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LIMITED TICKETS REMAIN FOR BEST OF BLOUNT
 Do you have your tickets? A limited number of tickets remain for the Best of Blount Awards. The event takes place at the Clayton Center for the Arts on November 6 with a reception starting at 5 p.m. The awards ceremony and speaker starts promptly at 6:30 p.m., with awards presented in five categories: Business of the Year, Philanthropist of the Year, Community Impact Award, Bright Future Award and Tourism Award.
 Former Navy SEAL Team 6 leader Robert O'Neill's appearance details his time as a member of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group. One of the most highly decorated veterans of our time, he has deployed more than a dozen times and held combat leadership roles in more than 400 combat missions.
Schedule
5:00 p.m. - Cocktail reception
6:30 p.m. - Awards Ceremony
7:00 p.m. - Special guest Robert O'Neill
Tickets are on sale by calling 865.983.2241 or online
$45 - Chamber Member & General public with cocktail reception
$35 - Chamber VIP Member with cocktail reception (Must call Chamber to reserve)
$25 - Chamber Member & General public without cocktail reception
TUESDAY IS ELECTION DAY
 Don't forget to vote in the midterm elections on Tuesday, November 4! The polls are open from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. You must vote at your local precinct and present a valid photo ID. Every voice counts.
Visit GOTV.VoteForJobs.com for important election information specific to Tennessee, early voting, absentee ballot tools, as well as active polling place locators.
PLEASE SUPPORT AMENDMENT 2
 The Blount County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to support the Judicial Selection Amendment to the Tennessee Constitution, commonly known as "Amendment 2." Amendment 2 will be on the statewide ballot this November 4. Passing Amendment 2 will strengthen our state constitution and add more checks and balances to how we select our appellate court judges.
- Yes on 2 protects the right of Tennesseans to vote to keep or fire the judges at the end of their respective terms.
- Yes on 2 adds a new layer of accountability by having our elected representatives in the Legislature confirm or reject the Governor's appointees.
- Yes on 2 helps keep the influence of special interest money away from our judges and out of our state.
Judges are like referees. They need to be unbiased and apply the law fairly, not make rulings based on campaign contributions. We need the best judges, not the best politicians. We want fair and impartial judges held accountable to the people of Tennessee. Amendment 2 has been endorsed by many other respected organizations and has strong bi-partisan support. Vote Yes on 2 is co-chaired by Governor Bill Haslam, former Governor Phil Bredesen and former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson and has been endorsed by many other leaders from every corner of our state. Please watch the campaign video and visit VoteYES2.org for more information.
CASH MOB IS COMING TO THE VILLAGE TINKER
 The Chamber is presenting its first Cash Mob at The Village Tinker at 417 West Broadway in Maryville on Monday, Nov. 10 at 5 p.m. The first 25 people get a $20 gift certificate courtesy of Foothills Bank & Trust to The Village Tinker. So come out and do some holiday shopping.
GET A SNEAK PEAK AT FANTASY OF TREES
 East Tennessee Children's Hospital is offering Blount County Chamber members a sneak peak at this year's Fantasy of Trees at Santa's Skybox. It begins at 8 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 26, at the Knoxville Convention Center with networking, coffee and treats. At 8:30 a.m., you will receive one ticket (per Chamber member) to shop for holiday decor at Fantasy of Trees before anyone else.
You must RSVP to Jessica Boyd by Wednesday, Nov. 19 with your name, business and Chamber.
SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY IS COMING
 The Blount County Chamber is participating in Small Business Saturday on November 29. It's a day to celebrate the local businesses that make our community great -- and anyone can join in, from business owners to shoppers to government officials.
The day was setup to help businesses with their most pressing need -- getting more customers. The day encourages people to shop at small businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The single day has grown into a powerful movement, and more people are taking part than ever before.
If your small business is interested in participating, please email Amy. We are trying to get the word out about shopping locally at the beginning of the holiday season.
GET YOUR AD IN BASICALLY BLOUNT
 You'll want to get your ad in the 2015 Basically Blount lifestyle magazine and membership directory. This annual, full-color periodical includes intriguing stories and area photography that highlight the best of Blount County, plus your business. It also has a color-coded directory and buyer's guide of all Chamber Members.
The publication, which is a commemorative over-sized magazine, is distributed throughout the area and is an excellent resource for you to promote your business to customers seeking goods and services from area businesses. Check out the media kit for more information.
GOT AN EVENT? WE'D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT
Is your organization hosting an event in the community? Submit it here on our community calendar. If it's a tourism event, please email Ashlee so she can post it on www.SmokyMountains.org.
Also, please send us any news releases or good news about your business. We'd love to share it with the community.
REMEMBER WHEN
Let's go back to this week in 1990 when Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" became the first hip hop single to top the Billboard Singles Chart. The song was fifth on VH1's list of the 50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs Ever.
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