INTERESTED IN GOING PAPERLESS? The monthly Communicator is now available online and via email! If you are interested in receiving the Communicator via email instead of a snail mail, hard copy, let us know! The Chamber is happy to send you a digital version of the Communicator on a monthly basis.
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Director’s Corner: Shopping Safe During the Holidays
Written by Chief Ed Ormonde
What a wonderful time a year, as the temperature cools, much needed rain descends upon us, and we welcome the holiday season. During this time many turn their attention of a time to celebrate family, embrace togetherness, and count there many blessings in their lives. As we embrace the season many of us will brave local stores shopping for holiday gifts. What a great environment our local boutiques and eateries provide for shoppers. Can anyone ask for a safer and a more friendly community to shop in? As we are all out in the hustle and bustle here are some helpful tips that everyone can use during the holidays or any time of year to assist in keeping you, you’re family, and your property safe. While out shopping:
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•Contact the police department if you observe or suspect anything that is suspicious. (Ripon Police Department non-emergency telephone number is 599-2102). •Shop during daylight hours whenever possible. If you must shop at night, go with a friend or family member. •Dress casually and comfortably. •Avoid wearing expensive jewelry.
card numbers in a safe place at home. •Avoid overloading yourself with packages. It is important to have clear visibility and freedom of motion to avoid mishaps. •Beware of strangers approaching you for any reason. At this time of year, "con-artists" may try various methods of distracting you with the intention of taking your money or belongings.
•Even though you are rushed and thinking about a thousand things, stay alert to your surroundings. •Be extra careful if you do carry a wallet or purse. They are the prime targets of criminals in crowded shopping areas, transportation terminals, bus stops, on buses and other rapid transit. •Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. •Keep cash in your front pocket. •Pay for purchases with a check or credit card when possible. •Notify the credit card issuer immediately if your credit card is lost, stolen or misused. •Keep a record of all of your credit
•Do not leave packages or valuables on the seat of your car. This creates a temptation for thieves. If you must leave something in the car, lock it in the trunk or put it out of sight. • Teach your child to go to a store clerk and ask for help in case your child is separated from you. •If you must use an ATM, choose one that is located inside a police station, mall, or well-lighted location. Withdraw only the amount of cash you need. • Protect your PIN by shielding the ATM keypad from anyone who is standing near you. •Do not throw your ATM receipt away at the ATM location I hope these tips accentuate your holiday shopping season and help you enjoy a very Merry Christmas!
What You Need to Know About the New Health Care Law
Contributed by Vermeulen & Company
The past few days have been most interesting watching congressional testimony on the health care law implementation. Beginning in 2014, nearly everyone in America must either be covered by health insurance or pay a tax penalty. To facilitate this program, either your state or the federal government must provide a “Marketplace” (also known as the health insurance exchange) that enables you to compare and buy health policies from any of several different companies. You can also use the program to find out if you qualify for a tax credit to help pay for the insurance or if you qualify for Medicaid assistance. The promise is that you may someday reach the Marketplace through a
website, through the mail, or by telephone. The plans in the Marketplace are offered by private insurance companies. All must provide a set of core benefits, and none may reject you because of an existing illness or other medical condition. If you already have a health care policy, you needn’t do anything at all. You may someday use the Marketplace to seek out and purchase cheaper and/or better coverage if available, unless you’re age 65 or older. In the latter case, you’ll generally be covered by Medicare and will not be subject to the new law. If you don’t have health insurance, you
can buy a policy directly from a provider, or you can use the Marketplace to find the coverage that suits you best. The cost will depend on the desired benefits, your income, and the size of your family. Marketplace information about prices and benefits will be provided so that you will be able to compare policies before you enroll. To access the program, compare options, and/or sign up, visit the federal website at www.healthcare.gov. (If your state is running its own program, you’ll be directed to the appropriate website.) You can also call 1-800-318-2596 for options, instructions, and answers to questions.
