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Mission Statement
The Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce is organized for the purpose of advancing the civic, commercial, industrial, economic, social, and general interest of the people of Cleveland and Bolivar County. It shall encourage the growth of existing industries and businesses while giving all proper assistance to any new firms or individuals seeking to locate in Cleveland and Bolivar County. This organization will support all those activities believed to be beneficial to the community and the area and will oppose those which might be detrimental. And in general, the Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce shall follow always those policies intended to accomplish the greatest good for the greatest number.
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September 15 - David Work Dedication and Reception at 5:00, Cleveland Airport Terminal
September 17-Bruce Levingston at the BPAC
September 18-19 - Pig Pickin' at DSU Statesmen Park
September 18 - Delta Rice Luncheon 11:00-1:00 in the DSU Coliseum
September 24 - Willard Samuels Dedication and Reception at 6:00, Park Commission Gymnasium
September 26 - Saturdays in the Park, Bear Pen Park from 10:00-2:00
September 28 - Chamber Banquet, Cleveland Country Club, Cocktails and social hour @ 5:30, dinner at 6:00
October 1- Reception honoring Jane Dunlap, Mark Ponder, and George Harrison-Railroad Museum at 6:00
October 3-4 - County-Wide ACT Workshop (see community events calendar for more details)
October 9-10 - OCTOBERFEST - downtown green strip
Please be sure to check the Quick Links in the right column for other events.
Above: DSU faculty and staff and members of the community enjoy the Welcome Back Celebration at The Warehouse. |
| Board Meeting Recap |
Three new members approved for membership:
Lenny's Sub Shop
Buckley's Pharmacy
Merle Norman
Young Leaders Network: The Young Leaders Network has selected People's Choice at Octoberfest as its first project. Other possible undertakings are joining in with the Delta Health & Wellness Initiative through Leigh Pickard and possibly cleaning up one of the city's parks.
Marketing and Communications: Media meetings have gone well so far. We will be having a marketing task force meeting in the coming weeks to begin looking over possible options for marketing the Chamber and the community.
The President's Club: Members have been very active this month. They have assisted at DSU's Convocation, the DSU Welcome Back, Business After Hours, and Heidi's Ribbon Cutting. They will continue to meet monthly.
Troop Support: We have been able to obtain a list of addresses for our soldiers who were deployed to Iraq in June. We have sent a letter and a phone card to each soldier. Additionally, boxes have been ordered to hold "goodie box" items that will be sent in the near future.
Education: The Education Committee Board and Support Group have been meeting concerning the possibility of expanding the Bolivar County Education Fair which will be held on November 12, 2009. At one point, the Chamber held a large fair at the Walter Sillers Coliseum that ended with a Financial Aid Workshop for parents in the evening. Also, the need for an ACT prep workshop is being addressed.
Community Events: The Mississippi State Senior Mixed Tennis Championship tournament was held the weekend of August 21 - 23 and was very successful. Packets with information about Cleveland and discount coupons were given to each captain to be distributed to the players. As early as Friday morning, merchants were reporting tennis players shopping in the stores. The restaurants were busy during the weekend as well.
Scott Coopwood hosted a Business After Hours in August with approximately 60 in attendance. Jacks, Adams and Norquist will host in October, Gainspoletti Financial Group will host in November, and we will have our Christmas Reception here at the Chamber in December. If anyone would like to host this function, please contact the Chamber.
The DSU Welcome Party was a huge success with possibly the largest crowd ever.
Leadership Mississippi held its conference in Cleveland last week and we received rave reviews from class members. The Chamber sponsored Will Hooker for this program.
Economic Restructuring:
Hey Joe's is now open.
Cindy Wood will open a restaurant on Cotton Row.
A music store, Bridges, has recently opened on South Sharpe.
Charlotte Skelton and Stan and Tori Gaines will open a frozen casserole shop on Highway 61 at North Street.
A new BBQ restaurant, named Back Roads Barbeque, has opened on 61N.
An art gallery, Locals, is now open next to Kut Works.
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| Pig Pickin' |
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24th Annual
Pig Pickin' BBQ
Date: Friday and Saturday,
September 18 & 19
Location: Statesmen Park
BBQ Tickets $5.00 Each
(available at Hugh Ellis Walker Alumni/Foundation House)
Game Tickets $10.00 Each
(available at Chadwick-Dickson Field House)
For more information
visit www.gostatesmen.com or www.deltastate.edu/pages/808.asp or call 846-4660 for BBQ tickets
**Absolutely no golf carts or ATV's
will be allowed in the park
other than those used for event officials!
