Upcoming Chamber Events:

February 2- February Power Hour Sponsored by Embarq Yellow Pages, Noon, Central Texas Workforce Center. FULL

February 7- Fort Hood Region Government Vendor Conference & Exposition, 8 - 4 p.m., Killeen Civic & Conference Center.

February 8- Pita-De-Jour Ribbon Cutting, 10:00 a.m., 904 N. Gray St.

February 15- Monthly Third Thursday Mixer, Annual Mardi Gras Celebration, Texas Partner's Federal Credit Union, 5:30 p.m., 1011 Wales Dr., Killeen.

February 16 - Prudential Synergy Real Estate ribbon cutting, 3000 E. Central Texas Expressway, Killeen.

February 28- Hood Howdy, Fort Hood Catering & Conference Center.

The new Microsoft Vista operating system came out on January 30. Does your business plan to convert to this new operating system any time in the next six months?

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE POLL!

Watch the next edition of GKCC Hot Links! on February 14 for the results of this poll.

RESULTS OF THE JANUARY 19 POLL:

Of the choices listed, what is the single most important improvement that could be made to downtown Killeen, in your opinion, to help revitalize the area?

Of the choices listed, respondents to this poll offered the following opinions:

Dining &Entertainment - 71.5%

More Retail - 28.5%

Governmental Centers - 0%

More Residential - 0%

Thanks for taking last newsletter's poll!

Fort Hood Region Government Vendor Conference & Expo Set For Next Week

The Central Texas Business Resource Center (The BRC), a collaboration of the Central Texas Workforce System, Central Texas College and the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce, will conduct the first Fort Hood Region Government Vendor Conference & Expo, February 7, 2007 at the Killeen Civic & Conference Center. This conference will feature a vendor exposition, opportunities for small business owners to learn about accessing multi-million dollar government and private sector markets in potential subcontracting opportunities in 2007, as well as provide the opportunity to network one-on-one with procurement representatives from government and private sector prime contractors.

In addition to the conference sessions, there will be a match-making opportunity for small businesses and government contract companies and agencies at the "Business Drill" event. Various times throughout the day: A guest speaker or a prime contractor business will have 20 minutes to explain what they do, tell details about their small business program, and describe the services/products they purchase. Then attendees will "drill" the speaker and ask questions about things they want to know more about.

Sponsors of this event include: Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation (Four Star Sponsor), City of Killeen (Two Star Sponsor), Management and Training Consultants, Inc. & Time Warner Cable Business Class (One Star Sponsors).

Click here for a revised and final schedule of conference sessions that will be presented.  Registration is $100.00 per person and the conference is from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Persons interested in attending can download a form online at www.centexgovexpo.org or contact the Central Texas Business Resource Center at (254) 200-2001.

"Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!" Good Times Get Ready To Roll With Annual Texas Partner's Mardi Gras Mixer

It's become a highlight of the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce calendar, and the annual Mardi Gras Third Thursday Mixer, sponsored by Texas Partner's Federal Credit Union, is certain to be no exception.

This year's mixer will be held beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 15 at Texas Partners' Killeen branch, located at 1011 Wales, just off of Willow Springs Road. Featuring great Mardi Gras fun, outstanding Cajun and traditional Mardi Gras foods and, of course, the famous "Hurricanes," this mixer is one you won't want to miss.

And just to make everything a little more interesting, the Killeen Green Jackpot, in which every chamber member is entered, but where you must be present to win, is up to a cool $300 in Mardi Gras fun cash this month.

Leadership Killeen January Session Becomes Victim of Winter Weather

Question: Ever wonder what it takes to keep 28 class members from a day of learning? Answer: Two snowflakes and an icicle. Weather was the cause for the cancellation of January’s Leadership Killeen Education Day which had been scheduled for January 17 and had to be cancelled due to a blast of winter weather that hit the area the day before. Michele Carter, Central Texas College, was to be the curriculum coordinator for the day. The day will be rescheduled if possible.

The class will meet again on February 21 for Business and Economic Development Day. Grant Smith of David Barr Properties is the curriculum coordinator for the day. 

Leadership Killeen is a program providing emerging community leaders with the unique opportunity to become immersed in all aspects of our community. For information about the program contact Michele Mallonee, Events Coordinator at mmallonee@gkcc.com .

The AUSA Adopt-A-Unit program works to strengthen relationships between the military and civilian communities by pairing military units with civilian partners. This program offers the opportunity to create strong community ties with Fort Hood units and their families. 

