VALPO CHAMBER TO HOLD
7th ANNUAL LuWOW! AUGUST 1 The
party like no other! The Valpo Chamber invites
you to the largest and most entertaining rooftop
party in Porter County! The 2008 LuWow! Rooftop Rendezvous will be held
Friday, August 1 atop the Porter County
Parking Garage, located at the corner of
Napoleon and Monroe Streets, from 7:00 p.m.
to 11:00 p.m. Enjoy the island oasis menu
created by Sand Creek Country Club, tropical
drinks, live music featuring The Rock Doctors,
and top it off with a fabulous
fireworks display provided by Bada Boom
Pyrotechnics Productions, Inc. and sponsored by
Ludington Nissan. Join in the fun!
Tickets are on sale now for this casual party under the stars where members, spouses, friends,
and the community connect! Rain or shine; Must be 21. To RSVP
or to obtain further information, contact the
Chamber office at (219) 462-1105.
Presenting Sponsor:
Porter and REGIONAL Federal Credit Union Featured Sponsors: Centier, Harris N.A., NIPSCO Contributing Sponsors: 1st Source Bank; American Family Insurance/M. Masterson
Agency; Horizon Bank; The Times Supporting Sponsors: Comfort Keepers;
Computer Services, Inc.; Garman Printing; Haviland-Callan,
Inc.; Lakeside Wealth Management, LLC; Scannell Wealth
Management Group; Valuation Services, LLC Fireworks Sponsor: Ludington Nissan DOWNLOAD
TICKET ORDER FORM
ORDER TICKETS
ONLINE
PUBLIC POLICY FORUM TO DISCUSS VALPARAISO
COMMUNITY SCHOOLS Please join the Valpo
Chamber Friday, August 1, from 7:30 a.m.
to 8:30 a.m. for the August Public Policy Forum.
Held at the Valpo Chamber, 162 W Lincolnway, the
forum is free to attend with no reservations
required.
Dave
Hollenbeck, Attorney for the Valparaiso
Community Schools, along with a school
official or school board member, has been
invited to make a presentation.
Valpo Chamber Public Policy Forum sessions are
designed to inform members of important issues
within the community. These sessions are great
opportunities to interact with state legislators
as well as county and city officials.
LEADERSHIP ACADEMY 2008
The Valpo Chamber Leadership Academy encourages
individuals to be trustees of their community –
to work for the common good – and to become a
leader for the entire community. The program
uniquely focuses on connection and engagement in
community service – specifically, leadership
roles.
The mission of the Valpo Chamber
Leadership Academy is to provide a growing pool
of volunteer leaders for current and future
civic, charitable, and governmental
organizations in Valparaiso.
The Academy complements
other leadership organizations with a focused
training on the skills and knowledge necessary
to be an effective leader in the community; for
example, expectations of board service,
governance, understanding financial statements,
fundraising, ethics, accountability, and time
management. However, the Valpo Chamber
Leadership Academy is not just about training.
At the end of the program, participants are
expected to become engaged with community
organizations in leadership roles.
Those accepted to the 2008 Leadership Academy are:
Toni Bickerstaff, Valparaiso
University-College of Business Administration;
David Blumenthal, The Center of Workforce
Innovations; Mary Brewer, Porter Health
System; David Brown;
Daly Insurance Services, Inc.; Jaclyn Debord,
Thrivent for Lutherans-Greater Valparaiso Group;
Kurt Gillins, Valpo Chamber; Gina
Hutman,
Horizon Bank; Peter Khosla, From the
Ground Up, LLC; Troy Kiefer; Hoeppner
Wagner & Evans, LLP; Douglas Klemz,
Home Mountain Printing; Cary Knauff,
Inman's Fun and Party Center; Christine
Kostbade, Hilltop Neighborhood House;
Anthony Lara, Citizens Financial Bank; Britta
Neinast,
United Way of Porter County;
Courtney Nicholson, Prudential Executive
Group; Vanessa Schnell, Vogelsang Asset
Management, LLC; Jason Schwerdt,
Valparaiso First Insurance, Inc.; Aco Sikoski,
Ivy Tech Community College, and
Daniel Timm, Northwestern Mutual Financial
Network.
