News from the Forest Lake Area Chamber of Commerce

"Meet your Elected Officials"
Mayors and Town Chairs from our communities will present a moderated "State of Cities" addresses at the Forest Lake VFW 556 SW 12TH Street, Forest Lake. Meet and hear from your elected officials and ask questions that you may have concerning your local community. Lunch will be catered by the VFW. $15/members or $20/non-members.

October Membership Meeting Registration
3 Reasons you NEED to attend this meeting:

1. To be in the know of what is happening in your community.
2. How is your business affected by the decisions being made at the city level.
3. Have your voice be heard by the people making the decisions

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at East Suburban Resources

September 14th was an exciting day for East Suburban Resources and for the FL Community. ESR and the FLACC celebrated the opening of their newly renovated facility with a ribbon cutting ceremony. East Suburban Resources,is a nonprofit providing employment support to adults with developmental disabilities.

***NEW NEW*** Shop Local Campaign ***NEW NEW ****

The Forest Lake Area Chamber of Commerce is launching a new program and YOU need to be a part of it! To support our local businesses we are starting a "shop local" campaign. This campaign will promote local businesses and encourage people to shop our local communities first before heading to another community to shop.
The campaign will include:
· Press releases in local papers
· Countertop "thank you" cards
· Chamber Page feature in the Forest lake Times
· Feature in Chamber Weekly Update
· Chamber newsletter announcement
· Facebook Group promotion
· LinkedIn Group promotion

The only thing you need to do to participate in this great campaign is to be a member of the Forest Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. Just contact the Chamber office and let us know you want to be included in this great promotion!

For more information call 651-464-3200 or email us at chamber@flacc.org.

From the President

The Chamber's 45th Anniversary Celebration on October 2nd was the place to be! The special presentation by past board chairs was very well received and it was nice to walk down memory lane. Thank you to the following past chairpersons who took part in this program: Doug Goerss, Ramona Hall, Dennis Hegberg, Debra Oaks, and Sandie Roberts. Also, thank you to the program's emcee's: Daree Selby and Jenny VanCanneyt.

Dan Kitzinger, this years board chair, did a great job at updating our members on the accomplishments that were achieved last fiscal year and where we are at now. Dan also reviewed the 09-10 action plan the board of directors has set for this fiscal year and presented the annual awards: Congratulations to the following award receipients:
Kathy Bystrom, Fairview Lakes Health Services - Community Volunteer of the Year
Jules Benson, Birchwood Health Care - Chamber Volunteer of the Year
Johnson & Turner Attorney's at Law - Business of the Year
I would like to thank all of you for all you do for the chamber and the community!

The nights real entertainment was by ComedySportz - if you haven't been to a ComedySportz show you have to see them - they were a laugh a minute. It was a full half hour of laughs!

I would like to thank all the sponsors of our 45th Anniversary Celebration:
Event sponsor - Running Aces Harness Park
Social Hour sponsor - Olson's Sewer Service/Olson's Excavating Service
Entertainment sponsor - Country Inn & Suites
Dessert sponsor - MarketPlace Foods
Invitation Sponsor - Vetter's Electric and Rendezvous Retreats

Thank you for being a member of the Forest Lake Area Chamber of Commerce!

Connexus Energy

Trish Curtis C.E.M.
14601 Ramsey Boulevard
Ramsey, MN 55303
763-323-2712

How long have you been in business?
Since 1937

What is your main service/product?
Electric distribution cooperative

What makes you stand out from your competition?
We are a customer owned utility.

What is your companies most significant recent accomplishment?
JD Powers 2004 Customer Satisfaction in the top 10 of electric utilities and in
2006 we reached a milestone with 1 million man hours without a lost time incident.

Why does your business belong to the Forest Lake Area
Chamber of Commerce?
We belong to the Chamber of Commerce because we believe that it is important for us to support our businesses in the communities in which we serve. We have the opportunity to live and work in our communities giving a "face" to Connexus Energy.

