Member Newsletter

MOONLIGHT MADNESS - NOVEMBER 30
Business owners and shoppers love Moonlight Madness. This is a great time for holiday shoppers to jump-start the season, support local businesses, and pick up some unique and wonderful gifts. The registration form detailing the participation fee and rules is enclosed for all downtown merchants and for those who participated last year. If you did not receive a form and are interested in participating, please contact the Chamber.

DOWNTOWN HOLIDAY DECORATING
The Chamber Board has thought long and hard about how to create a consistent look downtown throughout the holiday season. Last year, the tree lights were beautiful but time consuming and expensive to hang, maintain, and take down. In addition, they were not able to be uniform because of the inconsistency in trees. The Board liked the uniform look and thought about other ways to create consistency but which would be less labor-intensive.

The decision is to hang pre-lit, artificial wreaths throughout our core business area. The Chamber has contracted with Christmas Decor - Professional Decorators to do the work. They will hang the wreaths, maintain them, and remove them at the end of the season. They will own the wreaths and so we don't even have to be concerned with storage!

The Chamber is contributing auction proceeds to this effort. For $50 you can help support the activity. Downtown Business / Building Owners should find a flier with more information enclosed with this newsletter. If you own a downtown building, whether you are contributing to the cost or not, please make sure to read the form as we will require your permission to hang a wreath on your building.

BRANDON GREEN
This time of the year, the Chamber sells a lot of Brandon Green — Gift Certificates to Shop in Brandon. They make great holiday gifts. The certificates are available for sale at the Brandon office of First Brandon National Bank. Please make sure your employees at the cash register are familiar with these Certificates. There is no cost to your business to accept them. Deposit them as you would a cash or check. Certificates are sold in $5 increments and are packaged in a special envelope with current membership directories. They are light green in color, larger than a dollar bill and are pre-signed by the Chamber Treasurer. Contact the Chamber with questions.

WINTER GETAWAYS
Some of the lodging members of the Brandon Chamber have been busy planning winter weekend getaway packages and they invite all interested members to participate. The project involves a variety of special events such as Art in the Snow and on-going ones like Romantic Getaways. Marketing will be principally based upon the Chamber's website (special pages will be written dedicated to the promotion) and cross-links with participants' websites. Search engines reward those sites with more and more traffic with higher rankings for relevant keyword searches.

Participants are asked to place a blurb on their website about the Weekends with a link to www.brandon.org/getaways.htm. This not only helps with the "ratings game" but also shows your commitment to the project. For those participants who support the program with a blurb and a link, we will offer a blurb and a link back to your site. If you are not able to add a blurb and a link from your site, we will offer the same to your site upon receipt of a $25 participation/commitment fee.

Here's are examples of how you can participate:
If you are a lodging property, offer a special package rate for the weekend including the program.
If you have an art gallery, conduct an Open Studio time frame during the Art in the Snow weekend(s).
If you cook and have access to a commercial kitchen, join in a cooking lesson weekend.
If you are in the wedding business, we will be preparing a separate web page just to highlight winter weddings.
If you would like to participate in any manner or would like more answers, please call the Chamber or refer to www.brandon.org/getaways.htm for more details and a registration form.

BRANDON PD UPDATE
Chief Lonnie Hatman of the Brandon Police Department has begun sending press releases via email to the Chamber. The releases contain news about recent activity. If you would like to be copied on the email, please send a note to the Chamber at info@brandon.org.

Chief Hatman also reported to us that he is sending Barbara Ebling of Briggs Carriage Bookstore a Citizens Award for her assistance in caring for an 89 year old man in her business in early October until his family could respond from Southern Vermont. Her generosity prevented having to tie up an officer for several hours while ensuring the safety and well being of a senior in need of aid. Way to go Barbara!

LEAF PEOPLE THANKS
The weather may have been more summer-like than fall-like but HarvestFest was a great event! With more than 200 Leaf People put together a couple of Saturdays ago, volunteers worked overtime to ensure a good time was had by all. Special thanks to Bart Lund for all his advance work making frames. Thanks also to Ross Worn, Jim Jasmin, Stephanie Jerome and Ben, Andrew, and Louisa, Norma Page, Carolyn Whittaker, Peg Donahue, Mary Cliver, Cindy Thomas, Judy Reilly, Sally Wood, Donna Hutchison, Nancy & Sarah Leary, and Ariel Mondlak. Thanks to the Learys for the storage space all year round. Thanks to the Harvest Program for donating hay. Thanks to Tom Schmelzenbach for making trash disposal available to us late in the day. The Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce enjoyed sharing the Park with Brandon's other non-profit organizations: Brandon Lions Club, Brandon Rotary Club, St. Mary's Church, and the Harvest Program. Thanks to so many community members who cleaned closets and donated old clothes, hats, shoes, etc. The Town's Leaf People look great this year and we thank all the volunteers who helped make and hang them all over Brandon's streets and parks.

