Newsletter June 2008
Page 1
Upcoming Events
May 31, 2008 Blessing of the Bikes at Highland View Church of God
June 5, 2008 Business Before Hours sponsored by Dockside Café with program by United Way of Northwest Florida
June 25, 2008 Networking at Noon
July 4, 2008 Independence on the Coast
What’s Inside…
Letter from the Executive Director
New Members
Renewing Members
United Way of NW Florida
Chamber Events
Happenings
ACS Relay for Life
From The Pulpit – Rev. David Nichols, Beach Baptist Chapel
Real Estate Sales Picking Up
New Theatre Comes to Wewahitchka
Chamber Members Win Torch Awards
Lady Gators Win Second State Title
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A Breath of Salt Air
A talented volunteer committee, led by Amber Davis, and supported by your Chamber and other groups are working hard to make the Salt Air Farmers Market a unique and successful event in downtown Port St. Joe. Held the first and third Saturday of each month through November, the Market offers fresh seasonal vegetables, local seafood, arts, crafts, music, and cooking demonstrations. The event is designed to attract local residents, visitors from nearby communities and tourist to the Market as a starting point, and as an introduction to the downtown retail shopping area. Studies show that these types of events can increase business for area merchants. I hope that local retailers will participate and take advantage of this event, and look for creative ways to attract these shoppers to their place of business.
Your Chamber is in the planning stages for the Annual Scallop Festival. We have selected a permanent date for the event. It will be held on the First Saturday of August each year. The idea is to help create a weekend of economic impact for our local area businesses between the 4th of July and Labor Day weekend. By holding the event before schools start, we hope to enhance tourist participation.
We recently lost an icon in our local community. William J. (Billy Joe) Rish, our most recent recipient of the Chamber’s Lifetime Achievement Award, was a friend and counselor to many in our business community, and beyond. We take a moment to reflect on what he meant to the history of this town, and how we can benefit from his many lessons as we move forward.
Ralph C. Roberson, CPA
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New
We are pleased to announce a new opportunity for you to participate in a fun lunch time networking experience! This will happen on the Fourth Wednesday of each month! We encourage you to participate in order to promote your business to other chamber members. The more members know about your business and what you have to offer to our community the more they will shop with you and tell others about your business!
We will meet at different locations (our member restaurants) on a monthly basis. Our first Networking at Noon will be held at Dockside Café in order to take advantage of the nice bay breeze and cooler temperatures. We thank Rick at Dockside Café for working with us on this first lunch to help you get in and out in one hour.
Our program will allow time for Chamber announcements and introductions of new members. Members will have the opportunity to share any business news and introduce new employees, products or services that other members need to know about.
We will have a short program for you each month. We would like to ask guest speakers that are of interest to you therefore we encourage you to send us suggestions of those you would like to hear from in the future.
I want to thank our President Ralph Roberson for his assistance in beginning this luncheon opportunity for our members! Not only does he make suggestions; he then takes an active role to contribute to the success of the program.
About networking one internet source says this: The purpose of business networking is to increase business revenue - one way or another. The thickening of the bottom line can be immediately apparent, as in developing a relationship with a new client, or develop over time, as in learning a new business skill.
The best business networking groups operate as exchanges of business information, ideas, and support. The most important skill for effective business networking is listening; focusing on how you can help the person you are listening to rather than on how he or she can help you is the first step to establishing a mutually beneficial relationship. Source: Ann Ward, Small Business Canada.
If you have questions or suggestions - please call me at 227-1223 or talk to any Board member. This Board is most willing to pitch in and work – which is great! They are available to listen to you and are open to suggestions that will help us improve. Our goal is to constantly offer opportunities for you to help your business grow!
