February 2016 Newsletter_3Feb16

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www.avachamber.org
February 2016
Important Dates
to Remember!
2/8 Chamber Board
Meeting 5:15pm
2/9 Chamber Luncheon
12:00pm
2/9 Chamber Economic
Development Committee
Meeting 6:00pm
2/15 Deadline to Reserve
Ad Space in 2016 Membership/Community Guide
2016 Chamber Officers
President: Anita Madche
V P: Richard Sturgeon
Secretary: Nancy Lawler
Treasurer: Betty Ridenour
2016 Board Member
Bart Ellison, Gail Huffman
Kenny Fleetwood, Amy Porter
Danny Letsinger, Jared Smith
Garith Dedmon, Caryl Stillings
Glenda Little, Sheldon Shaver
We Need You to Help Us Honor Them!
Two Prestigious Awards to be Given- Recognizing
Outstanding Citizens of Ava/Douglas County. The
Chamber of Commerce will announce the winners and
honor the award recipients at the Chamber’s annual
Membership & Awards Banquet on April 9, 2016.
The John N. Dickison Award was established in
1989 and is awarded each year by the Ava Area Chamber of Commerce, in recognition of a citizen of Douglas County for his or her longevity in community service and dedication to our community.
The Will McFarlin Youth Award, established in 1995, is given to recognize an outstanding
high school youth for his or her community service and dedication to our community.
If you know of an individual who fits one of the above descriptions, write a short paragraph
and tell us why that individual deserves to receive this honor. Please include a list of his or her
involvement in activities, projects, and organizations. Nominations for both awards may be
submitted to the Ava Chamber of Commerce office located at 810 SW 13th Avenue, by mail at
PO Box 1103, Ava MO 65608, or by email at director@avachamber.org.
The deadline to receive nominations is February 15, 2016.
How to Engage and
Retain Employees
Office Staff
Excerpt from article by Roberta Matuson,
Staples® Contributing Writer
Chamber Board Meetings
Why do we bother to engage employees?
Shouldn’t they be giving it their all because
they feel fortunate enough to be employed
by you? If that were the case, every person
on your payroll would be giving 110 percent
and your employee turnover would be minimal. But it takes more than a paycheck to
inspire most employees to go above and
beyond what you expect. Knowing how to
engage and retain employees is vital to your
business’s success
Judy Shields, Director
Nina Carter, Assistant
are held on the second Monday
of each month at 5:15 in the
Town & Country Bank conference room. To be a guest or add
an item to the agenda, please
contact the Chamber office.
Chamber Luncheons
are held on the second Tuesday
of each month at 12:00 and are
complimentary to members.
Contact the office for information on hosting a Luncheon.
Contact Us
810 S.W. 13th Avenue
PO Box 1130 Ava, MO
417-683-4594
info@avachamber.org
The Importance of Engaging Employees
Employees are a critical component to
every organization, and their morale and
motivation can be the difference between
high levels of profitability and barely getting
by.
Begin by asking yourself what your employees need to be fully engaged. Consider
conducting an employee survey or holding
focus groups to learn more about your employees’ needs. The drivers of employee engagement that surface in surveys typically
include three components:
1. Opportunity for development: Employees are seeking continuous growth. Provide
employees with opportunities to stretch
themselves in their current positions. Establish performance goals that encourage employees to learn new skills. Wherever possible, cross-train employees so they can make
a lateral move should another internal position open up.
(continued on page 2)
Page 2
Serving Ava/Douglas
County Since 1935
With 80 years of service
to our community, the
Ava Area Chamber of
Commerce continues to
promote local businesses,
tourism, and industry,
and to further community
growth and development.
The Chamber accomplishes much for Ava and
Douglas County through
the active participation of
its members and through
the financial partnership
of the City of Ava.
We, as citizens, must
commit to support our
local businesses, the cornerstone of our community’s economic stability.
Together, we can keep
our local economy strong
and thriving for many
years to come!
