<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" version="2.0"><channel><atom:link rel="hub" href="http://tumblr.superfeedr.com/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"/><description>The Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit, voluntary organization of the Neosho business community. It unites business, industry, and professional individuals to improve the economy and build a more vibrant and prosperous community. The Chamber’s strength lies in its membership, enabling them to accomplish collectively what no one could do individually. The Chamber of Commerce organizes and directs the energies of those who believe that a community worth living in is a community worth improving.</description><title>Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce</title><generator>Tumblr (3.0; @neoshocc)</generator><link>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/</link><item><title>Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Weekly Newsletter </title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoSubtitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoTitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;What’s Happening the Week of 11/12/12&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h1&gt;&lt;span&gt;P.O. Box 605&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 216 West Spring Street &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; Neosho, MO 64850&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 417-451-1925&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;h5&gt;Mark Your Calendars!&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Breakfast and Your Business” Seminar &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Tuesday, November 13&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;from 7:30 – 9:00 a.m. at the &lt;strong&gt;Crowder College MARET Center &lt;/strong&gt;at 601 Laclede Ave.  The program will be &lt;strong&gt;“Is Your Business NCRC Ready?”&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Board Meeting &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Thursday, November 15&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;at 8:30 a.m. at our Chamber Office.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Annual Banquet &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Thursday, November 15&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;at &lt;strong&gt;The Civic&lt;/strong&gt;.  Social hour begins at 6:00 p.m. and Dinner at 6:45 p.m.  &lt;strong&gt;Reservation deadline is &lt;em&gt;Tuesday, November 13&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;Seating is going quickly so anyone interested in attending who has not yet made their reservation is encouraged to do so.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Don’t miss this enjoyable evening!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Chamber Hours&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Your Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Office will be closed &lt;em&gt;Monday, November 12&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;in observance of Veterans Day.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Agriculture Appreciation Banquet&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Our Agriculture Committee hosted a successful Agriculture Appreciation Banquet Thursday evening – we had an attendance of approximately 200 people!  It was a great way for us to thank our area farmers and ranchers in Newton and McDonald Counties for all they do!  We recognized the Newton &amp;amp; McDonald Counties Farm Families of the Year and Century Farms.  Thanks to our sponsors for making this night possible:  &lt;strong&gt;Moark&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;First Community Bank&lt;/strong&gt; and the Missouri Beef Council.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoBodyText2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Centerpieces Needed for Banquet&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoBodyText2"&gt;Our Annual Banquet Committee encourages your business to create a table centerpiece for our Annual Banquet.  This will be a great way to promote your business!  Please incorporate the theme:  &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;“Midwest Latitude with a Tropical Attitude”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;(it’s a beach theme)&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;!  Centerpieces not to exceed 14” tall and 18” wide.  Please contact our Chamber Office if you would like to create a centerpiece!  &lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;Centerpieces may be dropped off at our Office or The Civic on &lt;em&gt;Thursday, November 15&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt; in the afternoon&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Crowder College Foundation Annual Festival of Wreaths&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Crowder College Foundation will host their Festival of Wreaths on &lt;em&gt;Tuesday, November 13&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at the Elsie Plaster Community Center at &lt;strong&gt;Crowder College&lt;/strong&gt;.  Silent Auction at 4:00 p.m., Live Auction at 6:30 p.m.  Find out what items will be auctioned and plan to attend – &lt;a href="http://cloud.bidpal.net/Portal/bpe19624" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://cloud.bidpal.net/Portal/bpe19624" target="_blank"&gt;http://cloud.bidpal.net/Portal/bpe19624&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  For more information, contact the Foundation Office at 455-5646 or &lt;a href="mailto:foundation@crowder.edu" target="_blank"&gt;foundation@crowder.edu&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Senior Citizen Appreciation Banquet&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Neosho R-5 School District will host their 13&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Senior Citizen Appreciation Banquet on &lt;em&gt;Friday, November 16&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 11:30 a.m. at the Neosho Middle School Gymnasium.  If you would like to contribute a door prize or promotional items for goody bags, please call 451-8600, ext. 1108. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Carver Craft Show&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Carver Craft Show will be held on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, November 17&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Carver Elementary at 12350 Norway Rd.  Adult Admission - $2.00, Children – Free.  Come shop from the 4-State Area’s finest Arts &amp;amp; Crafts Exhibitors!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Leadership Neosho 2013!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Application Deadline is December 4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Thank you to &lt;strong&gt;Boulevard Bank&lt;/strong&gt; for sponsoring a well attended informational breakfast last Wednesday!  Attendees learned all about the Leadership Neosho 21013 program.  Classes will begin in January.  Applicants are required to have a sponsoring organization and letters of recommendation.  &lt;a href="http://www.neoshoareabusiness.org/leadership-neosho/" target="_blank"&gt;Applications are available on-line&lt;/a&gt; along with the class schedule, selection criteria and a program overview.  Cost of the program is $495.00.  Class size is limited to 12&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;.  Updated program information is also available at &lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com/leadershipneosho2013" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com/leadershipneosho2013" target="_blank"&gt;www.facebook.com/leadershipneosho2013&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Petfinder Shelter Challenge – Faithful Friends Animal Advocates&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Faithful Friends Animal Advocates&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; encourages you to vote for them in the Petfinder Shelter Challenge.  Vote for them daily at &lt;a href="http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;11&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Gift of Light, Gift of Love&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Four States &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;invites you to join them as they celebrate their 11&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Gift of Light, Gift of Love to benefit Ronald McDonald House of the Four States.  The theme of this year’s tree is “Bringing Elfin Magic to an Ozark Mountain Christmas” and is on display at Hollywood Theater in Joplin, now through December 31&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Journey to Bethlehem&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Racine Christian Church will present their Journey to Bethlehem &lt;em&gt;November 29&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; – December 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.  Free admission.  Enjoy this interactive outdoor drama, live music and live animals.  Tours every 5 minutes.  They are located ¼ mile west of Racine on Hwy. K.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Dickens Christmas Faire&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The 11&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Dickens Christmas Faire will be held on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, December 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in &lt;strong&gt;The Civic &lt;/strong&gt;and Historic Downtown Square.  It will feature vendors, Breakfast with Santa (8:00 – 11:00 a.m.), Carriage Rides (9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.), Craft activities for kids and adults.  Registration is underway for craft and food vendors.  Indoor booth spaces are $45.00 and outdoor booth spaces are $35.00 with a $5.00 electrical connection.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Christmas Jazz with Santa&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Christmas Jazz with Santa featuring the Jack Mitchell Band will be held on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, December 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 7:00 p.m. at &lt;strong&gt;The Civic&lt;/strong&gt;.  Tickets - $8 – Adults, $5 – Children.  The Neosho High School Wildcat Band is selling tickets as a fundraiser.  Tickets will be available to purchase from NHS Band students, Chamber Office or online at&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.neoshodickenschristmas.com" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.neoshodickenschristmas.com" target="_blank"&gt;www.neoshodickenschristmas.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Christmas Parade&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho’s Christmas Parade will be held on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, December 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 5:00 p.m.  The theme is “Twas the Night Before Christmas”.  Lighted entries are not required, but they are encouraged.  Entry forms are available at our Chamber Office.  There is no entry fee.  Participating in the parade is not only a great way to help us promote our community and our holiday spirit, it’s also an excellent opportunity to promote your business, church or organization to the hundreds of Neosho area residents who come out and watch the parade!  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Choral of the 5K&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Walk/Run to benefit the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho High School&lt;/strong&gt; Show Choir will be held on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, December 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;  Registration at 8:00 a.m., race begins at 9:00 a.m.  Registration behind Kwik Mart on Neosho Rec. League Soccer Field (south end of parking lot).  Pre-Registration until &lt;em&gt;November 15&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt; – $20, Late Registration – &lt;em&gt;November 16&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;until race - $25.  Mail your registration to Neosho Choral Boosters, Tracy Lett, President, 718 Oakridge Dr. – Neosho.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Pancake Feed Fundraiser&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;United Methodist Men invites everyone to join them &lt;em&gt;Saturday, December 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. in the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho United Methodist Church&lt;/strong&gt; basement downtown for their annual Pancake Feed fundraiser benefitting Boy Scout Troop 34.  Come enjoy pancakes, sausage, coffee and or hot chocolate before or after the Christmas Parade or both!  Come in out of the cold and support Boy Scout Troop 34, warm up and enjoy the food and fellowship.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Shop with a Cop 2012&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Police and Fire Departments&lt;/strong&gt; are pleased to announce the 2012 Shop with a Cop campaign to be held on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, December 15&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt; at 10:00 a.m.  In 2011, through your support and donations, they were able to provide for over 121 children and raised over $14,883.54 from residents of Newton County.  They are once again asking for your support for the less fortunate in donations so that they can once again provide for these children.  Any donation made will be appreciated.  Donations can be mailed to:  Neosho Police Department, 201 North College Street, Neosho, MO 64850.  If you have any questions, contact the programs director, Stephanie Bracken at 451-8012.  Donations deadline is December 14&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/35362738342</link><guid>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/35362738342</guid><pubDate>Fri, 09 Nov 2012 16:35:58 -0600</pubDate></item><item><title>Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Weekly Newsletter </title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoSubtitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoTitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;What’s Happening the Week of 11/5/12&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h1&gt;&lt;span&gt;P.O. Box 605&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 216 West Spring Street &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; Neosho, MO 64850&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 417-451-1925&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;h5&gt;Mark Your Calendars!&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Downtown Events Committee Meeting &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Tuesday, November 6&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;at 8:30 a.m. at our Chamber Office.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Agriculture Committee Meeting &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Tuesday, November 6&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;at 9:00 a.m. at our Chamber Office.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Membership Services Committee Meeting &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Tuesday, November 6&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;at 10:00 a.m. at our Chamber Office.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Annual Banquet Committee Meeting &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Wednesday, November 7&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;at 8:30 a.m. at our Chamber Office.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Agriculture Appreciation Banquet &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Thursday, November 8&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;at 5:00 p.m. at the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho High School &lt;/strong&gt;Cafeteria.  Area farmers and ranchers in Newton and McDonald Counties are our special guests!  Garrett Hawkins with Missouri Farm Bureau will be our keynote speaker.  There will be exhibitor booths and live bluegrass music.  This evening is free!  Thanks to our sponsors for making this night possible:  &lt;strong&gt;Moark&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;First Community Bank&lt;/strong&gt; and the Missouri Beef Council.  &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Please post the attached flyer for your employees and customers!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoBodyText2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Annual Banquet Registration Now Being Accepted&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoBodyText2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Annual Banquet reservation deadline is &lt;em&gt;Tuesday, November 13&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;!  &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;Seating is going quickly so anyone interested in attending who has not yet made their reservation is encouraged to do so.  You and your guests are invited to attend the Annual Banquet on &lt;em&gt;Thursday, November 15&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at &lt;strong&gt;The Civic&lt;/strong&gt;.  Social hour begins at 6:00 p.m. and Dinner at 6:45 p.m.  The banquet will feature the President’s message, Citizen of the Year Award, Most Improved Business Location Award, the Year in Review and musical entertainment by WALRUS.  &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Don’t miss this enjoyable evening!  Secure your reservation by returning your registration form and payment.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoBodyText2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Centerpieces Needed for Banquet&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoBodyText2"&gt;Our Annual Banquet Committee encourages your business to create a table centerpiece for our Annual Banquet.  This will be a great way to promote your business!  Please incorporate the theme:  “Midwest Latitude with a Tropical Attitude” &lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;(it’s a beach theme)&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;!  Centerpieces not to exceed 14” tall and 18” wide.  Please contact our Chamber Office if you would like to create a centerpiece.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Leadership Neosho 2013&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Applications are now available for Leadership Neosho 2013!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;  Classes will begin in January.  Applicants are required to have a sponsoring organization and letters of recommendation.  &lt;a href="http://www.neoshoareabusiness.org/leadership-neosho/" target="_blank"&gt;Applications are available on-line&lt;/a&gt; along with the class schedule, selection criteria and a program overview.  Cost of the program is $495.00.  Class size is limited to 12 and the d&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;eadline for receipt of applications at the Chamber office is December 4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;.  Updated program information is also available at &lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com/leadershipneosho2013" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com/leadershipneosho2013" target="_blank"&gt;www.facebook.com/leadershipneosho2013&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  A free informational breakfast has been scheduled for November 7&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; at 7:30 a.m. at the Wright Conference Center on the &lt;/span&gt;Crowder College&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; campus.  Please RSVP by noon on Monday, November 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; to our Chamber Office if you wish to attend. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Starting a Small Business Workshop&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;A free workshop on “Starting a Small Business” will be held on &lt;em&gt;Thursday, November 8&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. at &lt;strong&gt;First Community Bank&lt;/strong&gt;’s Community Room in Goodman at 110&amp;#160;E. Main St.  Please RSVP at (417) 364-7224 by &lt;em&gt;November 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Souper Supper &amp;amp; Chili Cook-Off&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Faithful Friends Animal Advocates&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; invites you to their Souper Supper &amp;amp; Chili Cook-Off on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, November 10&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the Methodist Life Center at 1111&amp;#160;N. Business 71 Hwy.  Cost is $8.00 per person (dessert &amp;amp; drink included).  Enter your chili in the 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; annual FFAA Best Chili Cook-Off!  No cost to compete.  Prizes:  1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; place trophy, 2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt; &amp;amp; 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt; place plaques.  Contestants must register by November 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; (4-5 gallons of chili per contestant).  For more information or to register, email &lt;a href="mailto:ffaaneosho@yahoo.com" target="_blank"&gt;ffaaneosho@yahoo.com&lt;/a&gt; or call (417) 850-6130.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Chamber Hours&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Your Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Office will be closed &lt;em&gt;Monday, November 12&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;in observance of Veterans Day.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Breakfast and Your Business” Seminar&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;A “Breakfast and Your Business” Seminarwill be held on &lt;em&gt;Tuesday, November 13&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 7:30 – 9:00 a.m. at the &lt;strong&gt;Crowder College MARET Center &lt;/strong&gt;at 601 Laclede Ave.  The program will be &lt;strong&gt;“Is Your Business NCRC Ready?”&lt;/strong&gt; with guest speakers Russ Hopper, Jasen Jones and Howard Birdsong.  NCRC is the national Career Readiness Certificate and is designed for employers to determine the work readiness of job candidates.  What are the benefits?  Candidates who complete the NCRC show they have what it takes to be a part of your team.  You will save money in training costs, save time on the hiring process, improve retention and reduce turnover.  What is the cost?  There is no cost to you or the applicants.  Join us to learn more about the NCRC and what Newton County is doing to become a Work Ready Community.  This will be a free seminar!  Enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast provided by Crowder College.  Reservations required by noon, &lt;em&gt;Thursday, November 8&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Crowder College Foundation Annual Festival of Wreaths&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Crowder College Foundation will host their Festival of Wreaths on &lt;em&gt;Tuesday, November 13&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at the Elsie Plaster Community Center at &lt;strong&gt;Crowder College&lt;/strong&gt;.  Silent Auction at 4:00 p.m., Live Auction at 6:30 p.m.  