Chamber News

There is so much going on here at the chamber!  Construction on the new part of the building is nearly finished, and we are having our Grand Opening on August 20th.  You are welcome to join us in celebrating the opening of this beautiful facility.  There will be a resource room as well as a lending library that we are excited to put to use, so come on in and check it out!

There is a Silent Auction being held here at the chamber tomorrow from 9am-3pm.  A list of available items is on our website (http://www.georgetownchamber.org/auction.asp).   All items have a “Buy It Now” price but bids will be taken in person or by phone for larger items.  The website will have a complete list of items & prices before the end of the day.  All money raised will go towards the Capital Campaign.

First Fridays & Second Saturdays

Every first Friday of the month, February through December is an evening of receptions, dining, music and shopping in the unique boutiques, galleries and home decor shops of downtown Georgetown. 6-8pm
Join us for “Friday Music on the Square!”
Every Friday night we feature local musicians at 6PM at 8th & Main Street on the Square.
Join us, bring your lawn chair and start your weekend with live music
outdoors in the beautiful setting around our historic courthouse.
We are open late the First Friday of each month from February through December with a celebration of live music and shop owners waiting to greet you on and within a few blocks of the Square. On First Friday, our Music on the Square is a street dance which starts at 8PM.

Market Days are held every second Saturday of the month from March through November. Market Days is located on the square in historic downtown Georgetown. Fine hand-made arts and crafts, live music, entertainment and delicious refreshments can be found. The hours for Market Days are 9:00am to 4:00pm

http://www.dgagtx.org/

Georgetown Chamber Meeting Room Update

Construction is quickly progressing at the Chamber.  New cabinets have been installed and will be stained in the soon to be library.  Ceiling fans have been installed in offices and the tilework is being done.  If you haven’t yet, be sure to stop by for a quick tour.  Save the date for our grand opening celebration on August 20th from 5-7pm!

For now, the North side of the meeting room can be rented for meetings, parties, etc.  In fact, it was recently used for a family reunion.  We are also taking reservations for the entire meeting room, the South side of the meeting room, and the board room which will be available by our grand opening.  The cost for members  is $200 for half of the meeting room (up to 125 people seated theatre style) or $300 for the whole meeting room (up to 250 people seated theatre style.)  The board room (seats roughly 20-25 people) will continue to run $25 for up to four uses and $100 thereafter.

Flooding at the Chamber

As most of you know, the Chamber’s new building flooded last week and the Chamber is just now re-opening.  The cause of the flooding was that the Chamber’s new building was connected to a capped water line.  Eventually, the water pressure grew and caused a toilet to flush contiuously throughout the night.  By Wednesday morning, there was nearly an inch of standing (but thankfully clean) water throughout the new building. 

ServiceMaster Professional Services was called out since they specialize in water restoration.  We still have a few giant fans running but they were able to get most of water out the walls, carpet, etc.  The baseboard may need to be replaced and some repainting may be needed, but we still anticipate being able to have our grand opening celebration the third Thursday in August.

LinkedIn

Along with a Facebook page, we have created a page in the Group section of LinkedIn.  We welcome you to become members of our group, and look forward to exploring the website and connecting with all of you!

Here is a link to the page:

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2095405&trk=anetsrch_name&goback=%2Egdr_1247084677894_1

Facebook Page

We have recently created a Facebook page for the Chamber of Commerce.  Feel free to become a fan so that you can keep up with Chamber news and events. Please bear in mind that we are still getting everything set up!  If you have any suggestions we would love to hear them!

Here is the link to our Facebook page:

http://companies.to/georgetownchamberofcommerce

The Secret Law of Attraction

This past Monday at the Silver Screen Seminar we watched “The Secret Law of Attraction” by Jack Canfield.  The term “harmonic resonance” was brought up in the video, and it basically means that when you focus on the negative you will attract the negative.  Focusing on the positive will attract positive things in your life as well.  If youapply the laws that he spoke about, you can double your income, double your time off, as well as have a better balance between home, work, and alone time.  There are three core principals to the law of attraction, and they are ASK, BELIEVE, and RECEIVE.  Jack Canfield says to do what brings you joy and practice faithful persistence.  In order to achieve your goals you need to have daily discipline.  When you acknowledge the Law of Attraction working, you will see better and faster results.