FRIENDS OF THE BRANDON TOWN HALL
The Friends of the Brandon Town Hall announce they will be hosting a Holiday Theme Fashion Show & Brunch fundraiser in their continuing efforts to raise funds for the Town Hall restoration project. The event will take place on Sunday, November 13, 2005 from noon until 3:30 p.m. at the Lilac Inn. This will be an afternoon of delicious food followed by a fashion show of holiday attire from the shops of Tattersall's Clothing Emporium, Everywear for Everybody, Shapiros, the Alpine Shop, and Beyond Infinity. Other local artisans and crafters will be present as well. Tickets are $30.00 each and available for purchase through Wednesday, November 9. To reserve your seat for this event please mail your check to The Friends of the Brandon Town Hall, P.O. Box 41, Brandon, Vermont 05733. If you have any questions please call Lois Acinapura at 247-8403 or Carolyn Harris at 247-9741. Additional information on this event is available online at: www.brandontownhall.org.

FROM OUR MEMBERS:
KUDOS TO MOOSALAMOO ASSN.
The Moosalamoo Association received a grant from the Walter Cerf Community Fund to print the Moosalamoo Birding Guide. The guide is expected to attract more visitors to the Moosalamoo Region as wildlife watching is one of the fastest growing outdoor recreations in the country. The guide will have a species list of birds found in the region as well as what seasons the birds can be found in and information about the habitats found in Moosalamoo. We'll let you know when the Guide is available.

CATCH JUDY REILLY ON PBS
A Mountain Lake PBS interview with Brandon Fabric Artist Judith Reilly will be broadcast on December 7, 2005 on their weekly program "Art Express" at 8:00 p.m. with moderator Paul Larson. The eight minute interview has been cut down from the several hours of filming that was done by Larson and his crew at Judith's home last November so she is just as curious as all of us as to it's content! Mountain Lake PBS is broadcast to the Adirondack Region, The Champlain Valley and Southern Quebec. It is apparently not carried by local cable but can be found on the local Satellite channel WCFE- TV Channel 57. For more info on the program, scheduling and broadcast stations, go to www.mountainlake.org

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Brandon Town Players
Dennis Marden
PO Box 345 Brandon
247-6720

CHAMBER NEXT MEETING: OCT. 24
The Chamber's next regular meeting is scheduled for Mon., Oct. 24 at 6:30 pm at the Ball and Chain Cafe. The meeting is open to all members and the general public. Board business which requires closed session will take place after the general meeting.

SEPT. 2005 CHAMBER NEWS

WEB ENHANCEMENTS
The Chamber is undergoing enhancements to our website.
1) We have contracted with Terence Lernihan, a search engine specialist from Rutland, to rewrite our meta tags and key words. In addition, Terence will be submitting our website to search engines throughout the course of the year.
2) We are contracting with Joe Misko, a web designer from Pittsford, to redesign some elements of our site. Joe will be working on our navigation bar and photos as a starter.
3) Tad Merrick of Brandon, a photographer in Middlebury, has created a new photo banner for our website which appears at the top of each page. The photos are representative of Brandon's attractions and assets.

The Chamber Board hopes that the new look, coupled with additional marketing efforts, will pay off with increased web traffic to www.brandon.org and ultimately our members' websites.

LEAF PEOPLE
Needed: Leaf People Clothes
We would like to see the best-dressed Leaf People in Vermont this year. Please donate your old clothes, shoes, hats, socks, belts, bags, and miscellaneous accessories. (No shorts or short sleeve tops please.) Please leave neat bags or boxes in the Brandon Information Booth (away from the door please) or contact the Chamber for pick-up.

Needed: Volunteers for Make Your Leaf Person Day
Volunteers are needed for two hour shifts to help with frames, heads, setting up, or cleaning up on Saturday, October 1. No experience necessary. The work is FUN and easy. Contact the Chamber to say you'll help!

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: DOWNTOWN HOLIDAY WREATH HANGING
This Request for Proposal is for wreath hanging for downtown Brandon, Vermont and includes:

1) Hanging approximately 40 wreaths on downtown buildings on or before November 25, 2005.
2) Downtown properties start with Inside Scoop on the south and end with Vermont Sandwich Company on the north.
3) Pre-lit artificial wreaths will be provided.
4) Wreaths must be attached to buildings in a way to minimize potential for being dislodged.
5) Removing wreaths on or before March 15, 2006.
6) Please include cost of hanging lights on the Memory Tree in Central Park as a separate proposal.
7) If you are capable of storing the wreaths, please include information on site and cost.

The deadline for proposals is close of business, 5:00 pm, on October 5, 2005. Please respond to:

Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 267
Brandon, Vermont 05733

Call 802-247-6401 if you need more information or have questions.

IN MEMORY OF BOB WOOD
Brandon lost a good friend last week with the passing of Representative Bob Wood. Bob was a strong advocate for our town and his accomplishments are immeasurable. From his work on town committees to his work in the legislature, Bob always had time for one and all and listened to everyone. No matter what the subject, Bob always made a point of getting back to his constituents and worked relentlessly on many projects. Bob will be sorely missed but not forgotten.