Pig Pickin' Logo Items
for Sale
T-Shirts $10.00
Long Sleeve $15.00
Activities
Delta State Triathlon
KidsZone
BBQ Cooking Competition
Live Entertainment
Pep Rally with the Delta State Cheerleaders, Band, and Football Team
Free Raffle of Children's Bicycle
Sponsored by DSU
Alumni Association
and
Athletic Department
***The first 600 registered attendees
at Statesmen Park receive
a FREE stadium cup!!!***
Friday, September 18th 4:00pm - Donna Gregory Live 6:00pm - Polk's Sponsors' Social - (Hugh E. Walker Alumni-Foundation House) 7:00pm - Barbecue Competition Cooks' Meeting 8:00pm - Delta Rox Performance Saturday, September 19th 8:00am - DSU Triathlon, Aquatic Center 10:30am-12:00pm - CMN Benefit Bunko Brunch - H.L. Nowell Student Union States Room 11:00am - Past Alumni Presidents Brunch 11:30am-1:00pm - Men's Basketball Open House 12:30pm - DSU Day-1st Floor H.L. Nowell Student Union 1:00pm - Cooking Competition Begins 1:00-5:00pm - KidsZone 1:00-3:00pm - Ol' Skool Revue Performance 3:00-5:00pm - BBQ Serving Lines Open 3:30pm - DSU Pep Rally 5:00pm - Barbecue Competition Winners Announced/ Wal-Mart Bike Raffle Winners Announced 6:00pm - Statesmen Football vs. Harding University, Parker Field/McCool Stadium *Barbecue Competition Winners will also be recognized at half-time of the football game!
 Above: DSU Football team prepares for the game with a chant. |
| Saturdays in the Park! |
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'Saturdays in the Park' bark success after August event
CLEVELAND-Saturdays in the Park returned with its first event in a series of three fall happenings. Hosting a morning of activities specifically designed to focus on the four-legged friends of the community, committee members proudly deemed the August affair a success.
"We've had so many folks just come, hang out and stay a while. It's been very relaxing and extremely enjoyable," Chair Rori Herbison reported. "It's been another great day in our series. Saturdays in the Park is really catching on with the community and we are so encouraged to keep our work going."
"PETS! PETS! PETS!" started with a "Blessing of the Pets," and included presentations by the Mississippi Department of Corrections' K-9 unit and Delta K-9 Unit.
Other exhibitors were also on hand to show residents how to take better care of their canine companions.
"It's been an equally educational day and we are confident residents were exposed to new experiences," Herbison added.
A petting zoo featuring baby calves, rabbits, goats, ponies and a donkey was also available for viewing.
 "We've had a great time watching the kids interact with the animals and react so warmly when the petting zoo animals would eat from their hands. We really could not have asked for anything more," she concluded. "Saturdays in the Park" will return to Bear Pen Park, September 26 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. with an outdoor/recreation theme. The events are free and open to all ages. Concessions will be served and water will be available for the pets in attendance. Saturdays in the Park is presented by Delta State University's College of Education and its Health, Physical Education & Recreation Department and Division of Family & Consumer Sciences, the Center for Community and Economic Development, and the School of Nursing, in cooperation with Cleveland School District, Cleveland Park Commission and the Leaders of Delta Health & Wellness For more information on "Saturdays in the Park," please contact the Department of Health, Physical Education & Recreation at (662) 846-4555, the Cleveland Park Commission at (662) 846-6605 or email saturdaysinthepark@live.com.  Pictured Above: The winner of Best Costume at Saturdays in the Park-Pet's Edition. | |
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Member Spotlight |
Please Support and Congratulate our newest members!
Lenny's Sub Shop
Located at 415 N. Davis Ave. Suite 415 in Cleveland, Lenny's is open 10:30-9:00 Monday thru Saturday and 11:00-8:00 on Sunday. Owner Jay Burchfield would love for you to drop in and see what they have to offer. They offer a wide variety of sandwiches and salads, as well as catering for any size event. Please feel free to dine in or carry out and call-in orders are available. Give them a call at 662-846-5100.
Merle Norman
Located at 331 Cotton Row in Cleveland, Merle Norman has been owned and operated by Betty Frazier since 1989. The store is open Monday thru Friday 10:00-5:00 and 10:00-3:00 on Saturday. They carry a complete line of Merle Norman Cosmetics for ages 11 and up. They provide complete makeovers using Merle Norman products to give their customers that special look they want. Inside their studio, you will find one of the Delta's most unique specialty shops that includes ladies clothing, accessories and gifts. They take pride in the knowledge that their merchandise is unique and not found in stores everywhere. Drop by and see what they have to offer or give them a call at 662-843-5487.
Buckley's Pharmacy
Buckley's is located at 301 Hospital Drive in Cleveland, conveniently near the clinics and hospital. Owner/Pharmacist Taylor Roberts, R. PH., can service your needs for prescriptions and over the counter medicine. He and his friendly staff are eager and willing to serve you from 8:00-5:30 on Monday thru Saturday. Drop by and see what they have to offer, or give them a call at 662-843-3654.