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American Legion Crab Feed Sat., January 11, 2014 6 p.m. Drinks 7 p.m. Dinner Ripon Community Center $45 per person The area’s longestrunning and best-of-thebest crab feed is presented again this year by none other than Ripon’s American Legion
Post 190! The Crab Feed will be held on Saturday, January 11, 2014 - a great way to begin your new year! There will be no host cocktails from 6:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. followed by dinner at 7:00 p.m. featuring all-youcan-eat crab, green salad, baked potato, fresh & fancy French bread, dessert, wine, & coffee. Raffle and spirited dancing to take place after dinner (to work off all of
that crab you overindulged in!). The event will be held at the Ripon Community Center. Tickets are $45 per person and must be purchased in advance - no tickets at the door. Must be 21& over to attend. Tickets are available from Darryl Bartels, State Farm Insurance (201 S. Stockton Ave., 5992174). For more info, please contact Ken Lawson (5994714).
Now Available: Pick-Up & Delivery Pet Grooming Debbie’s Pet Grooming is now offering pet pick-up and delivery services in Ripon! For just a mere $10 charge, Debbie’s will pick up your cute doggy pal in need of a good bath and groom and drop your pet back off - all clean and spiffy!
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Service is currently only available on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Small and medium dogs only please. For more information, call Debbie’s Pet Grooming at 599.5572 or stop in at their Main Street location and chat about options in person - 433 W. Main Street.
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Opportunities for Charity in the Ripon Community amazing opportunities to help those in need.
Ripon FFA Giving Tree
The holiday season presents many opportunities to help the less fortunate among us who also call Ripon home. Through the generosity of the community, we can ensure these citizens receive the dignity and support they need to also have a beautiful holiday season. Please keep reading for two
Ripon FFA presents Christmas Giving Tree. To participate, select a tag from one the Giving Trees. Purchase a gift (not to exceed $35) for the tag you choose. Tape the tag from the tree onto the new, unwrapped gift. If gifting clothes, gift receipts are mandatory. Next, drop off new, tagged, unwrapped gifts to the dropoff locations. Gift drop-off will start December 2 and end on December 17. Be sure and “like” Ripon FFA on Facebook. Thank you for your generosity during this holiday season!
Giving Tree Locations: Save Mart Schemper’s ACE Hardware Tractor Supply Co. Ripon High Main Office Gift Drop-off Locations: Ripon Chamber of Commerce Ripon FD Main Office Ripon High Main Office
dropping off your lightly used coats to the bucket located in front of the Ripon Chamber and elsewhere throughout town. Questions? Contact Chad DeGraff at 595.1811. Thank you in advance for your commitment to keeping those in need warm.
Ripon Rotary Coat Drive Warming Our Community, One Coat at a Time! During the month of November, the Ripon Rotary would like to ask for your support in their annual coat drive. Help keep everyone warm this winter by
Barnwood Restaurant: Now Offering Breakfast Barnwood Restaurant will serve breakfast Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. starting Monday, December 2! Specials will include Build your Own Omelette, Barnwood Waffle -Wich, Grilled Breakfast Burrito, and Ken’s Carne Guisada – not to
mention Bloody Marys and Mimosas! Plus, all the usual breakfast suspects everyone loves! Be sure and try out Barnwood’s new breakfast!
Volunteers Needed: Hospice San Joaquin Volunteers Needed in Manteca, Ripon & Lathrop Areas. Also looking for help in the following areas: pet therapy, music therapy, hair dressers, garden & house maintenance.
