Chamber calendar

Monday, August 20: Executive Committee, chamber, 8 a.m.

Monday, August 20: Chillicothe Chiropractic & Wellness Center ribbon cutting, 190 N. Bridge St., 10 a.m.

Thursday, August 23: Board of Directors, Traditions of Chillicothe, noon.

Saturday, Sept. 1: Chillicothe Day at the Ohio University opening football game in Athens versus Gardner-Webb, 7 p.m.; free and half-price tickets available; Ticket order form.

Thursday, Sept. 6: Community Development and Advocacy Committee, chamber, 4 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 11: Membership and Events Committee, chamber, 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday, Sept 12: Advantage Data Systems ribbon cutting, 33 North Plaza Boulevard, 10 a.m.

Thursday, Sept. 13: Candidates and Issue Night: Mayoral debate and presentations by other candidates; Ross County Service Center, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 19: Business After Business, Advantage Data Systems, 33 N. Plaza Boulevard, 5-7 p.m., BAB registration

Wednesday, November 21: Annual combined Business Expo and Business After Business, Shoemaker Convocation Center, Ohio University-Chillicothe, 5-8 p.m., registrations to be taken shortly.

What's happening this weekend? Check out the community events calendar.

Click above to go to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce site for small business

Check out photos from chamber events at any time by going to www.chillicothe-chamber.smugmug.com.

For previous newsletter editions, click here

You are receiving this newsletter as a benefit of your membership in the chamber. If you wish not to receive it, please reply to mjones@chillicotheohio.com and write "Unsubscribe" in the subject.

Copyright 2007

Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce
45 E. Main St.
Chillicothe, OH 45601
740-702-2722

The dedication ceremony Sunday marks the start of a new era for the Chillicothe City Schools system. It marks the end of the construction phases that transformed the former high school into a combined campus for both high and middle school students.

The ceremony that begins at 2 p.m. in the Hatton Memorial Gymnasium signals the end of $34 million in construction that saw 255,988 square feet either renovated or added to the original structure that opened in the early 1960s on Yoctangee Parkway. Following the ceremony, tours of both structures will be available.

The quarter-mile long campus, on the site of the former Ohio-Erie Canal, features three competitive gymnasiums and shared spaces for the cafeteria, auditorium and band rooms. All rooms have the latest audio-visual equipment and science labs that sport modern equipment.

MCDONALD’S CELEBRATES 35 YEARS IN CHILLICOTHE: It was this month back in 1972 that Ron Fewster opened his first McDonald’s Restaurant at Bridge and Second streets. To celebrate, an open house is planned in the original franchise from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday (Aug. 21). In addition to Fewster, the celebration also will include Dave Reese who was with the owner on the original crew when the store opened.

MANDATORY SICK LEAVE PETITION CIRCULATING: The “Ohioans for Healthy Families” group hopes to collect 120,683 signatures to present to the Ohio General Assembly, requiring it to approve a state law mandating employers provide 7 days of paid sick leave to all employees. If the legislature would fail to act, the group could collect more signatures and have the issue placed on the ballot in November 2008. The Service Employees International Union is the primary sponsor of the petition that would affect businesses with more than 25 employees. According to the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants and Affiliates, the proposal lacks some specifics, such as whether unused sick leave would have to be paid out when an employee terminates or how it would affect employers who have paid time off (PTO) policies that combine vacation, personal and sick days.

CVB’S NEW WEBSITE LAUNCHES MONDAY: Westside Media, a chamber member, has been working for months to develop the new website for the Ross-Chillicothe Convention and Visitors Bureau to be unveiled Monday. The site was a part of an overall branding campaign by the bureau that includes this logo and tagline. The site will be easier to navigate and will allow tourists and visitors to purchase packages that could include tickets to our local attractions and lodging reservations. The new site: www.visitchillicotheohio.com.

GREAT LIBRARY AUCTION SATURDAY: A signed first edition of the “Da Vinci Code”, a sapphire and diamond pendant from EM Smith Jewelers, a whole hog from Rick Edler Farm and a framed tile from Dard Hunter Studios are some of the items going up for auction Saturday at 2:30 at the Chillicothe and Ross County Public Library at Paint and Sixth streets. Proceeds from the auction will be used to promote passage of the library’s bond issue on the November ballot. In the event of inclement weather, the auction will be held in the former Central School.

BRIDGE STREET ALIVE WITH CONSTRUCTION: Within a half mile of each other, three major construction projects are under way on North Bridge Street:

• A multi-tenant structure is going up on one of the outlots in front of Sam’s Club. An ethnic restaurant is rumored to be going in one of the spots, but no word on the others.
• Olive Garden is beginning to take shape at the northeast corner of the Seney Road intersection. The design apparently is the same as the one off Stringtown Road in Grove City.
• Aldi’s grocery will have a steel frame as it goes up across from Tire Discounters. Work also is being done to contain the embankment to the east of the structure.

