Business Notes

LITTLE FALLS - Successful Older Adult Resources Program, hosted by Horizon Health, Inc.'s Retired Seniors Volunteer Program, recently hosted its graduation session.

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Throughout the class, older adults are encouraged to investigate how leadership, later in life, can affect their lives as well as the communities they live in.

Participants are encouraged to submit a challenge grant that would allow them to ask for up to $250 for a project they would like to work on in Morrison County. This program is sponsored in part by Horizon Health RSVP, NCOA and the Initiative Foundation. For more information on SOAR, contact Tammy Jopp at Horizon Health RSVP at (320) 468-6451.

Adventure adds graduate intern to staff

Aneil Kotval joined Adventure advertising in Brainerd as its graduate intern to assist with copywriting and concepts.

Aneil Kotval

A graduate student in the master's program at St. Cloud State University, Kotval is a graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead, Kotval received his bachelor's degree in mass communications in 2004. While a copywriter with DaCunha Communications in Bombay, India, Kotval worked on creative for one of India's largest dairy cooperatives, Amul.

Grand View names Fischburg vice president

NISSWA - Scott M. Fischburg was named vice president of sales at Grand View Lodge resort in Nisswa.

Fischburg has extensive sales and marketing experience in the hospitality industry. He previously served as vice president of sales and marketing for Graves World Hospitality, a full-service luxury hotel management and distribution company headquartered in Minneapolis. He also served as senior director of sales at Carlson Companies Radisson Hotels and Resorts.

Hautala speaks at Crosslake event

Aaron Hautala

CROSSLAKE - Aaron W. Hautala, creative director and owner of RedHouseMedia of Brainerd, recently spoke at the Crosslake Member Connection as hosted by the Brainerd Lakes Chamber at the Cedar Chest in Crosslake.

Forestry corporation honors Minnesota forest advocates

In summary of support and advocacy for the woodlands of the state for the year 2009, the Minnesota Forest Resources Partnership recently honored three of the state's leaders in forest resource advocacy, leadership, and management.

Jack Rajala, president of the Rajala Companies, private landowner David Parent and Blandin Foundation President Jim Hoolihan.

CTC Scholarship applications available

Consolidated Telecommunications Co. announced applications for the company's 2010 scholarship program are available to area school guidance counselors.

CTC, with offices in Brainerd and Baxter, awards nine $500 scholarships to area high school seniors who are planning to attend a two-year or four-year college, university or vocational technical school. There is an at-large category for private schools and home-schooled students for the same school criteria. To be eligible, a student's family or legal guardian must be a year-round member in CTC's service area. At-large applications may be obtained by calling 454-1234.

EVENTS

Chamber to sponsor Business After Hours

LITTLE FALLS - The Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce will conduct its next Business After Hours networking event from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Thursday at the chamber, 200 First St. N.W. Hosting the event is Nextera Communications. Hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be served.

This event is free and open to all chamber members and their employees. For more information, call the chamber at (320) 632-5155. No RSVP needed.

Social Networking Is it for your business?

LITTLE FALLS - The Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a lunch & learn session "Social Networking - Is it for your Business?" presented by Miranda Anderson, Brainerd Lakes Chamber from noon until 1:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Morrison County Government Center, Meeting Room 1, 213 First Ave. S.E. in Little Falls.

Social Media is the current catch phrase. Everyone talks about it, but the session asks if businesses are successfully leveraging social media forms like LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook.

This session is open to all chamber members at a cost of $16 per person. For more information, contact the Little Falls chamber at (320) 632-5155. RSVP is requested by Tuesday.

CLC hosts Business Before Hours Wednesday

Central Lakes College will host Business Before Hours from 7:30-8:30 a.m. Wednesday in E203 of the Business & Industry Center, Door 3, 501 West College Drive, Brainerd Campus.

Business Before Hours is a light breakfast and networking activity. The cost to attend is $3 with advance reservations and $5 at the door. Advance registration is requested by noon Tuesday.

For more information, go online to www.explorebrainerdlakes.com, or call 829-2838.

Nisswa Women's Club meeting planned Thursday

NISSWA - The Nisswa Women's Club will host its monthly membership meeting at noon Thursday with a social time from 11:30 a.m. to noon, at Prairie Bay restaurant, Baxter. The program will be "Poetry For All Ages," presented by Maxine Russell.

Hostesses for the meeting are chair Betty Alderman, Georgia Ann Bergin, Betty Jean Carlson, Rosemary Kraus and Bonnie Tangen. The inspirational will be given by Luann Rice.

Northern Lakes Embroidery hosts Feb. 3 CHOW

CROSSLAKE - Northern Lakes Embroidery, 34330 County Road 3, Crosslake, is hosting the Brainerd Lakes Chamber's networking event CHOW on Feb. 3.

During CHOW, Northern Lakes Embroidery will be providing members with lunch, information about their business and door prizes.