Community Update

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month: View art, attend Oct 8 program, schedule mammograms
Come to Fairview Lakes Medical Center, Wyoming, Oct. 4-29 to view a display of art created by people who have experienced cancer from Lilly Oncology on Canvas. At 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, Oncologist L. Lisa Ge, M.D., will speak on "Stopping Breast Cancer in Its Tracks." The program is free and open to everyone. Women over 40 are reminded to schedule their annual mammogram now! Beginning Oct. 1, Fairview Lakes Mammography at Wyoming, Rush City and Chisago City will be giving away pink tote bags to women while supplies last.

Varicose Vein Screening Oct. 22
From 4 to 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 22, Lan Raikar, M.D., will offer free varicose vein screening in the Specialty Clinic at Fairview Lakes Medical Center, Wyoming. Advance registration is required. The screening is open to men and women who have large, ropy or bulging veins and want to explore treatment options. To register, call 612-672-7272. Space is limited.

Antique Appraisal Fair at Fairview Oct. 10
Looking for hidden treasures? Bring your family heirlooms or mysterious what-nots to Fairview Lakes Medical Center in Wyoming between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, where, for only $5 an item, experienced antique dealers will provide information and informal appraisals. (No selling allowed.) All proceeds are donated to the Fairview Lakes Auxiliary to enhance patient care.

Community Corner

Friday November 13th 2009, East Suburban Resources (ESR) will have their 3rd annual NIGHT of DREAMS at Dellwood Hills Country Club, beginning at 6pm.
Tickets to this event can be ordered by calling 651-351-0190 (X-10), they are $45 per person. The proceeds go to preserving programs and services threatened by reductions in government reimbursements. It should be a very fun evening with entertainment by JazzFly, featuring Dorothy Doring. There will be live and silent auctions, great food, games and opportunities to learn more about ESR and their wonderful programs.
If you can't attend, please consider making a donation to their auction/s or cash donations are welcome also. If you want more detailed information, you can check out their website www.esrworks.org;

Spotlight Business:
East Suburban Resources (ESR) is a local non-profit that provides employment support to adults with developmental disabilities, focusing on finding and retaining jobs. They have exciting news; they have expanded their Forest Lake site to meet the growing demand for their very important services. They believe in a community where quality of life for all people is enhanced through inclusion in community life and access to employment - amen to that.
ESR provides adults with developmental disabilities and other special needs a variety of services in both independent and community-based settings. Their programs and services provide options for individuals to find meaningful employment that best matches their interests and abilities, which helps them attain their employment goals, achieve their personal best and realize increased independence.
One easy way to help them would be to use GoodSearch.com, a Yahoo powered search engine when doing your internet searches. Go to this site and designate ESR as your charity of choice and then when you use the search function, ESR will earn money from Yahoo, very simple - no cost to you. The Forest Lake office is located at 744 W Broadway, feel free to stop by and learn about this great asset to our community.
By: Jim Westlund, Meleleuca

October Refreshment Host

Thank you to: FL Travel

Forest Lake Travel
Debbie Oaks
20 North Lake Street
Suite 203
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-5092

The Refreshment Host supplies the Chamber with coffee, pop, and snocks for meetings held at the office. The cost is $35 in cash or supplies. The Chamber is always looking for business to be Refreshment Host. This is great and inexpensive way to get your name in front of a large number of people. For only $35 a month you receive recognition in the Chamber Newsletter, advertising at the Chamber front desk seen by both the public and members, and advertising at all the meetings held in the Chamber conference room. Please call the Chamber at 651-464-3200 to reserve your spot Refreshment Host.

Youth Service Bureau (YSB) Corner

LAYSB Fall Open House
Come visit LAYSB's office, meet staff and hear updates on our programming. Wed., Nov. 4 from 3:00-6:00pm.

Support for Parents
Two Locations: Trio Wolf Creek Learning Center in Chisago City on Oct. 5 & 19 and Nov. 2 & 16 and Hugo City Hall on Sept. 28, Oct. 12 & 26, Nov. 9. Held from 7:00-8:30 p.m. Fee: $80 per parent. Learn to: Gain cooperation through clear communication, identify problems & who has responsibility to solve them, set appropriate limits and consequences & use anger to your advantage. Facilitators: Bob Downs, LMFT & Jackie Hays, LSW. Call Jackie for more info or to sign up!

