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Calendar of Events |
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| Business Of The Week |
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Helping Hands
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Renewing Members Congratulations To The Following Businesses For Renewing Your Membership
Golden 1
Credit Union
Jack's Butane Service Inc.
Kyoto Kafe
McGoldrick & McGoldrick,
Attorneys at Law
Sierra Estates Assisted Living
Sierra Lanes
Sierra Tel Business Systems
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| Everyday is Customer Appreciation Day
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Don't forget to tell your customers how much you appreciate them.
The Chamber values each and everyone of our local businesses. This week we would like to express our appreciation to Yosemite Bank  for their support of the Chamber by allowing us to hold so many of our committee meetings in the Yosemite Bank Conference Room.Our thanks to Doug Dearing and the entire staff at Yosemite Bank in Oakhurst.Local Businesses keep our community strong. |
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| SHOP LOCALLY |
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Support the earth, go green, save money, save gas, support each other...
SHOP LOCALLY
It matters. |
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Help Grow Your Business with Email Marketing |
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Members of Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce, you qualify for a special discount.
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Chamber Statistics
August 2009 |
Website
Total Hits - 355,781
Avg Daily Hits - 11,477
Office
Telephone Calls - 614
Office Visitors - 171
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| DO YOU TWEET? |
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| Chamber's New Blog |
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Please join us.
Click the icon above. | |
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National Geographic Needs Your Input
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Eastern Madera County will be on the National Geographics - Geotourism Website;
Highlighting the Natural
and Cultural Heritage of the Sierras.
Meet members of the Geotoursim Team and start nominating your favorite
places at the Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday September 29th in the Main Hall of the Oakhurst Community Center from 6 - 8 pm.
The National Geographic Society is working with local organizations, businesses
and residents to map the best of the Sierra. We invite you to recommend
historic, cultural and natural landmarks; events, attractions and activities;
businesses, farms and ranches; artists, artisans and storytellers who capture
the region's unique character and beauty.
Using your recommendations, National Geographic will produce a Geotourism
website and print MapGuide to promote travel that celebrates and sustains what
is most distinctive about the Range
of Light-its scenic
landscapes and vibrant local communities; rich biological and cultural diversity,
and captivating history.
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Mark Your Calendars! Chocolate and Wine Festival is Almost Here
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Presale Tickets Include 2 Adult Admissions, 2 Wine Glasses and 20 Tasting Tickets Good for Wine, Food and Chocolate Tasting. To purchase your tickets call or stop by the Chamber office today. Phone #: 683-7766
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HAVE FUN AND GET IN
FREE!!!
THE CHOCOLATE AND
WINE FESTIVAL NEEDS VOLUNTEERS
Would your business, civic group, service club or non profit
organization like to increase public awareness?
Did you know... the
Oakhurst Fall Festival attracts over 5,000 guests to the two day event? Almost
everyone who attends will stop and purchase food, chocolate, beverages, wine,
and wine glasses, at one of the OACC booths. These booths can be a source of
great advertising for your group or organization.
Non profit groups are
allowed to display tip jars, banners, flyers, and brochures while they
volunteer a four hour work shift with a team of 2 or more adults. It takes
almost 100 volunteers to man this event, so we need lots of help. It is fun,
easy, and does not require any investment from you or your organization other
than your time.
To volunteer your group, club or organization, please the Chamber office at 683-7766
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For more Information on the Chocolate and Wine Festival or to participate as a Vendor: CLICK HERE
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September Mixers - September is Pizza Month!
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 For further information contact the Chamber office at 559-683-7766. We had a wonderful time at Me N Eds last week! The food was amazing! Stop in and dine there soon. You won't regret it! Thank you - Me N Eds for your membership in the Chamber, your dedication to the community and for hosting a Mixer. If you are interested in hosting a Mixer, contact the Chamber office at 683-7766. We are already booking Mixers for next year. Several dates have already been reserved and April is completely booked! |
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Five Facts About - Making Work Pay Tax Credit
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Working
taxpayers may be eligible for the Making Work Pay tax credit, a significant tax
provision of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This tax
credit means more take-home pay for millions of American workers. Here are five
things the IRS wants every taxpayer to know about the Making Work Pay tax
credit:
1. This credit --
available for tax years 2009 and 2010 -- equals 6.2 percent of a taxpayer's
earned income. The maximum credit for a married couple filing a joint return is
$800 and $400 for other taxpayers. Most wage earners have been enjoying a boost
in their paychecks from this credit since April.
