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Upcoming Events

Nov 12 Executive Committee Nov 13 Chamber After Hour Networking Event Nov 14 Organize Your World: Microsoft Outlook Time-Saving Features Nov 29 Sweet Escapes

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Inside this issueSpecial Networking Event Held; One More for 2007 Coming Soon Save the Date for our Annual Celebration Last of the Fall Training Classes are Coming Up Women in Business Council Hosts 2nd Annual Sweet Escape Adopt A School Holds Counselor Tours 2007 Women's Doubles Teams Hit the Courts for Adopt-A-School Area Businesses Support Adopt-A-School Tennis Tournament Northport Advisory Council Discusses 2008 Goals Volunteers Complete Downtown Tuscaloosa Survey Project Several Midtown Village Stores Celebrate Opening New Waterway Motor Vessel Christened Habitat Begins Work on Another New Home Upcoming Member Events How to be an Attentive Listener

Special Networking Event Held; One More for 2007 Coming Soon

A special "Before Hours" event was held on the morning of October 16th at the lovely Capstone Village. Networking expert Meaghan Williams from BNI (Business Networking International) presented a very helpful program. Many thanks to our Chamber Ambassadors for organizing and conducting this event. The last "Second Tuesday" after hours networking event of 2007 is on November 13th from 5 pm to 7 pm at the Bryant Conference Center. The event will commemorate the 20th anniversary of BCC and is being co-hosted by the Sheraton Four Points Hotel. The event will feature lavish food stations, specialty drinks, door

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prizes, giveaways for all attendees and the music of local Jazz great Keith Williams. Dean Carolyn Dahl will make opening remarks. Should be a lovely evening, please plan to join us. Bring a date and invite your friends and associates, too.

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Save the Date for our Annual Celebration

Mark your calendars now for the The Chamber's Annual Celebration to be held on Friday evening, February 8th, 2008. Exciting details will be shared soon!

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Last of the Fall Training Classes are Coming Up

Excel 2003 Level II is a hands-on, half-day class. Are you ready to take your Excel skills to the next level? This class will take your skills up a notch. This is for those currently using Excel and may have attended our Level I class. It is offered on November 29th from 8 AM to noon at The Chamber. Cost is $85 for members and $115 for non-members, not including lunch. There is limited seating for this one. Also still on the training agenda is Organize Your World: Microsoft Outlook Time-Saving Features, which is offered on November 14th from 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM at Peoples Bank in Northport. Is your time slipping away? One of the biggest time drains each day is wrapped up in our day to day communications, which for many is conducted via email. This time-saving seminar will change your "Outlook" on organization. Topics include sorting, folders, adding reminders, categories, creating polls using the voting feature, calendar tasks, tips and tricks. Trainer is Donna Gilliland of MOSTraining. Cost is only $20 and a continental breakfast is included. Please contact Tracy Crumpton at 391.0554 or email [email protected] to register or get more information.

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Women in Business Council Hosts 2nd Annual Sweet Escape

Enjoy pampering, shopping, chocolate and more--all in one place! The Women in Business Council will present the 2nd Annual A Sweet Escape on Thursday, November 29th from 4 PM to 7 PM at the Jemison Van de Graaff Mansion. Tera Lane, Nancy Taylor Skin Therapy and Day Spa, DV-8 Salon and Spa, Tuscaloosa Med Spa and Plastic Surgery of Tuscaloosa Medispa and Anti Aging Center, Inc. will be among those present for the pampering. Come find Christmas gift giving or getting ideas from local vendors. Those on hand will include Sheila's Gift Baskets and Gifts, Nancy & Co.

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Fine Jewelers, The Locker Room, Gertrude's, Peterbrooke Chocolatier, FIG, T-Town Paws and others. Sample the sweet taste of Peterbrooke Chocolatier throughout the evening. Admission charge is only $5 at the door, plus a new toy for the US Marines "Toys for Tots" campaign overseen by our local Salvation Army. Raffle tickets will also be sold at the door for $5 each or 3 for $10. Purchase as many as you like for a chance to win a $150 gift certificate to the vendor in attendance of your choice. A portion of the raffle ticket proceeds will also benefit "Toys for Tots." All women attending can register for great door prizes, too! Registration is required, and may be made by calling 391.0559 or emailing [email protected]. Ladies, why would you miss this?