Find out what items will be auctioned and plan to attend – &lt;a href="http://cloud.bidpal.net/Portal/bpe19624" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://cloud.bidpal.net/Portal/bpe19624" target="_blank"&gt;http://cloud.bidpal.net/Portal/bpe19624&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  For more information, contact the Foundation Office at 455-5646 or &lt;a href="mailto:foundation@crowder.edu" target="_blank"&gt;foundation@crowder.edu&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Senior Citizen Appreciation Banquet&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Neosho R-5 School District will host their 13&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Senior Citizen Appreciation Banquet on &lt;em&gt;Friday, November 16&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 11:30 a.m. at the Neosho Middle School Gymnasium.  If you would like to contribute a door prize or promotional items for goody bags, please call 451-8600, ext. 1108.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Carver Craft Show&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Carver Craft Show will be held on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, November 17&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Carver Elementary at 12350 Norway Rd.  Adult Admission - $2.00, Children – Free.  Come shop from the 4-State Area’s finest Arts &amp;amp; Crafts Exhibitors!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Newton County Tourism Website&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoPlainText"&gt;&lt;span&gt;New video on murals of Newton County and Southwest Missouri on Newton County Tourism&amp;#8217;s website!  Please visit &lt;a href="http://newtoncountymotourism.org/" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://newtoncountymotourism.org/" target="_blank"&gt;http://newtoncountymotourism.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt; to see the new video on the murals of Newton County and their tourism attractions.  Besides the new video, you can also see all the murals and hear a description from numerous individuals, including: Billie Gofourth-Stewart – Artist, John Ashcroft - Former U.S. Attorney General, Steve Roark - President of Newton County Tourism Council, Sherry Petty – Artist, Jimmy Houston - Fishing Pro, Ginny Roy - Director of Neosho/Newton County Library, Calvin Ackerson – Artist, Robin McAlester - Executive Director - Wildcat Glades, Dan McWilliams – Artist, Kathy Steele-Danner - Director of Missouri Tourism, Allen Bishop - Art Instructor at Crowder College, Russell &amp;amp; Kay Hively – Historians.  This video was underwritten by &lt;strong&gt;Community Bank and Trust&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Petfinder Shelter Challenge – Faithful Friends Animal Advocates&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Faithful Friends Animal Advocates&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; encourages you to vote for them in the Petfinder Shelter Challenge.  Vote for them daily at &lt;a href="http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;11&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Gift of Light, Gift of Love&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Four States &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;invites you to join them as they celebrate their 11&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Gift of Light, Gift of Love to benefit Ronald McDonald House of the Four States.  The theme of this year’s tree is “Bringing Elfin Magic to an Ozark Mountain Christmas” and is on display at Hollywood Theater in Joplin, now through December 31&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Journey to Bethlehem&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Racine Christian Church will present their Journey to Bethlehem &lt;em&gt;November 29&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; – December 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.  Free admission.  Enjoy this interactive outdoor drama, live music and live animals.  Tours every 5 minutes.  They are located ¼ mile west of Racine on Hwy. K.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Dickens Christmas Faire&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The 11&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Dickens Christmas Faire will be held on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, December 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in &lt;strong&gt;The Civic &lt;/strong&gt;and Historic Downtown Square.  It will feature vendors, breakfast with Santa, carriage rides, craft activities for kids and adults.  We are currently accepting booth applications for food and craft vendors.  Indoor booth spaces are $45.00 and outdoor booth spaces are $35.00 with a $5.00 electrical connection. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Christmas Parade&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Deadline for Christmas Parade entries is &lt;em&gt;Thursday, November 8&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;!  &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho’s Christmas Parade will be held on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, December 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 5:00 p.m.  The theme is “Twas the Night Before Christmas”.  Lighted entries are not required, but they are encouraged.  Registration is now underway and will continue through &lt;em&gt;November 9&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  Entry forms are available at our Chamber Office.  Participating in the parade is not only a great way to help us promote our community and our holiday spirit, it’s also an excellent opportunity to promote your business, church or organization to the hundreds of Neosho area residents who come out and watch the parade! &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Choral of the 5K&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Walk/Run to benefit the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho High School&lt;/strong&gt; Show Choir will be held on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, December 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;  Registration at 8:00 a.m., race begins at 9:00 a.m.  Registration behind Kwik Mart on Neosho Rec. League Soccer Field (south end of parking lot).  Pre-Registration until &lt;em&gt;November 15&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt; – $20, Late Registration – &lt;em&gt;November 16&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;until race - $25.  Mail your registration to Neosho Choral Boosters, Tracy Lett, President, 718 Oakridge Dr. – Neosho. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Shop with a Cop 2012&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Police and Fire Departments&lt;/strong&gt; are pleased to announce the 2012 Shop with a Cop campaign to be held on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, December 15&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt; at 10:00 a.m.  In 2011, through your support and donations, they were able to provide for over 121 children and raised over $14,883.54 from residents of Newton County.  They are once again asking for your support for the less fortunate in donations so that they can once again provide for these children.  Any donation made will be appreciated.  Donations can be mailed to:  Neosho Police Department, 201 North College Street, Neosho, MO 64850.  If you have any questions, contact the programs director, Stephanie Bracken at 451-8012.  Donations deadline is December 14&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;Don’t Forget to Vote on Tuesday, November 6&lt;/span&gt;&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;span&gt;!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/34839427144</link><guid>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/34839427144</guid><pubDate>Fri, 02 Nov 2012 12:50:38 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>October Employer of the Month</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Members of Neosho’s Economic Development Industrial Appreciation Committee honored Willis &amp;amp; Associates as their October Employer of the Month. Representative Bill Reibioldt presented the Willis family with a proclamation; also in attendance were Newton County Commissioners Jack Sanders and Jerry Black who presented a proclamation from Newton County. Willis &amp;amp; Associates has been doing business in Neosho for 50 years. When Frances and Robert Willis started their printing company in 1962 When asked what his favorite thing about doing business in Neosho, Rob Willis was hard pressed to find a single answer. “The People, the small town feel, this is home for us” Rob added. “The small town feeling that you get, most people we know. Sometimes my wife will ask ‘do you know everybody?’ everybody is a neighbor, you know?” Frances Willis added, “We have 8 children, and Neosho is the best place to raise them”. Willis &amp;amp; Associates is no stranger to adversity either, having their home and business destroyed in the May 10, 2008 tornado. Since then the Willis’s have built back and are proudly serving the Neosho area’s printing, promotional material, and graphic design needs. Please join the Chamber in congratulating Willis &amp;amp; Associates Printing, our October Employer of the Month.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/33384034326</link><guid>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/33384034326</guid><pubDate>Thu, 11 Oct 2012 16:14:12 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Weekly Newsletter </title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoSubtitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoTitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;What’s Happening the Week of 10/8/12&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h1&gt;&lt;span&gt;P.O. Box 605&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 216 West Spring Street &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; Neosho, MO 64850&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 417-451-1925&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;h5&gt;Mark Your Calendars!&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Downtown Events Committee Meeting &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;– Tuesday, October 9&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 8:30 a.m. at our Chamber Office.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Annual Banquet Committee Meeting &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;– Wednesday, October 10&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 8:30 a.m. at our Chamber Office.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Taste of Home Cooking School&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Taste of Home Cooking School was a success!  We had 500 people attend the event!  Everyone enjoyed learning new recipes and helpful hints.  A BIG Thank You to everyone that donated goody bag items and door prizes.  We could not have done it without you!  A special thank you to our sponsors:  &lt;strong&gt;Lowe’s Home Centers&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Daily News&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Wal-Mart&lt;/strong&gt;.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;If you missed the Cooking School, you still have the opportunity to purchase a gift bag.  Gift bags are available to purchase for $5.00, which includes the Taste of Home Cooking School magazine along with coupons from national sponsors.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;In addition, we have Taste of Home Cookbooks for sale too!  The following cookbooks are available:  &lt;u&gt;Taste of Home Baking Book&lt;/u&gt; - $22.00, &lt;u&gt;Taste of Home Cooking School Cookbook&lt;/u&gt; - $18.00, &lt;u&gt;Taste of Home Busy Family Favorites Cookbook&lt;/u&gt; - $12.00, &lt;u&gt;Taste of Home Brownies and Bars&lt;/u&gt; - $8.00.  They are available at our Chamber Office. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Trivia Night&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Enroll your team for our 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt; Annual “Trivia Night – University of Useless Knowledge” to be held on &lt;em&gt;Friday, October 19&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at the &lt;strong&gt;Lampo Building&lt;/strong&gt;.  Social mixer at 6:30 p.m. with trivia beginning at 7:00 p.m.  Enrollment fee is $100/table of 8 players.  This will be a fun evening!  Register by &lt;em&gt;Monday, October 8&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;!  &lt;/em&gt;Limited to 12 teams!!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h5&gt;Business After Hours&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Dr. Fly’s Salon &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;will sponsor our next Business After Hours on &lt;em&gt;Tuesday, October 23&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at 920&amp;#160;S. Neosho Blvd., Suite D.  Be watching for your invitation.  &lt;em&gt;Make plans to attend!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoBodyText2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Annual Banquet Scheduled&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoBodyText2"&gt;The theme for this year’s Annual Banquet is “Midwest Latitude with a Tropical Attitude”.  It is scheduled for &lt;em&gt;Thursday, November 15&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at &lt;strong&gt;The Civic&lt;/strong&gt;.  The Annual Banquet Committee has worked very hard to make this year’s event very memorable.  We encourage your business to create a table centerpiece.  Please incorporate the theme:  “Midwest Latitude with a Tropical Attitude”.  This will be a great way to promote your business!  Centerpieces will be given away at the end of the evening.  Centerpieces not to exceed 14” tall and 18” wide.  Please contact our Chamber Office if you would like to create a centerpiece.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Agriculture Appreciation Banquet&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Our Agriculture Committee will host an Agriculture Appreciation Banquet on &lt;em&gt;Thursday, November 8&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 5:00 p.m. at the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho High School &lt;/strong&gt;Cafeteria.  Area farmers and ranchers in Newton and McDonald Counties will be our special guests!  We will have educational and commercial booths.  If you would like to set-up a booth, you will need to provide a $30 retail door prize.  If you don’t want to set-up, but would like to contribute a door prize, please contact our Chamber Office.  &lt;em&gt;Be watching for more details!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Sensations Performing Arts Raffle &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Now through October 9&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;, purchase a $10 ticket for a chance to win free Technique/Conditioning class tuition October 2012 – August 2013, $495 worth of ballet, jazz, hip hop, modern, and yoga classes. You can purchase tickets by stopping by the studio at 1482&amp;#160;W. Daugherty Rd, or by contacting &lt;strong&gt;Sensations&lt;/strong&gt; at &lt;a href="mailto:Rachel.e.dobbs@gmail.com" target="_blank"&gt;Rachel.e.dobbs@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;, or via Facebook at &lt;a href="http://facebook.com/sensationsperformance" target="_blank"&gt;facebook.com/sensationsperformance&lt;/a&gt;. The drawing will be held Tuesday, October 9&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; and the winner will be announced via Facebook and the Sensations newsletter. Proceeds from the raffle will go toward the purchase of new professional ballet barres for the studio. Dancers of all skill levels, even those who have no experience are encouraged to participate!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;YMCA – Strong Kids Campaign Fundraising Event&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Freeman Family YMCA&lt;/strong&gt; will host their annual Tri-State Bike Challenge on &lt;em&gt;Thursday, October 18&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt; from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the YMCA.  Teams of 4 compete in a spinning bike relay race to raise funds for the 2012 Strong Kids Campaign.  To register your team or for additional information, please contact Sarah Sonis at &lt;a href="mailto:sarahsonis@crowder.edu" target="_blank"&gt;sarahsonis@crowder.edu&lt;/a&gt; or Johanna Rowe at &lt;a href="mailto:johannarowe@crowder.edu" target="_blank"&gt;johannarowe@crowder.edu&lt;/a&gt; or 455-9999.  All proceeds from these events benefit the 2012 Strong Kids Campaign.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;17&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Thomas Hart Benton Four State Regional Art Competition &amp;amp; Exhibit&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The 17&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Thomas Hart Benton Four State Regional Art Competition &amp;amp; Exhibit will be &lt;em&gt;Saturday, October 13&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at &lt;strong&gt;Crowder College&lt;/strong&gt;.  Mark your calendars!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Street Dance&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Rich McCready will perform at the &lt;strong&gt;Granby House&lt;/strong&gt; Street Dance on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, October 13&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 6:00 p.m. at 301&amp;#160;S. Main St. – Granby.  Free admission.  Bring your lawn chairs and your dancing shoes!  There will be food and vendors.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Paws on the Pavement&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Faithful Friends Animal Advocates&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; invites you to “Paws on the Pavement” on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, October 20&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at Morse Park (pavilion across from ball fields).  This will be a dog walk to support Faithful Friends.  Fees:  $10 per person; $2 per mile pledges.  Registration at 8:00 a.m.  Entry forms available at &lt;a href="http://www.ffaaneosho.org" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.ffaaneosho.org" target="_blank"&gt;www.ffaaneosho.org&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Dog Costume Contest at 10:00 a.m.; Best Dog Trick Contest at 10:30 a.m.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Dinner / Concert&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Methodist Men welcome everyone to join us on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, October 20&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at the Christian Life Center for food, fun and fellowship.  Master Chef Justin Morgan and crew will be preparing pulled pork, two sides and a drink at 5:30 p.m.  Duke Mason will be performing at 7:00 p.m.  The price of the meal is $5.00 per person and can be purchased from Methodist Men, the church office or at the door.  They will be taking up a love offering for Duke Mason.  Please join them as they raise funds to support their ministries in the church and the community.    &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;11&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Gift of Light, Gift of Love&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Four States &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;invites you to join them as they celebrate their 11&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Gift of Light, Gift of Love to benefit Ronald McDonald House of the Four States.  The theme of this year’s tree is “Bringing Elfin Magic to an Ozark Mountain Christmas” and will once again be displayed in the lobby of Hollywood Theater, Joplin MO from November 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; – December 31&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;.  Sponsorships of the tree and ornaments will help provide food, lodging and other necessities needed by guests staying at the “House That Love Built.”  For more information on how you can become a sponsor visit &lt;a href="http://www.rmhjoplin.org" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.rmhjoplin.org" target="_blank"&gt;www.rmhjoplin.org&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt; or call 417-624-2273.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;New to this year’s &lt;strong&gt;Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Four States Gift of Light, Gift of Love&lt;/strong&gt; is a LIVE Children’s Christmas show on &lt;strong&gt;Saturday November 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; at Corley Auditorium on the MSSU campus.  Join Todd Oliver &amp;amp; Irving his talking dog as seen on “America’s Got Talent” along with some of Branson’s most celebrated entertainers as they bring “An Ozark Mountain Christmas to Joplin.”  &lt;strong&gt;VIP Tickets are $20 and General Admission Tickets are $10.  &lt;/strong&gt;For more information or to purchase tickets contact Ronald McDonald House at 417-624-2273 or visit www.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Dickens Christmas Faire / Christmas Parade&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The 11&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Dickens Christmas Faire will be held on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, December 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in &lt;strong&gt;The Civic &lt;/strong&gt;and Historic Downtown Square.  It will feature vendors, breakfast with Santa, carriage rides, craft activities for kids and adults.  We are currently accepting booth applications for food and craft vendors.  Indoor booth spaces are $45.00 and outdoor booth spaces are $35.00 with a $5.00 electrical connection.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Faire will conclude with the lighted Christmas Parade on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, December 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 5:00 p.m.  The theme for this year’s parade is “Twas the Night Before Christmas”.  Entry forms are available at our Chamber Office. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Our Downtown Events Committee is currently securing sponsors for the Dickens Christmas Faire.  Sponsorship is $100.  All sponsors will be listed on the posters and carriage rides coupons.  Please contact Debbie at 451-5200 or Shana at 451-1925 to sign-up your business as a sponsor!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/32955542893</link><guid>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/32955542893</guid><pubDate>Fri, 05 Oct 2012 15:19:29 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>Chamber Newsletter </title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoSubtitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoTitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;What’s Happening the Week of 9/24/12&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h1&gt;&lt;span&gt;P.O. Box 605&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 216 West Spring Street &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; Neosho, MO 64850&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 417-451-1925&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;h5&gt;Mark Your Calendars!&lt;/h5&gt;


