Salida Chamber of Commerce Newsletter - April 2010
- Guest Article from the Salida Mountain Trails
- Alternative meanings for common words
- Washington Post's Style Invitational winners
- Heart of Colorado Rural Philanthropy Days
Note from the Director
Springtime in the Rockies
April is here and most of us are pleased to see the snow recede and the temperatures rise. Little green things are popping up and the first robins of the year are in search of early worms. Shorts and flip-flops have been spotted and soon many more will appear.
To honor Spring, the Chamber has planned a festive Spring Break Party on Saturday, April 10 at the Chaffee County Fairgrounds at 8:00pm.
We are pleased to announce that Chase N The Dream, a super 8 piece band from Denver will make us leap about until our feet fall off. This promises to be the dance of the year, so make plans today to attend. The cost is only $20 in advance, and this includes a free raffle ticket for a Monarch Season Pass. Tickets at the door will be $25. As always, there will be a terrific silent auction featuring products and services graciously donated by our members. Take advantage of this opportunity to support the Chamber and find some great gifts in the process.
Special thanks to go out to Yellowbook, Xcel Energy, United County Premier Brokers and Colorado Vacation Homes for helping to make this event possible. Without their help, we could never have been able to acquire such a big band and throw such a fun party.
If you would like to have a look at the band and listen to some of their music, please take a moment to check them out at www.chasenthedream.com.
We are encouraging folks to go out to eat at our fine local restaurants before the dance. We will provide a variety of party snacks and of course a cash bar. Please make plans for a fun night out with your friends and know you will have a memorable evening. Tickets are available at the Chamber. For more information, please call us at 539-2068.
Over the past several months we have been working to upgrade our Chamber website. Thanks for your patience during the time it has been under construction. We are asking each of you to check your information under “Salida Visitor” and “Business List” and let us know of any changes you would like to make. Notice we have space available for a large photo or logo for your business. If you have not yet provided us with this, please take a moment to do so. We want you to have the best representation possible. Another new feature is the “What’s Happening Now” section. This area is for the latest and greatest news that you may have. For information that pertains to events or meetings a month or more out, we will gladly add to our community calendar of events. We hope you like the new look and please let us know how we can make it better for you the member.
Lastly, after almost three years of effort, the Salida Chamber is proud to announce that we are going to offer a comprehensive health insurance program designed especially for the Chamber. Colorado Choice Health Plans has created a program for our membership that will truly be a benefit. Currently we are awaiting final notification and approval from the Colorado Insurance Commission. This insurance program is competitively priced with major insurance carriers such as United Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield, and yet has more benefits for the small business owner. A few elements of special note include: It covers pre-existing conditions, it is designed for businesses as small as two employees, employees can choose different plans, and the employer can participate for as little as $150.00/month. Much more information will be coming soon, but for now, if you are interested in this program, please call us at the Chamber at 539-2068 and we will add your name to the list of businesses to be contacted. We hope to start getting people signed up with an effective date of May 1. As we get more information, we will make sure you are kept in the loop.
That’s it for now. Enjoy the Spring weather and hope to see you at the dance on the 10th.
Best regards,
John Engelbrecht
Executive Director
Gallery 150 is the March 2010 Business of the Month
The Heart of the Rockies Chamber of Commerce chose Gallery 150 as March business of the month because of its commitment to local artists and community involvement.
Toni Tischer co-owns the gallery with Jerry Scavezze and his wife, Susan Bethany. They opened the gallery in 1981.
It showcases a variety of art. Scavezze said most of the two dimensional art and furniture in the gallery is from local artists, while they try to showcase jewelry from nationally recognized names.
“We try to carry as many local artists as we can,” he said noting their involvement with ArtWalk.
Gallery 150 has an active involvement with Colorado Metalsmithing Association which organizes and conducts classes about jewelry making.
In addition to supporting Salida Artists, Gallery 150 has been involved with Chaffee County Mentors and before that with the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program.
Gallery personnel have done fund-raising for Boys and Girls Club and are members of Salida Rotary Club.
Salida Colorado Resources
Salida is a wonderful place to visit and vacation. Some links to interesting events and supporting websites, to help you plan your stay.
FIBArk - our annual whitewater festival
Salida Hotels - selected hotels in Salida
Salida Vacation rental homes - enjoy a comfortable home while you visit Salida
Salida Artwalk - visit dozens of art galleries, meet the artists and see them at work
Monarch Ski Resort - our local ski area - Monarch Mountain
Salida Real Estate - find your dream home or that special piece of land along the Arkansas River
The Salida Pool - natural hot springs in a full size pool, open year 'round
New Chamber Member - Fringe
Heart of the Rockies Chamber of Commerce personnel recently welcomed Penny Wilken and Stephanie Stobbe of Fringe, 139 F St., to membership.
Fringe personnel said they offer the best source for fabric and yarn, a full line of sewing and knitting notions, patterns and books.
There is an array of gifts including Crabtree and Evelyn, Latico Leather wallets and purses, handmade jewelry, baskets, watches, photo frames and Hammonds Candies.
Penny, Stephanie and their personnel will help you start or finish an existing fabric or yarn project and pick out the perfect gift for special someone.
Classes ranging in skill level from beginning to advanced are offered in areas such as knitting, sewing, and felting, rug hooking, crocheting, and quilting.
Fringe, 539-4006, is open 7 days a week, Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.
