CWS Chamber Shop Local and Win – The Spring Edition!

Shop Local for a chance to win a $500.00 Gift Card this spring!

Supporting local businesses and keeping tax dollars local makes a big difference to the community.

Every time you shop at a Cottleville or Weldon Spring Business OR a Participating Cottleville Weldon Spring Chamber Member in another community, enter your name in a drawing for a chance to win a $500.00 Mastercard Gift Card.

The promotion will run from February 1st through April 30, 2012 and entry forms will be collected by May 4, 2012.  The drawing will take place on May 15th 2012 at the Cottleville-Weldon Spring Chamber Breakfast.

Highlights

One entry per purchase at any Cottleville-Weldon Spring Business
Two entries if you purchase from a Cottleville-Weldon Spring Chamber member

If you are a Business and you want to find out how you can participate, contact info@cwschamber.com

How you can help – We need:

• Volunteers to help us build and design the float
  
• Volunteers to help us with the day of event fundraiser
  
• Advertisers to sponsor and/or ride on our float
  
• Ideas on how to use this event to help us grow our chambers and our members
  

If you are interested in participating, please contact the chamber or email info@cwschamber.com.

ST CHARLES – The $63 million rehabilitation of the westbound Interstate 70 Missouri River Bridge (Blanchette Bridge) will close and detour traffic starting late fall 2012. 

Walsh Construction Company plans to close the westbound I-70 Blanchette Bridge and shift lanes to the eastbound bridge starting late fall 2012, and no earlier than November 1.  The work will take less than one year.  An exact date for the closure is contingent on the manufacturing of steel for the new truss and approach spans.    Weather at that time of year could also affect the exact closure date. 

During the construction, three lanes of eastbound and three lanes of westbound I-70 will be using the eastbound bridge.  The two directions of traffic will be separated by a concrete barrier wall in the middle of the eastbound bridge.  Lanes will be reduced to 11 feet wide with no shoulders.  The speed limit on the bridge and through the work zone will be reduced to 45 mph. 

"Knowing the contractor's schedule to start in late fall provides us all many months to prepare for these traffic impacts," said MoDOT St. Louis District Engineer Ed Hassinger.  "The good news is three lanes of I-70 will be open during the construction so you will be able to get to work, home, shopping, and attractions in the area.  However, we strongly encourage people to start thinking now how they are going to use other Missouri River bridge crossings during the peak morning and evening weekday rush hours." 

The Route 370 and Route 364 (Page Avenue) Missouri River bridges are the primary alternate routes to use to avoid congestion on I-70 during the construction.  Both bridges are located within a few miles of I-70 and provide an easy alternate to get to and from St. Charles and St. Louis counties as well as in and out of the major business and shopping districts in downtown St. Charles and Earth City. 

"We have been working for over a year with the local business community and emergency responders to prepare for the upcoming closures and detours," Hassinger said.  "Now that we have the tentative schedule dates, we can continue those efforts to ensure all preparations are ready to keep motorists safe and moving on the bridge and assist with all the ways to access the local businesses." 

"We encourage major employers especially those with many employees who travel from St. Charles County to consider allowing flextime and alternate work hours and locations," Hassinger said.  "This isn't a full closure like the I-64 project, but all the same preparations need to be made to ensure everyone has a plan for how they will cope with the extra congestion on I-70 during peak hours." 

Construction work to prepare for the closure will begin in summer 2012.  Lane closures will occur for this work primarily during off peak hours.  Details will be announced on a week by week basis as the contractor's schedule progresses. 

For more information or to sign up for email updates regarding the westbound I-70 Blanchette Bridge rehabilitation, visit www.modot.org/blanchettebridge .  MoDOT reminds motorists to slow down in work zones and avoid distractions to keep yourself and the workers safe.

ST CHARLES – The utility work will begin again Sunday, January 15 through Thursday, January 19. Motorists can expect overnight lane closures to move a fiber optic utility in preparation for the upcoming major rehabilitation work scheduled on the westbound I-70 Blanchette Bridge.  The January 15-19 work will include the following closures:

• Sunday, January 15, one lane closed eastbound at 7 p.m. until 5 a.m.  A second lane and both of the Fifth Street ramps to eastbound I-70 will close at 8 p.m.
  
• Monday, January 16 through Thursday, January 19, one lane closed eastbound I-70 at 8 p.m. until  5 a.m.  A second lane and both of the Fifth Street ramps to eastbound I-70 will close at 9 p.m.  When the Fifth Street ramps to eastbound I-70 are closed, motorists will be detoured to use Veterans Parkway (the south outer road) west to the Route 94/First Capitol Drive interchange to access eastbound  I-70. 
  

For more information or to sign up for email updates regarding the upcoming westbound I-70 Blanchette Bridge rehabilitation, visit www.modot.org/blanchettebridge. MoDOT reminds motorists to slow down in work zones and avoid distractions to keep yourself and the workers safe.

Our Chamber is poised to have continued growth in 2012 and you could benefit by having free membership next year.

With the combination of the St. Peters and St. Charles Chamber, many of the St. Peters members are looking to our Chamber for a new opportunity.

Our Chamber Champion program provides free membership for and member who brings in 5 new members.  On the membership form make sure to have them put your name in the area on the form where we ask who we can thank for your membership.  Take this opportunity to personally ask your business friends to join our Chamber.

