The Farmer's Market committee is looking at relocating the Farmer's Market to the First Street parking lot for 2013.  Changes taking place at Riverside Center have resulted in consideration of this move. The First Street parking lot has some advantages for the Market.  Limited entrances and exits will help control traffic through the Market area.  The layout will also allow for the Market to be more compact which will benefit both vendors and shoppers.  It also moves the Market closer to downtown.

The City Council has approved use of the city owned lot.  More information will be forthcoming as plans are finalized.

The Farmer's Market begins on Thursday, June 6th and continues through September from 3:30 - 6:30 pm each Thursday.

-  The Adams/Wells Human Resource Group will host a public job fair on Monday, May 6^th  from 1:00 pm until 5:00 pm in the lower level of the Wells County Chamber of Commerce.  There will be representatives from retail, manufacturing, and healthcare to meet with candidates and accept resumes and applications for a wide range of positions including sales, finance, production, material handling, clerical, maintenance and others.  In addition, candidates may bring their resume and have the opportunity to have it critiqued by a human resource professional.  The Adams/Wells Human Resource Group is a professional group established to meet the needs of the human resource profession in and around the Adams and Wells county area.  They hold their monthly luncheon meetings on the last Wednesday of each month at locations in Adams and Wells counties and provide expert speakers on various topics.  For more information about becoming part of the Adams/Wells Human Resource Group please contact the Wells County Chamber of Commerce.

Dr. Wylie Sirk presented the annual State of the Schools at the April Chamber Luncheon.  This was his last State of the Schools since Sirk will be retiring at the end of the school year.  He used the North Adams website to illustrate the direction of the school district.  Thanks Dr. Sirk and best wishes for the future.

Snow is on the ground and there is a lot of winter left but here at the Chamber we are starting to think spring. That of course means flowers. For many years the Chamber has collected funds and organized the downtown planters that grace the city. They spring to life in early May and continue to beautify downtown until the fall.

The last several years the needed funds have not been generated and the “flower fund” is now in arrears. After this matter was reported in the Decatur Daily Democrat it was taken up by the city council. The council has graciously offered financial assistance along with stating a desire to evaluate the future of the downtown planters.

The financial assistance will come via parking fines imposed on motorists who tarry too long in the two hour parking spots downtown. So, the next time you receive a parking ticket remember, “You are helping to beautify downtown Decatur.” The city will match up to $2,500 raised by the Chamber for a potential $5,000 for flowers. Any funds beyond this year’s need will be held for future years and for potential pot replacement.

The second prong is to evaluate the number and placement of pots. Do we need twenty-nine planters in the downtown area? Should the planters be removed from Monroe Street? Would trees be a better option in some areas? How do the planters integrate with the Decatur Sculpture Walk? As more sculptures are added will the number of pots need to be reduced?

These are all questions that need to be answered. The Chamber will bring together a group of interested parties to discuss the beautification of downtown. If you would like to serve as part of this group contact the Chamber for more information.

The other area of concern raised by the city council is Christmas lights. City workers replaced some two hundred bulbs on the facade lighting on Second Street. They observed that the lights are over twenty years old and are nearing the end of their useful life. The older angels as well as some of the newer snowflakes need to be refurbished. It was suggested that the number of lights might be reduced to reduce cost. While the cost of maintaining and lighting the lights is covered by contributions, funds are not available for refurbishing or replacing the existing lights. This too will become an issue for discussion during the next year.

As 2013 draws to a close there are several items of business that take place at the Chamber.  At their November meeting the Chamber Board approved the following for three year board terms beginning January 1, 2013:

1.         Gregg Farmer – Wal-Mart - Retail Division – New Term

2.         Chris Knudsen – True Value – Retail Division – New Term

3.         Todd Kolter  – Bunge North America – Industrial Division – New Term

4.         Ron Storey – Professional Division – New Term

5.         Mark Zurcher – Zurcher’s Best One – Retail Division – New Term

6.         Jeff Newport- Gold Shield – Industrial Division – Replacing Doug Hormann

These Board members will be officially installed at the Annual Dinner and Business meeting held on February 7^th at Mirage Banquet Center. Chamber officers for 2013 will also be installed that evening.

This meeting is also when we present the 2012 Chamber awards – Steven Decatur, Large Business, and Small Business.  Nominations for these awards are being received through December 21^st.  Please deliver nominations to the Chamber office at 125 E Monroe Street in person, by mail, fax (724-3104) or email (lmorris@decaturchamber.org).  Nomination forms are available on the Chamber website at www.decaturchamber.org.

This year we brought our newly redesigned website online with added features to benefit our members.  These allow members to link to Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn as well as email and your company website from your Chamber page.

The new design allows members to edit their own Chamber pages to keep information up-to-date.  Go to the Chamber website click “login” and register.  You will receive an email confirmation of your registration.  You may then edit your Chamber webpage.

As a reminder, 2013 Decatur Dollars have arrived and are available NOW!  Decatur Dollars make great Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers as well as employee incentives and awards.  Each year Decatur Dollars keep $100,000 circulating through Chamber member businesses.  This is a benefit provided at no cost to our Chamber members.  Thanks for your support.

Today over sixty members of the Decatur and Berne Chambers gathered at Adams Central High School to hear a "blue ribbon" panel discuss what businesses need to know about healthcare reform.  Mike Ripley from the Indiana State Chamber discussed the timelines for implementation.  Dane Wheeler, CFO of Adams Memorial Hospital spoke about the impact on health care providers.  Matt Lehman, chairman of the Indiana House Insurance Committee discussed option for the insurance exchange.

