Naturally Speaking...

The Heritage Trails Park District and the St. Marys Public Library are teaming up to put on three interesting and informative programs over the coming months. See below for more information. Hopefully we'll see you there!

State of the Villages Breakfast

The annual State of the Villages Breakfast is a sell out once again!  We've got over 100 folks RVSP'd for this year's event.  Mayors Leffel (New Knoxville), Kitzmiller (Minster), and Pape (New Bremen) will give their "State of the Villages" speeches at the New Knoxville American Legion on Thursday Jan 27th, 7:30 am.  This annual event has come to be appreciated as an excellent networking opportunity, and a great way to learn what's taking place within the the villages that make up the "Golden Triangle" of Southwestern Auglaize County.

The event will also feature brief reports from several of our State of Ohio elected officials including Senator Keith Faber, Representative John Adams, and newly appointed State Senator Cliff Hite.  Cory Noonan will present a report on behalf of US 4th District Congressman Jim Jordan.  A wonderful breakfast will be provided by the Main Street Station restaurant in New Knoxville.  NK Telco will be on hand to record the proceedings, to be broadcast on NK Telco channel 3.  The event will be shown on Friday January 28, 2011 at 10:00 am and 3:00 pm, and on Saturday January 29, 2011 at 4:00 pm.

The Southwestern Auglaize County would like to thank The St. Marys Evening Leader and the Community Post in Minster for sponsoring our event once again this year!

Guest blogger: Marissa Lundstrom

I'd like to welcome Marissa Lundstrom to the blog, our very first guest blogger!  Marissa is the owner of Locust Street Consulting in Minster.  She can be reached via telephone  at (419) 953-6218.  Find Locust street consulting online by visiting their website at www.consultlocustst.com and find them on facebook.  The firm specializes in marketing, training/development, and creative solutions for the non-profit industry.  To contact Marissa directly, send her an e-mail at info@consultlocustst.com.

Here's Marissa-

"I am excited to once again be a part of the SW Auglaize Chamber of Commerce Chamber Lecture Series. During the first presentation, which heavily emphasized the Facebook platform, several attendees shared that they did not currently have a social media strategy. Social media is a strategy, not a tactic and without a clear plan, can be very overwhelming. In "Social Media 2.0" we will go back to the beginning and discuss how to get started with social media. Each participant will leave with a practical approach to creating their own social media strategy. I look forward to seeing some familiar faces, as well as some new attendees!


Thanks, Marissa"

Save the date: "Social Media 2.0"

Back in November 2010, Marissa Lundstrom (owner of Locust Street Consulting) gave an excellent presentation on the basics of Social Media.  Following a general overview of social media, Ms. Lundstrom demonstrated how to set up a facebook account, and discussed various features of facebook.  Much of the discussion centered around the use of faceboook to develop and promote small business.  Many in attendance at the Chamber Lecture Series event own and/or operate small businesses, and found the session to be very valuable.

Mark your calendar for Wednesday February 16, 10:00 am for the second installment of social media information.  "Social Media 2.0" will offer several ideas and strategies for the use of social media to develop, grow and market your business.  Visit the chamber website at www.auglaize.org for more details about this free Chamber Lecture Series event.

Also, look for a guest blog post here by Ms. Lundstrom previewing Social Media 2.0 in the coming days!

An important book signing in New Bremen!

This post was taken from a press release in the Evening Leader Saturday Jan 8th, 2011:

"St. Marys resident Denny Seewer was just 25-years-old when he was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a bone cancer most common in younger people.  His doctor told him and his wife Theresa there was nothing he could do for him and sent him home to enjoy his 23 month old son while he could.  Thirty-five years later, Seewer is healthy and enjoying his grandchildren.

Seewer's story is one of 27 people nationwide who tell their stories in the new book, "From Incurable to Incredible: Cancer Survivors Who Beat the Odds."

The book is compiled and written by Tami Boehmer, wife of St. Marys native Mike Boehmer.  Boehmer will appear for a book signing from 11am to 1pm Jan 15 at New Bremen Coffee and Books."

If you or your family has been touched by cancer, it will be worth the trip to New Bremen to meet this auther and hear these inspiring stories!

a beautiful day in the neighborhood!

