* * FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE * * *

ZIONS FIRST NATIONAL BANK                       Contact: Sharon
Dollinger
Contact: Jennifer Gelband                               Women’s
Financial Group
Public Relations Officer                                Tel: (208)
345-8171
Tel: (208) 333-2748                                     October 23, 2007

Contact: Trinity Jackson                                Contact: Lynn
Marie Adams
Smart Women Grant Recipient                     Smart Women Grant
Recipient
(208) 722-6614                                  (208) 412-1621

Contact: Rheanna Allen
Smart Women Grant Recipient
(208) 461-5070

CANYON COUNTY BUSINESSWOMEN RECEIVE “SMART WOMEN GRANTS”
FROM ZIONS BANK

BOISE, October 16, 2008 - Idaho businesswomen Lynn Marie Adams, Rheanna
Allen and Trinity Jackson were three of seven women selected to receive
Smart Women Grants from Zions Bank.  Each of the three was awarded with
a $3,000 check for their respective programs at the state’s Smart Women
Smart Money conference in Boise on Oct. 16.

This year marked the fourth that Zions Bank offered a series of
micro-grants to recognize women throughout Idaho and Utah who excel in a
variety of categories: small business start-up and expansion; community
development; continuing education and teacher support; child and elder
care; health and human services; and arts and culture.

Adams was awarded the grant for her Nampa-based project Navajo Art and
Culture, a program that seeks to introduce young people to Navajo art
and culture by creating and marketing curriculum and activities-based
lessons to schools and other youth-focused organizations.

Allen was awarded the grant for a collaborative project between
Peppershock Media Productions and the Nampa Family Justice Center (NFJC)
to create a video to generate awareness and funds for NFJC’s victims’
services for the 2008-09 fiscal year. The NFJC is a not-for-profit group
of 15 agencies that provide consolidated and coordinated legal, social
and health services to victims of violence and their families.

Jackson was awarded the grant to start a year-round therapeutic riding
facility in Parma at which children with disabilities and their siblings
can learn to ride mules. The grant will be used to purchase land,
develop an arena, and keep the cost to participating families at
affordable rates.

The three women’s applications were the only Idaho winners and were
selected from 144 Idaho and Utah submissions that were reviewed by a
team of judges.  A total of seven grants were awarded this year.

“We developed the new Smart Women Grants to help bolster the efforts of
everyday heroines who strengthen our communities in so many ways through
their various talents,” said Sharon Dollinger, vice president of the
Women’s Financial Group in Boise. “As Idaho’s financial center for
women, the Zions Bank Women’s Financial Group created the grants as an
extension of our ongoing commitment to empower women in achieving
financial independence.”

Zions Bank operates 25 full-service branches in Idaho, and nearly 200
ATMs throughout Utah and Idaho. Zions also operates 115 branches
throughout Utah. In addition to a wide range of traditional banking
services, Zions offers a comprehensive array of investment, mortgage,
and insurance services, and has a network of loan origination offices
for small businesses nationwide. The company is also a leader in
providing electronic banking services, including electronic municipal
bond trading. Founded in 1873, Zions has been serving the communities of
the Intermountain West for 135 years. Additional information on Zions
Bank is available at www.zionsbank.com.

Idaho Press-Tribune staff newsroom@idahopress.com

CANYON COUNTY — Three Canyon County businesswomen took home $3,000 Smart Women grants from Zions Bank on Thursday for work in their communities.

Lynn Marie Adams, Rheanna Allen and Trinity Jackson were selected at the fourth annual Smart Women Smart Money conference from 144 applicants from around Idaho and Utah.

“We developed the new Smart Women Grants to help bolster the efforts of everyday heroines who strengthen our communities in so many ways through their various talents,” Sharon Dollinger, vice president of the Women’s Financial Group in Boise, said. “As Idaho’s financial center for women, the Zions Bank Women’s Financial Group created the grants as an extension of our ongoing commitment to empower women in achieving financial independence.”

Adams won recognition for her Nampa-based project Navajo Art and Culture. The program strives to introduce young people to Navajo art and culture by creating and marketing curriculum and activities-based lessons to schools and other youth-focused organizations.

Allen’s award came for a collaborative project between Peppershock Media Productions and Nampa Family Justice Center to create a video to generate awareness and funds for NFJC’s victims’ services.

NFJC is a not-for-profit group of 15 agencies that provide consolidated and coordinated legal, social and health services to victims of violence and their families. Jackson will use her grant to start a yearround therapeutic riding facility in Parma at which children with disabilities and their siblings can learn to ride mules. The grant will help to purchase land, develop an arena and keep the cost affordable to participating families.

Chamber luncheon celebrates connections

By Jon Meyer jmeyer@idahopress.com

NAMPA — The second Nampa Chamber of Commerce luncheon of the season drew a crowd to the Nampa Civic Center, where local business leaders discussed challenges and collaboration in the tumultuous economy.

