Brad Williams Photography a local Omaha photographer specializing in landscape, architectural and aerial photography announces the location of a permanent display in Downtown Omaha at the Old Market Artist Co-Op.

Brad Williams Photography has been a growing small business in Omaha for 6 years. Brad Williams Photography is a full service photography company. Brad has a wide selection of stock photographs to choose from or you can arrange a custom photo shoot to get exactly what you are looking for.

Williams is an Omaha native who inherited the photography bug from previous generations of photographers in his family. His photographic interests include; Landscape Photography, Architectural Photography, Aerial Photography, and other non-posed objects in their natural settings.

The Old Market Artist Co-Op is located on the lower level of the passageway in the Old Market (1034 Howard Street). The OMA Co-Op is a group of 12 local artists who share the gallery space. Part of the OMA Mission is to assist the members to market, display and sell their work. Williams says "I am really excited to have a year round, brick and mortar gallery space. It gives people an opportunity to come and see the finished product in person."

The OMA Gallery is open Sunday- Monday Noon-5pm, Tuesday-Thursday Noon-7pm, and Friday-Saturday 11am-9pm. Stop by anytime and see a selection of Brad Williams Photography's work.

The Old Market Artist Co-Op is a part of First Friday's in the Old Market. First Friday is an open house, artist reception on the first Friday of each month from 6-9pm. To see a full selection of Brad Williams Photography's work please visit www.bradwilliamsphotography.com

When Chef Enzo runs out of fresh basil for his popular Creamy Tomato Basil Soup, he doesn't worry for a moment. He simply makes a quick trip to a supplier nestled in his own backyard. Literally. A mini-jungle of tomatoes, eggplant and other various herbs are flourishing under the Omaha sunshine, nestled right next to the outdoor patio. Lush, green branches offer a unique - and incredibly fresh - harvest of ingredients for various signature dishes he creates daily at Zurlo's Bistro Italiano.

"Chef Enzo is a master at manipulating flavor," marvels Lori Stangl, owner of the popular eatery. "While I'm not privy to numerous secrets behind his culinary masterpieces, I know our Chef meticulously sautés and seasons various assortments of specific ingredients just so.to bring out all these savory aromas and exceptional tastes in his dishes. He insists on featuring only the freshest ingredients he can find - and you can taste the difference."

Zurlo's Bistro is a popular choice for local restaurant patrons looking to enjoy lunch or dinner with both delicious and beautifully-presented modern Italian cuisine. The eatery, located at 132nd and Maple, has recently received various honors for their Sunday Brunch and catering services.

Recent summer months have also kept the Bistro buzzing with various catering events, weddings in particular.

"Memrical is one of our favorite local event partners," says Stangl. "Their staff is fabulous at helping us create a stunning presentation unique for a wedding celebration or other special occasions."

Guests interested in arranging for any catering event are invited to call the Bistro to make arrangements. Reservations are also recommended for weekend evenings to help the staff ensure those dining with the finest possible attentive service.

Ongoing autumn highlights at Zurlo's continue with Thursday Night Live Music and other special events as noted on restaurant's website, Twitter, Facebook and exclusive email newsletter updates. Visit www.zurlos.com for easy access to the Bistro's social media, menu, special video features and a schedule of upcoming music ensembles.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training Campaign is charity partner for The Glow Run 5K happening in Omaha, NE on August 17, 2013. As charity partner, Team In Training recruits and manages 50+ volunteers for the event and receives a portion of each registration fee as well as free will participant donations. Volunteers are needed for packet pick up on Thursday, August 15 and Friday, August 16. Volunteers are also needed at the event between 5:00 pm & 11:00 pm.

Please email Kate.Eaton@lls.org or call (402) 344-2242 if you or your group is interested in volunteering. Thank you!

The 402 Arts Collective is on a mission "to create and cultivate a vibrant network of artists who are committed to impacting the culture and serving the community."

We have spent the past three years offering music lessons at various locations and supplementing public school curriculum and budgets with our instructors. There were classes scattered about the city with smatterings of students, artists, and musicians here and there.

But we have discovered that a physical building matters. It's not just the concept of art. It's not just the creation of music, but a place for this to happen.

Consequently, the 402 is renovating a historic building in the Benson neighborhood in the heart of Omaha's music scene. The upstairs restoration of this beautiful space is almost complete with lesson studios, meeting room, and a recording studio.

The construction of the main level has also begun for an all-ages music venue nestled alongside Aromas Coffeehouse. The building will provide space for local musicians to perform, artists to display their work, and the community to gather. It turns out, however, that old buildings have surprises.

Not just the good kind, but also the sagging-ceilings-with-fire-and-accessibility-codes-that-are-sorely-outdated-kind.