&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Taste of Home Cooking School&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Get your tickets!  &lt;/strong&gt;The Taste of Home Cooking School will be &lt;em&gt;Tuesday, October 2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at &lt;strong&gt;The Civic&lt;/strong&gt;.  Tickets are $12 per person (General Admission) or $25 per person (VIP Admission – preferred seating, meet and greet with culinary specialist before show and signed cookbook).  Tickets are available at the following locations:  &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Daily News&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Mills Park Centre Furniture &amp;amp; Mattress&lt;/strong&gt; and our Chamber Office.  &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Invite your family and friends!  It will be a great show!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;YMCA – Strong Kids Campaign Fundraising Events&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Premier Turbines&lt;/strong&gt; is raffling off four St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Tickets with parking permit for &lt;em&gt;Saturday, September 29&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 6:30 p.m. (Cardinals vs. Washington Nationals).  Great seats – club level behind home plate!  Raffle tickets are $5 each, 4 for $10 or 10 for $20.  Purchase tickets at the &lt;strong&gt;YMCA&lt;/strong&gt; Welcome Center.  Drawing to be held &lt;em&gt;Wednesday, September 19&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Premier Turbines&lt;/strong&gt; will host their 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Neosho Fall Charity Golf Classic on &lt;em&gt;Friday, October 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at the Neosho Golf Course.  4-person scramble ($50 per person).  8:30 a.m. shotgun start; lunch provided following golf tournament.  To register or for more information, contact Mary Thomas at 455-7820 or &lt;a href="mailto:mthomas@premierturbines.com" target="_blank"&gt;mthomas@premierturbines.com&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Freeman Family YMCA&lt;/strong&gt; will host their annual Tri-State Bike Challenge on &lt;em&gt;Thursday, October 18&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt; from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the YMCA.  Teams of 4 compete in a spinning bike relay race to raise funds for the 2012 Strong Kids Campaign. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;To register your team or for additional information, please contact Sarah Sonis at &lt;a href="mailto:sarahsonis@crowder.edu" target="_blank"&gt;sarahsonis@crowder.edu&lt;/a&gt; or Johanna Rowe at &lt;a href="mailto:johannarowe@crowder.edu" target="_blank"&gt;johannarowe@crowder.edu&lt;/a&gt; or 455-9999.  All proceeds from these events benefit the 2012 Strong Kids Campaign.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;MoDOT Commissioners Reception&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Our Board of Directors invites you to attend the MoDOT Commissioners Reception on &lt;em&gt;Tuesday, October 2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the &lt;strong&gt;Best Western Big Spring Lodge &lt;/strong&gt;Hospitality Room at 1810 Southern View Dr.  This will be your opportunity to visit with the Commissioners and show appreciation for the work MoDOT and the Commission do, especially converting Highway 71 to I49.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;First Friday Coffee&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Teen Challenge of the Four States &lt;/strong&gt;will host October’s First Friday Coffee on &lt;em&gt;October 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. at 18527&amp;#160;E. Hwy. 86.  &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Mark your calendars!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Neosho Fall Festival&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Neosho Fall Festival will be &lt;em&gt;Saturday, October 6&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.  There will be food and craft vendors, 5K Run, horse &amp;amp; buggy rides, Maccaroo Gym, History Alley and entertainment.  Square dancing performance at 11:00 a.m., Faithful Friends Pet Contest at 1:00 p.m. and Tumble Town Performance at 3:00 p.m.  The Neosho Arts Council will host their Art Exhibition and Sale at The Civic.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Fall Festival&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;This year’s Fall Festival Theme is Autumn Harvest, the festival will be held on Neosho’s Historic Downtown Square October 6&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Events range from a pancake feed to art exhibit to train and carriage rides to live music and entertainment. A press release detailing the day’s schedule is attached.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Barnyard Days&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Barnyard Dayswill be &lt;em&gt;Friday, Saturday &amp;amp; Sunday, October 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; – 7&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at the &lt;strong&gt;Circle R Ranch&lt;/strong&gt;. Friday 12:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Saturday – 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.; Sunday – 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.  Arts and craft show with the atmosphere of an old fashioned country fair.  In addition, there will be antique tractors, a huge petting zoo, lots of demonstrating artists including blacksmiths and wood carvers, a mountain man rendezvous, archery demonstration and chain saw carving.  Also, new this year, a Single Mic Music Contest with over $1000 in cash prizes to the top four acts.  Check out &lt;a href="http://www.BarnyardDays.com" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.BarnyardDays.com" target="_blank"&gt;www.BarnyardDays.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Sensations Performing Arts Raffle &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Now through Oct. 9&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;, purchase a $10 ticket for a chance to win free Technique/Conditioning class tuition October 2012 – August 2013, $495 worth of ballet, jazz, hip hop, modern, and yoga classes. You can purchase tickets by stopping by the studio at 1482&amp;#160;W. Daugherty Rd, or by contacting &lt;strong&gt;Sensations&lt;/strong&gt; at &lt;a href="mailto:Rachel.e.dobbs@gmail.com" target="_blank"&gt;Rachel.e.dobbs@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;, or via Facebook at &lt;a href="http://facebook.com/sensationsperformance" target="_blank"&gt;facebook.com/sensationsperformance&lt;/a&gt;. The drawing will be held Tuesday, October 9&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; and the winner will be announced via Facebook and the Sensations newsletter. Proceeds from the raffle will go toward the purchase of new professional ballet barres for the studio. Dancers of all skill levels, even those who have no experience are encouraged to participate!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;17&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Thomas Hart Benton Four State Regional Art Competition &amp;amp; Exhibit&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;The 17&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Thomas Hart Benton Four State Regional Art Competition &amp;amp; Exhibit will be &lt;em&gt;Saturday, October 13&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at &lt;strong&gt;Crowder College&lt;/strong&gt;.  Mark your calendars!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Street Dance&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Rich McCready will perform at the &lt;strong&gt;Granby House&lt;/strong&gt; Street Dance on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, October 13&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 6:00 p.m. at 301&amp;#160;S. Main St. – Granby.  Free admission.  Bring your lawn chairs and your dancing shoes!  There will be food and vendors.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Trivia Night&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Enroll your team for our 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt; Annual “Trivia Night – University of Useless Knowledge” to be held on &lt;em&gt;Friday, October 19&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at the &lt;strong&gt;Lampo Building&lt;/strong&gt;.  Social mixer at 6:30 p.m. with trivia beginning at 7:00 p.m.  Enrollment fee is $100/table of 8 players.  This will be a fun evening!  Register by &lt;em&gt;October 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;!  &lt;/em&gt;Limited to 12 teams!!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Paws on the Pavement&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Faithful Friends Animal Advocates&lt;/strong&gt; invites you to “Paws on the Pavement” on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, October 20&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at Morse Park (pavilion across from ball fields).  This will be a dog walk to support Faithful Friends.  Fees:  $10 per person; $2 per mile pledges.  Registration at 8:00 a.m.  Entry forms available at &lt;a href="http://www.ffaaneosho.org" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.ffaaneosho.org" target="_blank"&gt;www.ffaaneosho.org&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Dog Costume Contest at 10:00 a.m.; Best Dog Trick Contest at 10:30 a.m.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Trail of Treats&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;This year’s Trail of Treats will be held Wednesday, October 31&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;, for more information contact the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Daily News&lt;/strong&gt; at 417-451-1520.&lt;/p&gt;


&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Dickens Christmas Faire / Christmas Parade&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;The 11&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Dickens Christmas Faire will be held on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, December 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in &lt;strong&gt;The Civic &lt;/strong&gt;and Historic Downtown Square.  It will feature vendors, breakfast with Santa, carriage rides, craft activities for kids and adults.  We are currently accepting booth applications for food and craft vendors.  Indoor booth spaces are $45.00 and outdoor booth spaces are $35.00 with a $5.00 electrical connection. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;The Faire will conclude with the lighted Christmas Parade on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, December 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 5:00 p.m.  The theme for this year’s parade is “Twas the Night Before Christmas”.  Entry forms are available at our Chamber Office.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Our Downtown Events Committee is currently securing sponsors for the Dickens Christmas Faire.  Sponsorship is $100.  All sponsors will be listed on the posters and carriage rides coupons.  Please contact Debbie at 451-5200 or Shana at 451-1925 to sign-up your business as a sponsor!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Neosho R-5 School District Character Education Program&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;The October Character Word for the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho R-5 School District &lt;/strong&gt;Character Word of the Month is:  &lt;strong&gt;“Responsibility” – taking ownership of what you say and do&lt;/strong&gt;.  Please incorporate this in your business and place it on your marquee.  Let’s show our Wildcat support!!&lt;/p&gt;


&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Have a Great Week!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Shana Griffin&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Executive Director&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Like us on Facebook at &lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com/neoshocc" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com/neoshocc" target="_blank"&gt;www.facebook.com/neoshocc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;          &lt;/p&gt;


&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Thank you,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;R. Genevieve Williams&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;P.O. Box 605&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;216&amp;#160;W. Spring St.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho, Mo 64850&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;417-451-1925&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com/neoshocc" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com/neoshocc" target="_blank"&gt;www.facebook.com/neoshocc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/32496248579</link><guid>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/32496248579</guid><pubDate>Fri, 28 Sep 2012 21:38:37 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>September Quarterly Luncheon</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Members of the Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce gathered Thursday for the September Quarterly Luncheon. During an informal Q&amp;amp;A session before the meal, Retail Development Committee members Ray Stipp and Jerry Griffith spoke on the planned TDD improvements to what is referred to as the Highway 60 I-49 Corridor. What is now known as Highway 71 will soon become Interstate 49, it is believed this will create additional retail opportunities for the Neosho area, centered around the intersection of highways 60 and 71 (soon to be I-49). Architectural renderings of the proposed improvements were displayed for reference, &lt;a name="_GoBack" id="_GoBack"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;Chamber members asked questions concerning the location and timeline of the proposed traffic-flow and safety improvements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;The Luncheon’s speaker was U.S. Congressman Steve Womack, former Mayor of Rogers Arkansas. Congressman Womack spoke about the rapid growth experienced in Rogers Arkansas and how planning and zoning played a part in guiding that growth. “Don’t’ let anyone tell you that you can’t do it” Congressman Womack addressed the crowd.  Lunch was provided by Great Western Dining of Neosho.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/32495258096</link><guid>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/32495258096</guid><pubDate>Fri, 28 Sep 2012 21:23:58 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>Industrial Appreciation Golf Tournament</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Area Business and Industry leaders gathered Thursday at the Neosho Municipal Golf Course for the annual Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Industrial Appreciation Golf Tournament. A total of 29 teams competed in 3 flights. The overall first place winners were David Clark and Matt Duffy both of Twin Rivers Foods, followed closely by the Jarden Consumer Solutions team comprised of Gary Moon and Chris Walker at. First Flight place winners were James Craig and Evan Griffith in 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;, then David Clark and Matt Duffy in 2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt;, and Jim Cummins and Blake Bard taking 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt;. Second Flight winners were Terry Thomas and Adam Telford for 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;, with Jim Jackson and Ken Mayer in 2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt;, and Trey Kissell and Chris Goodfeller in 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt;. The Third Flight was won by Rick Bishop and Bret Robb in 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; and Derek Edwards and Randy Evans in 2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt; with Fred Gardner and Jeff Glasgow in 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt;. The winners of the Hole Prizes were as follows; Gary Moon with Longest Drive, Jim Cummins closest to the pin on hole 2, Gary Moon closest to pin on hole 4, closest to the line on hole 6 was Mark Hendricks, Brad Taylor was closest to pin on hole 8, James Craig closest to the pin on hole 13 and finally closest to the pin on hole 16 was Allen Keeling. Dinner was served by Family Market before tee off, the Chamber of Commerce expressed their thanks to Arvest Bank, Boulevard Bank, Community Bank &amp;amp; Trust, Hometown Bank, Southwest Missouri Bank, U.S. Bank, City of Neosho, Neosho Land Development Inc., Newton County Economic Development Commission, and Neosho Area Business &amp;amp; Industrial Foundation for sponsoring the dinner. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;-R. Genevieve Williams&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/31074707144</link><guid>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/31074707144</guid><pubDate>Fri, 07 Sep 2012 16:00:51 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Weekly Newsletter </title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoSubtitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoTitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;What’s Happening the Week of 9/3/12&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h1&gt;&lt;span&gt;P.O. Box 605&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 216 West Spring Street &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; Neosho, MO 64850&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 417-451-1925&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;h5&gt;Mark Your Calendars!&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Industrial Golf Tournament &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;– Thursday, September 6&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Golf Course&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;First Friday Coffee &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Friday, September 7&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;from 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. at &lt;strong&gt;The Center for Seniors &lt;/strong&gt;at 1017 Carl Sweeney Parkway.  &lt;em&gt;Hope to see you there!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Chamber Hours&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h5 align="left"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Your Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Office will be closed for Labor Day, &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;Monday, September 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;26&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Industrial Golf Tournament&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Registration is filling up quickly! (After August 31&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;, the entry fees will be $70.00 per player)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;.  The 26&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Industrial Golf Tournament will be &lt;em&gt;Thursday, September 6&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Golf Course&lt;/strong&gt; at 12:30 p.m.  A lunch will be held at 11:30 a.m.  The Golf Tournament is a two-person scramble.  For more information or to receive a registration form, please contact Kathy at &lt;a href="mailto:kathy@neoshocc.com" target="_blank"&gt;kathy@neoshocc.com&lt;/a&gt; or 451-1925.  &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Industries, be sure to call in your RSVP for your employees.  We want to show our appreciation to each industry by serving them lunch from Family Market!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Taste of Home Cooking School&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Tickets are on sale now!  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Taste of Home Cooking School will be &lt;em&gt;Tuesday, October 2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at &lt;strong&gt;The Civic&lt;/strong&gt;.  Tickets are $12 per person (General Admission) or $25 per person (VIP Admission – preferred seating, meet and greet with culinary specialist before show and signed cookbook).  Tickets are available at the following locations:  &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Daily News&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Mills Park Centre Furniture &amp;amp; Mattress&lt;/strong&gt; and our Chamber Office.  Donations to be used in goody bags and for door prizes are needed.  Any Chamber Member who would like to donate items should call our office.  This is an excellent opportunity to promote your business.  The event brings a sell-out crowd of 900 people to The Civic and our community.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Open House&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Care Net Pregnancy Resource Center of Neosho&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt; will host their Open House on &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Friday, September 7&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. at 1015&amp;#160;S. Neosho Blvd.  Enjoy refreshments and see their ultrasound equipment plus meet their RNs who will be performing the scans.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Prairie Day&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;George Washington Carver National Monument&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; invites you to Prairie Day on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, September 8&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  Activities include demonstrations of quilting, edible and medicinal plants, wool spinning, Dutch-oven cooking, lye soap-making, laundry, basket weaving, prairie animals and birds, and many more exhibits and activities will be set up across the park grounds.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Girl Scout Bash&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Join Girl Scouts!  All girls in grades K-12 are invited to the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Girl Scout Bash&lt;/strong&gt; on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, September 8&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. at Morse Park South.  Girls can participate in a variety of activities including crafts, face painting while learning about Girl Scout program, Girl Scout history and more!  Contact Becky Ledbetter at 877-312-4764, ext 1205 for more information.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Day of Service 2012&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Neosho Area Clergy Coalition invites you to their “Day of Service” on &lt;em&gt;Sunday, September 9&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 2:00 p.m. at Big Spring Park.  From 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. teams will be working throughout Neosho.  From 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. there will be a cookout and fellowship.  They need multiple teams for the following:  house cleaning and general help for the elderly, sidewalk clean-up, weed-eating, mowing, trash pick-up and other ways of serving Neosho.  For more information, call (417) 540-1066. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Faithful Friends Animal Advocates – Petfinder Shelter Challenge&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Faithful Friends Animal Advocates&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; encourages you to vote for them in the Petfinder Shelter Challenge now through September 16&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;!  