New Chamber Member - Jo Ann Guattery CPA
Heart of the Rockies Chamber of Commerce members recently welcomed certified public accountant Jo Ann Guattery to membership recently.
Jo Ann said she specializes in small business consulting and tax planning. She has 25 years’ experience in public accounting and a master’s degree in taxation. She is licensed to practice in Colorado and California.
Guattery and her husband fell in love with Salida and moved here from Northern California where she practiced allowing her a dual practice meaning she can provide a combination of personal attention and resources of a larger firm.
Her industry experience includes medical and veterinary practices, contractors, wineries and retail stores. Guattery works with business owners to maximize benefits available at the entity and individual levels.
She provides free initial consultation up to one hour to determine if her style matches accounting needs of the individual. Learn more by calling Guattery at 539-4940 or in the office at 332 ½ W. Sackett Ave., Salida.
LiveWell Chaffee County
LiveWell Offers Worksite Wellness Grants to Chaffee County Employers
LiveWell Chaffee County is offering worksite wellness mini-grants to employers located in Chaffee County for the period of June 1, 2010 to May 30, 2011. Mini-grants for up to $4,000 will be awarded depending upon the size of the employer’s workforce. Small employers with less than 10 employees are encouraged to collaborate and apply as a single entity.
Worksite wellness programs are designed to enrich the physical, mental, emotional, and occupational well-being of employees. A major goal of a worksite wellness program is to make the work environment more supportive of positive behaviors such as healthy eating, being physically active, managing stress and quitting tobacco. Examples of worksite wellness programs include health risk assessments, screenings, workshops and informational campaigns promoting healthy lifestyles, worksite activity challenges such as walking programs and providing participation incentives to reduce barriers to physical activity.
An increasing number of businesses have found that adopting strategies to keep their employees healthy ultimately cuts costs and improves their bottom line. Healthy employees are more productive, have lower absenteeism rates and help their employers keep healthcare and disability costs under control.
Application information is available by contacting Lisa Malde at 530-2569 or lmalde@chaffeecounty.org. Letters of intent from employers for worksite wellness mini-grants are due April 23, 2010. Employers whose letters of intent are approved will be provided with application, planning and implementation assistance. Salida Colorado Lodging.
New Chamber Member - Send Out Cards
Heart of the Rockies Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed Phyllis Swenson and Mike Moser of Send Out Cards, to membership.
Send Out Cards is an online greeting card and postcard tool allowing busy people to keep in touch with those they care about. The system is perfect for those in business who want an easy way to keep track of clients.
Simply put, it’s a relationship building tool. It has a built-in contact manager to keep track of birthdays, other important dates and will remind of follow ups.
Easy, convenient and inexpensive, it’s a tool every business can use. Contact Phyllis or Mike to sign up as a customer or to start your own business with Send Out Cards. (719) 371-7125 or cards@aardwolfalpacas.com or www.sendarealcard.com.
New Chamber Member Native American Research & Preservation, Inc.
Heart of the Rockies Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed Becky Donlan of Native American Research and Preservation Inc., to membership. Native American Research and Preservation is a 501(c)(3) organization. Its mission is to locate, document, interpret and preserve Native American prehistoric and historic sites.
The company works with tribal elders, historic preservation offices, state archaeology offices and chapters, the State Land Board, U.S. Forest Service, Colorado Forest Service archaeoastronomers, Smithsonian Institution archaeologists and nonprofit organizations. Research and preservation does public education seminars focusing on prehistoric and historic sites and importance these sites have for Native Americans.
Resource protection laws are an integral part of presentations, stressing importance of protecting sacred landscapes. To learn more call Becky Donlan at 539-2913 or at www.slvarchaeo.net or e-mail Becky at sacredstones@q.com.
New Chamber Business - Antero Event Rental
Heart of the Rockies Chamber of Commerce members recently welcomed Katja Dietze-Drakulich of Antero Event Rental to membership.
Katja said she has worked with enough brides and party hosts to know there is a local niche to fill for event planners.
Antero Event Rental has everything to elegantly equip a wedding, banquet or cocktail party. The business is the Chaffee County source for quality event rentals. The owner said it’s easy to enjoy fine products, personal service and prompt delivery at a “great price.”
Antero personnel select rental products by quality, design and durability to ensure clients are completely satisfied.
Their rental items range from German-made stemware to an array of fine table coverings, charger plates, dishware, white resin chairs and more. To learn more, visit www.anteroeventrental.com or call (719) 221-4017.
Women's Health Day - May 8, 2010
Upper Arkansas Area Development Corporation
Thank you to our renewing members!
| A Platinum Memory Action Lockservice Anderson & Hughes, P.C. Arkansas River KOA & Loma Linda Motel Art of the Rockies Benders Log Cabin Bixby, Rowland & Long DDS Burmac Chaffee County Board of Realtors Chaffee County Closing Corporation Chaffee County Montessori School, Inc. Chaffee Tire & Wheel Chaffee Title & Abstract\ Comfort Inn CRC Disaster Restoration Deer Valley Ranch Dvorak Kayak & Rafting Family & Youth Initiatives Fleming & Associates, LLP Four Corners Rafting Four Winds Gallery Friends of the SteamPlant Hahns Haven Bed & Breakfast Hampton Inn & Suites High Country Fine Arts Association Kalamatapit Katering Laughing Ladies Restaurant Mariposa Window & Door |
Mobile Record Shredders
Thank You to Our Renewing Sponsors |
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