Appalachian Center For Economic Networks

Spreading Holiday Cheer in December with ACEnet!
December Product of the Month!

What kind of business would an elementary school teacher and a mechanical engineer open together? Naturally, it'd be a Cuban restaurant ... right?

Natural or not, some of the best food options in town can be found at Sol, an Athens restaurant that boasts not only fine Cuban culinary options but also specializes in more traditional bar and restaurant foods to create an incredible dining atmosphere.

The new location on East State Street is inviting, more casual and caters to a family crowd as well. If the neighborhood was looking for a bright and shiny new place to eat, it has it.

Word of the cuisine is quickly spreading throughout the area. Among the incredible lineup of menu items, the Mac & Cheese with BBQ Pork has been selected as the Product of The Month for December in a collaboration between the Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet) and The Messenger. The Product of The Month is sponsored by the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Executive Director Paige Alost congratulated Sol on opening the new restaurant: 

"The Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau salutes Sol Restaurant's fantastic menu, great locally sourced items and family atmosphere. And, we're especially excited to have them across the street from our offices and the Athens Community Center," she said. 

The macaroni and cheese is made with local Snowville Creamery milk and the barbecue pork features 14-hour mesquite pulled pork guava rum 
barbecue sauce made from scratch. Todd Wilson said it's one of the restaurant's best sellers.

ACEnet was instrumental in Sol's early growth, as the business used ACEnet's kitchen incubator to prepare food and to help with catering jobs. 

Be sure to read the full story  HERE!  
 
 Supporting ACEnet!

Make a difference in your community this holiday season! Join ACEnet's 30th Anniversary donor drive and learn how you can support the small businesses that drive our local economy by visiting our website at www.acenetworks.org/support.

You can also support ACEnet's work all year round!  You can support us when you shop at Kroger by participating in the Kroger Community Rewards program! By designating"ACE NET"  (the space in the middle is necessary)  as the recipient of your Community Rewards points, Kroger will contribute a portion of the proceeds to ACEnet. Click HERE to learn more!

Shopping online this holiday season? When you shop on Amazon, you can support ACEnet by participating in the Amazon Smile program! By designating "The Appalachian Center for Economic Networks" (don't worry, you can just search for ACEnet!), Amazon will contribute a portion of the proceeds to ACEnet. Click HERE to learn more!

 Rocky Brands Customer Service Reps Win Lunch from 
ACEnet Caravan !

NELSONVILLE - Rocky Brands' customer service department was treated to a lunch catered by the Appalachian Center for Economic Network's Caravan. The spread featured local products from ACEnet clients ranging from appetizing treats to dessert cookies and pastries. 

This quarter's winner is the first time the Caravan has gone outside of the city of Athens, said Interim ACEnet CEO Larry Fisher.

The day's lunch featured cider from Shew's Orchards, salad greens from Green Edge Gardens, 
salad dressing from Vino de Milo as well as a persimmon maple vinaigrette from Integration Acres, which happens to be  November's product of the month. Also included in the spread were goat cheeses from Creekside Farm, crackers from Crumbs Bakery and Shagbark  Seed & Mill, and salsas by JB's Best. Rounding out the spread were focaccia bites from Jackie O's and cookie and pastry samples from Nelsonville's own FullBrooks Cafe.

"This is a nice spread, this one turned out really well," Fisher said. "We always try to mix things up and get different people in, like Integration Acres and Jackie O's. We try to bring some new folks and new faces to experience."
 
Read the full story HERE.
Shopping Locally This Holiday Season!


The holidays are one of the most wonderful times of the year in Athens County! Get into the holiday spirit with festivities all December long in Nelsonville.  Create memories while exploring the decorated historic Historic Public Square, picking up unique, locally-made gifts for everyone on your list at local shops and meeting with Santa! 

A few stores you just HAVE to visit include the Nelsonville EmporiumNelsonville Emporium carries locally made art, pottery & sundries and retails the artwork of over 85 local artists along with area foods and specialty products. They also have handmade tree ornaments for decorating! They'll even help you put together a gift basket if that's what you're looking for!

Looking to send holiday flowers? The Nelsonville Flower Shop is
 your one-stop shopping  location!  They have flowers, balloons and gifts for all  occasions . They also carry funeral sprays. grave blankets and sympathy pillows.

Plaid Butterfly Soaps is a great place to buy handmade soaps, aromatherapy DIY gift sets, bath salts, body spray, beard oil, locally made jewelry, vintage aprons and oddities. 

Looking for gift ideas in Athens? Have you heard of the Athens County Visitors Bureau's 25 Gifts of Athens County program? They have everything from gift ideas from places like Precision Imprint and Cornwell Jewelers, to gift basket ideas with products from many different locations to ideas for gift experiences from places like Stuart's Opera House 

25 Gifts of Athens is sure to have something for everyone on your list, be sure to check it out HERE

Upcoming Events!

December 1 - 12; 10:00am-4:00pm
Make your holiday an artful with with a little help from ARTS/West. A wide variety of beautiful art by local artists will be on display at ARTS/West. Items will be available for purchase in their silent auction just in time for holiday gift giving! The winners will be notified on Monday, December 14th. All proceeds will benefit ARTS/West. Open during business hours (M-TH, 10am-4pm) and during special events. Please call 740-592-4315 if you need to make special arrangements. For more information, please contact Kelly Lawrence at kellygreenmantle@gmail.com.