WIRELESS BROADBAND NETWORK UPDATE
Brandon's wireless broadband project is still moving (by the way, the state funding for this project was largely due to Bob Wood's work). TelJet, Inc. will begin purchasing equipment in the very near future. Details forthcoming.

MUMS
If you sponsored a flower barrel this summer, please consider planting mums in it for the fall season. If mums are planted, the barrel will be picked up sometime before the snow flies! If you do not want to plant mums, please let the Chamber know so we can pick up the barrel sooner.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Byways of Vermont Real Estate
Carolyn Webster
2561 Route 30 Sudbury 05733
623-6700 ~ e: friends4animals@toast.net
website coming soon

Conant Education Center
Nancy Leary
mail: 1321 Pearl St., street: 39 Center St. Brandon
247-9108
e: nfleary@verizon.net ~ www.conantcenter.org

Delilah's Hairstyling
Ruth Costello
16 Center St., Brandon ~ 247-3345

The Faber Group' address in the last newsletter was incorrect. Jeff and The Faber Group can be found at 32 Park St.

BRANDON'S BUSY WEEKEND - SEPT. 16 - 18
Brandon will be a busy place this weekend, September 16 - 18. On Friday night, you will have two opportunities to dance!

Square dance at a Town Hall Box Social event beginning at 7 pm. This is a fundraising event for the Town Hall. For a $5 admission, participants can square dance for the night to the calling of the Saltash Serenaders and participate in an old- fashioned Box Social. Please bring a dessert in a wrapped box. For more information, call Sheri Sullivan at 247-8837.

Also on Friday night, you can learn "The Basics of Argentine Tango" at the Brandon Inn. There is a free lesson from 8 - 9 pm, which is the opening event of a Tango Weekend. There are activities (classes, dances, workshops, and wine tastings) throughout the rest of the evening and weekend, including tango dancing in the bandstand under the moonlight both Friday and Saturday nights, weather permitting. Check out www.tangovermont.com to find out more and to register or call the Brandon Inn at 247-5766.

On Saturday, September 17, the Brandon Area Rescue Squad will be hosting their Grand Opening including a visit from Governor Douglas. The ribbon cutting is at 4:30 pm. This is an opportunity to see what a great job BARS has done with their new building and to let squad members know how much they are appreciated in town. Three bands will be performing and for a small donation, you can enjoy an Old Time Pig Roast!

On Saturday evening, the Congregational Church will hold a special concert featuring Don Eaton, a nationally acclaimed folk song writer and singer and his friend Judith, who will share some of her poetry. The concert begins at 7:30 pm. There is no charge although the church will receive a free-will offering. For more information, contact Rev. Dick White at 247-6058.

REMINDER TO MAKE www.brandon.org WORK FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Employment classifieds - If your business is advertising for new employee(s), send us a copy of the ad. We'll post it on our website free of charge.

Businesses in the Attractions, Recreation, Dining, Lodging, Wedding, or Retail industries are welcome to send us a "blurb" about your business. If you already have a few sentences on our site, look it over and update if necessary. Many of the non- food/lodging businesses have write-ups and are on our Local Attractions page. Check it out and feel free to send us your text.

The Brandon Chamber offers a complimentary link from our popular website (www.brandon.org) to member sites. We welcome you to link to our site from yours. If you are not sure how to do it, give us a call or ask your webmaster.

CHAMBER NEXT MEETING: SEPT. 26
The Chamber's next regular meeting is scheduled for Mon., Sept. 26 at 6:30 pm at the Ball and Chain Cafe. The meeting is open to all members and the general public. Board business which requires closed session will take place after the general meeting.

AUG. 2005 CHAMBER NEWS

VERMONT TRAVELERS GUIDEBOOK ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITY IN STATE PUBLICATION

The Chamber announces its plans to once again purchase a full page 4-color ad space in the 2006 Vermont Vacation Guide (formerly called 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 200,000.

The Chamber will design a co-op ad and offer the opportunity for members to purchase space for $350. Please contact Janet by phone or email within the next two weeks if you would like to participate.

WIRELESS BROADBAND NETWORK UPDATE

Brandon=s wireless broadband project is still in the pipeline C moving forward daily. Final contracts are being signed and work will soon begin on most of the network. More details will be available in the very near future.

FRAUD / SCAM ALERT

Beware of a couple of scams surfacing around the area:

L Watch out for partial bills C if you can=t read both serial numbers, the bank won=t accept them.

L Watch out for taped bills - if the two serial numbers don=t match, the bank won=t accept them.

L Watch out for someone paying with a $10 or $5 and after the change is given back, coming back to the cashier and saying they weren=t given enough or saying they had paid with a $20 and only got change from a $10.

HAVE YOU BEEN CATCHING THE WCAX NEWS BETWEEN 6 - 7 AM?

