2015 Summer Newsletter - Meridian Chamber of Commerce

Don’t miss our
Fundraising Dinner &
Live and Silent Auction
...see page 3
2015 Chamber Board
Officers:
President: Miriam Wallace,
Wallace Sight & Sound
Vice President: Jason Hurley,
Mustang Dental
Treasurer: Mandi Hardin,
First Security State Bank
Secretary: Juanita Miller,
Miller Septic & Port-a-Pots
Directors:
Bob Boykin
Associate Member
Linda Calhoun,
Main Street Antiques
Stefanie Cobb,
Cobb Ranch Properties
Madelyn Rieke,
RARE Motorsports
Matt Wallace,
Wallace Sight & Sound
Kay Duke – Ex-Officio,
Meridian Chamber of Commerce
rst
CHAMBER on the MOVE:
NEW MEMBERS: 16
CHAMBER INQUIRIES
(in the past 90 days):
OFFICE VISITORS: 174
MEMBER REFERRALS: 77
RELOCATION PACKET: 3
TOURISM PACKET: 1
Bosque County Seat
Meridian
Chamber of
Commerce
E s t . 18 5 4
News
Fall 2015
“Loving Life in Bosque County” Photo Contest
Sponsored by The Meridian Chamber of Commerce
The Chamber of Commerce’s
Best of Show” that best represents
September monthly meeting changes
commerce and the city of Meridian. Bosque Living Magazine will be
venues, dates and times to highlight
the annual photo contest. The dinner providing a $75 cash prize for the
Best of Show entry. Finally, attendees
event will be held on September 15,
will be allowed to vote on all photos
2015, at “the old library” (Senior
to determine People’s Choice Award.
Citizen Building) at 5:30pm; dinner starting at 6pm. RSVP with the
Prizes will be bestowed at the event
chamber office so that we can ensure as winners are determined.
that enough loaded baked potatoes
Photos are submitted digitally
are prepared for all
by email before midnight September 7,
attendees. 2015, to 2015photo@
The six photo
meridian-chamber.com.
contest categories
Contestants are limited
will be People in
to no more than three
Action, Landscapes, Anipictures per category.
mals, Buildings,
With each submission
2014 Best of Show Winner by Heather Bochhofer
Civic & Comthe photo should be
merce, and Misc/Other. For each
accompanied with the name of the
of these categories, there will be an
photographer, age category (adult
adult class and a youth class for
or youth), the category of the photo,
those under 18 years of age.
and a short description of what
An anonymous panel of qualified
and where the photo was taken. All
judges will pick the top three entries
photos should be taken in Bosque
per category and those finalists will
County. receive a high-quality print of their
Complete official rules are available online at www.meridian-chamsubmission. Those same prints will
ber.com.
be displayed at the dinner so that
For the dinner, please RSVP by
those attending will be able to influence who wins each category. The
Friday, September 11, via email
Chamber of Commerce Board of Di- meridian-chamber@sbcglobal.net or
rectors will also help pick the “2015
calling (254) 435-2966.
Our Mission Statement
The mission of the Meridian Chamber of Commerce is to promote expansion and
growth of our businesses through commerce and tourism and to partner with other local
organizations to promote civic programs designed to increase civic pride in our community
to make Meridian a great place to live, work and play.
Did You Get an IRS Notice? Here’s What to Do
Each year the IRS mails millions
of notices and letters to taxpayers.
If you receive a notice from the IRS,
here is what you should do:
• Don’t Ignore It. You can respond
to most IRS notices quickly and
easily. It is important that you
reply right away. • Focus on the Issue. IRS notices
usually deal with a specific issue
about your tax return or tax account. Understanding the reason
for your notice is important
before you can comply.
• Follow Instructions. Read the notice carefully. It will tell you if
you need to take any action
to resolve the matter.
You should follow the
instructions.
• Correction Notice. If it says that the
IRS corrected your tax
return, you should review
the information provided and
compare it to your tax return.
If you agree, you don’t need to
reply unless a payment is due.
If you don’t agree, it’s important
that you respond to the IRS. Write
a letter that explains why you don’t
agree. Make sure to include information and any documents you
want the IRS to consider. Include
the bottom tear-off portion of the
notice with your letter. Mail your
reply to the IRS at the address
shown in the lower left part of the
notice. Allow at least 30 days for a
response from the IRS.
• Premium Tax Credit. The IRS
may send you a letter asking you to
clarify or verify your premium tax
credit information. The letter may
ask for a copy of your Form 1095A, Health Insurance Marketplace
Statement. You should follow the
instructions on the letter that you
2
receive. This will help the IRS verify
information and issue the appropriate refund.