The 2008 Valpo Chamber Leadership Academy is
sponsored by: 1st Source Bank; Burke
Costanza & Cuppy LLP; Compass Financial
Advisors; and
in-kind sponsor United Way of Porter County.
VALPO
CHAMBER COMMITTEE REMINDER FOR AUGUST The following
programming/committees will NOT meet in August: Ambassador Committee,
Board of Directors, Executive Committee,
Leadership Engagement Committee,
Percolator Club Committee,
and Small Business/Retail Committee.
Regular meetings for these
committees will resume in September.
CONGRATULATIONS
TO THE 41st ANNUAL
COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT AWARDS WINNERS The City of Valparaiso and the Valpo Chamber
hosted the 41th Annual
Community Improvement Awards (CIA) on July 8.
The award
luncheon, sponsored by Porter, honored 12
local businesses for their commitment and
investment in Valparaiso.
Businesses awarded were: Aberdeen Manor
Chapel; Cornerstone Appraisal Services;
Country Inn & Suites; Fountainhead
Pointe; Glendale Medical Center;
Heron Woods Restroom at Taltree Arboretum &
Gardens; Horizon Bank; Signature
Construction; Silhavy Square Retail
Center; Taco Bell; Valparaiso
Police Department; and the Valparaiso
University Parking Ramp.
These projects join the
more than 200 properties that have been
recognized since the awards program began.
Community Improvement Awards are based on the
visual impact of exterior appearance and are
judged on the following criteria: enhances the
attractiveness of Valparaiso; compatible with
the area and environment; creativity/innovation
in both design and use of materials; enhances
the quality of life and promotes pride in
Valparaiso; and makes a commitment to
Valparaiso’s future.
In addition, a Special
Recognition Award will be given to a project that demonstrates outstanding
achievement on their own merit but do not fit
the general CIA parameters of eligibility. This
year, recognition went to Valparaiso
Department of Parks and Recreation for its
Butterfly Meadows Park.
The Valparaiso Historic
Preservation Commission will also present its
Heritage Award for Historic Preservation
at the luncheon. This award is given to the
owner of a building whose construction or
renovation efforts result in significant
enhancements reinforcing the historic character
of Valparaiso. Honored for its renovation was
Amereco Engineering.
ADVANCED
REGISTRATION FOR CHAMBER NETWORK NIGHT (CNN)
AVAILABLE! The Porter County Chamber Coalition
will host its annual CHAMBER NETWORK NIGHT on
Thursday, October 23 at the Porter County
Expo Center from 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
If you’re in business in Porter County, this is
where you need
to be!
Chamber Network Night is
organized by the Porter County Chamber
Coalition, which includes the Chesterton/Duneland,
Hebron, Kouts, Portage, and Valparaiso Chambers
of Commerce. The Times serves as Grand Sponsor.
More than 1,000
professionals are expected to attend this year’s
premiere business to business networking event
showcasing the innovative businesses in Porter
County. Over 130 exhibitors will be in one spot
to introduce their newest and greatest products
and services. Chamber Network Night is
dedicated to discovering solutions to business
needs, generating high-quality leads, learning
from the brightest and networking with the best.
New
this year are "Bigger & Better" booths which
take the place of four regular sized booths. If
your business would be interested in the "Bigger
& Better" booths, reserve early, they are going
fast!
Following the business to business expo,
attendees can further relax and continue their
networking at the Business After Hours, hosted
by Porter and The Times. The Business After
Hours will feature food vendors from Porter
County and live entertainment.
Advanced booth registration is available. To
obtain more information, contact Kurt
Gillins, Special Events Coordinator, at (219)
462-1105. DOWNLOAD EVENT FLYER
Task Force
Tips - South Plant
2351 Industrial Dr
(219) 462-6161 Manufacturing/Industrial
Task Force Tips (TFT) broke ground July 10 on a
building expansion project that will
significantly increase its existing space,
adding 98,000 square feet of manufacturing space
and 20,000 square feet of office space to the
Midwest firefighting equipment manufacturer’s
existing 50,000 square feet Industrial Drive
location. By its 2009 completion, the expansion
will have created some 170 additional
construction related jobs locally, and bolstered
Indiana’s economy by more than $7 million.
