NEWTON COUNTY
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
NEWSLETTER


December 2011
Volume 14, Issue 12
 



We Wish You A Merry Christmas
&
 Healthy, Prosperous New Year!
 

2012 Officers & Directors To Be Introduced!

The Newton County Chamber of Commerce will have their regular monthly meeting Thursday, December 8, 2011 at 12 Noon at the Methodist Christian Community Life Center located at 207 Houston Street in Newton. Brookshire Brothers will provide lunch and community reports will be given.
 
The following new officers and directors will be presented: President, Wayne Whitehead; First Vice President, Christye Shaw; Second Vice President, Courtney Tracy; Secretary, Gail Love; Treasurer, LaDonna Jones; Two Year Directors, Ginger Arnold, Earlene Bowen and James Eiseman; and One Year Directors, Joey Miller, Gwen Satterwhite and Danita Morgan. We encourage everyone to join us to welcome the new officers and directors!

Santa’s Workshop & Christmas Train

Newton Area Business Association’s Santa’s Workshop and the Christmas Trains are now open and ready for passengers! Santa’s Workshop is now located in the NEW Train Depot/Welcome Center next to Caney Creek Park! The new location will provide easy access to the Christmas Trains and an abundance of space for Christmas merchandise from local and area artisans! There will be TWO Christmas Trains this year that will be touring the fantastic display of Christmas Lights at Caney Creek Park!

The shop is open Friday and Saturday nights from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. until Christmas and the week before Christmas, December 19th – 24th. The Christmas Train tours are (weather permitting) from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and the tickets are $3 each with children age 4 and under FREE.

The Train route includes the tour through Caney Creek Park with features such as ‘larger than life’ lighted Nativity scene, Toy Train, Christmas trees, Santa Fishing, Parachuting Reindeer, praying hands and stars. The Park is a must see for people of all ages! All proceeds from the Workshop and Train go to NABA’s Christmas Lighting Fund. For information on the Workshop and special train tours, contact Octavene Booker at 409-379-5829.

 NVFD Sponsoring Christmas Toy Drive

The Newton Volunteer Fire Department is sponsoring the “Santa’s Toy Brigade” annual toy drive for the Christmas season. In addition to the toy drive, the elderly will be receiving gift baskets to help them out at this time of the year. A bank account is set up at Orange Savings Bank for donations or you can call Melanie at 594-3407 or Karen 383-7261 for more information. “This year seems to be a very trying one economically for everyone, so any donation will be appreciated!”

Salvation Army Bell Ringers At Brookshires!

It’s the Christmas Season and the Salvation Army “Red Kettle” needs donations! Student volunteers from Newton High School will be ringing the bell at Brookshires through Christmas. The money donated stays in Newton County and helps Newton residents in need. Thanks to Community Bank for counting and handling the donations made to the “red kettle”!

Soup & Cornbread Lunch On Tuesdays at Powell Hotel

The Newton County Historical Commission is serving homemade soup, cornbread and desserts every Tuesday in November, December, January and February from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the historic Ford College/Powell Hotel Museum located on the Newton Courthouse Square. The lunch includes a drink and costs $5.00 per person and is an annual fundraiser for the Ford College/Powell Hotel Museum.
For more info call 379-5527 or 379-2109.

Food Share Program Seeking Donations For the Needy

Joe and Kathy Miller reports the Food Share office holiday hours are Thursday, December 1st and December 22nd from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The office is located at 400 North Main in the East Wing of the Old Hospital in Newton. Foods needed include canned vegetables, soup, tuna, fruit and pie filling.

Other items needed are boxed dinners, dried beans, rice, spaghetti, mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, flour, sugar and corn meal. Food Share serves people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin. For information, contact the Texas AgriLife Extension office at 409/379-4831.

2012 Chamber Membership Dues

The 2012 Chamber membership renewals will be mailed out the second week in December. Chamber membership is not limited to business owners! Everyone is eligible to join the Chamber.  Our goal is to PROMOTE NEWTON in every way that we can and everywhere we go! Only Newton residents can PROMOTE NEWTON, so join in and help us succeed this goal!

Dues paid now are for the new Chamber fiscal year January 1, 2012 through December 2012. The membership packages are as follows: Chamber Friend (Individuals and Retirees) $30, Associate/Non-Profit $30, Basic Business $50, Silver $100, Gold $250 and Platinum $500. For more information, call the Chamber office at 409-379-5527 or email at chamber@newton-texas.com

Personal Message From Outgoing Secretary

“I would like to take this opportunity in the last newsletter I will write to THANK all of you for your support for the last 15 years while I was the Chamber Secretary! Mark, Lindsay, Max and I moved to Newton in 1993 to make this our “Hometown” and to become involved in this great community!

The Chamber of Commerce was a vehicle to meet the people in the community and to become involved in promoting our town! It was because of our involvement in the Chamber that we invested, with our partners, Charles and Pam Wright, in Whispering Creek RV Park & Motel. We were all promoting Newton and wanted a quality place for our visitors to stay and enjoy the town. Now that John and Carol Vincent have bought Whispering Creek, we are excited to see what future plans they have for “our baby”!!!

I am SO excited about the NEW volunteers that have stepped up to insure the Chamber of Commerce keeps going and contributing to our community! I may be absent for a while, but rest assure Mark and I will be in the wings promoting Newton!
 
Sincerely,
Susan Karpel

 


The Chamber Notes is a monthly newsletter of the Newton County Chamber of Commerce and does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of all Chamber members, officers and directors. We invite all member’s comments and suggestions. If you are interested in providing information or a special feature for the newsletter or have a meeting or event, please contact:


Newton County Chamber of Commerce
Susan Karpel, Chamber Secretary
P.O. Box 66 Newton, Texas 75966
Telephone: 409-379-5527
Email: chamber@newton-texas.com