More holiday shoppers than ever entered this year's Annual Shop Roane First Christmas Shopping Spree contest - bringing a record number of customers into participating Chamber members' retailers this holiday season. A record number of 3,564 entries were completed.

"And that's exactly why the Chamber has been partnering with the Roane County News for years to hold this contest," said Chamber Business Development chief Darrell Williams.

But for the lucky winner, Janice Frederick, it was a lot more personal - she said it was an answer to her prayers. The winner said she had "been praying for so long hoping to win this contest," after entering for many years.

This year's contest was kicked off earlier - the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and ran three full weeks. The winning ticket was completed at Valley Farmer's CO-OP, and drawn during a standing-room only crowd at the annual Roane Alliance Christmas Open House. 

The Chamber's Shop Roane First program efforts also included a Chamber Super Saturday shopping day - which was the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Super Saturday was a time when the Chamber asked everyone to spend at least $50 at a local Chamber retailer -- promoting shopping small while also helping out the local economy. The date chosen was the same date pushed nationally as 'Shop Small' day this year to capitalize on the big push nationally.  As part of that effort, specially-designed buttons for employees of Roane Chamber businesses to wear that day were also ordered (cost underwritten by Wal-Mart in Rockwood) and a half page, full-color ad ran in the Roane County News on black Friday listing all the Roane Chamber retailers. 

"The winning entry was completed on Super Saturday, along with hundreds of other entries," said Chamber President Leslie Henderson, "so it looks like the Shop Roane First program did its job to help support Chamber members this Holiday shopping season, after all."

The Chamber released its 2013 Legislative Agenda recently, with plans to present it on January 14 during the annual Legislative Breakfast held at The Roane Alliance. This popular event is put on jointly by the Alliance and the Chamber's Legislative Affairs Committee to allow Chamber supporters face-to-face time with the Roane legislative delegation.

The agenda includes recommendations in the areas of economic development and tourism, transportation and infrastructure and education, while providing recommendations on those issues of most importance to the Roane County Chamber business community. 

Prepared by the Chamber's Government Relations Committee - which is chaired by Buddy Bowers - the agenda was adopted by the full Chamber Board in a unanimous vote and will be presented to State Senator Ken Yager and State Representatives Kent Calfee and Ron Travis as they begin the 2013 legislative session in January.

"Since Roane County is now made up of two State Legislative Districts, and both Representatives are newly elected in their respective Districts, this legislative breakfast could not be more important to our Chamber members," said Chamber President Leslie Henderson. "Encouraging support for these initiatives will be at the top of the agenda that morning - one of the first opportunities to get in front of both newly-elected representatives and the newly re-elected State Senator Ken Yager."

Initiatives outlined include:

• Full funding and support for education needs to make our students more competitive and prepared;
• Completion of the widening of Highway 70 along with widening of Highway 61 between Harriman and Oliver Springs;
• Funding to local governments for land acquisition, infrastructure support and building; and
• Construction to meet industrial development recruitment and retention needs.

To read the complete 2013 Legislative Agenda click here.

One of the most well-known, and important programs of the Education Matters! initiative at the Chamber is the Tennessee Scholars program - and this year it received a much-needed boost from United Way.

A Roane Chamber-led partnership between local businesses and the Roane County Schools, the Tennessee Scholars program was adopted to increase the number of students graduating from high school with a rigorous, defined academic course of study that prepares them for higher education, the workforce, or the military. The program requires students to have an overall "C" average, 95% attendance, pass end-of-course tests, have no out-of-school suspensions, and 20 hours of community service during each of the four years of high school. 

This year to help increase awareness of the program, a grant from the Roane County United Way made it possible for students who meet the criteria be recognized during their current school year instead of only at graduation.  With all five high schools being represented, 223 sophomores received a scholars sport pack during a ceremony on November 13.  In the coming months, 216 juniors will receive a certificate and scholars sport bottle.

