrase Congressman Pence:
1. Have faith in God
2. Have faith in our Country
3. Be careful to not put too much faith in Government
Reporting from D.C., Bob Coffee, Karan Flick, and Pone Vongphachanh.
DC: Part 2
by Matt Kelley, Chamber board member, Verizon
Well, it's hard to believe but today was even better than Day 1. We were fortunate enough to have Q & A sessions with Congressmen Souder and Pence followed by Senators Luger and Bayh. All of them are so knowledgeable and informative. Even though this is a historic week and is jam packed with important meetings, reporter interviews and votes, all were very grateful that this sizable group of business leaders from northeast Indiana took the time and expense to come all the way to Washington DC to meet with them. This was a great opportunity to share with them what issues we faced back home.
Another great thing about this trip is meeting and getting to know other community and business leaders from northeast Indiana. It gives us a chance to sit down together and share our experiences and ideas. Being in this "foreign" environment seems to facilitate the process. I made many new friends and colleagues that I will be keeping in touch with and possibly even be doing business with.
Finally, the visit to the Pentagon was incredible. I thought airport security was tight. The men and women of our armed forces are truly the best America has to offer. The meeting gave all of us a better understanding of how much they do for us. So the trip is coming to a close and my feet will be wearing tennis shoes tomorrow. Did I mention that the Pentagon is really, really big and we have been walking a lot? So the puppies are tired.
I can't wait until next year's DC fly-in. Don't miss out. Join your northeast Indiana local Chamber of Commerce if you aren't a member yet and get on their e-mail newsletter. See you in '09.
Matt Kelley
Well, it's hard to believe but today was even better than Day 1. We were fortunate enough to have Q & A sessions with Congressmen Souder and Pence followed by Senators Luger and Bayh. All of them are so knowledgeable and informative. Even though this is a historic week and is jam packed with important meetings, reporter interviews and votes, all were very grateful that this sizable group of business leaders from northeast Indiana took the time and expense to come all the way to Washington DC to meet with them. This was a great opportunity to share with them what issues we faced back home.
Another great thing about this trip is meeting and getting to know other community and business leaders from northeast Indiana. It gives us a chance to sit down together and share our experiences and ideas. Being in this "foreign" environment seems to facilitate the process. I made many new friends and colleagues that I will be keeping in touch with and possibly even be doing business with.
Finally, the visit to the Pentagon was incredible. I thought airport security was tight. The men and women of our armed forces are truly the best America has to offer. The meeting gave all of us a better understanding of how much they do for us. So the trip is coming to a close and my feet will be wearing tennis shoes tomorrow. Did I mention that the Pentagon is really, really big and we have been walking a lot? So the puppies are tired.
I can't wait until next year's DC fly-in. Don't miss out. Join your northeast Indiana local Chamber of Commerce if you aren't a member yet and get on their e-mail newsletter. See you in '09.
Matt Kelley
Day 2 From Our DC Bloggers: Part 1
Read on to see how Day 2 of the Chamber's DC Fly-in fared for our participants:
by Paul Phillips, Edward Jones
We just completed a very full day in DC. We started with breakfast with Congressman Souder, followed by meetings with Congressman Pence and Senators Bayh and Lugar. It was remarkable that these legislators took the time to meet with us given the unusual atmosphere due to the work to resolve the current financial situation. Each of our elected officials were genuinely interested in our input on this issue. We finished our day with a briefing at the Pentagon. We were very impressed with some 'Boots on the Ground' presentations from some of our brave soldiers who recently served in Iraq and Afghanistan. As we ride the bus to the airport for our charter flight home, we are thankful to all who worked to prepare another successful fly-in.
--
Paul Phillips
by Paul Phillips, Edward Jones
We just completed a very full day in DC. We started with breakfast with Congressman Souder, followed by meetings with Congressman Pence and Senators Bayh and Lugar. It was remarkable that these legislators took the time to meet with us given the unusual atmosphere due to the work to resolve the current financial situation. Each of our elected officials were genuinely interested in our input on this issue. We finished our day with a briefing at the Pentagon. We were very impressed with some 'Boots on the Ground' presentations from some of our brave soldiers who recently served in Iraq and Afghanistan. As we ride the bus to the airport for our charter flight home, we are thankful to all who worked to prepare another successful fly-in.