The cost to attend this event is $5 with advance reservations and $7 at the door. Advance registration and cancellations accepted until 4 p.m. Feb. 2. For more information, go online to www.explorebrainerdlakes.com or by calling 829-2838.

Businesses invited to participate in women's expo

STAPLES - Lakewood Health System in Staples is inviting area business owners to participate in Lakewood's biennial women's expo called Laugh and Live Well.

The expo is planned 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 20 at Central Lakes College in Staples. The event attracts 350 women from across central Minnesota to view vendors, attend health-related breakout sessions, have lunch and receive door prizes. The day is designed to empower and pamper women, while maintaining a fresh take on new and innovative ways to look at healthcare, Lakewood reported. The keynote speaker, Robin Getman, is a humorous motivational speaker from the InterACT Group in Minneapolis. She will perform at 1 p.m., immediately following lunch in the Commons at Central Lakes College.

For more information, go online to www.lakewoodhealthsystem.com/Women/ExpoVendorPage.com or call Nola Varilek, Women's Health coordinator at (218) 894-8586.

LF Chamber to host Doty, Koering

LITTLE FALLS - The Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a session with chamber and community members for a legislative dialog with Rep. Al Doty, DFL-Royalton, and Sen. Paul Koering, R-Fort Ripley, from 9-10:30 a.m. Jan. 27 at Little Falls City Hall in the Council Chamber, 100 Seventh Ave. N.E.

Participants will have the opportunity to direct questions and comments regarding issues that will impact the 2010 legislative session to Koering and Doty, hear concerns and issues that affect the success of business and the community.

The session will be rebroadcast on local cable access Channel 6 in Little Falls and on Channel 12 in Pierz.

For more information, call (320) 632-5155.

WORKSHOPS

Free pre-healthcare course offered at CLC

The Brainerd campus of Central Lakes College will be the site for a new pre-healthcare course designed to help Certified Nursing Assistants improve basic skills toward nursing or other healthcare careers.

Session 1 meets from 5:30-8:30 p.m., Mondays and Tuesdays, Feb. 18 May 3. There is no fee. Books and supplies are provided through grant funding and a collaboration of Brainerd School District Adult Basic Education, CLC, and Rural Minnesota CEP Inc.

Session topics include: College academic expectations academic ethics; time management study skills; college reading and writing; math for healthcare occupations; healthcare career options job shadowing; medical terminology professional expectations; basic nursing skills.

Jean Mershon, business specialist, and Kris Jandl, registered nurse, from the CLC Nursing program, will instruct.

Participants must meet all ABE requirements (high school or GED diploma), have completed an approved CAN course, and achieve reading and math qualifying scores on the test of adult basic education.

For more information, contact Orla Kenton, Brainerd School District ABE manager, at (218) 454-5400.

Marketing seminars set in Brainerd, Camp Ripley

Marketing in this economy is the subject of a seminar series planned in Brainerd and Little Falls that provides hands-on activities to create a marketing strategy prototype to help move forward in 2010.

Courses are from 8 a.m. to noon, Jan. 26, Feb. 2, Feb. 9, Feb. 16 at CLC in Brainerd and 8 a.m. to noon Jan. 28, Feb. 4, Feb. 11 and Feb. 18 at Robert L. Moglein Town Hall, Camp Ripley.

Participating business experts are Pat Swarthout, CLC, Kathy Moore, Moore Consulting, Curt Walczak, University of Minnesota.

The Jan. 26/28 session is Marketing in a Changing Climate. The Feb. 2/4 course is The Tools to Market your Message. The Feb. 9/11 session is EMarketing in the Cyber World. The session on Feb. 16/18 is Gaining the Competitive Advantage.

Registration deadline is Tuesday.

For more information, contact Cindy Brey, DEED, at 825-6783 or e-mail cindy.brey@state.mn.us, or Jean Mershon at 855-8236 or e-mail jmershon@clcmn.edu, or go online to http://bit.ly/MarketYourBiz.

Central Lakes College, Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, Brainerd Lakes Chamber, Small Business Development Center, Department of Employment & Econ. Development, Little Falls Convention & Visitors Bureau, Lakes Area Human Resource Association, and the Lakes Area Safety & Health Organization are jointly sponsoring the Business Seminar Series on Marketing in this economy.

LASHO focuses on workplace electrical safety

Electrical safety in the workplace is the subject of the Thursday Lakes Area Safety and Health Organization session.

The program begins with a continental breakfast and registration at 9:30 a.m. at Central Lakes College Business & Industry Center, Brainerd campus. The program is from 10-11:30 a.m. The session is free to LASHO paid members or $10 per person.

Guest speaker is Michael Pennock, safety engineer, 3M-Alexandria. The presentation covers four major topics - an introductory overview, establishing and electrically safe work condition, PPE, and use of an energized electrical work permit.

Participants may earn .15 continuing education credits for attending the program. To RSVP and for more information, contact Gail Judd, (218) 894-2831 or e-mail gjudd@mmm.com.