August 25, 2011
 

CHAMBER NEWS

Experience the Cypress Inn LoftExperience the Cypress Inn Loft
Make plans to meet your fellow Chamber members at Cypress Inn's Loft in downtown Tuscaloosa on Tues, Sept 13 from 5-7pm for our Sept mixer. Address is 502 Greensboro Ave. See the great meeting space and sample the fare that made them famous! And, as usual, take advantage of this great networking opportunity! Prospective members welcome.

E-cycling Day Coming
Together with the City of Tuscaloosa and the City of Northport, we'll host the 5th electronics recycling collection event for West Alabama on Sept 13 and 14 in the back parking lot of University Mall (behind Belk's Men's Store). Drop off times are: Tues from 11am-3pm and Wed 9am-5:30pm.

The last event as a huge success with over 1010 participants and over 70 volunteers. Please do your part to safely reclaim and reuse electronic waste, and help keep West Alabama clean and beautiful. Part of the proceeds for the event go to help the Pre-K Initiative. Get all the details at www.tuscaloosachamber.com/ecycle.

Washington Fly In Sponsors Needed
Our 2011 Washington Fly In, to be held in Oct, will be fun and interesting and will include tours of Washington monuments plus the White House so sponsors are needed. Nucor, Lewis-Smyth-Winter, Mercedes Benz USI, Greene Beverage, Alabama Power, and Bryant Bank are already on board. Contact Terry Waters at 391.0562 or terry@tuscaloosachamber.com or Donny Jones at 391.0552 or donny@tuscaloosachamber.com, if interested. 

Chamber Seeks Executive Director Applicants
Applications are now being accepted for the position of Executive Director of the Chamber. A complete position description is posted on the Chamber’s website www.tuscaloosachamber.com, along with instructions for submitting the applications by the Sept 2 deadline. If you know of someone who might be interested and qualified for this position, please encourage them to apply. Please do not contact the Chamber directly.

Congresswoman Terri Sewell to Address Chamber-Rotary Group
Partnering with Rotary once again, the Chamber will host Congresswoman Terri Sewell for a joint event at Indian Hills on Tues, Sept 27. Doors open at 11:30am and program begins at noon. Members of the Rotary Club do not have to register or make reservations through the Chamber. Individuals who are not members of Rotary must make reservations through the Chamber. Cost is $25/person and reservations must be received by and cannot be refunded/cancelled after Fri, Sept 23. Call 391.0559 or email stacey@tuscaloosachamber.com to register. Non-Chamber members must pay at the Chamber in advance.

2012 Leadership Tuscaloosa Application Deadline Extended
Leadership Tuscaloosa is a personal leadership development program coordinated by the Chamber and open to citizens from all sectors of Tuscaloosa County. Criteria for selection includes demonstrated community involvement, leadership skills and the desire to invest the time, effort and energy required. Program consists of one-day sessions over a nine month period on a variety of personal leadership and community topics and issues. Application for the 2012 class is available at The Chamber office and at www.tuscaloosachamber.com (see QuickLinks). Deadline for submission is Aug 26. For more info, call 391.0559.

Register for AAS Golf Tournament
Registration forms for the annual Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa Adopt-A-School Golf Tourney are available at the Chamber office or ww.tuscaloosachamber.com/aas. The 4-man scramble at Ol’ Colony golf complex, set for Sept 15, is the annual fundraising event benefitting the AAS program. All teams will begin play with a shotgun start at 1pm. Cost is $600/team. Fee includes greens fee, range balls, cart and lunch. Also, a variety of sponsorships are available. See the link above for a sponsor form. For more info, call 391.0563 or email loo@tuscaloosachamber.com.
 
Grants for Nonprofits Available;
Applications Processed Monthly
Local non-profit organizations certified with (501 C) (3) status that are involved with long-term recovery from the April tornadoes are eligible to apply for money from the Tuscaloosa Disaster Relief Fund. The Grant Application and Qualifications Attachment are available at www.givetuscaloosa.com. Applications are due on the 10th of each month to be considered for funding during that month. Each group applying must have a board of directors, be subject to an annual financial audit, and commit to use the funds allocated to provide direct aid or basic human services as part of the countywide recovery efforts. For more info, call 758.7588.
 