Harrison Ready Mix

Doug Brown

730 Gallaher Rd

Kingston, TN 37763

865-637-1770

Kingston Chiropractic Center

Dr. Chris Estes

1190 N. Kentucky Street

Kingston, TN 37763

865-376-4684

Walgreens

Joe Bracco

1779 Roane State Highway

Harriman, TN 37748

865-717-2835

Baggett Pharmacy, Inc.

Ronnie Baggett

133 East Race Street

Kingston, TN 37763

865-376-6452

City of Kingston

James Pinkerton

125 W. Cumberland Street

Kingston, TN 37763

865-376-6584

Dr. Bert Cunningham

P. O. Box 928

Kingston, TN 37763

865-376-1156

Eye Surgery Center of Oak Ridge

Kimberly Southmayd

90 Vermont Avenue

Oak Ridge, TN 37830

865-482-8890

Rotary Club of Harriman

Steve Byerly

P.O. Box 633

Harriman, TN 37748

865-882-8400

Wellington Place

Tom Robinson

1098 Bradford Way

Kingston, TN 37763

865-376-9848

Roane Choral Society

Louanne Bennett

P.O. Box 24

Kingston, TN 37763

Curtis Bunch

1640 Roane State Highway

Harriman, TN 37748

865-376-7227

Cates Family Dentistry

Darrell Cates

1546 N. Gateway Avenue

Rockwood, TN 37854

865-354-2740

Chase Drugs

Larry Hill

319 N. Roane Street

Harriman, TN 37748

865-882-2421

Gene Jones Construction

Gene Jones

126 Red Bud Drive

Harriman, TN 37748

865-882-1378

H.G. Furniture Company

James "Dub" Harmon

308 Trenton Street

Harriman, TN 37748

865-882-9646

Kingston Lions Club

Steve Bates

P.O. Box 325

Kingston, TN 37763

865-376-6894

Mid-East Community Action Agency

Jerry Johnson

2919 Roane State Highway

Kingston, TN 37763

865-354-0450

Bobby Davis

128 Maple Ln

Kingston, TN 37763

865-717-3005

ORNL Federal Credit Union

Deb Hankins

1204 N Kentucky St

Kingston, TN 37763

865-688-9555 ext 1860

Roane Central Utility District

Wendy McElhaney

2727 Roane State Hwy

Harriman, TN 37748

865-882-5762

Roane County Farm Bureau

Charlie Daniels

202 S. Kentucky Street

Kingston, TN 37763

865-376-3411

Enrichment Federal Credit Union

Becky Woody

1009 Bradford Way

Kingston, TN 37763

865-376-3451

Michael Dunn Center

Mike McElhinney

629 Gallaher Road

Kingston, TN 37763

865-376-3416 ext 215

Tennessee Technology Center

Danice Turpin

1745 Harriman Highway

Harriman, TN 37748

865-882-6703

William Bennett MD

408 N. Roane St., Ste. 100

Harriman, TN 37748

865-882-9775

Operation Reach

Bobby Collier

126 Arsenault Crossing

Kingston, TN 37763

865-376-0466

Ken Mynatt

801 Trenton Street

Harriman, TN 37748

865-882-5349

Big Lots

Mike Zanie

1426 North Gateway

Rockwood, TN 37854

865-354-1691

Roane County Habitat for Humanity

Todd Fisher

P.O. Box 1124

Kingston, TN 37763

865-376-5770

Roane Co. Assoc. of Women Executives

Angie Cox

P.O. Box 442

Kingston, TN 37763

AT&T

Mary Stewart Lewis

1202 Tallan Bldg., 2 Union Square

Chattanooga, TN 37402

423-752-4546

LEM-DEC

Laurie Betts

3114 River Road

Ten Mile, TN 37880

865-717-6695

Mama Mia's Pizzeria

Lottie O'Brien

705 West Race Street

Kingston, TN 37763

865-376-5050

Outer Limits Satellites

Monica & Kevin Pierce

226 N. Kentucky Street

Kingston, TN 37763

865-717-9430