Chamber notes progress for El Campo
BECCA SOCHA EL CAMPO CHAMBER PRESIDENT

I hope everyone's year has started out great. It's hard to believe another year has gone by. I think the older we get the faster time goes. Our chamber has had a busy year.

The chamber has been involved with many projects such as helping raise money for bluebonnets to enhance our entryways, repainting several existing murals and completing the new mural on the Texas Seed Rice Building on Hwy. 59.

As far as tourism, we have been very busy. Over the past year, we have hosted many tour groups and shown them our area. We completed two major publications this year, our Experience El Campo magazine in which the chamber partnered with the El Campo Leader-News, and our official city/county map, which featured the Junior League World Series champs on the cover. We also finished a major tourism sign project. The signs feature El Campo attractions, and one is at Evans Park facing Hwy. 71 and the other mounted on the chamber building.

In the office, we have stayed busy this past year. Besides several events throughout the year, we have been keeping all members informed on legislative issues through e-mail and fax updates. The chamber served as the welcoming arm of El Campo by visiting with new residents and new businesses. ing busi-

We also keep members informed through our membership newsletter, The Outlook, which goes out every two months. Each month there is chamber representation at the monthly meetings for Northside Center and City Development Corporation. The chamber keeps El Campo citizens informed on KULP twice a month and with monthly news articles in the El Campo Leader- News. We assist anyone interested in opening a business or becoming a member. We promote members with ribbon cuttings, and continuously advertise to support the "Shop at Home" program, because it does make a difference.

Besides our regular chamber events, we were involved with several other events. We co-sponsored educational seminars at the Northside Center for businesses. When Cardell Cabinetry decided to down-size, we cosponsored with the City Development Corporation a job fair at the Northside Center for employment opportunities for the community. This helped many job-seekers and businesses find the perfect match.

The chamber was involved with the Wharton County Health Fair held in Wharton. This is an event that rotates between El Campo and Wharton, and we will be hosting the event in El Campo again this year.

The farmers market has also been a great partnership between El Campo and Wharton. We sponsored and promoted it in the spring, along with chamber directors helping with manpower.

The chamber held two legislative luncheons this past year, and were proud to welcome State Rep. John Zerwas and Sen. Glenn Hegar to these events.

We have been working with local contractors in building new facilities, and working with the city each year to help clean up blighted areas and even homes complying with ordinances.

We have been involved frequently with meetings keeping up with railroad progress in El Campo and Kansas City Southern.

We assisted the El Campo Economic Development Corp. with their annual stockholder and board meeting.

We have also seen significant member participation with our coalition programs with Fox, Smolen & Associates, which is our electric coalition program, and also serve as consultants.

Our other coalition available to members as a benefit is Payment Express Systems, which supplies merchant card operations.

Become a member today and have these two savings pay for your membership investment by becoming a part of the chamber's coalition.

Just a reminder: Our annual events are the Annual Chamber Banquet on Thursday, Jan. 31, the 4th Annual Bowling Tournament, Harvest Retrospective Breakfast, Membership Appreciation Crawfish Boil, Christmas Mall, Lighted Christmas Parade, and this year we hosted the Carson & Barnes Circus.

Events we tried but did not have the participation we hoped for are Hodge Podge Day and the Fall Farmers Market.

As they say - if you don't try you will never know.

We have seen many improvements within the last couple of months. There has been a lot of work going on the south side of Hwy. 71. Sunny Side Inn has new owners, Sheldon and Karen Holub.

LaQuinta has also started clearing out land for their project. BL Oilfield Services has built a new building past R&M Firearms on Hwy. 59.

In town, the El Campo Leader-News has completed their new awning and it looks fantastic. Muldoon's has a new sign with flashing marquee and has expanded and added a steakhouse.

First Baptist Church has added a new sign and landscaping. Behind McDonald's we are getting a new Chinese restaurant, Golden Phoenix.

Bradley Krasucky has opened a new auto body shop, BK Customz & Collision in the former Frank's Body on Jackson.

On the north side, Hibbit Sporting Goods is now open in the shopping center with Dollar Tree and Cato's. On the corner next to the resale barn there is a new shopping strip being built.

The new El Campo Middle School is scheduled for movein soon with classes starting in February. Everyone will be very excited to add such a nice facility to our school district. On the loop, YK Communications has a new sign with marquee board. Wal-Mart has replaced the Vision Center with Regal Nails and an arcade center.

Also, Dream Maker Construction has added a sign with landscaping at their home-based office on Charlene.

We welcomed two new professionals into our community: Dr. Patrick Johnson with Mid Coast Medical Center and El Campo Chiropractic and Dr. Kevin Saiz with El Campo Chiropractic.

New individual member for the month is Frank Howell and associate members are Rosann Zalman, Coldwell Banker The Ron Brown Company and Lane Lauritsen with John Petty Realtors.

We are inviting all the community to come out to the Texas Aquaculture Convention at the Civic Center this week. We are very fortunate to host this event and have so many out-of-town visitors visit our fair city.

As I reflect back I am grateful to live in such a community that is so giving and always ready to help not only the chamber but so many organizations. Our citizens are the best ever and that is El Campo's greatest asset.

Everyone who moves here will tell you the people are so nice. I have lived here all my life and I think we are the icing on the cake, along with the cherry on top.

We are a small town that has it all. We are fortunate to have all the recreational facilities, a wonderful school district to offer our children, all the services for providing health care, and most important the businesses who support all groups with generous giving.

It is our job as citizens to return the favor and support our businesses. Shop at home, it makes a difference.