• No Need to Visit IRS. You can
handle most notices without calling
or visiting the IRS. If you do have
questions, call the phone number in
the upper right corner of the notice.
You should have a copy of your
tax return and the notice with you
when you call.
• Keep the Notice. Keep a copy of
the notice you get from the IRS
with your tax records.
• Watch Out for Scams. Don’t
fall for phone and phishing
email scams that use the IRS
as a lure. The IRS first
contacts people about
unpaid taxes by mail
– not by phone. The
IRS does not initiate
contact with taxpayers by
email, text or social media.
• The Right to Retain Representation. The Taxpayer Bill of
Rights, or TBOR, takes many
of your rights in our tax laws
and groups them into 10 broad
categories. For instance, you have
the right to retain an authorized
representative to represent you in
your dealings with the IRS. You
also have the right to seek assistance from a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic if you can’t afford
representation. For more, visit
IRS.gov and type TBOR in the
search box.
Additional IRS Resources:
• Tax Topic 651 – Notices – What
to Do
• Tax Topic 653 – IRS Notices
and Bills, Penalties and Interest
Charges
• Understanding Your CP2000
Notice
Welding Classes Return
to Meridian
Hill College is offering welding classes this fall at its Meridian
Center through its Community
and Workforce Education Department. Both are evening classes and
will be taught at the Hill College
Meridian Center.
Basic Welding will be taught
Tuesdays and Thursdays, Sept.
8-Oct. 1, from 6 to 9 p.m. This
course is an introduction to oxy –
fuel cutting and shielded metal arc
(stick) welding, two processes that
have practical use in many areas.
Anyone interested in learning to
weld is encouraged to take this
course to learn basic practices and
procedures. The cost is $168.
Intermediate Welding will be
taught Tuesdays and Thursdays,
Oct. 13-Nov. 5. Using oxyfuel cutting, plasma cutting, and
shielded metal arc (stick) welding
practices and procedures, students
will develop their skills in the
welding process and the selection
of materials and equipment. Welding theory will also be included.
Basic Welding is recommended but
not required. The cost is $168.
“We are offering the classes
due to interest from various community groups,” said Career and
Technical Education Dean Dr.
Floretta Bush. “We hope that we
will be able to grow the program
for the Bosque County area.”
Since the classes are non-credit,
there is no need to apply for college
admission. To register, call 817760-5820. For more information
about the courses, email Brian Bennett at bbennett@hillcollege.edu.
The Hill College Meridian
Center is located across from the
Meridian ISD offices at 301 N.
2nd St.
New Business Ribbon Cuttings, Friday, July 31st
Please stop by and welcome these new
businesses to Meridian!
Reclaimed Woodworks
113 N. Main, Meridian; Owner, Josh Leatherwood
Big Daddy’s Back Porch Pickins’
A huge Thank You to these
Chamber Members who donated door prizes for the monthly
membership meetings and luncheons, May through August:
BARK, Big Daddy’s Back
Porch Pickins, Bosque River
Retreat, Briley Auto Supply,
Brookshire Brothers, City of
Meridian, Cobb Properties,
Richard & Jane Creech, Cut-NUp, First Security State Bank,
Rick & Jan Goon, Paul &
Pam Hardcastle, Meridian Ace
Hardware, Meridian Frozen
Food Locker, Debbie Mize,
Independent Consultant, Reclaimed Woodworks, The Rivers Bend Doggie Drop-Inn and
United Cooperative Services.
Thank you for all that you
do to support and represent the
chamber and this wonderful
community in which we live.
Great Ways to Get
Involved...
Monthly Chamber
Membership Meeting:
7930 SH 22, Meridian; Owner, Marcus Moore
The Meridian Chamber of Commerce
Fundraising Dinner & Live and Silent Auction
On the evening of Friday, October 23rd, at the Meridian Civic Center,
Atmos Energy will again sponsor the Meridian Chamber of Commerce Fall
Fundraising Dinner just before the National Championship Barbecue Cookoff Live & Silent Auction. Dinner begins at 6pm; the live auction begins
at 7:30pm. Reservations for dinner must be made by Friday, October 16th.
On Saturday, October 24th, the 28th Annual National Championship
Barbecue Cookoff takes place at Bosque Bottoms. Barbecue-lovers from
all over arrive to taste barbecue cooked by the very best; the People’s
Choice contest provides everyone that opportunity.
Don’t miss the Saturday night concert at the pavilion at 7pm! The
Gordon Collier Band is the opening act with The Texas Jamm Band the
headliner.
For dinner tickets or more information call Kay Duke or Teresa McMahon at (254) 435-6113.