For information on the program and how you can sign up to be a sponsor visit the AUSA website at: http://www.forthoodausa.org/adopt_a_unit.shtml

Additionally, if you or your business is already involved in this program, we want to hear about it! Contact Michele Mallonee, Events Coordinator at mmallonee@gkcc.com to share with us your Adopt-A-Unit stories.

Hood Howdy is just around the corner! This event is scheduled for February 28, 2007 at the Fort Hood Catering and Conference Center on Fort Hood. Your chamber membership allows you to take advantage of this marketing opportunity by providing items to be distributed to 500 Fort Hood families at this event. Items to be distributed should be delivered to the chamber office not later than February 16, 2007. For additional information contact Michele Mallonee, Events Coordinator, at 526-9551 or mmallonee@gkcc.com. If you would like information on booth rental at this event for your business, contact MWR Marketing & Advertising at 287-0337.

Latest TxDOT Newsletter Highlights Emergency Plans, Annual Summary

The Keep Texas Moving e-Newsletter provides the latest news about transportation infrastructure delivery in Texas. The newsletter also highlights steps we are taking to achieve the following goals. For the latest Keep Texas Moving e-Newsletter from the Texas Department of Transportation, click here.

According to the Federal Reserve Board's Beige Book, the high levels of economic activity in Texas, northern Louisiana and southern New Mexico continued to slow between mid-November and early January. Construction and real estate activity was "quite strong" but also continued slowing, the Dallas Fed said. Consumer lending moderated, while commercial lending remained strong but was expected to slow. "Activity in the energy sector remained at high levels, but growth was slowing. Manufacturing activity softened. While still strong, service sector activity slowed some. Retail sales growth was weaker than expected, but contacts said growth improved in late December and early January," the report said. Most of the Federal Reserve's 11 other district banks reported a moderate pace of growth and inflation, with labor markets tightening. The report backs the Federal Open Market Committee's view that inflation pressures are likely to ease gradually over time, with the economy picking up this year.

Committee Assignments for 80th Legislature Released

by John Crutchfield, President, Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce

Few things are more important to a member of the Texas Legislature than committee assignments. Committees are where the work of the legislature is accomplished. It is there that most bills are passed or killed. There are one hundred and fifty-one members in the House of Representatives, who are eligible to be assigned to any of forty-two committees. There are thirty-one members of the Senate, who are eligible to be assigned to any of twenty committees.

For more, as well as a list of Committee Assignments for the 80th Legislature, please follow this link.

The Governor’s Task Force to reform Texas’ property appraisal system report was released last week. Among other things, the report recommends:

---Voter approval for any local taxing entity (excluding schools) to charge or collect revenues from ad valorem taxes in excess of the approved prior year’s budgeted tax revenue plus 5%.

---Change the constitution to lower the residential appraisal cap on city and county taxes from 10% to 5%, double the local property tax homestead exemption to $6,000 and allow local governments the option of conducting an election to enact a half-cent countywide sales tax constitutionally dedicated to property tax reduction. The appraisal cap could be lowered to five percent only in counties that vote of a half-cent countywide sales tax increase.

---Change the constitution to allow taxpayers the option of calculating their property taxes using a 5-year rolling average of the property’s appraised value including a penalty for terminating use of the average.

---Confidential disclosure within 90 to 180 days after the sale of “what they (property owner) deem to be market value”. Rendition of the actual sales price would be required if the property owner fails to comply.

---Change the make up of the Appraisal District Board from entirely taxing unit appointees to: two appointed by taxing units, two appointed by a district judge, and the county assessor-collector.
It remains to be seen how much of the report will make its way into law. 

Click here for a copy of the report.

"You know in movies when one of the President’s Cabinet Secretaries watches the State of the Union Address from a secret underground bunker? If a catastrophe strikes, that individual will run the government during the transition. Well, the Congress also selects one Republican and one Democrat to wait out the speech so that someone is around to build a new government should the unthinkable happen?" For more, please click here.

Wild West Charity Night, sponsored by the Fort Hood Officers’ Wives Club will be Friday, February 9th, 6:30 PM to Midnight at the Killeen Civic and Conference Center.  Tickets are $20 per person and are available for purchase at the chamber office, cash or check payable to the Officers’ Wives Club is appreciated.  Special events include: games, live auction, can-can girls, live band, Texas Hold’em Poker tournament and much, much more!  Due to the nature of the event you must be 21 or older to attend.  For more information contact the OWC hotline at 286-0957.

