June Chamber Newsletter

Chamber News

Issue 14
June 2010

Dear Chamber Supporters & Friends,

A HUGE thank you to all who went to a great deal of effort to make our May chamber events successful including The Legnds of Motorsports event in Mountain Brook Village and the Spring a Ling a Ding Dong festival in English Village. We'd love your feedback on these events. Did you enjoy them? Should we continue to sponsor them? How can we make them better? Want to see pictures or share pictures? Here are some links:

Legends Slide Show

Spring a Ling a Ding Dong Photos
More wonderful Spring a Ling Photos

MOUNTAIN BROOK MERCHANTS RECAP OF LEGENDS - MEETING JUNE 11TH, 8:30AM

for Mountain Brook Merchants on June 11th, 8:30AM, PLC Room. We want your input! This is your chance! Should we do it again next year? If so, how can we improve?

JUNE EVENTS:

WHEW! It was a big month of events in May not the least of which was graduation! We're settling into summer but we still have lots on the agenda.

Don't forget to VOTE June 1st! Links to the slate of candidates here and below.
There will be a Flood Mitigation meeting the same day. If you will be affected by this construction, you will want to attend.
June 14th is the Public Hearing for the Lane Parke project. Details below and on the website.
We have a quarterly luncheon on economic development on June 24th. We will be adding information to the website and you must register to attend.

Don't forget to buy VILLAGE GOLD for camp counselors, babysitters, or summer occasions! It's easy to redeem the certificates dollar for dollar in your favorite stores in Mountain Brook and functions just like a gift card. LIST OF MERCHANTS WHO ACCEPT IT HERE

TWITTER OR FACEBOOK:
Follow us on Twitter!

Lots of great info and you do not have to join to follow...But if you ARE a fan, it's great way to pass on Mountain Brook information to your friends and family!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR GRADUATES!

Happy Father's Day on June 20th!

Celebrate fathers everywhere!

Flood Mitigation Meeting - June 1st

Public Meeting for Flood Mitigation has been moved to Mountain Brook Junior High School, Tuesday night, June 1st. Please plan to attend if you will be affected by this project. It has been posted to Channel 10's website and 450 notices have been mailed out to affected properties. More information is posted on the public notice HERE, or please call City Manager, Sam Gaston. Note that this is the same day as the general election and polling places include City Hall and Mountain Brook Elementary.

Vote! June 1st!

Vote Don't forget to VOTE on June 1st, the Tuesday AFTER Labor Day Weekend! Mid-term elections with slate posted on website HERE

Public Hearing on Lane Parke Project!

Public Hearing on Lane Parke project will be Monday, June 14th, 5:30PM at Mountain Brook Junior High School Auditorium (Click HERE for additional information).

The revised Lane Parke PUD plan, traffic study and parking study may be viewed by clicking on the underlined links from the City's website below:

The public hearing will include discussion regarding the development of the Evans property in Mountain Brook Village, better know as the Western Shopping Center and the Park Lane Apartments. The proposed planned unit development (PUD) inlcudes a mixture of retail, dining, residences, parks, offices and a boutique hotel. Below are links to an overview of this proposal:

Revised PUD Application/Master Development Plan (dated May 21, 2010)

Enlarged, dimensioned site plan (page 9 of Master Development plan; page 10 has been left blank intentionally)

Traffic Impact Study (dated May 2010)

Parking Study (dated May 17, 2010)

Comments regarding the study are posted on the developers' website HERE and opposition from a group of residents is posted on a website HERE

Quarterly Luncheon - June 24th - Small Business Forum

Luncheon Plate Small Business Economic Development forum moderated by Paul DeMarco and including the cooperative efforts of Homewood and Mountain Brook Chambers of Commerce and a panel of experts including representatives from the business community and AL Department of Revenue. Sponsored by BB&T and Brookwood Medical Center

Forum will be hosted in Rosewood Hall in Homewood's SOHO development near City Hall. Parking is available in the rear of the building.

Here's the discussion panel:
Tom Surtees, Director of Industrial Relations
Cynthia Underwood, Acting Commissioner of Department of Revenue
John Harrison, Superintendent of Banks, Alabama State Banking Department
Randy Adamy, Homewood Small Business Owner
Vic Nigri, Mountain Brook Small Business Owner

Additional details and registration available by clicking HERE. Registration closes June 17th, 2010

Mark your calendars for Sales Tax Holiday - August 6-8th

Alabama Department of Revenue is declaring Sales Tax Holiday on August 6-8th. Details HERE
Mountain Brook City Council must vote to participate. Stay tuned!

Featured New Members

Meet Interior Decorator, Dana Wolter

As a working mother of three, Dana Wolter understands the stress associated with everyday life. She believes a home should be a retreat as well as a place to gather with family and friends. Dana's warm personality, combined with her energy and creativity, results in a stress-free experience while achieving a fresh, elegant, and understated home for her clients.