--
Paul Phillips
I&M Power Seminar Next Week
What to Expect: “Electrical Safety & OSHA Compliance”
In this seminar you will learn new mandates imposed by OSHA to protect you and your employees. Existing OSHA requirements, which you may not be aware of, will also be reviewed.
Some of the topics will include:
* OSHA's New Electrical Rule that requires employers to restrict access to even qualified employees
* Permitting procedures for access, complete with fault current calculations / arc flash
* Mandatory Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirement that now even includes clothing
* The NEW OSHA PPE Rule which is now in effect
* Clarification of other general OSHA rules (Machine Guarding, Lockout / Tagout) which affect your daily operations
The speaker encourages interaction including real life questions and scenarios.
This seminar is NOT a certification training (30 hour or 10 hour) program!
About the Speaker
Mr. Rick Knight - CEO/Safety Consultant/OSHA Outreach Trainer - EZ OSHA
Over the past twenty five years Mr. Knight has trained more than 20,000 students in various safety and health topics and has been performing instructor led training web casts for the past six years. He is an Authorized OSHA Outreach Training Instructor for both Construction and General Industry and is an expert in OSHA Recordkeeping and Reporting. Through his consultative work he has assisted his clients in overturning over $200,000 in OSHA citations over the past six years.
Professional Experience: Mr. Knight is the CEO of EZ-OSHA, a training provider of OSHAcampus.com. Mr. Knight has worked with the Texas A&M University OSHA Training Center, Rockhurst University and Tulsa Tech, as well as with many corporations and contractors, both as a consultant and trainer.
Who Should Attend?
Plant & facility managers, supervisors, engineers, maintenance personnel and safety managers who are responsible electrical safety and / or OSHA compliance.
When/Where?
October 1, 2008 – Don Hall's Guest House, 1313 West Washington Center Rd, Fort Wayne.
In this seminar you will learn new mandates imposed by OSHA to protect you and your employees. Existing OSHA requirements, which you may not be aware of, will also be reviewed.
Some of the topics will include:
* OSHA's New Electrical Rule that requires employers to restrict access to even qualified employees
* Permitting procedures for access, complete with fault current calculations / arc flash
* Mandatory Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirement that now even includes clothing
* The NEW OSHA PPE Rule which is now in effect
* Clarification of other general OSHA rules (Machine Guarding, Lockout / Tagout) which affect your daily operations
The speaker encourages interaction including real life questions and scenarios.
This seminar is NOT a certification training (30 hour or 10 hour) program!
About the Speaker
Mr. Rick Knight - CEO/Safety Consultant/OSHA Outreach Trainer - EZ OSHA
Over the past twenty five years Mr. Knight has trained more than 20,000 students in various safety and health topics and has been performing instructor led training web casts for the past six years. He is an Authorized OSHA Outreach Training Instructor for both Construction and General Industry and is an expert in OSHA Recordkeeping and Reporting. Through his consultative work he has assisted his clients in overturning over $200,000 in OSHA citations over the past six years.
Professional Experience: Mr. Knight is the CEO of EZ-OSHA, a training provider of OSHAcampus.com. Mr. Knight has worked with the Texas A&M University OSHA Training Center, Rockhurst University and Tulsa Tech, as well as with many corporations and contractors, both as a consultant and trainer.
Who Should Attend?
Plant & facility managers, supervisors, engineers, maintenance personnel and safety managers who are responsible electrical safety and / or OSHA compliance.
When/Where?
October 1, 2008 – Don Hall's Guest House, 1313 West Washington Center Rd, Fort Wayne.
