Arizona Chain Reaction..good information

Hello,
If you are Arizona local, the AZCR.org does an amazing service for supporting and fostering small business relationships while increasing sales and growth.

Below is an excerpt from their latest post, enjoy! IF you don't have one in your area, why don't you start one?

In this issue... Meeting sparks ideas, action Golden Ticket gears up for Indy Week Ad Deadline nears for Indy Week Join Us Mark Your Calendar Tuesday, July 11 GPGLCC July NetMix Burn Night Club 122 E. Washington St. Map 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM The Greater Phoenix Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce hosts its monthly mixer at Burn. To learn more and to RSVP, visit the GPCLCC calendar Wednesday, July 18 Local First / AZCR Member Mixer 5:30-7:30 PM Terrior Wine Pub 7001 N. Scottsdale Road Map Sample wines in a fun-filled, relaxed environment. Network with other Local First Arizona members! Tuesday, July 24 Junior Achievement BizTown Charrette 8:30 AM - noon Junior Achievement 636 W. Southern Ave Tempe - Map JA is constructing a new "Town" using sustainable standards and they are looking for LOCAL suppliers for ideas. To get involved, contact Mary Anne Doty - 480-219-0225 Saturday, October 20 Roosevelt Row Harvest Festival Make your reservations now to participate in this fun event. Live Music, Beer Garden, Independent Vendors, Kids Activities. Vendor information can be found at on the events page at www.azcr.org - or click here All events that involve two or more members working together can be listed on this calendar. Want to list? Email stacy@patandstacy.com Meet Our Members Please welcome these NEW and RENEWING members! Home Services Just Call Judy Complete Home Cleaning Advertising Anytimedeals.com Entertainment ShowUp.com Apparel & Footwear Spraygraphic Apparel Restaurants The Teeter House Financial Versatalis Payment Solutions Internet ClearImageDesign Photography D'Elia Photographic Accounting First Aid Bookkeeper - Call Wendy Agriculture Hickman's Egg Ranch Remember: 2007 dues are due NOW. You are not alone Check out these links to other Independent Business associations and communities to get new ideas! Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) Austin Independent Business Alliance American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) Local First Chicago Santa Fe Alliance

