By Martha Jacob –
Brian Elliott, president of the Brown County Chamber of Commerce opened the June 16 ‘After Hour’s- meeting by welcoming everyone to the Indian Springs Winery in Sardinia.
The chamber occasionally offers an evening meeting to benefit the members who are unable to attend the normally scheduled 8 a.m. meetings.
Elliott invited each member present to introduce themselves following a light meal offered by Indian Springs Winery hosts included Vernon Creighton, Matt Layton and Andy Creighton.
During the round-table part of the meeting, Brown County Commissioner Barry Woodruff updated the chamber of county activities, including progress being made at the county’s jail project.
“Well, the jail is open now, but if you’re a female and you get arrested you’re still going to Butler County jail, at least for now,” Commissioner Woodruff said. “We received our certificate of occupancy, so to speak, from Clermont County last week, and my Monday, we already had 27 inmates in the jail already, all of them for drug issues.”
Woodruff said that the commissioners had decided early on to accept Casino money and treat it like it wasn’t there and save it for an emergency. He said that the work done at the jail was paid for with casino money.
“The issues we have now are, how to expand our facility and how to go about it,” Woodruff said. “ We got a half a million dollar grant for the three sections of heating/air conditioning, and we replaced one of them, but the other two are also 36 years old so it’s just a matter of time before the other two go.
Elliott announced winners at the recent Golf outing included 1st Place, Friendly Meadows, 2nd Place Buttermilk Falls and 3rd Place First State Bank. He thanked everyone who participated in the event.
He said that SummerFest is scheduled for August 5 and 6 and booths were still available.
“I did want to announce that this year at SummerFest we will be having a great raffle,” Elliott said. “We have partnered with Mt. Orab Ford we’re going to be giving away a 2016 Ford Fusion or $20,000 cash this year. All the details can be found on our website, because there are some restrictions. So spread the word.’
Following the roundtable, Elliott introduced the recipient of this year’s Horizon Award, Stanley Adamson, owner of Hamersville Electric.
“We present the Horizon Award to an individual who shows great participation in their community someone who is always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in the community and is dedicated to improvement of the community as a whole,” Elliott said, “That person this year is Stanly Adamson, owner of Hamersville Electric.”
Adamson also received recognition and certificate’s of appreciation from State Representative Doug Green, from Senator Joe Uecker’s office and Secretary of State John Husted.
Joe Kovach received the Pioneer Award, which is presented by the chamber annually to an individual who displays exemplary commitment to economic development.“Joe owns and operates ‘Grandma’s and Grandpa’s’ in Wahlsburg and ‘Harolds’s Quik Stop,” Elliott said. “Congratulations to Joe and his family.”
Kovach also received certificates of appreciation from Senator Uecker’s office, Representative Doug Green and Secretary of State John Husted.