How to Engage and Retain Employees
(Continued from front page)
Demonstrate your commitment to employee development by providing reimbursement for those seeking to
take classes or attend seminars to improve their performance.
2. Employees want control over their work: Most people want to do good work, yet many employers operate as
if this isn’t the case. Instead of asking employees for their
input, they create policies and procedures that prevent
employees from doing their best. Ask employees for input when making changes that directly impact their jobs and allow your people the ability to be in control of their work. When in
doubt, ask those working most closely with your customers how to best service your clients.
3. Employees want management to be sincerely interested in their well-being: The most
engaged employees have a clear sense that their manager is always looking out for them.
They know their manager will go to bat for them in any situation. Invest the time necessary
to get to know your people so you can provide them with the support they need to flourish.
Most employees know how rare it is to be working for an exceptional leader and will think
twice before entertaining an offer from a competing firm.
The Bottom Line
Knowing how to engage and retain employees will become even more important as the
economy continues to improve. In some industries, we are already seeing an increase in employee turnover as workers seek greener pastures. Take action today to ensure your people
are extremely engaged so you can minimize the disruption that comes with high employee
turnover.
Photo Contest- “Displaying the Best of Douglas County”
Soon, it will be time to begin the process of choosing photographs that
represent the stories, happenings, and beauty of our area, for the 2016 Ava
Community Guide & Chamber Membership Directory.
Many Douglas County citizens have
submitted their photos, showcasing the
various attributes of our beautiful and
historic county. A lot goes on here in our
lively community, and the scenery is
beautiful in every season.
The Chamber prints and distributes
2,000 copies of the Ava Community Guide
each year. So, the chosen pictures will be
on display in many homes, businesses,
and towns across the Ozarks Region. We can’t wait to see what you’ve shared
with us and honor you with the credited publication of your photographs!
Who knows! Yours may even make the cover!
To submit your photos by the February 15th deadline, email them to
director@avachamber.org.
Rose Zella Myers, the proud
broker/owner of Missouri Real Estate of
The Ozarks, is excited to show you this
beautiful country where she was born
and raised. She has been a professional
business woman and Real Estate
Broker for several years in the community. She loves her hometown with the
small-town, rural America atmosphere
and most of all, the compassionate,
friendly people. What a great place to
live. Whether buying or selling Real
Estate in Missouri, Let Missouri Real
Estate of The Ozarks show you how to
get the results you need.
Visit www.moreozarks.com.
Page 3
Thank you, Chamber Members, for Your 2016 Membership Renewals!
Advantage Gas Service
Action Realty
Ambit Technologies
American Legion
Animal Clinic of Ava
Assumption Abbey
Ava Area Ambulance District
Ava Area Ministerial Alliance
Ava Art Guild
Ava Assembly of God
Ava Beverage
Ava Building Supply
Ava Drug Powered by Walgreens
Ava Family Dental
Ava Family Theatre
Ava General Baptist Church
Ava Grower's Project
Ava Lion's Club
Ava R-1 Schools
Ava Tire Shop
Ava United Methodist Church
Avon Independent Sales-Teresa Bruffett
Barnum & Associates Choice Realty
Bates-Crouch Law Office
Beaver Creek Canoe Rental, Campground,
& Cabins
Bethany Baptist Church
Better Business Bureau of SW MO
Big Country 99.3
BMA Bookkeeping Service, LLC
Brian's Lawns & Landscapes
Cahow’s Inflatables LLC
Casey’s Cab
Casey's General Store
Century Bank of the Ozarks
City of Ava
Clinkingbeard Funeral Home
Common Grounds Coffee House
Community Foundation of the Ozarks
Computer 911 Repair
Cooper Lumber True Value
Crystal Lakes Fisheries
Curtis Department Store
D.D. Hamilton Title Insurance
Daniel Surveying
Davis Auto Sales
Davis Automotive Center, LLC.
DCAR Ham Radio Club
Denney Chiropractic
DoCo Inc.
Donald R. Collins, Attorney at Law
Douglas County C.H.A.R.T.
