Fourth Friday Luncheon - Dynamic Communication Workshop

Dynamic Communication Workshop

at the Fourth Friday Luncheon on

December 7, from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm.

The Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce is having a Dynamic Communication Workshop at the December Fourth Friday Luncheon being held at the Fredonia Hotel & Convention Center. The workshop will be presented by Chloe Johnson and Susan Long of Johnson & Associates. The workshop is an hour-and-a-half long and takes individuals as well as teams through exercises that will strengthen relationships and help people learn new ways to view others and themselves. It is designed to benefit people at every level in a company from management to front line positions.

You must RSVP in advance to reserve your place. Places are $20 per person (paid in advance) and $25 (paid at the door). Reserve now by contacting Sherry at 936-560-5533.

QuickBooks session to help alleviate year-end stress

By Matthew Carberry
Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce Intern

Preparing for year-end financial reports can be a stressful and difficult task for any bookkeeper. On Nov. 29, Axley & Rode, LLP will present a QuickBooks® seminar at the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce boardroom. The session, Using QuickBooks® for Year-end Planning, will be presented twice, once at 8:30 a.m. and once again at 1:00 p.m.

QuickBooks® is a software program designed for businesses of all sizes and needs. The program can manage standard accounting tasks plus payroll and inventory.

“We have seen an increase in the number of businesses using the program over the last several years,” said Lois Jackson, certified QuickBooks® advanced pro-advisor. “This seminar increases understanding of the program. We receive good feedback from past attendees, and these seminars have become very popular and have always had good attendance.”


In addition to her certification, Jackson has many years of hands-on use of the program.

The seminar is designed for those getting ready for year-end payroll reporting, preparing for tax time and year-end planning.

“The seminar is geared towards anybody that uses QuickBooks®,” said Jackson. “This is not a beginner course for those who have never used QuickBooks®. It’s for those who have used it before and need help with completing year-end tasks and getting ready for the next year.”

Other topics addressed will include QuickBooks® reports and finding and fixing common mistakes.

“This is the time everyone will be making those final decisions for the year, and it is important that their records are ready and accurate,” said Jackson

Axley & Rode, LLP are actively planning future seminars which will cover areas such as payroll, accounts payable and other specific needs along with beginner courses.

The cost of the year-end planning seminar is $49 for chamber members and $79 for non-members. All proceeds benefit the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce compliments of Axley & Rode, LLP.

Axley & Rode, LLP certified public accountants was formed in 1949 by Branch L. Axley and Carl F. Rode. The Nacogdoches office has been a member of the Nacogdoches County Chamber since its opening in 1972. The firm currently has offices in Lufkin, Crockett, Livingston and Jasper and offers a wide range of services to both individuals and business clients. To learn more, visit www.axleyrode.com.

Pre-registration is required. Deadline for registering is Monday, Nov. 26. Please complete and return the registration form that is available at the Chamber web site, www.nacogdoches.org, or call the Chamber at 560-5533.

Photo by Bruce Partain.Darlene Schmidt, from left, and Lorna Spears, Burgerworks, Inc., increase their productivity with the knowledge they acquired at QuickBooks® training led by Lois Jackson and Polly Etta Sunda, Axley & Rode, LLP.

Thanksgiving Brunch at Pine Creek Country Inn

THANKSGIVING DAY BRUNCH

Thursday, November 22, 2007

$24.00 Per Person / 10 and Under $12.00

11:00 AM-2:00 PM

By Reservation Only 936-560-6282

Blazing color

Maps of the Deep East Texas Fall Foliage Trail are now available. Click here to download a map or visit the Visitor's Center, located at 200 E. Main St. in downtown Nacogdoches.

Travelers can view the fall foliage along numerous highways in the region, including the three major routes through Nacogdoches. They are US Hwy. 59, State Hwy. 21 and State Hwy. 7.

Recent cool nights and sunny days have spurred the annual color change in area forests and along the roadsides. Local fall color typically peaks in late November.

Photos by Bruce Partain.
Text from Nacogdoches Convention and Visitors Bureau
(ph: 1-888-OLDEST-TOWN) Nov. 2007 Tourism Notes.

