Readers, I am taking a break from my normal writing pattern.

(I can hear the cheers already.)

First, I would like to share with you something that was sent to me by Martha Jackson.

I appreciate her doing so.

It is a simple, but great way to view Demopolis, our hometown.

“My town-is the place where my house is found, where my business is located, and where my vote is cast.

It is where my children are educated and where my neighbors dwell, and where my life is chiefly lived.

It supports me and I should support it.

My town wants my citizenship, not my partisanship; my friendliness, not my dissensions;

my sympathy, not my criticism;

my intelligence, not my indifference.

My town supplies me with protection, trade, friends, education, schools, churches, and the right to free, moral citizenship.

It has some things better than others.

The best things I should seek to make better.

The worst things I should help to suppress.

Take it, all-in-all, it is my town and it is entitled to the best there is in me.”

Author-J. O. Wintzell, Sr.

Next, I want to use the remaining portion of the column as a bulletin board to report some very recent Chamber events, as well as to let you know of some upcoming events that the Chamber is involved in.

It seems that the upcoming weeks will be some of the busiest of the year for the Chamber, and believe it or not, most of the busyness is not even Christmas on the River related.

First, I need to report on a couple of very recent past events.

To begin with, I want you to know that Kelly Smith, the Chamber’s adorable and capable Events&Tourism director, became a mom for the first time, approximately two weeks ago.

She, and her husband, Brandon, are now the parents of a beautiful baby girl, Camilla Bett.

Kelly has already brought Camilla to the Chamber office while she worked on some matters that needed her attention.

(This may be a record in the “Bring Your Daughter to Work” Day.)

Also, last night the Chamber had a “Chamber After Hours” and it was hosted by, and held, at Napoleon’s Restaurant in historic downtown Demopolis.

(Napoleon’s is one of our newest Chamber members.)

Now, to the near future–early next week Leadership Marengo will start its 12th class, and it will be the largest in its history.

Orientation for the class will be held in Faunsdale, and session one, which deals with “Demographics and Diversity,” will be held at the training center at Rock-Tenn Paper Company.

Another event of importance next week involves us hosting Neal Wade, the director of the Alabama Development Office, and others from his office Tuesday night here in Demopolis.

(ADO was recently rated as the number one industrial development organization in the entire nation by Site Magazine).

Other economic developers from surrounding communities have been invited to this meeting, as well.

Two days after this event, we will be hosting our annual “Industry Appreciation Luncheon.”

We invite local leaders of area industries, feed them a good meal, give them a small gift, and say THANKS for being in our area and employing our citizens.

(Jim Williams, with the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama will be the luncheon speaker.)

Later on in the month we will be putting on a retail workshop that deals with “store security.”

We have invited the head of store security from a major department store in Tuscaloosa to assist with this workshop and she will be sharing some of the procedures and systems that they use to deter shoplifting, etc.

The Demopolis Police Department will also be involved in the workshop.

As you can tell, the Chamber has a lot going on, and this is the way it should be.

As I have stated several time before, our two main goals are:

1. Working hard to keep the Demopolis area a viable economic entity for our Chamber members and our citizens.

2. To work hard at promoting many of the “quality of life” features that make Demopolis such a special place.

After all, it is “our town.”