Twice a week, the Chamber=s TV commercial airs on Vermont=s Channel 3 morning news. The commercial features the Brandon Rocks chairs and downtown. The commercial was funded by State tourism dollars through our Regional Marketing Program, Crossroads of Vermont. Governor Douglas has recently begun an advertising campaign selling Vermont to Vermonters and our commercial is right in line with this approach.

vermonttoday.com

The Rutland Herald=s new website at www.vermonttoday.com is a business directory and is chock full of information. The website allows businesses to enter their listing for FREE. Log on today and take advantage of this useful resource.

JUST AROUND THE CORNER:

> Leaf People - Coming Soon To A Tree Near You. Volunteers needed for construction, hanging, and HarvestFest.

> Holiday Decorations - It may be August on the calendar but Chamber reps are already thinking about downtown holiday decorations. More details will follow.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Medana Gabbard Gallery

Dana or Karl Gabbard

mail: PO Box 130; street: 1340 Grove St., Brandon

247-5520; fax: 247-0046

e: danagabbard@msn.com ~ www.brandonfolkart.com

Sandra Bove Associates

Bruce Bove

13 Adams Rd., Brandon

247-5998 ~ e: bbove@sover.net

Creative Fiber Designs

Maria Ammatuna

66 Park St., Brandon

247-2877 ~ e: mammascoll@aol.com

A Vermont Country Vacation Home - "Timbertop"

Leslie Beaulieu

mail: 10 Emily Lane, Magnolia MA 01930

978-525-2358; e: digby1@mindspring.com

The Faber Group

Jeff Faber

66 Park St. Brandon

247-5476 (& fax); toll-free: 800-566-1776

e: jeff@thefabergroup.net ~ www.thefabergroup.net

Shearer Honda

Kevin Bowie

211 US Route 7 South, Rutland 05701

773-4600; toll-free: 800-300-0024

email: kb@vermonthonda.com ~ www.vermonthonda.com

Dr. Thomas A. Coleman, DDS

5 Carver St. Brandon

247-3336; fax: 247-3425

Brandon Falls Diner

Judy Harris ~ 247-5203; fax: 247-5307

mail: 36 Mt. Pleasant Dr.; street: 25 Center St., Brandon

e: DJ1Harris@aol.com

Brandon=s Rotarians worked side-by-side with Chamber members on July 2, flipping burgers and dogs at the Independence Day parade. Thanks so much to Nancy Spalding-Ness, who organized the Chamber=s activities. Also thanks to workers: Carolyn Whittaker, Sheri Sullivan, Carey Bunker, Bob and Linda Schmidt, Mary Cliver, Steve Kellogg and to the Rotarians for doing their part!

The Chamber sends a heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated and supported our 17^th Annual Great Brandon Auction. Without the awesome donations, great bidders and buyers and fantastic volunteers, we couldn=t put on this event. Extra special thanks to Auctioneer Barb Watters, Guest Auctioneer Warren Kimble, and Organizers Bernie Carr and Mike Wilson. The auction is the Chamber=s one and only annual fundraiser and money raised is used to support our programs, activities, and events.

On Aug. 1, amidst rain drops and a thundercloud, eight businesses on Park St. held an open house type of Mixer. It was a great idea and gave us an inside-look at many of the beautiful and graceful Park Street homes, many of which are being used commercially or for home-based businesses. Thanks to James Leary, Esq.; Wyndmere House B & B; The Faber Group; Nutting House Antiques; Floral Impressions; Mary Cliver, Landscape Designer; The Lilac Inn; and The Inn on Park Street.

Thanks so much to Charlene Bryant for organizing this year=s Chamber Golf Mixer. A good time was had by all! We also appreciate the help of Joan Rowe acquiring door prizes and send a big thanks to Nexus Custom Electronics for their sponsorship of the event. Two team photos from the Golf Mixer: We won=t tell which team won and which lost C suffice it to say that everyone had fun!

The sky was blue with not a cloud in site. Reports are that Brandon=s Yard Sale Day was a huge success. There were over 70 sales on the Official Map and enough cars to snarl traffic through downtown for hours. Hope your sale was prosperous or you snagged a couple of great bargains! The Chamber is proud to sponsor this event bringing customers to our businesses and helping residents get rid of their basement, attic, and barn treasures! If you weren=t on the map, make sure to sign up next year C we spend all the money raised on advertising the event.

The Chamber=s popular free concert series has been quite successful this summer. There is still one concert left and we=re sure it will be fantastic.

Family and Friends will be performing Country Classic music on Thurs., August 18 at 6:30 pm in Central Park.

Thanks to the following businesses for sponsoring concerts and helping bring music to our summer evenings: First Brandon National Bank, New England Woodcraft, Neshobe Sportsman Club and Casella Waste Management.

A special concert at the Brandon Congregational Church will feature Don Eaton, nationally acclaimed folk song writer and singer and his friend Judith, who will share some of her poetry. The concert begins at 8:00 pm. There is no charge although the church will accept a free‑will offering. For more information, contact Rev. Dick White at 802‑247‑6058.