2. Eligible
self-employed taxpayers can also benefit from the credit by evaluating their
expected income tax liability. If eligible, self-employed taxpayers can make
the appropriate adjustments to the amounts of their upcoming estimated tax
payments in September and January.
3. Taxpayers who fall
into any of the following groups should review their tax withholding to ensure
enough tax is being withheld. Those who should pay particular attention
to their withholding include:
Married
couples with two incomes
Individuals
with multiple jobs
Dependents
Pensioners
Social
Security recipients who also work
Workers
without valid Social Security numbers
Having too
little tax withheld could result in potentially smaller refunds or - in limited
instances -small balance due rather than an expected refund.
4. The Making Work Pay
tax credit is either phased out or unavailable for higher-income taxpayers. The
phase out begins at $75,000 for single taxpayers and $150,000 for couples
filing a joint return.
5. For those who believe
their current withholding is not right for their personal situation, a quick
withholding check using the IRS withholding calculator on IRS.gov may be
helpful. Taxpayers can also do this by using the worksheets in IRS Publication
919, How Do I Adjust My Withholding? Adjustments can be made by filing a
revised Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate. Pensioners can
adjust their withholding by filing Form W-4P, Withholding Certificate for
Pension or Annuity Payments.
For more
information on this and other key tax provisions of the Recovery Act, visit the
official IRS Website at: IRS.gov/Recovery. |
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60 Minute Crash Course on Preparing Your Business For the Holidays
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60 minute crash
course on preparing your business for the holidays and social networking
Fresno,
CA- Fresno 4 County SCORE presents the final workshop of its Extreme Retail
Makeover series on Monday, September 21, 2009 from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. The
workshop will focus on helping businesses prepare for the holiday season and
how social networking can help reach out to new and current customers!
As
the holiday season approaches businesses need to be prepared for what is the
busiest season of the year. Quality Assurance Internal Control Specialist
Annette Watkins has been with Workforce Connection since 2001. As a renowned
expert in her field, Annette will provide attendees with everything there is to
know about training new employees including incentives of up to 50% on payroll!
The
Creative Cube Marketing Concepts team will provide valuable information about
the benefits of social media outlets and teach participants how to manage their
own Facebook account.
Join other business owners for this FREE
workshop and learn how to survive, thrive and beat the recession. To register
for this FREE workshop contact William Hori at 559-487-5605 or by email at William.Hori@sba.gov
Local
businesses are also invited to participate in SCORE's Advertising Package
Giveaway contest. One lucky business will win a $10,000 advertising package
that includes creative and air time on local television station CBS47 and radio
stations KJWL and KYNO. To enter business owners must submit a brief 200 word
essay and copy of business license by fax to (559) 266-1621. Visit www.fresnoscore.org for official contest
rules. The deadline to enter for a chance to win the advertising package is
September 22, 2009.
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Now All of Your Family and Staff Benefit From Your Chamber Membership
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The new Prescription Discount program offers discounts on prescriptions, eye glasses, vitamins, teeth whiting, and pet medicines, just to name a few.
Contact the Chamber office to let us know how many staff members you have and we will send enough cards for your entire staff!
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FREE Email Marketing Event
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You are
invited to special Free Email Marketing Events in
Fresno. Please register to ensure your seat.
When: Tuesday
September 29, 2009
Where: The University of California Center
550 E. Shaw Avenue
Fresno, CA, 93710
(Inyo/Kern Room)
What: Email Marketing Seminars & Free Lunch
Who: In partnership with -
UC Merced SBDC and Fresno SCORE
Cost: Free
To Register >> CLICK HERE
The
seminars start promptly at 10am and 1pm.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
DON'T FORGET your business cards for this great networking opportunity.
