WEEKLY UPDATE FROM THE GREATER CLINTON-AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE/BY DAVID LEE-DIRECTOR: 1/27/23

YOUR Chamber of Commerce is here for you:

660-885-8166

david@clintonmo.com

joyce@clintonmo.com

mark@clintonmo.com

200 South Main Street

M-F 8am-4:30pm

www.clintonmo.com

Facebook/Greater Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce

On a personal note, I attended the memorial service for Jerry Hughes at UCM on Thursday afternoon.  He graduated from UCM in 1971 and 1979 and was the Athletics Director at UCM from Jan. of 1983 until his passing this past Sat., Jan. 21st.  My love for UCM athletics began in the fall of 1983 when I was a freshman at UCM (CMSU for us old folks).  Jerry will be missed by a large number of people at UCM, the MIAA Conference, Division II athletics and of course, family and friends.

Next week, you will have the chance to buy a new Olde Glory Days banner that will be hung up this May through July 4th around the square and/or up and down 2nd and Ohio streets. We are hoping these banners last five years or more. Watch for that information on this Facebook page. It will be first come/first served at that time (2/1/23). Since last summer, the Chamber has delivered the old banners that were taken down after Olde Glory Days to those that purchased them and they are now theirs to keep. Those banners were purchased back in 2009. We still have some old banners with names on them we would like to get to the rightful owner. If you see your name or someone you know and can get a banner to them, stop by the Chamber (200 South Main St.) M-F from 8am till 4:30pm and pickup that banner. It’s free!

Atomic Hog BBQ

Bonnie and Gordon Glass

Brad and Deanna Hendrich

Chance and Erica Barnhart

Dr. Aften and Chad Anderson

In Memory of Trevor Davis

John Hill

Kristene Brock

Roger and Cathy Swanagon

Steward Excavating

Stunz Excavating

The Holidays have come and gone once again, and the Chamber Banquet is done for another year.  Now that we’ve opened the presents, brought in the New Year and celebrated Clinton at our Banquet, the next thing to think about it is…Olde Glory Days 2023!  This year, Olde Glory Days is celebrating its 30th birthday.  As part of that celebration, the OGD Committee and the Chamber Ambassadors Committee is selling new banners that will be displayed around the Downtown Square and on Second and Ohio streets from May through the 4th of July.  The banners we have used for 10+ years are torn and falling apart so we will not use them again.  Look for this banner campaign to kick off on Feb. 1st.

Last Friday after I had sent out my weekly report, Joyce and I met with Carrie and Kylie with the non-profit Center for Human Services.  This summer work experience program helps incoming CHS Juniors and Seniors develop their skills to overcome physical, mental and financial challenges.  Much more about this program and how they can be a tremendous asset to our employers will be coming soon.

On Tuesday of this week, some members of our tourism committee met with Luke from Warsaw Adventures.  It looks like we may be bringing two forms of fun transportation to Clinton and Truman Lake.  More details on this should be coming in less than two months and we will keep you up-to-date.

On Tuesday of this week, Clinton Main Street and its Director, Amanda Johnson, joined efforts with Missouri Main Street Connection to visit State Representative Jim Kalberloh to share their local revitalization successes, as well as their goals. It was a great day, according to Johnson on Facebook.

The Clinton Chamber of Commerce would like to remind you that you can always find job openings on our Facebook page. When we receive job openings from our Chamber members, we post those openings on our Facebook page. If you are not a Chamber member, we can still post your openings on our Facebook page for $25.00.  Here’s what we need our Chamber members to do: Send us your job openings. We can put those on our Facebook page.  If you have any job openings now, or if you’re just looking to add potential employees to your list, please email that info to david@clintonmo.com or joyce@clintonmo.com.  If you have any questions at all, email us or call 660-885-8166.

Is it time to become a member of the Greater Clinton-Area Chamber of Commerce for 2023?  Well, of course it is!  Businesses, couples, individuals, ANYONE can be a member of the Chamber.  Call us at the Depot or email and we will tell you what you get and more just for belonging to the Clinton Chamber of Commerce.

To our businesses;  You can be ‘Featured’, BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA.  READ MORE HERE:   You want your business to be featured but you don’t want to be recorded.  We can do that with pictures and a story.  The Clinton Chamber this year is continuing our ‘Featured with David Lee’ program.  If you are a Chamber member, you could be ‘Featured’.  We record videos and try to fill the Chamber’s Facebook page with those videos of our Chamber members.  The videos feature business owners, managers and others getting the message out to the public.  The Facebook posts include the interview and photos of area businesses.  Once a week for a month, the ‘Feature’ is brought back to the top of our Facebook page.  After a month, of course it will still be on our Facebook page.  HOWEVER, we realize not everyone is comfortable in front of a camera being interviewed.  So, I can come to your business, take some pictures and you can tell me what you would like the Chamber to say about your business and we’ll include that info along with the photos.  We will post these photos along with your information on the Chamber’s Facebook page and update it on our page once a week for a month.  So contact us at 660-885-8166 or email david@clintonmo.com.   We are also still recording the videos as well if you would like to do that.  It’s just another service of your Clinton Chamber of Commerce.

