SMC Upcoming Area Events for April & May 2015

Updated 4/14/15  3:00 p.m.

Over the course of the next couple of months, there is something happening in Osceola and South Mississippi County communities nearly every week!  Here is your quick guide of what's going on, where, and when:



Thursday, April 9

7:00 p.m., Blytheville: Arkansas Northeastern College Department of Fine Arts presents "For The Love of Music," music centered around the emotion music stirs within us. Blytheville Main Campus, Adams/Vines Recital Hall.

Friday, April 10

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Osceola: Staffmark Career Fair. Bring your resume.  Inside the Osceola/SMC Chamber of Commerce, 116 N Maple (parking in back of building).

7:00 p.m., Blytheville: Miss Co Arts Council presents "Della's Diner" from Springer Theatricals. Ritz Civic Center, 306 W Main. Tickets $20 in advance, $25 at the door, children 12 & under admitted free with purchase of adult ticket.

Saturday, April 11

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Osceola: ReNew East Arkansas city-wide neighborhood summit. Harold Ohlendorf Civic Center at 116 N Maple (parking in back of building).

11:00 a.m., Wilson: Groundbreaking for the new Hampson Archaeological Museum, on the square

11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Osceola: Main Street Osceola crawfish boil with music by Loose Change. Plates $15 each, dine in or carry out.  Inside the Bingo Hall at 106 W Hale (next door to the Main Street Osceola offices)



Sunday, April 12

3:00 p.m., Blytheville: Arkansas Northeastern College Department of Fine Arts presents "For The Love of Music," music centered around the emotion music stirs within us. Blytheville Main Campus, Adams/Vines Recital Hall. 

Friday, April 17

6:30 p.m., Blytheville: Miss Co Arts Council presents "Rip Van Winkle" from Bits ‘N Pieces Giant Puppets. Ritz Civic Center, 306 W Main. Tickets $10 in advance, $15 at the door, children 12 & under admitted free with purchase of adult ticket.



Tuesday, April 21 ***NEW***

10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Osceola: Temps Plus will be hosting a Job Fair. Stop by and fill out an application, visit with the Staff, and enjoy some refreshments. Temps Plus office, 415 West Keiser.



Wednesday, April 22

11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Osceola: Osceola/SMC Chamber Annual Administrative Professional's Day Luncheon, Harold Ohlendorf Civic Center at 116 N Maple (parking in back of building). Tickets $15 each and include lunch & door prizes.  Homemade Spring Hat contest with Chamber Cheques prizes awarded to 1st place $100, 2nd $75, and 3rd $50.  Companies may sponsor a table centerpiece for $30. To RSVP or sponsor a centerpiece, call 870-563-2281 or email chambersecretary@scbglobal.net or print & return this form.



Thursday, April 23

9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Blytheville: ANC Job Fair, Briggs/Sebaugh Wellness Center.  Booths are free, but require pre-registration by April 17.  To register a company booth, contact Bridget Shemwell at 870-838-2974, email bshemwell@smail.anc.edu, or print & return this form.



Saturday, April 25

7:15 - 11:30 a.m., Osceola: County-Wide Clean-Up.  The City of Osceola Street Department will pick up at your curb side debris such as chairs, tables, mattresses, box springs, and other small items between the hours above.  NO tires, shingles, limbs, leaves, and household garbage will be picked up. To ensure your Saturday pick up, call 870-563-2612 and leave your name, phone number, and address and you will be scheduled. (Also, the county landfill will be free to all county residents from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. if taken by residents personally.)

2:00 - 8:30 p.m., Wilson: Mud Bugs on the Square. Free admission with Kevin Johns selling crawfish, other food vendors also available.  Kids' zone $5 unlimited wristband.  Live music with Loose Change.  Horseshoe tournament benefiting Wilson Volunteer Fire Department, $25 per two-person team, $100 grand prize, $50 runner up, winner's trophy to be on display at Gunn's Supermarket.  Tournament starts at 3:00 p.m.  Pre-registration required at Wilson Cafe in advance now through up until 2:30 on festival day.



Sunday, April 26

3:00 p.m., Blytheville: Arkansas Northeastern College Department of Fine Arts presents Community Band Concert. Blytheville Main Campus, Adams/Vines Recital Hall.