E From our Rescue Squad: ABARS needs your help to complete our new building. With the cost of construction on the rise, we have cut back from our original plans. We need volunteers to paint, lay tile, and do landscaping. Materials are provided. We also need appliances for the kitchen, bedroom furniture, office furniture and tables and chairs. Contact Carol Bird at 247-3778 or Debbie Boyce at 247-4842.@

E The Rescue Squad=s first annual golf tournament is this Friday. Please call Debbie Boyce 802-247-4842 for info.

... to the Town of Brandon for hiring two teenagers, Rainer Kenney and Chad Merkert, to keep the flower gardens around downtown weeded throughout the summer. The Chamber helped sponsor the plantings last summer and keeping the beds weeded kept them looking nice. Good job boys!

The Chamber=s next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 29 at 6:30 pm at the Ball and Chain Cafe. The meeting is open to all members and the general public. Board business which requires closed session, will take place after the general meeting.

CHAMBER ANNOUNCES ON-LINE CHAT GROUP EXCLUSIVELY FOR CHAMBER MEMBERS;

MENTORING ~ NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY

The Chamber has been testing a Google Group Achat room@ and has found it ready for the membership. The idea for the Chat Group came from discussions the Chamber Board held at their retreat in March. Board members felt that the Chamber could do more to provide networking and mentoring opportunities to each other, both for new businesses and long-established ones.

The Google Group will be closed to the public C only members of the Brandon Chamber can log on and participate so there should be no spam or unwanted email. This is a totally voluntary program and you can join or unsubscribe at any time. The Group works quite simply. All you have to do is send the Chamber (info@brandon.org) an email saying you would like to participate. We will then add you to the group and you will begin receiving messages. We will also send you directions for going into Google Groups and starting a new message to the Chamber=s Group recipients.

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

The Chamber has a new corporate sponsor for our Free Summer Concert Series C Many thanks to Casella Waste Management for their support and thanks to First Brandon National Bank, New England Woodcraft, and the Neshobe Sportsman Club for their sponsorships. You should have received a flier either in the mail or with this mailing. If you would like multiple copies for your customers, please contact us. Enjoy The Music!

CHAMBER TO FLIP >DOGS= AT INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE

In a long-standing tradition, the Chamber and Brandon Rotarians will once again work side-by-side under one tent at the town=s Independence Day Parade, scheduled for Sat. July 2. Hot dog flippers and soda sellers are needed. Please volunteer to work an hour or two. Call or email and let us know what time you are available.

AUCTION CALLS

Members will be receiving calls or letters in the near future asking for a donation to the Chamber=s one and only annual fundraiser, The Great Brandon Auction scheduled for July 26. The auction, now in its 16^th year, is a great community event. If you already have a donation ready, just give us a call or send an email and we=ll arrange for pick-up.

MORE WAYS TO MAKE www.brandon.org WORK FOR YOUR BUSINESS

( Employment classifieds - If your business is advertising for new employee(s), send us a copy of the ad. We=ll post it on our website free of charge.

( Businesses in the Attractions, Recreation, Dining, Lodging, Wedding, or Retail industries are welcome to send us a Ablurb@ about your business. If you already have a few sentences on our site, look it over and update if necessary. Many of the non-food/lodging businesses have write-ups and are on our Local Attractions page. Check it out and feel free to send us your text.

( The Brandon Chamber offers a complimentary link from our popular website (www.brandon.org) to member sites. We welcome you to link to our site from yours. If you are not sure how to do it, give us a call or ask your webmaster.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Gallery in-the-Field

Fran Bull

mail: PO Box 401

685 Arnold District Rd., Brandon

247-0125 (phone and fax)

e: franbull@franbull.com

www.franbull.com

Margaret Donahue Fine Needlework

mail: 8 Carver St. Brandon

opening in July at: 47 Center St., Brandon

247-5950

The Inside Scoop

Joel Mondlak

22 Park St. Brandon

opening by July 1 in the Brandon Inn Annex

Orion Farm

Micaela Dorf

Brandview Farm, 1022 Wheeler Rd. Brandon

989-8447

Welcome to the new owners of Churchill House Inn, Seth & Olya Hopkins. The Hopkins can be reached at 247-3078. The Daybell family will continue to own and operate Country Inns Along the Trail and can be reached at 800-838-3301.

Congratulations to Robert and Line Barral on the opening of their new business, Gourmet Provence. Robert and Line offer pastries, baked goods, catering, take-out, and culinary lessons from their new location at 37 Center St. The phone number at Gourmet Provence is 247-3002.

BRANDON GREEN MAKES A GREAT GIFT

Graduation, Teacher Gifts, Father=s Day, Mid-Year Employee Thank-Yous? Brandon Green, Gift Certificates to Shop in Brandon, make wonderful gifts. The Chamber asks all members to accept these certificates, which are sold in $5 increments and come with a nice gift envelope and our Membership Directory. Sold exclusively at First Brandon National Bank, 2 Park St. Please train new employees so they are comfortable accepting them -- the certificates are green and are pre-printed in the amount of $5.00. Just deposit like a regular check. For more information, contact the Chamber.