Vote at &lt;a href="http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Put Faithful Friends in the shelter name, MO for the state, and then whatever comes next, and vote every day! &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Silver Follies – “Our Little Town”&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Silver Follies will present “Our Little Town” &lt;em&gt;September 14&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; – 16&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at the Elsie Plaster Community Center Auditorium at &lt;strong&gt;Crowder College&lt;/strong&gt;.  Friday &amp;amp; Saturday – 7:30 p.m., Sunday – 2:30 p.m.  General Admission - $6 / Crowder Students &amp;amp; Senior Citizens - $4 / Under 12 Free.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Patriot’s Day Parade&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Neosho Exchange Club and the Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a Patriot’s Day Parade on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, September 15&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt; at 10:30 a.m.  This parade will honor our Military, Veterans and Emergency Services Personnel.  If you are interested in participating, please contact our Chamber Office for a registration form.  There is no entry fee.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Fundraising Banquet for Care Net Pregnancy Resource Center of Neosho&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;You are invited to attend the 4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Fundraising Banquet for &lt;strong&gt;Care Net Pregnancy Resource Center of Neosho&lt;/strong&gt; on &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Thursday, September 20&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;at 6:30 p.m. at &lt;strong&gt;The Civic&lt;/strong&gt;.  Join them for an evening full of humor, challenge, vision and hope.  Dinner and entertainment is no cost to you.  Guest speaker will be Kirk Walden.  Kirk is a one-time professional golfer, writer and pregnancy center director.  He is founder of LifeTrends, a company assisting life affirming ministries across America and now the world.  Call 455-0100 to reserve you seat.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Trout Run Bicycle Century Tour&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;ACCESS Family Care&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;, Bicycle Specialists, and &lt;strong&gt;Harris Insurance Agency&lt;/strong&gt; are sponsoring the Inaugural Trout Run Bicycle Century Tour on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, September 22&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  Cyclists from across the area depart the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho National Fish Hatchery&lt;/strong&gt; at 7:30am, for rides of various lengths, 20, 50 and the longest a 100 mile route to Cassville and back.  &lt;span class="st"&gt;Funds raised through this event provide dental care for underprivileged school children as well as benefit the Joplin Trail Coalition in maintaining area hiking and biking trails.  &lt;/span&gt;For more information, contact Don McBride at &lt;a href="mailto:dmcbride@accessfamilycare.org" target="_blank"&gt;dmcbride@accessfamilycare.org&lt;/a&gt; or 451-9450, ext. 212 or visit &lt;a href="http://www.troutrun.us" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.troutrun.us" target="_blank"&gt;www.troutrun.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Big Smitty Concert&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Big Smitty in Concert on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, September 22&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 7:00 p.m. at &lt;strong&gt;The Civic&lt;/strong&gt;.  Tickets - $10.00.  All funds go to &lt;strong&gt;support Faithful Friends Animal Advocates&lt;/strong&gt;.  If you would like to reserve a table, please email &lt;a href="mailto:ffaaneosho@yahoo.com" target="_blank"&gt;ffaaneosho@yahoo.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Arts Council is Calling All Artists!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Neosho Fall Harvest Arts &amp;amp; Crafts Festival is just around the corner and the Neosho Arts Council is inviting local dance studios and solo or small musician groups to perform on the Civic Stage.  To schedule a time to perform, please contact Rachel Dobbs at &lt;a href="mailto:rachel.e.dobbs@gmail.com" target="_blank"&gt;rachel.e.dobbs@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;.  Performances will be scheduled between 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., &lt;em&gt;Saturday, October 6&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;  Artists wanting to display their artwork or photography are encouraged to contact the Neosho Arts Council, also.  Booths in the Civic are available at no cost thanks to the support of NAC, but spots are filling up fast so RSVP ASAP! &lt;em&gt;Come share your talents with the community&amp;#8230;hope to see you there!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Trivia Night&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Our Membership Services Committee invites you to enroll a team for our 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt; Annual “Trivia Night – University of Useless Knowledge” to be held on &lt;em&gt;Friday, October 19&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at the &lt;strong&gt;Lampo Building&lt;/strong&gt;.  Social mixer at 6:30 p.m. with trivia beginning at 7:00 p.m.  Enrollment fee is $100/table of 8 players.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Farmers’ Market&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho’s Farmers’ Market is every &lt;em&gt;Thursday &lt;/em&gt;from 8:00 a.m. – noon at &lt;strong&gt;Freeman Neosho Hospital&lt;/strong&gt; in the old Beverly Building Lot (south of &lt;strong&gt;Clark Funeral Home&lt;/strong&gt;). &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Community Profile and Business Directory&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Encore Publishing&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; will be contacting you about advertising in the 2013 edition of the &lt;u&gt;Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Community Profile and Business Directory&lt;/u&gt;&lt;em&gt;.  &lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If you haven’t already completed and returned your listing form with any corrections, please do so your free listings are accurate&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Have a Great Week!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Shana Griffin&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Executive Director&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Like us on Facebook at &lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com/neoshocc" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com/neoshocc" target="_blank"&gt;www.facebook.com/neoshocc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;           &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/30599842030</link><guid>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/30599842030</guid><pubDate>Fri, 31 Aug 2012 14:14:39 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Weekly Newsletter </title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoSubtitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoTitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;What’s Happening the Week of 8/27/12&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h1&gt;&lt;span&gt;P.O. Box 605&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 216 West Spring Street &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; Neosho, MO 64850&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 417-451-1925&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;h5&gt;Mark Your Calendars!&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Agriculture Committee Meeting &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Tuesday, August 28&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;at 9:00 a.m. at our Chamber Office.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Ribbon Cutting / New Member Welcome &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Tuesday, August 28&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;at 2:00 p.m. at &lt;strong&gt;Express Employment Professionals &lt;/strong&gt;at 1721 LaQuesta Dr., Suite 1.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Ribbon Cutting / New Member Welcome &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Wednesday, August 29&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;at 11:30 a.m. at &lt;strong&gt;Mohawk Electric &lt;/strong&gt;at 1314 Landis Rd.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Ribbon Cutting / New Member Welcome &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Thursday, August30&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;at 10:00 a.m. at &lt;strong&gt;Care Net Pregnancy Resource Center of Neosho &lt;/strong&gt;at 1015&amp;#160;S. Neosho Blvd.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Ribbon Cutting &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Thursday, August 30&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;at 10:30 a.m. at &lt;strong&gt;Lambert Vet Supply &lt;/strong&gt;at 13062 Laura Lane. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h5&gt;Summer Social on the Square / Bathtub Race&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Thanks to everyone who made our 7&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Summer Social on the Square a great success!  The weather was perfect!  The Bathtub Races were a big hit and congratulations to &lt;strong&gt;Premier Turbines&lt;/strong&gt;!  Please check out our Facebook page to see photos!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;26&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Industrial Golf Tournament&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Registration is filling up quickly!  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;The 26&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Industrial Golf Tournament will be &lt;em&gt;Thursday, September 6&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Golf Course&lt;/strong&gt; at 12:30 p.m.  A lunch will be held at 11:30 a.m.  The Golf Tournament is a two-person scramble with a $60.00 entry fee per golfer.  For more information or to receive a registration form, please contact Kathy at &lt;a href="mailto:kathy@neoshocc.com" target="_blank"&gt;kathy@neoshocc.com&lt;/a&gt; or 451-1925.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Taste of Home Cooking School&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Tickets will go on sale Monday, August 27&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;!  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Taste of Home Cooking School will be &lt;em&gt;Tuesday, October 2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at &lt;strong&gt;The Civic&lt;/strong&gt;.  Tickets are $12 per person (General Admission) or $25 per person (VIP Admission – preferred seating, meet and greet with culinary specialist before show and signed cookbook).  Tickets are available at the following locations:  &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Daily News&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Mills Park Centre Furniture &amp;amp; Mattress&lt;/strong&gt; and our Chamber Office.  Donations to be used in goody bags and for door prizes are needed.  Any Chamber Member who would like to donate items should call our office.  This is an excellent opportunity to promote your business.  The event brings a sell-out crowd of 900 people to The Civic and our community.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h5&gt;First Friday Coffee&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Center for Seniors &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;will host September’s First Friday Coffee on &lt;em&gt;September 7&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. at 1017 Carl Sweeney Parkway.  &lt;em&gt;Take this opportunity to meet and visit with fellow Chamber members!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Faithful Friends Animal Advocates – Petfinder Shelter Challenge&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Faithful Friends Animal Advocates&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; encourages you to vote for them in the Petfinder Shelter Challenge now through September 16&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;!  Vote at &lt;a href="http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Put Faithful Friends in the shelter name, MO for the state, and then whatever comes next, and vote every day! &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Open House&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Care Net Pregnancy Resource Center of Neosho&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt; will host their Open House on &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Friday, September 7&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. at 1015&amp;#160;S. Neosho Blvd.  Enjoy refreshments and see their ultrasound equipment plus meet their RNs who will be performing the scans.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Prairie Day&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;George Washington Carver National Monument&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; invites you to Prairie Day on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, September 8&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  This annual event is held in conjunction with Gem City Days in Diamond and is free of charge.  Activities include demonstrations of quilting, edible and medicinal plants, wool spinning, Dutch-oven cooking, lye soap-making, laundry, basket weaving, prairie animals and birds, and many more exhibits and activities will be set up across the park grounds.  The park visitor center will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and concessions will be offered by the Carver Birthplace Association.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Day of Service 2012&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Neosho Area Clergy Coalition invites you to their “Day of Service” on &lt;em&gt;Sunday, September 9&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 2:00 p.m. at Big Spring Park.  From 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. teams will be working throughout Neosho.  From 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. there will be a cookout and fellowship.  They need multiple teams for the following:  house cleaning and general help for the elderly, sidewalk clean-up, weed-eating, mowing, trash pick-up and other ways of serving Neosho.  For more information, call (417) 540-1066. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Silver Follies – “Our Little Town”&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Silver Follies will present “Our Little Town” &lt;em&gt;September 14&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; – 16&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at the Elsie Plaster Community Center Auditorium at &lt;strong&gt;Crowder College&lt;/strong&gt;.  Friday &amp;amp; Saturday – 7:30 p.m., Sunday – 2:30 p.m.  General Admission - $6 / Crowder Students &amp;amp; Senior Citizens - $4 / Under 12 Free.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Patriot’s Day Parade&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Neosho Exchange Club and the Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a Patriot’s Day Parade on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, September 15&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt; at 10:30 a.m.  This parade will honor our Military, Veterans and Emergency Services Personnel.  If you are interested in participating, please contact our Chamber Office for a registration form.  There is no entry fee.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Four Days in the Four States” – The Ultimate Homeschool Convention&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Four Days in the Four States” – The Ultimate Homeschool Convention will be held &lt;em&gt;September 16&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; – 19&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  This is an unconventional homeschool convention that combines the beauty of the Four States with educational tours of our famous sites and entertainment each evening.  Visit &lt;a href="http://www.4daysinthe4states.com" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.4daysinthe4states.com" target="_blank"&gt;www.4daysinthe4states.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt; for more information and to register.  Cost is $85 for a family of eight inclusive for the whole convention.  Like them on Facebook and Twitter at &lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com/4daysinthe4states" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com/4daysinthe4states" target="_blank"&gt;www.facebook.com/4daysinthe4states&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/4d4s" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/4d4s" target="_blank"&gt;www.twitter.com/4d4s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Please share with your employees, family and friends!  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Fundraising Banquet for Care Net Pregnancy Resource Center of Neosho&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;You are invited to attend the 4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Fundraising Banquet for &lt;strong&gt;Care Net Pregnancy Resource Center of Neosho&lt;/strong&gt; on &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Thursday, September 20&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;at 6:30 p.m. at &lt;strong&gt;The Civic&lt;/strong&gt;.  Join them for an evening full of humor, challenge, vision and hope.  Dinner and entertainment is no cost to you.  Guest speaker will be Kirk Walden.  Kirk is a one-time professional golfer, writer and pregnancy center director.  He is founder of LifeTrends, a company assisting life affirming ministries across America and now the world.  Call 455-0100 to reserve you seat.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Trout Run Bicycle Century Tour&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;ACCESS Family Care&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;, Bicycle Specialists, and &lt;strong&gt;Harris Insurance Agency&lt;/strong&gt; are sponsoring the Inaugural Trout Run Bicycle Century Tour on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, September 22&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  Cyclists from across the area depart the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho National Fish Hatchery&lt;/strong&gt; at 7:30am, for rides of various lengths, 20, 50 and the longest a 100 mile route to Cassville and back.  &lt;span class="st"&gt;Funds raised through this event provide dental care for underprivileged school children as well as benefit the Joplin Trail Coalition in maintaining area hiking and biking trails.  &lt;/span&gt;The Trout Run is seeking sponsors for various stops.  For more information, contact Don McBride at &lt;a href="mailto:dmcbride@accessfamilycare.org" target="_blank"&gt;dmcbride@accessfamilycare.org&lt;/a&gt; or 451-9450, ext. 212 or visit &lt;a href="http://www.troutrun.us" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.troutrun.us" target="_blank"&gt;www.troutrun.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Big Smitty Concert&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Big Smitty in Concert on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, September 22&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 7:00 p.m. at &lt;strong&gt;The Civic&lt;/strong&gt;.  Tickets - $10.00.  All funds go to &lt;strong&gt;support Faithful Friends Animal Advocates&lt;/strong&gt;.  If you would like to reserve a table, please email &lt;a href="mailto:ffaaneosho@yahoo.com" target="_blank"&gt;ffaaneosho@yahoo.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Arts Council is Calling All Artists!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Neosho Fall Harvest Arts &amp;amp; Crafts Festival is just around the corner and the Neosho Arts Council is inviting local dance studios and solo or small musician groups to perform on the Civic Stage.  To schedule a time to perform, please contact Rachel Dobbs at &lt;a href="mailto:rachel.e.dobbs@gmail.com" target="_blank"&gt;rachel.e.dobbs@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;.  Performances will be scheduled between 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., &lt;em&gt;Saturday, October 6&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;  Artists wanting to display their artwork or photography are encouraged to contact the Neosho Arts Council, also.  Booths in the Civic are available at no cost thanks to the support of NAC, but spots are filling up fast so RSVP ASAP! Come share your talents with the community&amp;#8230;hope to see you there!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Trivia Night&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Our Membership Services Committee invites you to enroll a team for our 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt; Annual “Trivia Night – University of Useless Knowledge” to be held on &lt;em&gt;Friday, October 19&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at the &lt;strong&gt;Lampo Building&lt;/strong&gt;.  Social mixer at 6:30 p.m. with trivia beginning at 7:00 p.m.  Enrollment fee is $100/table of 8 players.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Farmers’ Market&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho’s Farmers’ Market is every &lt;em&gt;Thursday &lt;/em&gt;from 8:00 a.m. – noon at &lt;strong&gt;Freeman Neosho Hospital&lt;/strong&gt; in the old Beverly Building Lot (south of &lt;strong&gt;Clark Funeral Home&lt;/strong&gt;). &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Community Profile and Business Directory&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Encore Publishing&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; will be contacting you about advertising in the 2013 edition of the &lt;u&gt;Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Community Profile and Business Directory&lt;/u&gt;&lt;em&gt;.  &lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If you haven’t already completed and returned your listing form with any corrections, please do so your free listings are accurate&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho R-5 School District Character Education Program&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The September Character Word for the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho R-5 School District &lt;/strong&gt;Character Word of the Month is:  &lt;strong&gt;“Self-Control” – taking charge of yourself and your behavior as well as making good choices and being accountable for your own decisions&lt;/strong&gt;.  Please incorporate this in your business and place it on your marquee.  Let’s show our Wildcat support!!