WEEKEND Washington County News
Saturday, NOVEMBER 23, 2013
CHIPLEYPAPER.COM
IN BRIEF Free Thanksgiving Dinner held VERNON — The city
of Vernon will hold its fifth annual Free Thanksgiving Dinner from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 28, at the Vernon Community Center. Sponsored by Smok’n’Butts BBQ, associated businesses and friends, the free dinner is open to the public. The Golden Rose Band will be performing live in concert during the event. For more information or to make donations, call Smok’n’Butts BBQ at 388-6315, Lonnie Andrews at 815-2977 or Gene Jump at 892-8388.
TDC considers flexibility in grants Sweeney resigns from council By RANDAL SEYLER
638-0212 | @WCN_HCT rseyler@chipleypaper.com CHIPLEY — A Wausau-based Pit Bull Terrier dog show brings hundreds of visitors from out of state, and the Washington County Tourist Development Council wants to help keep that tradition going strong. Sheree Folmar had withdrawn
her application for a grant from the TDC after attending the council’s recent Event Planner Workshop due to the council’s new policy of providing local radio advertising instead of advertising funding. “She brings in people from all over the country, and her best advertising is the national trade magazine,� said Heather Lopez, executive director of the TDC, during Monday’s meeting at the Washington County Chamber of Commerce building in Chipley. “If she advertises locally, there may be some local people who come by to see the dogs,
but her main audience comes from out of state.� Folmar said the local radio would not be very useful for her event so she withdrew her application. Lopez said last year the American Dog Breeders Association dog show Folmar hosts is called the Sunshine State American Pit Bull Terrier Club (APBTC) and the event drew enough people to fill up motels in Chipley. “The only reason all the motels were not full was that some of them have a ‘no pets’ policy, so people were sent to Bonifay,� Lopez said.
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“Now wait a minute,� said TDC board member Ted Everett. “This is a multi-day event that is bringing heads in beds, which is exactly the kind of thing the TDC is here to support.� Everett suggested the TDC help Folmar with advertising in the national magazine as well as offer some local radio advertising. “We have to be flexible with our thinking, we don’t want to have our policies written in stone,� Everett said. The board approved the motion
See TDC A3
Three board members re-elected Chamber hears about Affordable Care Act
Kiwanis Pancake Supper Dec. 3 CHIPLEY — The Chipley Kiwanis Club will hold a Pancake Supper from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 3 at the Kate M. Smith Elementary School cafeteria. Tickets are $5. They will be available at the door that evening or can be purchased in advance at Community South Credit Union and One South Bank.
50¢
Volume 90, Number 64
By RANDAL SEYLER
638-0212 | @WCN_HCT rseyler@chipleypaper.com
Business, civic leaders discuss economic growth By RANDAL SEYLER
638-0212 | @WCN_HCT rseyler@chipleypaper.com CHIPLEY — The third Symposium for Economic Development in Washington County looked at the effect a new industry could have on the local economy. Sponsored by the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, the symposium was held Tuesday at the Panhandle Area Educational Consortium. The meetings bring civic and business leaders together to discuss how to create economic growth in the county. Larry Sassano, president of Florida’s Great Northwest, explained the community role in economic development preparation. Getting an industrial site in front of potential industries means developing the communities’ sites, buildings and infrastructure before hand. “Your county is your product, and you have to get it out there and sell it,� Sassano said. As a representative of Florida’s Great Northwest, Sassano travels to trade shows and site consultants to market the Panhandle to
See GROWTH A3
PHOTOS BY RANDAL SEYLER | The News
Larry Sassano, right, president of Florida’s Great Northwest, discusses industrial site selection, while Andrew Rhodes, an analyst with Gulf Power, listens during Tuesday’s Symposium on Economic Development. Above, Ted Everett, executive director of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, welcomes the audience to the third Symposium on Economic Development, held Tuesday at the PAEC in Chipley.
CHIPLEY — The Washington County Chamber of Commerce held its final “Third Thursday� breakfast of 2013 and took care of some organizational issues during the annual membership meeting. President Nicole Barefield chaired the meeting and re-nominated board members Amy Wiwi, William Steverson and Wayland Fulford, whose terms on the Chamber Board of Directors are expiring, to serve new three-year terms. The board members were reelected by acclamation to continue their service. The board consists of Barefield, Wiwi, Steverson and Fulford, along with Pat Schlenker, Garrett Martin, Terry Ellis, Julie Dillard, Andrew Fleener, Darrin Wall, Jan Page, and Cindy Johnson Brown. Fulford is replacing Past President Philip Pippin on the board, and Janet Kinney will replace Schlenker on the board after the first of the year. Barefield also recognized the Chamber staff, including Executive Director Ted Everett and Administrative Assistant Chris MacBlain, and the Chamber Ambassadors. “Congratulations to the board members, and thanks to the Northwest Florida Community Hospital staff, who provide us our meeting place and this great breakfast,� Everett said.
See RE-ELECTED A3
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