One Month in Turkey: Deadline Tomorrow
Rotarians of Rotary District 6540 (northern 1/3 of Indiana) are recruiting four outstanding young professionals or business persons to participate in a cultural and vocational exchange to Ankara, Turkey from May 9 – June 7, 2009. The Group Study Exchange is a program of the Rotary International Foundation.
Through this Rotary program, teams of young professionals exchange visits between paired areas in different countries.
The program involves a four week visit during which time team members share the personal knowledge of their own country and experience the customs, vocations and lifestyles of another country.
The purpose of the Group Study Exchange is to promote international understanding and goodwill through person to person contact. While in the receiving country, team members stay in Rotary members’ homes and have the opportunity to meet their business/professional counterparts. They also give presentations to Rotary clubs and other groups about their home country.
The Rotary International Foundation provides a round-trip air ticket and the hosting Rotarians provide meals, lodging and travel within the hosting Rotary district. Team members are expected to pay for personal and incidental expenses.
Men and women interested in applying must be employed full time for at least 2 years in a recognized business or profession and live or be employed in Rotary District 6540 (Northern Indiana). They must also complete and provide the Required Employer’s Endorsement Statement when submitting the application. Applicant must be between 25 and 40 years of age.
The Rotary Club of Fort Wayne must receive a prospective team member’s application by Friday September 26. For an application or further information, contact Rotarian Noel Knox at (260) 418-9150.
Through this Rotary program, teams of young professionals exchange visits between paired areas in different countries.
The program involves a four week visit during which time team members share the personal knowledge of their own country and experience the customs, vocations and lifestyles of another country.
The purpose of the Group Study Exchange is to promote international understanding and goodwill through person to person contact. While in the receiving country, team members stay in Rotary members’ homes and have the opportunity to meet their business/professional counterparts. They also give presentations to Rotary clubs and other groups about their home country.
The Rotary International Foundation provides a round-trip air ticket and the hosting Rotarians provide meals, lodging and travel within the hosting Rotary district. Team members are expected to pay for personal and incidental expenses.
Men and women interested in applying must be employed full time for at least 2 years in a recognized business or profession and live or be employed in Rotary District 6540 (Northern Indiana). They must also complete and provide the Required Employer’s Endorsement Statement when submitting the application. Applicant must be between 25 and 40 years of age.
The Rotary Club of Fort Wayne must receive a prospective team member’s application by Friday September 26. For an application or further information, contact Rotarian Noel Knox at (260) 418-9150.
4 Day Work Week Call Out
Hey Chamber members! Have any of you started 4-day workweek programs to help employees with the rising cost of gas? If so, we want to talk to you for an upcoming news feature on the subject. Please call Nicole Wilkins ASAP at (260) 414-1160. Thank you!
FWMoA Trolley Tour Tonight
Don't miss the 10th Annual Trolley Tour presented by the Fort Wayne Museum of Art tonight from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Tickets are available in the Museum Shop and are $20 for FWMoA members or with a valid college ID and $25 for non-members.
Want to go on the Trolley Tour for FREE? Volunteers are needed and by working a shift - you get to go on the Trolley Tour for free. Email Brian Wagner at wagner@fwmoa.org to sign up!
Want to go on the Trolley Tour for FREE? Volunteers are needed and by working a shift - you get to go on the Trolley Tour for free. Email Brian Wagner at wagner@fwmoa.org to sign up!
Cancer Day October 1
Kroger & Scott's Food and Pharmacy will hold Cancer Day on October 1. To volunteer please call Lori at (260) 471-3911 or email at lauren.lehman@cancer.org.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Talk of the Capital
by Dan Garman, Sr. Vice President, Parkview Health
The NE Indiana Chamber delegation had a very interesting, meeting packed day in our nation's capital. It was an exciting and intense day - most of the focus is on the proposed $700 billion rescue legislation to fix our lending market and our economy. This is a very complex and serious issue - not much else is being talked about or getting any attention. The major focus of the discussion has been around how best to fix the problem, accountability for those who caused this, and trying to put measures in place to prevent it from happening again. There will be more on this issue on Thursday - expectations were that something will be passed by the weekend.