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New Members
Fisherman’s Landing & RV Park
Helen Muncher, Manager
7681 Doc Whitfield Road
Wewahitchka, FL 32465
Phone: 850-827-2255
Fax: 850-827-2255
www.fishermanslandingrvpark.com
Suncoast Nursery & Supply
Nadine Lee, Owner
2890 West Hwy. 98
Port St. Joe, FL 32456
Phone: 850-227-3268
Fax: 850-227-3268
WMBB News 13
Jonathan Hayes, Account Executive
613 Harrison Avenue
Panama City, FL 32401
Phone: 850-767-2313
Fax: 850-769-8231
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Renewing Members
Bailey, Bishop and Lane
Burger King
Business Matters Journal
Buy Rite Drugs - Wewahitchka
Coast2Coast Printing and Promotions
Current Solutions of the Gulf Coast
Doghouse Charters
Emerald Coast Hospice
Emerson Cooling and Heating
Gulf Coast Datacom
Images by Anitra
Indian Pass Raw Bar
Malia’s School of Hula and Native American Dancing
Needles and Thread
Personnel Resources of Northwest Florida
Pioneer Telephone Directories Corp.
Pristine Properties Vacation Rentals
Reeve’s Furniture and Refinishing Shoppe
Tipton, Marler, Garner & Chastain, The CPA Group
Tyndall Federal Credit Union
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IN REMEMBRANCE
Our most heartfelt condolences to the Family of
Mr. Billy Joe Rish
The Chamber and the Community lost one of our most valued citizens! Mr. Billy Joe was always willing to share ideas with us. If he thought it would help us – he would call to make suggestions. He was a long standing member of the Chamber who contributed to the community in so many ways. He will be sorely missed!
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Congratulations to the Graduating Seniors of Port St. Joe High School, Wewahitchka High School and Faith Christian School.
Throughout the years, many of you have volunteered in various events in our area and we thank you for your past service and interest in building community pride. It is our hope that you will benefit from this in your future endeavors and continue to make important contributions as you embark on life’s great journey!
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United Way of NW Florida Funds Distribution Information
The Gulf County United Way Executive Team would like to share with the community the following funds distribution information. It is very important to show the citizens of Gulf County that their donations are working and making a difference in their community! These funds were made possible by donations from local businesses and their associates through their successful workplace giving campaigns, concerned citizens and charitable state and federal campaigns. Over $43,000 was raised for Gulf County and dispersed to the 21 designated non-profit agencies that assist the citizens of Gulf County!! THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Gulf County ARC/Transportation $15,618.00
Gulf County Senior Citizens $12,436.00
North Florida Child Development $3,445.00
Life Management Center of NWFL, Inc. $2,824.00
American Red Cross $2,456.00
Bay, Franklin, Gulf Healthy Start Coalition $1.421.00
Covenant Hospice $1,403.00
Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center $1,103.00
Catholic Charities $568.00
Gulf County Community Development $395.00
Boy Scouts, Gulf Coast Council $335.00
Salvation Army $333.00
Girl Scouts of the Apalachee Bend $252.00
Children’s Home Society $234.00
Epilepsy Association of the Big Bend $225.00
Chemical Addictions Recovery Effort $212.00
Salvation Army Domestic Violence $197.00
America’s Second Harvest $98.00
Early Education & Care $61.00
Family Service Agency $41.00
Basic of NWFL. Inc $24.00
Total Funds Distribution $ 43,681.00
Special Recognition:
Arizona Chemical: 1. Highest Total Gift Per Capita Giving, 50-99 Employees
2. Largest New Campaign, $11,343.00
Largest Florida State Employee’s Charitable Campaign
Gulf County Correctional Institution: 1. Top 15 Accounts
2. Highest Per Capita Giving, 500+ Employees
Gulf County Health Department: Top 15 Accounts
Top Workplace Giving Campaign Non-profit Agency: Gulf County Senior Citizens
Chairperson: Sandra Chafin, Executive Director, Gulf County Chamber of Commerce
Billy Williams, Gulf County Commissioner
Don Butler, Gulf County Chief Administrator
Hiram Nix, Bayside Saving Bank
Billy Joe Smiley, Port Realty
Gerry Gaskin, Vision Bank
Bill Byrd, Concerned Citizen
Ron Isbell, The Star
Dockside Café will be sponsoring a Gulf County Chamber “Business Before Hours” on Thursday, June 5th from 8am till 9am eastern with United Way of Northwest Florida as the program!! During this time, United Way will have the opportunity to recognize our top performing business campaigns BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, show the community where your donation dollars are going!!