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Adopt A School Holds Counselor Tours 2007

"This tour opened my eyes to the industrial sector of Tuscaloosa"..."We need to have these tours every year, highlighting different industries each year"..."It was great to hear that local industries hire high school graduates with opportunities for advancement." These are just a few of the comments we received from local secondary school counselors following the recent tours and meeting organized and sponsored by the Adopt-A-School Program. The Chamber, through the Adopt-A-School Program, recognizes the importance of keeping local school counselors informed and armed with the information necessary to educate our future work force and to guide the students as they develop the skills needed to succeed in an ever-growing and ever-changing technical workplace. School counselors play an important role in directing our students as they choose courses and

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training to prepare for their future. The advice and guidance the counselors offer on a daily basis shapes the future workforce of Tuscaloosa. On October 22nd, the middle and high school counselors from both the Tuscaloosa City and Tuscaloosa County School Systems met to learn more about local industries and training opportunities available for area students. During the opening lunch session, the counselors heard a presentation from Ryan Sabbagh, technical counselor from Shelton State Community College, concerning the programs available to high school students through dual enrollment and technical training. Mr. Sabbagh also outlined programs specifically designed for preparing high school graduates for the workforce. Following the presentation, the counselors traveled to ZF Lemforder Corporation where they were greeted by Ron Davis, plant manager and Jim Phillips, human resources director for ZF. Prior to and following a tour of the facility, counselors had an opportunity to ask specific questions regarding the skills, training and education needed for employability within industries such as ZF Lemforder. Next, counselors traveled to Radicispandex were they were greeted by Wendy Barrett and a host of engineers. Before, during and after the tour there, counselors had many questions regarding the training and skills needed specifically for an industry such as this. Finally, the counselors had an opportunity interact with a panel of local business leaders and ask pertinent questions concerning opportunities for local students. Facilitated by John Merrill of the Tuscaloosa County Schools, counselors heard from Johnnie Aycock of The Chamber of Commerce; Terry Waters of Alabama Power Company; Gary Phillips of Premier Service Company; and Peggy Collins of AFFLINK. Through the Adopt-A-School Program we are proud to sponsor this opportunity to expose area counselors to our local industries and to afford them the occasion to interact with business leaders. We plan to make this an annual event and we will highlight different local industries each year. For more information about how your business can participate in future tours, contact Loo Whitfield at The Chamber 391.0563 or [email protected].

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Women's Doubles Teams Hit the Courts for Adopt-A-School

The 14th annual Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa Adopt-A-School Tennis Tournament was recently held at Indian Hills Country Club. Thanks to Title Sponsor Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa and Eagle Sponsors Ellis Architects, Inc; JVC America; Learning Experiences; McGiffert & Associates; NHS Management;

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Phifer Incorporated; Planit Solutions; The University of Alabama; and Tuscaloosa Toyota; the benefit tennis tournament generated more money for Adopt-A-School than any previous tennis tournament! Honorary Chairperson Sarah Patterson attended the event to wish players good luck for the day. Former University of Alabama Gymnasts, Dana Dobransky Duckworth and Ann Wood Shealy joined their former coach in supporting the Adopt-A-School Tennis Tournament. Not only did both former gymnasts participate in the tournament, both were also involved as members of the tournament planning committee. "It is great to see these ladies follow the example set by their coach in giving back to the community", commented Loo Whitfield, Director of the Adopt-A-School Program. Twenty-one schools had players on the courts to represent their schools as 41 women's doubles teams battled it out on the tennis courts. Prizes were awarded to first place teams and runners up in four divisions. First place winners were: Amelia de los Reyes and Sharon Quimby (4+ Div); Kim Parker and Michelle Berry (3.5 div); Marla Falls and Cynthia Walker (3 div); Kathy Zeanah and Beth Smith (2.5 div). Second place winners were Harriett Hamilton and Lorna Jones (4+ div); Rachel Hollingshead and Ann Shealy (3.5 div); Susan Cordes and Renee Ulmstead (3 div); Moon Kim and Stephanie Andrus (2.5 div). Holt Elementary also received a $250 cash prize from the random drawing of schools represented by players in the tournament. Supported by many community businesses through court sponsorships, prize donations, and numerous additional goods and services, it was a winning event for all involved! The Adopt-A-School tournament is the annual fundraising event to benefit the coordination and administration of the Adopt-A-School program. Adopt-A-School is a business-education partnership program sponsored by the Tuscaloosa City Schools, Tuscaloosa County Schools, and the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama.

