by James Rivera, SBA Official

• Created: March 12, 2014, 1:36 pm
• Updated: March 12, 2014, 1:40 pm

Following a tradition begun by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1943, President Barack Obama has proclaimed Marchas American Red Cross Month.

Since July 2011, the U.S. Small Business Administration has supported a partnership with the American Red Cross, participating in events to promote the importance of disaster preparedness for individuals and businesses.  Getting the word out about the Red Cross Ready Rating program has been a focus of the American Red Cross/SBA relationship.

Ready Rating is a free, self-paced, web-based membership program that helps a business measure its ability to deal with emergencies.  All you have to do is answer the questions, based on what you know about your company and its operations, and Ready Rating gives customized feedback on how to start or improve your business continuity planning.

A recent report by the Small Business Majority and the American Sustainable Business Council estimates the average cost of downtime from small businesses affected by an extreme weather event is $3,000 per day.  Since small businesses don’t have the resources of large corporations, it’s a good idea to build a resilient organization by creating a solid disaster preparedness plan.  And Ready Rating is a great, easy-to-use emergency planning tool.

At the Ready Rating site (www.readyrating.org), you can:

• Complete an assessment to measure the overall preparedness level of your business
• Create a custom-made emergency plan for your organization
• Access tools to help you complete a hazard vulnerable assessment
• Get tips on implementing your emergency response plan
• Download the Free First-Aid app

Red Cross Month is a good time to take a step to protect your employees, customers and your community by joining Ready Rating, becoming an organization that’s prepared to save both lives and livelihoods.

In the aftermath of natural or man-made disasters, the SBA provides recovery assistance in the form of low-interest, direct loans to businesses of all sizes, homeowners, renters, and private non-profit organizations.  Visit the website for more information about SBA’s disaster loan program.

Meet Jan Wood and Joe Allen Turner

Authors of Wetumpka

I personally want book purchasers to be curious enough to learn more detail about our history and these images; and excited about the people who are pictured in the images.  I wish them to be inspired by the history of Wetumpka and the courage of the people who struggled and grew and made Wetumpka the impressive (small) city that it is.  It has maintained the integrity of a small town close knit community, while continuing to grow in population almost in spite of itself.  I really want people to realize the importance of preserving every piece of history possible.  I trust that we have done our part in this preservation effort.

• Filed Under

• Progress
• PP Wetumpka

•  At maximum, there have been 810 workers involved with construction with 1.4 million man-hours logged.
•  There will be 283 rooms in the hotel. An average price for a standard room is estimated to be $99 to $129. Penthouses and suites also are available.
•  The 2,520 machines on the casino floor is an increase from the 1,182 currently at Creek Casino Wetumpka.
•  The parking garage will increase from 500 to 2,500 spaces.

WETUMPKA — The casino floor of Wind Creek Wetumpka soon will be filled with flashing lights, celebration bells and lots of people as casino officials prepare for an upcoming opening.

Wind Creek Wetumpka, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians’ hotel and casino, officially is scheduled to open its casino floor Dec. 17, replacing the current Creek Casino Wetumpka at the same location. A new 20-story hotel  is set to open in January or February.

“We think it’s been a long time coming,” said General Manager Cody Williamson. “We are very excited to have a great place to play and stay.”

Williamson gave a tour of the property Thursday as workers made preparations for the operation of electronic bingo machines. Williamson said the casino has 2,520 machines on the 85,000-square-foot gaming floor, five restaurants and a state-of-the-art, 16,000-gallon shark tank. The casino floor will feature only gaming machines, Williamson added.

The overall cost for the project is about $250 million, Williamson said Thursday, with the casino portion estimated to cost $150 million to $200 million.

Along the tour, Williamson pointed out special features of the casino, such as an air system designed to help clear away cigarette smoke and electronic connections that will help employees adjust settings such as temperature, music or television entertainment from mobile devices.

“We think it will make the guest experience better in real time,” Williamson said, adding the new technology will decrease the time it takes to address a guest’s concern.

Williamson also pointed out a dining space that overlooks the Coosa River, a guest area with a fireplace that sits near an outdoor pool, and a “fast food to go” option for quick meals.

Since starting construction in August 2012, casino officials have reached out to the local community and recently held a job fair at the Wetumpka Civic Center. Williamson said the job fair resulted in 580 job offers. Currently, about 100 to 150 positions are available, and officials expect to have about 1,000 employees at the casino’s opening, including the current workforce.

“The main thing with 1,000 employees is those people will infuse a lot of money into the local economy,” Williamson said. He added that Wind Creek Wetumpka officials hope to attract guests from  Atlanta, Birmingham and Huntsville with the expanded hotel and casino.

After the opening of the new gaming facility, the current Creek Casino Wetumpka will be closed. The front portion will be turned into a convenience store and the back portion will become a special events center.

News Article Posted: Tuesday, January 3, 2012 9:30 am  The Wetumpka Herald updated: 9:52 am, Tue Jan 3, 2012.

Vanessa Lynch is eager to start her first day at work on Tuesday.  She also knows she faces a challenge and welcomes it with open arms. Lynch will begin her first day as the new executive director of the Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce. The challenge is stepping into a position which was held by Jan Wood for nearly 20 years.

“I’m not intimidated of that fact, but I also recognize and want to honor the fact that Jan put so much of her life into the chamber,” Lynch said.

Lynch, 36, is a 1997 graduate of Lee University. After graduation she spent three years working in the public relations and marketing section for an outdoor recreation company that was later purchased by Patagonia – an outdoor clothing, apparel and gear company.

She later moved to Nashville and spent a decade as a song writer while also developing a well-followed blog.

While as a song writer she sat around coffee houses and fast food restaurants writing songs with fellow writers, including Jason Aldean, Lynch remained an outdoors enthusiast.

“She comes to us with a great knowlege in the tourism industry, and her experience in the music industry will help jump start the downtown revitalization,” said Dennis Fain, chamber president. “She is very entergetic and a creative person, and I’m excited to have her come on board.”

Lynch is an avid runner and kyacker, and recently competed in the Attack on Swayback.

“I think Wetumpka could easily capitalize on Swayback and the Coosa River,” she said. “The Coosa River is a gold mine.  ... I could see Wetumpka being one of the top places to live in the Southeast for recreation lovers.”

But at the top of her list, Lynch said the first few weeks on the job will be spent observing and listening.

“I want everyone to know that I will have an open-door policy and look forward to listening to every chamber and non-chamber member’s needs,” she said.