Douglas County Herald Newspaper
Douglas County Library
Douglas County Republican Committee
Family Pharmacy
Farmers Insurance-Loftis Agency
FCNB Insurance Services Inc.
First Home Bank
First Southern Baptist Church
Forrest Pump Service
Gainesville Healthcare Center
Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland
Guacamoles Mexican Restaurant
H and R Block
Heart of the Ozarks Healthcare
Heath & Son Feed & Supply Inc.
Hodgson Mill General Store
Home Pride Bank
Hospice Compassus
Hucklebuck Smoke-N-Grill
Hwy Church of the Nazarene
Independent Copy Center
J&R Sand & Gravel
J&S Golfcars
Jane’s Beauty Shop
J. B. Construction
Jean's Healthway
Jim's Body Shop, Inc.
Joshua Deatherage Builders LLC
Kiwanis Club of Ava
KKOZ Radio
Kutz Car Care
L&D Trophies & Engraving
LaTour Advisory Group Inc.
Leland Barnes, Inc.
Longdollar Furniture
Mark Twain National Forest, Ava
Massage and Body Works, LLP
McDonald's Restaurant of Ava
Memory Lane Antiques
Mercy Health Clinic Ava
MERS Goodwill
MFA
Mill Country Title
Missouri Ozarks Community Health
Missouri Real Estate of The Ozarks
MOCH Wellness Center
MS Propane
National TV Sales & Rental
Options Pregnancy Clinic
Ozark Action Inc.
Ozark Coca-Cola Bottling Company
Ozarks Family Vision Centre
Ozarks Small Business Incubator
Payroll Advance/MO Gold & Silver
Precision Detail Shop LLC
Pro Design Screen Printing
Rockbridge Trout Ranch & Gun Club
Ruby Garden Restaurant
Scotty Upchurch Plumbing
Scroll Compressors, LLC
Signal - Scrivener Oil Company
Sonic Drive-In
St. Leo’s Catholic Church
Subway of Ava
Summit Natural Gas
Super 8 Motel
Tax Diva Services
Teen Harvest
The Law Offices of Christopher J.
Swatosh
Thomas and Douglas CPA
Thomas Heating & Air
Thursday Nite Music
Town & Country Bank
Town & Country Supermarket
Trinity Lutheran Church of Ava
United Country Area Land Realty
US Bank
Vaccaro’s Pizza & Pasta
VFW Auxiliary—Post 5993
VFW Russell T. Scott Post 5993
Walmart
Wehr Ford of Mtn. Grove
Whiddon’s Air & Electrical, LLC
White River Valley Electric Co-op.
Yogawell
INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS
Marilyn Alms
Lewis Bradshaw
Chris and Alicia Degase
David and Mary Kay Davidson
Donna Eslinger
Rosie Harris
Bill Jones
Danny and Charlene Letsinger
Richard Salgado
V.A. and Daisy Shull
Norma Stillings
Page 4
From the Mayor’s Desk
City of Ava news:
2016 has been ushered in with
lots of hustle and bustle around the city of Ava.
We have officially moved into our new city hall building, located at 404 S Jefferson Street. We now have city
utilities housed in City Hall and are ready to receive utility payments, both inside and also at the drive-thru lanes
on the east side of the building. Hours for the lobby and
drive thru are 8:00AM to 5:00PM, Monday through Friday, and closed on weekends.
We also installed a new telephone system that does not
use the “punch 1, 2, or 3” system. When you call City
Hall, you will now get a person and that person then will
direct your call.
The outside of the building will receive attention once
we are settled in the building and weather permits, probably sometime in the summer. The new building is beautiful and something of which we can all be proud! Please
come in for a visit. We will be having a Grand Opening
for the new city hall sometime in March or April.