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Chamber Hours&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h5 align="left"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Your Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Office will be closed for Labor Day, &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;Monday, September 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/30117595215</link><guid>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/30117595215</guid><pubDate>Fri, 24 Aug 2012 14:40:52 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>Nesoho Area Chamber of Commerce Weekly Newsletter</title><description>&lt;p class="MsoSubtitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoTitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;What’s Happening the Week of 7/30/12&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h1&gt;&lt;span&gt;P.O. Box 605&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 216 West Spring Street &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; Neosho, MO 64850&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 417-451-1925&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;h5&gt;Mark Your Calendars!&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Ribbon Cutting &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Thursday, August 2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;at 10:00 a.m. at &lt;strong&gt;Verla’s Re-Sale &lt;/strong&gt;at 115&amp;#160;S. Neosho Blvd., Suite I.  Come welcome her at her new location. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;First Friday Coffee &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Friday, August 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;from 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. at &lt;strong&gt;American Family Insurance – Bobby Bryant &lt;/strong&gt;at 2020 LaQuesta Dr.  &lt;em&gt;Hope to see you there! &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h5&gt;New Teachers’ Tour Gift Bags&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;span&gt;Deadline for the New Teachers’ Tour gift bag items is &lt;em&gt;Monday, July 30&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;!  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;This is a unique opportunity for you to target potential new customers and to make them aware of the goods and services your business offers.  If you would like to contribute a coupon or promotional gift, please bring it by the Chamber office by &lt;em&gt;July 30&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  55 new teachers will gather &lt;em&gt;Wednesday, August 8&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;to be welcomed and treated to a tour of our community followed by lunch at &lt;strong&gt;Crowder College&lt;/strong&gt; sponsored by &lt;strong&gt;Arvest Bank&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Boulevard Bank&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Community Bank &amp;amp; Trust&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;First Community Bank&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Hometown Bank&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Southwest Missouri Bank&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;The Cornerstone Bank of Goodman&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;US Bank&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h5&gt;Board of Directors Election Ballots&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Deadline for casting your ballot for Board of Directors is &lt;em&gt;Monday, August 6&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  All &lt;strong&gt;ORIGINAL &lt;/strong&gt;ballots must be &lt;strong&gt;RECEIVED &lt;/strong&gt;in the Chamber &lt;strong&gt;no later than 4:30 p.m. &lt;/strong&gt;(postmarked by then will not work).  Remember:  &lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;ONLY&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; the original ballot will be counted – &lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;no faxes or photocopies&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Summer Reading Program Closing Day Party&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;Neosho/Newton County Library&lt;/strong&gt; will host their closing day party for their Summer Reading Program on &lt;em&gt;Tuesday, July 31&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.  They invite businesses to come and provide a game or food or drink item.  They are planning for around 100 children, plus parents/grandparents.  This is a good opportunity for the local business community to join them in celebrating the children’s hard work this summer.  If you are interested or have additional questions, please contact Alene Bishop at 451-4231.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Farmers’ Market&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho’s Farmers’ Market is every &lt;em&gt;Thursday &lt;/em&gt;from 8:00 a.m. – noon at &lt;strong&gt;Freeman Neosho Hospital&lt;/strong&gt; in the old Beverly Building Lot (south of &lt;strong&gt;Clark Funeral Home&lt;/strong&gt;). &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;7&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Summer Social on the Square&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Our Downtown Events Committee challenges your business or organization to participate in our 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Bathtub Races at the 7&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Summer Social on the Square that will be held on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, August 18&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. on our Historic Downtown Square.  &lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;If your business or club is interested in setting up a booth and provide a free kids’ game, please contact our office by &lt;em&gt;Tuesday, July 31&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;!  &lt;/em&gt;Our focus is to provide children of all ages an end of summer event with lots of fun and games with little or no expense to them or their parents.  The event will conclude with our “Cinema in the Park”.  &lt;strong&gt;Contact our Chamber Office for more information!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Cinema in the Park&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;We are looking for a business or organization to sponsor our Cinema in the Park to be held on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, August 18&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt; following the Summer Social on the Square.  Please contact our Chamber Office for more information&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Retirement Reception&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;You are cordially invited to a reception in honor of Rick Butler&amp;#8217;s recent retirement from &lt;strong&gt;Boulevard Bank&lt;/strong&gt; on &lt;em&gt;Wednesday, August 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the &lt;strong&gt;Lampo Building&lt;/strong&gt;.  Rick has requested no presents, but please come and share the memories of his 32 years in the banking profession.  Casual attire is OK!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Customer Appreciation Day&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Dr. Fly’s Salon&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; invites you to their “Customer Appreciation Day” on &lt;em&gt;Sunday, August 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from noon – 4:00 p.m. at 920 Neosho Blvd., Suite D.  They will be grilling, giving away door prizes, discounted products, and glitter tattoos.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;14&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Ronald McDonald House Golf Tournament&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The 14&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual &lt;strong&gt;Ronald McDonald House&lt;/strong&gt; Golf Tournament will be &lt;em&gt;Thursday, August 16&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 1:00 p.m. at Twin Hills Golf &amp;amp; Country Club – Joplin.  4-Person scramble - $600 per team or $150 per person.  There will be door prizes, dinner and awards.  Hole sponsorship is available at $150.  For more information or to register, please call (417) 624-2273.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;California New Year’s Getaway Trip&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;We are planning a trip to California for a New Year’s Getaway featuring the Tournament of Roses Parade departing on &lt;em&gt;December 29&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  On this 5 day tour, you will view the floats, Bandfest, New Year’s Eve Party and Tournament of Roses Parade.  &lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;We will have a Trip Presentation on &lt;em&gt;Thursday, August 16&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 6:00 p.m.&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; at &lt;strong&gt;GalaxSea Cruises &amp;amp; Tours &lt;/strong&gt;at 210&amp;#160;N. Hwy. 71.  For more information, contact Ken Mayer of &lt;strong&gt;GalaxSea Cruises &amp;amp; Tours &lt;/strong&gt;at 451-5468.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Brunch and Your Business” Seminar&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Mark your calendars! &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; A “Brunch and Your Business” Seminarwill be held on &lt;em&gt;Tuesday, August 21&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. at the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho R-5 School District Administrative Building &lt;/strong&gt;at 418 Fairground Rd.  The program will be &lt;strong&gt;“To be…or not to be social” – Social Media for Small Business”&lt;/strong&gt; with guest speakers Lori Marble and Claire Faucett.  They will discuss social media platforms, message formulation, scheduling and monitoring, in an effort to help you pull it all together in a combination that best suits you and your business.  Topics include:  Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+ and Hootsuite.  This will be a free seminar!  Enjoy a complimentary morning brunch provided by the Neosho R-5 School District.  Reservations required by noon, &lt;em&gt;Thursday, August 16&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;! &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Four Days in the Four States” – The Ultimate Homeschool Convention&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Four Days in the Four States” – The Ultimate Homeschool Convention will be held &lt;em&gt;September 16&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; – 19&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  This is an unconventional homeschool convention that combines the beauty of the Four States with educational tours of our famous sites and entertainment each evening.  Visit &lt;a href="http://www.4daysinthe4states.com" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.4daysinthe4states.com" target="_blank"&gt;www.4daysinthe4states.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt; for more information and to register.  Cost is $85 for a family of six inclusive for the whole convention.  Like them on Facebook and Twitter at &lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com/4daysinthe4states" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com/4daysinthe4states" target="_blank"&gt;www.facebook.com/4daysinthe4states&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/4d4s" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/4d4s" target="_blank"&gt;www.twitter.com/4d4s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Please share with your employees, family and friends!  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Trout Run Bicycle Century Tour&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;ACCESS Family Care&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;, Bicycle Specialists, and &lt;strong&gt;Harris Insurance Agency&lt;/strong&gt; are sponsoring the Inaugural Trout Run Bicycle Century Tour on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, September 22&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  Cyclists from across the area depart the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho National Fish Hatchery&lt;/strong&gt; at 7:30am, for rides of various lengths, 20, 50 and the longest a 100 mile route to Cassville and back.  &lt;span class="st"&gt;Funds raised through this event provide dental care for underprivileged school children as well as benefit the Joplin Trail Coalition in maintaining area hiking and biking trails.  &lt;/span&gt;The Trout Run is seeking sponsors for various stops.  For more information, contact Don McBride at &lt;a href="mailto:dmcbride@accessfamilycare.org" target="_blank"&gt;dmcbride@accessfamilycare.org&lt;/a&gt; or 451-9450, ext. 212 or visit &lt;a href="http://www.troutrun.us" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.troutrun.us" target="_blank"&gt;www.troutrun.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Trivia Night&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Our Membership Services Committee will host the 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt; Annual “Trivia Night – University of Useless Knowledge” on &lt;em&gt;Friday, October 19&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at the &lt;strong&gt;Lampo Building&lt;/strong&gt;.  Get your team together!  Mark your calendars and be watching for more details!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Community Profile and Business Directory&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Advertising sales for the 2013 edition of the &lt;u&gt;Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Community Profile and Business Directory&lt;/u&gt; began in &lt;em&gt;June.  &lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Encore Publishing&lt;/strong&gt; will be contacting you about advertising in this publication.  &lt;strong&gt;Complete and return your listing form with any corrections to assure that your free listings are accurate&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho R-5 School District Character Education Program&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The August Character Word for the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho R-5 School District &lt;/strong&gt;Character Word of the Month is:  &lt;strong&gt;“Commitment – giving 100% in all that I do as a student and in my personal life; to be the best that I can be&lt;/strong&gt;.  Please incorporate this in your business and place it on your marquee.  Let’s show our Wildcat support!!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/28145911696</link><guid>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/28145911696</guid><pubDate>Fri, 27 Jul 2012 15:23:27 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>Family Market | July's Employer of the Month</title><link>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/27646048930</link><guid>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/27646048930</guid><pubDate>Fri, 20 Jul 2012 15:12:00 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Weekly Newsletter </title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoSubtitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoTitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;What’s Happening the Week of 7/2/12&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h1&gt;&lt;span&gt;P.O. Box 605&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 216 West Spring Street &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; Neosho, MO 64850&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 417-451-1925&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;h5 align="left"&gt; &lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;h5&gt;Chamber Hours&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Your Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce will be closed &lt;em&gt;Wednesday, July 4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;in observance of Independence Day.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h5&gt;New Teachers’ Tour Gift Bags&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;We are accepting items for gift bags for the New Teachers Tour.  This is a unique opportunity for you to target potential new customers and to make them aware of the goods and services your business offers.  If you would like to contribute a coupon or promotional gift, please bring it by the Chamber office by &lt;em&gt;July 30&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  We are gathering items for 55 bags.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Chamber Does Not Endorse Hometown Productions City/County Map&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;We have been informed that Hometown Productions is making phone calls selling advertising for a Neosho/Newton County Map.  The Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce does not endorse the Hometown Productions map.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Amazing Spider-Man Secrets Unmasked Tour&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Amazing Spider-Man Secrets Unmasked Tour will be held at &lt;strong&gt;Wal-Mart&lt;/strong&gt; on &lt;em&gt;Wednesday, July 4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at 3200 Lusk Dr.  There will be free toys, snacks and a spider-man photo opp.  Bring your kids for a lot of fun!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;2012 Emerging Technologies for Business, Home and Education&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;GNA Technologies&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; invites you to their 2012 Emerging Technologies for Business, Home and Education on &lt;em&gt;Tuesday, July 10&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 1:00 – 7:00 p.m. at &lt;strong&gt;The Civic&lt;/strong&gt;.  Come meet the GNA crew and see the hottest technologies for 2012!  Come to this free come-and-go event!  Learn more about Camera Systems, Phone Systems, Building Access Control, Time Clock Management, Computer/Hardware/Backup, Data Cabling, Fiber Optic Cabling, Home Theater and Audio Visual Solutions and Security Alarm Systems.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Second Friday Coffee&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoBodyText2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;GalaxSea Cruises &amp;amp; Tour s&lt;/u&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;will host July’s Second Friday Coffee on &lt;em&gt;July 13&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. at 210&amp;#160;N. Hwy. 71.  This will be held on the 2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt; Friday due to the 4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; of July Holiday!  &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Mark your calendars to attend!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoBodyText2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Cinema in the Park&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;If your business is interested in sponsoring July’s “Cinema in the Park”, please contact our Chamber Office.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Farmers’ Market&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho’s Farmers’ Market will be held every &lt;em&gt;Thursday &lt;/em&gt;from 8:00 a.m. – noon at &lt;strong&gt;Freeman Neosho Hospital&lt;/strong&gt; in the old Beverly Building Lot (south of &lt;strong&gt;Clark Funeral Home&lt;/strong&gt;). &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;7&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Summer Social on the Square&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Our Downtown Events Committee will host the 7&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Summer Social on the Square on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, August 18&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. on our Historic Downtown Square.  Our focus is to provide children of all ages an end of summer event with lots of fun and games with little or no expense to them or their parents.  That is why we ask that each participant provide free kids’ games.  If your business or club is interested in participating, please contact our Chamber Office.  The event will conclude with our “Cinema in the Park”.  &lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;We challenge your business or organization to participate in our 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Bathtub Races&lt;/u&gt;!  It will be a lot of fun!  Contact our Chamber Office for more information!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Community Profile and Business Directory&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Advertising sales for the 2013 edition of the &lt;u&gt;Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Community Profile and Business Directory&lt;/u&gt; began &lt;em&gt;June 18&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;.  &lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Encore Publishing&lt;/strong&gt; will be contacting you about advertising in this publication.  &lt;strong&gt;Complete and return your listing form with any corrections to assure that your free listings are accurate&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Springfield Cardinals Game&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Don’t forget to purchase your tickets to attend “Neosho Night” at the Springfield Cardinals game on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, July 21&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  The game begins at 6:08 p.m.  Tickets are $7.00 each.  Purchase your tickets now!  Ray Stipp, Citizen of the Year will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.  For more information or to reserve your tickets, call our Chamber Office.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Neosho Night” T-Shirts&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Neosho Night” T-Shirts are now available for order at &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Graphics&lt;/strong&gt;.  Shirts are $4.00 each for Youth Small through Adult Extra Large, with an additional $1.00 for each size over XL.  If you would like the name of your business, team, or organization printed on the back of the shirt, extra charge of $1.50. (Sales tax is not included in this price list.) The shirts will be Red with white and black lettering. This is a great way to show Neosho Spirit during the game! Place orders in person at Neosho Graphics at 13103 Kodiak Rd, over the phone at 451-0677 or via email &lt;a href="mailto:neoshographics@msn.com" target="_blank"&gt;neoshographics@msn.com&lt;/a&gt; . &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Carver Day&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;George Washington Carver National Monument&lt;/strong&gt; invites you to their Carver Day Celebration on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, July 14&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.  There will be exhibitors, music performers, storytelling, guided tours, education programs and activities for kids.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Summer Shampooch&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Faithful Friends Animal Advocates&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; invites you to their Dog Wash Fundraising event “Summer Shampooch” on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, July 28&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the Neosho Powersports Car Wash located at 728&amp;#160;W. Harmony St.  Prices vary by size of dog/puppy.  