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Chamber Events
Special Thanks to Petals by the Bay and Expressions from the Heart Florist and Gift Shop for kindly donating the bows used for Ribbon Cuttings and Grand Openings.
Photos Courtesy: John Parker, Lynn Marshall, Lorinda Gingell, Sonny Chafin, Cynde Aaron
Fish’n Xpress Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting
The Tupelo Theatre Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting
Page 4
Happenings
Derby Days
The Great Plein Air Paint-out
Student Art Day – Apalachicola
Archaeology Day
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Port St. Joe Relay for Life
The Port St. Joe Relay for Life Committee would like to extend their thanks to the following companies for their support and sponsorship of the 2008 event:
FairPoint Communications
St. Joe Company
Preble-Rish Inc.
Progress Energy Florida
Cathey Construction and Development
Port St. Joe Lions Club
Beach Realty of Cape San Blas
Gulf County School Board
Yesco Scaffolding
We would also like to thank all the teams for their tremendous work – we raised over $31,000 for the fight against cancer! These funds will be used for research, advocacy, education and services including Man to Man (education and support for men and their families coping with prostate cancer), Reach to Recovery (assistance for women dealing with the emotional and physical effects of breast cancer), I Can Cope (series of educational classes for people with cancer, their families and friends), Look Good Feel Better (helps cancer patients regain confidence and emotional balance following the physical changes that can occur as a result of cancer treatment), R.O.C.K. (Reaching Out to Cancer Kids), R.O.C.K. Camp, College Scholarship Program (open to all college-age Florida residents diagnosed with cancer before the age of 21). For more information on any of these services and more, please call the Bay Area Unit of the American Cancer Society at (850)785-9205. 
The team that raised the most money was Port St. Joe Elementary School and the best decorated campsite belonged to the team from the VFW. A wrap-up party will be held at Beach Realty, Reid Avenue on Friday, June 6th, at 7pm ET.
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From the Pulpit
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
There is an old saying that goes something like this," April showers bring May flowers". How very true. The deeper meaning in this is that of the principle of "cause and effect".
The Holy Bible is filled with the promises of God that have built into so many of them this same principle. For example," For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life"(John 3:16). So God's love brought us the gift of His Son and our faith in Jesus provides us with everlasting life; cause and effect.
Whenever we stop to think about this we begin to see that every element of our lives has this principle at work. In essence, we reap what we sow. One day God woke me up to this truth and what an awakening it has been. I began to think prayerfully about my actions and the possible outcomes.
In fact, there may be someone reading this today that has become very dissatisfied with they're life. Well, remember that God has written you a love letter (The Holy Bible) and in its pages are God's Word for a blessed life. The key then becomes to dig into this goldmine of truth and begin to live the way God instructs us to live. Our obedience to God are those (April showers) that brings forth God's blessings (May flowers).
This world has a diversity of ideas, philosophies, religions, opinions, doctrines, and practices. Yet there is only one truth. That truth is found in Christ. Christ teaches us His truth from the Word of God. It is right there for us all. The real issue is," What will we do with the priceless treasure God has given to us"?
Someone once said," If you keep on doing what you have been doing you will keep on getting what you have been getting". If your life is full of weeds and your ready for the flowers God has the answer for you in His Word. Trust and Obey, for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. It is an honor to be your pastor. Call me if I can be of service.
God Bless You Beloved
Brother David and Carol
Beach Baptist Chapel - "A Lighthouse Unto the Lord"
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Real Estate Sales Picking Up
If activity is a gauge of things to come we have a lot to look forward to. Repeat customer activity is up, investors are coming in looking for great deals, and web traffic is way up. In talking with other Realtors, activity is up which indicates to us the time to buy is here. There are many indications we may have reached the bottom - Interests rates are at historic lows, property taxes are being addressed, private flood insurance rates have gone down, and home owners insurance is being addressed. Even the negative impact of foreclosures and short sales can be turned into a positive when buyer’s can invest in a property at or near 2004 prices.
