AUG. 2004 CHAMBER NEWS

VERMONT TRAVELERS GUIDEBOOK ADVERTISING

Last year approximately 2300 motorcycle enthusiast from 17 states attended the three-day rally. The poker chip run is on the first day of the rally and there are dozens of other events simultaneously run. They expect 150-200 motorcycles to take part. The poker chip run stops in three towns in Vermont.

The organizers will distribute cloth bags containing colored poker chips to 5 or 6 retail locations in downtown who would like to be involved. The participant will visit Brandon and go to the selected locations to pick out a chip. They will receive prizes depending on the value of the chips they return. Of course the values are not determined till the end of the day so no one has a clue. The organizers will send along a Killington Classic FUN RUN location sign with the bags for the store window. They also will distribute maps and locations of the stops. Participation is easy through the Chamber. Give a call or send an email and we’ll get you what you need.

One of the many tasks that First Brandon National Bank has worked on and will continue to refine is "Check 21." Check 21 is the name that is commonly given to legislation enacted last year and, which becomes effective October 28, 2004. This legislation, basically, enables a "substitute check" to be presented and accepted as a negotiable instrument. The advantage to this legislation is that, over time, Check 21 will speed up collection times (by reducing "float") within the banking industry and also speed up the way that some deposited items are returned to both the bank and our customers. Another advantage is that Check 21 will, again, over time, eliminate or significantly reduce both the transportation costs associated with physically delivering "paper items – i.e. checks" and the operational and monetary risk associated with the transportation of these items.

While Check 21 does not mandate check truncation or imaging, we believe that this is an excellent time to take advantage of First Brandon’s check safekeeping services. First Brandon has further provided a brochure (enclosed) defining the affects that the new legislation will have during the process of substituting checks and imaged checks. Steve Carr is looking for photos of Brandon streetscapes (in particular, but not at all limited to, the downtown area) that show what Brandon looked like at other points in time, pre- and post-WWII. For instance, Burt Howland’s jewelry store where Brooks is now, the old American Legion and baseball field where the Grand Union is, Lyle Watters’ taxi stand the fence where Waterfall Park is, Miller & Ketcham Furniture Store, Frank’s Pool Hall, John Steindler’s Bookstore, the CV office, Ralph Humiston’s IGA in any of the four locations, etc. He would like to borrow materials long enough to scan then and he will return them right away. Once they are scanned to a digital photo, they can be put into a collage, saved to a CD or any other useful or educational application. The photos could be helpful as downtown improvements continue with lighting, roads, trees, etc. If you have anything useful for Steve, please give him a call or send an email. 247-3921 or sacarr@together.net.

BLUEBIRD EVENT

As part of the "Brandon is for the Birds" celebration, the Moosalamoo Association and Vermont State Parks is sponsoring a free bluebird program at Branbury State Park, Thursday night, September 2, at 7:30 PM at the Branbury Nature Center. Learn about bluebirds and have the optional opportunity to build a bluebird house at the conclusion to the program (small materials fee). Questions, call Bruce Brown, 247-3971.

The Chamber’s next meeting will be LAST Monday of August, Aug. 30 at the Ball and Chain Café at 7:15 pm. All Chamber members and the general public are invited.

JULY 2004 CHAMBER NEWS

 

16^th ANNUAL GREAT BRANDON AUCTION RESULTS

Once again, the Chamber’s Auction was an outstanding success. Each and every year, we close the auction thinking "this year was the best" and "we could never do this good again." Yet we do! Of course, we couldn’t do it without you, our members and community support. From donors to buyers to volunteers, every contribution is appreciated. This year’s auction started with a tribute to Tom Whittaker. This was the first Brandon Auction without Tom’s auctioneering talent but at age 97, he finally decided to retire! We appreciate Tom’s 15 years of service to us.

 

The auction progressed with many exciting, unusual, funny, and artistic items up for grabs. Barb Watters, our esteemed auctioneer for 16 years running, never let her voice give out. Guest auctioneer Warren Kimble helped out in the middle of the event to give Barb a break. A young auction-goer from Proctor won the 50/50 raffle and got to auction a gift certificate with help from Barb! Between the three of them, the Chamber raised over $20,000 to support our programs, activities, and events.