Girls Lock-In @ Lakamaga
The 3rd Annual Lock-In @ Lakamaga will take place on Friday, Nov. 6 at 8pm til Saturday, Nov. 7 at 6am. Girls in grades 7-9 are invited to join at Camp Lakamaga (12300 Lakamaga Tr. N., Marine on Saint Croix, MN 55047)! Activities will include: Future Career Exploration, Cooking & Baking, Campfire, Crafts, Make-Overs, Night Games, Very Little Sleep and More!

Young Leaders Corner

This month starts the mentoring partnership with Fairview Lakes Health Services and the Young Leader's Group. Our group will be going through orientation on Tuesday October 6, 2009 and will then be paired up with students in the local area schools. I would like to thank Marty Rychley for his coordination of this opportunity with Kathy Bystrom of Fairview Lakes Health Services.
Karolina Konczyk of Johnson & Turner, P.A. presented at our September meeting. She presented on the topic of "Refusing Chemotherapy: When Can the Government Interfere with Your Constitutional Rights?" It was a very enlightening presentation. Thank you Karolina!
Our next meeting will be Friday October 9, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. at Big Apple Bagel. I will be presenting at this month's meeting and the focus of my presentation will be on recent tax law changes. Our meetings are always open to the chamber at large and we would love for you to join us. Please RSVP either to myself at michelle@rychley.com or to the chamber office if you plan to attend our October meeting.
"The Young Leaders Group plays an important role in connecting young members of our business community in order to foster relationships to help one another grow our businesses and help our community prosper."

MN Chamber Update

Minnesotans expect better return on taxes
By David C. Olson

Most Minnesota businesses are optimistic about the future despite the toll of the recession. Equally important, they emphasize that a friendlier tax policy is integral to speeding up the state's economic recovery.

Reducing the tax burden, as well as receiving greater value for taxes, are longstanding priorities of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. This year the message is even stronger among employers and employees alike.

The findings of two statewide polls recently commissioned by the Minnesota Chamber underscore the urgency for policy-makers to take action. The surveys were taken as Minnesota and the nation are climbing out of a recession, and the 2010 Legislature is ready to wrestle with another multibillion-dollar shortfall in the general fund.

These polls are in addition to the annual survey of our own members. Once again, we have reinforcement that the Minnesota Chamber priorities fundamentally reflect the concerns of Minnesotans.

Taxes are the No. 1 barrier to businesses investing in Minnesota, and taxes are the issue business believes the Legislature needs to address, according to a survey of the general statewide business community - Chamber and non-Chamber members. More than 60 percent of the respondents cited high taxes as the biggest barrier to creating jobs in Minnesota; no other factor hit double digits.

The business tax burden, especially property taxes, has been increasing - even during the recession. More than 40 percent of those surveyed said taxes were a greater burden than five years ago. Nearly 60 percent reported a growing tax burden and not a single business among more than 350 surveyed reported lower taxes.

The anti-tax message resonates as well with the general public. The majority of respondents in a separate statewide poll said state government should not raise taxes, and nearly two-thirds advocated cutting overall government spending to balance the state budget.

Equally revealing in this poll of the citizenry is that Minnesotans gave poor marks for the return on their investment (read: taxes), and the sentiment was uniform across all levels of government. Cities fared the best among local government units when respondents were asked whether property taxes were delivering their desired results, and still only 50 percent approved. Respective numbers for school board and county government were 46 percent and 43 percent. Only 29 percent said their income and sales taxes paid to fund state government were achieving their expected results.

The message is clear than Minnesotans demand greater value from their tax dollars. Coupled with the prospects of another big-time budget shortfall, the Minnesota Chamber is committed to researching and forwarding significant spending reform and taxing reform packages for consideration by the 2010 Legislature. We also intend to offer an orderly process for reviewing expenses and income in order to avoid the 11th-hour train wreck which has become all familiar in recent years.

It's easy to criticize and is always more difficult to offer solutions. The Minnesota Chamber is committed to advancing a constructive debate on the state budget in 2010.

David Olson is president of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. For more information, visit the Web at www.mnchamber.com.

There are lots of exciting things happening at the chamber. If you have any questions, please contact us at 651-434-3200 or at chamber@flacc.org.

Sincerely,

Colleen Eddy, President