Monthly Archives: July 2018

By Brad Flory JTV Remembering Jackson Harness Raceway has suddenly grown into a surprisingly big deal. One day of exhibition races was set July 8 as the last hurrah for a horse-racing tradition that lasted in Jackson from 1948 to 2008. The subsequent outpouring of love for that old track is remarkable, and it's a love that did not always seem obvious when the raceway was still in business. The celebration is the brainchild of Mike Way, a county Parks Commission member who senses the psychology of the Jackson community far better than I do. From the start, Way said  the event would give the community “closure” for the racetrack's demise. To be brutally honest, I suspected he overestimated Jackson's emotional attachment to its former racetrack. Boy, am I stupid. Many sponsors and volunteers stepped up to help Way make it happen. Sixty-one horses were entered,  a phenomenal number for an exhibition program. Familiar harness drivers jumped at the chance to race at Jackson one final time. Paying tribute to a defunct track must be rare, because Jackson's example has attracted national attention from what remains of the harness-racing industry. The United States Trotting Association wrote a news article about…

 Courtesy photo:  Ryan Ambs receives award  at annual conference in Charlotte, NC. Ambs Call Center, Inc. has announced that their team has been honored with the exclusive ATSI 2018 Award of Excellence. The annual award is presented by the Association of TeleService Internal (ATSI), the Trade Association of telecommunications, call center services, and answering service across North America and the UK. This awards marks the 15th time Ambs Call Center has been recognized by the ATSI for their dedication to excellence in service, with this award being the 8th consecutive year. Scoring criteria for the selection of the award winning providers include:  Response Time, Courteousness of Rep, Accuracy of Call, Knowledge of Account, and Overall Impression of Call. “I could not be more proud of our team for earning this year’s award. Our passion is to make a positive difference for our customers and it begins with providing excellent customer service,” says, Aaron Boatin, President of Ambs Call Center, “We bring our passion to the forefront of everything we do. Our services, training, and products are all carefully considered and evaluated regularly to ensure that we really deserving of this award year-after-year.” The award started 22 years ago as a…

Two major milestones for The Bart Hawley Show in the past month.  On May 30, Bart hosted his 30,000th guest and on June 18, the 4,000th episode of the show aired. The Bart Hawley Show began on January 24, 2000 on JTV, three months after the local station was launched.  Over the years, people from all walks of life have appeared as guests.  Local celebrities, politicians, entertainers, educators, businesspeople, students, community and civic leaders, regional and national personalities along with everyday citizens have joined Bart on the set.  More than 2,500 on-location segments have aired on the show, filmed all throughout the community.  The show has become “Must-See TV” in the greater Jackson area and every day more than 22,000 viewers tune in to discover the happenings of the community.  Additionally, several thousand watch online and on-demand via jtv.tv and set top. The show has travelled several times, bringing viewers to Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit and locations in West and Northern Michigan.  Two times the show was filmed completely on location.  The first as the inaugural event at the Riverwalk Amphitheatre in downtown Jackson and the second for the re-launch of Gilbert’s Restaurant. Earlier this year the show moved into a…

By Alex Cash Staff Writer It’s 8:00 a.m. and four unique women in colorful, crocheted hairnets are getting ready for a week’s work of candy making. Melting butter, shaping caramels, and regulating the temperature of an important machine are all among tasks that the chocolate creation artists of Gilbert Chocolates take to get the beloved candies out to customers. With 40 years combined experience, they know how to turn raw ingredients into decadent treats that will satisfy any sweet tooth. With just eight hands between them, they create product for all three of Gilbert Chocolates retail locations plus their wholesale orders. They work in close proximity, in a small factory space within the building of their 233 N. Jackson Street location, so they have lots of inside jokes. However, as 16-year veteran Julie Howard says this, she gives a sly smile saying none of them can be shared.  They all agree what happens in the chocolate factory stays in the chocolate factory. A focal point of the entire operation is their enrobing machine which Kim Teachout, 12-year veteran, confesses is one of the hardest things to master. It is sometimes affectionately known as Erma Rose the Enrobing Machine. They find…