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Area Businesses Support Adopt-A-School Tennis Tournament

In addition to Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa, title sponsor for the tournament, many area businesses provided support to the Adopt-A-School Program through the annual golf tournament. As well as providing support as an adopter or sustainer, Ellis Architect, JVC America, Learning Experiences, McGiffert & Associates, NHS Management, Phifer Incorporated, Planit Solutions, Tuscaloosa Toyota and The University of Alabama all served as Eagle Sponsors for the tournament.

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Thanks to these 2007 Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa Adopt-A-School Tournament Tennis Court Sponsors. AFFLINK AutoMax, USA College of Continuing Studies - The University of Alabama Ellis Architects, Inc. In Honor of Westlawn Middle School by Jim & Karen Brooks Jamison, Money, Farmer & Company, P.C. Jim Myers Drug, Inc. JVC America, Inc. Learning Experiences, Inc. Madden Lincoln Mercury Volvo May Veterinary McGiffert & Associates, LLC Michael H. Echols & Associates, P.C. NHS Management, LLC Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa, Inc. Phifer Incorporated Planit Solutions, Inc. Sam's Club #6435 Steve Richardson & Company, CPA's Tanner & Guin, LLC The Hart Group, Inc. The Peoples Bank & Trust Company/Englewood Elementary School The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa Toyota WalMart Supercenter Thanks to these businesses for donations of goods and services. Bow Regards Buffalo Rock/Pepsi First National Bank of Central Alabama Golden Flake Henegar Rast Mortgage Hudson-Poole Fine Jewelers Krispy Kreme Kwik Kopy Printing Nancy & Company Fine Jewelers Publix #75 Lake Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Blueprinting Reprographics WTBC 1230 AM/Catfish Country 102.9 WVUA 7

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Northport Advisory Council Discusses 2008 Goals

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The Northport Advisory Council, led by Tracy Waldrop of First National Bank of Central Alabama, held its last meeting of 2007 on the evening of November 5th at Steamers to discuss key issues affecting Northport and the Council's goals for 2008. Key issues identified by the group are: Retail & Business Development; Increase Tax Base & Revenue; Traffic & Highway Infrastructure; Water & Sewer issues; Lack of High-End Residential Areas. Possible strategies are: To study other communities' incentives for retail development; Build closer working relationships with elected officials; Stimulate landscape & beautification; Help elected officials understand needs of business. If you'd like to be a part of the Northport Advisory Council, please contact us at 758.7588.

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Volunteers Complete Downtown Tuscaloosa Survey Project

As part of the overall development of the Greater Downtown Tuscaloosa planning process, a group of about 30 volunteers recently spent a Sunday afternoon on a Downtown Tuscaloosa "walkabout". Beginning with an orientation and training session at The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, the teams spent about 3 hours each surveying a great portion of the 100 blocks that make up the central business district. Led by Connie Cooper of Cooper Consulting, the teams surveyed, photographed, measured and analyzed the characteristics of buildings, streets and sidewalks, lighting, landscaping and the overall physical appearance and condition of Downtown Tuscaloosa. The teams' comments and observations will be submitted as part of the ongoing planning process for the development of the downtown area.

