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VOLUME 5, ISSUE 3, SEPT 10. 2012

THE CHAMBER NEWS

IN THIS ISSUE

PAGE 1:

WELCOME/OVERVIEW

PAGE 2:

OUR 2012 BOARD &

AMBASSADORS

MINA RETIRES!

PAGE 3:

NEW MEMBERS &

MEMBER HAPPENINGS

PAGE 4:

OUR MEMBERS

PAGE 5:

CUSTOMER SERVICE

WORKSHOP

PAGE 6 & 7

Y P IKE!

PAGE 8 COLOR DRIVE

PAGE 9 ARTICLE

PAGE 10 CHAMBER OF

COMMERCE WEEK

PAGE 11 MEMBER INFO PAGE 12 SPONSORS, INFO

EMAIL REQUEST

NATIONAL

PREPAREDNESS

MONTH

Welcome back to The Chamber News! As summer

draws to an end, I think it is fair to say this is has been

a summer we won’t forget for a long time. Record

heat and humidity, the worst drought in years, stressed

crops and high gas prices.

Yet Pike County has weathered these challenges in its

usual “roll up your sleeves and get things done” way

by rallying around each other and our communities.

Harvest is in full swing. Construction is going on around the county. Businesses are

expanding. New businesses are opening up. Our local festivals and events have

drawn good crowds as people braved the heat to have fun and support school and

church groups and other local organizations– and its not over yet!

It was a busy summer for the Chamber. We launched YPike!, our organization for

young people in their 20s and 30s. You can read more about them and what they’ve

been up to on page 6. Providing a platform for these young minds and talents can

only help our county grow and prosper.

We also provided support to the Two Rivers Jeep Club for their two open rides, the

4x4 Safari in May and the 4x4 Blast in August. Over 400 people participated in these

events. TRJC donates much of their profit to Pike County organizations.

We have worked hard at assembling a comprehensive Calendar of Events and

Parades, and keeping it as current as possible. Promoting our local businesses,

festivals and attractions is part of our mission and a role we take very seriously.

You can always find the most current version on our web site, www.pikeil.org.

You’ll find this version of The Chamber News jam-packed with updates and info.

Fall is a busy time in beautiful Pike County!

Customer Service Matters!

Did you know that a happy customer tells 4 or 5 others if they have a positive experi-

ence, but a dissatisfied customer tells 9 to 12 other people how bad it was– or worse–

they post their complaints on Facebook or YouTube! Did you know that 68% of

people who leave a business say they do so because of poor customer service? How

does your Customer Service match up to your customers’ expectations?

The Pike County Chamber of Commerce is teaming up with University of Illinois

Community Educator Shelby Crow to help local businesses especially those in the

hospitality industry improve their customer service skills. The first round of

workshops will be held in September. These one hour sessions will be offered twice–

once in the evening and once over the lunch hour to accommodate varied schedules and

see which the public finds most convenient. The program will be identical at each and

the cost is only $5 per person. See page 5 for more details and key learnings.

Kaye Iftner, Executive Director of the Chamber and Editor of The Chamber News

Thanks to all of you for

your continued support!

PAGE 2

Kent Hawley, President, JWCC Jill Bigelow, Vice Presi-dent Illini Community Hospital Peter Wright, Treasurer, Wright Place Auto Body David Fuhler, Immediate Past President, WBBA Carolyn Casteel, Casteel’s Bob Evans, Realty 1 Nancy Kurpaitis, Old Flor-ence Guest House Brenda Middendorf, Two Rivers RC&D/Access Illinois Lois Pennock, Fall Color Drive Board Lead Mina Robertson, Farmers National Bank Mike Spann, COUNTRY Financial Andy Sprague, Sprague’s Kinderhook Lodge Robert Wood, City of Pittsfield Kaye Iftner, Executive Director

2012 Chamber Board

2012 Ambassadors Kim Ator, Farmers State Bank

Sheila Davidsmeyer, North-

western Mutual Financial Services

Tammy Harshman, Illini

Health Services Jenna Hubbard, United Community Bank

Jayne Pieper, KHQA

Jennifer Ross/Bob Dieker J.D. Ross & Associates, Inc

Daman Emrick, Farmers Na-

tional Bank of Griggsville– Pittsfield branch

Noelle Flesner, CNB Bank &

Trust

Lindsey Rennecker, Western

Collision Center

Shelly Martin, Area Disposal

Thanks to our

VIP Sponsor,

Neal Tire!

