Vol. 19, September 2011 - Buy Local
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FOCUS ON
By making a commitment to spend just 10 percent of your income on local businesses, you can have a significant impact on the local economy. But there are other good reasons to shop local. South Bend ON highlights just a few. Read more …
COMPANY PROFILE
Stanz Foodservice: Staying power
Throughout its nearly 90 years in business, Stanz Foodservice Inc. has seen many changes. One thing that has remained constant, though, is its commitment to the city where it all started. Company president Mark Harman shares with South Bend ON some of the reasons why. Read more ...
IN CONVERSATION
An interview with J.V. Peacock — owner of Outpost Sports
By Phil D’Amico, director of business growth,
The Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County
J.V. Peacock is the owner of Outpost Sports, which he started two years after his graduation from Colorado State University in 1972. Today he owns two Outpost Sports locations within the South Bend and Mishawaka area. The business started with backpacks, and today it specializes in volleyball, biking, stand-up paddleboards and winter-related sports products like skis, as well as extreme-related sports equipment. Read more …
MULTIMEDIA
South Bend’s All-America City win on WNIT’s “Economic Outlook”
WNIT’s “Economic Outlook” program, hosted by Phil D’Amico, director of business growth, The Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County, recently focused on South Bend’s victory in the All-America City competition. Click here to view the panel discussion.
INNOVATION IN GOVERNMENT
Rain barrel and garden offer green alternative
An area facing chronic basement backups during storms benefited this summer from a neighborhood environmental stewardship demonstration project that was implemented by volunteers and City of South Bend engineering staff.
A pilot household was outfitted with green solutions to flooding problems, including a rain barrel, a backyard compost bin and a rain garden. Read more ...
EVENTS & HAPPENINGS
National College hosts health care career expo
The South Bend campus of National College, 1030 E. Jefferson Blvd., will host a health care career expo from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15. The event is free and open to the public. Community job-seekers are welcome to come and meet with participating employers.
The career fair will focus on community health care positions. Several of the participating employers include: Memorial Hospital & Health System, Memorial Home Care Inc., Walgreens, LOGAN Community Resources and Golden LivingCenter. For more information, call 574-307-7104.
Salmon Chase marks 14th anniversary Sept. 17
The KeyBank Salmon Chase Fall Classic, with 10- and 5-kilometer runs and a 5-kilometer walk, will celebrate its 14th year on Saturday, Sept. 17 as the region’s premier fall race.
The event benefits the Kelly Cares Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame, where the event begins and ends. More info here …
Visit South Bend ON at Sept. 21 Business Expo
The Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County’s Business Expo After Hours 2011, the 9th annual networking event of business professionals in northern Indiana, will take place from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 21 at Century Center.
Visit the City of South Bend exhibit to see an exciting new initiative featuring South Bend business professionals and residents. More info here …
TECH PARK UPDATES
Chicago Tribune highlights Ignition Park’s potential
Ignition Park, featured nationally in July by the Fox Business Network, was the focus of a Sept. 6 article in the Chicago Tribune, one of the nation’s largest daily newspapers. More info here ...
NEWS & HEADLINES
South Bend Parks to address obesity among youth 10–14
The South Bend Parks & Recreation Department has been selected by researchers at Indiana University as a beta site to study community aspects that influence obesity and active living among youth ages 10 to 14.
Since 2009, the Healthy Communities Research Group has been working in Bloomington with several partners to develop and test a Healthy Communities Surveillance and Management Project. After work with the Bloomington Parks & Recreation Department and others as an initial alpha site, the project’s methods are being integrated and applied in beta communities like South Bend over the next three years.
“The Healthy Communities Project helps assess, analyze, document and evaluate elements related to aligning parks and recreation as a catalyst for enhancing community health,” according to the initiative, which focuses specifically on policies, funding, physical assets, programs and services that influence health and fitness of youth ages 10 to 14. “This is the age where youth start to become independent in their lifestyle choices. Studies show that if a child is overweight or obese by this age, they are 80 percent likely to be overweight or obese as an adult, and 80 percent of those adults will produce overweight or obese children.
“If not addressed,” in the words of the initiative, “this trend can drastically negatively impact the overall health and the economy in a community.”
Administration proposes balanced 2012 budget
With flat revenue projections for 2012, the administration of Mayor Stephen J. Luecke is proposing a balanced General Fund spending budget of $64.4 million for the coming year, a 1-percent decrease from the current fiscal year.
The South Bend Common Council began a series of hearings on the proposed 2012 budget Aug. 29. More info here …
Transpo facility receives LEED Platinum certification
Transpo, the South Bend Public Transportation Corp., announced Aug. 31 that its new administrative, maintenance and operations center recently was certified as an LEED Platinum facility by the U.S. Green Building Council.
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and Platinum is the highest level of achievement. The Transpo facility is the nation’s first transit facility with an LEED Platinum certification.
The public facility is located in Ignition Park. More info here …
Mass spectrometry and imaging facilities enable cancer cell discovery
A breakthrough in the laboratory of Kevin Vaughan, associate professor of biological sciences at the University of Notre Dame, will assist researchers in understanding cell cycle regulation. The group identified a novel protein that is regulated by the mitotic kinase Aurora B, an important factor in mitosis, or cell division. More info here …
Notre Dame receives recognition for storm water management program
The University of Notre Dame recently received a Certificate of Recognition from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) for its storm water management program on campus. More info here …