To date, TFT has received 37 patents and has 2
pending. Its first computerized machinery,
installed in 1980, opened the door to an
operation that welcomes computerization when it
allows workers to more efficiently produce a
better product.
The golden shovels used at the event were
initially used to break ground at TFT’s first
6,000 square foot Cascade Road facility in April
of 1976 (later expanded to 9,000 square foot).
The shovels next appeared in 1985 to make way
for the new 37,000 square foot East Evans Avenue
plant, then again in 1993 to add an additional
18,000 square feet to that location.
To learn more about Task Force Tips, visit
www.tft.com.
REGIONAL Federal Credit
Union
2801 Boilermaker Court
(219) 548-6800 Credit Unions
A Grand Opening celebration was held at the new
REGIONAL Federal Credit Union office, on Friday,
July 11. Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas was in
attendance and welcomed the credit union to the
community in remarks during the ribbon-cutting
ceremony. Radio station Indiana 105.5 broadcast
from the parking lot all afternoon, spreading
the word about REGIONAL and interviewing
REGIONAL staff and the Mayor at various times.
The Valparaiso office is
open Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM
(drive-up open 8 AM – 6 PM) and from 9 AM – noon
Saturday. The new branch features three drive-up
lanes, drive-up ATM, 50-seat Community Room and
more. For more information, visit REGIONAL
Federal Credit Union on the web at
www.regionalfcu.org.
Villas at Vale Park, an
Epcon Community
2445 Allison Circle
(219) 464-7387 Builders & Developers
On July 22,
Villas at Vale Park celebrated their new
development with an open house and ribbon cutting.
Villas at Vale Park
offers maintenance-free ranch-style condominiums
in a beautiful natural setting. Features include
an outdoor picnic pavilion, scenic pond, and
walking paths. A private clubhouse boasts an
outdoor heated swimming pool and fitness
facility. Open house attendees were also invited
to tour the model homes. The ranch homes feature
2 or 3 bedrooms, spacious living areas, attached
2-car garages, with the possibility of private
patios and four season verandas. To learn more
about housing opportunities at Villas at Vale
Park, visit
www. epconcommunities.com.
Commit to go
green
in 2008! Article series courtesy of the City of
Valparaiso and Recycling & Waste Reduction District of
Porter County.
RECYCLING MYTH BUSTERS!
Some
recycling myths go back decades and have been
carried forward from generation to generation.
The old-timers tell tales of the days when
labels needed to be removed and the only paper
that could be recycled was newspaper.
Well, our team of recycling researchers set out to bust
some of those myths. We learned that the easiest
and most direct way to accomplish this was to go
directly to the people that process what we put
out at the curb.
Facilities that receive, bundle, and market recyclables are
called “Materials Recovery Facilities” (MRFs).
The MRF that ends up with the recyclables from
northwest Indiana, as well as several Illinois
communities, is Homewood Disposal located in
Homewood, Illinois. Homewood Disposal receives
and processes over 350 tons of recyclables per
working day (about 95,000/year) and has a
recovery rate of around 87 percent.
Our team recently toured the Homewood Disposal MRF and
learned that recycling today isn’t your father’s
recycling.
FIVE RECYCLING MYTHS BUSTED:
·
You can’t place all the recyclables into one
container at your curb = FALSE
o
Unless your collection provider specifies
otherwise, all material can go into one
container at the curb. The MRF has a manual and
automated sort system that allows employees to
sort the material at the facility.
·
You have to remove the plastic caps on plastic
bottles = FALSE, please LEAVE THE CAPS ON!
o
When you leave caps on, the end user actually
pulls them off and uses them to make buckets for
sale at stores like Home Depot. If you take them
off ahead of time, they get mixed up with other
waste material created by the process and just
get landfilled.
·
Shiny/laminated paper can’t be recycled = FALSE
o
Shiny or laminated paper can be recycled. Almost
all forms of fiber including junk mail,
catalogs, cardboard and chipboard (tissue or
cereal boxes) are recycled. However, heavily wax
coated cardboard CANNOT be recycled.
