Chamber News

2012

Chamber Board

President

Ethan Andress

Vice President

to be elected at February

Board Meeting

Past President

Kyle Kennedy

Directors

Cody Jorgenson

Rochelle Shirek

Liz Hallen

Bonnie Lueck

Verlyn Veal

Aaron Roseland

Scott Smith

Matt Miller

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Secretary/Treasurer

Earleen Friez

Next Monthly Board Meeting held on Thursday

February 9th

Noon at

Community Promotions Meeting Room in Centennial Square

Hettinger Area Chamber of Commerce Business Pride Award Revamped

The Business Pride Committee of the Hettinger Area Chamber of Commerce has decided to revamp the Business Pride Award from what we have done in the past few years in hopes that more businesses will take pride in their business and encourage their employees to take pride in where they work and what they do.

The Business Pride Committee feels that the Hettinger Area has a lot to offer our community members, as well as members of surrounding communities in the way of businesses, all the way from coffee Shops, Beauty Shops, Health Care Veterinary Care and everything in between. Hettinger also has a lot of good employees that work in these businesses from the teenage employee to the elder employee.

The Committee would like to spotlight a chamber member business each month for their outstanding devotion to our community. The following items will be considered when determining the spotlight business:

Business and their employees whole hearted devotion to the city and/or surrounding area

Commitment to maintenance of Business inside and out

Involvement in community beautification

Quality Service – beyond standard of normal business operations

Politeness of employees

Feeling of being welcome

Availability of stocked items

The Committee hopes that businesses that need to improve on any of these items make it an internal contest with their employees to somehow step it up and win the award.

The Committee welcomes any suggestions from Chamber Members. Both on how to improve the Business Pride award as well as suggestions as to who deserves the award. Our small Committee cannot possibly see it all.

Current members of the Committee are Bonnie Lueck, Rochelle Shirek, Aaron Roseland and Scott Smith. Contact one of the above if you would like to be part of the Committee.

Hettinger Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting

The annual meeting of the Hettinger Area Chamber of Commerce was held on February 2nd at the Hettinger Country Club.

Each year the Chamber solicits nominations from the public for seven Chamber Award categories. The winners are announced during the annual Chamber meeting. Nominees included: Business Person of the Year - Mike Marion, Kyle Kennedy, and Wes Cvach with the winner being Wes Cvach; Volunteer of the Year - Janice Heupel, Earl Erickson, Diana Lindquist and Marion Burke with the winner being Marion Burke; Medical Provider of the Year - Jackie Hedstrom, Karen Kobilansky, Dr. Brian Willoughby and Dr. Thomas Jacobsen with the winner being Dr. Brian Willoughby, Educator of the Year - Brian Christopherson, Linda Doe, and Gwynne Smith with the winner being Linda Doe; Pioneer Business - Hettinger Equity, Geri's Hair Shoppe and Mike Marion Construction with winner being Mike Marion Construction; Youth Employee nominee and winner was Honor Jacobsen; and Partner in Community Pride nominee and winner was the Community Clothes Closet. Nominees received certificates and the winners were presented plaques.

Chris Schauer outgoing member of the Chamber Board received a plaque for his six years of service on the Chamber Board.

Elected to 3 year terms on the Board were Bonnie Lueck, Aaron Roseland and Scott Smith.

Click on the pictures below to identify recipients and awards received. Pictures by Becky Qualls of the Adams County Record.

RZ Motors, Inc. Chosen as Spotlight Business winner for February

Winner for February 2011 is RZ Motors, Inc. They have received this award for going above and beyond to help

out other businesses in a time of need along with their continued community involvement.

RZ Motors, Inc. is located at 603 2nd Ave S in Hettinger. It is owned by Gregg and Lisa Jacobson.They hold

franchises for Ford, Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, and Arctic Cat. The business consists of Sales, Service and

Parts Departments.

Gregg, Lisa and all of their employees have always strived and succeeded to be involved in the community.

Their next communityproject is scheduled in conjunction with the May 3rd home highschool baseball game. The

project will feature a "Dodge Booster Club Fundraiser for the Local Baseball Program." Dodge donates $10 for

each test drive taken.

Kennedy's chosen as Chamber Spotlight Business Winner for March

Mike and Kathy Kennedy purchased the local Super Valu store in 2003. Mike and Kathy have had many years of

grocer experience and have always desired to own and operate their own store. When they sought to find a grocery

business, the small town of Hettinger attracted them. Mike and Kathy’s son Kyle helps manage the store.

Kennedy’s was nominated as Hettinger Area Chamber’s Spotlight Business for March of 2011 “because of their

excellent customer service” a customer said, she continued to say “Mike, Kathy and Kyle show what it is to take pride

in their business by their hard work and dedication to their customers”.

They are known to cater to their customer’s needs and have fun promotions such as their shopping spree give-away.

The Kennedy’s donate to community projects, community promotions, the local school, and many other local

organizations. Their son Kyle is very active on several community boards.

The whole Kennedy family is commended for their volunteerism to the area. People like the Kennedy’s are a welcome addition to our community and it’s nice

to see them make Hettinger their community.