The members of the delegation had the opportunity to meet with Congressman Mark Souder today - he spent over an hour with the members discussing many issues, again with most of the focus on the rescue legislation. We also met with Congressman Burton.
Dan
The NE Indiana Chamber delegation had a very interesting, meeting packed day in our nation's capital. It was an exciting and intense day - most of the focus is on the proposed $700 billion rescue legislation to fix our lending market and our economy. This is a very complex and serious issue - not much else is being talked about or getting any attention. The major focus of the discussion has been around how best to fix the problem, accountability for those who caused this, and trying to put measures in place to prevent it from happening again. There will be more on this issue on Thursday - expectations were that something will be passed by the weekend.
The members of the delegation had the opportunity to meet with Congressman Mark Souder today - he spent over an hour with the members discussing many issues, again with most of the focus on the rescue legislation. We also met with Congressman Burton.
Dan
More from DC...
By Chamber board member Matt Kelley, Verizon
Hello from beautiful Washington DC. It's been an eventful day. Besides walking away from my taxi this morning without paying the driver, it has been an action packed day. The NEICC team has done a fantastic job of scheduling a slate of informative speakers and legislators. Congressman Souder was very gracious to spend nearly 2 hours with a group of us and escorted us into the Capitol to watch a somewhat important vote...it was to keep the government from shutting down due to a cut off of funding. Some may say so what but with action needed to calm the credit markets, now is probably not the time to close up and go home.
The thing that strikes me most is that the reason we are getting such access to our legislators and the Capitol at such a busy time is because we represent the life blood of every hard working Hoosier...we are part of the business community that employs about 150,000 northeast Indiana workers. When businesses win, their workers win and their families prosper. It's all a part of strong communities and the American dream. So we tip our hats to Rep. Burton and Souder on Day 1 for their service to our state and the business community. And we thank our Chamber coalition for being there to bring us all together.
Oh, by the way, I payed the driver after a bellman tracked me down. But I forgot to get a receipt for my expense report. Oops!
Matt Kelley
Hello from beautiful Washington DC. It's been an eventful day. Besides walking away from my taxi this morning without paying the driver, it has been an action packed day. The NEICC team has done a fantastic job of scheduling a slate of informative speakers and legislators. Congressman Souder was very gracious to spend nearly 2 hours with a group of us and escorted us into the Capitol to watch a somewhat important vote...it was to keep the government from shutting down due to a cut off of funding. Some may say so what but with action needed to calm the credit markets, now is probably not the time to close up and go home.
The thing that strikes me most is that the reason we are getting such access to our legislators and the Capitol at such a busy time is because we represent the life blood of every hard working Hoosier...we are part of the business community that employs about 150,000 northeast Indiana workers. When businesses win, their workers win and their families prosper. It's all a part of strong communities and the American dream. So we tip our hats to Rep. Burton and Souder on Day 1 for their service to our state and the business community. And we thank our Chamber coalition for being there to bring us all together.
Oh, by the way, I payed the driver after a bellman tracked me down. But I forgot to get a receipt for my expense report. Oops!
Matt Kelley
Capital Check In
By Chamber member Paul Phillips, Edward Jones
What an exciting time to be in Washington. Of course. the big buzz is the financial industry. We met with Congressman Souder today and he provided some remarkable insight into the complexities of this legislation. We also received updates on a number of issues from the US Chamber and Baker & Daniels. Once again. this event is well worth the investment. I really appreciate the opportunity to provide face to face input to our elected officials.
Paul
--
What an exciting time to be in Washington. Of course. the big buzz is the financial industry. We met with Congressman Souder today and he provided some remarkable insight into the complexities of this legislation. We also received updates on a number of issues from the US Chamber and Baker & Daniels. Once again. this event is well worth the investment. I really appreciate the opportunity to provide face to face input to our elected officials.
Paul
--
Calling All Techies!