 

Thanks to so many ...

Tom Millington who always pitches us great tents.

Naylor and Breen Builders, always willing to lend us their big truck for Auction Day.

Ed Thomas, our sound man, who picks up our sound equipment in Rutland and wires the park!

Brandon Lumber for loaning us staging materials.

There are too many auction helpers to name but every one of them is appreciated. From 8 year olds to +80 year olds, our fine volunteers worked many long hours and lifted many heavy items!

And to the awesome auction management team of Joel Mondlak, Bernie Carr and Barb Watters — we couldn’t do it without you!

 

CHAMBER TO REPRINT POPULAR MAP AND GUIDE

MEMBERS CAN BUY A SPONSORSHIP

The Chamber’s premier tourism/relocation collateral will soon be reprinted. This is a four-color map and guide, which was last printed about four years ago. The map’s boundaries extend from Route 100 to Lake Champlain and from just south of Middlebury to just north of Rutland. Information on the flip side of the map gives readers information helpful to both those coming to visit and those interested in moving here.

 

The Chamber is selling "Map and Guide Sponsorships" to our members for a fee of $100. We will be printing 10,000 pieces and expect the supply to last for approximately three years. One map panel will be dedicated for the Sponsors. This is an excellent way for you to get your name out to 1000s of potential customers over the next few years at a remarkably reasonable fee. A sponsorship registration form is enclosed. If you would like a copy of the current Map and Guide, please contact us and we will put one in the mail to you.

 

DOWNTOWN STOREFRONTS ARE 100% FULL

 

For the first time in recent (and long-term) memory, Brandon’s downtown storefronts are 100% full. We have all witnessed the remarkable changes of our town over the past few years. Due to the efforts of so many people, millions of dollars in private investment, and a wonderful town-wide spirit, Brandon has achieved what so many small towns have not been able to do. Some long-vacant second floor space is now occupied and it appears more will be put into re-use in the future. Another trend is the outward growth of downtown.

 

Downtown Brandon has often been described as a bicycle wheel with many spokes. While the spokes are primarily residential (Park, Pearl, Carver, Union Streets, etc.), there is a creeping commercial growth in just about every one of these directions. Entrepreneurs eager to be a part of Brandon’s downtown renaissance are finding new uses for old buildings on the edge of the commercial business district. It is rewarding to see historic buildings being used for small businesses which complement our current offerings.

 

Reports from around the country show that many small towns are dying. We should all be proud of what has been accomplished here. Kudos to everyone who has taken a risk, made an investment, and followed through with a vision. And a big thank you to everyone who supports the small local businesses who have taken those risks. Lets all remember to continue to buy local and support friends and neighbors.

VERMONT TRAVELERS GUIDEBOOK ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITY IN STATE PUBLICATION

The Chamber announces its plans to once again purchase full page 4-color ad space in the 2005 Vermont Travelers Guidebook, published by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. This magazine is the fulfillment piece the State of Vermont tourist office sends to inquirers. Their print run is xxx,000.

 

The Chamber will design a co-op ad and offer the opportunity to members to purchase space for $300. For the first time in many years, the VT Chamber is NOT requiring co-op page advertisers to buy a listing in the magazine. You don’t have to be a VT Chamber member to participate but you do have to be a Brandon Chamber member. A participation form will be mailed to all members in the tourism sector within the next month. For more information, please contact us.

 

FBNB GAINS STATE AWARD

Congratulations to First Brandon National Bank, recent recipient of a Vermont Centennial Business Award. This award was given to businesses which have employed Vermonters for more than 100 years. According to the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, FBNB has been a local employer since 1863!

 

THANKS TO PARADE WORKERS

The Brandon Rotary Club and the Chamber worked cooperatively at the Independence Day Parade to sell hot dogs, hamburgers and cold sodas. Some volunteers were members of both organizations! Thanks to all those who worked the holiday and put in the hours on behalf of our non-profits.

 

FREE CONCERT SERIES CONTINUES

The Chamber’s free summer concert series has already seen two wonderful shows with two more coming up.