offering their time, friendship, and assistance with light chores or errands. Training for this volunteer position consists of instruction and shared discussions with our experienced Hospice of San Joaquin staff and outside speakers on the following topics and more:
Experience the rewards and satisfaction of making a difference in the lives of others! Caring men and women are needed to provide support and companionship 2-4 hours per week to our hospice patients & their families and patients in our Transitions Program. Volunteers provide compassionate care and comfort by
♥ Hospice History & Philosophy ♥ Spiritual Care & Support ♥ Communication & Listening Skills ♥ Cultural Diversity ♥ Concepts of Death & Dying ♥ Needs of the Dying ♥ Hospice Family ♥ Grief & Loss ♥ Care & Comfort Measures ♥ Role of the Volunteer
Or provide behind the scenes support by volunteering in our administrative office helping with mailings, clerical, data input & other administrative tasks. For information, please call 209957-3888. Hospice of San Joaquin 3888 Pacific Ave. Stockton, CA 95204 www.hospicesj.org
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Grief Support Workshop Beginning Soon Calvary Reformed Church is offering a 13-week, biblically -based grief support group to begin Wednesday,
I need a name!
December 4, 2013, from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. It is
loss. At Grief Share you will learn valuable information that will help you through this difficult time in your life. To register, contact Carol, Parish Nurse, at 599-4294 or
for people grieving the death of someone close. It is a place where you can be around people who understand how you feel and the pain of your
Transportation is available. Take advantage of this opportunity to turn your mourning into joy.
December Events Calendar & Housekeeping Monday, December 2 Ripon Christmas Tree Lighting Veteran’s Memorial 7:00 p.m. Corner of Locust & First St. Almond Blossom Queen/ Miss Ripon Application Due Ripon Chamber Due no later than 4 p.m.
Thursday, December 5
Please note: there is no December Morning Coffee or December Evening Mixer.
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carol@calvaryripon.org.
Taste of Ripon $25. 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Housekeeping • Are you getting our emails? Some of our members have mentioned that sometimes
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they are not receiving our emails. If you are not getting our emails, please check your junk folder or add tspade@riponchamber.org to your list of approved email addresses to make sure you stay up to date on all the Chamber happenings and community-wide events. • Did you know? On the fourth Tuesday of every month from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m. at the Ripon Chamber of Commerce Congressman Denham holds District Office Hours? His aides are eager to answer and address any of your inquiries. Hours resume in January. • Ripon’s mascot needs a name! People of all ages who live in Ripon are invited to submit names for the mascot
in the Ripon Chamber of Commerce’s “Name Ripon’s Mascot!” contest. Submit responses at http://tinyurl.com/ riponmascot. Winner will be announced at the Almond Blossom Festival, February 2123. Winner also receives a gift certificate to Barnwood Restaurant! Submissions accepted until February 1, 2014. Good luck! • The Ripon Chamber is in the process of creating a Ripon Community Calendar - a resource for Ripon residents that will list events happening throughout the community. Send us your events and we would be happy to get them on our calendar!
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Are You Taking Full Advantage of our Enterprise Zone? Contributed by San Joaquin County Enterprise Zone The San Joaquin County Enterprise Zone, established in Ripon in July 2011 after a competitive selection process, is one of only 42 enterprise zones designated throughout California. The San Joaquin County Enterprise Zone offers businesses that locate or expand within the zone substantial reductions in operating costs by accessing a variety of State tax incentives and local benefits. The San Joaquin County Enterprise Zone covers more than 656 square miles including portions of Lathrop, Lodi, Ripon, Manteca, Tracy, Stockton, and the County. In Ripon, the benefits of the San Joaquin County Enterprise Zone will be available to all businesses until December 31, 2013. However, businesses will still be able submit vouchers through 2014. Enterprise zones are the only areas within the State able to offer actual State income tax advantages to businesses located within the zones. Reduced income taxes translate into lower operational costs and increased profits! In addition to the tax incentives for business, the San Joaquin County Enterprise Zone offers favorably priced improved and
unimproved properties, a semiskilled and skilled workforce, and a network of public and private agencies and organizations committed to providing companies with a pro-business environment. All in all, the benefits and incentives of the San Joaquin County Enterprise Zone can help your business grow and prosper! Enterprise zones have been established in California to stimulate development in selected economically distressed areas. The Enterprise Zone Act provides five business related tax incentives which are fully explained in the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) Pub. 3805Z Enterprise Zone Business Booklet. These incentives are: • Credit for hiring qualified employees; • Credit for sales and use tax paid on certain machinery; • Business expense deduction for the cost of certain property; • Net operating cost carryover; and • Net interest deduction for lenders.