So here we are, asking the community to help us finish a space that we will gladly return to you. Because, you see, the 402 is driven by the affiliation of artists that both instruct and learn in the collective, but it is also invested in the community of Benson as a whole. It will be a space to meet the neighbors, and have business meetings and study groups, and attend art showings, and support local bands. The 402 will not just foster the arts but expose the the broader community to them.

The need is still great.

We can meet it together.

To learn more about the 402 check out our indiegogo campaign: http://igg.me/at/402project/x/2976696

For the past 20 years, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has shown the world that it's still cool to swing, big band style. This high-energy, nine-piece ensemble honors the great musicians and music of the past while pushing the big band sound forward. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy first gained national attention when "You & Me and the Bottle Makes Three (Tonight)" and "Go Daddy-O" were featured in the 1996 film Swingers. Their latest album, Rattle Them Bones, reached #2 on Billboard's Jazz Album chart. The band's live concerts take the audience on a rambunctious rollercoaster ride filled with big horns, wild jungle-jazz rhythms, zoot suits and dancing flapper girls.

Single tickets are available Aug. 9 at TicketOmaha.com.

Hear Grammy®-winning composer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Taj Mahal with 'The Voice' of South Africa Vusi Mahlasela during World Blues at the Holland. One of the most prominent figures in late 20th century blues and roots music, Taj Mahal's music draws inspiration from virtually every corner of the world - west Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, the Hawaiian islands and more. Mahal will be joined by Vusi Mahlasela, who is celebrated for his distinct, powerful voice and his poetic, optimistic lyrics. World Blues will also include a performance by New Zealand's premier female vocalist Deva Mahal with her energetic soul group Fredericks Brown.

Single tickets are on sale Aug. 9 at TicketOmaha.com.

Omaha-area nonprofit agencies are invited to nominate a client to receive a refurbished 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt that will be awarded at the Women's Fund of Omaha's Fall Luncheon on October 24.

The vehicle was donated by State Farm Insurance to be used in the Recycled Rides program. The car is being refurbished and repaired by Don and Ron's CARSTAR Body Shop located at 5329 S. 70th Street in Omaha. Recycled Rides is a national awareness program, sponsored by the National Auto Body Council, in which body shops repair and donate used vehicles to families in need. The council donates about 150 vehicles each year.

Application letters should include compelling reasons why the agency's client deserves to receive the vehicle. How would having a vehicle help her improve her life and help her better support herself and/or her immediate family? Why is she deserving of the car?

Nominations must be made by Omaha-area nonprofit agencies on behalf of a female client. Nominations received from individuals will not be considered. Details on applicant requirements and the nomination process are available on the Women's Fund website (www.omahawomensfund.org) under Events and Workshops. For more information, call 402.827.9280.

Nomination information must be submitted to the Women's Fund of Omaha by noon on August 29. The recipient of the car will be selected by a committee of the Women's Fund Board of Directors.

This month, SalesTalk welcomes Mark Hunter, author of the best-selling book, "High-Profit Selling", to share his secrets on what it takes to close sales without having to discount the price.

Too many salespeople resort to discounting rather than honing their questioning and listening skills to uncover the customer's needs and desired benefits, Hunter says. Once discounting has become the go-to method in a sales force, the effect on profit can be severe in the short term and long term. Don't let your company fall victim to "discount culture."

Union Bank & Trust will be hosting the networking and educational event at their main branch in West Omaha. Food and beverages will be provided. Register now at http://salestalkaug.eventbrite.com/

Patrick (Pat) Fischer here. Today is a beautiful day because Nebraska Low Vision is officially open and ready to do business with everybody in Nebraska.

Nebraska Low Vision is the team you can count on for the latest in low tech, and high tech solutions for persons with low vision. If you or your loved one struggles to read because of your vision loss, than call us now.

At Nebraska Low Vision we love to help people in Nebraska. Whether you need a low tech solution, or a high tech solution we are dedicated to be your Nebraska resource. We sell products, and they all come with life-time support.

The team at Nebraska Low Vision believes helping people is a moral responsibility and I am pleased to have dedicated my life to this industry. We have a new web site, a new look and many surprises coming this year which will help everybody in our great state.

Very Truly yours.
Patrick (Pat) Fischer
Nebraska Low Vision
www.NebraskaLowvision.com a division of Accessibility.net, Inc.

We would like to extend to all Chamber businesses, the opportunity to save $10 on Mudzilla Run mud run registrations! Share the savings with your employees too!

Use Code: CHAMBERMUD
http://mudzillarun.com

For more than a decade, the Robert Half Suit Drive has helped provide thousands of job seekers with the resources they need to land satisfying new jobs. We have worked with our clients, the job candidates we place and our own employees to collect nearly 250,000 interview-appropriate clothing items and accessories for low-income job seekers through Dress for Success and similar nonprofits.