Here is some of the information you may need when talking to fellow business members about our Chamber…..

We are keeping our membership dues inexpensive again in 2012, only $75!!  We offer you excellent value for your money:

-          General Membership Meetings on the 3^rd Tuesday of every month from 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Varying Locations. Only $10 for breakfast.

-          Leads Group

-          Quarterly “Morning Cup” open to all to welcome new members

-          Monthly e-Newsletter (promote your business 3 times a year – no cost)

-          Your business listed on our website and promoted on our Facebook page.

-          No Charge, 1 minute commercials

-          Minimum of 30 minutes of real networking at each meeting.

Please join us for our upcoming meetings:

-          January 17 – GMM @ Mario’s Donuts in Weldon Spring

-          February 21 – GMM @ Old Hickory Golf Club

-          March  20 – GMM @ Cottleville Fire Station 3, in Weldon Spring.

We are currently seeking nominations for:

• 2011 Recognition of Service Excellence for an employee who exhibits excellent customer service
• 2011 Small Business of the Year

Details and qualifications are included on the nomination forms below.

Download the 2011 Recognition of Service Excellence Award Nomination Form

Download the 2011 Small Business of the Year Nomination Form

Nominations are due by December 13, 2011 5:00pm.  The awards will be presented at the January 2012 Cottleville Weldon Spring Chamber General Membership Meeting on January 17, 2012.

Cottleville Weldon Spring Chamber Board of Director Nominations

We are currently accepting nominations for Board Members.  There are currently several board positions that are open:

• Three 3-year terms
• One 2-year term
• One 1-year term

If you have someone you wish to nominate, please email info@cwschamber.com.

Nomination as are open though December 13, 2011 5:00pm. 

The ballot of candidates will be presented and voted upon by the chamber membership at the December General Membership Meeting.

The meeting will be in the Social Sciences Building SSB Auditorium (http://www.stchas.edu/about-scc/maps_directions/campus-buildings.html).

The cost is $10 in advance (RSVP to cwsrsvp@hotmail.com) or $12 at the door.

About Janis —

Janis Murray developed MURRAY PREP to help students like her own son and those seeking employment benefit from the relevant aspects of communication training offered to corporate clients. She works with High School kids prepping for the college of their choice, college kids seeking internships and employment, and working adults seeking a career change, a promotion, wanting to re-enter the workforce, or improving image and communication/presentation skills.

As a media trainer with MediaMasters, Inc. since 1992, Ms. Murray has trained thousands of corporate clients to improve their performance in interviews and presentations.

With an M.S. degree in journalism from Columbia University and a B.A. degree in political science from The University of Michigan, Ms. Murray began her career as a television news reporter in Detroit, Boston, St. Louis, and for CNN in New York, receiving a couple of Emmy Nominations. Janis Murray was the host and producer of the "Home Garden" feature seen Wednesday mornings on FOX 2 News.

Today, she recognizes the importance of matching one's strengths to the needs and goals of the company or college.

This combination of experience and understanding is reflected in the individual attention each client receives in MURRAY PREP sessions.

Shop Local for a chance to win a $500.00 Gift Card this holiday season! Supporting local businesses and keeping tax dollars local makes a big difference to the community.

• Every time you shop at a Cottleville or Weldon Spring Business enter your name in a drawing for a chance to win a $500.00 Mastercard Gift Card
• The promotion will run from October 1^st through December 31, 2011 and entry forms will be collected by January 2, 2012
• The drawing will take place on January 17^th 2012 at the Cottleville-Weldon Spring Chamber Breakfast.

Highlights

• One entry per purchase at any Cottleville-Weldon Spring Business
• Two entries if you purchase from a Cottleville-Weldon Spring Chamber member

If you are a Business and you want to find out how you can participate, contact info@cwschamber.com

Find out which Cottleville-Weldon Spring businesses are participating:

Alliance Tax

Aly's Interiors

Andy Nails

Bauer Orthodontic

Beauty World

Best cleaners 

Binfords Bar & Grill

Black Sheep

Buchheit Supply

Cardinal Home Improvements

Century Securities

Changescape Web

Cottleville Crafts

Cottleville Crafts Etc.

Cottleville Wine Seller

Debonaire Banquet Center

Deter's

Duke Partners

Exit 6

Fast Lane

First National Bank of St. Louis

Fitness together

Floyd Glass & Window

Gibson Printing

Going postal

Great Southern Travel

Greg's Car Care Center

Hallmark

Headfirst

Hecht Chiropractic

Hog's Haus

Incredible Engravings

Integrated Massage Therapy

JLJ Technologies

Jo's Pub

K9 Kabana

Keystone Mutual

Leigh Mason Salon

Little ceasars

Mannino's Market

Massage envy

Mathenia Insurance Group

M'broidery

Missouri Mulch

Moes

Officemax

Robin's Next

Schnucks (Highway N and Mid Rivers)

Send Out Cards

Sherlock's

Smoothie King

Sports Clips

St. Luke's Urgent Care

Starcrest

Sun Security Bank

The Babylon

The Boxing Gym

The Flower Stop

Thyme Out

True Cafe

UMB Bank

US cellular

W Klein Realty