For more information, contact &lt;a href="mailto:ffaaneosho@yahoo.com" target="_blank"&gt;ffaaneosho@yahoo.com&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;California New Year’s Getaway Trip&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;We are planning a trip to California for a New Year’s Getaway featuring the Tournament of Roses Parade departing on &lt;em&gt;December 29&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  On this 5 day tour, you will view the floats, Bandfest, New Year’s Eve Party and Tournament of Roses Parade.  &lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;We will have a Trip Presentation on &lt;em&gt;Thursday, August 16&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 6:00 p.m.&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; at &lt;strong&gt;GalaxSea Cruises &amp;amp; Tours &lt;/strong&gt;at 210&amp;#160;N. Hwy. 71.  For more information, contact Ken Mayer of &lt;strong&gt;GalaxSea Cruises &amp;amp; Tours &lt;/strong&gt;at 451-5468.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Bottled Water for Board Room Meetings&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;We are getting more groups that are utilizing our Board Room for meetings and we are in need of bottled water!  If you have labeled bottled water, please bring it to our Chamber Office.  This is a great way to promote your business at these meetings!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho R-5 School District Character Education Program&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The July Character Word for the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho R-5 School District &lt;/strong&gt;Character Word of the Month is:  &lt;strong&gt;“Patriotism” – showing love and loyalty for our community, our state, and the United States of America&lt;/strong&gt;.  Please incorporate this in your business and place it on your marquee.  Let’s show our Wildcat support!!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/26160555029</link><guid>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/26160555029</guid><pubDate>Fri, 29 Jun 2012 15:10:16 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>Midway Machining Co. | June's Employer of the Month</title><description>&lt;p&gt;Please join the Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce in congratulating Midway Machining Company, June’s Employer of the Month. With 30 employees, and plans to hire more, things are good at Midway Machining. The employees at Midway work four ten hour shifts per week leaving time off to spend with family. There is also a four person second shift. When asked if the recession had affected business, Bill Barnard replied “we were affected, everyone was affected but now we’re back and better than ever.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Nestled on a hill between Neosho to Joplin, many of us who travel Gateway Drive have wondered what exactly they do at Midway Machining. This is not surprising, although they ship all over the U.S. and Canada, they only have one customer in the state of Missouri.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As certified vendors for the aerospace industry, Midway Machining does work for the Air Force with regularity. They deal mostly with Military contracts and they do their share of sub-contracting with other companies who sell to various branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. These vendors being limited, there are only certain companies that Midway Machining can sell their products to. Midway Machining mainintains an AS 9100 certification, they also have a comprehensive quality management system. When asked if every customer is as picky as the Air Force, Bill Barnard replied “Our Quality Management System used is the same whether we are shipping to a huge operation or a tiny one”.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;They also deal with many single piece orders, meaning that Midway Machining is contracted to create a single piece or part for a company. This is unusual in the industry because of the setup work (tooling) and costs involved with producing a single part. Some parts that Midway Machining Company offers are made exclusively by Midway Machining, meaning that those parts aren’t available for order from any other manufacturer in the world. The tolerance with these parts is amazingly small, meaning that the parts produced at the machine shop are held to very high standards of accuracy. All parts are color coded according to their end use and priority level. Each part is accompanied by a ‘Traveler’ which is a document up to five pages long that includes detailed instructions and guidelines for that specific part.  Midway Machining usually works within a 24 to 48 week lead time. All of the parts manufactured at Midway Machining are customer designed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Over the last 40 years or so, Midway Machining has carved out a niche in the aerospace industry, and we’re proud to say they’ve done it from Neosho! Again, please join the Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce in congratulating Midway Machining, June’s Employer of the Month.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mn7Cm7UsVs" title="Midway Machining Employer of the Month Video" target="_blank"&gt;Midway Machining Employer of the Month Video&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/25387086384</link><guid>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/25387086384</guid><pubDate>Mon, 18 Jun 2012 16:27:00 -0500</pubDate><category>Midway Machining</category><category>Aerospace</category><category>AS 9100</category><category>quality management</category><category>neosho mo</category><category>Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce</category></item><item><title>Nesoho Area Chamber of Commerce Weekly Newsletter</title><description>&lt;p&gt;Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce What’s Happening the Week of 6/18/12 P.O. Box 605 • 216 West Spring Street • Neosho, MO 64850 • 417-451-1925 Mark Your Calendars! Board Meeting – Thursday, June 21st at 11:00 a.m. at the Wright Conference Center at Crowder College. Quarterly Luncheon – Thursday, June 21st at noon at the Wright Conference Center at Crowder College. The program will be an “Industrial Update”. Come hear what is happening at our local industries. Cost is $10.00 per person with an advanced reservation. RSVP to our Chamber Office by Tuesday, June 19th! Board of Directors Nominations Nomination indication forms for the Board of Directors have been mailed to all qualified members. Anyone interested in running for the Board must return the form along with their signed “Commitment to Serve” by Friday, June 29th. An election ballot will be sent out to the entire membership in Mid-July. The new Board of Directors will serve the Chamber from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2015. The Board meets on the third Thursday of each month at 8:30 a.m. 7th Annual Summer Social on the Square Our Downtown Events Committee will host the 7th Annual Summer Social on the Square on Saturday, August 18th from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. on our Historic Downtown Square. Our focus is to provide children of all ages an end of summer event with lots of fun and games with little or no expense to them or their parents. That is why we ask that each participant provide free kids’ games. If your business or club is interested in participating, please contact our Chamber Office. The event will conclude with our “Cinema in the Park”. We challenge your business or organization to participate in our 1st Annual Bathtub Races! It will be a lot of fun! Contact our Chamber Office for more information! Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Community Profile and Business Directory Advertising sales for the 2013 edition of the Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Community Profile and Business Directory will begin June 18th. Encore Publishing will be contacting you about advertising in this publication. Complete and return your listing form with any corrections to assure that your free listings are accurate. Springfield Cardinals Game Don’t forget to purchase your tickets to attend “Neosho Night” at the Springfield Cardinals game on Saturday, July 21st. The game begins at 6:08 p.m. Tickets are $7.00 each. Purchase your tickets now! Ray Stipp, Citizen of the Year will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. For more information or to reserve your tickets, call our Chamber Office. “Neosho Night” T-Shirts Neosho Night at the Springfield Cardinals T-Shirts are now available for order at Neosho Graphics. Shirts are $4.00 each for Youth Small through Adult Extra Large, with an additional $1.00 for each size over XL. If you would like the name of your business, team, or organization printed on the back of the shirt, extra charge of $1.50. (Sales tax is not included in this price list.) The shirts will be Red with white and black lettering. This is a great way to show Neosho Spirit during the game! Place orders in person at Neosho Graphics at 13103 Kodiak Rd, over the phone at 417-451-0677, or via email neoshographics@msn.com . Bottled Water for Board Room Meetings We are getting more groups that are utilizing our Board Room for meetings and we are in need of bottled water! If you have labeled bottled water, please bring it to our Chamber Office. This is a great way to promote your business at these meetings! Farmers’ Market Neosho’s Farmers’ Market will be held every Thursday from 8:00 a.m. – noon at Freeman Neosho Hospital in the old Beverly Building Lot (south of Clark Funeral Home). 4th of July Celebration Medicalodges Neosho &amp;amp; Gran Villas invite you to a fun filled evening on Friday, June 29th at 7:00 p.m. There will be food, fun and fireworks! $3.00 cheeseburger-hot dog-polish sausage baskets, watermelon &amp;amp; soda. Bring your lawn chairs. Live music featuring the “Oxford Brothers Band” and Ashley McCready. “Celebrate Neosho” The City of Neosho invites you to “Celebrate Neosho” on Saturday, June 30th! Events kick-off at 6:45 a.m. with a 5K Run on Walking Trail/Soccer Fields; 9:00 a.m. – Kids Fishing along Hickory Creek, Car &amp;amp; Bike Show on Square and at 6:00 p.m. events at Hugh Robinson Airport that will include local musicians and vendors, Magic by Moonlight Air Show and Fireworks! They are accepting applications for vendor booths and corporate sponsorships. They are also looking for volunteers to help at Celebrate Neosho. For more information, please contact Amy at 451-8090 or John at 451-8092. Be Involved in Girl Scouts this Summer Think that Girl Scouts is over once the school year ends? Think again! They have several camp sessions for girls of all ages starting on June 17th. All girls are welcome and do not have to be in a troop to enjoy camp. For more information check out their online camp guide at &lt;a href="http://www.girlscoutsmoheartland.org/pages/camp.php" target="_blank"&gt;www.girlscoutsmoheartland.org/pages/camp.php&lt;/a&gt; or contact Heather Duncan at (877) 312-4764 ext. 1211 or hduncan@girlscoutsmoheartland.org. They also welcome adults to be involved in Girl Scouting any time of the year. There are so many ways to volunteer and the best news is – No daughter or Girl Scout experience are required! Contact Becky Ledbetter at (877) 312-4764 ext. 1205 or bledbetter@girlscoutsmoheartland.org to learn more about these great volunteer opportunities. Second Friday Coffee American Family Insurance – Bobby Bryant will host July’s Second Friday Coffee on July 13th from 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. at 2020 LaQuesta Dr. This will be held on the 2nd Friday due to the 4th of July Holiday! Mark your calendars to attend! Carver Day The George Washington Carver National Monument invites you to their Carver Day Celebration on Saturday, July 14th from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. There will be exhibitors, music performers, storytelling, guided tours, education programs and activities for kids.&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/25179767604</link><guid>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/25179767604</guid><pubDate>Fri, 15 Jun 2012 16:03:50 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Weekly Newsletter </title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoSubtitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoTitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;What’s Happening the Week of 5/21/12&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h1&gt;&lt;span&gt;P.O. Box 605&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 216 West Spring Street &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; Neosho, MO 64850&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 417-451-1925&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;h5&gt;Mark Your Calendars!&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Eggs &amp;amp; Issues” Legislative Forum Brunch &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Friday, May 25&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;at 10:15 a.m. at the Wright Conference Center at &lt;strong&gt;Crowder College&lt;/strong&gt;.  Cost is $8.00.  Don’t miss this opportunity for questions and answers with your State Elected Officials!  &lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;RSVP by &lt;em&gt;Wednesday, May 23&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;!  &lt;/em&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Teachers of the Year&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Congratulations to Dan Lazure for being named this year’s Private School Teacher of the Year.  Mr. Lazure is a Social Science Teacher at &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Christian Schools&lt;/strong&gt;.  Congratulations to Madaline Ketcham, Sandy Haupt, Greg Capps and Keith Patterson for being named this year’s &lt;strong&gt;Neosho R-5 School District &lt;/strong&gt;Teachers of the Year.  Mrs. Ketcham is a 2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt; Grade Teacher at South Elementary, Mrs. Haupt is a 7&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Grade Teacher at Neosho Middle School, Mr. Capps is an Industrial Technology Teacher at Neosho Jr. High School and Mr. Patterson is a Special Education Teacher at Neosho High School.  Congratulations to Kali Bard for being named this year’s &lt;strong&gt;Crowder College &lt;/strong&gt;Teacher of the Year.  Thanks to the following businesses who donated items for their gift bags:  &lt;strong&gt;Angela’s Salon &amp;amp; Day Spa&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Dr. Fly’s Salon&lt;/strong&gt;, and &lt;strong&gt;Trouw Nutrition&lt;/strong&gt;.  We would like to thank our teachers for the outstanding jobs they do for our future leaders. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoBodyTextIndent"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Welcome to our Newest Members&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"&gt;Please add the following new members to your Business Directory:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;            Cindy’s Critter Care&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;            Cindy Mott&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;            320 Saint John St.; Neosho&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;            (417) 629-8032&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;            In-Your-Home Pet Sitting Service&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;            &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Inn&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;            Rick Mitchell&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;2500&amp;#160;S. Bus. 71 Hwy.; Neosho&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;451-6500          &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Lodging&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;            Neosho’s Normas Kitchen&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;            Ismail Balazi&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;            219&amp;#160;E. Main; Neosho&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;            455-0414&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;            Restaurant&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Neosho Night” at the Springfield Cardinals&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Neosho Night” at the Hammons Field to watch the Springfield Cardinals game will be &lt;em&gt;Saturday, July 21&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  The game begins at 6:08 p.m.  Tickets are $7.00 each.  Purchase your tickets now!  We encourage you to purchase a block of tickets for your employees to use as a company outing.  These tickets would be great to use as rewards or incentives.  For more information or to reserve your tickets, call our Chamber Office.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h5&gt;Board of Directors Nominations&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Nomination indication forms for the Board of Directors will be mailed to all qualified members the first week of June.  Anyone interested in running for the Board must return the form along with their signed “Commitment to Serve” by &lt;em&gt;Friday, June 29&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;.  &lt;/em&gt;An election ballot will be sent out to the entire membership in Mid-July.  The new Board of Directors will serve the Chamber from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2015.  The Board meets on the third Thursday of each month at 8:30 a.m.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Farmers’ Market&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho’s Farmers’ Market will begin on &lt;em&gt;Thursday, May 24&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 8:00 a.m. – noon at &lt;strong&gt;Freeman Neosho Hospital&lt;/strong&gt; in the old Beverly Building Lot (south of &lt;strong&gt;Clark Funeral Home&lt;/strong&gt;).  There will be seasonal vegetables, fruit, baked goods, eggs and plants!  The Farmers’ Market will be held every Thursday!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;BBQ on the Square – Community Appreciation Lunch&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Beimdiek Insurance&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; MegaFan Dome will host a BBQ on the Square – Community Appreciation Lunch on &lt;em&gt;Thursday, May 24&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt; from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.  They will be cooking up burgers and hot dogs &amp;amp; serving up refreshing drinks, all with a side of genuine appreciation for the great things going on in the Neosho community!  &lt;strong&gt;FREE&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span class="apple-converted-space"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;to attend, bring your friends, family, co-workers or anyone who&amp;#8217;s hungry. Look for the MegaFan Dome in front of the Courthouse.  In addition, they will have a balloon guy free for the kids.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Faithful Friends Animal Advocates – Petfinder Shelter Challenge&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Faithful Friends Animal Advocates&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; encourages you to vote for them in the Petfinder Shelter Challenge now through June 17&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;!  They are in 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; place in the state!  Vote at &lt;a href="http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Put Faithful Friends in the shelter name, MO for the state, and then whatever comes next, but vote every day!  Please spread the word to your co-workers, families and friends!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Granby House Weight Loss Challenge&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;Granby House&lt;/strong&gt; invites you to participate in their Weight Loss Challenge.  The contest begins May 22&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt; with final weight in on August 14&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;.  $10 to join and donations welcome.  Weigh in will be every Tuesday.  Prizes will be awarded each week for the biggest loser.  Sign up fees will go toward the grand prize and funds that are left will go in to the Granby House resident activities fund.  Minimum grand prize is $200.  For more information, contact Ruby or Tammy at (417) 472-6271.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h5&gt;First Friday Coffee&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Insurance Benefits Consultants &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;will host June’s First Friday Coffee on &lt;em&gt;June 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. at 735&amp;#160;W. Harmony, Suite D (next to &lt;strong&gt;Tyler’s Carpet&lt;/strong&gt;).  Take this opportunity to meet and visit with fellow Chamber members.  &lt;em&gt;Mark your calendars!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Be Involved in Girl Scouts this Summer&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Think that &lt;strong&gt;Girl Scouts&lt;/strong&gt; is over once the school year ends? Think again! They have several camp sessions for girls of all ages starting on June 17&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;.  All girls are welcome and do not have to be in a troop to enjoy camp. For more information check out their online camp guide at &lt;a href="http://www.girlscoutsmoheartland.org/pages/camp.php" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.girlscoutsmoheartland.org/pages/camp.php" target="_blank"&gt;www.girlscoutsmoheartland.org/pages/camp.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt; or contact Heather Duncan at (877) 312-4764 ext. 1211 or &lt;a href="mailto:hduncan@girlscoutsmoheartland.org" target="_blank"&gt;hduncan@girlscoutsmoheartland.org&lt;/a&gt;.  They also welcome adults to be involved in Girl Scouting any time of the year. There are so many ways to volunteer and the best news is – No daughter or Girl Scout expe&lt;a name="_GoBack" id="_GoBack"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;rience are required! Contact Becky Ledbetter at (877) 312-4764 ext. 1205 or &lt;a href="mailto:bledbetter@girlscoutsmoheartland.org" target="_blank"&gt;bledbetter@girlscoutsmoheartland.org&lt;/a&gt; to learn more about these great volunteer opportunities.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Denice Butler Memorial 5K Run/Walk&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Denice Butler 2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Memorial 5K Run/Walk is scheduled for &lt;em&gt;Saturday, June 2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 9:00 a.m.  The Run/Walk starts at &lt;strong&gt;Crowder College&lt;/strong&gt; in the north parking lot and finishes at the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Freeman Family YMCA&lt;/strong&gt;.  Registration fee is $20.  Entry form and fee can be hand delivered or mailed to:  New-Mac CASA 209&amp;#160;N. Valley, Neosho.  Race day registration will be at the YMCA from 8:00 – 8:45 a.m.  Awards will be presented after the race for 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;, 2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt; and 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt; place finishes in each age category.  Light snacks will be furnished after the race.  Free t-shirts to the first 100 entries.  All proceeds go to New-Mac CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) which works with children in foster placement in Newton &amp;amp; McDonald counties.  