A sixth incentive is available only to employees who work in a designated enterprise zone. Employees may claim a tax credit to reduce the amount of their income tax on wages earned in an enterprise zone. See form FTB 3553, Enterprise Zone Employee Credit. Enterprise zone tax incentives apply only to investments and business activities that are undertaken after an enterprise zone has received final designation. This requirement also applies to any expansion of existing enterprise zone boundaries. For more specific information on any of the state tax credits, contact your tax accountant, the Franchise Tax Board Hotline at 916.845.3464, or the San Joaquin County Enterprise Zone at 209.468.3615. Or, go online to www.sjcex.org.
Jake’s: Under New Ownership Jake’s Coffee, Tea, and Sandwiches, one of Ripon’s local gourmet coffee shops, is now officially under new ownership. Lori Knight, Jake’s new proprietor, is excited about this opportunity. In the next few months, Lori will be holding a naming contest for Jake’s. Lori is passionate about community building and wants the name of
her new coffee shop to be generated by the very community it represents and serves. The winner will receive daily coffee for six months. What an amazing prize! Welcome, Lori, to the Ripon business community. Jake, you will be missed and we wish you the best in your future endeavors!
“Reduced income taxes translate into lower operational costs and increased profits!”
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Tree of Lights Celebrates its 25th Anniversary
Contributed by Hospice of San Joaquin
Plan on visiting the Tree lighting ceremony scheduled for Friday, December 6 at 6:00 pm at Mistlin Fountain Park located at the corner of E. Main Street and Oak Avenue.
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A year ago, the City of Ripon’s community gathered at Mistlin Fountain Park to witness history — the first lighting ceremony of Hospice of San Joaquin’s Tree of Lights in the City. While Tree of Lights is young locally, it has been 25 years since Hospice of San Joaquin lit the first Tree at San Joaquin Delta College. During the 2013 Holiday season, Hospice of San Joaquin, the Ripon Chamber of Commerce and friends invite you to celebrate the 25th Lighting Ceremony of Tree of Lights. “We are pleased to announce one of the most commemorative Tree of Lights Lighting Ceremonies in the history Hospice of San Joaquin,” noted Sandy Stoddard, Director of Fund Development at Hospice of San Joaquin. “For many families, the tree lighting ceremonies mark the beginning of the holiday season,” explained Carolyn
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Gomes, Event Coordinator at the agency. And for others Tree of Lights has a deeper meaning. “I have donated to Tree of Lights for more than 10-years in honor of my first wife Loretta Abel,” noted Richard Abel, Retired High School Principal at Lodi Unified School District, “Tree of Lights keeps her memory alive every year.” Abel explained that Hospice of San Joaquin cared for her following a brain tumor. There are six other Trees joining our Ripon Tree throughout the county. Other sister cities include Rio Vista, Lodi, Lockeford, Stockton, Manteca, and Tracy. Tree of Lights is a community event, promoting hospice awareness and inclusion for individuals who have lost a loved one by honoring their memory during the holiday season. “This event serves as a bereavement service which allows participants to remember their loved ones,” Carrie Lane, Bereavement Manager stated adding that “the holidays without a special loved one are difficult; however, the shining light brings joy to many hearts.” The trees are decorated for the community, thanks to the
partnership of local organizations, businesses, community groups and individual contributors. The 25th Anniversary of Tree of Lights is an event not to be missed. “We encourage everyone to Light Up a Light – Light Up a Life by dedicating a light on the tree of your choice this year,” highlighted Sandy Stoddard, Director of Fund Development at Hospice of San Joaquin. Plan on visiting the Tree lighting ceremony scheduled for Friday, December 6 at 6:00 pm at Mistlin Fountain Park located at the corner of E. Main Street and Oak Avenue. The Ripon Tree of Lights is hosted by the City of Ripon along with Community and Youth Services Commission. To “Light-Up a Light… LightUp a Life” you may find the forms at www.hospicesj.org. You may purchase a light up to December 31st. Boards are updated throughout December.