Officials unveiled the second B-informed podcast by Better Business Bureau President and CEO Dale Dixon, titled “Creative growth plans in downtimes.” A follow-up to the debut episode which outlined how to find the best customers and “wow them,” the podcast is available as a free business resource at weblogidaho.com/bpods.

“When we see the headlines as business owners, it needs to focus our attention on three key words when it comes to riding out this economic downturn: Motivation, innovation and collaboration,” Dixon said. “Motivation is key when we want to keep our business thriving regardless of what’s going on around us. And I truly believe the opportunity is there to do that. The innovation comes when we are constantly seeking new ideas, when we are challenging the way we think.”

And a perfect example of collaboration: The Better Business Bureau, local chambers of commerce and concerned citizens coming together to improve their communities.

“There’s probably not been a more important time than now,” Chamber President Georgia Bowman-Gunstream said. “We encourage you to take advantage of the things the chamber is doing. We want to continue to give you more information to better your business.”

94.9 The River and The Library Coffeehouse bring you, “Lunch in the Library.”
Visit riverinteractive.com to sign up to win lunch for 2 from The Library Coffeehouse in Meridian.

Peppershock is co-sponsoring the Better Business Bureau’s
Integrity in Tough Times: Doing the Right Thing All the Time—A discussion with business leaders
Thursday, October 9, 2008 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. URS (formerly Washington Group) Auditorium 720 Park Blvd in Boise
Peppershock will be there recording the discussion.  The video will be available in a variety of outlets including here on WeBlogIdaho.com
Download the Event Flyer (PDF) for more information.

Have you ever walked down the street wearing a brand new shirt and someone else walks buy wearing the exact same thing? WeBlogIdaho’s first featured business, The Brass Razoo, is a lovely shop filled with one-of-a-kind clothing, accessory and jewelry items that you can be sure no one else will have.

Elise Vaughn, owner of The Brass Razoo, opened the store in downtown Nampa over one year ago after moving to Boise from Australia.

She originally went to school to be a marriage and family counselor, but the creative draw of opening a boutique was just too much. Now she is a clothing counselor, helping her customers embrace their own personal style. Her inspiration behind opening the store was to provide quality, affordable products from a range of different designers and distributors that would encompass many different styles and encourage people to embrace their own personal style.

The Brass Razoo carries redesigned vintage apparel and accessories, as well as brand new items. The jewelry at The Brass Razoo features Vaughn’s own personal touch. Vaughn receives vintage jewelry then takes it all apart and redesigns the pieces to create something completely unique. Her goal is to capture the beauty of the past while at the same time encompassing the modern woman. The pieces cover a variety of different styles and tastes with everything from delicate to bold pieces. According to Vaughn, “I want the people wearing the pieces to be reminded that just as the pieces are one of a kind and irreplaceable, so are they.”

What sets The Brass Razoo apart from other boutiques? The one of a kind jewelry as well as the wide range of brands and designers means that there is usually only one of every item in the store. The Brass Razoo has a comfortable atmosphere where customers can receive personal advice on what works for them and receive some direction in their purchases.
Vaughn believes “Every outfit sends a message about yourself,” and tries to help customers take risks and push the envelope in order to enhance the message they are trying to send.

Google Map to The Brass Razoo

So here we have it, my first official post on www.WeBlogIdaho.com! We have exciting things planned for this website and hope to share them with you soon, keep checking back as we develop and roll out the features. We will be announcing the launch to the public soon as we continue to add and build the content.  Our intent is for this site to become a natural hot spot to visit often for Idaho business people.  We intend to keep our followers informed, entertained and networked using the New Media, Web 2.0 tools available. 

The b-pod series or “business podcasts” will be available for download, providing relevant topical business information from area experts and community leaders. The b-pod series will provide sponsorship opportunities for those needing to build brand recognition of their business,  in conjunction with a web ad linked to their website. 

The featured businesses will be highlighted and providing useful information to our business community, these are businesses we all need to know more about. We want to keep business in Idaho and use local businesses, this is a way to let our local population know about each other.   Sponsors have the opportunity to have a short message delivered prior to the main content, within or at the end depending on the length of the informative content.   

Check back soon to see and hear the vidcasts, podcasts and articles. Be sure to subscribe to our RSS feed providing you with content updates as it happens. 
Let us know of your interest in taking part as we continue to develop. We have various opportunities available for content and sponsorship.

We look forward to working with you and will have more information soon about www.WeBlogIdaho.com

Sincerely,
Rhea Allen
rhea@peppershock.com :: 208.461.5070 :: www.peppershock.com  :: www.WeBlogIdaho.com

WeBlogIdaho is an extension of Peppershock Media Productions. 

It’s a culmination of businesses we help promote, the organizations and events we’re involved in as well as fun info about new media, traditional media, technology, advertising, etc.
We’ll be featuring a new business monthly with an article, interview clips, images and podcast audio available for download.
Be sure to check the events calendar…we’ll be posting all kinds of events from newsworthy to business-related to fun to charitable and more.
We hope to create a community of readers and connect people.