Monthly Archives: January 2010

Lights, Camera, Action: Siouxland Film Festival Calls for Entries

Posted on January 29, 2010 | Leave a comment

Making a short film is much harder than it looks.  You have to get a story across in a very short amount of time, and do it affectively.  I found this out first hand when the rumors of a short film festival in Sioux City started circulating five years ago.  I pretty much had to beg, borrow, but not quite steal to get my film made.  Luckily, I was one of about a dozen that was chosen to be screened the night of the festival.  As I walked into the Orpheum Theater I had flashes of red carpet moments and Joan Rivers telling me I looked like crap.  Alas, I had to settle for great people who appreciate the art of film telling me I did a great job. 

The fifth annual Siouxand Film Festival has sounded the call for submissions, and if you are a local filmmaker, or just always wanted to try and tell a great story through film, I urge you to give it a go.  The popularity of short film making has exploded over the past few years, and if you ever wanted to get involved now is the time.  Submissions are being accepted through January 31st so you still have a few days, and the event is to take place March 27th at the Orpheum Theater, with two seperate screening times.  For more information and a downloadable copy of the entry form please visit the following link.  http://www.orpheumlive.com/events/showEvent.php?p=2&ID=420

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Posted in Chamber Members, General info

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Email: Are You Doing It Wrong?

Posted on January 27, 2010 | Leave a comment

When I want to send someone a quick message I usually default to texting, but in the business world email is still the trusted tool of communication.  With messages flying in and out of your boxes it can be easy to slide into the casual realm, especially when you have a million other things to worry about.  However, a little attention to detail on your part can really pay off in the long run.  Here are some basic rules for proper email etiquette that even Emily Post would give her nod to.            

Top Ten Email Mistakes

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Posted in General info

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Government Decisions- Doug Batcheller

Posted on January 25, 2010 | Leave a comment

Good government decisions are never made in backrooms outside of ‘public debate,’ yet it appears that backroom decisions impacted the Sioux City Community School District last week.
The Federal Government announced last fall a second round of stimulus money offered up to those states who signed on to certain preconditions to affect school reform and improvement. This program has been titled ‘Race to the Top’ or RTTT. Several of the preconditions required by this program run counter to Iowa Code. Regardless of that fact, the Governor and the Iowa Department of Education officials decided to apply for these funds to help cover their inability to fund current and proposed budgets for education.
In order to comply with Federal rules, the Governor and ISEA (Iowa State Education Association) appear to have cut a deal that will dramatically alter current rules that Boards of Education and their administrations use to affect school improvement without input from other interested parties (i.e. Boards of Education, IASD, SAI, the Urban Education Network, parents, community members, students, and others who work for school improvement on a daily basis).
This is the kind of misguided decision process that costs all of us time, money, and a great deal of frustration. I appeal to the Governor and the Department of Education to apply sound principles of good government by allowing public discussion of these important issues, so that all interested parties can have a stake and a belief in these policies that we will all have to work under to improve our schools.

– Doug Batcheller, President of the Sioux City Community School District

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Posted in Guest Blogger

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Leaders in Community Voice Opinions

Posted on January 22, 2010 | Leave a comment

The Chamber has always brought the Siouxland community news and story updates. Now, we are taking it up a notch and getting the story “straight from the horse’s mouth,” figuratively speaking. Prominent leaders in the community will be discussing local issues and voicing their personal opinions. These people live and work in Siouxland and are letting their voices be heard.  Starting us off will be a few words from a local business owner, who is directly involved with an area school system.

This is a great opportunity to learn about things happening in our community and to read about them through posts from well-informed individuals.  Check back next week to see who will be chosen next to speak about issues dealing directly with Siouxland.

Chelsey, Siouxland Intern

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Posted in Chamber Members, General info, Guest Blogger

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Time to spice up your meetings? Look to your childhood for ideas.

Posted on January 21, 2010 | Leave a comment

Most conference meetings can be compared to my 8:00 A.M. classes…boring, uneventful and an opportune time for a little cat nap. But that’s not the case anymore! Many small businesses are encouraging interaction during these meetings in order to get more bang for their buck.
Heather Logrippo, owner and publisher of “Distinctive Homes,” a monthly magazine in Boston, handed out construction paper and crayons to her employees and told them to draw their ideas for an incentive program with those resources. I’ve noticed through my Resident Assistant job that adults love to revert back to childhood activities, so this was brilliant! Dixon Schwabl Advertising Inc., in Rochester, N.Y. had a similar strategy, but instead of crayons and paper, he used the always fun, watergun. Every employee was required to bring theirs to the meetings and use without repercussion on anyone who uttered a negative comment. Needless to say, a positive atmosphere was the outcome.
Hitting a little closer to home was an idea from Angela Bagby, director of marketing and client relations for Russell Construction Co. in Davenport, IA. Bagby introduced a new device that calculated just how much money the company was spending by the employees attending the meeting. Their initial 90-minute meeting cost the company $5,000! This new appreciation for time well spent definitely made employees interact more and keep their focus.

For more ideas on how to spice up your conference meetings, visit The Wall Street Journal online.

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Posted in General info, Marketing Monday

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We Will Emerge A Stronger Community

Posted on January 20, 2010 | Leave a comment

The upcoming closing of John Morrell, one of Siouxland’s largest employers, is unfortunate for both the employees as well as the community as a whole. Debi Durham, our very own President of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce and the Siouxland Initiative, had this to say about yesterday’s announcement:

“First and foremost, our hearts go out to all those impacted by today’s
developments. I want those affected to know that this community will do
everything we can to ease their transition and hopefully help them
secure employment locally.