Wednesday, April 29

12:00 p.m., Osceola: Osceola/SMC Chamber Quarterly Member Luncheon. Program is Mayor Dickie Kennemore with the State of the City Address. Tickets $15 each and include lunch.  To RSVP, call 870-563-2281 or email chambersecretary@sbcglobal.net.  Harold Ohlendorf Civic Center at 116 N Maple (parking in back of building).



Friday, May 1

6:00 p.m., Osceola: South Mississippi County Relay for Life, downtown on the courthouse square.  To register a team, survivor, or booth, or to volunteer, contact Ashley Hennessey at 870-270-7931 or ashley.hennessey@cancer.org or visit the SMC Relay for Life website.  (Note: North Mississippi County Relay for Life is June 5 in Blytheville and North Mississippi County Buffalo Island Relay for Life is June 13 in Leachville).

***NEW DATE*** Friday, May 8

8:30 a.m. tee time, Osceola: ANC Foundation Great River Promise scholarship golf tournament, Osceola Municipal Golf Course. Four-person scramble, $180 per team includes green fees and lunch. Cart rental extra.  To register a team or sponsor the tournament, contact Rachel Gifford at 870-838-2902, email rgifford@smail.anc.edu, or print & return this form.


Friday May 15 & Saturday May 16

17th Annual Osceola Heritage MusicFest featuring David Nail, downtown on the courthouse square. Fun weekend of live music, kids' activities, food and non-food vendors, backyard grillin' competition, SMC United Way MusicFest 5K, poker run, and more.  Sponsorship opportunities available.  For full details or to purchase tickets, visit OsceolaHeritageMusicFestival.com (save BIG with an early bird weekend pass!).

Etowah Completes Wastewater Improvements for Residents

The Town of Etowah, located in Mississippi County just 12 miles west of Osceola along Highway 140 and 77, recently completed improvements to the wastewater system to benefit current and potential residents, as well as local offices.  The completed project provides decent, safe, and sanitary wastewater facilities for new users and improved service for the existing users.

Etowah originally constructed a wastewater system in 2004 to serve the Town.  After the construction was completed, other areas wanted to be added to the system, as existing septic tanks in the area have a high failure rate.   The previous system, consisting of a combination of gravity and small diameter collection lines with some individual pump/grinder stations, served around 143 users.  The improvement proposal was to extend the wastewater service to serve an additional 26 users including the Little River Water office that is on State Highway 77 and to make upgrades to some existing pump stations and the wastewater treatment plant.  A combination of grant funds and loans were used to complete these much-needed extensions, which consisted of two new wastewater pump stations, gravity sewer lines and force mains, as well as making pump station and wastewater plant improvements for the existing system.

Construction of the waste water line extensions and improvements were completed in early February, 2015.  Twenty-four new residences, a farm shop, and the Little River Water Association Water Office have been afforded access to a safe and sanitary wastewater collection and treatment system, as well as improvements being made to the existing collection and wastewater treatment facility. Twenty-three of the twenty-four new residential users received free hook ups from the CDBG funds due to their Low to Moderate Household Income.

Etowah Mayor Charles Bo McCollum hopes that the improvements will help the Town appeal to incoming industrial workers as an option for living within a rural setting to settle if they so choose. He is happy with the results of the project, further stating, "the Town of Etowah is most blessed to be in Mississippi County.  This new addition to our waster water system is beneficial to the citizens of Etowah and the outlying area to the south of the city limits on State Highway 77.  Houses along the South State Hwy 77 now have the convenience of having wastewater treatment rather than septic tanks.  This also includes the Towns fresh water source Little River Water."

This project was made possible by the USDA Arkansas Rural Development, who provided $148,000 in Water/Environmental Program (WEP) loan funds and $192,000 in WEP grant funds, along with leveraged funds from HUD’s Community Development Block Grant funds administered by the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission in the amount of $403,850.

The Town of Etowah is a proud member of the Osceola/South Mississippi County Chamber of Commerce.

###

Chamber Collecting Snacks for Student Testing

Standardized testing is a huge task to orchestrate in both Osceola and Rivercrest school districts, with nearly all grades partaking in multiple sessions through the year.  As a way to help keep students' morale and focus at a good level, snacks are provided to not only welcome a break, but also refuel their mental and physical energy.  However, with approximately 110 students per school per grade level, and at least 3 testing sessions planned for the year, the quantity of snacks needed for students quickly adds up to a substantial amount.  This has proven to be a struggle for districts to satisfy through limited funding.