Abraham's Clothing Store
Abraham's, in Historic downtown Cleveland, is now celebrating its 30th anniversary. Along with this milestone, Abraham's is also proud to have been a member of the Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce since opening in 1979. Owners, Danny and Betsy Abraham owe much of the success of Abraham's to its loyal customers from Cleveland, as well as patrons from as far as Homer, Alaska. As the first specialty store in Mississippi to carry Polo Ralph Lauren, Abraham's has expanded its branded lines to include The North Face, Patagonia, Cole Haan, Austin Reed, Clarks of England, Tommy Bahama, Ike Behar, Robert Talbott, Southern Tide, Berle, Costa Del Mar, S. Cohen, Florsheim, and many others.
Until 2007, Abraham's specialized only in men's clothing, sportswear and accessories. "With the addition of outdoor sportswear, we decided to add ladies and youth sizes in The North Face and Patagonia", says Danny Abraham. Betsy Abraham is quick to add, "the decision to add ladies and youth sizes in outdoor sportswear has been great for our male customers also. When they come in to shop, the men now have the opportunity to surprise their wives or girlfriends with a gift from Abraham's. It was a perfect match for women also, as 60% of men's purchases are made by women". Abraham's is known for their superb customer service. They offer a full time tailor, free gift wrap, home delivery, tuxedo rental, gift certificates, and a heartfelt smile to every person who comes through their door. Abraham's is open 9:00 to 5:30 Monday through Saturday. Either Danny or Betsy Abraham will be happy to meet you in store, after hours, on Sundays, and on holidays, by appointment. Abraham's can be reached by phone at 662-843-4541, by fax at 662-843-2650, or you may email them at dannyabraham@cableone.net.
Posh
Posh is a ladies shoe and accessory store located at 166 N. Sharpe Ave. We are open Monday-Saturday from 10-5. Posh offers a variety of shoes from casual to dress. Some of the brands we carry are Rocket Dog, Merrell, Kenneth Cole, and Caparros. You can always find the newest styles of shoes at Posh.
Punkin Patch
Punkin Patch, located in the Historic District of Cleveland, has been a family owned business since 1985. Amy Vance and Judy Dilworth offer children's wear for boys, infant through 12, and girls, infant through 16.
There are lots of unique toys, dolls and gifts to choose from. A monogramming service is available as well as a 60 day layaway service. All major credit cards are accepted. Store hours are 10:00-5:30 Monday through Friday and 10:00 -5:00 on Saturday
The Wishing Well
"What to wear whenever and whereever with lots of style" is the motto that has guided Jo Parker and Susan Wiggins for the 22 years they have owned The Wishing Well. Starting in May 1987 in Shelby, Mississippi, with former partner Anne Dilworth, Jo and Susan created a welcoming atmosphere in which women could shop. In the fall of 1984, they moved The Wishing Well to Cleveland and watched sales triple. Their attention to detail, whether purging a closet, finding that perfect something for a special occasion or dressing windows (irresistable to a passerby) Jo and Susan know their customers. Jo and Susan agree that buying in Cleveland is very important to their town. Cleveland is very fortunate to have some of the best shopping in the region. Both grew up in small towns, and both have backgrounds in and love retail. Susan recently returned from a trip to Chicago feeling shops here definitely can compete with those in the big city. After all, look how many customers come to Cleveland to find that special item without combing the racks in department stores unassisted. Recently Jo and Susan were told by a customer, "I am your best advertiser." There is no better compliment to a business.
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| Letter From The Executive Board |
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Dear Members,
A common question we hear all the time is how does my Chamber membership benefit me. The staff at the Chamber is here to promote the businesses we currently have, help attract new businesses, promote tourism, and supply Chamber members with any information that can help them be successful in the success of their business. The question also can be answered with what I can do to benefit my Chamber of Commerce, the City of Cleveland, and Bolivar County. By being associated with the Chamber since I moved home about 5 years ago, I see why I wanted to move back to the area. We have a tremendous pride in our town of working together for one common goal of making Cleveland and Bolivar County a better place to live. The positive comments we receive from visitors of how beautiful our downtown is, the shopping and dining that we have, the hospitality we show to our visitors, and the community pride shown are all indications of how we work together.
In establishing our program of work, we have several goals for the next year, and it will take a tremendous effort to establish all of them. However, with the volunteers we have I know we can accomplish all of these goals. I look forward to working with each of you next year as your Chamber President and I am very excited about the momentum we have built over the past few years.
One of the greatest ways to see how our Chamber works or how our tourism dollars are spent is to volunteer to help and see firsthand what we are trying to accomplish at the Chamber. One always gets what they want out of an activity by the effort they put into it. I have put this energy into the Chamber, not because it is the right thing to do, but because how much I love Cleveland and the Bolivar County area and how much I want to see it succeed. I know with the community pride that we have that we all share in this one common goal of making our area a better place to live.
James Glorioso
President
Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce
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| Ribbon Cuttings |
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The Chamber offers ribbon cuttings for grand openings and grand re-openings. If you would like to schedule a ribbon cutting please contact Anne Dilworth at 662-843-2712.
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| New Service Offered |
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Frances Pantin Janoush is now a Notary Public and would like to help with any notary needs you may have.
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