“It is important to note that the City and the Chamber of Commerce had
been involved in very high level negotiations with the executive
management of this company to relocate their processing plant to a
green-field industrial site south of their present location. Those
negotiations were suspended by the leaders of Smithfield Foods as the
economy slowed in 2008.

“Finally, with a growing food processing sector, Siouxland will endure
today’s difficult developments, as we have in the past, and will emerge
a stronger community in the future.”

In addition, here’s what one Sioux Falls blogger had to say about the plant closing. We think he is right on track.

Hang In There Sioux City!

Posted by: Todd Epp on January 19, 2010 at 11:18PM EST, Siouxland Voice

“I was shocked but really not surprised to hear about the closing of the John Morrell plant in Sioux City tonight.

There’s been rumblings for at least a couple of years that the Sioux City plant–or the Sioux Falls plant in my community–or both might close.

The closure is a terrible blow to Siouxland and to the Morrell employees. There’s going to be a lot of pain for a lot of people.

But Sioux City has a lot going for it. A great location. Good transportation options with I-29, Sioux Gateway Airport, and the Missouri River. A vibrant cultural and arts scene with great facilities like the Anderson Pavilion, the Tyson Center, and the Sioux City Art Museum.

But it is the people of Siouxland who will overcome this. The now very diverse people of Siouxland from nearly every corner of the earth along with the native Sioux Citians who have weathered bad weather and bad economies in the past.

Hang in there, Sioux City. This is one Sioux Empirian who is pulling for you and thinks you’ll come out of this an even better community.

I’ll have some more thoughts on all this later.”

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Posted in Chamber Members, General info, News

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Tan Tax: Will You Feel the Burn?

Posted on January 19, 2010 | 1 Comment

As a proud, pale, Irish-German gal I have no feelings one way or another about artificial tanning.  I have felt firsthand the sting of forgetting to slather on the sunscreen, but I last laid in a tanning bed when I had bronze tinged fantasies about a perfect senior prom.  Those days are gone for me, as are the tiny yellow bug goggles that used to grace my rearview mirror.

As part of the health care reform, the Senate has proposed a ten percent sales tax on commercial indoor tanning services.  Many salon owners say that they would never be able to absorb the tax, and would therefore have to pass it onto their clients.  If this bill passes, many will have a tough decision to make.  Is that golden gleam worth the extra few bucks?  For many I would wager that it is.  In a society that strives for physical perfection, services like tanning, waxing, bleaching, manicuring, and eyelash extensions will be around for years to come. What are your thoughts about the tan tax?

http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/business/local/article_2b1ab110-b898-5953-b6e4-a3fec4a1eac3.html

-Lindsay, Intern

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Posted in General info, News

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Neighborhood Snow Removal: Are You Still Confused?

Posted on January 18, 2010 | Leave a comment

                                                               Everyday when I leave my house I all but dissappear between walls of snow as I try to navigate to my car parked out front.  My short legs can barely traverse our melting tundra, especially in a pair of slacks and a set of heels.  By the time I shut the car door and crank the heat I am out of breath.  Mounds of snow still line the curbside, but that is due to change over the next couple of weeks.  Many of you have heard about the clearing of the excess snow from the streets, but may be confused as to when your neighborhood is to be done, and which side of the street are you supposed to park on and when. 

The city has been divided into 12 seperate districts, and all are set to be cleared by Jan. 26th.  Two to three districts at a time will be plowed, and each should take two days.  For more information, such as where to park and when your district is set to be cleared visit this link at the Sioux City Journal.

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Wine on a Dime for Mary Treglia Camp Imagination

Posted on January 15, 2010 | Leave a comment

As college students, the drink of choice we are usually faced with is the recently tapped keg or ,on those special occasions, a nip from a bottle of generic booze.  When it comes to wine tasting we are at a loss.  We know about the sniff, the swirl, and that you are supposed to spit it out after the bouquet is determined.  Other than that, our knowledge of wine doesn’t go past what we learned from the movie “Sideways“.  Much can be learned from Paul Giamatti, however an actual expert in the field of fruity libations is only a ticket price away.

The 2nd Annual Wine on a Dime benefit will be held Saturday, February 20th, 2010 at 6:00 P.M. at the Stoney Creek Inn & Conference Center. This benefit features wine tasting, hors d’oeuvres from Aggie’s catering, and a live experience from wine guru, Gary Vaynerchuk. For only $50 you can reserve a ticket for this event and all proceeds benefit Mary Treglia’s Camp Imagination. For more information about this event or to reserve a ticket contact Erica at (712) 258-5137 or erica@marytreglia.org.

Camp Imagination is an eight-week, full day summer program aiming to stop summer learning loss in at-risk students.

Here is a look at the witty, informative and always entertaining Gary Vaynerchuk.

Wine Tasting with Gary Vaynerchuk & Kevin Rose

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Posted in General info, Member Spotlight

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Cap-and-Trade: Industry Experts look at Tri-State Area

Posted on January 14, 2010 | Leave a comment

The Siouxland Industrial Roundtable will feature the topic of Cap & Trade. Beth Trejo will be “tweeting” from the event via Twitter at @tre_beth. You can also follow along on the blog in the right hand column.

The panelist today, which include internationally recognized economist Margo Thorning, as well as William Fehrman, President for Mid American Energy, will look at how this proposed bill could effect the Tri-State Area.

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Posted in Legislative Alert

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