The Hammond Chamber hosted its 2nd Annual Legislative Hobnob and it was a great success.  We invited neighboring chambers and organizations in Tangipahoa parish to participate and gave them a chance to present their priorities to the northshore delegation.  This event is just one of the many ways we try to get everyone in Tangipahoa parish involved and it also gives us a great opportunity to let our northshore delegation know what’s important to us and what we would like them to concentrate their efforts on in the 2010 Legislative Session.  



We all know that these are challenging times and depending upon who you ask – we have a depression/recession in full swing and more state budget cuts are looming on the horizon.  Not in spite of, but rather, because of those factors, there was a need for the Hammond Chamber to continue and enhance its presence in the legislative arena.  We challenged the Government Affairs Committee, chaired by Erin Cowser, to become more engaged and work toward...

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The Hammond Chamber and the Ladies Top 28 Steering Committee was delighted to welcome back an old friend to the Hammond community.  That’s right the Ladies’ Top 28 (Sweet 16) Tournament found its way home and what an exciting reunion it was!  This event brings thousands of visitors to our community and has a tremendous economic impact as well.  So, needless to say, there was a true void in our community when the 2009 tournament was held in a different location.  The Ladies’ Top 28 Steering Committee has worked together for 10 years to bring a quality tournament to the Hammond community and was thrilled to host the tournament again this year.  This committee is comprised of a number of great people throughout the business community, as well as the community itself.  Their dedication and commitment to provide an outstanding sporting event to the coaches, athletes, visitors and our community is amazing. Each year it just gets better and better.   

 

Seven State Championship games...

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         The Hammond Chamber is Thinking Business, Innovation and Growth in 2010 and we have gotten off to a great start this year.  We’ve installed a motivated Chairman and an enthusiastic Board of Directors that will help chart the future of the Hammond Chamber.  Our Committees are already accomplishing great things and we want you to get involved and be a part of the progress. 

            Here’s a brief description of the committees: 



 



Ambassador Committee (Chaired by Liz Reno)- Responsible for recruiting prospective members to the Chamber, assisting with monthly networking activities, new member orientation, ribbon cuttings, supporting member retention efforts and helping with the annual Membership Drive. 

 

 



Building Committee (Chaired by Grady Brame) - Focuses on maintaining the integrity of our historic train depot. 

 

 



Community and Business Expo Committee (Chaired by Cassie Ragan)- Plans and organizes...

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Happy New Year!!! 

The Hammond Chamber formally installed its new officers and Board of Directors at the Annual Installation and Awards Luncheon.  Outgoing board members were recognized for their service, leadership and support; volunteers were recognized for the selfless giving of their time and the chamber launched its 60th Anniversary Celebration.           

We are excited about our new leadership and the enthusiasm that they will bring to the chamber in 2010.  Michelle Gallo, Child Advocacy Services, will take the helm as Chairman of the Board, Chris Moody, Moody & Johnson Attorneys at Law, will serve as Chairman-Elect; Grady Brame, Stirling Properties, will manage the chamber finances as Treasurer and Daryl Ferrara, Vice President Hancock Bank, will serve in an advisory capacity as Ex-Officio.  Our new leadership brings with them a wealth of knowledge and experience that will take the chamber further along the path of progress and we look forward to another successful year. 

Annually,...

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          The Hammond Chamber is pleased to announce our newest board members for the 2010-2011 term.  Board members are made up of local business and community leaders and are elected by our general membership to serve on the board of directors. 

         We are excited about our new leadership as they are dedicated and committed to advancing the goals and objectives of the chamber.  Our newest board members are:  Dawn Panepinto, Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office; Jeffrey C. Cashe, Cashe, Coudrain and Sandage; Dr. Bill Neal, Southeastern Louisiana University; Pastor Dennis R. Hebert, Jr., Beacon Light Baptist Church of Hammond; Avril Font, International Baccalaureate Consultant and James Stewart, Charter Business.  

         We would also like to recognize our returning board members:  Michelle Gallo, Child Advocacy Services; Chris Moody, Moody & Johnson Attorneys at Law; Grady Brame, Stirling Properties; Daryl Ferrara, Hancock Bank; Lemar Marshall, North Oaks OB-GYN; Ron Taylor, RAM Computer...