April’s Hettinger Area Chamber of Commerce Spotlight Business Pride is awarded to Pastime Bar & Steakhouse

Pastime Bar & Steakhouse was opened in 1922 by Leon and Florence Clement, over the past 89 years it has

remained in the family. It has been owned and operated by Bill and Phyllis Clement, Tom and Michele Shirek and now

their daughters Rochelle Shirek and Tricia Parnow.

They have always been contributors to this community along with their customer satisfaction and community pride

they are deserving of this award.

Their most recent dedication to community and life itself was shown in their hosting of a Relay for Life fund raiser

organized by Jauan Grosz, 5 years cancer survivor, and her team. In addition to hosting this Rochelle and Trisha

donated 10% of the Steakhouse proceeds on April 2, to the American Cancer Society.

May Hettinger Area Chamber of Commerce Spotlight Business Pride Winner is Fried Photography

Fried Photography owned by Dawn and Duane Fried has been chosen as Hettinger Area Chamber of Commerce Business Spotlight for May 2011. They were chosen for their great customer service, community involvement, pride in business through beautiful window displays and street presentation. They first began taking Senior Pictures in 1980. Then Dawn and Duane were nurses at West River Regional Medical Center doing Photography on the side.

They first opened their studio in 1988 in the basement of the current ALCO building. Through the years they have had a studio in the basement of their home as well as in the former Creamery Building.

In 2001 they purchased their current Studio located at 213 South Main Street, Hettinger. This building has gone through several renovations including the most recent exterior renovation which proves their commitment and pride to the city of Hettinger.

Fried Photography is a full service photography business. They specialize in Senior, Family, Children, Wedding, Sports, and School photos. They also do passport photos. Duane is an open-minded photographer and is willing to listen to what his customers needs and desires are and works his hardest to accommodate them.

Hettinger Chamber Spotlight Business for July/August 2011 is Hettinger Theatre

Hettinger Theatre was chosen for their commitment to Hettinger and their involvement in community events by offering the use of the theatre for events other than movies. They were also chosen for the commitment to keeping our city and surrounding area viable entertainment wise by offering current up to date movies.

Hettinger Theatre was a vision of a few area citizens who met in 2000 to seriously consider the goal of a movie

theater in Hettinger. The previous theater was destroyed by fire about 20 years earlier. The charter members

created a non-profit organization and began fundraising in May of 2001. Because of the tremendous support of

the community through individual and organization donations and voluntary labor, the dream became reality.

The Hettinger Theatre opened its doors in August of 2002.

The charter members were Dennis Fried, Bob Parker, Mary Kilwein, Jody Larson, Mark Slater, Kathleen

Thompson, Steve Scherer, Robin Shoberg, Kelsey Brackel, Krista Johnson, Linda Weaver, Kelsey Wick, and

Jessica Elder. They volunteered many long hours brainstorming, fund raising and planning.

The Hettinger Theatre is no longer a non-profit organization but is incorporated. Current Manger, Terry Spratta noted that the corporate status allowed them to qualify for the grant which provided much of the funding for the digital equipment. This equipment makes the Hettinger Theater the only digital theatre in rural southwest North Dakota.

The public is encouraged to nominate Chamber Member Businesses for monthly Spotlight Business consideration by calling Bonnie Lueck or the Chamber Office.

June Winner of Hettinger Chamber Business spotlight is the Clothes Closet

The Clothes Closet is a non-profit organization which sells second hand clothing that has been donated by area people. Donations of good, clean used clothing are always appreciated.

The profits are donated back to the area through various organizations and community projects.

Community Clothes Closet opened its door in October 1, 1977. The project was a vision of Hettinger Lutheran Minister,

Pastor Torkelson and brought to life by fourteen women of Hettinger Lutheran Church. At the first meeting the feeling

was this project should be a project to benefit the whole community.

The first board members were Ragnold Wolff, Jan Goetz, Myrtle Strand, Judy Ellefson, Gladys Wamre, Magdalene

Wandler and Merlyn Miller. Their first goal was to make enough money to pay the rents. If profits exceeded that they

were to be donated to families who were victims of fire and or tornado.

The Clothes Closest has moved several times during their 34 years due to space. They first opened in the Norby house on south 10th street in 1977, and then in 1978 they moved to the former Outka Garage one block west of Main Street. The next move came in 1979 to south main in the building currently owned by 3-T Storage. 1995 brought them to their current location on Main Street. Through the years they have adjusted their hours of operation to keep up with customer demand.

There are currently 45 volunteers from our trade area that work one or more days a month at the store. Customers from the southwestern quarter of ND and northwester quarter of SD frequent the store, for which they are grateful. They are always in need of more volunteers and if you are willing to help out stop by the Clothes Closet for more information.

Present officers are President – Ada Jean Cornella, Vice President – Sandy Nelson, Secretary – Donna Olson, and Treasurer – Norma Sipma.

Hettinger American Legion Club is latest Chamber

Business Pride Winner

The American Legion has been chosen as Business Pride winner for

September/October 2011 by the Hettinger Area Chamber of Commerce

for their commitment to the community for holding Cancer Research Fund

Raisers and other community fund raisers, as well as for their continued

support to the Chamber and other special community events. Pictured is

Andrea Werlinger, club manager.

The public is encouraged to submit their nominations for businesses

which they think would be worthy of consideration for the Business Pride

Award which is presented every two months. Nominations should be submitted to the Chamber

Office. Any nominations received will be passed on to the Business Pride

committee.