The Board of our handicapped sheltered workshop, DoCo, has made the decision to end recycling on April 15,
2016, at 3:00 P.M. They have a good Board and have
had to make a difficult decision. We all know recycling
is not a profitable venture, as we have yet to find a center
operating in the black. However, it is the proper thing for
them to do, and it has been a really good public relations
item for Ava and Douglas County. The City, County, and
the Chamber’s Economic Development Committee are
working together to research possible solutions, if any, to
keeping a recycling location in Ava.
Jerry Pitts has finished more clearing at the airport, and
the brush has been burned. This should conclude our
land clearing operation for the airport’s runway. We are
also very close to having our automated fuel system in
place at the airport. We are making progress at the airport, and it is slowly improving. If you have not been to
our airport lately, you should drive out and take a look at
the wonderful condition of the facility.
We are still working toward more sidewalk grants and a
grant to help us clean up dilapidated residential properties. If anyone has questions, our door is open to you here
at City Hall. Someone is always here from 8:00PM until
5:00PM. Our phone number is 683-5516, so call any
time.
Sincerely,
David Norman, Mayor
Chamber Member News
J & R Sand and Gravel -Have your driveways,
cattle corrals & kennels turned into muddy,
slushy, rut-filled walkways, driveways and
roads because of all the rain? Don't worry! Call
J & R Sand & Gravel for all your needs. We deliver quality creek rock, pea gravel and sand.
Don't get in a rut! ROCK your way out! Call
417-683-1728 for all your aggregate needs.
KKOZ Radio’s annual Bids-For Bargains has
begun and will continue each Friday and Saturday through May! Tune into 91.2 FM at 9:30AM
each week, right after Trading Post, to bid on
great deals from local businesses, Branson tickets, and more! You won’t want to miss it!
Mark Twain National Forestry Department
April 15, 2016 is the deadline for male and female area youth 15-18 years of age to apply for
Mark Twain National Forest summer jobs
through Youth Conservation Corps. Enrollees
will be paid minimum wage $7.65/hour for a 40hour work week and work from May 31, 2016
through July 23, 2016. Projects will include
building trails, clerical/office support, maintaining and cleaning up campgrounds, and improving wildlife habitat. The program will select for
hire, through a random drawing, 4 enrollees for
the Ava Ranger District. Applications are available at the Ava Ranger Station, Ava High School
counselor’s office, or online at www.fs.fed.us/
recreation/programs/youth-veterans-service/
documents.
Independent Copy Center - Remember Sunday, February 14th is Valentine's Day, and Independent Copy Center has individual cards for
50 or 95 cents or packages of 6 for $1.98. Children's hand-out cards w/envelopes are 32 for
$3.49. Most have scripture. Open on the Ava
Square from 9-3 M-F. Other greeting cards
available.
Ozark Action’s next OSHA 10 Construction
Class will be held February 10th & 11th. Registration and fee must be received no later than
4:30 p.m. on February 5. Call 417-256-6147 ext.
260 for more information or reach us by email at
sroberts@oaiwp.org or jjudd@oaiwp.org.
Page 5
Chamber Member News
The MOCH Wellness Center Classes: Martial
Arts~ Monday and Thursday at 6pm; Silver
Sneakers~ Tuesday & Thursday at 10am;
YogaWell~ Tuesday at 10:15am & Thursday at
9:45am; Zumba~ Monday at 9am & 6pm, Wednesday at 9am, Thursday at 6pm, Friday at 9am;
Weight Watchers~ Thursday at 5pm. Call about
our membership rates, programs, and gym availability. More info at 417-683-5739 ext 7.
Massage & Body Works has some wonderful
Valentine’s Day specials for you! Need something for the special someone in your life? Why
not give a gift certificate for a relaxing massage
or body work! Services include Mud Body-Wrap,
Swedish Massage, Hot Stone Massage, and
many others! Or, book a couples massage! Prices
begin at just $30. Call Linda or Anita at 417-683
-1860, for an appointment or for more details.