CANDIDATES AND ISSUE NIGHT SET FOR SEPT. 13: Candidates for Chillicothe City Council, law director and Municipal Court judge will introduce themselves and their platforms followed by a debate by the mayoral candidates at the chamber-sponsored event that’s open to the public and media. The event kicks off at 7 p.m. in the Ross County Service Center.

DONATION TO HELP PROVIDE TRAINING: A $25,000 corporate donation from USEC to Ohio University-Chillicothe is for “the wonderful support that OU-C is currently providing in developing training programs for centrifuge program job candidates,” according to Dan Rogers, director of USEC’s American Centrifuge Plant. Rogers presented the check recently to OU-C Dean Richard Bebee.

WAGE INCREASES TO STAY FLAT, MINIMUM JUMPING: According to WorldatWork, an association of human resource professionals, pay increases in 2008 will average 3.9 percent, or about the same as the average anticipated for this year. The report in USA Today this week also noted that many companies are keeping salary increases low, but moving toward bigger bonuses. For your budgeting purposes for 2008, Ohio’s minimum wage would go to about $7.01 from the current $6.85, based on the current inflation rate of 2.4 percent. The federal minimum wage of $5.85 goes to $6.55 in July 2008 and $7.25 in July 2009.

ADENA HOSTING GARDEN TASTING: Samples of items from the gardens of the Adena Mansion and Gardens are available for tasting Saturday from 9:30 to 5. Tomatoes, melons and other items are on the menu.

INFORMATIONAL SEMINAR SET BY UNIVERSITY: Ohio Dominican University is having a free continental breakfast at its informational seminar at the River View Conference Center on Saturday, Aug. 25 to highlight its associate of science in business degree program that starts in Chillicothe this fall. Reservations are available by calling John Tongol at 614-337-8370 Ext. 29 or Timika Randle at Ext. 13.

LAST DAY TO GET FREE TICKETS: Free tickets to Chillicothe Day on Saturday, Sept. 1 at the home opener of Ohio University’s football team are still available, but you need to make your reservation now. More than 100 are expected to be seated in a special section at Peden Stadium in Athens for the 7 p.m. game with Gardner-Webb. Click here to bring up the form that can be faxed: Bobcat tickets.

BAB WAS A PREVIEW: Wednesday’s Business After Business proved to be a great preview for this year’s Chili-Fest by the Chillicothe Social Society. That event is set for Saturday, Sept. 29. The BAB, co-sponsored by Security Engineering, attracted about 115 to the Majestic Theatre courtyard on East Second Street and featured a taste of the winning recipe from last year either on its own or on a hot dog. Next month’s BAB is set for Advantage Data Systems on North Plaza Boulevard off North Bridge Street on Wednesday, Sept. 19. Click here to check out more photos from the BAB and all other chamber events for the year: Event photos. And don’t forget that you can order prints of your favorites in almost any size and photo merchandise (mouse pads, mugs, aprons, etc.) when you visit the site.

NEWEST MEMBER: Here’s who joined the chamber recently:

• Curves of Chillicothe at 20 Executive Center Drive and 100 Pawnee Road, by Karen Patterson, 773-1313.

BUILDING PERMITS: Here’s who’s received commercial building permits recently from the Ross County and Chillicothe Building Departments:

• Pickaway-Ross Career and Technology Center, 895 Crouse Chapel Road, fire suppression hood, value $8,400.
• Kenworth Truck Company, 65 Kenworth Drive, new exterior dock addition, $307,000.
• Union-Scioto Schools, 131 Moundsville Road, install scoreboard, $10,000.
• Hallsville Church, 8585 Ohio 180, install exterior lighting, $5,000.
• Schooley Station Industrial Park, 1410 Lancaster Road, electrical services, $19,000.
• Chillicothe Baptist Church, 14100 Ohio 104, storage building, $14,373.
• City of Chillicothe, Yoctangee Park shelter, $30,000.
• Tabernacle Baptist Church, 221 E. Main St., façade replacement, $115,000.
• Chillicothe City Schools, Worthington Elementary, alterations, $15,000.
• JSW Chillicothe, 150 E. Main St., roof replacement, $25,950.
• Chiropractic Consultants, 192 N. Bridge St., signs, $2,500.
• Mike Tissot, 1653 N. Bridge St., renovations, no value given.
• Ross County commissioners, 150 E. Second St., fire alarm system, $7,574.
• Justin Ward, 154 N. Bridge St., alterations, $15,000.
• Minute Man Pizza, 30 E. Main St., alterations, $17,000.
• Wal-Mart, 75 River Trace Lane, pizza case project, $10,000.

VENDORS LICENSES: Here’s who’s received licenses recently from the Ross County Auditor:

• JEN/ALA, 5851 U.S. 23, by Jennifer Oaks.