Mina Robertson retires from FNB in Griggsville

Mina Robertson has retired from Farmers National Bank of Griggsville after 42 years.

The bank hosted an open house on Friday, August 31st. In addition to her years of

service to the bank, its customers, and the community, Mina has been on the Chamber

Board for many years. It is tradition at Chamber Board meetings that Mina moves to

adjourn the meeting. Those of you who know Mina can attest that she is a no non-

sense kind of person. So when we’re done, we’re done!

So we thought it fitting to express our sentiments in a way that reminds us of her.

Fortunately, Mina is going to stay on the Chamber Board for a while, so we will have

other opportunities to let her know how much we appreciate her. Congrats, Mina!

Save the date!

Nov 1st is

Girls Night Out!

Details on the next

page.

Welcome New Members

The Pike County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome another new member since

our last newsletter!

The Picket Fence, 1271 W. Washington, Pittsfield, IL offers something for everyone. Angela

Burbridge is the owner and she invites you to come out and see her. The Picket Fence carries an-

tiques, collectibles, name brand clothes, gifts, used furniture, handmade crafts and odds & ends.

The hours are Monday from 10 AM until 5 PM, Tuesdays by chance, Wednesday-Friday 10 AM

until 5 PM and Saturdays from 10 AM until 2 PM. You can reach Angela and The Picket Fence

by telephone at 217-285-1491. Be watching your email for the announcement of a ribbon cutting!

Thanks to Farmers State Bank

for sponsoring a great Lunch &

Learn on Thursday, September

6th. It was a teleseminar

featuring an interview with

Darren Hardy, the publisher and

founding editor of Success

magazine. He has also written a

book called The Compound

Effect: Achieving Success In

All You Do. Farmers State

Bank not only treated us to a

nice lunch from Catering &

More but participants received

a copy of the book! Thirteen participants joined several representatives from Farmers State Bank

for the Lunch & Learn which was held in the Shaw Room of the Pike County Senior Center.

The post-meeting evaluations provided excellent feedback on the content and execution of the

workshop. Of the 13 participants surveyed, seven gave the Lunch & Learn an “excellent” overall

rating, and the remaining 6 rated it as “good”. Nine participants rated the speaker as “excellent”,

with four rating Mr. Hardy as “good”. The food was rated as excellent. Other suggestions for

future workshops include: personal growth & development, personal productivity, overcoming

procrastination, goal setting & planning, social media marketing, being a good boss, helping em-

ployees be more effective, better utilizing our community assets and similar motivational topics.

Watch for more opportunities in the future!

New Members and Member Happenings

3

Pittsfield Main Street and the Pike County Chamber of Commerce are continuing their efforts to

promote local shopping by sponsoring the third annual “Girls Night Out” on the Square in

Pittsfield on Thursday, November 1st. It will take place from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at businesses around

the Square. Ladies will have the opportunity to shop for gifts that evening and put items on a “wish list”

at the participating locations. There will be special offers, food, fun, and an opportunity to get

Christmas shopping done early- all this right here in beautiful Pike County!

Thanks to our First Class Sponsors

PAGE 4

Abe Lincoln Project

Access Illinois Outdoors

Adecco Employment Services

Administrative Services, Inc.

Adventures Unlimited

Airsman-Hires Funeral Home

Allen Tire Service

Ameren CIPS

American Red Cross—

Pike County Chapter

Area Disposal Service, Inc.

Armistead Backhoe & Septic

B&B Printing

Bank of Kampsville/

Pleasant Hill Facility

Bainter Enterprises LLC

Barber Agency

Barry Community Care Center

Barton & Associates

Baughman, Wayne

Beard Design and Graphics

Beautiful Creations for

Special Occasions

Bee Creek Quarter Horses

& Cattle

Benton & Associates, Inc.

Birch, John & Cheryl

Blue River Outdoors, Inc.

Bow Lake Golf Course LLC

Bowler’s Universe

Boy Scouts of America,

Mississippi Valley

Brookside Marketing

Buckeye Creek Outfitters

Butler Farms Outdoor

Adventures

Calvary Baptist Church

Carnes Communication/

US Cellular

Carnes, Inc.

