NEWS BRIEFS
Chamber and community updates
CHAMBER GIFT CERTIFICATES
The holiday season is the perfect time for giving Chamber Gift Certificates. These certificates are sold by the Chamber and are redeemable at participating Chamber member merchants. They are like cash, but must be used within participating stores in the Liberty-Dayton area. Member merchants can then redeem them at the Chamber offices. The Chamber retains 5% of the face value of the certificate for maintaining the program and the merchant receives the remainder by check.
For more information or to purchase Chamber Gift Certificates contact our office at 936.336.5736
ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET SET FOR FEBRUARY 27
Planning for next year's Annual Chamber Awards Banquet, scheduled for Tuesday, February 27th at the Dayton Community Center is now in full swing. The banquet honors and recognizes Chamber board members and area volunteers, as well as the Citizen of the Year winners for Dayton and Liberty. Tickets will be sold for $35. Bids for caterers will be accepted at a later date (watch for the announcement). Sponsorships are available at different levels and sponsors are recognized and acknowledged in numerous ways before, during and after the event.
SAVE THE DATE FOR 2018 ACTIVITIES
February
27
-
Annual Awards Banquet
(see above).
April
6
-
Annual Business Expo
. The Expo brings both the business sector and the buying public together under one roof where each has the opportunity to ask questions, exchange ideas and information, and put names with faces. Participating businesses pay a fee for a booth. Booths are decorated to show the nature of the business. The event is well advertised and runs for four hours.
7
-
Relay for Life
at Liberty Memorial Stadium. The Chamber participates in this community event by raising money as a team for Relay for Life. The team then walks the track continuously during the event.
25
-
Administrative Professionals’ Day Luncheon.
Honors workers and staff in our area businesses. Gift(s) in the $20-$25 range are provided by businesses for a drawing for the attendees. A delicious lunch, prepared by Magnolia Place Health Care Chef Amber Lawson, is provided for the guests.
May
5 or 19
-
Chamber Radio Day.
Ads are sold in packages of three ads for $75.00. Proceeds from ad sales are used for the operation of the chamber.
July
28
-
Annual Auction / Fundraiser.
Proceeds benefit the Chamber. Live & Silent auctions are held along with top 12 prizes available to win. Steak dinner and all the trimmings are served for attendees. Tickets are sold for the drawing and steak dinners, which are prepared by Liberty County EMS.
SECURE HOLIDAY SHOPPING
Tips for safely shopping online from your home desktop or smartphone.
1.) Many people shop or check prices on their smartphones while out and about in stores. Be wary of unsecured and open WiFi connections while using your smartphone in public places. Use your cellular network instead. Thieves can create fake public WiFi hotspots that can even mimic the store's network, putting you in danger of transmitting sensitive financial and personal information to the bad guys.
2.) Consider turning off your phone's Bluetooth when you're not using it. If Bluetooth is active while you're connected to a WiFi hotspot, thieves can pair with your phone's open connection and access your data.
3.) Be wary of phishing e-mails (which are becoming more authentic in appearance) disguised as holiday sale notifications from retailers, or purchase and shipping confirmations. Go directly to the website of the vendor or shipper to confirm a sale or shipment. Be sure the website has a secure connection by looking for "https" at the start of a web address in the browser's address bar.
4.) Pay with a credit card, which has better protection against fraudulent activity than a debit card.
5.) The less information your share toward a purchase, the better. You should never provide a credit card number, social security number or birth date through e-mail. If you feel a store is requesting too much information, trust your instincts and move on.
6.) Make sure the apps on your phone, as well as your operating system, have the latest security updates.
AREA UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FOR OCTOBER (COUNTY)
Chambers (5.4%), Hardin (5.4%), Harris (4.2%), Jefferson (6.6%), Liberty (5.7%).
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We wish to thank everyone who contributed time and materials to the Country Christmas festivities in Liberty and Dayton. Special thanks go to our members, board members and volunteers for their hard work at each event.
The Liberty-Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce wishes you and your families a very Merry Christmas. May the new year bring good health, good relationships and prosperity to all.
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