For example, residential home sales on Cape San Blas and the surrounding area have doubled compared to this same time last year. While we are nowhere near the 2005 first quarter sales this is a significant improvement over recent times.
Here are some quotes from the Florida Association of Realtors (FAR) on the current market: “Florida Realtors statewide reported slight gains in existing home and condominium sales from February to March 2008, according to FAR's latest housing statistics. A total of 9,142 existing single-family homes changed hands in March, a 10 percent increase over the previous month. Statewide existing condo sales totaled 3,145 in March, up 13.7 percent compared to February's sales.”
Quotes from
Quotes from the National Association of Realtors (NAR):
· The combined total of vacation- and investment-home sales declined with the overall market in 2007, but still accounted for 33 percent of all existing- and new-home sales, which is close to historic norms, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR).”
· Sales of existing homes increased in February and remain within a fairly stable range, according to the National Association of Realtors®.
· Existing-home sales – including single-family, town homes, condominiums and co-ops – rose 2.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.03 million units in February from a pace of 4.89 million in January,
· Total housing inventory fell 3.0 percent at the end of February to 4.03 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 9.6-month supply at the current sales pace, down from a 10.2-month supply in January.
· Single-family home sales increased 2.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.47 million in February from an upwardly revised 4.35 million in January.
Quote from Realty Times: “The Realtor Association of Greater Fort Myers, for instance, reports an 85-percent surge in pending single-family home sales in its area during the past 10 weeks. Meanwhile, pending sales jumped 65 percent in February from January in
If the last couple of months are any indication, it appears that the Real Estate Market has hit bottom and the future will be bright for the coastal
Ron Baumgardner, Realtor®
Beach Realty of Cape San Blas
Page 7
New Theatre Comes To Town
It’s been several decades since Wewahitchka last had a theater, but beginning in May a new generation of locals can attend plays, movies, and a variety of other cultural activities without ever having to leave the city limits.
Michael Lister’s Direct Effect Project and Pottersville Players are in the process of establishing The Tupelo Theatre, an art and cultural center in downtown Wewahitchka. The Tupelo Theatre and Cultural Center will bring plays, concerts, workshops, films, classes, and other artistic and cultural activities to an area that desperately needs them.
"This is a dream come true for me," Michael Lister, founder and director of the theater said. "I’ve wanted to do something like this for our community for a very long time now."
Once open, the center will provide positive, enriching, and educational programming for all ages, especially young people.
"There’s very little to do around here of a cultural or artistic nature," Lister said. "Not just in Wewa, but all of north Florida. That’s about to change."
Convinced that The Tupelo will make a real difference in the lives of Gulf County citizens and beyond, Lister stressed that the project was about more than just entertainment.
"We need entertainment—and a safe, positive place for young people to gather, but this is about so much more than that. Entertainment amuses for the moment, but art feeds our souls. Our plays and the other programming we’ll provide at The Tupelo are entertaining, but they are also inspiring and challenging and nourishing."
Formed just over a year ago, The Pottersville Players (PottersvillePlayers.com) is a community theater group that performs Lister’s original plays. The troop’s first performance, Conversations at Café Americana took place in the summer of ’07 and its second, Conversations at Buzz Cut Barber Shop, in the spring of ’08. Its members are amateur actors from the community, and they are always looking for more. If you’d like to participate, call Lister at 639-5519.
When asked where the name came from, Lister said it was meant to reflect the area. "Tupelo—whether the tree or the honey made from it—is so unique to our area. I think what we’re doing, like all art, is universal, but it’s also very regional, even local. We produce and perform our own plays. We all live and work in this area. Tupelo is sweet, but it’s also good for you. I think it’s the perfect name for our theater and cultural center."
Nearing completion, The Tupelo is located at 136 Hwy 22 inside the front