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Ambassadors Corner
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The Ambassadors are the Welcoming Committee for the Chamber. They attend events, conduct ribbon cuttings, and mentor other businesses, helping guide them through the benefits of the Chamber and of networking. They are always "welcoming" others to join them.
Next Ribbon Cutting is on September 29th at noon when we officially welcome: Palace Pet Grooming to the Chamber.
Have you moved, remodeled, or recently joined the Chamber? Would you like to have a Ribbon Cutting? The Ambassadors would love to schedule a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for you.
Call the Chamber office for more information: 683-7766
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Everyone Loves A Parade
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For more information on activities, and the parade or how to enter into the parade: click here
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Businesses Earn Extra Money By Saving Energy On Demand
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 SAN
FRANCISCO, Calif.
- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has started a pilot program that
will help our business customers earn money by agreeing to reduce their energy
use on demand.
Called the Commercial and Industrial Participating Load Pilot, the program is
designed to help increase system reliability and meet power demand in California through
helping customers use less energy.
When the
program becomes fully operational in the future, it will prove the ability of
automated technology to balance system-wide supply and demand by adjusting
customer loads on a minute-by-minute basis. Customers who agree to save energy
on demand will be eligible to earn money for their participation, much as
standby power generators now receive payments for their contribution to
managing California's
electric grid.
This
program recognizes demand response as an important market resource to help meet
power demand in California.
The pilot program began July 29 and is scheduled to end on October 31, 2009. IKEA
in East Palo Alto, the Contra Costa County
office in Martinez and Svenhard Bakery in Oakland are participating
customers in the program.
While the pilot
program is open to a limited number of business customers at this time,
PG&E offers other demand response programs which provide financial
incentives to participating business customers who volunteer to temporarily
reduce their electricity use. These programs are designed to be cost-effective
and provide environmentally responsible ways to avoid building new generation.
Working together, PG&E and facility energy managers identify strategies to
manage electric loads such as lighting and HVAC systems, in order to reduce
energy usage during peak demand periods.
Automated
demand response programs use
technology to reduce customer loads automatically. When a demand response event
is activated, PG&E sends a signal to customer energy management and
control systems to initiate a series of pre-programmed and pre-authorized
demand reduction strategies.
To learn
more about PG&E's Automated Demand Response Program, please visit: www.Auto-DR.com.
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Oakhurst Feed and Pet Supply Truck Load Sale
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Celebrate Agriculture with the Arts
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The Madera Vintners Association is proud
to co-host the opening of "Celebrate Agriculture with the Arts" with the Madera
Co. Arts Council during California's Wine Month Celebration.
Thursday, September 17th, 2009
5:30pm to 7:30pm
The Madera Vintners Association is honored to join the Madera
County Arts Council to "Celebrate Agriculture with the Arts" at the exhibit's
opening reception at 5:30pm on Thursday, September 17th, 2009 at
Circle Arts Gallery in Madera. Guests will get the first glimpse of the works
submitted to the juried art competition while sipping fine wines from the
Madera Wine Trail. The public is invited
to join the celebration free of charge at Circle Arts Gallery, 1653 N. Schnoor
Suite 113, Madera CA.
For
the fifth consecutive year, Governor Schwarzenegger has proclaimed September as
California Wine Month. The declaration highlights California's wine
attributes: our beautiful wine country landscape and ideal climate for wine;
our talented and ingenious winemaking families, our celebrated lifestyle and
cuisine; and our commitment to sustainability and the environment. The family
winemakers of the Madera Wine Trail are proud to be a part of California Wine
Month.
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Super Deals - Book Sale
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Is CD Laddering Right for You?
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By
Marilyn Rigg 683-3467
State
FarmŽ agent
With the recent volatility in the stock
market, people are hesitant to put their entire nest egg into the market.
