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What the World Expects...

On Friday, May 18, Lancaster High School hosted a panel discussion for the seniors entitled "What the World Expects of You." It was designed for the seniors to get answers about what to expect after graduation. It included discussions about dorm life, class size, student loans, freedom, being responsible and much more.

While we are most proud of our graduates, who have exceeded the More Than A Diploma goal of 85% college acceptance letters, and obtained an outstanding 98% to date and more than $3 million in scholarships, they continue to have questions about what's to come on June 1—the day after graduation. This day marks a pivotal transition as they are no longer required, by law, to be somewhere Monday - Friday,  after  13 years and nearly eight hours a, day for 187 days. Their live are not governed by the beginning and end of a six weeks period or a warning bell. And they are now free to begin making huge, life-changing decisions.

What the Class of 2012 must realize, is that the expectations are higher now than ever. They are free to choose the road they want to take—free to make decisions that may change their life forever and they are responsible for that decision. They have been given a free, quality education and they will use that education to choose their next step.

However, that freedom comes with expectations.

Our graduates are expected to govern themselves according to the laws of an adult. The increased amount of responsibility  includes taking care of their most basic needs; becoming productive and contributing members of society and the local community; paying it forward by giving back and ultimately, making the world a better place. The expectations are no greater for the class of 2012 than they were for the class of 2011.  The difference is, Lancaster ISD continues to invest greatly in its students and therefore expects to yield students who are better prepared from year to year.

So, join me in congratulating the Class of 2012! They now have to start fresh with new goals in mind. At minimum, we should expect that they will go to college, make good decisions, live a little, learn a lot and graduate.  They have been given the tools to build a better future for themselves and those who follow. They live in an age of technology and innovation where most things and places are convenient, but they have to remember that it took 18 years to reach this point. Life is not a sprint, but a marathon and they have been prepared to go the distance. Their families, teachers, the City of Lancaster and the world expect the best of them.

Lancaster – On May 31, 2012, In-N-Out Burger held their Grand Opening on I-35E, making it the 16th eatery along Lancaster's "Restaurant Row", which stretches along the I-35E access road from Belt Line Rd. to Pleasant Run Rd. ... This will be the first In-N-Out Burger in the Southern part of Dallas. ... It's a cinch that traffic will be increasing along there, as it does for every In-N-Out opening. ... Next door, Logan's Roadhouse manager Steven Herrera sees that as a good thing, and Chili's new managing partner Angel Puente agrees, saying "these are strong brand named eateries all in a row, and that will help us all". ... Meanwhile, just down the street, Vivian Chastain who is celebrating Bienvenidos' 25th anniversary, had three words to say – "bring 'em on"!

Sales Tax Receipts Up

Sales tax receipts are up for most BSW area cities for the first 6 months of the 2011-2012 fiscal year, with Lancaster topping them all at a plus 43% over last year. ... Cedar Hill is up 2.97%, Desoto up 8.23%, and Duncanville up 7.22% - showing that things in the BSW area are improving more than the Dallas County total of up only 2.07%.

Dallas Mayor Speaks

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings will speak at the Best Southwest Quarterly Luncheon on June 28, 2012 at the MCM Grande Hotel. ... The BSW Luncheon runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and is a gathering of leaders in 11 cities and chambers in the BSW area of Dallas and Ellis Counties. ... Mayor Rawlings will speak on his theme of "Grow South", which coincides with BSW's priorities in Health Care – Education – Transportation – and Legislation. ... Our growing tax base is another interesting subject. ...

Mayor Knight Honored

On May 31, 2012 Mayor Marcus Knight of the City of Lancaster received the Distinguished Leadership Award from Leadership Southwest at Dallas Baptist University. The DLA Award is given annually to a graduate of LSW in recognition of his or her accomplishments and leadership traits. The Distinguished Leadership Award Luncheon at DBU is a reunion of sorts for many Leadership Southwest Classes and classmates, each proclaiming their class as "best".... This year Mayor Knight also serves as Chairman of the Board of the Best Southwest Partnership, in addition to his mayoral duties.

Chamber Committees

Sarah Zafarano chairs the Ambassadors FunGroup which meets at Bienvenidos on the 3rd Friday of each month, and May 18th was a great meeting. ... Each member reported on their calls to fellow chamber members checking on their needs from the chamber, and some reported getting renewals that day. ... Also on May 18th we hosted the BSW Partnership's monthly board meeting in our Visitors Center at 7:30 a.m., and later at 9:30 a.m. we took the BREP Team to call on SealMaster-Dallas, located on Lancaster-Hutchins Rd. in Lancaster. ... This is a relatively new business to Lancaster, selling sealants and equipment for asphalt parking lots and roadways. ... The BREP Team consists of the Mayor, City Manager, Economic Development Director and the Chamber President. On May 17th we participated in the area networking event called C-4 Networker in Uptown Village in Cedar Hill. ... C-4 Networkers include the Chambers of Cedar Hill, Desoto, Duncanville and Lancaster, who rotate hosting these events quarterly. Also on May 17th we facilitated the Lancaster Area Manufacturing & Logistics Roundtable hosted at BASF Chemical on W. Longhorn Dr with its area manager Gary Pierce. ... Danyelle Dikes and her crew from Holiday Inn Express of East Lancaster brought a delicious lunch to eat around the board room table while discussing mfg. & logistics issues.

Golf Tournaments

It's June and prime time for fundraising golf tournaments at Country View Golf Course. ... The Lancaster Education Foundation is holding its annual golf bash on Friday, June 8, 2012, at 8 a.m. ... Money raised from this tournament goes to fund the Innovative Teaching Grants awarded by the LEF to deserving teachers. ... And on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 at 1 p.m. the Lancaster Rotary Club tees off for its annual fundraiser benefiting Boy Scouts, the Lancaster Outreach Center and Scholarships for kids. ... Both of these events raise money for worthwhile causes, so if you have a chance and a desire to play a little golf – get involved! Contact me at 972-227-2579 for info on both tournaments.

Drive safely – be good to each other – and we'll see you ...

... Around and About

Time stands still for no one. June is here, which means another senior class of Lancaster High School is about to start on the next phase of life's journey. School is out, so keep an eye open for the kids that will be outside.

We are now at the halfway point in the year. Resolutions and plans were made in January for this year; are you effectively working your plan? Are you seeing improvement? Maybe it's time for a mid-year tune-up. 

There is no better place to get help and advice than from other business owners in your chamber community. We are here to help each other grow in our businesses.

Speaking of growing businesses, did you see that the sales tax revenue for the city is up 43%? Somebody's plan is working! If it's yours, keep it going. If yours needs tweaking, come to some of the many chamber happenings and meet other business owners who will be glad to help.

Doug Hunt, Chairman 2012

Access Self Storage

We are now entering the 5th month of the year. It's hard to believe that we are getting close to the halfway point in 2012.

Signs are definitely here that the economy has made a turn. Lancaster saw a 45% increase in the sales tax collected last quarter. This is not the time to sit back and coast. We all need to work hard to keep businesses moving in the right direction. To maintain a strong growth cycle, we all need to pull together and help each other out.