The Osceola/South Mississippi County Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, with the encouraged support of area businesses, organizations, and individuals in our communities, hopes to show our collective support of local students by helping alleviate this burden and ensuring they have snacks as a welcome break from the tedium of testing.

The Chamber will collect donations now through March 30, and will deliver the items to each respective school district.  Both purchased donations of snacks or drinks and monetary donations with which to buy them will be accepted.

If you wish to donate items, all quantities will be helpful, as items can be mixed and matched through the grades and classes to give variety.  Suggested snacks include any reasonably healthy, individually wrapped and/or portioned food and drinks, such as:

• Juice boxes
• Capri sun pouches
• Cereal bars
• Granola bars
• Fruit snacks
• Healthy snack cakes
• Chips
• Pretzels
• Peanut butter crackers
• Bananas, apples, or oranges
• (please refrain from donating chocolate)

We are planning two drop off days, one on March 4 and another on April 2, to ensure both product freshness and ease of delivery.  We will make purchases with any monetary donations within a few days prior to each respective drop off date above.

For more information or to drop off items or monetary support to purchase items, please feel free to contact the Chamber at 870-563-2281, chambersecretary@sbcglobal.net, or stop by the office at 116 N Maple, Osceola.

Both Osceola and Rivercrest School Districts are proud members of the Osceola/South Mississippi County Chamber of Commerce.

###

COMING FEBRUARY & MARCH: Business Workshops

The ASU Small Business & Technology Development Center, in partnership with the Osceola/South Mississippi County Chamber of Commerce, will be hosting workshops to benefit both existing and potential small businesses and entrepreneurs.  Chamber Members receive $5 off of the regular registration price.

**NOTE: Preregistration is required for the seminars. If you with to attend multiple workshops, you must register for each separately.**

February 3: Business Marketing Seminar Series

Find out the major steps to starting a business, and the no-cost marketing research tools and assistance to help you become a successful entrepreneur.

     Workshops available:

          - Starting a Business in Arkansas

          - Market Research: High Quality & In-Depth Analysis for Small Business

March 3: Planning and Finance Seminar Series

Learn how to define your business from concept to cost with the illustration of the business plan format, and learn about the financial options you have for your prospective or existing business.

     Workshops available:

          - Writing a Business Plan

          - Show Me the Money: Finding Financing for Your Small Business

Though the events will be held in the Chamber facilities, event registration is through the ASBTDC.  Online registration links are below the description for each respective course.

For questions about either of these workshops, contact:

Lois Travis or Kelli Listenbee

Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center 

870-972-3517 

lois@astate.edu  |  klee@astate.edu

STARTING A BUSINESS IN ARKANSAS

Tuesday, February 3

9:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Osceola/SMC Chamber of Commerce

116 N Maple

Osceola, AR 72370

Find out the major steps crucial to starting a business, identify key issues that affect your business success, and discuss start-up requirements as well as common pitfalls you may face as an entrepreneur. Learn what to do before you open the doors in order to be successful!

Event fee $30

Chamber members $25

ASU Faculty, Staff, Students $15

Veterans FREE

Click Here To Register 

MARKET RESEARCH: HIGH QUALITY & IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS FOR SMALL BUSINESS

Tuesday, February 3

1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Osceola/SMC Chamber of Commerce

116 N Maple

Osceola, AR 72370

The right information is crucial to small business success. Learn about the no-cost marketing research tools and assistance to help any entrepreneur start or any business owner grow a business. 

Recommended for both start-up and existing businesses.

Event Fee $30

Chamber Members $25

ASU Faculty, Staff, Students $15

Click Here To Register

HOW TO WRITE A BUSINESS PLAN

Tuesday, March 3

9:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Osceola/SMC Chamber of Commerce

116 N Maple

Osceola, AR 72370

No matter how large or small, all businesses must have a business plan! A business plan will help you define your concept, evaluate your competition, determine risks, and estimate your costs. This seminar will explain and illustrate the business plan format. Recommended for both start-up and existing businesses. 