Casey's General Store

CASSCOMM

Casteel ‘s Color Wheel

Catering & More

Center for Effective Nonprofits

Central State Bank

Cherry's Guest House

Church of the Nazarene

City of Barry

City of Griggsville

City of Pittsfield

CNB Bank & Trust

Collver Family Winery

COUNTRY Financial

Country Fixins Primitive Craft and

Antique Mall

County Market

Courtyard Café

Dave Dieker Transport Inc

DCEO

DNG Technology Inc.

Dolbeare Farms

DS Carts, Inc

Dugan Designs

Eagle One Investments LLC

Eastside Health &

Rehabilitation Center

Ed & Woodie's S & S Inc.

Edward Jones

Entrup Drywall & Painting

Evergreen Lawn & Pest Control

Farmers Bank of Liberty-Barry

Farmers National Bank

of Griggsville

Farmers State Bank

Fashion Flowers

First Baptist Church of Pittsfield

First National Bank of Barry

Florence Guest House

Flowers N More

Fosco Farmhouse

Frontier

Geared Up!

GFC/ Bale Bandit

Gray House Bed & Breakfast

Green Acres Motel by Ionson

Griggsville Christian Church

Griggsville Estates

H & R Block

Harpole's Heartland Lodge

Harrison Business Services

Health & Wellness Foundation

of Pike County

Heaton Chevrolet-Olds-Geo

Heimer & Associates, Inc.

Hollahan Law Office

Hooper-Niebur Insurance

Hopewell Winery

Hull Community Center

Iftner, David & Kaye

Illini Community Hospital

Illini Fitness

Illini Health Services Inc.

Illinois Department of

Employment Security

Illinois Rural Electric Coop

Illinois Small Business

Development Center at WIU

Illinois Valley Paving Company

Illinois Xtreme Whitetail Lodge

In Motion Fitness & Wellness

Ingersoll, Charles and Marsha

Ingersoll, Katherine

Innoventor Engineering Inc

International Eye Care

Investment Centers of America

J.D. Ross & Associates, Inc.

J. Roberts Jewelers

Jacksonville Journal Courier

JBS United

State Rep. Jim Watson

John Wood Community College

Jones Poultry

KHQA TV

Kidd’s Shirt Shack

Kinderhook State Bank

KJFM Radio– Eagle 102

Law Office of Carrie Boyd

Law Office of E. John Clark

Liberty Tax Service

Liberty Village of Pittsfield

Little Johnny’s

Logan Agri-Service Inc.

Lowry Music Company

MATAM, Inc

Maya Authentic Mexican Cuisine

McCartney Real Estate

McDonald's

MECO Engineering Company

Mefford Chiropractic Center

Melanie Ann’s Hair Salon

Memory Lane Awards

Mental Health Centers

of Western Illinois

Midstate Insurance Agency Inc.

Miller & Moss Construction

Milton’s Big Buck Inn &

Outfitters

Mississippi Valley Lodging LLP

Monroe Street Suites

Moss Family Farms, Inc.

Motel Pike

Mountain’s Mountain

Nancy Ross Chapter of NSDAR

Nature Society

Neal Tire & Auto Service

New Way Signs

Niebur Funeral Home

Northwestern Mutual

Financial Network

Oitker Ford Sales

Old Orchard Country Club

Peter's Heating &

Air Conditioning

Pike Bucks Unlimited

Pike County Chapter of the

American Red Cross

Pike County Government

Pike County Concrete

Pike County Contractors LLC

Pike County Community

Health Partnership

Pike County Economic

Development Corporation

Pike County Express

Pike County Farm Bureau

Pike County Glass Inc.

Pike County Health Department

Pike County Historical Society

Pike County Housing Authority

Pike County Lumber Company

Pike County Real Estate, Inc.

Pike Press

Pikeland Outfitters

Pioneer Express Gas & Grill

Pittsfield Main Street

Pittsfield Community Center

Pittsfield Public Library

Production Press

Quanada

Quick Shot Photography

Quincy Area Convention

& Visitors Bureau

Quincy Herald Whig

Quincy Medical Group

Reach Out Center

Refreshment Services Pepsi

Rhoads, Patty and Robert

Rotary Club of Pittsfield

Rueb, Tara

S&S School of Dance

Sassy Stitches

Schulman, Violet

Schutte, Douglas

Scranton Appraisal Services

SEH Construction

Servpro of Quincy

Sheppard, John

Sprague's Kinderhook Lodge

Stage Coach Inn

State Farm Insurance

Stilwell, Johnson

Stroemer Foods Catering

Studio on the Square

Summer Hill Antique Mall

Tee Pee Mini Mart/Subway

The Maschhoffs

The Masters Touch

The Picket Fence

Tim’s PC Music Machine

Trinity Rentals/ D-C Elec.