Second Thursday of each month:
Informative Speakers, Good
Community Fellowship, Great
Meal. Call (254) 435-2966 for
reservations.
Committees:
Join One of Our
Committees in 2015 &
Help Make a Difference!
By becoming active and involved,
you help determine the direction the
Chamber takes on issues that are
important to the businesses and the
community.
3
Thank You to these Members for their Special Investment
in the future success of the Meridian Chamber of Commerce:
2015 Platinum Member:
Gold Members:
Cobb Ranch Properties Meridian EDC
Meridian Tribune Rick’s Plumbing
Business Partner Members:
Best Western Velkommen Brookshire Brothers City of Meridian
Double B Foods First Security State Bank
Texas-New Mexico Power United Cooperative Services
Silver Associate Members:
Rick & Jan Goon
Bronze Associate Members:
Don & Mary Beth McMahon
BUY LOCAL
“More than you bargain for!”
Did you know that your
paycheck is
vital to the
economy of
our community? It’s
true!
Think
about it. Dollars that you spend locally on
groceries, utilities, clothes, toys,
dining, etc. help pay those employee paychecks, too! Like they
say, “What goes around; comes
around!”
On behalf of all our members,
the Meridian Chamber of Commerce would like to thank you
for the dollars you spend in our
community—it benefits us ALL!
2015 Scheduled Events:
Spotlight your business
by sponsoring one of the 2015
Membership meetings.
$50 includes:
• Advertising in the next
newsletter
• Lunch for 2
• A five minute
commercial
• Promotional materials
placed on each table
Call or email to reserve a
month… 6 meetings are still
available.
(254) 435-2966
2nd Thursday: Membership Meeting & Luncheon;
12–1pm Meridian Civic Center
September 15: Chamber’s Annual “Loving Life in
Bosque County” Photo Contest & Stuffed Baked Potato
Dinner 5:30pm @ Old Library Bldg. on Main St.
October 10: Lords Harvest @ First United Methodist
Church
October 23: Chamber Dinner @ Meridian Civic Center
6pm; NCBC Live and Silent Auction begins @ 7pm
October 24: National Championship Barbecue Cookoff @ Bosque
Bottoms
October 27: Meridian Library Chili Supper @ Senior Center, 5:30pm
December 5: Christmas on the Bosque
Please mark your calendars & plan to
attend these events.
For more information call the Chamber office at
254-435-2966
meridian-chamber@sbcglobal.net
The Meridian Chamber Newsletter design and layout courtesy of Kimberley Smith of Bosque Living Magazine.
4
2015 Meridian Chamber of Commerce Members
New Members
95.3 KOME
BARK Animal Rescue
B & B Band
Big Daddy’s Back Porch Pickins
Big Rock Winery
Bosque County Events Center
Debbie Mize-Independent Beauty
Consultant
Flint Creek Country Estate
Hardin Estate Sales
Highlander Spirits
Hill College
Kimuyu,LLC – Total Life Changes
Lee Carol Properties
Meridian Church of Christ
Ranch Advisors, The
Reclaimed Woodwork
Richey Company, The
Rick’s Plumbing Service
Teri Staats
Texas Representative DeWayne
Burns
Tres Hermanos
Treasure Chest Resale Store
Uncle Gus Lodge & Marina
Renewed Members
5 - Five
A Plus Loan Service
Abuelita’s Mexican Restaurant
American Inn
ATMOS Energy
Avirett Agency
Best Western-Velkommen
Bi-County Electric
Bosque Cen-Tex Title
Bosque County Cowboy Church
Bosque County Properties
Bosque County Veterinary Clinic
Bosque Insurance
Bosque Living Magazine
Bosque Pest & Termite
Bosque Resort Restaurant & Bar
Bosque River Retreat
Bosque Valley Golf Course
Bowman Tire & Wheel
Briley Auto Supply
Brookshire Brothers
Cactus Grill
Carlisle Real Estate
Carter BloodCare
CASA/Cross Timbers Area
Cedar Country
Center Pointe Barber Shop
China House
Citizens State Bank
City of Meridian
Cobb Properties
Commercial Printing
Cooler Center
Cut-N-Up
Divine Living Assistance Services
Double B Foods
DW Blues Band
Edward Jones
Edwin S. Nichols Exploration
Faith Lutheran Church
First Baptist Church
First Community Bank
First National Bank of Bosque
County
First Security State Bank
First United Methodist Church
First United Pentecostal Church
Garden of Edens, The
Goodall-Witcher Hospital
H & R Block
Hyde Farms
Jackie’s Antiques
Koehler Law Firm
Lake Whitney Chamber of
Commerce
Lawson Funeral Home
Lutheran Sunset Ministries
Main Street Antiques & Interiors
Meridian Ace Hardware
Meridian Car Wash
Meridian EDC
Meridian Frozen Food Locker
Meridian ISD
Meridian Lion’s Club
Meridian Public Library
Meridian State Park
Meridian Tribune
Michael Group Real Estate, The
Middle Trinity Groudwater Conservation
Miller Septic & Port-a-Pots
Mr. Ed’s Country Feed Store
Murphey, Jane S. PC
Mustang Dental Care
Myers Cedar Yard
National Championship Barbecue
Cookoff
Patton Land Company
Radde Christmas Tree Farm
RARE Motorsports
Red Caboose Winery
Rivers Bend Doggie Drop Inn, The
Rountree Appliance
Rowland Realty
Rusty Armadillo RV Park
Screen Door Inn
Smith & Bratcher, P.C.