For more information, call (417) 312-5515 or &lt;a href="http://www.newmaccasa.org" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.newmaccasa.org" target="_blank"&gt;www.newmaccasa.org&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Car, Truck &amp;amp; Bike Show&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Neosho Rotary Club will host a Car, Truck &amp;amp; Bike Show on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, June 9&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;on Neosho’s Downtown Square.  Registration will be 8:30 a.m. – noon, judging will begin at noon, award presentations at 4:00 p.m.  Entry fee by donation.  Goodie bags, door prizes, 50/50 drawing, food and fun!  Rain date will be Sunday, June 10&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;.  For more information, contact Kevin Hatfield at (417) 850-0940 or 451-2805.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Freeman Family YMCA Summer Programs&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Please see the attached flyer from the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Freeman Family YMCA&lt;/strong&gt; on their summer programs! &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Cinema in the Park&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Cinema in the Park” will be held on &lt;em&gt;Friday, June 15&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at dark in &lt;strong&gt;Big Spring Park&lt;/strong&gt;.  The movie will be sponsored by &lt;strong&gt;Freeman Neosho Hospital &lt;/strong&gt;Cancer Beaters.  &lt;em&gt;Mark your calendars!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Chamber Hours&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Your Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Office will be closed &lt;em&gt;Monday, May 28&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;in observance of Memorial Day.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/23302502187</link><guid>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/23302502187</guid><pubDate>Fri, 18 May 2012 14:27:57 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>Teen Challenge | May Employer of the Month</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Please join the Chamber in congratulating Teen Challenge of the Four States as our April Employer of the Month. The Teen Challenge Center outside Neosho currently employs 11 people. When asked to say a few words about why Teen Challenge was chosen to receive the award, Sy Werner said; “if you look back a few years before Teen Challenge was there this was an open field, there were no jobs here at all.&amp;#8212;We try to recognize different organizations and what they do for the community, and in this case we are doing double duty in honoring Teen Challenge as the Employer of the Month and an Expansion Award.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;The Neosho TC center has twenty residents, all of whom are there of their own volition. Residents find out about Teen Challenge from Family members, Churches, the Internet and the Court System. Residents at Teen Challenge are not allowed to watch television during the week. The 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; and 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt; Saturdays of the month, they are allowed family visits. Teen challenge residents are not allowed to leave the campus without a staff chaperone. Jim Lowans explained the nature of these chaperoned outings by saying “Our students do go out into the neighborhoods and work for people in the afternoons, so if people have jobs they want done around the house, any type of job, we can usually have the guys come in. They are in turn supporting the ministry by doing that.” Although residents are “detoxed” before they enter the Teen Challenge program, they have joined forces with the Talkington Foundation to offer 12 step and Al-anon services with a strong focus on Christian faith.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Jim Lowans is also the Teen Challenge Director for the Asian Pacific Region. When asked what he loves most about Neosho, Jim said; “We’re so excited to be a part of the city of Neosho, we enjoy the friendships we’ve made and the people who have welcomed us into the city, and we really just feel a part of the city.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More about Teen Challenge:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;There are over 250 Teen Challenge Centers in the US, and about 800 more outside of the US. There are seven Teen Challenge Centers in Missouri alone, with two in St. Louis; a men’s center and a women’s center, a center in Cape Girardeau and a ladies center in Ozark, Mo. They also offer services to those under the age of eighteen with an adolescent boy’s center in Branson, and an adolescent girl’s center in Kansas City. Teen Challenge is also in the process of starting Mother’s and children’s center in the Colombia/Jefferson City area. Mother’s would come in to the center and when they are ready, their children can join them. The Teen Challenge general headquarters are also located in Ozark, Mo.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Upon completion of the program (60% of entrants to the program have completed the program) Teen Challenge has an 86% success rate for their residents quitting drugs and alcohol, as well as living constructive fulfilled lives.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/23110413685</link><guid>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/23110413685</guid><pubDate>Tue, 15 May 2012 12:29:25 -0500</pubDate><category>Teen Challenge</category><category>Neosho MO</category><category>neosho missouri</category><category>chamber of commerce</category><category>Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce</category><category>Employer of the Month</category></item><item><title>Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Weekly Newsletter </title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoSubtitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoTitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;What’s Happening the Week of 5/14/12&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h1&gt;&lt;span&gt;P.O. Box 605&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 216 West Spring Street &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; Neosho, MO 64850&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 417-451-1925&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;h5&gt;Mark Your Calendars!&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Breakfast and Your Business” Seminar &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Tuesday, May 15&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;from 7:00 – 8:30 a.m. at the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho National Fish Hatchery &lt;/strong&gt;Visitor Center.  The program will be &lt;strong&gt;“Retirement Plans for Small Business Owners”&lt;/strong&gt; with a panel of Financial Advisors who will cover the following plans:  SIMPLE Plan, Owner K Plan, Safe Harbor 401K Plan and the Traditional IRA &amp;amp; ROTH IRA Plan.  This will be a free seminar!  Enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast provided by the &lt;strong&gt;Friends of the Neosho National Fish Hatchery&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Board Meeting &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Thursday, May 17&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;at 8:00 a.m. at our Chamber Office. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoBodyText2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;May Day Mom&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Amy Miller, mother of Amber Miller, a third grader in Ms. Perkins class at &lt;strong&gt;Benton Elementary&lt;/strong&gt;, has been selected as the 2012 May Day Mom.  Amber and her mother were escorted &lt;em&gt;Friday, May 11&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;in a limousine provided by &lt;strong&gt;Clark Funeral Home&lt;/strong&gt; and collected the generous gifts from the following sponsors:  &lt;strong&gt;Beck Floral &amp;amp; Gifts&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Edgewood Bowl&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Mills Park Centre Furniture &amp;amp; Mattress&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;McDonald&amp;#8217;s of Neosho&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Gifts Etcetera&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Parks Insurance&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Jon&amp;#8217;s Pharmacy/Joyful Journeys&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Mazzio’s Italian Eatery&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Peking Garden Restaurant&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Spee Dee Lube&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;WXY Sporting Goods&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Teachers of the Year&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Education Committee will announce the Private School Teacher of the Year on &lt;em&gt;Monday, May 14&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 9:40 a.m. at &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Christian Schools&lt;/strong&gt;, the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho R-5 School District &lt;/strong&gt;Teachers of the Year on &lt;em&gt;Wednesday, May 16&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 4:00 p.m. at the High School Cafeteria and the &lt;strong&gt;Crowder College &lt;/strong&gt;Teacher of the Year on &lt;em&gt;Friday, May 18&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at noon in their Cafeteria.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Silent Auction &amp;amp; Pasta Dinner&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Teen Challenge of the Four States&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; invites you to their Silent Auction &amp;amp; Pasta Dinner on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, May 19&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 5:30 p.m. at 18527&amp;#160;E. Hwy. 86.  Cost:  Adult - $5, 10 &amp;amp; under - $3.  For more information, call 451-2980.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Eggs &amp;amp; Issues” Legislative Forum Brunch&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;span&gt;An “Eggs &amp;amp; Issues” Legislative Forum Brunch will be held on &lt;em&gt;Friday, May 25&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 10:15 a.m. at the Wright Conference Center at &lt;strong&gt;Crowder College&lt;/strong&gt;.  Cost is $8.00.  RSVP by &lt;em&gt;Wednesday, May 23&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt;!  &lt;/em&gt;Don’t miss this opportunity for questions and answers with your State Elected Officials!  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;4-H Achievement Day Judges Needed&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Newton County University of Missouri Extension&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; would like to invite you to serve as a judge at the Newton County 4-H Achievement Day on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, May 19&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at the Neosho Middle School.  Achievement Day is the time for 4-H members from Newton and McDonald Counties will compete in Speech Contests, and many judges are needed.  NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IS NEEDED!  There will be an orientation on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, May 19th &lt;/em&gt;beginning at 8:30 a.m. to start judging at 9:00 a.m., with breakfast refreshments provided.  All judging should be concluded by noon.  Awards will be given out at 1:00 p.m. although judges are not required to stay.  If you are interested in judging at the Newton &amp;amp; McDonald County 4-H Achievement Day they would greatly appreciate your assistance.  Please contact the Newton County MU Extension Office at 455-9500 or &lt;a href="mailto:elliottengelj@missouri.edu" target="_blank"&gt;elliottengelj@missouri.edu&lt;/a&gt; for more information, or to confirm that you will be able to judge by May 10&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;!  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Faithful Friends Animal Advocates – Petfinder Shelter Challenge&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Faithful Friends Animal Advocates&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; encourages you to vote for them in the Petfinder Shelter Challenge now through June 17&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;!  They are in 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; place in the state!  Vote at &lt;a href="http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Put Faithful Friends in the shelter name, MO for the state, and then whatever comes next, but vote every day!  Please spread the word to your co-workers, families and friends!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Granby House Weight Loss Challenge&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;Granby House&lt;/strong&gt; invites you to participate in their Weight Loss Challenge.  The contest begins May 22&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt; with final weight in on August 14&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;.  $10 to join and donations welcome.  Weigh in will be every Tuesday.  Prizes will be awarded each week for the biggest loser.  Sign up fees will go toward the grand prize and funds that are left will go in to the Granby House resident activities fund.  Minimum grand prize is $200.  For more information, contact Ruby or Tammy at (417) 472-6271.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h5&gt;First Friday Coffee&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Insurance Benefits Consultants &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;will host June’s First Friday Coffee on &lt;em&gt;June 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. at 735&amp;#160;W. Harmony, Suite D (next to &lt;strong&gt;Tyler’s Carpet&lt;/strong&gt;).  Take this opportunity to meet and visit with fellow Chamber members.  &lt;em&gt;Mark your calendars!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Car, Truck &amp;amp; Bike Show&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Neosho Rotary Club will host a Car, Truck &amp;amp; Bike Show on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, June 9&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;on Neosho’s Downtown Square.  Registration will be 8:30 a.m. – noon, judging will begin at noon, award presentations at 4:00 p.m.  Entry fee by donation.  Goodie bags, door prizes, 50/50 drawing, food and fun!  Rain date will be Sunday, June 10&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;.  For more information, contact Kevin Hatfield at (417) 850-0940 or 451-2805.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Cinema in the Park&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;It’s that time – to begin planning our “Cinema’s in the Park” for the year.  We can only show Disney movies during May 30&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; – June 21&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; and July 20&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; – August 14&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;.  Ifyour business is interested in being a sponsor, please contact our Chamber Office.  The Freeman Neosho Cancer Beaters will sponsor a movie on &lt;em&gt;June 22&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt;!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Neosho Night” at the Springfield Cardinals&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Neosho Night” at the Hammons Field to watch the Springfield Cardinals game will be &lt;em&gt;Saturday, July 21&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  The game begins at 6:08 p.m.  Tickets are $7.00 each.  Purchase your tickets now!  We encourage you to purchase a block of tickets for your employees to use as a company outing.  These tickets would be great to use as rewards or incentives.  For more information or to reserve your tickets, call our Chamber Office.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Have a Great Week!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Shana Griffin&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Executive Director&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Like us on Facebook at &lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com/neoshocc" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com/neoshocc" target="_blank"&gt;www.facebook.com/neoshocc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/22859322252</link><guid>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/22859322252</guid><pubDate>Fri, 11 May 2012 16:30:02 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Weekly Newsletter </title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoSubtitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoTitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;What’s Happening the Week of 4/30/12&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h1&gt;&lt;span&gt;P.O. Box 605&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 216 West Spring Street &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; Neosho, MO 64850&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 417-451-1925&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;h5&gt;Mark Your Calendars!&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Expansion Award &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Monday, April 30&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;at 11:30 a.m. at Access Family Care Neosho Medical Clinic at 412&amp;#160;E. McKinney St. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;E Conference Committee Meeting &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Tuesday, May 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;at 3:00 p.m. at the MARET Center at &lt;strong&gt;Crowder College&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;First Friday Coffee&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt; – Friday, May 4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;from 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. at &lt;strong&gt;Four States Dental Care &lt;/strong&gt;at 2040 LaQuesta Dr.  Take this opportunity to meet and visit with fellow Chamber members.  &lt;em&gt;See you there!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Car &amp;amp; Bike Cruise Night &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Saturday, May 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. on Neosho’s Historic Downtown Square.  There will be a live DJ, cars, bikes, music, food and fun for all!  There is no registration fee.  Dash Plaques sponsored by &lt;strong&gt;Stouffer Communications&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Teacher of the Year&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Deadline to nominate a teacher for the Teacher of the Year Award is &lt;em&gt;&lt;u&gt;Monday, April 30&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/u&gt;!  &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;One teacher from PK-4, 5-7, 8 and 9-12 from the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho R-5 School District&lt;/strong&gt;, one teacher from a Neosho Private School, and one teacher from &lt;strong&gt;Crowder College &lt;/strong&gt;will be selected for the award.  &lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;If you would like to donate an item or a gift certificate for gift baskets that we will present to the Teachers’ of the Year, please contact our Chamber Office&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Herman Jaeger Festival&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Neosho Arts Council invites you to their Herman Jaeger Festival!  There will be a lot of activities happening!  The Herman Jaeger Historical Exhibit will be at &lt;strong&gt;The Civic &lt;/strong&gt;from May 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; – 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.  The 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Spring Art Show &amp;amp; Sale will be &lt;em&gt;Friday, May 4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. &amp;amp;&lt;em&gt; Saturday, May 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at &lt;strong&gt;The Civic&lt;/strong&gt;.  &lt;strong&gt;Boulevard Bank &lt;/strong&gt;will host the Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, May 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  $500 in awards – 3 divisions – Free to youth 6-10 &amp;amp; 11-15, 16 &amp;amp; over - $10 entry fee.  &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Please see the attached flyer!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Evening of Jazz&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Crowder College&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; Foundation will host an Evening of Jazz on &lt;em&gt;Tuesday, May 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at &lt;strong&gt;The Civic&lt;/strong&gt;.  6:00 p.m. – pre-event mixer for table and floor ticket holders; 7:00 – live Jazz performance by Crowder Jazz Orchestra.  $5 balcony seating.  All floor and table seating by reservation only.  To reserve tickets, please call 455-5646.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="ecxmsonormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Open Government Open House&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ecxmsonormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;City of Neosho invites you to their “Open Government Open House” on &lt;em&gt;Thursday, May 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. at the City Hall Lobby.  Meet with your City leaders and representatives from every department.  Refreshments will be served!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Safe Kids Safety Fair&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Safe Kids Safety Fair will be held on &lt;em&gt;Friday, May 4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. at the &lt;strong&gt;Newton County Health Department &lt;/strong&gt;at 812&amp;#160;W. Harmony.  There will be photo ID cards, fingerprinting, safety demos and door prizes. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Christian Schools Benefit Banquet&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Christian Schools&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; invites you to their Benefit Banquet on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, May 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 6:00 p.m. at the &lt;strong&gt;Crowder College&lt;/strong&gt; Gymnasium.  They will have a silent auction, meal provided by &lt;strong&gt;Shoney’s&lt;/strong&gt; and entertainment by Taylor Mason (comedian, and ventriloquist).  They have several sponsorship levels and individual seating.  For more information, call 451-1941.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Tri-State Tour de Possum Bicycle Tour&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Neosho Lion’s Club will host a bicycle ride on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, May 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 8:00 a.m. at the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Freeman Family YMCA &lt;/strong&gt;to coincide with the Jaeger Festival.  They will have two routes – a 28-mile route and 70-mile route.  Entry fees are $25 (pre-registration) or $30 if signed up on the day of the ride.  All proceeds will be used for eye exams and eye glasses for local children.  