The Friends of the Arboretum have announced that they will be sponsoring a Scarecrow Decorating Contest and will be awarding prizes to the first, second and third place winners. The first place winner will receive $100; second place $50 and third place $25. The FOA intends to display the scarecrows among the gardens in the area of the Stinson House in Gov. Jim Hogg City Park so all entries should be designed to withstand the elements. The scarecrows will be on display until after Halloween at which time they may be picked up by the submitter or donated to the FOA who will store them until next Fall at which time they will again adorn the garden area. Everyone is encouraged to design and submit a scarecrow as this contest should appeal equally to individuals, civic groups, church groups, businesses, etc. Scarecrows should be turned in to the Friends of the Arboretum(or you may drop them off at the Chamber of Commerce office) no later than noon on October 8th. Judging will take place on October 9th during the FOA's plant sale. Entries may be decorated to a theme if desired and may be scary, friendly, blitzy, goofy, etc. This is a wonderful way for our community to support the Friends of the Arboretum and at the same time help to decorate our city park. Gardens full of decorative scarecrows should delight both young and old and make a wonderful backdrop for photos of the kiddos! 

For more information, please contact Pam Riley at 903.466.4327.

The Greater Quitman Area Chamber of Commerce and the Lake Country Classics Car Club will be co-sponsoring "Classics in the Park" on September 11, 2010. Gov. Jim Hogg City Park will play host to classic cars and trucks of all makes and models. All classes will be judged by Hatfield Restorations except for the Peoples Choice and Kids Choice Awards which will be voted on by all in attendance. The Kids Choice Award is new and will allow kids 13 and younger to participate in the judging by allowing them to vote on their favorite car (or truck). The Classics in the Park show is unique in that the setting will be the City Park. As car enthusiasts can attest, most car shows are held in an environment bare of trees and shade. Children will also have the playground area for entertainment after they have voted on their favorite classic. Several civic and non-profit groups will be on hand serving food items including funnel cakes, sno cones, hot dogs, chips, drinks, hamburgers and beef brisket (both chopped and sliced).  Local celebrity Dale "The C" Cummings will be performing songs from the 50's and 60's under the pavilion and the Friends of the Arboretum will have the Stinson House open for tours. A raffle will be conducted for a chance to win an awesome "Hot Rod Grill". The grill looks just like a 350 engine on a stand but is actually a gas grill. Tickets are $10.00 each or 3 for $25.00 and are available at the chamber office or from any chamber director or car club member. A 50/50 raffle will also be held with tickets selling for $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00. The winner will receive half of the proceeds from the 50/50 ticket sales. "Classics in the Park" promises to be one to remember and should provide a fun day for the whole family.

 Admission is free and everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.

Car and truck owners may register in advance for $20.00. Entry forms are available at the Chamber of Commerce office in Gov. Jim Hogg City Park or on the car club's website www.lakecountryclassics.com. Registration will begin at 9 am on the day of the show. The cost is $25.00. An awards ceremony will be held at 2:00 pm. T-shirts and dash plaques will be given to the first 75 entries.

For more information, you may contact R.T. Bridges at 903-763-4437; Bill Beech at 903-763-4440 or the Chamber of Commerce office at 903-763-4411. More information can also be found at the Lake Country Classics Car Club website referenced above.

By Toni Cole

We found ourselves at Yantis on August 6 as we helped Nicole Davis of the Hen House officially open her business. Located at 96 S. Main Street, the Hen House is full of "girly" treasures such as jewelry, belts, Yellowbox shoes, home decor, clothes and Yantis Owls sports apparel. As you can see by the photo, the shop was full of friends, family, customers and fellow chamber members eager to welcome Nicole and her unique business to the Yantis community.

The Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting on August 18th at Tumble Time/Dance Time in Quitman. Little Miss Dogwood Ally Baker and Junior Miss Dogwood Brenna Gardner were both on hand for the event. Several chamber directors and well wishers were on hand to help celebrate and enjoy the delicious cookies and lemonade.

 Located at 404 S. Hart Street (around the corner from Dollar General), Tumble Time/Dance Time offers gymnastics, cheer and dance for boys and girls of all ages. Owner Sheryl Wade encourages everyone to come out for the ribbon cutting. She is always happy to answer questions about her business and you may give her a call at 903-763-FLIP (3547).

On August 18th a Network Mixer was hosted by Sam and Martha Scroggins of S & A Sportswear and Dorles Weeks of Dorles Weeks Specialty Advertising. Snacks and "sundowners" (an African tradition) were served and door prizes were given away. Judith Sanders was presented with the Member of the Month certificate and banner. Judith is an individual chamber member and is always the first to answer our call for help. She is a valuable asset to the chamber  and well derserving of the Member of the Month designation.

Next month's Newtork Mixer will be held on September 16 and will be hosted by the First United Methodist Church.

The next Bluegrass Show is planned for September 25, 2010. Doors open at 6:00 pm and the show will begin at 7:00 pm. Admission is $8.00 for adults; children under 12 are free. Featured performers will be Brushy Creek from Wills Point and the Blocker Stevens Banks from Oklahoma. Concessions are provided by Barbara Castle from Tyler. The location for this show is the Carroll Green Civic Center located in Quitman (behind the Dairy Queen). September's show is sponsored by Dunahoe Insurance Agency of Mineola. For more information, please call Mack Smith at 903-852-6588 or Daisy Smith at 903-714-5248.

The Chamber of Commerce office seems lonely since the end of Experience Quitman Ca$h. I truly miss visiting with everyone who faithfully brought in receipts week after week. I also miss the joy of seeing folks excited over their receipts being drawn and the smile on their faces as they were handed that cold, hard cash. Fear not, Quitman Ca$h is destined to return. A program this enjoyable should never totally end. Keep an eye on the LED sign in front of the Chamber Office. We will post a meassage there should this highly popular promotion return.

Bob and Becky Hibbard of the Quitman Community Theatre are also breathing a sigh of relief as they just closed out a highly successful run of the musical comedy "Two By Two". Preparations will begin soon on their 19th Production "Smoke on the Mountain II: The Sanders Family Christmas". For more information, check out their website www.qctheatre.org or call 903-967-2164.

I am a little saddened by the loss of two of the grand old trees that surrounded the chamber building. Time and disease had taken their toll and both trees had to be taken down for safety reasons. The one at the back of the building turned out to be full of bees - much to the surprise of the guys from Wood County Electric and the City of Quitman! What an experience that was! While both trees will be missed, the one that stood sentry outside my north window will be sorely missed. I feel as though I have lost a faithful friend. But on a brighter note, the Chamber's building is looking fresh and new. The city boys have been diligently powerwashing the building and the results are amazing! 

Remember, it is the Chamber's purpose and desire to serve the needs of this community and its businesses. Comments and suggestions on how we can better serve you are always welcome.