YARD SALE DAY - AUG. 6

The Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce this year=s Town Wide Yard Sale Day C Sat. Aug. 6. This will be a busy day in town with yard sales throughout and Merchant Sales downtown. We do the advertising and bring in the people. You get to clean out your old Astuff@ and make a few bucks! Yard sale registration forms will be available soon in local businesses or go to the following link and print the form: www.brandon.org/yard_sale_form.htm, and send in with $7 to get on the map.

BRANDON AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2005 SCHOLARSHIP

The Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce Five Hundred Dollar ($500) Scholarship is awarded annually to a student who is well-rounded and has participated in school and outside activities. The student should be pursuing a course of study in business or a business-related major or who aspires to be entrepreneurial.

The Chamber is pleased to present their 2005 Scholarship to OVUHS student Kristi Quesnel of Whiting. Kristi will be pursuing a course of studies in Dairy Farm Management next year at Vermont Technical College. Kristi=s goal is to manage her family farm, which has been around for 75 years. Kristi understands the challenges facing the dairy industry today and will use her education to meet those challenges.

THANKS

L To Bette Moffett for French translation work on www.brandon.org

L To Mary Cliver of Mary Sullivan Cliver, Landscape Design, for her work on the park flower beds.

L To Jon Satz of Woods Market Garden for co-sponsoring the downtown flower barrels.

L To Tom Sabatini of Pinewood Gardens for the beautiful flowers in Brandon Green Park.

L To Otter Valley Career Center staff and students for all their help with envelope stuffing this school year.

FROM THE PARADE COMMITTEE

The Brandon Independence Day Celebration Committee of the Town of Brandon works hard throughout the year trying to raise funds to make the Celebration special. Enclosed, please find an excellent opportunity that will help raise money. Send in a donation of $25 or more and to show your appreciation, you will be rewarded with a signed Warren Kimble lithographed print.

For more parade information: Call 247-6587 for a float application; 247-6354 for vendor information, 247-9252 for fiddler's contest information, and 247-5412 for silent auction information. Brandon=s Parade has been around a long time and is put together with community volunteers C lets all work to keep it going!

FROM THE TOWN HALL COMMITTEE

The Friends of the Brandon Town Hall, Inc. is selling AChairs.@ Fundraising has begun to purchase attractive, sturdy, and stackable chairs for the building. The committee is requesting donations in the amount of $75 per chair. Donors will be honored with their name on a plaque which will be prominently displayed. Send your donation to: Friends of the Brandon Town Hall, Inc., PO Box 181, Brandon. Include your name and phone number and how you would like the name(s) to read on the plaque.

NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS:

First Brandon National Bank:

/ FBNB=s Annual Meeting is July 7, at which time they expect to take formal action on a bank holding company - First Brandon Financial Corporation. This will allow them to take advantage of a number of things and give them flexibility as they move forward.

/ FBNB is doing renovations to add office and storage space and provide 'connectivity' between buildings. Naylor and Breen Builders is doing the work.

The McKernon Group

/ The McKernon Group is pleased to announce that it has joined the United States Green Building Council, and will be looking to certify projects under the council=s LEED certification program. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized program designed to bring a common standard to Agreen@ construction practices. The McKernon Group is also pleased to announce that David Martin, a member of the company=s design staff, has been appointed a member of the Vermont Green Building Council=s Board of Directors.

NEW TRAIL OPENING AT MOUNT INDEPENDENCE

A new trail, with gentle grades and compacted surfaces leading to the historic Revolutionary War southern battery, will be opened by Governor James Douglas at the Mount Independence State Historic Site in Orwell on Saturday, June 18, at 2:00 pm. The public is invited to join in on the celebration. The festivities are sponsored by the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation and the Mount Independence Coalition. This event is free and open to the public. Mount Independence, one of Vermont's state-owned historic sites, is a National Historic Landmark. The site is located near the end of Mount Independence Road, which is six miles west of the intersections of Vermont Routes 73 and 22A in Orwell, Vermont.Call 802-948-2000 for more info.

CHAMBER MEETINGS FORMAT NEXT MEETING: JUNE 27

Chamber President Bernie Carr recently announced a change in the Chamber meeting structure. Meetings will now begin at 6:30 pm for all members and the general public. Board business which requires closed session, will take place after the general meeting. Meetings are held at the Ball & Chain Café, generally the last Monday of the month. The Chamber=s next meeting will be held on Monday, June 27.

MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORIES
After a lengthy wait, Chamber Membership Directories have been printed and are enclosed with this mailing. Please keep the Directory near your phone or with your phone book and use it as often as possible. Our members support our activities and goals. THINK LOCAL. BUY LOCAL.

ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITY
The Chamber will once again print a concert series flier, advertising the shows and all our events this summer. The fliers will be mailed to every 05733 and 05745 address. Advertising opportunities are available — see the enclosed form.

GREEN UP DAY
Saturday, May 7th is Green Up Day 2005, Vermont's 35th. Vermont was the first state to designate a day to clean up the entire state. Started in 1970 by Governor Deane C. Davis, our unique 34-year tradition continues with thousands of Vermonters taking care of Vermont.

