WELCOME CENTER BECOMES REALITY SOON: Main Street Chillicothe will have a true Welcome Center come March 14 when the Ross-Chillicothe Convention and Visitors Bureau takes up operations in the new chamber-owned building at 45 E. Main St. The bureau and its three employees make the move a week from today and will be open for business the whole time. The bureau, now about two doors to the west, will staff the front reception area (with help from the chamber as needed) and will have two offices flanking the conference room. The chamber will have the front space on the east side of the building. The Chillicothe-Ross Community Foundation has an office in the rear. The parking area in the back will be relined to allow for up to 15 vehicles for our guests and visitors. An awning on the front is on order and should be erected within two weeks. The mural above (designed and installed by member AMA Sign Company of America) adorns the back wall of our reception area and can be seen through the front windows, giving guests and visitors a feel for our area.

HE'LL BE MISSED: After nine years that presented him with challenges he probably never dreamed could be possible, Chillicothe City Schools Treasurer Stacy Overly has decided to become the treasurer at the Teays Valley district in Pickaway County in July. "I have mixed emotions about leaving the district," he said in a news release. "Chillicothe has great pride and tradition and I am confident the district will recover from its recent financial difficulties." We thank him for his great service to Chillicothe and wish him and his family well.

NAME SAYS IT ALL: NewPage from this point forward is how we will refer to the paper mill that has been in town for more than 100 years. The new name was announced this morning by MeadWestvaco which is divesting itself of the papers division. The name won't be used officially until the sale to Cerberus Capital Management is final by the end of June. The "New" refers to all that is new in launching the new company: a new beginning, a new attitude, a new commitment to the business, new opportunities, and new solutions for the needs of customers. "Page" represents the fact that paper will be THE core business, and that NewPage will operate as a focused and independent corporation - solely dedicated to bringing the best in coated and carbonless papers to its customers," according to a press release.

FURNITURE GONE IN A FLASH: Within two hours, all of the furniture and equipment for sale at the chamber was sold. Thank you to those who responded quickly and we apologize to those who didn't get their email message on the sale until too late. With such a turnout, we might just try our own version of eBay next.

SPOT THOSE HAZARDS: Marsha Bevins, a co-chairman of the Ross County Safety Council, will lead next Thursday's discussion on the recognition of hazards at the monthly luncheon at the Chillicothe Country Club. She's a 25-year veteran of safety and coordinates that department for Mill's Pride in Pike County. Safety Council luncheon registration

PHOTOS NOW ONLINE: More than 30 photos from last week's Business After Business are now available from the main BAB site on our website. Or just click here to get straight to them: February BAB photos. This month's BAB is at Goodwill Industries on East Main Street and it's not too early to sign up: BAB registration And for those of you who dabble in online galleries or just need a good photo editor, check out the free program from Google: Picasa 2

COMPANIES FORM MARKETING ALLIANCE: Value Added Business Services, which operates the local Mourning's Office Supply, is joining with Southern Ohio Communication Services to share offices and staff. The agreement allows for a reduction of overhead and increases the number of sales people for both. The agreement includes offices also in Jackson, Waverly and Portsmouth.

JOB FAIR SPACE AVAILABLE: The 16th Annual South Central Ohio Employer Expo and Job/Information Fair is still taking reservations for space at its March 23 event at Ohio University-Chillicothe's Shoemaker Center. The event is sponsored by the Ross County Veterans Council, OU-C, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and the Workforce Investment Network. To reserve space, give Lynette Reed a call here at the chamber at 702-2722 or email her at lreed@chillicotheohio.com.

YARD SALE TO BENEFIT PROGRAM: Triple Crown Sports is sponsoring an Inside Yard Sale Saturday, March 26 in which spaces rent for $20. Proceeds go to Academic Athletic Achievement. The event runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call Chrissy at 773-7529 for details.

JAYCEES' SCRAMBLE ON SATURDAY: The Frozen Tundra Golf Tournament gets golf action started this season at the Jaycee Golf Course. There's a shotgun start at 10 and teams can only use 4 clubs (driver, 5-iron, wedge, putter) in a continuous rotation. The $25 per person fee includes skill prizes and lunch. Call 775-7659.

OU-C NUMBERS LOOK GOOD: From a preliminary head count at the end of January, the local OU campus had the largest increase from the previous year of any OU campus, including the main one in Athens. And with 1,823 students (234 more than in 2004), it's the largest regional campus of the five in the OU system.

MAILING LABELS A GREAT BENEFIT: Maybe one of the most underutilized benefits of chamber membership is access to all 590 members. Each member is entitled to receive one set of mailing labels per year as part of your membership. Additional sets are $30 each. The labels can come in the form of peel-and-stick or as an Excel file. Either way, you decide who would receive your direct mailing. To inquire, give us a call at 702-2722.