Helping Businesses Prosper and Grow for More than 60 Years
Tooele County Chamber of Commerce
Tooele Business News Volume 6, Number 2
Calendar of Events All upcoming events are listed on the Chamber Website: www.tooelechamber.com
Chamber Luncheon Wednesday, February 11 • Noon Sponsor: Excelsior Academy Tooele Health Dept. 151 North Main St., Tooele Please RSVP by Monday, February 9 by 5 pm 435-882-0690
Kids Love Authors Saturday, February 21 • 2 pm The Purple Cow Bookstore 992 No. Main, Tooele Come meet Author Justin Cole and Illustrator Laramie Dunn of Wet, Bird-Feather Bread!
www.tooelechamber.com
February 2009
Wal-Mart Distribution Center chosen as Business of the Year Wal-Mart DC is one of the larger employers in Tooele County and they feel that because of this they have a responsibility to support our community and their associates, whom mostly live in the Tooele Valley. Wal-Mart DC 7026 can always be relied upon by the community to step up and offer assistance whether it is monetary
or by volunteerism. Wal-Mart DC 7026 has given back to the Tooele community and the extended community of Salt Lake City, UT in many ways. During the past year, Wal-Mart DC 7026 has donated $25,000 in Community Grants. These include the following: • American Cancer Society—$2500
PASSING THE GAVEL •
Tooele County Caucus Meeting Wednesday, February 25 • 5 pm Capitol Building Room TBD later through Chamber Email system. Sign up today if you Do not receive the chamber e-mails @ 435-882-0690
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Business After Hours Thursday, February 26 • 5:30 - 7 pm Where: Modern Victoria 80 West Vine, Tooele No charge for this event! Great Networking Opportunity
• Joyce Hogan, newly elected 2009 Chamber Board Chair, receives the gavel from Past 2007-2008 Chair Jack Bell; at the Annual Chamber Installation Banquet held on Saturday, January 17th.
Dr. Mike Wells named Citizen of the Year Since 1989, The Tooele County Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Award as been given to an individual because of their outstanding accomplishments in their employment, civic accomplishments and service to the community through voluntary efforts. Past award winners include individuals such as Dr. Wallace Johnson, Earl Tate, Maxine Grimm, Beverly White, Representative Jim Gowans and several others. This years award winner is Dr. Michael G. Wells. Dr. Wells has contributed to the community in many ways. His civic accomplishments include: Charter member of Tooele sister city committee: Organized and served as team leader of first sister city delegation to visit Kambarka following the signing of the sister city agreement in Russia with Mayor Charlie Roberts. He established a joint organization between Udmurtia and Tooele called Udmurtia Smiles to promote prenatal and postnatal dental education in Russia. He laid
the foundation for a joint dental education clinic in Kambarka and initiated the student exchange that would take place the following summer with Tooele High School students. During 2003 – 2007, Dr. Wells hosted Russian government and local Kambarka officials as part of sister city, or US open world. In 2004, Dr. Wells donated his old dental clinic as a free dental clinic for low income individuals and families and also volunteered time working there. Dr. Wells received The Utah Public Health Association Public Health Hero Award (for distinguished service in public health in 2005 in association with the donated dental clinic. In 2006 he received the Friends of Public Health Award in appreciation for his support of the Tooele County Health Department with his commitment to provide dental services to those in need. In 2008, Mike established a relationship see DR. Wells page 8 ➤
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• Citizen of the Year Mike Wells
for education and training materials; support for local patient services, programs, and underserved screenings; Patient Navigator and Cancer Resource Jeff Loafman is the Centers General Manager at Wal-Mart DC 7026 Grantsville Junior High School—$5000 for a pilot project to give students in Stansbury, Lake Point, Erda, Grantsville, and South Willow an after school program, assist with transportation, and help in the intervention strategies with teachers Tooele Animal Outreach—$1500 for veterinary costs, food for animals, supplies, leashes, blankets, and assistance in purchasing a transportation van Girl Scouts of Utah—$1000 for summer troop camp to Moab, Utah, to learn about Native American culture Special Olympics of Utah—$1000 for Tooele County Giants Special Olympics team’s uniforms, warm ups Boy Scouts of America—$1500 for the only Special Needs troop in Tooele County to attend a summer camp - Camp Frontier - with all peers and scouts Tooele High School—$2000 for the Special Education department to be able to purchase items to teach functional life skills for the severely disabled students English Skills Learning Center— $2000 for support, recruitment, training for volunteers to teach English to immigrant and refugee students PTA Utah Congress—$1000 for Tooele County PTA to fund an art program in each of the 14 elementary schools Utah Quilt Guild—$1500 to purchase supplies to make quilts for children at the Children’s Justice Center in Tooele Tooele Food Bank—$3000 for the Tooele Food Bank to purchase food items not normally received from the Utah Food Bank Friends of Tooele County Children’s Justice Center—$3000 to provide see WAl-Mart DC page 4 ➤