About 70 Chamber members and guests attended the Military Affairs Committee’s John C. Beitz Service Person of the Quarter Luncheon on February 12, which was sponsored and hosted by Milazzo Classic Italian Restaurant at the Sheraton Atlantic Beach Oceanfront Hotel, 2717 W. Fort Macon Road, Atlantic Beach.  The MAC recognized Lance Cpl. Yonique R. Cousins of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point as a Service Person of the Quarter. She was scheduled to be promoted to the rank of Corporal on March 2.

The Chamber’s Public & Government Affairs Committee meets at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 9, at Chamber headquarters, 801 Arendell St., Morehead City, to discuss items for the 2010 Legislative Agenda. In advance, members are encouraged to submit ideas and suggestions related to legislative issues to Chamber President Mike Wagoner at mike@nccoastchamber.com.

Coastal Home Gallery, 5056 US 70 West, Morehead City, hosts and sponsors Business After Hours from 5:30-7 p.m. on Thursday, March 11. Co-sponsors are Outback Steakhouse and WCTI News, Channel 12/Fox Eastern Carolina. Register and pre-pay at the Chamber, 801 Arendell St., Morehead City. Admission is $3 per person and a business card. For details, call 726-6350.

The target date for publication of the Chamber’s 2010 Business Directory & Visitors Guide is now March 12. The 132-page book is being produced by NCCOAST Communications of Morehead City. One of the new features in the Visitors Guide section is an article about the Morehead City Marlins Baseball Club as a new tourism attraction at the Crystal Coast. The team will compete in the Coastal Plain League, a wood bat league for collegiate players. The home opener is May 28.

The Eastern North Carolina Career Fair is Thursday, March 18, at the Crystal Coast Civic Center in Morehead City. Hours are from 1-5 p.m. Employers are invited to participate as exhibitors. The basic booth fee is $45. If interested in reserving space, contact Marie Lawrence at the Carteret County News-Times, 726-7081 or marie@thenewstimes.com. The Chamber is one of the presenting sponsors.

The 34 members of the Leadership Carteret Class of 2010 has entered its final weeks and is on course to graduate on March 31. This is the 22nd consecutive year that Leadership Carteret has been sponsored by the Chamber. Special thanks to the Leadership Carteret Steering Committee Co-Chairs Alan Leary of Century 21 Newsom-Ball Realty and Steve Hellersperk of PACS Network Solutions, Toastmasters-Morehead City and ACS Computer Services.

There will be two Business After Hours networking events on the Chamber calendar in April. The first is on Thursday, April 8, at Marine Federal Credit Union in Morehead City. The second is on Thursday, April 29 at FishTales/Town Creek Marina in Beaufort. Each is from 5:30-7 p.m. Admission is now $5 per person and a business cards. If you sign up and pay in advance at the Chamber, your name badge will be pre-printed and waiting for you at the check-in station.

The Chamber presents its annual Legislative Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. on Friday, April 16, at the History Place, 1008 Arendell St., Morehead City. Sen. Jean Preston and Rep. Pat McElraft will make comments about the upcoming Short Session of the General Assembly, which is scheduled to convene on May 12. Additionally, Carteret County Manager John Langdon will participate and provide the county government perspective. Reservations are required. Call 726-6350. This event is sponsored by the North Carolina State Ports Authority and Progress Energy.

Carteret County will celebrate Small Business Week from April 25-May 1, and the centerpiece of this observance will be a Small Business Appreciation Luncheon on Wednesday, April 28, at a central location. This is an annual event, sponsored by the members of the Small Business Resource Alliance – Carteret Community College, the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce, the Carteret County Economic Development Council and SCORE.

Save the date for the Crystal Coast Business Expo on Thursday, May 6, at the Crystal Coast Civic Center, presented by the Chamber and NCCOAST Business Journal.    “We are planning something new and creative,” said Chamber President Mike Wagoner, “which will spotlight the full spectrum of small businesses that are the backbone of our local economy. We want to build on the success of last year’s inaugural expo and jazz it up.” Additionally, this May 6 event will be the springboard to the celebration of National Tourism Week in Carteret County, which will be May 8-16.