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New Members and Member Renewals A warm welcome to our new members:
Ballatore Ranch
Kamps Propane
Elite Health Club (formerly Ripon Athletic Club)
And a big thank you for our members that renewed last month:
ARCO AM/PM
Allen D. Hoek, O.D.
Scentsy Wickless Candles/Melissa Groom Bank of the West
Windmill Septic
PG&E
Grace Hogan
Fractal Dreams
Weaver Insurance Agency
Supervisor Ken Vogel
Doctors Hospital
Be sure and welcome new members to our Ripon community and to patronize fellow Chamber businesses!
Taste of Ripon - Tickets are Flying! Need Childcare? You are cordially invited to the 18th annual Taste of Ripon on Thursday, December 5 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Price is $25 per person and tickets can be purchased at the Chamber office or on the Chamber website. Ticket sales are going strong so it should be a fun night for all! As of this writing, 29 Ripon businesses are participating! What a tremendous response from our lovely community!
to the rescue! Pretty in Pink will be hosting a Rockstar Pajama Party for children the night of Taste of Ripon (Dec. 5) from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. They will be offering rockstar makeovers for boys and girls, pizza, drinks, Just Dance, karaoke, and the Wii U! Everything to make sure your child has as much fun that night as you do! This will be a drop-off event. Contact Pretty in Pink at 607.3384, at prettyinpinkripon@gmail.com, or drop in to register your child(ren) and for more info! Only $25 per guest!
Are you having trouble finding childcare for the evening of Taste of Ripon? Never fear - Pretty in Pink
Childcare by Pretty in Pink will be available the night of Taste of Ripon! Only $25 per guest. Hours are 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. or until 9 p.m. for Taste of Ripon participants!
Deegan Funeral Chapels Holiday Open House Deegan Funeral Chapels Holiday Open House in Escalon Friday, December 6, 2013 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. 1441 San Joaquin Street Escalon, CA Deegan Funeral Chapels is hosting a Holiday Open House at their Escalon location. Not only will it be a fun social event to come mingle
and enjoy the season, it will be a way for the families we have served in the past and present to experience Deegan’s in a different way and a way for all families who have suffered a loss to memorialize their loved ones. Deegan’s is debuting their First Annual Community Memorial Tree. The community is invited to personalize and decorate a dove ornament in remembrance of their lost loved ones and place it on the Memorial Tree where it will remain
throughout the holiday season. Children will have a visit from Santa Claus from 6-7 p.m., hear a story, and make an ornament to take home while the adults enjoy music and refreshments. All are welcome! For more information, please call (209) 8387321.
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PRESORT STD AUTO U.S. POSTAGE PAID RIPON, CA
Ripon Chamber of Commerce
929 West Main Street Ripon, CA 95366 Phone: 209.599.7519 Fax: 888.556.4944 Website: riponchamber.org info@riponchamber.org Keeping Ripon’s Business Community Vibrant
Ripon Christmas Tree Lighting Monday, December 2 7 p.m. Veteran’s Memorial (Corner of Locust & First) Complementary Hot Cocoa and Cookies On Monday, December 2, Ripon’s Christmas Tree Lighting festivities will be held at the Veteran’s Memorial beginning at 7 p.m. Evening will feature voices from the Ripon Christian choir, a season’s blessing from Pastor Glen Shirk of Ripon Grace Brethren Church, and of course, hot cocoa and yummy cookies! All are welcome so bring your family and Christmas spirit!