Tour de Nac

Tour de Nac

November 17, 2007

For the first time ever, the 2007 Nine Flags Festival will feature a bike ride! Ride through the red brick streets downtown and see the sites of the Oldest Town in Texas and the beautiful countryside surrounding it. A 7.8-mile and a 53-mile route will be included, and both will begin and end in downtown Nacogdoches. The long ride starts at 8 am, and the short ride starts at 8:30 am. Entry fee is $25 for early registration and $30 for regular registration. Volunteers are needed at rest stops along the bike route. For more information please visit the website: http://www.nineflagsfestival.com/.

Harley Night at Harlon's

Harley Night

at Harlon's

The 3rd Saturday of each month from 6 pm until ?

Located at 603 Old Tyler Rd, in the downtown historical district.

Bring your bike and appetite! Large groups welcome. Call (936) 645-0955 for directions, if you can't follow the smoke from the BBQ pit!

More doctors in Texas

By Ralph Blumenthal
New York Times
Oct. 5, 2007
condensed text for Nacogdoches blog

Doctors are arriving from all parts of the country to swell the ranks of specialists at Texas hospitals and bring professional health care to some long-underserved rural areas.

"It was hard to believe at first; we thought it was a spike," said Dr. Donald W. Patrick, executive director of the medical board and a neurosurgeon and lawyer. But Dr. Patrick said the trend - licenses up 18 percent since 2003 - has held, with an even sharper jump of 30 percent in the last fiscal year, compared with the year before.

Of those awaiting processing, the largesy number, after Texas, come from New York (145), followed by California (118) and Florida (100).

In some medical specialties, the gains have been especially striking, said Jon Opelt, executive director of the Texas Alliance for Patient Access, a medical advocacy group; 186 obstetricians, 156 orthopedic surgeons and 26 neurosurgeons.

BOOK SALE!!

Book Sale

Sigma Tau Delta, the international English Honor Society, is having a book sale on November 16, 2007 starting at 10 am, in the SFA Student Center Spirit Lounge, next to Bleeker Street. Proceeds will go towards the promotion of reading in the children of our community.

Public Safety & Health Day

View exhibits of emergency response vehicles with staff available for questions and tours.

10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 9
Nacogdoches historic downtown

Photo by Bruce Partain: Nacogdoches City Fire Department stands ready to serve.

Golf bash plans are in the works

Blueberry Golf Bash 2008 co-chair Trish Clayton visits with Piney Woods Country Club general manager and golf course superintendent Joe Anderson to outline initial plans for the Friday, May 2, 2008 event.

"This will be our 11th annual Chamber golf tournament," Clayton said. "We're working to make it the best ever, and we encourage golfers to mark the date on their calendars now." Clayton and Etech, Inc. coworker Ralph Ervin are leading a group of volunteers to organize the tournament.

Stay tuned for information early in 2008 by logging on to the Chamber website, http://www.nacogdoches.org/, or the Blueberry Festival website http://www.texasblueberryfestival.com/.

(Photo: Bruce R. Partain)

SFA College of Education named for East Texas banker James I. Perkins

James I. and Margaret Perkins stand in front of the building that houses several departments within the education college at Stephen F. Austin State University. The college now will be known as the James I. Perkins College of Education following a vote on Oct. 30 by the SFA Board of Regents. Perkins is president and chairman of the board of Citizens 1st Bank and a long-time supporter of SFA.



Click here for the entire story.

Board of Regents moves ahead on building projects

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents voted to authorize funding for two building projects and to obtain assistance in planning future building projects during a meeting on campus Tuesday.

Turner Construction Company was selected by regents to provide construction program management for upcoming projects.

“As a result of the amount of construction the university will be engaged in, we felt we needed a company to offer construction program assessment services, planning management and review,” said Danny Gallant, interim vice president for finance and administration. “This provides an opportunity to prioritize projects and ensure top-quality engineering and code compliance.”

The company has completed 21 “Green” projects, worth approximately $13.1 billion. The building projects utilize practices and techniques to reduce the impact of a building on the environment. Efficiency is increased in the use of energy, water and materials, and the buildings’ impact on human health and the environment is improved through better site selection, design, construction, operation, and maintenance.

Also on Tuesday the board of regents moved forward plans for the Richard and Lucille DeWitt School of Nursing, approving a project budget and beginning the search for an architect.

Earlier this year, the Texas legislature passed House Bill 1775 authorizing the construction of the nursing school on a 17-acre property donated to SFA by Lucille and the late Richard DeWitt. The site, which has appraised for $1.4 million, formerly served as a distribution center for the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants owned by the DeWitts.