Don't miss Tech Summit '08 in Indianapolis on October 2! (click on image for larger view)
CarFit® Helps Seniors Drive Safely
Chamber members AAA, Parkview Trauma Services and Parkview Senior Health Services are joining forces to conduct the area's first CarFit, a free in-car safety check. CarFit helps senior drivers learn how the effects of aging change the way they fit in their vehicle and how their driving can be affected.
This event takes place Wednesday, Oct. 1 from 0 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Carew Medical Park, 1818 Carew, parking garage, level 1. Attendance is free!
CarFit includes a 12-point checklist to guarantee that senior drivers are sitting properly in his or her vehicle and that the driver's seat, seat belt, mirrors, steering wheel, head rest, gas/brake pedals and other controls are positioned properly. The CarFit evaluation is administered by specially trained health professionals, such as occupational therapists.
In order for seniors to remain active mentally and physically, it is important that they continue to be mobile and participate in their community. CarFit gives older adults the tools to help them stay on the road safely.
Appointments are required; call Parkview Senior Health Services at (260) 373-7209.
This event takes place Wednesday, Oct. 1 from 0 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Carew Medical Park, 1818 Carew, parking garage, level 1. Attendance is free!
CarFit includes a 12-point checklist to guarantee that senior drivers are sitting properly in his or her vehicle and that the driver's seat, seat belt, mirrors, steering wheel, head rest, gas/brake pedals and other controls are positioned properly. The CarFit evaluation is administered by specially trained health professionals, such as occupational therapists.
In order for seniors to remain active mentally and physically, it is important that they continue to be mobile and participate in their community. CarFit gives older adults the tools to help them stay on the road safely.
Appointments are required; call Parkview Senior Health Services at (260) 373-7209.
See For Yourself...
Don't miss this FREE interactive human relations workshop brought to you by Dale Carnegie Training! (click on image for larger view). 
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
MyMenu Grand Opening Celebration This Saturday
Hope to see you there! (click on image for larger view)
Capital Bloggers
The Chamber's DC Fly-in takes place tomorrow and Thursday. As Chamber members, staff and community leaders head for our nation's capital to affect change we will bring you their insights from the trip so stay tuned to the Daily Dose!
We bring you our first post from "blogger" Matt Kelley, director of public affairs, policy & communications for Verizon in Fort Wayne...
While packing everything I'll need on my trip to Washington, D.C., I also consider my goals for the trip. Not only is this my first lobbying trip to our nation's capitol, it will be the first time to meet our Senators as well as a few Representatives. It's exciting but also a great deal of responsibility to represent not only my company, Verizon Communications, but all of northeast Indiana. The business community back here in Indiana is working hard to compete, grow and some parts are just trying to survive. I want to make sure that the message heard by our legislators is that "don't do anything that will impede job retention and growth for fellow Hoosiers." So, I'll get to bed early tonight to catch an early flight and hope I won't forget something important like my shaving kit or the perfect tie. See you in D.C.
We bring you our first post from "blogger" Matt Kelley, director of public affairs, policy & communications for Verizon in Fort Wayne...
While packing everything I'll need on my trip to Washington, D.C., I also consider my goals for the trip. Not only is this my first lobbying trip to our nation's capitol, it will be the first time to meet our Senators as well as a few Representatives. It's exciting but also a great deal of responsibility to represent not only my company, Verizon Communications, but all of northeast Indiana. The business community back here in Indiana is working hard to compete, grow and some parts are just trying to survive. I want to make sure that the message heard by our legislators is that "don't do anything that will impede job retention and growth for fellow Hoosiers." So, I'll get to bed early tonight to catch an early flight and hope I won't forget something important like my shaving kit or the perfect tie. See you in D.C.
Turnstone’s 1967 Corvette is HOT!
