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Wednesday, December 28, 2011 – Daily News 5A Commerce business By GREG STEVENS Although the calendar year just ended began, the Chamber – which runs on a July-June fiscal cycle – is at now just past its "half." The second half of the Chamber year is the busier of the two, I think: Bull and Gelding sale this month, then plan- ning starts in early February for the "11 Days of Round- Up," with all the myriad events tak- ing place in April; all of which the Chamber promotes – and partici- pates in many of them, and is total- ly responsible for a few of them. While that staging is underway, planning will begin for the Hot Air Balloon component of Rolling Hills Casino's "Ribs, Rods and Rides" event, which will take place in June again – a week later on the calendar than last year. Good old January, however, is named for the god Janus, who had eyes on both sides of his head, thus to look forwards – and backwards. & The best news from the first half is that the Chamber continued to grow in membership – up almost 35% from the same period the year before. Both the Chamber-spon- sored Farmers Markets (WED eve and Saturday) drew record crowds weekly. At the Chamber office, vis- its and calls from vis- itors and tourists were up from the same period the year before. Under the guidance of CEO Dave Gowan, the Chamber's online and email outreach and promotion to members, visitors, prospective residents achieved new highs in terms of "impressions." Likely this helped drive increased attendance at the Chamber's monthly "Good Morning, Red Bluff" and Business After Hours" events. So, your Chamber is starting the second half of its 2011-2012 year strong, and is of more value to its members, its cities and county, than ever before in its long history. The Chamber Ambassadors enterprise Chamber year at the half Committee is launched at last, with an information and application form already in distribution. Ambassador chair and new Cham- ber director Chris Goddard (Lariat Bowl) is running that show. You can contact Chris at chris@lariatbowl.com for printed information on what being a Cham- ber Ambassador is all about, or drop by the Chamber office for a copy. Carly, Terri and Dave love visits from Chamber members. So … did you think this column would close without yet another invitation to become more active in support of the Chamber of Com- merce? Of course you didn't. Please do. The Chamber has a great deal to do in the back half; we can use your help – and you won't be sorry you offer to roll up your sleeves and pitch in. Happy New Year! Greg Stevens is chairman of the Red Bluff-Tehama County Chamber of Commerce and publisher of the Daily News. Time for New Year's financial resolutions Once again, it's time to make some New Year's resolutions. This year, in addition to hitting the gym, learning that second language and getting bet- ter organized, why not also consider a few financial resolu- tions? What types of resolutions might you con- sider? Here are a few suggestions: • Contribute more to your retirement accounts. The new year means that you are one year closer to retirement. To help your- self build resources for the lifestyle you've envi- sioned as a retiree, try to boost your contributions to your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan. You can do this if you get a salary increase and devote at least part of it to your 401(k). At the same time, try to "max out" on your Individual Retirement Account (IRA). For 2012, you can contribute up to WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. home prices fell in most major cities for the second straight month, fur- ther evidence that the hous- ing recovery will be bumpy and weigh on the broader economy in 2012. The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index released Tuesday showed prices dropped in October from September in 19 of the 20 cities tracked. The decline reflects the typically fall slowdown after the peak buying sea- son. Prices had risen mod- estly in April through August in at least half of the cities tracked. Still, home prices have fallen roughly 32 percent nationwide since the hous- ing bubble burst five years ago and are back to 2003 levels, according to the index. Prices are even lower in hard-hit areas, such as Atlanta, Cleveland, Detroit, James W. Tysinger, Jr. M.D. Eye Physician & Surgeon Fellow American Academy of Ophthalmology We accept Medical, Medicare & most Insurances Office Hours: Tues-Wed-Thurs 8am-4:30pm Mon & Fri 1pm-4:30pm For Emergencies, After Hours, Week-ends, Call 530-567-5001 345 Hickory St. Red Bluff Tel: (530) 529-4733 Fax: (530) 529-1114 COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR All makes and models. We perform dealer recommened 30K, 60K, 90K SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES Smog Check starting at $ (most cars and pick-ups) 2595 + cert. Pass or FREE retest 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. $5,000 to an IRA, or $6,000 if you're 50 or older. • Reduce your debts. Look for ways to cut down or consolidate your debts. It may not be easy, but it's worth the effort because the lower your debt load, the more money you'll have available to invest for the future. • Build an Susie Mustaine emer genc y fund. If you don't already have an emer- gency fund con- taining between six and 12 months' worth of living expenses, start building one soon. Keep the money in a liquid vehicle — one that's sep- arate from your everyday checking and savings accounts. Without such an emergency fund, you may be forced to dip into your long-term invest- ments to pay for unex- pected costs, such as a major car repair, a new furnace or a large medical bill. Phoenix and Las Vegas. Washington, New York, Los Angeles and San Diego have seen the small- est declines. Home values remain depressed despite some modest progress in the housing market. Residential construction is likely to add to U.S. eco- nomic growth in 2011, the first time that has happened in four years. That's mainly because apartments are being built almost twice as fast as two years ago — reflecting a surge in renting and weaker home sales. The Case-Shiller index measures prices for rough- ly half of all U.S. homes. Prices are compared with those in January 2000 and the index is based on a three-month moving aver- age. The monthly data are not seasonally adjusted. Atlanta, Detroit and Minneapolis posted the biggest monthly