Join the "Great Gaddy" for the Central Texas ADDY Awards!

This year's ADDY festivities begin at 6pm on Saturday, February 10, with a social hour and a fabulous pasta bar will start serving at 7 p.m.

The "Great Gaddy's swanky juice joint" is secretly located at the Killeen Civic and Conference Center Special Events room. Don't forget the password for admittance.

The cost for this year's ADDY Awards banquet is $45 a person. Flapper dress, zoot suit or gangster attire is encouraged but not required! 

Please RSVP by Friday, February 2 by calling Mary Ann Nickolai at (254) 200-3713 or e-mailing her at  mnickolai@texaspartnersfcu.org.

Online registration is now open for the 17th Annual Outlook for Texas Land Markets conference. To register, visit http://recenter.tamu.edu/register/.

The conference, which will be held April 11-13 at the Hyatt Regency on the Riverwalk in San Antonio, will provide information on a variety of legal, economic, social and natural resource issues influencing current land market dynamics. For more information about the conference, including a downloadable brochure, go to http://recenter.tamu.edu/events/.

The CENTRAL TEXAS BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER (the BRC) provides high-quality business counseling, training, and assistance to potential and existing small business owners. The Central Texas Workforce System, the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce, and Central Texas College support this non-membership, not for profit organization.  Each month the BRC offers or sponsors workshops and special events for the small business community. 

February BRC Workshops            Special Government Procurement Seminar

Bunny Doss and the staff of Action Fire Pros is proud of their 13 years of fire protection experience, and is excited about expanding their service into the Killeen area.

"We're a complete fire protection company," Doss explained to the GKCC Ambassadors during her ribbon cutting at the chamber on January 23. The family owned company has been active in the Waco and Waxahachie areas for many years, but the growing Killeen area provided an excellent opportunity for expansion, she said.

The company provides 24-hour emergency service as well as regularly scheduled maintenance and inspection service of both fire alarm and commercial fire suppression systems of all types. They also offer a complete line of fire prevention and suppression equipment.

You can contact Action Fire Pros at 254-366-0702 or visit their internet site here.

"Have you dined at Pignetti's yet?" seems to be one of the more common questions heard around Killeen these days.

The up-scale, fine-dining Italian restaurant, located near the southwest corner of Killeen Mall, officially held a ribbon cutting with the Killeen and Harker Heights Ambassadors on January 24. Owner Clinton Harwell and his staff of professional servers and chefs gathered around the entrance to the impressive "wine room" dining area with the Ambassadors to celebrate the occasion.

Serving a variety of expertly prepared Italian dishes and featuring an impressive and extensive wine selections as well as tempting traditional Italian desserts, Pignetti's is complimented nicely by the Duckhorn Tavern, located just next door.

For additional information, visit Pignetti's or contact them at 254-519-2009.

The annual Ambassador's Christmas Party on January 27 was also the perfect venue to officially cut the red ribbon to celebrate the opening of Let Us Do The Cooking, a new Killeen-area caterer and food provider.

Let Us Do The Cooking owner, Meredith Viguers, explained to the Ambassadors that not only does she cater for small and medium-sized events, she also provides home-made dinners for a family of four, including all the trimmings, for far less than a average family would spend for the ingredients alone. She provides a different menu four days a week, and a busy working person can call and reserve dinner, then pick it up on their way home from work late in the afternoon.

Let Us Do The Cooking is located at 2425 Catawba in Harker Heights, and their phone number for additional information is 254-466-9121.

How do you plan a Christmas party for more than thirty of the busiest people in the Killeen area? Where do you find a venue, where do you find a caterer and where do you find entertainment at that time of year?

Simple. You just wait until the last weekend in January and pretend the socks are still hung by the chimney with care.

That's the approach the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors take each year, and it certainly works for them. This year's holiday party was held on January 27, starting out at the home of former GKCC Chairman of the Board Mike and Jani Case, then moving to the Killeen Civic & Conference Center for additional activities.

This year, those activities included a catered dinner, a Chinese gift exchange and some really inspiring Karaoke on the part of the individual Ambassadors.

Above: Ambassador Emeritus Mike Case visits with Ambassador Myrna Banzon, Clearwire, and Angela Stroud, wife of Ambassador Tim Stroud, Killeen.Com.

January 19, 2007

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