Texas-New Mexico Power
Triple J Ranch
United Cooperative Services
Wallace Sight & Sound, Inc.
Yellow Book USA
Your Community Phone Book
New Associate Members
Jack & Tammy Cameron
Paul & Pam Hardcastle
Don & Jackye Hatley
Joyce Jones
Renewed Associate Members
Bob & Paula Boykin
Peggy Brantley
Richard & Jane Creech
David & Kay Duke
Rick & Jan Goon
Gene & Aline Harville
Mary Jones
Sue B. Kerley
Don & Mary Beth McMahon
Mark & Teresa McMahon
Ray & Ernestene Miller
5
Cryptowall: The malware stealing millions from businesses
Imagine having your computer files held for ransom. Sounds
strange, right? This was the reality
for one Austin business.
The Davis Group, a media planning company, received an email
that carried a contaminated attachment. After clicking the attachment, all the files on their network
would not open. A message that
popped up on the
screen said the only
way to gain access
to them was to pay
$500 in the next 98
hours.
“All of your files
were protected by
a strong encryption
with RSA-2048 using CryptoWall
3.0,” the message said.
According to the FBI, Cryptowall, a form of ransomware, is the
most current and significant threat
targeting U.S. individuals and businesses. Since 2014, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received 992 CryptoWall-related
complaints. Businesses lost over
$18 million.
The malware infects your
To Meridian Chamber
BOD and members,
We just heard back from
the Texas Health Resource
Foundation (Cleburne Hospital)
Black & White Gala auction,
held August 15th in Ft.
Worth. Our vacation package at
the Bosque River Retreat brought
in $1,900 for a package valued at
$1,000!
Many thanks to Texas
Representative Dwayne Burns
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computer when the user clicks on
an infected link, opens an infected
email, downloads an infected
file or visits an infected website.
Cryptowall then encrypts your files
so that you can’t read them. It will
then demand a ransom payout,
usually by bitcoin, which can range
from $200 to $10,000.
The message the Davis Group
received warned
them that no
other solution was
possible beside
payment. “If you
really value your
data, then we
suggest you do
not waste valuable
time searching for other solutions
because they do not exist,” the
message said.
The Davis Group decided not to
pay and found a solution to save
their files. The company backed up
all of their information. It is that
practice the company’s IT manager
said resulted in the business losing
only one percent of their files.
The bad news is the virus will
cause you to dump your hard drive
for donating this item through
a $500 winning bid acquired at
the Meridian Chamber Spring
Banquet Auction, and Teresa
McMahon and Kimberley Smith
for their help with this !!!
We are not only thrilled
about what this donation will
provide the hospital, but also our
community.
Although not located in
Bosque County, Cleburne
Hospital certainly benefits
our northern Bosque County
Residents. and start over. In addition, you
may have to use pricey services
like network mitigation, network
countermeasures, loss of productivity, legal fees and IT services.
To keep your files and information for your business safe,
your Better Business Bureau serving Central, Coastal, Southwest
Texas and the Permian Basin offers
these tips:
• Back up all important information. Although you’ll have to
start from scratch with your
computer, ensuring critical
data is backed up and stored is
the key.
• Keep firewalls and antivirus
software updated. Having these
programs on your computer is
important to keep out any possible virus that can steal valuable
information.
• Enable pop-up blockers. Pop-ups
can be used to infect your computer if they are clicked on.
• Be cautious. Never click on a
link or attachment that you don’t
recognize. If you see an email
that looks suspicious, delete it.
And when our guests visit
our retreat, they will visit other
businesses in our area. If anyone
would like to provide us with
coupon specials for your business
to display at our retreat, please
contact Sally Griffiths at 264-9656080.
Cheers!
Donne & Sally Griffiths
Bosque River Retreat, LLC
Meridian, TX