First I want to thank our panel for taking time out of their busy schedules to speak at our luncheon/forum.  We had an outstanding group of presenters! They helped those in attendance to better understand the implications of the new healthcare law.

Second, I want the thank Adams Central School for for serving as gracious hosts.  Superintendent Mike Pettibone and Middle School principal Aaron McClure made our members feel very welcome.  AC has an outstanding facility and we appreciate their willingness to share it with the community.

This meeting grew out of requests by our membership for more information on the subject.  I was pleased that the Berne and Decatur Chambers could join together to offer this program for our members.  We have a good working relationship among or  Adams County chambers. We model the type of cooperation that leads to all our communities being better places to live, work, and raise a family.

Plans are underway to reprise this luncheon at a future date to keep the membership updates on healthcare reform.

A new era begins on July 1^st with the implementation of a statewide smoking ban in Indiana.  Businesses have many questions about how they implement the new requirements. Here is my understanding as of June 29th.

Who is covered by the ban?  Almost everyone! There are some exceptions: Bars (that do not allow persons under 21); private clubs and fraternal organizations where the membership has voted to allow smoking can have a designated smoking room (no one under 18 is allowed).  With some minor exceptions everyone else is covered. To the best of my knowledge there is no hookah bar in Adams County - in fact most of us don't even know what one is.

All public places and places of employment are required to post one or more signs.  The nature and number of signs varies depending on the type of place.  There is no size, font type, font size or color requirements for the signs.   They must use wording similar to those listed below:

“State Law Prohibits Smoking within 8 Feet of This Entrance” - t be posted at each public entrance to a public place or place of employment

“Smoking Is Prohibited by State Law”  - two or more signs must be posted inside an establishment not exempt from the state smoking ban.

“WARNING: Smoking is Allowed in this Establishment” -  Two or more signs must be posted inside an establishment that is exempt from the state smoking ban.

“Smoking is Prohibited in This Restaurant” -  In addition to the “smoking is prohibited by state law” signs, a restaurant must post a conspicuous sign at each entrance to the restaurant informing the public that smoking is prohibited in the restaurant.

“Cigarette Smoking is Prohibited” -  Two or More signs must be posted inside a cigar bar or hookah bar that allows smoking of tobacco products (other than cigarettes).

Any business not exempt from the law must:

•  Post signage
• Remove indoor ashtrays and other smoking receptacles
• Direct any person who is smoking to put out the cigarette, cigar or other lighted tobacco item.
• Any outdoor smoking must be at least eight feet away from a public entrance

 The Chamber will continue to work with our members to help them understand what is required.

The 2012 edition of the Motor Sports Festival comes to beautiful downtown Decatur on Friday, June 15th.  The location provides a great venue for this fun evening.  One-hundred vehicles - cars, trucks, motorcycles and tractors will gather for an evening of fun and entertainment.

A "food alley" will spring up on Madison Street with a number of non-profit groups supplying hot dogs, brats, ice cream, homemade desserts, snow cones and other assorted goodies.  Dancers will perform on Court Street and MillerTyme DJ will provide nostalgic music and entertainment.

Hope to see you on Friday, June 15th in Downtown Decatur!

The Decatur Farmers Market resumes for its fourth season on Thursday June 7^th.  The Market will return to Riverside Center where ample parking is available for vendors. 

The hours remain the same for 2012 with the market opening at 3:30 p.m. and continuing until 6:30 p.m.   Participants provide their own tables and covering if desired.  The market is open to flowers, produce and hand made craft related vendors. Non-profit and home based food items are also welcome, subject to meeting health department labeling requirements.  Commercial food vendors and non-food businesses are asked not to come to the Market. 

There is no fee for vendors.  Vendors are asked to respect business at Riverside Center by note setting up stalls prior to 2:30 pm.  Vendors selling from vehicles are asked to park on the north and south end of the parking lot.  Those selling from tables should set up on the west side along the sand volleyball court.  Electricity is NOT available.

 For more information please contact the Chamber at 724-2604 or Decatur Parks and Recreation at 724-2520.

“The courts have weathered the storm.”  These were the words that Judge Patrick Miller used to open the annual State of the Judiciary address at the March Chamber luncheon.  They have made cuts, but are still providing access to the courts. Judge Miller reported several trends: Increase in crimes overall, a decrease in serious crimes; an increase in crimes related to the economy and juvenile crime has increased.

He reported that 5,000 new cases were filed last year 3,824 of which were in Superior Court. On other matters probation is down seventy-five from last year.  RISQ has had 115 out of school suspensions.  Jailers are now transporting many prisoners to and from court to free deputies for other duties.

Judge Miller expressed that “Judge [Fred] Schurger and I are not fans of delayed justice,” so they are looking for ways to speed up the process.

The two main issues facing building issues are the jail which is over crowded.  It is designed to hold 59 and averaged 50 last year.  The second is the Superior Court building which has a myriad of problems: not ADA compliant; the basement retains water; too small; and has many security issues.

He ended by declaring the State of the Judiciary is strong and all citizens have access to the courts.

The next Chamber Luncheon will be held on April 9^th and will feature Dr. Wylie Sirk, presenting the State of the Schools Address.