 

Gene Childers & The Jubilee Jazz Band are playing on Wed., Aug. 18 at 6:30 pm in Central Park.

The Doughboys are playing on Saturday, Sept. 4 at 6:30 pm at Brandon Green (opposite the Town Offices). This is a different date and park than previously listed.

JUNE 2004 CHAMBER NEWS

MAKING BRANDON BLOOM

The Chamber is still looking for a few good hot dog handlers. If you would like to help out for a couple of hours on Sat., July 3, we could use you to grill, take orders, or handle cash. The Chamber will once again team up with the Brandon Rotarians and sell hot dogs / hamburgers under one tent. Please let us know if you can help out! Shifts are two hours.

From the Parade Committee:

Invitations for Floats and Parade Participants have been mailed to all names on the Brandon Independence Day Celebration Committee's data base. All entry cards should be sent in as soon as possible to allow time for the lineup to be established and instructions mailed back in time for the parade. Appropriate sized spaces will be marked on the lineup road and numbers assigned for easy lineup. All parade entries will be given a number sign to display in order to be identified by the judges.Any group needing an invitation and entry form may call 247-6587 to have one mailed, or may pick one up at the counter at the Brandon Library or Briggs Carriage Bookstore. The float theme is "America the Beautiful" and entries from one and all are welcome. Get yours in soon ! The parade will step off at 1:00 PM and is a part of the day long Independence Celebration activities in the center of Brandon. Fireworks at dusk at Park Village (just North of the village).

Brandon’s lodging owners have partnered to staff the Information Booth this summer. There is volunteer coverage each afternoon/evening. While the Information Booth is designed to be self-service, the innkeepers have determined the personal touch may be just what it takes to ensure that visitors spend extra time in town! Congratulations to these business owners who are finding time in their busy days for this service.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

The Brandon Birdhouses flew into town on Memorial Day weekend bringing cold but dry weather and lots of visitors. Now the birdhouses have been located for the summer and a locator map helps visitors find them all. A birdhouse catalog will soon be available from the Brandon Artists Guild.

Thanks: The Chamber took part in the kick-off event by scooping ice cream. Thanks to Stephanie Jerome, Nancy Spalding-Ness, Amy Spalding, Mary Cliver, Del Cook, Lois Jackson, Sally Wood, Claire Ayer, and Steve Kellogg for helping out. Also thanks to the Brandon Inn for their help in procuring and storing the ice cream! The Chamber is fortunate to have such great volunteers!

Brandon’s community theater group is pleased to present "A Night On The Town ... Bits and Pieces." The show will be performed at OVUHS on Thursday, June 17 (all proceeds to be turned over to the Brandon Town Hall from this performance), Friday, June 18 and Saturday, June 19. All shows start at 7:30 pm. Come enjoy an evening of laughs, music, and great entertainment.

FASHION SHOW A SUCCESS

The Chamber ‘s next regular meeting will be held on June 28, 2004 at the Ball and Chain Café at 7:15 pm.

MAY 2004 CHAMBER NEWS

"Our readers know from reading YANKEE Magazine and the Yankee Magazine Travel Guide to New England that Brandon is a great place to visit," said Jamie Trowbridge, president of Yankee Publishing -- publishers of YANKEE Magazine and The Old Farmer’s Almanac. "This article reveals that is an equally wonderful place to live.

This acknowledgment from Yankee Magazine has led to an unprecedented number of visitor packet and relocation requests. The entire article will soon be found on-line on the Chamber’s website!

CHAMBER BOARD RETREAT

The Chamber board met in a relaxed setting last month to do some long-range goal-setting. A trained facilitator helped the group stay focused as they reviewed old priorities and set new ones. Once finalized, we will publish the goals, which will act as a work plan for the coming year.

CONCERT SERIES LINE-UP

The plans for our 5^th annual concert series are being finalized. We will announce bands and locations in the coming weeks in local papers and in our next newsletter!

NEW EVENT SIGNBOARD

As announced in the last newsletter, the Chamber is pleased to announce the availability of the new town event signboard for non-profit organizations to rent. Thanks to Ed Thomas and Dick Kirby for assistance with hanging the boards on either side of the bus stop.