Using one's imagination to improve one's surroundings is nothing new to Dana Wolter. Growing up in a large family-where chaos ruled- triggered Dana's early interest in interior design. On a constant quest for serenity and a way to express her creativity, Dana's mother often awoke to find her bedroom- or one of her sisters'- had received a drastic makeover during the night. See what she can do for you! Visit her website HERE

Creating a Healthy Lifestyle!

The Fitness Center will begin doing presentations to organizations, businesses and churches on "Creating a Healthy Lifestyle". Our mission is to promote a healthy community by educating people in developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. We will offer presentations on fitness and nutrition or we can do just fitness or just nutrition depending on the group and length of time. To learn more please contact Beth Nigri, Marketing Director and Co-Owner of The Fitness Center at 205-870-1121 or email us HERE

The Pants Store in Crestline has a new website!

Think they just have pants? Think again! Visit their new website for a look at all the exciting things they carry for all ages!

Dance with us this summer at Steeple Arts!

COME DANCE WITH US AT STEEPLE ARTS, WHERE EVERYONE'S A STAR!

Steeple Arts Academy of Dance is not "just another dancing school", but a private school stressing classic training in Ballet, Jazz, Tap and more. Students are carefully placed in classes according to age and advancement. Founded in 1935, by Lola Mae Jones and carried on by her daughter, Lola Mae Coates, Steeple Arts grew into an icon of the Mountain Brook Villages.

Now under its third generation Director, Steeple Arts continues to be the Dance Home for Birmingham's finest young girls, as Deanny Coates Hardy, continues the tradition from her mother and grandmother!

Steeple Arts celebrates our 50th Anniversary at the present location, 36 Church Street - Crestline, and our 75th Anniversary as the "Dance Center of Mountain Brook". Steeple Arts offers some of the most professional, qualified staff of teachers in Alabama, most of whom were all taught and trained at Steeple Arts as they grew up!

The Steeple Arts Ballroom Program is a long standing tradition in Mountain Brook area. Steeple Arts is the originator of the classic 6th grade ballroom program which offers invaluable quality instruction, as well as social graces and amenities.

Enroll NOW for Fall Dance Classes at Steeple Arts Academy of Dance! We have New and exciting classes for ALL ages on our schedule this year, Including; Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Total Dance Team, and Combination classes!

Call 871-5893 TODAY For enrollment information!

Click HERE to check out our new website

New Weekly Feature - What's for Lunch this summer in Mtn Brook?

Welcome to our new summer intern, Madison Morrow! She is a graduate of MBHS and is currently studying as an English major at Vanderbilt University. This summer, in addition to helping us with events and updating our mailing list, she will be publishing a weekly enewsletter featuring summer lunch and dinner specials in Mountain Brook. She will include menus, prices, and special promotions, and more! If you'd like your restaurant special to be included, please contact Madison via email HERE. She may also be contacting YOU via telephone to ask you about your specials. Please help her promote your business by providing her with images, logos, menus, and whatever would be helpful to her. Thanks, Madison!

Here's a GREAT project for this summer!

Harvest for the Hungry

The Idea:
Oak Street Garden Shop & Local Market promises to provide fresh, locally raised, healthy food for Birmingham's less-fortunate, hungry population. We're teaming up with Magic City Harvest - and you - to grow a summer's worth of tomatoes to share.

The Deal:
Purchase a tomato plant, and receive an extra as our gift. This is your Harvest for the Hungry plant. We'll set you up in The Great Tomato Book, and as your plant begins to produce, bring the ripe, red fruit into the market.

When you arrive with your harvest, we'll weigh it and pass it on to Magic
City Harvest. At summer's end, we'll tally up the maters and see how many pounds we've added to Magic City's coffers. Then, we'll throw a thank-you party for our generous gardeners.

LOTS GOING ON! What have you MISSED? Click on the links below!

Chamber members, we will continue to update our chamber list and provide additional benefits to our chamber members only. Please drop by and pick up the new "Welcome to Mountain Brook - Guidebook". Welcome mats are still available for $45 and are a great way to advertise your support of your community as well as extend a hearty welcome to all your customers. Please email the chamber for details.

Visit our online shop! It's a great way to support your community and your chamber!

Thanks for helping us help you!

Sincerely,
Suzan Doidge

Suzan Doidge
Director, Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce

P.S. Missed a past issue? They are now archived on the News page of our new website. You can continue to forward them if there is an article of particular interest with live links up to 90 days past the publish date.

Please urge your friends and neighbors to join our mailing list to receive our monthly email newsletter. And thanks for forwarding this information using the links below.

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