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The teams reviewed, up close and personal, a wide range of issues, from roof styles to building materials, from signage to the condition of sidewalks, from compatible uses to incompatible land uses. "Participating in this process was certainly an eye-opener", stated Chamber President Johnnie Aycock. "Until you walk in the Downtown area and observe closely, it's really hard to understand the potential and the challenges that need to be addressed to build a greater central business district. And there were so many creative ideas and fresh, diverse perspectives gained from the participants in the survey." The Greater Downtown Tuscaloosa plan is expected by end of 2007 or early 2008 for review and comments. Watch for additional information.

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Several Midtown Village Stores Celebrate Opening

Circuit City has officially relocated from its previous location in Bama Mall. The new store, an anchor for Midtown Village, held a grand opening celebration on the evening of October 11th. A special guest, former Alabama football coach Gene Stallings, was on-hand for the festivities. In 1949, when Samuel Wurtzel opened Ward's, Richmond, Virginia's first retail TV store, his goal was to provide the community with a new technology that would change the face of consumer electronics forever. More than 50 years, over 600 stores and several name changes later, the technology continues to change, but Circuit City's commitment to its customers remains strong. The technologies and solutions they provide can make your life easier and more enjoyable. Store hours are Wednesday through Saturday 10 am to 10 pm, Sundays 10 am to 8 pm, and Monday and Tuesday 10 am to 9 pm. Please call 342.0706 for more information or visit www.circuitcity.com. Panera Bread, also in Midtown Village, held a grand opening with ribbon cutting ceremony on

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October 26th. Samples of its artisan baked goods were enjoyed by all in attendance. Ten percent of total net sales for this whole day were donated to the DCH Breast Cancer Fund. Stop in today for freshly baked breads, bagels, baked egg soufflés, pastries and sweets. The Cafe Menu is where you'll find beautiful sandwiches, soups, hand-tossed salads, beverages and the Panera Kids menu. The store also sells wonderful dipping sauces and oils, dressings and whole bean coffee to bring the great taste of Panera Bread home with you. They do catering for business lunches and events, too. Store hours are 6 am to 9 pm Monday through Saturday and 7 am to 9 pm on Sundays. For more information, please call 366.8780 or visit www.panerabread.com. Barnes & Noble, Inc., the world's largest bookseller, opened its Midtown Village anchor store on October 31st. The store stocks close to 200,000 books, music, DVD and magazine titles and includes a café serving Starbucks coffee. Store hours are from 9 am to 11 pm every day and it employs approximately 50 people from the community.

A well-attended public Preview Night Party was held on Tuesday, October 30th, from 6 pm to 9 pm. A portion of that night's sales will benefit the Rise School of Tuscaloosa. A special Educator's Resources table was featured for Pre K-12 teachers, featuring information about classroom discounts, school book

fairs and Barnes & Noble Classics. Tuscaloosa Children's Theatre performed and the Cat in the Hat was on hand. New store features: Membership Program-- Gives members 40% off hardcover fiction and nonfiction bestsellers, 20% off all other adult hardcover books, and 10% off virtually everything else in stores and online at Barnes & Noble.com. The annual fee is $25. Community Center--The store will serve as a local community center, hosting a number of events throughout the year to include author readings and discussions, book clubs, and programs with local literary and cultural organizations. Educational Resources--Special programs are available for teachers,

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librarians and home schoolers. The store will also hold book fairs, partnering with local schools and other community institutions. Large Children's Departments--Bigger than most typical bookstores and stocking over 15,000 titles in an easy-to-browse environment, "Barnes & Noble Jr." departments are designed to appeal to children, parents, teachers and librarians. Rapid Special-Order Service-The massive warehouse inventory is available in real-time, enabling its booksellers to order and confirm the availability of over one million titles at the click of a button. Advanced Technology Music/Movie Preview System--RedDotNet, the most advanced listening and previewing technology, is featured. It enables customers to listen to any CD in the store, sampling up to 270,000 music titles by simply passing it under a scanner. Customers may also view a three-minute clip of up to 60,000 DVDs. Giant Newsstand--The store's newsstand stocks over 2,000 titles, including hundreds of hard-to-find specialty magazines and out-of-town newspapers. Wi-Fi Service--AT&T Wi-FiSM service allows customers to use their laptop computers and personal digital assistants anywhere in the store or café to communicate online, surf the Internet and connect to corporate networks at speeds 50 to 100 times as fast as a dial-up connection. A single two-hour session costs $3.95, and an annual membership with unlimited access to more than 10,700 AT&T Wi-Fi hot spots is available for $19.95 per month (with a one-year commitment). For more information, please visit www.barnesandnoble.com or call Rhesha Smith at 349.0872.

JoS. A. Bank, a fine men's clothier in Midtown Village, held a grand opening with ribbon cutting ceremony on the morning of November 5th. With a heritage of 102 years of quality, value and service and over 400 stores nationwide, JoS. A.Bank sells a full selection of beautifully made men's tailored and casual clothing, footwear and accessories at prices typically 20 to 30 percent below

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competitors--Be sure to sign up for the free discount card or Corporate Card, which entitles you to 20% off all purchases! Store hours are Monday through Saturday 10 am to 9 pm and Sunday noon to 6 pm. Please call Joel Rutherford at 752.0558 or visit www.josabank.com for more information.

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New Waterway Motor Vessel Christened

A Christening ceremony for the Motor Vessel Lawson was held on the afternoon of October 22nd at Medeiros Point on the Riverwalk Trail. The Mobile District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates and maintains 22 lock and dams; four waterway systems with over 2,000 miles of commercially navigable channels; a half a million acres of land; 454 recreations areas; and eight hydropower plants in Alabama, western Georgia, northwestern Florida and eastern Mississippi. The Corps of Engineers has maintained an office in downtown Tuscaloosa, Alabama since 1875 when it began constructing the original locks and dams on the Black Warrior River. Today, the Tuscaloosa office operates and manages both the Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway and the Alabama/Coosa Rivers Project. The Black Warrior-Tombigbee, Alabama/Coosa Project Office in Tuscaloosa oversees management and maintenance of nine Locks and Dams, two hydro-electric powerhouses, 758 miles of commercial navigation channel, 39,000 acres of land and 58 recreation areas, including 12 campgrounds-all within the state of Alabama. Project waters are used to transport approximately 22 million tons of cargo annually, while the recreation areas host approximately seven

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million visitors. The Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway is one of the busier inland waterways in the nation. The Motor Vessel Lawson is 96 feet long by 40 feet wide, has a draft of five feet and seven inches, weighs 374 tons, and houses a crew of ten. The Lawson was built in Houma, Louisiana by Quality Shipyards to replace the Snagboat ROS, built in 1969. She is piloted with 12 rudders (six steering and six flanking). Three, four stroke diesel engines provide 2,040 horsepower to her three 52 inch propellers. The Lawson will be used in combination with the Choctawhatchee Crane Barge to maintain the Alabama inland waterways operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers. George S. Lawson served the US Government for 41 years. Thirty-seven of these years were with the Mobile District of the US Army Corps of Engineers where he advanced to the position of Area Engineer for both the Panama City and Tuscaloosa Offices. During the early part of his career, he worked at the US Waterways Experiment Station; was involved with the construction of the Natchez Trace Parkway; and surveyed the Alabama River and several air fields throughout the south. He retired in 1978 after serving as the Area Engineer in Tuscaloosa for the last 24 years of his highly distinguished career.

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Habitat Begins Work on Another New Home

Habitat for Humanity held a groundbreaking ceremony on October 29th for the Waller Family home, being sponsored by Coalbed Methane. Address is 2922 21st St. in Tuscaloosa. Habitat hopes to have the home completed by summer. For more information or to get involved, please contact Susan Bishop at 349.5343 ext 6 or [email protected].