Twin Pike Family YMCA

Two Rivers FS

Two Rivers Jeep Club

Two Rivers Regional Council

Of Public Officials

United Community Bank

Village of Pleasant Hill

Wade Real Estate

Walmart

Watts, Sean and Tara

Waycool Customs & Collision

WBBA - DJ Two Rivers, Inc.

Wells Fargo Advisors

West Central Electric, Heating

and Air

West Central Mass Transit. Dba

Pike County Transit

Western Collision Center

WGEM TV and Radio

William Watson Hotel

Wright Place Auto Body

Wright, Harry & Helen

Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park

at Pine Lakes

Support our Pike County Chamber Members

PAGE 5

Thanks to our Business Class Sponsors

YPike!, the Chamber’s newly forming organization for young people in their 20s and 30s is off to a great start!

The group met monthly in June-August, on the third Tuesday of each month. The third YPike! meeting was

hosted by Ted and Deb Festa at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park™ at Pine Lakes Resort in Pittsfield on Tuesday,

August 21st. Members toured the facility and the meeting took place in the new concession stand and pool area.

(For additional information or to make a reservation at Pine Lakes, call 217-285-6719).

The meeting was very informal as families were invited to enjoy the pool and campground. New membership

forms were distributed. A combination Membership/Corporate Sponsorship form is included on the next page,

but can also be obtained from the Pike County Chamber of Commerce.

YPike! had a few new prospective members attend and a lot of networking took place. Locations for the

September 18th meeting were discussed and Sprague’s Kinderhook Lodge is a possibility– watch for details!

A Facebook page has been built by YPike! member Tanya Thomas. Please visit it at:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/YPIKEIL and "Like it"! YPike! will be communicating news and events and

posting their progress. Those not on FB can follow progress on the Chamber’s web site.

Corporate sponsors include Illinois Rural Electric Cooperative,

CASSCOMM (Cass Cable) and Investment Centers of America.

Welcome Chad Herron and Tiffany Smith!

Stan Moss

Justin Noble

and Josh

Filbert

enjoy the

networking!

Why Pike?

YPike!

7

8

9

This article and the ad on the opposite page are appearing in the 2012 Discover Central Illinois Visitor and

Vacation Guide. The Guide is placed in travel racks and Visitor Centers throughout Illinois.

10 September 10th through the 14th is Chamber of Commerce Week

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has proclaimed

September 10 through September 14, 2012 as Chamber of

Commerce Week throughout Illinois. The Pike County

Chamber of Commerce has joined the Illinois Association of

Chamber of Commerce Executives (IACCE) in celebrating

this special recognition of the contributions chambers of

commerce make to Illinois civic and economic life.

In his Proclamation, the Governor declared, “Chambers of

commerce have contributed to the civic and economic life in

Illinois for 174 years since the Galena Chamber of

Commerce was founded in 1838. Chambers of commerce

encourage the growth of existing industries, services, and

commercial firms and encourage new businesses and indi-

viduals to locate in Illinois.”

The Pike County Chamber actually began as the Pittsfield

Chamber of Commerce in the early 1950s. In 1987, forward

looking people determined there was the need for an organi-

zation to represent the entire county and the organization

was legally changed to the Pike County Chamber of

Commerce. Since then the Pike County Chamber has been

actively working for the good of the whole county. The Chamber focuses on advocating for its members and the

county, thereby enhancing the quality of life in the entire county. We aggressively promote Pike County both

within and to the outside world, and promote tourism. This can best be summed up in our slogan “Making Pike

County a great place to live, work and visit”.

The Pike County Chamber has approximately 220 members from all over the county, and our membership includes

businesses, communities, non-profit organizations, and civic-minded individuals.

