The January meeting was held at the Eureka College Cerf Center with 17 people in attendance. The meeting was called to order at 8:00 a.m. Lisa Reinmann introduced the 2008 officers: Dana Wiegand – President, Emily Reese – Vice President, Heidi Bowman – Secretary, and Eldon LiaBraaten – Treasurer. The December minutes were approved.
Treasurer’s Report: Eldon LiaBraaten said the year’s end balance for 2007 was $4978.74.
Committee Reports:
Reagan Fest: Dana Wiegand said the EBA is looking for volunteers to help with the Reagan Fest this year. Donna Sweeney, who has chaired the event for several years, said entertainment contacts need to begin in February. She has all the information volunteers will need. Laura Siscoe, who is head of the Sesquicentennial Committee, is going to see if any Sesquicentennial volunteers can help with the Reagan Fest this year. Jim Fyke and Katherine Arnold agreed to help. New ideas for Reagan Fest are welcome. Dana Wiegand thanked Donna Sweeney for all her hard work over the years.
Ambassador Committee: Dana Wiegand talked about how the EBA would like to have an active Ambassador Committee. The committee would welcome new businesses to town, host ribbon-cuttings for all new businesses, and encourage members who do not currently come to meetings to attend. Rick Robinson, Nancy Scott, Katherine Arnold, and Chuck Staley all said they would be on the committee. Larry Whitaker said this committee is one of which all EBA members should be a part, as its goal is to promote Eureka and its businesses. Eldon LiaBraaten said that he and Rick Robinson hope to compile updated lists of 2008 EBA members and non-members for the February meeting. Katherine Arnold shared that she had difficulty getting information about the EBA when she came to town. Eldon LiaBraaten said he would check into the city’s website to verify the EBA information. Rick Robinson suggested getting a phone line for EBA. Dana Wiegand suggested the Ambassador Committee meet before the February EBA meeting.
City:
Jim Meares said the city approved 13 single-family home buildings permits and 4 commercial property building permits in 2007. The next Sesquicentennial meeting will be on January 22 at 7 pm in the Court House Annex. The Eureka College annex has been approved and is under construction. The Eureka Hospital expansion is under discussion. Eureka, Goodfield, and Congerville are advertising for the new position of director of youth programs. The City is looking into expanding the 4th of July event with inflatable equipment and entertainment.
Old Business:
City Council Meetings: Ty Meiss passed around a sign-up sheet for upcoming City Council meetings. The EBA would like to have a representative attend each one.
New Business: Sesquicentennial Silent Auction: Lisa Reinmann said the Sesquicentennial fundraising committee is hosting a silent auction. They are looking for donated items from the business community. If anyone has an item to donate, he or she can contact Lisa at 266-5337. The fundraising committee is also compiling a cookbook. Recipe forms will be available at Eureka Community Bank, Eureka Public Library, and the Woodford County Journal. They hope to collect 750 recipes by February 20.
SMART (Seniors Managing Area Resources Together) Grant: Nancy Scott of the Eureka Public Library said that the library has received a grant to host a series of informational workshops for seniors. The monthly topics will include health and wellness, computers, and more. The workshops will culminate in a Senior Fair in August. The library is partnering with RSVP for the February 26 workshop. It will be at Maple Lawn from 9-12 and the topic will be “volunteer opportunities.” Any business that wishes to share its volunteer opportunities or even just share what the business can offer to the community is welcome to participate. Call Karen Smith at the library (467-2922) for more information.
Suggestions for New Members to Contact:
Rick Robinson said that the former Dance Centre spot has been rented. Chuck Staley said that a new restaurant would open in the former Cornerstone location in the next month.
Brief Business Update:
Dana Wiegand said if any business is interested in presenting a Business Spotlight to please let an officer know. Meanwhile, the EBA encourages members to update each other on their businesses at the meetings. Katherine Arnold shared that Eureka College is looking to host the first “Buy Locally” seminar sometime in May and the hope is that this event happens annually. Eldon LiaBraaten of Precision Photo Imaging shared that he now offers the option to print pictures at his website www.precisionphotoimaging.com. He invited everyone to visit his website to find out more on how to have digital pictures printed locally. Pat Reinkensmeyer of the Communities of Male Lawn shared that their new health clinic recently opened. It will be for residents of the health center, apartments, and cottages, Noah’s Ark children, and employees and their families. Nurse Practitioner Dean Anderson of Eureka works at the clinic. Male Lawn is also in the process of turning wing 1 into a homebound wing, designed for short-term stays. Wireless internet and many other amenities will available. Noah’s Ark will be hosting a Chili Supper on January 26 with the proceeds going toward educational equipment. Heidi Bowman of the Woodford County Journal said that Jerry McDowell is now the new Eureka editor. She invited everyone to help keep Jerry informed of what they would like to see in the local newspaper.
Eureka “Buy Locally” Discussion:
Eldon LiaBraaten reiterated that the focus of the committee is to help shift people’s mind frame to buying locally when they can. Larry Whitaker shared that he felt the gift card e-mail was a success, not just in terms of the local gift cards sold, but in helping raise awareness. Jim Fyke shared that the committee was interested in working with Eureka College interns who would write regular news stories about local businesses. Larry Whitaker and Jim Fyke have agreed to supervise the interns. The committee was hoping to spend up to $1000 a year on this project. Laura Siscoe made a motion that the EBA spend up to $1000 annually, and Lisa Reinmann seconded it. Jim Fyke said tha the committee’s goal was to help all businesses in Eureka, not just retail ones. Larry Whitaker said there would be another committee meeting soon. Dana Wiegand thanked the committee (which is comprised of Katherine Arnold, Larry Whitaker, Jim Fyke, Eldon LiaBraaten, and Dawn Maloney) for their dedication.