For the small fee of $20 a week, non-profit organizations may rent the signboard for advertising events. This is great exposure at a nominal fee — an estimated +10,000 vehicles a day pass through Brandon’s downtown on Route 7! Contact the Chamber to check availability or register your upcoming event. All announcements are subject to editing as appropriate. Call today — First Come / First Served!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Are you good at scooping ice cream? What about flipping hot dogs?

On Sat., May 29, after the Birdhouse unveiling in Central Park at 1 pm, Chamber volunteers will be scooping free ice cream in the Brandon Green park starting at 2 pm. Last year we scooped for 750 after the Pig Parade and we hope to duplicate those efforts. Plan on spending two hours and reaping the benefit of scooping your own ice cream cone too!

On Sat., July 3, the Chamber will once again team up with the Brandon Rotarians and sell hot dogs / hamburgers under one tent during the Independence Day Celebration. Volunteers are needed to set up, handle cash, flip wieners, and clean up. Minimum of 1 ½ hour shift requested.

Please contact the Chamber if you can help out during either of these tasty events!

AUCTION DONATIONS NEEDED

Mark Your Calendars! The Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce’s 16^th Annual Great Brandon Auction will be held this year on Tuesday, July 20 starting at 4 pm. As always, the Chamber is asking the community and our member businesses for donations. This is the Chamber’s ONE AND ONLY FUNDRAISER. Be creative, search high and low — that perfect auction donation is out there. A chamber board member should be calling to directly ask for a donation but if you can’t wait, please call or email us and we can arrange for a pick-up.

BUSINESS P/R

The Chamber continues to offer a no-cost-to-you benefit of promoting your business. If you would like a press release written about your business — new hire, awards or recognitions received, new partnerships or alliances forged, an expansion, you name it — we would be happy to write it and send it in to local newspapers. Lauren Hatcher free lance writes for us and is eager to write about you. Please contact us for details.

MERCHANTS UPDATE

The Merchants met last month and discussed a variety of ideas and issues. A representative from Adelphia Media Services was on hand to discuss the power of cable television advertising. If you were not at the meeting but would like a packet of Adelphia advertising, please contact the Chamber.

Other topics discussed include flower plantings in downtown, parking, the Nest With The Best campaign, and the Holistic Health Fair coming to town.

PARKING

There are still some merchants / employees parking in prime spaces downtown. Summer is coming and with it will be birdhouses and a new downtown restaurant. We urge you all to find off-street parking and keep spaces open for customers.

LODGING UPDATE

Brandon’s lodging owners have been busy lately getting ready for their upcoming high season. The group has toured most of the lodging properties in town, familiarizing themselves with each other’s properties. This is a great partnership — instead of viewing each other as competition, they feel they all offer "something a bit different" and rely upon each other for referrals.

The innkeepers made a proposal to the Chamber Board last week requesting permission to staff the Information Booth this summer with volunteers. Booth staffing was discontinued about seven years ago due to the inability to secure enough staffing. The innkeepers are planning on managing the Booth volunteers and their schedule. If you are interested in sitting a shift in the Info Booth this summer, please contact Norm Milot at Rosebelle’s - 247-00098 or Doug Sawyer at Lilac Inn - 247-5463

INFO BOOTH

If you haven’t been in the Booth lately, make sure to stop in and grab some brochures / maps to help plan summer day trips around Vermont.

HOLISTIC HEALTH FAIR

Beyond Infinity is sponsoring a town wide event on September 11 and 12, 2004. The Fair will host approximately 50-60 vendors at a variety of locations around downtown, both indoors and outside, for a Holistic Health Fair weekend. For more details call Karl at 247-5100.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Short Surveying, Inc.

Timothy L. Short

135 South Pleasant St., Middlebury 05735

388-3511; fax: 388-0120

Vermont Marble Exhibit

Robert Pye

52 Main St. (Mail: PO Box 607) Proctor 05765

459-2300; fax: 459-2948

toll-free: 1-800-427-1396

email: rpye@adelphia.net

www.vermont-marble.com

Congratulations to Roger Kowalsky and Patt Cavanagh on their purchase of the Old Mill Inn. Ed and Cindy Thomas haven’t moved far — they bought a home in Sudbury and remain active in Chamber and Artist Guild events.