A recent national study found that consumers are 63% more likely to buy from businesses that are members of their

local Chamber, and one of the first places people look for information about a community is the local chamber of

commerce. The Pike County Chamber of Commerce works tirelessly to promote its members and the Member

Directory on our web site is the most visited section of the site. In addition, the Chamber handles dozens of calls

every week from businesses, tourists and residents looking for your business information. As a Chamber member

you have access to one of the most efficient and effective networking systems available to promote your business

and expand your customer base.

During Chamber of Commerce Week, we’d like to take the opportunity to thank you for being a member and

supporting us. We rely on your dues to operate. For those of you reading this who are not members, we encourage

businesses, organizations, communities, and individuals who are not Chamber members to use Chamber of Com-

merce Week as a time to join. We even have a special introductory offer during Chamber of Commerce Week, so

call me and let’s discuss the benefits of membership. Membership is important because the more members the

Chamber has the better we can represent the business community and deliver on our mission.

Happy Chamber of Commerce Week!

Mission Statement of the Pike County Chamber :

The purpose of our organization is to advocate for our

members, promote tourism and a positive business

climate, and enhance the overall quality of life in the

County. Our mission is summed up in our slogan

"Making Pike County a great place to live, work, and visit”.

Our Vision :

We are the front door to Pike County for people and

businesses, and a trusted source of information,

resources, and advocacy.

11 Support our Pike County Chamber Members

Did you know…..September is Hunger Action Awareness Month.

Nearly 49 million people in America face hunger. That is 1 in 6 of the U.S. population – including more than 1 in 5

children. Feeding America is a network of more than 200 food banks. During September they are trying to raise

awareness and remind people that hunger exists 365 days a year. Our pantries locally always need help on a

continued basis, according to Kaleigh Friend with the Central Illinois Foodbank. Friend says nearly 25% of kids in

this area don't know where their next meal will come from. If you can do anything to help please consider doing so.

There are different events going on across the state this month for hunger awareness.

For more information visit http://hungeractionmonth.org/.

Flowers N More,

located at 107 East

Washington in

Pittsfield recently

celebrated the one year

anniversary of being

on the Square. Owner

Carla Black marked

this milestone with an

open house on Friday,

September 7th .

You can reach them at

217-285-5588 and/or

“like” them on

Facebook!

Save the date….The Illinois Rivers

Transmission Project is hosting an

open house on Monday, Sept. 24th,

from 11 AM to 2 PM at the

American Legion in Griggville.

www.ILRiversTransmission.com

THANKS AGAIN TO OUR 2012 PIKE COUNTY CHAMBER SPONSORS

224 W Washington

PO Box 283

Pittsfield, IL 62363

217-285-2971

info@pikeil.org

www.pikeil.org

2012 VIP Sponsor :

Neal Tire & Auto

2012 First Class Sponsors:

Illini Community Hospital

Pike County Farm Bureau

2012 Business Class Sponsors:

The Wright Place Auto Body

Farmers National Bank of Griggsville

Illini Fitness

Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park at Pine Lakes

We appreciate your support!

September is National Preparedness Month!

If a disaster strikes, how will you and your family be ready? During the

month of September, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and

the Ready.gov teams are focusing on planning and preparing for

disasters during National Preparedness Month . This month, DHS is

asking you to “ Pledge to Prepare .” Visit www.ready.gov/prepare

to see simple steps you can take, such as keeping an emergency kit in

your office and at home and keeping copies of important family docu-

ments in a safe place.

Being disaster prepared is more than just knowing what to do in case

of a tornado or a fire. It’s also about preparing a 72-hour disaster

supplies kit for your home, office and car; developing and practicing an

emergency plan for your family and employees; understanding our

community’s warning systems and evacuation routes; knowing who to

contact for more information, and how you can get involved.

Disasters are like pop quizzes – most often they are unpredictable. If

you are not prepared, they can be devastating. The more you pre-

pare, the better you will know exactly what to do and where to go.

There is a very helpful booklet available online: http://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/documents/files/2012_R2BR.pdf

If you are receiving this in hard copy, please send me your email address. You are missing valuable information! We promise not to share your email address

with anyone without your permission. Please make sure you identify your busi-ness in the email. Thanks!! Kaye

Business Class Sponsor, Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park

If you are a small community

looking to start a fundraising

project, give us a call– Mad

Money may be available to help!

Help us get the

word out about

the Chamber.

“Like” us on

Facebook!