The Omaha branch will be collecting donations for the Heart Ministry Center. Heart Ministry Center, an Omaha based nonprofit that provides food, clothing, healthcare and a way forward to people severely affected by poverty in the Omaha area; the suits will help these individuals have appropriate attire for job interviews.

We would like to invite you to participate in our next drive, which will be held August 12-23, 2013. We will be collecting new or nearly new men's and women's suits (pants and skirts), blouses, shoes and accessories, including handbags and jewelry. All donations should be appropriate to wear to work, as well as clean, stylish and in good condition. Please provide all garments on hangers, as they will be made available to job seekers immediately.

Items can be dropped off at our office, 1125 South 103 Street, Suite 100, from August 12-23, or we would be more then willing to pick up these donations from your office.

There is more detailed information about our annual suite drive on our website, www.rhi.com/philanthropy or feel free to call the Omaha office at 402.397.8501 with any questions.

In an auspicious turn of events, the Omaha Home for Boys is getting two for the price of one for its September 26 Restoring Hearts with Bike Parts celebration.

The Home's original speaker, Henry Winkler, had to cancel due to scheduling conflicts for a movie he's filming in London.

Instead, Academy Award® winning actress Marlee Matlin is coming to Omaha to speak at the event. Winkler will introduce her by video while he's on location.

"I am so excited to be able to join the Omaha Home for Boys on September 26, 2013 to celebrate the vocational training program at the "Helping with HorsepowerT Bike Rebuild" celebration," Matlin said. "My dear friend, Henry Winkler, has told me such great things about this event - I cannot wait to join you! See you on September 26 at the Hilton Omaha!"

Matlin, who won an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Lead Role in 1987 for Children of a Lesser God, is the youngest and only deaf actress to win the Best Actress statue.

Her speaking platform explores themes of overcoming adversity, disability and self-doubt. A mother of four, Matlin is a staunch advocate and activist for the safety of children and children's rights.

Winkler - who has been to Omaha several times for engagements - said he is disappointed he had to cancel, but he knows he's leaving everyone who attends the Home's celebration in very good hands.

"I am so sorry that due to a production conflict with the BBC in England, I am unable to join the people of the Omaha Home for Boys at their Helping with HorsepowerT Bike Rebuild event on September 26, 2013," Winkler said. "I know that this event will raise much needed funding for the great work that the Home has done in the community for nearly 100 years.

GET YOUR TICKETS AND BECOME A SPONSOR! To learn about becoming a supporter of the Home and this event through sponsorships and/or tickets, please contact Trish Haniszewski at (402) 457-7034, toll-free (800) 408-4663 or email phaniszewski@omahahomeforboys.org.

Tickets can also be purchased online at https://omahahomeforboys.org/restoring-hearts-event/.

Over 18 weeks starting in January and ending in May, youth at the Omaha Home for Boys dismantled, redesigned, customized and rebuilt a 1999 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail motorcycle -- and now we're SELLING RAFFLE TICKETS to win it!

Tickets are $20 each, 6 for $100, and can be purchased at any of our events (updated weekly at www.omahahomeforboys.org) or by contacting Trish Haniszewski at 402-457-7034 and/or phaniszewski@omahahomeforboys.org. Check, cash or DEBIT CARD!

Tickets will be sold through the date of our Restoring Hearts with Bike Parts celebration September 26 or UNTIL THEY ARE SOLD OUT! Get your tickets today before they are gone!

I wanted to update you on what I've been doing since I left the Chamber in November after 4 great years.

Soon after I left the Chamber, I had the opportunity to do some sales consulting. I loved it and wanted to become an effective sales resource for local businesses.

This past spring, Rick MacInnes and I formed a partnership and together we created the JButler Group. Rick and I have known each other for many years and with his expertise in strategic planning, sales operational support, marketing, consulting and project management, it was a great blend of experience and knowledge to launch our business.

Through our consulting, as well as input and counsel from local business owners, we learned there is a need for services to help businesses effectively manage their sales resources so they can focus on running their companies.

Planning or directing effective sales strategies and managing sales professionals, while running a business, is not always as efficient or effective as they'd like. The JButler Group is a resource to address and help solve those issues and maximize sales performance.

We offer sales management expertise for local businesses and non-profits. We provide services to help businesses reach their goals, recruit and manage sales talent and develop sales and marketing strategies that drive success. For businesses who are trying to replace their sales management, we offer an interim solution until a replacement is named.

We launched our website, www.jbutlergroup.com this month. We can take the worry out of managing your most vital resource, your salespeople. We can help maximize performance by aligning our sales and marketing experience with your goals and objectives.

If you would like more information, please contact us. If you know of a business needing our services, please tell them about us or provide us their contact information and we'll contact them. In the meantime, we hope you will check out our website, www.jbutlergroup.com.

Thanks and we'll see you around very soon .