Additionally, with the economy creating tight times for families, it's often
necessary to make sure funds are available if and when we need them. For those
investors who are either reluctant to jump head first into the market or those
who may have a need for cash, the strategy of laddering Certificates of Deposit
(CDs) may be appropriate.
CD laddering is the process of structuring
your investment into CDs to take advantage of the higher rates afforded by
longer-term time deposits, yet maintaining liquidity by arranging it so that
equal portions of the invested money is available periodically. To accomplish
this, you begin by buying numerous CDs with various maturities.
For instance, let's say you
have $25,000 to invest. Rather than investing the $25,000 in one CD that
matures at a designated time, by laddering CDs, you may choose to invest $5,000
in each of five separate CDs. In this example, you would then purchase a
1-year, 2-year, 3-year, 4-yea, and 5-year CD in equal amounts of $5,000. After
one year, when your first CD matures, you would invest it in a new 5-year CD.
Each year, a CD will expire and, if the funds are not needed, they will be
reinvested in a new 5-
year CD to take advantage of
the higher interest rate typically offered by a 5-year CD as compared to the 1-
or 2-year CDs.
This approach allows you the comfort of
knowing that a CD will mature each year in case you need the money, yet still
take advantage of the higher rates typically offered for longer maturities.
Staggering your maturity dates also helps smooth out the volatility of the market.
If interest rates rise during the year, you will have money available to invest
in a higher rate CD. Or, if rates fall, only a portion of your investment
dollars will need to be reinvested at the lower rate.
CD laddering may be a strategy that's appropriate
for your lifestyle. Plus, with the guaranteed interest rate offered on CDs, you
will be able to plan your future with confidence. Talk with your insurance
agent or financial expert for more information.
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Oakhurst Feed - Responsible Dog Ownership Days
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FREE Flu Shots
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Discover Tuscany on the Next Chamber Sponsored Vacation Getaway
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Travel with the peace of mind knowing that both the Chamber of Commerce and one of the only US Chamber approved Tour Companies are taking care of your every need.  |
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The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibit Needs Your Help.
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The King Vintage Museum is very excited to bring this once in a lifetime exhibit to Oakhurst and as the time for the exhibit draws closer we are beginning to realize the full scope of this project and the tremendous impact it will have on our community.
This exhibit will bring 1000's of visitors to our region during a month we usually do not have much in the way of tourism. The cost of advertising, insurance, additional staff, and improvements required to the museum are mounting and we need your help. We have started a fund raising campaign - Lincolns for Lincoln. When you see the signs and top hats that have been distributed throughout our region, please donate your pennies and five dollar bills. Or if you are able please send a donation to the King Vintage Museum and specify it is for the Lincoln Exhibit.
We need to raise well over $100,000 to pay for everything we want to do to make this a money making venture for everyone. Hotels, restaurants, attractions, and retailers will directly benefit from this month long exhibit! Celebrate Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial and learn all about
his life at this once in a Lifetime exhibition called "Abraham Lincoln: Self
Made in America Learning Station Exhibition" coming to the Wild Wonderful King
Vintage Museum, Oakhurst, California
from March 6,2010 to April 1, 2010. The exhibition is a first class
exhibition created by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in
Springfield, Illinois and supported by the "We the People" program of the
National Endowment for the Humanities and by the History Channel. The
Wild Wonderful King Vintage Museum is only one of four locations in the state
of California hosting the exhibition and the only one in the Central Valley.
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Business Person of the Day
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National Geographic Geotourism Seeking Nominations for the Geotourism Website
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The National Geographic Society is working with local organizations,
businesses and residents to map the best of the Sierra. We invite you
to recommend historic, cultural and natural landmarks; events,
attractions and activities; businesses, farms and ranches; artists,
artisans and storytellers who capture the region's unique character and
beauty.
Using your recommendations, National Geographic will produce a
Geotourism website and print MapGuide to promote travel that celebrates
and sustains what is most distinctive about the Range of Light-its
scenic landscapes and vibrant local communities; rich biological and
cultural diversity, and captivating history.
Nominate your favorite destination or attraction. CLICK HERE
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