·
Metal lids on glass bottles need to be removed =
FALSE
o
Glass bottles are broken down during the sorting
process therefore any metal lids get separated
and bundled with other metals.
·
Any plastic item can be recycled = FALSE
o
Since this is a highly automated sorting system
with maximum clearance allowances, plastic items
bigger than a loaf of bread cannot run through
the system. Additionally, plastic bags or films
and plastic hangers cannot go through the system
because they get tangled in the equipment.
Either scenario, items that are too big or films
and hangers, can cause damage to the equipment
and shut the process down.
Some quick tips to answer the age old question,
“Can it or Can’t it be recycled?”
·
Pringle potato chip cans = YES
·
Beverage and food boxes with a heavy wax coating
= NO
·
Empty automotive fluids containers (oil,
antifreeze, lubricants) = NO
·
Empty paint cans = NO
·
Paper/cardboard cups without wax coating = YES
·
Plastic toys = NO
·
Paperback books = YES
·
Hardback books = NO (but you can rip out the
pages and those can, not the cover)
Recycling is an ever changing, ever improving
process allowing us to capture and recycle more
material all the time. The stories you tell
about today’s recycling may very well become the
recycling myths of tomorrow.
THANKS TO... ...Chocolate
Café
and hosts John Freyek, Citizens Financial
Bank
and Gary Taylor,
KENPRO Cleaning Services, Inc.
for hosting the very popular Valpo Chamber
monthly
morning program A.M. Valpo!
Thank you July Sponsor: The Times!
...Harris
N.A. for
hosting the June Business After Hours!
...Valparaiso Economic Development Corporation
for keeping us informed with a
fascinating breakfast seminar on "Generations At Work: Practical
pointers to Attract,
Train, and Retain the Millennial Generation."
U don’t want to miss the U-GUIDE!
This annual four-color 70+ page guide
distributes to 6,500 students at Valparaiso
University, Purdue University North Central, and
Ivy Tech Community College this fall. If you
want to reach this niche market, consider
advertising inside the U-Guide.
Contact Danielle
at (219) 462-1105 to reserve ad space in this popular student
publication.
Friday, August 1
Public Policy Forum 7:30
a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
Valpo Chamber
2nd Floor Conference Room
Discussion Topic:
Valparaiso Community Schools
Free to attend; no reservations required.
Valpo Chamber Public Policy Forum sessions
are designed to inform members of important
issues within the
community. These sessions are great
opportunities to interact with
state legislators, county, and city
officials.
Friday, August 1
Lu-Wow! Rooftop Rendezvous Porter
County Administration Building Parking Garage
(corner of Monroe and Napoleon Streets) 7:00 - 11: 00 p.m.
Rain or shine; Must be 21
Presenting Sponsors:
Featured Sponsors:
Contributing Sponsors: 1st Source Bank;
American Family Insurance/M. Masterson Agency;
Horizon Bank; The Times Supporting Sponsors: Comfort Keepers; Computer
Services, Inc.; Garman Printing; Haviland-Callan,
Inc.; Lakeside Wealth Management LLC; Scannell
Wealth Management Group; Valuation Services, LLC
Fireworks Sponsor: Ludington Nissan DOWNLOAD
TICKET ORDER FORM
ORDER TICKETS
ONLINE
Monday, August 4
Groundbreaking
Taltree Arboretum and Gardens- Garden Railway
2:30 p.m.
450 W 100 N Union Township
Wednesday, August 6
A.M. Valpo 7:00
a.m.
Chocolate Cafe, 57 Franklin
Free to attend. No reservations required. Sponsor: REGIONAL Federal Credit Union A.M. Valpo is a favorite Chamber networking
event among members. Each participant gives a
30-second introduction of their business and
services. The event is the perfect way to
improve your networking and speaking skills.
Tuesday, August 12
Speed Networking 3:30
p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Forest Park Rotary Shelter
775 Harrison Blvd
(Near Ogden Gardens)
Free to attend; RSVP required by August 8
Call (219) 462-1105 Structured and fast-paced, Speed Networking
allows participants to interact with other
professionals one-on-one for a set period of
time.
