By DAVID COLBURN

News editor

Marion Community Center was packed Monday for the fourth annual Marion-Hillsboro Chambers of Commerce dinner.

Marion Chamber of Commerce Secretary Margo Yates said 165 people attended, representing business, education, and government.

“We had Chamber of Commerce weather today, so no excuses there,” Marion Chamber President Don Noller said. “It was fine. It was a good program, and a good turnout.”

Hillsboro Chamber President Cynthia Fleming was equally pleased with the event.

“We had a good crowd, the silent auction results should do well, and it benefits both chambers,” she said. “I’m just excited to do it together.”

Both said that their members have come to look forward to the event.

“We didn’t get all our members called immediately, and some of them were upset that we hadn’t called them to see if they were coming,” Fleming said. “That’s good — we want people to want to come.”

“It’s nice we can work with Hillsboro on this,” Noller said. “This is the fourth year we’ve done it, and I think everybody looks forward to it.”

The event took place on the eve of the Hillsboro-Marion high school basketball games, but Noller said the timing was coincidental.

“We try to do this Monday every year, because there’s not much going on with the schools,” he said.

Fleming said the groups work together on hosting a hospitality tent when the schools play football, but there wasn’t a game scheduled this year. They considered doing one for basketball, but decided back-to-back evenings for Chamber activities wasn’t a good idea.

“We’re trying to see what other things we can do together,” she said. “It’s fun to work together.”

Fleming said she believes the joint dinner is helping to create a spirit of cooperation.

“We’re both in the same county. We both have good stores. We have good people. We need to work together as a county,” she said. “I see that with Don and the Marion chamber as well as with ours.”

Noller said he’s benefited from working together on the dinner.

“This is the fourth year I’ve done this, working with different board members from Hillsboro, getting to know them and the jobs they work in,” he said. “It’s fun.”