Thursday, September 27, 2012

October 2012 Apalachicola Bay Chamber Newsletter


October 2012Vol 21, Number 10

Meeting Notices

Monthly Business Luncheon
October 3, 2012 noon
Papa Joe’s
301-B Water Street
Apalachicola
Business After Hours
October 11, 2012
Big Bend Hospice &
Centennial Bank
22 Avenue E
Apalachicola

Monthly Business Luncheon
November 7, 2012, 12:00
TBA
Visitor Statistics
August 2001   829
August 2002   791
August 2003   969
August 2004   930
August 2005 1,210
August 2006 1,740
August 2007 1,798
August 2008 1,696
August 2009 1,978
August 2010    876
August 2012 1,678
Website stats July
21,348 Visits
16,894 Unique Visitors
77,756 Pageviews
3.64 Pages/Visit
00:03:23 Avg. Time on Site
19.47% Bounce Rate
71.53% % New Visits

Chamber Board of Directors

PRESIDENT 
Donna Duncan 653-8976
VICE-PRESIDENT
Bud Hayes 927-3305

TREASURER
Jerry Hall 653-9510
SECRETARY
Kristin Anderson 653-2249

BOARD MEMBERS
Brenda Ash 653-8805
Kristy Branch Banks 670-1255
Mark Friedman 670-1253
Ginny Griner 653-8853
Bonnie Gomes 670-8450

Beverly Hewitt 653-9510
Mike Koun 653-2191
Michael Shuler 653-1757
Ouida Tartt 653-4687
Jean Ulrich 653-2900
Kevin Ward 899-0669

New Members

Wilderness Coast Libraries
Welcome Pat Gilleland with Wilderness Coast Libraries who joined our chamber last month. The Wilderness Coast Libraries (WILD) system is a consortium of libraries established in October, 1992, as an administrative office for the cooperative multi-county library system that includes Wakulla, Jefferson, and Franklin counties. The system serves over 58,105 residents with a combined collection of approximately 100,000 items in its four libraries. The library administrative office has the responsibility for the library automation system. WILD is governed by a board consisting of two members from each participating county and their office is located in Monticello. WILD offers many special services that larger libraries offer, like a fully automated database of magazines and newspapers online. They will also offer ebooks for your Kindle or IPad by the end of October. You can download right from your office or your home using your library number! Visit their website athttp://www.wildernesscoast.org or contact them at (850) 997-7400.
Franklin Correctional Facility
Welcome Warden Russell Hosford head of the Franklin County Correctional Facility. Built in 2005, this facility houses up to 1,346 adult males and employs 312 people. The Bay City Work Camp is also under the supervision of Franklin Correctional Facility. Inmates can take part in numerous trade programs including Pipe Trade System Technology (Residential Plumber Helper), Electrical Program (residential electrical helper), and a Culinary Arts Program. They also offer institutional betterment programs including a 100-Hour transition program, 63-hour wellness education program, active and passive sports, a smoking cessation program, a law library program, and inmates can get their GED. The Franklin Correctional Facility is located at 1760 Highway 67 North in Carrabelle. Warden Hosford can be reached at (850) 697-1105