declines. • Don't overreact to volatility. In 2011, the financial markets have been volatile, with big gains followed by big drops followed by big gains — a true roller- coaster pattern. Try not to let large, short-term price movements influence your investment deci- sions. Many of the factors that cause jumps or declines are not that rele- vant to long-term results — and as an investor, you want to focus on the long term. Concentrate on building a portfolio that's suitable for your individ- ual goals and risk toler- ance. • Be aware of different types of risk. For many investors, "investment risk" strictly means the possibility of losing prin- cipal when the value of an investment drops. Consequently, to cut back on their risk in the face of a volatile market, they may sell off stocks and load up on certificates of deposit (CDs), bonds and other so-called "safer" investments. But each investment actually car- ries its own type of risk. Prices in Atlanta and Las Vegas fell to their lowest points since the housing crisis began. Prices rose in Phoenix after three straight monthly declines. David M. Blitzer, chair- man of S&P's index com- mittee, said steep price drops in cities such as Atlanta, Chicago, Cleve- land, Detroit and Min- neapolis were particularly worrisome because their gains earlier this season were so strong. ''Atlanta and the Mid- west are regions that really stand out in terms of recent relative weakness,'' Blitzer said. ''These markets were some of the strongest dur- ing the spring/summer buy- ing season.'' Americans are reluctant to purchase a home more than two years after the recession officially ended. High unemployment and weak job growth have deterred many would-be For example, if you own CDs that pay a 2 percent return, and the inflation rate is 3 percent, you will lose purchasing power over time. And if you wanted to sell your bonds before they had matured, you'd have to sell them at a discount if the market interest rate had risen above the "coupon" rate of your bond because no one would pay you full price for them. Just be aware that no investment is "risk-free," and try to build a diversified portfo- lio that can lessen the impact of one specific type of risk. By following these suggestions, you can go a long way toward making 2012 a good year in which to make progress toward your important financial goals. So plan ahead — and make the right moves. Susie Mustaine is a a financial advisor for Edward Jones, her office is at 2130 Main St., Ste. B, in Red Bluff and she can be reached at 527- 4729 or susie.mustaine@edwardj ones.com. Survey: Home prices down in most major US cities buyers. Even the lowest mortgage rates in history haven't been enough to lift sales. Happy New Year! The Corning Chamber of Commerce wishes everyone a very happy and prosperous New Year. We can be optimistic or pessimistic about what lies ahead for our economic future. It matters how we look at the challenges ahead of us, whether in business or in our individual lives. There will definitely be challenges in 2012, but they can cause us to look outside the box for new and creative ways to make it through, financially and keep us from becoming compla- cent about how we do things. We, as the Chamber, encourage our members to take part in the events that we offer every month that give you an opportunity to network, get acquainted with fellow mem- bers and support one another as well as have fun and enjoy some food in the process. Networking is a valuable use of your time when it comes to promoting your business or organization to the other members and to the community. And it is free! Hosting a Corning in the Evening or Corning in the Morning is a good way to promote your business and let the community know what you have to offer. • Installation Dinner – We hope you are planning to attend this year's annual Installation Dinner Saturday, Jan. 14, at the Veteran's Memorial Hall, 1620 Solano St. We believe it will be a fun and entertaining evening. Even though it is quite a departure from our previous, more "sophisticated" dinners, we are attempting to liven up the occasion a bit, and give people a chance to let their hair down. As you probably already know, the directors have chosen a hoedown theme, with fiddle music, square danc- ing and food to go along with the theme. If you are a cham- ber member you should have received an invitation in the mail. But you do not have to be a member to attend. If you are interested in attending you may call the chamber office at 824-5550 and ask for a reservation. The cost is $40 for a couple or $25 per person. • Newsletter and Newspaper – The Corning Chamber of Commerce invites you to take advantage of the inexpensive advertising opportunity that is available to members in the monthly Chamber Reporter. The monthly Chamber Reporter newsletter is mailed the last working day of the preceding month. If you would like to include a flyer all you need to do is provide us with 60, 8 _ X 11 flyer inserts by the third week of the month and e-mail a copy to send as an e-letter. The cost is only $25. If you would like publicity about an event or something special happening with your business, organization or church you may email the cham- ber at corningchamber@sbcglobal.net or fax the informa- tion to 824-9499. Please include date, time, place and a lit- tle information and we would be happy to include it in the newspaper. We also offer electronic "E-Blasts" for the same price that can go out to our members via email. For more information call the chamber at 824-5550. ——— This column is prepared and submitted by the Corning Chamber of Commerce. Food safety workshop Northeastern California Small Business Develop- ment Center at Butte College presents "ServSafe Food Safety Training and Certification" workshop from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26, at Butte College, 19 Williamsburg Lane, in Chico. The cost is $120 each prepaid or $130 at the door including ServSafe textbook or $80 prepaid and $90 at the door without book. California law requires re-testing and re-certification of competence in Food Safety and Sanitation every 5 years. This course includes the National Restaurant Association ServSafe® exam, ServSafe Essentials, manual, Scranton (test sheets) and certificate. The training is recognized by the California Health Department and fulfills State Certification obligations. Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, call 895-9017.