In Brandon, volunteers can show up at Central Park on May 7th from 8 am - 10 am (coffee and donuts will be available). Brandon's coordinator, Jim Leary, will have trash bags and route assignments. Jim can use some help picking up garbage bags from the roadside and delivering them to the transfer station so pick-up truck owners are needed. If you would like to contact Jim about Green Up Day activities, call him at 247-9595.

VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT
Brandon's Bus Stop is need of a good paint job. All materials will be supplied. This would be a great Green-Up Day activity! Any volunteers? Contact the Chamber.

CONCERT SERIES UPDATES
We have a wonderful line-up for our Free Summer Concert Series. Unfortunately, one band we were very much looking forward to has had to cancel. The Air Force Band of Liberty Colonial Brass Quintet has had several band members activated to Iraq and they have subsequently canceled all performances this year. Plans are underway to replace them.

We are looking for one more business sponsor ($200) to help round out the series. We will provide lots of publicity and you get to enjoy the feeling of helping to bring great music to our town this summer! Please contact us if you are interested.

AUCTION CALLS
Members will be receiving calls or letters in the near future asking for a donation to the Chamber's one and only annual fundraiser, The Great Brandon Auction scheduled for July 26. The auction, now in its 16th year, is a great community event. Contact us to arrange for a pick-up.

WEB LINKS
The Brandon Chamber offers a complimentary link from our popular website (www.brandon.org) to our members' sites. We welcome you to link to our site. If you are not sure how to do it, give us a call or ask your webmaster.

PARLEZ-VOUS FRANÇAIS ?
Des pages principales du site Web de chambre de Brandon ont été traduites en Français. Visitez www.brandon.org et cliquez sur le texte français pour examiner votre compétence française ! À la lumière du dollar canadien plus fort, cette traduction est dans un effort d'attirer des visiteurs plus canadiens à notre secteur.

(Translation: Key pages of the Brandon Chamber website have been translated into French. Visit www.brandon.org and click on the French text to test your French skill! In light of the stronger Canadian dollar, this translation is in an effort to attract more Canadian visitors to our area.)

BRANDON REPRESENTED AT MONTREAL SUMMER HOLIDAY SHOW
Doug Sawyer of the Lilac Inn, recently represented the Rutland Region at the Montreal Summer Holiday Show. This is a consumer tourist show and Doug and other statewide tourism officials talked to thousands of potential visitors about why Vermont is a great destination.

BRANDON GREEN
This time of the year, the Chamber sells a lot of Brandon Green — Gift Certificates to Shop in Brandon. They make great Mother's Day, graduation, and Father's Day gifts. The certificates are available for sale at the Brandon office of First Brandon National Bank. Please make sure your employees at the cash register are familiar with these Certificates. There is no cost to your business to accept them. Deposit them as you would a cash or check. When sold, the Certificates are packaged in a special envelope with current membership directories. They are available in $5 increments. Certificates are light green in color, larger than a dollar bill and are pre-signed by the Chamber Treasurer. If you have any questions, please contact us.

CHAMBER GOAL-SETTING RETREAT
The Chamber Board met in late March for a goal-setting retreat. The Board looked at our previous goal priorities and decided to focus on one action item per category. The results are:

Political Action: Help the Town and Businesses to take better advantage of the town's Downtown Designation status. What are the benefits and how can we access them?
Public Relations / Publicity: Continuing redevelopment of our website and reaching the media on a regular and consistent basis (this was a close second place vote-getter)
Economic Development: Build out broadband network
Membership Development: Mentoring or "buddy" system for new businesses. Help new businesses by offering mentoring opportunities. Should we match up a mentor for interested new businesses?

These projects will be on the agenda at the Board's next meeting and in the coming months.

SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE
The Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce it is now accepting scholarship applications from graduating OVUHS students pursuing a course of study in business or business-related major. The Chamber Scholarship will be presented to a student who is well-rounded, has participated in school and outside activities, who is pursuing higher education, and is planning on a career in business or aspires to be entrepreneurial. Interested students should contact the Guidance Office for applications. The deadline for applying is May 6, 2005. For more information, you may also call the Chamber at 247- 6401.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
Pittsford Small Engine Repair, Inc.
Edward Keith, Jr.
PO Box 342 ~ 162 Elm St.
Pittsford 05763
483-2887 (phone & fax)
email: ekeithjr21@verizon.net

Casella Waste Management - Rutland Hauling Division
Larry Cohen, Marketing Coordinator
PO Box 819 ~ 442 Clarendon Ave. W. Rutland 05777
438-2151; fax: 438-2155; toll-free: 888-852-2151
email: lcohen@yahoo.com
web: www.casella.com

Woodlands and Meadows, LLC
Barbara Otsuka
67 Franklin St., Middlebury 05753
388-6829 (and fax) email: botsuka@sover.net

Ultramar DBA Fuels By Keith's
Doug Feldmann
2580 Franklin St. Brandon
247-6580; fax: 247-3890; toll-free: 800-476-6580
e: dfeldman@stargaspropane.com

MJB Excavating
Michael Bertrand ~ Marcia King
289 West Rd., Whiting 05778
623-7864 ~ e: catlover@shoreham.net

SALES & USE AND MEALS & ROOMS TAX REVENUES ARE UP IN BRANDON
Reviewing the reports on Sales and Use Tax receipts and Meals and Rooms Tax receipts collected in Brandon, we find that both numbers increased in calendar year 2004 over 2003. There was a 10.5% gross increase in Sales and Use. Meals increased by 28% and Rooms increased by 5.6%.