For more information, contact Will at 455-6433 or the YMCA at 455-9999 or visit &lt;a href="http://www.neosholionsclub.org/" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.neosholionsclub.org" target="_blank"&gt;www.neosholionsclub.org&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Faithful Friends Animal Advocates – Petfinder Shelter Challenge&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Faithful Friends Animal Advocates&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; encourages you to vote for them in the Petfinder Shelter Challenge now through June 17&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;!  Vote at &lt;a href="http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Put Faithful Friends in the shelter name, MO for the state, and then whatever comes next, but vote every day!  Please spread the word to your co-workers, families and friends!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoPlainText"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Groundbreaking Ceremony&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoPlainText"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Faithful Friends Animal Advocates&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; invites you to their Groundbreaking Ceremony of their new Adoption Center on &lt;em&gt;Monday, May 7&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 6:00 p.m. at their property located on Highway 86, just west of the Highway 71 overpass.  Immediately following the ceremony, their Annual Membership Meeting will be held at the New-Mac Community Room.  Enjoy refreshments while staying current on their activities.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoPlainText"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Four-State Agriculture &amp;amp; Sportsmen Expo&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;A Four-State Agriculture &amp;amp; Sportsmen Expo will be held on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, May 12&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the Newton County Fairgrounds.  There will be live music, petting zoo, bouncy house, farm equipment and displays, hunting and fishing displays and vendor booths.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoPlainText"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Breakfast and Your Business” Seminar&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;A “Breakfast and Your Business” Seminarwill be held on &lt;em&gt;Tuesday, May 15&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 7:00 – 8:30 a.m. at the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho National Fish Hatchery&lt;/strong&gt; Visitor Center.  The program will be &lt;strong&gt;“Retirement Plans for Small Business Owners”&lt;/strong&gt; with a panel of Financial Advisors who will cover the following plans:  SIMPLE Plan, Owner K Plan, Safe Harbor 401K Plan and the Traditional IRA &amp;amp; ROTH IRA Plan.  This will be a free seminar!  Enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast provided by the Friends of the Neosho National Fish Hatchery.  &lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;Reservations required by noon, Thursday, May 10&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Silent Auction &amp;amp; Pasta Dinner&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Teen Challenge of the Four States&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; invites you to their Silent Auction &amp;amp; Pasta Dinner on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, May 19&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 5:30 p.m. at 18527&amp;#160;E. Hwy. 86.  Cost:  Adult - $5, 10 &amp;amp; under - $3.  For more information, call 451-2980.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Eggs &amp;amp; Issues” Legislative Forum Brunch&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;span&gt;An “Eggs &amp;amp; Issues” Legislative Forum Brunch will be held on &lt;em&gt;Friday, May 25&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 10:15 a.m. at the Wright Conference Center at &lt;strong&gt;Crowder College&lt;/strong&gt;.  Cost is $8.00.  RSVP by &lt;em&gt;Wednesday, May 23&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt;!  &lt;/em&gt;Don’t miss this opportunity for questions and answers with your State Elected Officials!  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Cinema in the Park&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;It’s that time – to begin planning our “Cinema’s in the Park” for the year.  &lt;strong&gt;Please let us know your movie ideas!  &lt;/strong&gt;We can only show Disney movies during May 30&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; – June 21&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; and July 20&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; – August 14&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;.  Ifyour business is interested in being a sponsor, please contact our Chamber Office.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Neosho Night” at the Springfield Cardinals&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Neosho Night” at the Hammons Field to watch the Springfield Cardinals game will be &lt;em&gt;Saturday, July 21&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  The game begins at 6:08 p.m.  We have purchased 200 tickets.  We encourage you to purchase a block of tickets for your employees to use as a company outing.  These tickets would be great to use as rewards or incentives.  For more information or to reserve your tickets, call our Chamber Office.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho R-5 School District Character Education Program&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The May Character Word for the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho R-5 School District &lt;/strong&gt;Character Word of the Month is:  &lt;strong&gt;“Integrity” – Being honorable; having principles of moral and ethical strength; being good when no one is looking; doing the right thing, “just because it’s the right thing to do”&lt;/strong&gt;.  Please incorporate this in your business and place it on your marquee.  Let’s show our Wildcat support!!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/21921946601</link><guid>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/21921946601</guid><pubDate>Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:22:25 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Weekly Newsletter </title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoSubtitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoTitle"&gt;&lt;span&gt;What’s Happening the Week of 4/9/12&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h1&gt;&lt;span&gt;P.O. Box 605&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 216 West Spring Street &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; Neosho, MO 64850&amp;#160;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;·&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 417-451-1925&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;h5&gt;Mark Your Calendars!&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Downtown Events Committee Meeting &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Tuesday, April 10&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;at 8:30 a.m. at our Chamber Office.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Membership Services Committee Meeting &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Tuesday, April 10&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;at 9:00 a.m. at our Chamber Office.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho’s City-Wide Garage Sale &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Saturday, April 14&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Don’t forget to register your sale – deadline is 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 10&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;at the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Daily News &lt;/strong&gt;located at 1006&amp;#160;W. Harmony.  &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;u&gt;Please place this event on your marquee and welcome “garage sale hunters” to our community&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Neosho National Fish Hatchery Open House &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Sunday, April 15&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Benton Birthday Bash &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;– Sunday, April 15&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;at 1:30 p.m. at the &lt;strong&gt;Newton County Historical Park &lt;/strong&gt;at 121&amp;#160;N. Washington St.  The focus will be on his love of country music and how he tried to create paintings which correlated to the music he loved.  Enjoy a free collectible button, cake and punch.  A child’s art project will also be offered. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Breakfast with the Bunny / Easter Egg Hunt&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Freeman Family YMCA&lt;/strong&gt; invites area kids up to 12 years old to their “Breakfast with the Bunny” on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, April 7&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt; at 10:00 a.m. at the YMCA.  $1 per person for muffins, donuts and juice or milk.  The PBL/SIFE organization at &lt;strong&gt;Crowder College&lt;/strong&gt; is hosting an Easter Egg Hunt on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, April 7&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt; at 11:00 a.m. at Crowder College.  Children ages 8 and under are invited to participate. The event is free and open to the public. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Teacher of the Year&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Nominations are being accepted for the 2012 Gold STAR Teacher of the Year Awards.  Nomination forms will be available at the Chamber Office, Neosho Private Schools, and all &lt;strong&gt;R-5&amp;#160;&lt;/strong&gt;Schools.  Nominations will be due to the Chamber Office no later than &lt;em&gt;Monday, April 30&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;.  &lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;We are collecting items for gift baskets to present to the Teachers’ of the Year.  Please let us know if you would like to donate an item or a gift certificate&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.  &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Please see the attached nomination form!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;State of the Schools Night&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;Neosho R-5 School District&lt;/strong&gt; invites you to their “State of the Schools Night” on &lt;em&gt;Tuesday, April 10&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at the High School Cafeteria.  Representatives from each department and school will be available to talk about their programs.  Dr. Page will talk about the district overall including the core values and long range goals.  There will be pizza provided to those who RSVP starting at 6:00 p.m. and the opening address will be at 6:30 p.m. followed by the breakout sessions at 6:45 p.m.  RSVP to Tonya Patterson or Brian Cook at 451-8600.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Business and Professional Persons Breakfast&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Teen Challenge of the Four States&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; invites you to attend their Business and Professional Persons Breakfast on &lt;em&gt;Thursday, April 12&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 7:30 a.m. at 18527&amp;#160;E. Hwy. 86.  Special speaker will be Bill Lee, Community President of Arvest Bank.  There is no charge – please RSVP to &lt;a href="mailto:jlowans@tc4s.org" target="_blank"&gt;jlowans@tc4s.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h5&gt;Business After Hours&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Red Carpet Real Estate&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Oriental House &lt;/strong&gt;will co-sponsor our next Business After Hours on &lt;em&gt;Thursday, April 19&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at &lt;strong&gt;Red Carpet Real Estate&lt;/strong&gt;.  This will be a members-only come and go social hour.  RSVP by &lt;em&gt;Tuesday, April 17&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;!  Make plans to attend!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Bright Futures Golf Tournament&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The 2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Bright Futures Golf Tournament will be held on &lt;em&gt;Friday, April 20&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 9:00 a.m. at the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Golf Course&lt;/strong&gt;.  $150 a team (4 man scramble) includes greens, cart, breakfast, complimentary beverage cart and lunch.  Rain date is &lt;em&gt;April 27&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  Prizes for 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;, 2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt;, and 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt; place teams, and longest drive and closest to the hole.  For more information or to register your team, contact Brian Cook at 451-8600, ext. 1162. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;&amp;#8220;Eggs &amp;amp; Issues&amp;#8221; Legislative Forum&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Webb City Chamber of Commerce will host an &amp;#8220;Eggs &amp;amp; Issues&amp;#8221; Legislative Forum on &lt;em&gt;Friday, April 20&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 10:15 a.m. at the Route 66 Events Center at 21 South Webb St. - Webb City.  Cost is $8.00.  RSVP to (417) 673-1154.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Ducks Unlimited Banquet&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The 36&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Ducks Unlimited Banquet will be held on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, April 21&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at the &lt;strong&gt;Lampo Building&lt;/strong&gt;.  Doors open at 5:30 p.m., dinner begins at 7:00 with an auction to follow. For more information, contact Ron Wright at 451-0008.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Herman Jaeger Festival&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Neosho Arts Council invites you to their Herman Jaeger Festival &lt;em&gt;April 27&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; – May 6&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  There will be a lot of activities happening!  The Herman Jaeger Historical Exhibit will be at &lt;strong&gt;The Civic &lt;/strong&gt;from May 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; – 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;.  The 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Spring Art Show &amp;amp; Sale will be &lt;em&gt;Friday, May 4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. &amp;amp;&lt;em&gt; Saturday, May 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at &lt;strong&gt;The Civic&lt;/strong&gt;.  &lt;strong&gt;Boulevard Bank &lt;/strong&gt;is hosting the Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, May 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  $500 in awards – 3 divisions – Free to youth 6-10 &amp;amp; 11-15, 16 &amp;amp; over - $10 entry fee.  For more information, please contact John Mills at 451-2885.    &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoPlainText"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Art in the Park&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoPlainText"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;George Washington Carver National Monument&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; will host their Art in the Park on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, April 28&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.  Come and enjoy this free event showcasing the artwork of George Washington Carver.  Plein-air artists will set up along the trail, capturing the beauty of the woodlands, prairie, and streams.  Artists will conduct art workshops throughout the day and visitors are encouraged to participate.  A “budding artists” area will feature natural dyes, painting color swatches and other children’s art activities.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoPlainText"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Evening of Jazz&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="WfxFaxNum"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Crowder College&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; Foundation will host an Evening of Jazz on &lt;em&gt;Tuesday, May 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at &lt;strong&gt;The Civic&lt;/strong&gt;.  6:00 p.m. – pre-event mixer for table and floor ticket holders; 7:00 – live Jazz performance by Crowder Jazz Orchestra.  $5 balcony seating.  All floor and table seating by reservation only.  To reserve tickets, please call 455-5646.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoPlainText"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Safe Kids Safety Fair&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Safe Kids Safety Fair will be held on &lt;em&gt;Friday, May 4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. at the &lt;strong&gt;Newton County Health Department &lt;/strong&gt;at 812&amp;#160;W. Harmony.  There will be photo ID cards, fingerprinting, safety demos and door prizes.  If you are interested in participating or for more information, contact Pam Link at 451-3743 or &lt;a href="mailto:linkp@newtoncounty.health.org" target="_blank"&gt;linkp@newtoncounty.health.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Car &amp;amp; Bike Cruise Night&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Our Downtown Events Committee has scheduled their 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Annual Car &amp;amp; Bike Cruise Night to be held on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, May 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. on Neosho’s Historic Downtown Square.  There will be a live DJ, cars, bikes, music, food and fun for all!  There is no registration fee.  Dash Plaques sponsored by &lt;strong&gt;Stouffer Communications&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Tri-State Tour de Possum Bicycle Tour&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Neosho Lion’s Club will host a bicycle ride on &lt;em&gt;Saturday, May 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt;at 8:00 a.m. at the &lt;strong&gt;Neosho Freeman Family YMCA &lt;/strong&gt;to coincide with the Jaeger Festival.  They will have two routes – a 28-mile route and 70-mile route.  Entry fees are $25 (pre-registration) or $30 if signed up on the day of the ride.  All proceeds will be used for eye exams and eye glasses for local children.  For more information, contact Will at 455-6433 or the YMCA at 455-9999 or visit &lt;a href="http://www.neosholionsclub.org/" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.neosholionsclub.org" target="_blank"&gt;www.neosholionsclub.org&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;Crowder College – Clothes Closet Project&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;Crowder College&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; has a Clothes Closet which gives their students who are getting ready for job interviews, attending meetings, whatever the case may be, a place to go (with help/guidance) to select professional grade clothing to help them make a good impression and succeed in the business world.  The best part is that these clothes are free to the students and they can keep them!  They are seeking donations of professional grade clothing, both male and female, that would be housed in their Clothes Closet on campus.  For more information, please contact Cynthia Quinly, Career Coach at 455-5754, &lt;a href="mailto:cynthiaquinly@crowder.edu" target="_blank"&gt;cynthiaquinly@crowder.edu&lt;/a&gt;  or John Adams, Internship Coordinator at 455-5643, &lt;a href="mailto:johnadams@crowder.edu" target="_blank"&gt;johnadams@crowder.edu&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align="center" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Neosho Night” at the Springfield Cardinals&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Neosho Night” at the Springfield Cardinals will be &lt;em&gt;Saturday, July 21&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt; at 6:08 p.m.  Please mark your calendars! &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/20602032367</link><guid>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/20602032367</guid><pubDate>Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:47:03 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>Thomas Firm Adds Two Attorneys To Practice</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Please join the Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce in congratulating Thomas Firm on their recent addition of two Attorneys, Joshua Loden and Denny Kruse. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1axey2gg91qks7f9.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Nine years ago, Joplin Native, Jared Thomas opened his law office &lt;span&gt;on the Neosho square&lt;/span&gt;. While Jared grew up in Joplin, his wife Jennifer spent her childhood here in Neosho, this coupled with the area’s beauty were deciding factors when opening his practice.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Jared can add another milestone to the firm’s history, in January of this year he hired Attorneys Joshua Loden and Denny Kruse to expand the Thomas Firm case load. When asked the reason for his recent staff addition Thomas said “We are expanding our offerings and want to move more heavily into Bankruptcy, Family, and Criminal law. The volume of work justifies more Attorneys to provide a greater service area to our clients and community.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;In explaining what Thomas Firm does; “What we’ve been doing here for the past nine years, is basically a general practice. We draw up Wills and Trusts mostly Family and Criminal law, Personal Injury, Business law, and Real estate. We on customer service and getting info to our clients, educating them about services provided and how we can help them. What sets us apart is our energy and our zealous advocacy of our clients.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1ax5n2EZm1qks7f9.jpg"/&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;                                           Denny Kruse                          &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1ax6nYGYV1qks7f9.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;                                          Joshua Loden&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1axatzhS81qks7f9.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;                                         Jared Thomas&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1ax9kLEsv1qks7f9.jpg"/&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;                           Thomas Firm is located at 105&amp;#160;E. Main St.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/19742052858</link><guid>http://neoshocc.tumblr.com/post/19742052858</guid><pubDate>Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:41:00 -0500</pubDate></item></channel></rss>