MEMBERS IN MOTION
 
Zumba w/ Lowanda in Two Locations; Free Intro Class
Join this fitness program that is spreading like wild fire! Routines feature calorie burning sessions which combines fast and slow rhythms and resistance training to tone and sculpt your body while burning fat. Conducted by the Chamber’s own LoWanda James. Fitness One (in front of Northport Medical Center) session runs Aug 22– Oct 3 on Mon from 6:30-7:20pm; call 333.4700 for more info and to register. Also, a six week session is offered at Benjamin Barnes YMCA beginning Sep 8 on Thurs from 5:45-6:45pm; call 759.4284 to get details and register. Free intro class is offered at the latter TODAY at 5:45pm!

Main Library to Offer Limited Services Fri & Sat
Due to interior maintenance, the TPL Main library on Jack Warner Pkwy will be offering limited library services to the public on Aug 26-27. Building will not be accessible. Two bookmobiles will be providing basic material services to patrons in the parking lot. Patrons are welcome to use the book drop on the side of the library for returns. Friends of the Library, located next door, will remain open as usual. Patrons are encouraged to visit the other two library locations on Fri, which will be open for normal operating hours: Weaver-Bolden branch at 2522 Lanier Ave and Brown Branch at 300 Bobby Miller Pkwy.

Walk to Remember for Caring Days
Caring Days Adult Daycare will hold it's annual Walk to Remember benefit on Aug 27 from 8-10am inside University Mall. Call 752.6840 or visit www.caringdays.org to get details or sign up.

Blues Festival in Holt on Saturday
On Sat Aug 27, from 11am to 8pm, hear great blues in Holt at the 2nd Annual Johnny Shines Blues Festival in Evan-Rochelle Park. Visit www.alabamablues.org for details.

PARA to Honor Softball Legend in Field Naming at Sokol Park
PARA will dedicate a softball field in honor of Tuscaloosa softball legend Paul Morrison during at a ceremony on Aug 29 at 6pm at Sokol Park South. Event will kick off PARA’s fall softball season. Morrison, a charter member of the West Alabama Softball Hall of Fame and a member of the Alabama Softball Hall of Fame, is recognized as one of the state’s best fast-pitch softball pitchers and his contributions to area softball include teaching over 500 kids.  PARA encourages his players, old teammates and friends to attend the event, which is free and open to the public.

Advertising Seminar at BCC
A Media Solutions advertising seminar will be held on Tues, Aug 30 at 1:30pm at the Bryant Conference Center. You're invited to this complimentary event, presented by our local TV stations, which is designed to help you grow your business. Register online at http://bit.ly/mediaseminar or call 205.558.7201 for more info.

Fall Concerts at Shelton
The Shelton State Community College Dept of Music has announced its schedule of fall 2011 concert events. List is posted at http://www.sheltonstate.edu/  In addition to a variety of recitals to be performed by Shelton music students, “Terrific Tuesday Concerts” will include performances by various professional artists from around the state. All performances are free and open to the public and take place in the Alabama Power Foundation Recital Hall (unless otherwise noted) of the Sandra Hall Ray Fine Arts Center on the Shelton campus For more info, call 391.2270 or email scoats@sheltonstate.edu.

Health & Wellness Event at UA
UA's College of Continuing Studies will present Building a Culture of Health on The UA campus Aug 31-Sept 1. Event will bring together business, healthcare and community leaders to discuss the dramatic impact poor health is having on employers and communities. Improved health outcomes not only benefit individuals and families, but generate significant return on investment to employers and communities. Opening reception wil be held on the evening of Aug 31. Sept 1 will include a full-day of presentations by national, state and local experts in health and wellness initiatives. Online registration and agenda are available at http://cultureofhealth.ua.edu. For more info, call 348.8559 or email bnabors@ccs.ua.edu.

United Way Holds 2011 Campaign Kickoff Lunch
Our local United Way will hold its Campaign Kickoff Lunch on Wed, Aug 31 from 11:30am-1pm (short program at 12:15) at Hotel Capstone  Free event is sponsored by Capstone Bank. Enjoy a nice lunch and receive a LIVE UNITED T-shirt. Also, meet volunteers overseeing the campaign this year and be the first to hear about the goal.

