Newsletter - Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce

April 2013
Newsletter
Chamber Calendar
FRIday | april 12
• Legislative Briefing
4:00 p.m.
Chamber office
Friday | april 19
• Chamber Board of Directors
11:30 a.m.
Chamber office
Saturday | april 20
• German Heritage Festival
9:00 a.m.
Museum - Stuttgart
THURSday | april 25
• SIDC Board of Directors
11:30 a.m.
Chamber office
may 1-4
• Mayfest Carnival
6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
22nd and Main streets
WEDNESDAY | MaY 8
• ASAE Trade Show
11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Little Rock
FRIday | March 10
• Mallard Golf Tournament
11:30 a.m.
Stuttgart Country Club
Contact Us
Chamber of Commerce
507 S. Main | P.O. Box 1500
Stuttgart, AR 72160
(870) 673-1602
Stephen Bell
Executive Vice President
stuttgartchamber@centurytel.net
Bethany Hodges
Director of Programs
programdirector@centurytel.net
Bowling for Business has networking, fun
n A total of 72 members of
the Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce participated in this year’s
Bowling for Business.
The networking event is sponsored by Farmers & Merchants
Bank for members of the Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce to
get to know one another in an
informal and fun setting.
Best t-shirt was awarded to
Ring Container Corp.
The Riceland Foods team
took home the trophy in the
Company team competition.
Winners in the Networking
team competition portion of the
event included Kelli Shroeder
from Riceland Foods, Mary
Kate Currie from All About
You, John West from Lennox
Industries, and Matt Banks
from Ring Container.
Curtis Ahrens of Riceland
Foods was the top bowler for
the evening.
BEST BOWLER — Bethany Hodges of the Stuttgart Chamber
of Commerce congratulates Curtis Ahrens of Riceland Foods as
the top bowler at this year’s Bowling for Business.
Arkansas Duck Calling Classic held in March
n The 6th annual Arkansas
Duck Calling Classic was held
in March in Stuttgart and duck
callers had an opportunity to
qualify for the 78th annual
World’s Championship Duck
Calling Contest.
The event included the Arkansas State Duck Calling Contest,
Mack’s Regional Duck Calling
Contest and the Cache River
Regional Duck Calling Contest.
There was also youth contests
held during the event.
“The Arkansas Duck Calling Classic began as a way to
increase tourism by expanding the duck calling season in
Stuttgart to include an event
in the springtime,” said Marty Simpson, chairman of the
Rules Committee of the World’s
Championship Duck Calling
Contest.
“The event has grown every
year, it helps promote the festival by reminding those involved
in the sport of duck calling
that Stuttgart is truly the Duck
Capital of the World,” Simpson
added.
Photos of the event can be
found on the Facebook page
for the World’s Championship
Duck Calling Contest. The contest in November will see more
callers this year, including at
least two callers from Canada
and one from New Zealand.
“The popularity of duck calling keeps growing,” Simpson
said.
ARKANSAS TROPHY — The
winner of the Arkansas contest
received this trophy.
BOWLING FOR BUSINESS 2013
ALL ABOUT YOU — Members of the All About You team included
Crystal Barnett, Natalie Maier, Mary Kate Currie, Jamie Vogler,
Tanya West, and Marlo Lock.
F&M BANK — Members of the Farmers & Merchants Bank team
included Ann Pond, Alex Maynard, Jennifer Bueker, Tabatha
Rodgers, and Sarah Gray.
RING CONTAINER — Members of the Ring Container team
included Nicolas Young, Larry Duke, Matt Banks, Dan Ashton,
and Todd Starkey.
CAER RITA’S — Members of the Cater Rita’s team at Bowling
for Business included Anthony Broady, Haley Duncan, Kyle
Sides, and Rita Sides.
COMPANY TEAM — Bethany Hodges awards the winning trophy
to members of the Riceland Foods team: Kelli Shroeder, Jim
Smith, Debbi Ahrens, Frank Millerd, and Curtis Ahrens. Riceland
won the company competition this year at Bowling for Business
sponsored by Farmers & Merchants Bank.
NETWORKING TEAM — Members of the winning Networking team included Michele Key from Producers Rice Mill, Kelli
Shroeder from Riceland Foods, Mary Kate Currie from All About
You, John West from Lennox Industries, and Matt Banks from
Ring Container Corp.
MACK’S REGIONAL — Queen Mallard Ashley Hopson with
Champion Jonathan Mortin of Trumann, Arkansas; First Runnerup Tyler Breashears of Lonoke, Arkansas; and Second Runner-up
Ryan Nolan of Muldrow, Oklahoma.
CACHE RIVER REGIONAL — Junior Queen Mallard Maraye
Tudor with Champion Dusty Banner of Grain Valley, Missouri;
First Runner-up Brent Calhoun of Griffithville, Arkansas; and
Jonathan Mortin of Trumann, Arkansas.
JUNIOR WINNERS — Junior Queen Mallard Maraye Tudor
congratulates winners of the Junior Duck Calling Contest (from
left) Winner Ryan Robinson, First Runner-up Logan Moss and
Second Runner-up Jack Bednar.
INTERMEDIATE WINNERS — Junior Queen Mallard Maraye
Tudor congratulates winners of the Intermediate Duck Calling
Contest (from left) Winner Gabe Wece, First Runner-up Dan
Goetz, and Second Runner-up Harrison Ward.
Local Economy
City sales tax revenues
ARKANSAS STATE — Queen Mallard Ashley Hopson with Champion Phil
Green II of Weiner, Arkansas; First Runner-up Brent Calhoun of Griffithville,
Arkansas; Second Runner-up Tyler Breashears of Lonoke, Arkansas; and Third
Runner-up Jonathan Mortin of Trumann, Arkansas. The contest was part of
the Arkansas Duck Calling Classic held in March in Stuttgart.
Current Year
Previous Year
February
449,160
477,339
January
400,206
391,927
December
400,130
381,266
November
343,369
382,987
October
384,861
349,911
September 339,274
395,921
August
352,642
329,044
July
331,136
317,821
June
363,297
346,681
May
358,001
308,547
DUCK CALLING — Stuttgart hosted the Arkansas Duck Calling
Classic in March to offer duck callers a chance to qualify for the
78th annual World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest. The
event included the Arkansas State Duck Calling Contest, Mack’s
Regional Duck Calling Contest, and the Cache River Regional
Duck Calling Contest, as well as youth duck calling contests.
QUEEN MALLARD — Kari Melnychuk, chairman of the Queen
Mallard Pageant, delivered the official portraits of Queen Mallard
and Junior Queen Mallard to the Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce. Pictured are Stephen Bell and Bethany Hodges of the
Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce and Kari Melnychuk.
STUTTGART CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
P.O. Box 1500
Stuttgart, AR 72160