A beautiful day for a walk along the towpath on the Miami and Erie Canal!

My wife Tiz (black coat),  our son Ian (yellow coat), our dog Cosmo, and I made the trek north to Lock Two from the Lockkeeper's House this afternoon and I have to say that it was glorious!  We were blessed with a perfect, sunny crisp day, with a dash of snow to kick around and it was really peaceful out there.

Back at the Lockkeeper's House, we've registered over 100 hikers, walkers, and runners so far, and folks are still coming in.  I've met all sorts of wonderful adults of all ages, kids, and even some really sweet dogs!  Folks are upstairs enjoying hot coffee, cocoa, sookies and bottled water, telling tales of their travels along the canal.

A hearty thanks goes to the Miami and Erie Canal Corridor Association (MECCA), especially Neal and Allison Brady, Tom and Diane Fledderjohann for putting the event together!  We would also like to thank the New Bremen-New Knoxville Rotary Club for providing the refreshments, and Anne Larger and the Grand Lake Health System for including our event in their Road to Fitness Challenge.

Lockkeeper's Winter Canal Hike this weekend!

Join in the Lockkeeper's Winter Canal Hike on the Miami and Erie Canal Towpath between the Kuenning-Dicke Park at Lock Two and Minster on Sunday, January 9, 2011.



Registration and Start Time: 1-3pm


Routes to follow:


+ Start and end at the Miami and Erie Canal Visitors' Center (The Lockkeeper's House) in New Bremen. A round trip to either Minster or the Kuenning-Dicke Park and back to New Bremen is about 5K.


+ Starting in Minster or the Kuenning Dicke Park, hike th etowpath trail to New Bremen and return to your starting point.


Hot refreshments will be available at the Miami and Erie Canal Visitors' Center (The Lockkeeper's House) 1-4 pm.

This is a Grand Lake Health System Road to Fitness event:
Click Here for the website!

The Lockkeeper's Winter Canal Hike is sponsored by the New Bremen-New Knoxville Rotary Club, the Southwestern Auglaize County Chamber of Commerce, Heritage Trails Park District, Grand Lake Health System, and the Miami and Erie Canal Corridor Association (MECCA)

Happy New Year!

Happy 2011 from the Southwestern Auglaize County Chamber of Commerce!  We're back in full swing here at the chamber getting ready for a few exciting upcoming events. 

This weekend (Sunday Jan 9) we help to host the Lockkeeper's Winter Canal Hike with Miami and Erie Canal Corridor Association (MECCA) and the NB NK Rotary Club.  Registration for the hike runs from 1-3 pm and we'll be in the Lockkeepers House until 4pm with refreshments and so forth.  Folks can hike in from Minster or from the Kuenning Dicke Natural Area to the LKH then return, or hike from the LKH in either direction.  Either way a round trip is roughly 5K.  The event is free, and is also a part of the Grand Lake Health System "Road to Fitness Challenge."

Coming up on Thursday January 27th, it's the Annual State of the Villages Breakfast at the American Legion in New Knoxville.  The event begins at 7:30 am with a breakfast catered by Main Street Station in New Knoxville.  We'll hear brief reports from Rep. John Adams (R) Dist 78, Senator Keith Faber (R) Dist 12, Cliff Hite (R) Dist 76 and Cory Noonan from US 4th Dist. Congressman Jim Jordan's (R) office in Lima.  The featured speakers for the morning are Keith Leffel (Mayor NK), Dennis Kitzmiller (Mayor Min) & Jeff Pape (Mayor NB).  The event typiclal wraps up around 9:15.  RSVP is required, call the chamber office at (419) 629-0313.  The cost is $10 per attendee.

Plans are coming together for the 2nd Annual Spring Fever Weekend.  Area merchants and shops will offer informative workshops, seminars and presentations in their businesses.  Keep an eye on the chamber website for more details on Spring Fever Weekend, March 5-6, 2011.

2011 looks to be a busy year for the Chamber Lecture Series, with several new programs in the planning stages. Keep checking back here and on the chamber website for details on Chamber Lecture Series events.

We will be releasing a 2011 events calendar within the next couple of weeks.   Here's to a productive, prosperous 2011!