REGISTER ONLINE
Wednesday, August 13
Ribbon Cutting
Batteries Plus
2307 LaPorte Ave, Ste 3 (Next to EmbroidMe and US
Cellular)
4:00 p.m. Ribbon Cutting
August 14, 2008
Percolator Club Monthly Membership
Meeting 12:00
p.m.
Strongbow Inn
"Moving Ideas Forward - The Entech Innovation
Center"
Presented by: Charlie McGill Program Sponsor: Teachers Credit Union Presenting Sponsors: Centier, Harris N.A.,
NIPSCO, REGIONAL Federal Credit Union
$12/Members prepaid; $14/Members invoiced
$17/Non-members
RSVP by August 11
Unfulfilled reservations will be
billed
DOWNLOAD EVENT FLYER
REGISTER ONLINE
Thursday, August 21
Ribbon Cutting/Grand Opening
Accelerated Rehabilitation Center
2307 LaPorte Ave, Ste 5
(Next to EmbroidMe and US Cellular)
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m. Ribbon Cutting
Thursday, October 23
Chamber Network Night (CNN) 3:00
- 7:00 p.m. Event
7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Business after Hours
Porter County Expo Center Grand Sponsor/
Business After Hours Sponsor:
Business After Hour Sponsor: Sponsors: 1st Source Bank; Able
Disposal; Centier; Comfort Keepers; Culligan of
Valparaiso; DRD, LLC; Express Employment
Professionals; Harris N.A.; Hoeppner Wagner &
Evans; Horizon Bank; Indiana Re-Bath; NIPSCO;
REGIONAL Federal Credit Union; SERVPRO of Porter
County; Teachers Credit Union; Vic Volum-Northwestern
Mutual Financial Network.
If you’re in business in Porter County, this is
where you need
to be! Organized by the Valparaiso, Portage, Kouts,
Hebron, and Chesterton Chambers of Commerce. DOWNLOAD EVENT FLYER
MONDAY, September 1 VALPO CHAMBER CLOSED
in observance of Labor Day. The office will
reopen at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 2.
When planning your
2008, don't forget to include this fantastic
Valpo Chamber event! Chamber Network Night: October 23, 2008
You have received this e-mail because you are a member of the Greater
Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce.
If you have any changes to your membership information, contact the
Chamber at (219) 462-1105.
Your membership is valuable. Thank you for your continued support.
The
party like no other! The Valpo Chamber invites
you to the largest and most entertaining rooftop
party in Porter County! The 2008 LuWow! Rooftop Rendezvous will be held
Friday, August 1 atop the Porter County
Parking Garage, located at the corner of
Napoleon and Monroe Streets, from 7:00 p.m.
to 11:00 p.m. Enjoy the island oasis menu
created by Sand Creek Country Club, tropical
drinks, live music featuring The Rock Doctors,
and top it off with a fabulous
fireworks display provided by Bada Boom
Pyrotechnics Productions, Inc. and sponsored by
Ludington Nissan. Join in the fun!
Tickets are on sale now for this casual party under the stars where members, spouses, friends,
and the community connect! Rain or shine; Must be 21. To RSVP
or to obtain further information, contact the
Chamber office at (219) 462-1105.
Please join the Valpo
Chamber Friday, August 1, from 7:30 a.m.
to 8:30 a.m. for the August Public Policy Forum.
Held at the Valpo Chamber, 162 W Lincolnway, the
forum is free to attend with no reservations
required. 
VALPO
CHAMBER COMMITTEE REMINDER FOR AUGUST
The City of Valparaiso and the Valpo Chamber
hosted the 41th Annual
Community Improvement Awards (CIA) on July 8. 
to be!
Some
recycling myths go back decades and have been
carried forward from generation to generation.
The old-timers tell tales of the days when
labels needed to be removed and the only paper
that could be recycled was newspaper.
Porter
County Administration Building Parking Garage
(corner of Monroe and Napoleon Streets)
3:30
p.m. - 5:00 p.m. 
12:00
p.m.