Douglas County CHART, together with Community Partnership of the Ozarks, is hosting a
free Youth Mental Health First Aid Training on
Tuesday, February 23rd, from 8AM-4:30PM. The
training will be held in the Ava R-1 board of education room in the Ava High School. Lunch and a
workbook will be provided. This training teaches
how to 1) Assess for risk of suicide or self-harm, 2)
Give reassurance and information, 3) Listen nonjudgmentally and empathetically, 4) Encourage
appropriate professional help and provide recourses, and 5) Encourage self-help and other support
strategies. Space for this free full-day workshop
will fill up quickly. To RSVP, please call 417-5433446 or 417-543-3401, by February 17th.
Pro Design Screen Printing now carries a
variety of promotional items to be customized to
promote and advertise your company, organization, or event. Come into the shop and browse
through the catalog or give Deana a call today!
417-683-2069
Kiwanis is a nationwide organization founded in
1914, making a difference in our local community,
and still going strong today! For more information on joining the Ava Kiwanis Club contact
Donna Dixon at 683-1918. February calendar:
February 4, 11, 18, & 25: Kiwanis Meetings 12:00
February 8: Terrific Kids at Ava Elem. 2:30
February 15 Key Club Meeting in Mr. McDonald's
classroom at Ava HS
February 18 Kiwanis Citizens of the Month March
5: Benefit Volleyball Tournament in Ava at the
MOCH Wellness Center. To register a team call
417-543-0745.
Ava Victory Academy's FCBLA club is presenting "Murder by Indecision"- A Murder Mystery
Dinner Theatre on February 13th, 2016. A delicious dinner and dessert will be served during the
show. Tickets are $25.00 per couple or $15.00 for a
single, can be purchased at the school office or by
calling 417-683-6630.
BMA Bookkeeping Service, LLC, an IRS Registered Tax Return Preparer, will prepare whichever 1040 form is right for you and will do so at a
very reasonable cost. Contact Bonnie at BMA
Bookkeeping, either by email at KeepingUrBooks@outlook.com or by phone 417-6839532, for rates. Also, ask about their referral
program, which may entirely pay for your out-ofpocket cost. Be sure to read
their informative article on
the back page, regarding the
use of proper tax forms.
Dorsey’s Self-Storage
Y Hwy - Ava, MO
417-683-1904
February Chamber Luncheon!
DATE: Febr uar y 9th at 12:00
LOCATION: Ava Lions Club
HOSTS: Secur ity 1 Rever se Mor tgage Solutions
and Vaccaro’s Pizza & Pasta
Upcoming Luncheons
March 8th – Ava Lions Club
April 12th – Ava R-1 Schools
May 10th – Chamber Business Appreciation Luncheon
June 14th – Heart of the Ozarks & Ava Place
Ava Area Chamber of Commerce
810 SW 13th Avenue
P.O. Box 1103
Ava, MO 65608
Using the Right Tax Preparer and Tax Forms Saves Hundreds of Dollars
When you file your tax return for income you earned in 2015,
be sure to use the correct form.

Form 1040EZ: No credits, adjustments, or deductions, except for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC); No dependents; Filing single or married filing jointly; Taxable income
under $100,000; and other items for consideration.

Form 1040A: No itemizing of deductions; Only claim credits
for dependent, elderly, or disabled care expenses, Earned
Income Tax Credit (EITC), education, child tax credit, and retirement savings contribution credit; Only allowable adjustments to income are the IRA deduction, student loan interest deduction, educator expenses deduction, and tuition and
fees deduction; Taxable income under $100,000; and other items for consideration.

Form 1040: Claim any deductions and credits; Itemize deductions; Any adjustments to income; Certain types of
income such as unreported tips; nontaxable distributions; self-employment earnings; or income received as a partner, shareholder in an “S” Corporation, or beneficiary of an estate or trust; Taxable income over $100,000; and
other items for consideration.
In terms of tax breaks, the 1040 form is the most customizable. Because you can itemize deductions, you do not
suffer the same limitations as with the 1040EZ or the 1040A, and you might qualify for much more.
This excerpt is from an article submitted by BMA Bookkeeping Service, LLC, Ava, MO