This year’s 5th Annual Classic Corvette Raffle to support the Turnstone Center will come to a close October 9th. It is their goal to sell over 18,000 tickets by the close of the raffle. And, with a car like this, how could they not! Just check out the specs:~ Approximate value: $69,000
~ Last year for Sting Ray
~ Rally red with black interior and white soft top
~ 4-speed stick with 327 cubic inch, 300 horsepower engine
~ Matching numbers, owner's manual, maintenance receipts
Tickets will be on sale until October 9 so buy your tickets today! All the proceeds of this year’s 5th annual corvette raffle will support Turnstone’s ability to continue to provide therapeutic services on a sliding-fee-scale to 2,200 children and adults with physical disabilities annually.
Tickets are 1 for $10, 3 for $25, 7 for $50 or 15 for $100. The winning ticket will be drawn the evening of October 9. To purchase tickets, call Turnstone at (260) 483-2100 or (866) 483-1278 or visit www.turnstone.org to learn more.
For more information on the Corvette Raffle, please contact Bethany Clapper, Director of Events at 260-483-2100 or Bethany@turnstone.org.
A Little Time. A Big Difference.
by Kristine FoateChamber President & CEO
I recently attended the Fort Wayne Community Schools Study Connection 20th Annual Recognition Breakfast. It was an inspiring morning!
Over 739 volunteers participated in Study Connection last year. Approximately 60 individuals have given 10 or more years to making a difference in the lives of Fort Wayne's students through their volunteer efforts at Study Connection.
This year it is Study Connection's goal to have 1,000 volunteers. Study Connection’s slogan is: “A little time. A big difference.” We hope you will consider giving of your time to this impressive effort. It’s only one hour a week and that one hour can make a signification impact on a child.
I want to congratulate this year’s award recipients. I was honored to present business recognition awards to Do it Best Corp. and Superior Essex for their 20 year contribution to the students of FWCS through Study Connection. These two companies are synonymous with Study Connection and have continuously supported it through its 20 year history.
The Connie Dickey Outstanding School Contact Award went to Barb Shown at Washington Elementary School and the Don A. Wolf Outstanding Student of the Year Award went to Daniel Gomez, a student at Portage Middle School.
To cap off the morning Linda Ruffolo and Ron James received proclamations from Mayor Tom Henry for their 20 years of service as volunteers and the group was treated to guest speaker Robert Fulghum, author of “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” To everyone involved with Study Connection - you are making a difference!
To find out how you can get involved with Study Connection call Sharon Callender at (260) 467-8811.
Small Business Summit
Chamber members: please save the date of Thursday, October 16 for the Job Fair, Job Training and Small Business Summit at IPFW from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Senator Bayh will be co-hosting the event along with the Chamber, IPFW, Ivy Tech, the Fort Wayne Women's Bureau, WorkOne Northeast, NIIC, the City of Fort Wayne and the NE Indiana SBDC.
In organizing the summit, we hope to assist small business owners by encouraging communication between local entrepreneurs and the many different organizations, both government and private, that promote Indiana small business growth. The Job Fair, Job Training and Small Business Summit will be held in the Walb Student Union on the campus of IPFW (2101 East Coliseum Boulevard).
The Summit is designed to provide advice and expertise on some of the unique situations facing small business owners. Participating organizations will serve as important sources of knowledge for anyone looking to start or expand a small business. We hope to see you in attendance.
For more information please contact Brent Wake in Sen. Bayh’s office at (260) 426-3151 or brent_wake@bayh.senate.gov.
In organizing the summit, we hope to assist small business owners by encouraging communication between local entrepreneurs and the many different organizations, both government and private, that promote Indiana small business growth. The Job Fair, Job Training and Small Business Summit will be held in the Walb Student Union on the campus of IPFW (2101 East Coliseum Boulevard).
The Summit is designed to provide advice and expertise on some of the unique situations facing small business owners. Participating organizations will serve as important sources of knowledge for anyone looking to start or expand a small business. We hope to see you in attendance.
For more information please contact Brent Wake in Sen. Bayh’s office at (260) 426-3151 or brent_wake@bayh.senate.gov.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Science Central Debuts Memory Exhibit
Science Central's new traveling exhibit, entitled "Memory" debuted this past Saturday. The interactive exhibits showcase everything from how neurons fire in the brain, to childhood memories and actual brain dissections on video.Test your memory, find out how memory works and understand just why our memories are so important!
