Chamber Changes Meeting Day To July 16

The Lincoln Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that State Senator Bill Pritchard will be our featured speaker at our meeting in July. Senator Pritchard will tell us about the last general session and answer any questions we might have. Please make plans to attend the meeting July 16 at noon in the Arkansas Country Doctor Museum. We look forward to seeing you there.

In other news we still have cook books for sale. Please contact the Lincoln Library or Double J for more information.

Everyone, please have a safe and happy Independence Day.

Earl J. Hunton, President
Lincoln Chamber of Commerce

The next U.S. census begins April 1, 2010, and Michelle Chavez, Partnership Specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau, is trying to get the word out now.

Chavez was guest speaker at the Lincoln Area Chamber of Commerce monthly meeting on June 11. She told Chamber members it’s important that everyone in Lincoln be counted in the upcoming census because state and federal grants are calculated according to population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, every year, the federal government can allocate more than $300 billion to states and communities based, in part, on census data. Census data can help determine where to build new roads, hospitals, senior citizen centers, schools and more. Census data also determines how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“You have to live with the count for 10 years,” Chavez said.
The Census Bureau is asking communities to help increase awareness about the coming census by combining the strengths of local governments, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, schools, media and businesses. Chavez told the group that community leaders, business leaders and organizations can help raise awareness and encourage participation in the 2010 census. She listed several ways a community could help with the coming census, including:

• Organize and/or serve on a Complete Count Committee.
• Distribute and display recruiting materials.
• Provide space to train new employees.
• Provide space for “Be Counted” sites and Questionnaire Assistance Centers.
• Display and distribute 2010 Census promotional materials.
• Put the 2010 Census on meeting agendas and allow presentations by Census Bureau staff.

Chavez stressed that information taken by the Census Bureau will remain private and confidential. She said every Census Bureau worker takes an oath for life to protect the confidentiality of census responses. Violation can result in a jail term of up to five years and/or a fine of up to $250,000. By law, she said, the Census Bureau cannot share an individual’s answers with anyone, including welfare and immigration agencies. “It’s always safe to fill out census forms,” she told Chamber members.
To learn more about the 2010 Census, visit www.2010census.gov.

There will be a community blood drive Friday, June 26 from 2 to 6 p.m. at Central United Methodist Church in Lincoln.
The business or group that sends the most donors will be awarded a traveling trophy at the end of the year.
For more information call the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks at 800-280-5337 or call Rev. Andy Newbill at 824-5600.