CELEBRATE YOUR INDEPENDENTS! Governor signs HB2515... New Local First AZ website launches... 07.02.07 Independents Week sparks fireworks New website, Golden Ticket, pledge highlight observance Fireworks are crackling across the Valley - and it's not even the Fourth of July yet. Independents Week launched with a BANG on Monday, July 2 with the new www.localfirstaz.com website, our awesome GOLDEN TICKET promotion, a massive radio and TV campaign, and a slew of SHOP LOCAL pledges from the likes of Councilman Tom Simplot, former Governor Rose Mofford and State Senator Ken Cheuvront. You can see the full list of pledgers here - plus their Top 10 (or Top 16) lists of favorite Arizona businesses. PLEASE GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO OUR WEB DESIGNER BRIAN FLATGARD FOR HIS HARD WORK ON LAUNCHING THE NEW WEBSITE!!! Our fifth annual Independents Week advertising and awareness campaign launched in full force on Monday on AZ*TV (TV 13, Cable 27) and KJZZ-NPR 91.5-FM and KBAQ-Classical 89.5-FM. A record-setting 35 members are participating in the campaign, generating more than 60 member-oriented Local First TV spots and over 430 member radio spots. In addition, 60 Local First public service announcements are running throughout the week on AZ*TV and another 200 Local First spots are running on public radio! It is NOT too late to get involved in Independents Week - several members have sent email newsletters to their customers encouraging them to TAKE THE PLEDGE TO SHOP 100% LOCALLY from July 2-8 and download the awesome Golden Ticket for once-in-a-lifetime values at a variety of Local First member-businesses. Here's some handy text that you can copy and paste into an email newsletter of your own: Dear Friends, I support the locally owned, Independent businesses that make Arizona a unique and wonderful place to live. To show my commitment, I have taken the Local First Arizona pledge to SHOP 100% LOCALLY during Independents Week, July 2-8. The folks at Local First Arizona have made it easy by providing a GOLDEN TICKET for 20% off at participating businesses - and they've even got a selection of favorite local businesses from Arizona leaders. Please join me in taking the pledge by visiting www.localfirstaz.com this week! HAPPY INDEPENDENTS WEEK, (YOUR NAME HERE) Have a great Independents Week celebration! Governor signs tax subsidies prohibition, HB-2515 Cheuvront Amendment prohibits tax incentives to retail in key counties THANK YOU to the many members who contacted their state senators, state representatives and the governor to urge passage of House Bill 2515, sponsored in part by Local First member Sen. Ken Cheuvront! On Monday, YOUR HARD WORK AND STRONG ADVOCACY PAID OFF when Governor Napolitano signed the bill into law. Here's the full text of her signing letter: "Today, I signed House Bill 2515, which will put an end to the practice of some cities in Maricopa County of giving huge tax breaks to retail businesses for locating within their municipalities," the Governor wrote. "These tax breaks have gotten out of control and been offered to a host of businesses, man of whom were likely to locate in Arizona regardless of whether they were offered a tax incentive. The use of tax incentives to pit Maricopa County towns and cities against each other is not in the interest of Arizona or its taxpayers. "I note, however, that the bill appears to contain an inadvertent loophole exempting cities whose boundaries are not entirely within the exterior boundary of a metropolitan statistical area having a population of more than 2 million persons," she continued. "This could exempt at least the City of Peoria and could put that city at an unfair competitive advantage. I understand that shis was not the intent of the legislature, and I call up on the legislature to fix this provision of the bill at its earliest opportunity." The passage of this bill shows that working together and staying involved in local politics means Independent Businesses are a force to be respected and acknowledged within our state! Congratulations on this victory! In the News: Local First Arizona dominates headlines Arizona Republic, Pat McMahon Show, KJZZ cover Independents Week Let's give a big shout out to Lauren and Joy at MarketingEdge Southwest who have saturated local newspapers and media outlets with interesting stories about our Independents Week celebration! Check out the Pat McMahon Show on AZ*TV TODAY at 9 AM: Local First Arizona executive director Kimber Lanning and member Kelsey Halo of Halo Precision Piercing make a guest appearance on the show to discuss Independents Week. Learn more about Pat's guests this week... Tune in to KJZZ-NPR, 91.5-FM this afternoon between 3 PM and 5 PM: All Things Considered host Steve Goldstein interviews Kimber about Independents Week and the issues confronting local businesses. Plus, excerpts of the interview will be featured all day on Wednesday for Independence Day. You can listen online here... From the Arizona Republic, July 2:A coalition of locally owned businesses hopes to raise awareness about mom-and-pop shops this week by asking consumers to go independent. Read more... From the Business Journal, July 29: As part of a national event July 2-8 dubbed Independents Week, Arizona Chain Reaction is encouraging consumers to support local, independently owned businesses rather than chain stores, franchises and huge corporations. This marks the fifth year of the effort to buy locally. See the story... Tempe Council goes on record against SuperCenter Mayor also opposed to location at Southern and Rural On Thursday, June 27 the Tempe City Council approved a resolution (2007.55) opposing the construction of a Wal-Mart SuperCenter at Southern and Rural. This is not a legal document or motion, however, along with the Mayor's letter opposing this project, the neighborhood and SaveTempe.org will have momentum to begin a strong dialog with Wal-Mart asking that they consider a more appropriate location. You can learn the history of this dispute - and get involved in the campaign through the petition drive at www.savetempe.org. Join us . . . or pay your dues! Charter member yearly dues are due now Contact Linda at info@azcr.org or 480 767-1774 to arrange payment via credit or debit card through PayPal. You don't need a PayPal account to use this service, or you can mail your check to: Arizona Chain Reaction 12 W Camelback Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85013. Arizona Chain Reaction encourages citizens to shop the locally owned, independent businesses that are the backbone of our community. Click here to learn more about the benefits of membership, and remember to search www.azcr.org whenever you are looking for LOCAL solutions to your needs. Also, look for the above "member badge" on local websites where you shop - and put it on YOUR site to show your support for the cause.

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