Don’t forget, if you’re a business owner and belong to the Chamber, be sure to update those Facebook pages so we can share your information on the Chamber’s Facebook page.  Be sure to like us on Facebook: Greater Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce or check out www.clintonmo.com.

We get about three or four inquires each week from the public about places to rent in Clinton.  We do have a list of landlords we give to them or email.  If you have houses or apartments to rent, make sure the Chamber knows about it so you will be on the list.

We have several committees here at the Clinton Chamber and volunteers are always welcomed.  Our committees include Academic Affairs, Agriculture, Ambassadors, Military Affairs, Olde Glory Days and Tourism.  If you would like to get involved in helping to move Clinton forward, just call, email, stop by or if you see me out and about…let’s visit!

We continue to send out our weekly newsletter to our Chamber members.  Here at the Clinton Chamber, we want to keep our members more up-to-date on what we are doing for them, activities and events that are coming up and any other information we need to relay in a timely matter.

From RE/MAX Truman Lake:  We started a new project in 2022. For each closing, agents put back a portion of their earnings to be donated to our community. Those funds were then randomly dispersed every other month to different organizations or charities in the Truman Lake area.  We are proud to announce in 2022, your RE/MAX Truman Lake agents donated over $5,000 to 6 different local organizations! None of this would have been possible without our clients trusting us to guide them in the home buying and selling process! When we win, our community wins!  But we need your help! Do you know of a local organization or charity that could benefit from a donation? Please tell us about them! We are looking to expand our ever-growing list!

From Bright Futures Clinton:  KEEP THEM COMING   Since 2014, Bright Futures Clinton has been making a difference in the lives of Clinton School District students.  We have been able to meet HUNDREDS of needs through the Bright Futures Clinton Facebook page. We are currently up to 1,500+ likes, but would love to have even more. The more likes and followers we have, the more needs we can meet!  If you haven’t, please head over to the Bright Futures Clinton page and do the following:

⭐Like our page

⭐Share our page to your page

⭐Follow our page by clicking the three buttons in the top right corner of the page

The first-ever disc golf tournament sponsored by the Clinton Tourism Association will take place June 24th at the 18-hole course in Artesian Park. Details on the 1st Annual Olde Glory Days Open, to Open Olde Glory Days will be coming up soon.

The Missouri TAP for Telephone program is designed to provide a full range of adaptive equipment to meet the needs of individuals with all types of disabilities. TAP provides adaptive equipment and technology includes voice carry over phones, phones for hearing carry over, signaling devices, amplified phones, and hands-free phones. WILS TAP is a certified demonstration site and has certified TAP agents who will demonstrate the phones for your specific needs and ensure the TAP phone will meet your communication goal.  Learn more at: https://w-ils.org/…/telecommunications-access-program-tap/

Missouri State Parks  We are very excited to have the Katy Trail nominated yet again for USA TODAY 10Best recreation trail in the nation, but we need your help! Last year we came so close!  Visit https://www.10best.com/…/best…/katy-trail-missouri/ to cast your vote! Limit one (1) vote per person, per category, per day. Voting ends Feb. 6.  The Katy Trail is the longest developed rail-trail in the country. It attracts people of all ages and interests. Whether you are a bicyclist, walker, equestrian, nature lover or history buff, the trail offers opportunities for recreation, a place to enjoy nature and an avenue to discover the past. Let’s make the Katy Trail #1! 

BIG BROTHERS/BIG SISTERS OF HENRY COUNTY PRESENTS:  Clinton Historic Half Marathon & 5k  All proceeds go to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Henry County.  HISTORIC LANDMARKS  Anheuser-Busch Building, Artesian Park, and the Historic Downtown Clinton Square.​​  All runners will receive a commemorative t-shirt.  FINISHER’S MEDAL  A keepsake to remind you of your accomplishment and contribution.  Cash prizes, age awards, and other swag will be given away.  TWO RACES  Half marathon and 5K.  ANNOUNCEMENTS!!  NEW DATE: June 17, 2023  With warmer temps, we will start earlier at 7:00 am and allow 4 hours to finish. 5k will start at 7:30 am.  NEW THEME: Clinton Cardinals  Our theme this year will focus on our local high school and the cardinal logos used over the years. We will have 2 different medals for the half and the 5k for the first time, each having a different cardinal logo. Our t-shirt will include all logos used in the past. In the attached picture, you will find this year’s half marathon medal. 5k and t-shirt logos to be revealed later.

“Recycling Initiative Grant Applications” are now available through the Quad-Lakes Solid Waste Management District (QLSWMD). These grants are to assist with start-up and/or education. Local governments, businesses, industries, schools, and/or individuals, within the QLSWMD six-county area, are invited to submit an application for these funds. The Counties included in the QLSWMD are Bates, Benton, Cedar, Henry, Hickory, and St. Clair. Approximately $50,00.00 is available for the FY 2024 grant cycle. The application may be obtained online at www.kaysinger.com, under “Projects and Programs- Quad-Lakes Solid Waste Management District”. For more information, contact Teresa Heckenlively at theckenlively@kaysinger.com or (660) 885-3393. One original and three copies must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. on March 9, 2023 by the KBRPC office.