The Memory exhibit runs through January 4 at Science Central. For more information visit sciencecentral.org or call (260) 424-2400.
Education Reform at FWCS
Tom Houlihan, a national education expert known for his work in transforming educational entities, returned to Fort Wayne last week to discuss his observations on the work being done in Fort Wayne Community Schools. Houlihan first visited FWCS in August, talking to district officials, parents, students and community members to learn about the school district, the community and the capacity for change. In his return visit he reviewed what he learned.In his analysis of FWCS, he said the district possesses three of the four major characteristics crucial to successful change and the fourth is attainable. FWCS has an awareness and sense of urgency about the need for change, strong leadership at all levels of the system and a community of leaders and organizations to help create, implement and sustain transformational change. The district is on its way to meeting the fourth characteristic of aligning systems at the classroom, school, district and state levels. What is lacking, he said, is complete alignment of the state rules and regulations to the FWCS system, which Houlihan believes can be remedied through further work with state officials.
Houlihan took special notice of the district’s efforts to strengthen leadership at every level – from the community and schools to the administration and school board.
Beckman Lawson Employment Law Forum
Beckman Lawson's annual Employment Law Forum is only a few weeks away. This year's event focuses on "Change at Work" - a look at the many new legal implications introduced by the incredible amount of change taking place in today's workforce.The Forum will address tough questions on a range of issues that many businesses are dealing with. Some of these include:
Can I recoup the training costs of an employee who leaves?
What about protecting confidential information?
Can there be reverse age discrimination?
What are the legal risks of non-traditional work arrangements?
What should I consider before turning to temporary workers?
Event details:
Date: Thursday, October 9
Time: 1 p.m. to 5 pm, Registration begins at 12:30
Place: Landmark Reception and Conference Centre, 6222 Ellison Road, Fort Wayne
Click here to register. Deadline is Friday, Oct. 3. For more information call (260) 422-0800.
Hybrid Bus Demo
This Thursday, September 25, at 10 a.m. Citilink, Variable Torque Motors and the Richard G. Lugar Community Service Center will debut a demonstration hybrid retrofit transit bus. This local collaboration will assess the benefits of a hybrid retrofit drive in a small transit bus application. Anticipated benefits include, but are not limited to: increased fuel efficiency, reduced emissions, improved brake performance, low voltage/light weight ultra capacitor, ease of use/installation and transferability of product.
Media are invited to take a demonstration ride in the hybrid bus which began operating on Citilink routes a few weeks ago. The hybrid bus demo will take place in front of Senator Lugar’s office located at 6384-A West Jefferson in Covington Plaza.
Public transit is an excellent application for hybrid technology. The start/stop nature of urban passenger transport is ideal for regenerative motors and maximizes the fuel & environmental benefits of hybrid electrical assist technology.
This project compliments a recent discretionary grant received by Citilink to pay for 80% of the cost of hybrid technology on two full size fixed route buses that will be purchased next year. This grant is a result of Senator Lugar’s initiative to support hybrid bus technology & alternative fuels for all Indiana transit systems.
For more information contact Fort Wayne Citilink at (260) 432-4977.
Media are invited to take a demonstration ride in the hybrid bus which began operating on Citilink routes a few weeks ago. The hybrid bus demo will take place in front of Senator Lugar’s office located at 6384-A West Jefferson in Covington Plaza.
Public transit is an excellent application for hybrid technology. The start/stop nature of urban passenger transport is ideal for regenerative motors and maximizes the fuel & environmental benefits of hybrid electrical assist technology.
This project compliments a recent discretionary grant received by Citilink to pay for 80% of the cost of hybrid technology on two full size fixed route buses that will be purchased next year. This grant is a result of Senator Lugar’s initiative to support hybrid bus technology & alternative fuels for all Indiana transit systems.
For more information contact Fort Wayne Citilink at (260) 432-4977.
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