December 5 - 20; 12:00pm-6:00pm
Santa is coming to Nelsonville! The North Pole Nelsonville Parade brought Santa to town on November 5th and he's coming back to his workshop at 37 Public Square each Saturday & Sunday in December to visit with all the good boys and girls of Southeast Ohio. 

December 8, 2015; 6:00pm-8:00pm
Join Rural Action for their Holiday Open House at the Rural Action Kuhre Center for Rural Renewal from 6:00PM to 8:00PM at 9030 Hocking Hills Drive, The Plains, OH. Meet their staff and Board, catch up with their work, and tour their building. They'll have kids activities too! Help Decorate - Bring a recycled, natural, or homemade ornament to help decorate the tree. Win a Live Tree - Enter their free giveaway for a living Christmas tree. The tree can be enjoyed by your family this holiday season and planted for years of future enjoyment! Drinks and appetizers will be served

December 12, 10:00am-5:00pm & 13, 12:00pm-5:00pm 
The Athens Art Guild Holiday Shoppe showcases over 40 local artists and craftsmen. Located at the Athens Community Center, they will be open 10-5 on Saturday and 12-5 on Sunday for all of you holiday shopping needs.

December 14, 2015; 10:00am-4:00pm
Rural Action and Green Edge Organic Gardens are partnering on a series of intensive on-farm workshops. The workshops are held at Green Edge Organic Gardens (16232 Henry Rd. Amesville, Ohio 45711). Sessions begin at the Amesville Grange Hall (17486 State St. Amesville, Ohio 45711) then go to the farm and end at 4:00 pm. These trainings focus primarily on the use of gabled high tunnels for winter production, focusing on multiple aspects of the Green Edge Organic Gardens model of year round farming. The workshops include both on-farm and classroom portions and are taught by the fa rmers. $20.00 Registration. Lunch is included.  To Register, please RSVP to Tom Redfern at tomr@ruralaction.org or 740-677-4047.

December 15, 2015; 4:00pm-7:00pm
ACEnet is partnering with WellWorks for their annual Winter Gathering in the Grover Center Atrium on the Ohio University campus. This free event features music from local bands and samples from Athens' finest restaurants & food entrepreneurs like Athens' Own, Casa Nueva, Crumbs Bakery, Herbal Sage Tea Company, Milo's Whole World Gourmet, and more! Be sure to stop by the ACEnet table, say hi, and sample some great products from a few of our clients!

December 17, 2015; 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Ohio University Credit Union is hosting a Free Small Business Tax seminar. Learn about Ohio tax law changes, small business tax deductions, Ohio tax requirements that affect small businesses and more! This lunch seminar will be held at the OUCU East State branch (994 E. State St., Athens, OH). Space is limited, please register by calling OUCU at 740-597-2800 or by sending an e-mail to memberservices@oucu.org by December 14th.

December 18, 2015; 1:00pm & 3:00pm
View the holiday film classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas and help those in need all this month at the Athena Cinema on Court!  Keep in mind that 1 can of food or small cash donation results in a movie ticket.  There  will be free sugar cookies  for moviegoers as well!  Audiences can expect 2 showings every show date at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

  Get Involved By Donating to Help Continue the Success of ACEnet!

Throughout the year, ACEnet has celebrated its 30th anniversary and The Athens Messenger has celebrated by highlighting some of the incredible stories of entrepreneurs that have been born out of ACEnet and the ingenuity and heart of local people.

While ACEnet has an ability to generate some of its own funds, the generosity of others goes a long way toward continuing the success of the nonprofit.

ACEnet does not organize annual fundraisers or auctions. The nonprofit generates 65 percent of its funds through clients. The remaining 35 percent, however, is generated through grants and the like.

"We don't do (fundraisers) because we try to survive without having to continually look at local foundations and local sources of revenue because we know how important it is to other nonprofits in the region," said Fisher. "If we can go without using them, that's what we want to do. We're going to leave that to them because they need the support, and we have the means of generating revenue."

Supporting ACEnet, Fisher points out, really supports the local entrepreneurs, the neighbors who are trying to realize a dream. ACEnet, as an organization, draws parallels with its clients. As clients' businesses grow and the need for expansion occurs, the need for growth occurs for ACEnet as well.

To learn more, read the full story HERE.

Wish of the Month!

Let's keep the 30th Anniversary upgrades rolling

The December Wish of the Month is the 
Metro C519-PXFC-4 C5 1 Full Height Aluminum Proofing Cabinet

Proofing cabinets facilitate a higher and faster rise for baking breads and pastries. By maintaining consistent warmth and humidity conditions, proofing cabinets facilitate the fermentation for yeast.

- Individual Analog Controls for Temperature & Humidity Levels
- Easy to Read Digital Thermometer
- Recessed Control Dials
- Master On/Off Switch
- Power Indicator Lights
- Clear, Polycarbonate Door Provides Visibility of Contents Without Heat Loss

To make a tax-deductible contribution to our Proofing Cabinet Fund, click the "Donate Now" button at the bottom of our newsletter! The total cost of funding this item is $2,033.10

To see more information about the proofing cabinet, visit the Wasserstrom Website.

Message from 30th Anniversary Sponsor:  

Thank you to our 30th Anniversary Champion Sponsors!

Your tax-deductible contribution helps ACEnet expand economic opportunities in the Appalachian Ohio Region! Thank you for your continued interest in and support of when we do here at ACEnet!
Sincerely,
Meggan Loveland
Appalachian Center for Economic Networks
94 Columbus Rd,  Athens, OH 45701 
(740) 592-3854
94 Columbus Rd, Athens, OH 45701 
740-592-3854