NESHOBE SCHOOL GRADUATION CHALLENGE

Each year Neshobe School 6^th graders end their year with a program called "Graduation Challenge." One aspect of this includes learning about the local community, past, present, and future. This year we will be focusing on the buildings and businesses of the downtown area. During the weeks of 5/17, 5/24, and 5/31 school officials would like to bring groups of about six students (plus an adult) to tour buildings and/or businesses with a particular focus on what the history of that locale might be. If you would be willing to host such a group, please contact Laurie Cox at the school: 247-3721 or lcox@neshobe.k12.vt.us.

Monday, May 31 from 8 - 11 am, plan on a brunch buffet at the Brandon Congregational Church. Adults - $6.00; Kids 5-12 - $3; Kids under 6 are free.

OVUHS Career Center staff and students for helping put together 100s of visitor packets for us throughout the course of the school year.

The four innkeepers who helped with Info Booth spring cleaning recently: Norm Milot of Rosebelle’s Victorian Inn, Lauren Hatcher from Inn the Attic, Jim Schamber from 12 Franklin St., and Patricia Lopata from Brandon Motor Lodge.

Everyone who spent a little time on Sat. May 1 taking part in Green-Up activities. Thanks to Jim Leary for organizing the town’s efforts.

MAY CHAMBER MEETING - NEW MEETING LOCATION

The Chamber ‘s next regular meeting will be held on May 31, 2004 at the Ball and Chain Café at 7:15 pm.

MARCH 2004 CHAMBER NEWS

As part of your Chamber membership, we offer a free link from our website, www.brandon.org, to your website. We ask that you reciprocate and link your site to ours. It can be as simple as adding the link to your address line (from the word "Brandon") or you can add distinct linked text such as: "For more information about the Brandon area, please see the Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce’s website."

PRESIDENT’S AWARDS ANNOUNCED: ANNUAL DINNER HUGE SUCCESS

The Chamber’s Annual Dinner was held recently at the Brandon Inn with a crowd of well over 100 members of the business community and their guests. The festivities included a delicious Aprés Ski dinner with a fine air of celebration. Chamber President Stephanie Zak Jerome presented the 2003 President’s Awards to two businesses: Holden Financial Services, Inc. and The Brandon Artists Guild. Stephanie recognized Holden Financial Services for their many years of service and commitment to Brandon residents. Throughout the company’s years of growth, Steve Kellogg and Paul Gladding of Holden Financial have given back immeasurably to the community.

In a second award, The Brandon Artists Guild was honored for their accomplishments. The Guild has been in business for less than five years and has done a tremendous amount to raise the awareness of the arts in the area. Their Really Really Pig Show project was an outstanding success and gave a major boost to the entire business community last summer. The Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to bestow the President’s Award annually to a business and/or individual who "make Brandon a better place to live and work."

In addition to the President’s Awards, Stephanie presented four "Excellence on Main Street Awards" for outstanding building renovation projects. The recipients were Barbara Ebling and Matthew Gibbs of the Briggs Carriage Bookstore for their work on the 1919 Block, The McKernon Group for rebuilding the Howe Scale Block, Nancy and Jim Leary for their renovation of the Conant Block, and Warren and Lorraine Kimble for the renovation of Barker’s Garage and for opening the Warren Kimble Gallery and Museum downtown.

Stephanie acknowledged retiring Board members Lois Jackson, a tireless supporter of tourism for many years, and Bob Schmidt, the Chamber’s money master! While Bob is no longer the Chamber Treasurer, he has agreed to continue being our bookkeeper and we are very grateful!

At the end of the evening, Stephanie summarized Brandon’s great year, which has given the town a new sense of pride and optimism. Closing remarks were followed by a terrific video on Brandon produced by staff at Visual Learning Company. Special thanks to Sarah and Louis Pattis of the Brandon Inn for the wonderful meal.

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