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         It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas…at least for the Hammond Chamber of Commerce who has begun planning the 51st annual Christmas parade, which is set to roll on December 5, 2009 at 5:00pm. Sponsored by long-time downtown restaurant, Rotolo’s Pizzeria, the parade marks the beginning of the Christmas season for many in the community.

          The Hammond Chamber of Commerce is proud to bring the Christmas parade to the Hammond community. Not only is it a fun, family-oriented event, but a way to honor our merchants and vendors at the beginning of the holiday season.

          Mitch Rotolo, owner of the Italian restaurant chain, has chosen the theme “All I want for Christmas is…” for this year’s parade. Knowing this theme could lend itself to a wide array of float ideas, Rotolo is encouraging all participants to have fun and be creative. As the sponsor of this year’s parade, he also hints that there will be some fun things in store for all of the attendees.

          As this...

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Volunteers deliver CHOICES workshops to 8th graders parish-wide 



 

            Every school day 7,000 students become dropouts nationwide. The Hammond Chamber of Commerce, along with 13 other local businesses and organizations, wants to help with this crisis within its own community. With the help of eager volunteers, the chamber and its sponsors deliver CHOICES, an interactive decision-making workshop that empowers teens to achieve academic success in pursuit of their career and life aspirations, to local 8th graders through volunteer presenters from the business community.

WHAT: In two hour-long sessions, business and community volunteers take students through real-world exercises on academic self-discipline, time and money management and goal setting.

WHERE: Every junior high school in Tangipahoa Parish

WHO: The Hammond Chamber of Commerce, Hammond Rotary, Ponchatoula Rotary, Emery & James, JC Penney, Leaders Impacting Tomorrow’s Tangipahoa,...

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 We all know the old adage: sometimes the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing.

Well, unfortunately, something akin to that happened with some of the content of this column in August.

          At that time we reported that this year's edition of the Sunny Days race to benefit an ailing youngster in our area would be staged on  October 24th to coincide with the Fall Foliage sales promotion by our many wonderful businesses in Old Mandeville.

             It's not everyday that the Hammond Chamber of Commerce invites its members to "Talk Trash" over lunch, but with Sidney Torres confirmed as the keynote speaker for the Hammond Chamber Community and Business EXPO luncheon, that's exactly what we’re doing. The luncheon, which will kick off EXPO day, will be held on September 17, from 11:30am - 1:00pm at the Southeastern Louisiana University Center.

            A long-time entrepreneur, Torres began honing his skills in the business world at the young age of 20 by renovating shotgun houses in New Orleans. With an eye for recognizing opportunity in the direst situation, Torres consistently and continuously reinvents his businesses to meet the challenges of the ever-changing economy.               Now, as owner of SDT Waste and Debris Services, LLC, Torres has 180+ employees, 75 trucks, and municipal contracts with the City of New Orleans, St. Bernard Parish, Tangipahoa Parish and The Village of Folsom. The company is also the largest waste services...

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             For this fall season, the Hammond Chamber of Commerce presents a kick off with Battle of the Bands!   September is right around the corner and Music in the Park will be here before you know it and with it comes our concert series starting on Sunday, September 27th from 3-6pm at beautiful Cate Square Park in historic downtown Hammond. Our concert series will feature local bands with different genres of music.

             The first concert will feature the “Battle of the Bands” with 3 bands competing for the title of “Best Band in Hammond.” The competitors are local musicians and serve many different types of music. Space Trumpet is a 7 piece horn band featuring “celtic rock”. That should be a crowd pleaser! Gamma Ringo has a 60’s influence on pop rock and promises to speak to a different crowd. John Wayne creates a folk rock sound like no other. Take this opportunity to come out and listen to 3 very diverse bands and enjoy a fun, family atmosphere. Plus, you get to scream and clap for your favorite band and get rid of all that work stress. You can bet the bands will be working the crowd and bringing fans to “Rock the Vote.” The winner will play at Music in the Park on Sunday, October 25th and receive publicity for winning. We look forward to this being a serious “Battle” and hope the public will come out to this free event and support our local musicians.

...

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The Hammond Chamber of Commerce has challenged its Governmental Affairs Committee to become engaged and work towards the greater education and advocacy on behalf of members. In order to accomplish this mission, the group felt it necessary to poll our membership and determine a short list of priorities, which translated into the Hammond Chamber’s legislative focus for 2009. Our list includes: