Thanks to the models and merchants who helped put together a wonderful event on Main Street Saturday night.

Congratulations to Hollie Supak, Troy Streuer, Sheila Tamble and the many volunteers who made Chic Beat, the Smithville Music and Film Commission’s first fashion and music festival, a huge success.

The event was well attended, the models were fabulous in the fashions from area merchants and the evening was great fun.

I would also like to send a special thanks to The Pickett Fence for donating balloons, Grandma’s House for the beautiful plants, Kitchen Divas for providing a free buffet, Playhouse Smithville for their entertaining band and the crew of the Smithville Parks and Recreation Department for their support.

Our vendors were busy selling their great items to ready buyers. Another new event has been created for our community calendar. We’ll start looking right away for the spring show date!

Businesses should prepare for change

I wish it were raining outside of the window as I write this column. A change in the weather would almost be as good for us all as a change in the business climate.

There is no question that we are all looking forward to cooler days (and nights) and stronger business numbers.

I keep thinking about those Tiger band members, cheerleaders and football players  (and their adult leaders) who are putting in those hot, hot hours of practice. Sometimes for them the reward might seem as hidden as the dollars in the cash register after a slow business day.

But, just like the player on the sidelines who must be ready to put on his helmet when the coach calls his name, our businesses must be ready, regardless of how hard the last hit was, to have our “game face” on and be ready to give a 100 percent effort.

Businesses are made up of service, merchandise, service, price, and did I mention service? Everyone remembers the service, sometimes even long after the merchandise is worn out and certainly after the meal is eaten.

Local story

goes national

I have a problem with my new phone.

It’s really not the phone itself, but for the last week it has been overworked by Google alerts.

When Smithville is mentioned in anything that is posted on the Internet, I get an alert and a copy of the posting.

Thanks to the Austin American-Statesman’s article about J.W. Breeden and LiveAir Networks, my phone has been going crazy.

The Associated Press picked up the story and it has been posted in newspapers and websites all around the country. People from as far away as New England have been reading the story about our own small-town entrepreneur business that has made a huge difference in the face of rural technology.

Our chamber pegged LiveAir as our Business of the Year in 2009 and I guess we were right on.

Thanks LiveAir for bringing all of this publicity to our community.

Citywide Garage

Sale soon

If you’d like to clean it out, don’t forget to sign up for the Citywide Garage Sale on Saturday, Oct. 2.

Sign up forms are available at the Smithville Area Chamber of Commerce.

For you bargain shoppers, we’re just a month away from another fun and exciting day around the neighborhoods in Smithville.