SENIOR DINNER UPDATE
One of the worst storms of the winter did not keep Brandon's Senior Citizens from enjoying a delicious St. Patrick's dinner courtesy of the Chamber. About 50 diners plowed through the storm and made it to the Center. They were well rewarded with a fine meal prepared by Jim and Trish Gordon of Maple Grove Dining Room. The waitstaff and cleaning crew included Bernie and Beth Carr, Mickey Carr and Maggie, Mary and Ryan Stanley, Steve and Jane Carr, Del Cook, and Joel, Jessa, and Ariel Mondlak. Thanks to all.

RUTLAND TRADE SHOW
Due to the terrible storm, the Brandon Chamber opted out of Rutland Trade Show participation. Thanks to volunteers Wendy Rowe, Warren Kimble, Nancy Leary, Mary Cliver, Dolores Furnari, Dick & Debbie Kirby who were ready to travel and work if called upon. Special thanks to Nancy Leary for her work on the display. We love going to this show and will definitely get there next year!

BRANDON TOWN PLAYERS PRESENT SOUTH PACIFIC
The Brandon Town Players will be presenting Rodgers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific" on April 21-22-23 at Otter Valley High School in Brandon, curtain time is 7:30 pm. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $8 for seniors (55 and up) and students (17 and under). Tickets may be purchased at Carr's Florist and Gifts, Browns of Brandon or at the door. Brandon Town Players consists of a small but very hard working cast. The Brandon Town Players would like to thank the community for their support in the past and look forward to providing quality community theater to everyone in the Brandon Area.

FROM THE PARADE COMMITTEE
The Brandon Independence Day Celebration Committee of the Town of Brandon announces that the Brandon area will celebrate our Nation's independence on the first Saturday of July, the 2nd, 2005, with a day-long celebration sure to please one and all.

Music, Entertainment, Food, Vendors, a Grand Parade, Bluegrass, Silent Auction, Clown performances, Fireworks, and more to be announced as the date draws closer. Ball Race tickets are on sale now, call 247-3275.

The parade theme this year is "An Old Fashioned Fourth" and this is Brandon's 30th consecutive year of festivities. We invite you to enter a float and show off your interpretation. $800.00 in prizes will be awarded over several categories. A special category this year is for floats combining our theme and the Rocking Chair theme of the Brandon Artist's Guild. All theme floats are welcome from schools, scouts, non-profit clubs, religious groups, service organizations, and any neighborhood or community group.

Applications for parade participants will be available in May and will be mailed to our usual mailing list. Please call 247-6587 for a float application if you are not on our list; 247-6354 for vendor information, 247-9252 for fiddler's contest information, and 247-5412 for silent auction information for yourself or your group if you would like to be included in this great affair.

A complete schedule of the day's events will be published in June. Come join us on Saturday the 2nd of July for a day of Celebration ! !

BRANDON AREA RESCUE SQUAD
Last chance to buy a BRICK for LIFE
Become a permanent part of our new building. Buy a brick and engrave it with your name. Bricks will be used to FACE the front of the building and for planters. 1 Brick for $35.00 or 3 Bricks for $100.00.

Please provide the following information: Name, Address, Phone #, and Email. Deadline is May 10th 2005. Thank You for Supporting the Brandon Rescue Squad building fund. Questions? Please call Debbie Boyce at 247-4842 or email Debbie at debbiendan@pshift.com

MENTORS WANTED
Linking Learning to Life is a non-profit organization based in Burlington which establish mentoring links. There are numerous opportunities in the local area. Contact 802-951-8847 for more information.

BRANDON COMMUNITY GUIDE IS NOT
CHAMBER PUBLICATION
Many of you advertised in the Brandon Community Guide, the publication recently mailed to everyone in the 05733 zip code. Please be advised that this is NOT a Chamber publication and the organization that published the booklet has nothing to do with the Chamber. Any communication regarding the booklet should be directed to the publisher.

BARS GROUND BREAKING
Congratulations to the Rescue Squad on their ground-breaking activities, held this past Sunday, April 10. The Squad's new building will be constructed by Naylor & Breen with funding from FBNB.

NEXT CHAMBER MEETING - APRIL 25
The Chamber's next meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 25 at the Ball and Chain Cafe at 7:15 pm following the Board meeting at 6:30 pm. All members and the general public are invited to attend and participate.

July 2 - Independence Day Celebration (incorrectly printed as July 1 in the last Chamber newsletter)

CHAMBER NEWSLETTERS 2005

OCT. 2005 CHAMBER NEWS