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By MICHELLE LOVE | Staff Writer

HELENA – The Helena Business Association held their September meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 14 at one of Helena’s favorite local businesses, Brown Sugar Desserts.

Several local business owners were in attendance as HBA President Deedra George held the floor.

“It’s good to see some new faces,” George told the crowd with a smile.

The room was full of excitement as George announced the HBA’s upcoming holiday plans. “It’s almost time for Christmas, if you can believe it,” she said. “We got our Christmas ornaments ordered this past week. They’re really cute this year. I think that will be a popular addition to our ornament collection.”

The HBA started selling Christmas ornaments three years ago as a fundraiser for some of their local projects.  They have become quite popular since they were introduced, and George said they’ll begin pre-selling in mid-October.

George then discussed the return of the Buck Creek Festival, which will be on Sept. 24 and 25. George said while HBA is not really involved in planning the festival, there are several members that are going to have booths at the festival.

“It’s a great event for our community,” she said. “They weren’t able to do it last year because of COVID, so we are very excited that is able to take place this year.”

George revealed the HBA is currently in the process of planning the annual Helena Holiday Festival, which will take place Friday, Dec. 4. The HBA has met with several other local organizations, including the Helena Beautification Board, to discuss planning, and there is talk of moving the festival closer to the streets as opposed to the Buck Creek area in the chance of rain or other inclement weather. George encouraged HBA members to work together to choose a safe and efficient spot in town for the festival to take place.

Helena City Councilmember Leigh Hulsey spoke regarding the recently approved 2022 fiscal year budget, and how the Helena City Council has worked tirelessly to make sure all Helena citizens were represented.

“The city has really been doing well as far as finances go,” Hulsey told the room. “I don’t know if everyone here has had a chance to look at our budget, but that is something that we take very seriously, and I think that we all truly work to spend your dollars wisely.”

Hulsey said the last nine years have been “really good” years for the city of Helena. “We have taken a firm stand on working to save money so in case big catastrophes happen, we can pay for those things and take care of them so you don’t have to worry about them,” she said.

The meeting ended with a presentation from Nolan Williams, a physical therapist from Helena’s Therapy South. Williams shared tips on proper self-care, and explained the many ways Therapy South helps members through physical therapy.

“We’re mechanics for the body,” Williams said. “If you have a problem or something breaks down, we’re right down the road to help you get back on your feet.”

For more information on the Helena Business Association, visit their website at hbahelena.com.