Event fee $30

Chamber members $25

ASU Faculty, Staff, Students $15

Click Here To Register

SHOW ME THE MONEY: FINDING FINANCING FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS

Tuesday, March 3

1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Osceola/SMC Chamber of Commerce

116 N Maple

Osceola, AR 72370

This seminar will explain how and where to get financing for prospective and existing businesses. Credit requirements, places to go for funding, and the Small Business Administration's loan guaranty

program will be presented.

Event fee $30

Chamber members $25

ASU Faculty, Staff, Students $15

Click Here To Register

The mission of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center is to achieve a significant positive economic impact by providing quality services to assist small businesses. As an accredited member of a national program, the ASBTDC is a statewide delivery network that pursues its mission in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, other institutions of higher education, and additional key strategic alliances.  For more information, visit www.asbtdc.org.

COMING SOON: Holiday Shopping Passports

We are constantly striving for more ways to encourage local commerce and support our member businesses.  This holiday shopping season, we are not only encouraging people to shop local... we're giving them an incentive to do so, and at NO COST to shoppers OR our members.

Starting on Small Business Saturday (November 29) and running through the Friday before Christmas, we will launch our first Holiday Shopping Passport.  As local shoppers visit any Chamber member business, they can check off their passport boxes and can earn a special prize once it's filled up.

These FREE Holiday Shopping Passports will be available for pickup at the Chamber office and in select local businesses to be announced.  More information, including when passports area available and locations to get yours, will be available at OsceolaSMCChamber.com/ShopSmall.

Thank you for your continued support of your Chamber and local businesses.  As always, shop small & buy local this holiday season!

Mississippi County Christmas Parades Information

**Updated 12/9/14 at 9:00 a.m.**

The holiday season is right around the corner, and there are several Christmas parades slated for our area.  We have listed them all below in chronological order:

Friday, December 5 RESCHEDULED to Tuesday, December 9

WILSON - 6:00 p.m.

Contact 870-655-8311

Entry form available on Town of Wilson Facebook page.

Free entry, but deadline is November 21.

Friday, December 5

BLYTHEVILLE - 6:30 p.m.

Contact the Greater Blytheville Area Chamber 870-762-2012

Entry forms available on the Greater Blytheville Chamber Website

Free entry, but deadline is December 4.

Saturday, December 6

ETOWAH - 4:00 p.m.
Contact Etowah City Hall 870-531-2340
Free entry, no deadline.

Saturday, December 6

OSCEOLA - 6:00 p.m.

Contact Michelle Weldon at 870-815-9999

Entry forms available from Main Street Osceola and Hawk's Auto Service.

Free entry, but deadline is December 1.

Saturday, December 6

MANILA - 6:00 p.m.
Contact Susie Baker at 870-561-4437
Free entry, deadline is December 3.

Friday, December 12
KEISER - 6:00 p.m.
Contact City Hall at 870-563-2300
Free entry, no deadline.

Saturday, December 20
DYESS - 6:00 p.m.
Contact Pam 870-974-2083
Free entry, deadline December 19.

Osceola Police Department To Hold 9th Annual Make-A-Wish Poker Run

The 9th Annual Osceola Police Department Make-A-Wish Motorcycle Poker Run will be held on Saturday, September 20, 2014. Both motorcycles and cars will meet up at Osceola High School, located at 2750 W Semmes Ave, at 9:00 a.m. to gather and parade through town.

The OPD fundraising partnership with the Mid-South Chapter of Make-A-Wish began locally in September of 2006. Since that time, over $125,000 has been raised within Mississippi County to grant 17 wishes for children ranging in ages from 3 to 17. Last year alone, the OPD raised over $27,000 for Make-A-Wish.

Entry for this year’s Poker Run is $20 in advance or $25 the day of the event, which includes one hand, lunch, and a commemorative tee shirt while supplies last. An auction will immediately follow lunch.

For more information, call 870-622-7060, 870-622-4943, or 870-563-5213. To register, mail completed forms to:
OPD Poker Run
Attn: Cathey Willbanks
401 W Keiser
Osceola, AR 72370
Forms are available for pickup at the Osceola Police Department.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-South grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. For more information about the Make-A-Wish foundation or to register a child, visit http://midsouth.wish.org

The City of Osceola is a proud member of the Osceola/South Mississippi County Chamber of Commerce.