Acoustic Night at the Bama
Acoustic Night will feature a performance by Mark Hughes Cobb and Abby Jones on Wed, Aug 31 at 7:30pm at the Bama Theatre’s Greensboro Room. Presented by The Arts Council, Acoustic Night features new and upcoming singer/songwriters from around the country throughout the year in an intimate setting. Cover charge is $5 and a full-service bar will be available. Visit www.bamatheatre.org or call 758.5195 for further info.

Art Night at Kentuck on Sept 1
Kentuck’s next Art Night, Sept 1 from 5pm to 9pm, features 2 exhibits: fiber art by Linda Dixon and mixed media by Chris Davenport, music by The BlueJays, and open studios. Visit www.kentuck.org for details.

Green Acres Launches Website
Green Acres Landscape Service recently launched a great website, www.greenacreswestalabama.com. Check it out to see the beautiful work they do! Office address is 3050 12th St in Northport. Call 330.2440  or 242.1818 for more info. (Older contact info was printed on Chamber directory supplement and we apologize). Also, find them on Facebook by searching Green Acres Landscape Service, LLC.

 AL.com Celebrates Tuscaloosa
Division
AL.com held a reception to celebrate the launch of its Tuscaloosa division on Aug 17 at Chuck's Fish. This popular state-wide news portal (#1 website in Alabama) now offers our local news and happenings. Visit www.al.com and select the Tuscaloosa option.

PARA Seeks Feedback
PARA would like feedback regarding green space and rebuilding efforts for the Lions Club Building. Click here to take a brief survey to help them out.
 
Red Top Grille Opens 
A ribbon cutting for Red Top Grille was held on Aug 19. Address is 208 Skyland Blvd E in Tuscaloosa (next to Enterprise Car Rental). Stop by and check out this great new restaurant! It features a Breakfast Bar from 5am-10am M-F, a Meat & 3 Lunch Buffet from 11am-2pm M-F for $7.99, plus, you can still order from the grill. Soft serve ice cream, shakes, and more are offered for dessert. Call 752.8303 for more info.

Learn Pilates
Ever thought about learning Pilates? Now is the time! Pilates & More is offering its popular Intro to Pilates course on Weds at 10am starting Sept 14. Call the studio at 464.0096 for details and to reserve your place. Address is 700 Energy Center Blvd, Ste 405 in Northport. Visit www.pilatesmore.com to learn more about the company.

Ribbon Cutting for Personnel Staffing
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at Personnel Staffing on Mon, Aug 22 at 5pm. Address is 2207 Jack Warner Pkwy Ste 1 in Tuscaloosa (bottom of 21 Ave). For more info on the company, visit www.personnelstaffing.com or call 248.2998.

Girls Scouts in New Location
Have you been to see the new Girl Scout office yet? You're invited to stop by! Address is 2121 9th St, Ste B in Tuscaloosa. Phone # there is 759.5421.

Want a Booth at Girlapalooza?
The Girl Scouts annual Girlapalooza event is coming soon (Sept 10) to McFarland Mall. Businesses and other organizations are invited to set up a free booth to provide promotional items/giveaways to participants. Vendors will need to provide all materials needed for the display; only spaces are provided. If interested, contact Rosa Johnson at 759.5421 x1423 or rjohnson@girlscoutsnca.org.

PLEASE REMEMBER…
 
Use Our Online Community Calendar
Please do check out all the features on our online calendar at www.tuscaloosachamber.com.  See what’s going on in the area and utilize the upload feature to add your own listing.
 
Share Member News
All employees and associates of Chamber-member firms are members, too. So, please simply hit the forward button to share this issue with all team members in your business/organization. Thanks a lot!
 
If you would like info about your events, programs or business news included in The Chamber’s “Member News”, send details to us at The Chamber, P. O. Box 20410, Tuscaloosa, AL 35402 or FAX to 391.0565. Better yet, email them to robin@tuscaloosachamber.com.