Spring Break Schedule
We posted the 2013 Spring break calendar dates for the 2013 school year on our Website http://www.apalachicolabay.org/index.cfm/pageID/214. Looks like March 10-16 (FSU, Auburn….) will be busy as well as March 17-23 and March 24-31. Easter is on March 31st, 2013. K-12 school breaks will be March 24-30th, in Alabama and Tennessee and the first week in April for Georgia.
Golf Tournament
The 9th annual Apalachicola Bay Chamber Of Commerce Golf Tournament on Wednesday, October 10th. Tee-time is 1:00 pm on the beautiful St. James Golf Course, just east of Carrabelle. The tournament will be a flighted four man scramble, low score wins, with prizes for the top three teams. Scores will be totaled and prizes awarded at a reception following the tournament. Cost per team is $400. Fees include range balls, and golf carts equipped with the latest color GPS system. For more info, contact us at (850) 653-9419 oranita@apalachicolabay.org.
Oyster Roast November 2nd
Love oysters? Of course you do. Join us on November 2nd and eat your fill. We’ll have roasted, raw, stewed and marinated oysters, plus steamed shrimp, salads and fabulous desserts. Tickets are $50.00 each. They are selling fast so call or stop by to purchase yours today at the Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce, 122 Commerce Street in Apalachicola(850) 653-9419.
FaceBook Page
The Apalachicola Bay Chamber has a Facebook page for members to announce specials, sales, new hours, new products, or ask questions and make connections. Restaurants can post their daily specials, retailers can post sales, and businesses can announce openings, employment opportunities. Check it out and friend us it is Apalachicola Chamber http://www.facebook.com/apalachicolabay We also have a Facebook page at
Apalachicola Visitor Center & Chamber of Commerce
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Apalachicola-Visitor-Center-Chamber-of-Commerce/126685957379876
Events
October is so full of event we decide in the interest of space, time and to make sure everyone got full exposure to add a link to our website we have them posted on our website athttp://www.apalachicolabay.org/index.cfm/m/14/locationSectionId/0/Calendar_of_Events
Member News
Strengthen Your Workforce
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Smokers who quit will, on average, live longer and have fewer years living with disability. Smoking causes heart disease, stroke, multiple cancers, respiratory diseases and other costly illnesses. Secondhand smoke causes lung disease and lung cancer. More than 70% of smokers want to quit, but few succeed without help. Smoking Costs Florida $19.6 Billion a Year:
• $4.4 billion in workplace productivity losses
• $7.9 billion in costs of premature death
• $7.3 billion in direct healthcare expenditures
The Franklin Health Department can assist employer in smoking cessation programs. For more information contact David Walker (850) 653 - 2111 ext 119 ordavid_walker@doh.state.fl.us
Flu Vaccines
The Franklin County Health Department will also offer flu vaccines in eight locations in Franklin County throughout October. For more information contact the Franklin County Health Department at (850) 653-2111.
Fall 2012 Job Search Workshop
Gulf Coast State College will hold a Job Search Workshop on Thursday, October 11th,
from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00, noon at the Student Union West, Room 302. Topics included: Resumes that Work; Social Media/Networking for Today’s Job Seeker / presented by Lara Herter, Marketing Consultant and Manager, Pier One Imports; Overcoming Obstacles and Making the Right First Impression / presented by Dr. Saundra Ciccarelli, retired GCSC Psychology Professor; Professional Q&A Panel Discussion / panelists include GCSC Alumni Advisory Council Members and Community Leaders with hiring experience. RESERVATIONS are REQUIRED due to limited seating. Contact the GCSC Office of Alumni Affairs Email:alumni@gulfcoast.edu or call (850) 873-3583.

Directors Column

The Apalachicola Bay Chamber has been working with Loretta Costin at Gulf Coast State College (GCSC), Gulf Franklin Center to create training for oyster harvesters and oyster house workers facing a difficult season. GCSC has already started a corrections training course set to begin in October and they are looking at the feasibility of offering a courses in healthcare- CNA, Home Health Care Aid training, EMS & paramedic training, child care aid, and welding.
Kim Bodine at the Gulf Coast Workforce Board has found funding to help workers expand their skills through training while the bay recuperates, plus pay folks to work at local businesses. If you would be interested in hiring someone, contact us for more informationanita@apalachicolabay.org.
Workshop & B2B Counseling
Christine S. Urban, Business Analyst, MBA from the Small Business Development Center at FAMU will be coming again to the Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce on October 3rd and will be available by appointment for one to one counseling on topics related to opening and managing a small business. She will also present a workshop on Facebook Basics. The session will focus specifically on Facebook. Basic terms will be explained and showcased. Account creation and claiming pages will be discussed, as well as a comparison of good vs. bad Facebook pages and posts. Register for this class at https://clients.floridasbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=100320083and call or email Christine to set up a one to one appointment at 850-561-2041 orChristine.urban@famu.edu.
Anita Grove, Executive Director

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Press
-Scarlett Collier with TOTI Media, Inc was sent images for a story on the area. She writes for Times of the Islands, BONITA & ESTERO, GULF & MAIN, RSW LIVING Regional Southwest Florida’s Lifestyle magazine.\
-Robin Draper blog author of AuthenticFlorida.com wrote another wonderful piece on the area
http://www.authenticflorida.com/blog/travel/islands-on-my-mind/
-Greg Insco with Miles Media was set information on the area for the Visit Florida vacation guides and on the Visit Florida website.
-Marta Aldrich with American Profile magazine was here in late September working on an article about oysters.
Got Ideas? Suggestions?
How can the Apalachicola Bay Chamber better serve you? Is there something that we can do better to help your business?  Is there something you would like to see us add or change on the website, at the visitor’s center or in the visitors’ guide?  Ideas are always welcome.  Feel free to call or email us with your ideas atinfo@apalachicolabay.org.
Volunteers Needed 
The Apalachicola Bay Chamber Visitor Center seeks volunteers to help at the visitors center and with special projects.  Duties include giving our visitor information, answering questions about places to stay, restaurants and things to do.  If you would like to help, we’d love to have you.  It can be a fun and rewarding.  Contact us for details (850) 653-9419 or email us at info@apalachicolabay.org




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