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Upcoming Member Events

Midtown Village Celebration is This Evening To celebrate the opening of Midtown Village, Cypress Equities will host a reception to thank all friends, neighbors and partners who helped make the venture possible. The event will be today, Thursday, November 8th

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from 6 PM to 8 PM at The Village Green at Midtown Village. Drinks and hors d'oeuvres will be served. Please RSVP to [email protected]. Book Fair Benefiting the Pre-K Initiative is Today and Tomorrow Visit the "Books Are Fun" Book Fair today, Thursday, November 8th from 9am to 5pm and tomorrow, Friday, November 9th from 9am to 1pm in the first floor lobby of City Hall in downtown Tuscaloosa. For more information, please call 248-5001. Give Thanks, Give Blood on November 12th United blood Services will hold a drive on Monday, November 12th from 10 am to 3 pm at the Hilton Garden Inn, next to Hollywood Cinemas in Tuscaloosa. Two great door prizes will be raffled off: Two tickets to the upcoming Bama vs. Louisiana Monroe football game and overnight weekend accommodations and breakfast for 2 at the hotel. For more information, please call 722.0360. Athlete's Foot to Hold Grand Opening Festivities November 14th-18th Tuscaloosa will soon be home to the first newly-designed Athlete's Foot store in the world. The new TAF store, located in MidTown Village behind Kirkland's, will feature flat screen TVs programmed with "TAF TV," new merchandise modules and the company's new logo and signage. The grand opening festivities begin with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday evening, November 14th from 5 pm to 7 pm, with a special reception for Chamber members and other community leaders and at the store. The public is invited to participate in other grand opening activities, including the TAF Tuscaloosa Turkey Trot on Saturday, November 17th--Runners and walkers will take to Jaycees Park for a 5K run and ½ mile fun run and walk. Registration is at 8 am. The event features prizes, free t-shirts, barbeque and more. School discount day is Sunday, November 18th--Students currently enrolled in the Tuscaloosa public school system will receive a 20% discount at the store by presenting student IDs or report cards or wearing school colors. For more information, please call Laurie Arizumi at 348.0552 or visit www.theathletesfoot.com. Pine Valley to Dedicate All Purpose Room on November 15th You're invited to join in the dedication of the new All-Purpose Room at Pine Valley Retirement Community on Thursday, November 15th from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Address is 800 Rice Valley Road, North, in Tuscaloosa. For more information, please call 349.8700 or visit www.pinevalleyretcom.com.

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Merrill Gardens to Hold Annual Open House Merrill Gardens at Northport invites you to join them for hors d'oeuvres and dancing at the 8th Annual Open House on Thursday, November 15th from 6 pm to 8 pm. Address is 951 Rose Drive in Northport. There will be over $500 in door prizes given away! For more information, please call Kelly Bonner at 330.1700 or visit www.merrillgardens.com.

Absolute Auction to be Held on November 16th Granger Thagard and Associates, Inc. will conduct an Absolute Auction on Friday, November 16th from 11 am to 2 pm to include two income properties. First property is at 1192 14th Ave South in Tuscaloosa, about two blocks from the south entrance to Bryant-Denny Stadium and is offered at 11 am. Auction held on site. Register by 10:45 am. Second property is at 407 20th St. East in Tuscaloosa, very near Midtown Village, and is offered at 2 pm. Register by 1:45 pm. Auction held on site. Both properties offered absolute with no minimums and no reserves. Rental income history and more information is available at www.gtauctions.com or by calling 800.996.2877.

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How to be an Attentive Listener

Another boring meeting? Your mind wanders on to other things... Have you have noticed you need to improve your listening skills? The right attitude is key. You have to be genuinely interested in improving your focus and mentality. Here is some advice: 1. Focus on the speaker. If you're listening carefully, you'll maintain eye contact, nod your head occasionally, have an attentive posture, and use relaxed body language. 2. Setting aside mental and physical distractions. There are many internal and external obstacles in our everyday lives. Even if you're preoccupied with business or family concerns, try to block it out until the meeting is over. 3. Take notes. A good way to not let your mind wander is by taking notes on each speaker. 4. Keep a positive attitude. Even though the meeting seems to be a waste of time, keeping a positive attitude about the benefits of the meeting will help you override any negativity. Imagine how things would be if this

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weekly meeting didn't take place. Would projects get finished on time? Would accountability lessen from decreased contact within the department? If you have any business related questions or would like advice on other workplace issues, visit our web site at www.birmingham.dalecarnegie.com or email us at [email protected]. (c) Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc. 2005. All Rights Reserved.

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