Texas ranks first for business

Texas has been named the country’s No. 1 state for business once again, this time by Directorship, a publication that caters to corporate boardroom leaders.

According to its Web site, the magazine’s mission is to provide corporate boardroom’s and governance committees with the best intelligence on the U.S. business environment.

Texas nabbed the No. 1 spot due to its ability to attract Fortune 500 companies, its solid economy, affordable cost of living and its pro-business tax climate.

The magazine names major corporate relocations and expansions—such as Comerica’s move from Detroit to Dallas and Caterpillar’s decision to build a new assembly plant in Seguin—among the reasons for Texas’ ranking.

Directorship evaluated all 50 states on their overall economy, tax climate, cost of living and education.

Texas “has a pro-business tax climate that ranks third, a low cost of living, a relatively solid economy, and a litigation environment that ranks 10th on our list,” the magazine reported. “Texas also ranks first in the number of Fortune 500 companies located there.”

Gov. Rick Perry boasted about the survey results Tuesday.

“Our commitment to low taxes, predictable regulations, and a fair tort system are setting an example for the nation and creating a magnetic force for the businesses and jobs that are vital to maintaining Texas’ competitive advantage in the global marketplace,” Perry said.

(source: Austin Business Journal)

Williamson County Sheriff’s Posse & Parade

Come down to the Historic Square Saturday June 20th, at 10 a.m. to helpthe Willaimson County Sheriff’s Posse kick off Rodeo Week with their annual parade.  The parade will be on Austin Avenue from 10th to 5th Street.

Bring your family and friends out for a fun weekend at the annual Williamson County Sheriff’s Posse Rodeo on June 26th & 27th! This year’s rodeo will be better than last, including all your favorite rodeo events as well as Mutton Bustin, Calf Scramble, Rodeo Clowns, a Kids Corral Area, and vendors.  There is also going to be an HEB Steer Saddling Challenge! There is something for everyone, so come on out!

For more details and a schedule of events go to:

http://www.georgetownrodeo.com

The rodeo will be held at 415 E. Morrow Street in San Gabriel Park.

Hike and Bike Trail River Crossing Planned at Blue Hole

A new hike and bike trail crossing over the South San Gabriel River at Blue Hole Park will soon be under construction. Last week, the city council approved a contract with Joe Bland Construction of Austin to construct the new river crossing on the trail.

The trail crossing will connect with the hike and bike trail at Rock Street on the south side of the river and with parkland along San Gabriel Village Boulevard on the north side of the river. Randy Morrow, community services division director, says the trail crossing will create a secondary retention pool at Blue Hole Park downstream from the existing dam. Morrow says the crossing has been engineered to withstand the tremendous floodwaters that occasionally inundate the south fork of the San Gabriel River.

Water will flow through sluices on the crossing surface and then cascade down a limestone stair-stepped embankment on the downstream side of the crossing. The design is similar to water features on San Antonio’s River Walk, says Morrow.

Construction of the trail crossing is expected to begin this summer and is projected to be complete in the spring of 2010. The cost of the pedestrian crossing is $218,000.

The trail crossing is part of a larger project that includes a new wastewater line in the vicinity, as well as the addition of a vehicle turnaround at the entrance to Blue Hole Park at Rock Street. Three handicap parking spaces will be included in the turnaround area. The cost of the entire project is $1.1 million. Tom Benz, systems engineering director, says that including the pedestrian crossing as a part of the larger project created a cost-savings of $200,000, based on an earlier bid to do the trail crossing as a separate project.

For more information about the pedestrian crossing and trail system, contact Randy Morrow, community services division director, at (512) 930-3540 or rmorrow@georgetowntx.org. For more information about the wastewater line or road improvements for the project, contact Tom Benz, systems engineering director, at (512) 930-2572 or tbenz@georgetowntx.org.