The Chamber VoiceFebruary 2015

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce100 Veterans Memorial Ave.

Bennington, VT 05201P: 800-229-0252 | F: 802-447-1163

www.Bennington.com

Executi ve BoardChad Schmidt President

Ed Woods 1st Vice President 2nd Vice President

Tom Dailey TreasurerBrenda Jones Past President

Joann Erenhouse Executi ve DirectorMarie Shutt s Operati ons Director

Lindy Lynch Ex Offi cioArt Whitman Ex Offi cio

Board of Directors Mike Baker

Mike BarriereSue Congdon

John DrzewieckiLynn Frost

Dimitri GarderMichele Hogan

Lindy LynchMike McKenna

Shannon McLenithanMary Morrissey

TR PaquinJohn Redding

Kevin RobinsonTracey SchwarzPatt y Surdam

PJ Venti Pat Warner

Art Whitman

Ad Hoc MembersMichael Harrington

John Shanahan

Staff Barbara Bluto

Carol Cameron Gary DormanKathy Gallett

Maddie Hadden

Welcome Center Staff PJ DeVito

Melissa HunterPaul KennedyLeslie Knapp

Lowre LaCroixFrank Nolin

Tommi OutwaterJohn Reed

Joseph RussellNancy Smith

Roberta Stange

Member of the MonthSpectrum Design

Spectrum Design is a graphic arts and website development fi rm located in Bennington, Vermont. Founded by Jonah Spivak in 1994, the studio is located on the second fl oor of the Hawkins House craft smarket, which Jonah co-owns with his wife Elizabeth Ganger. In general, the offi ce is open to the public 10 am to 3 pm daily, and other ti mes by appointment. Jonah says, “We’re small enough to give each client the personal att enti on they need, but large enough and with the experience you need to handle large and complex projects.”

Spectrum Design does all types of graphic design for businesses, including logo development, website design, brochures, newslett ers, stati onery, posters, and all types of print work. They also design product packaging, labels, t-shirt art, and art for printi ng on all types of glassware. In 1995, Spectrum Design began doing website design and development. “Our focus is supporti ng businesses throughout The Shires region, but we’ve also helped clients throughout the country and abroad.”

In additi on to their technical skills, the fi rm can help with marketi ng, branding, and social media eff orts. “Marketi ng today is not linear. Businesses need to do a good job targeti ng audiences through numerous platf orms. We can help.” The many years Jonah has in the community has helped him understand a lot about the nature of doing business in this area, and he is happy to share his experi-ence to help other businesses grow and succeed. “While I call myself a graphic arti st… what that truly means is graphic communicati on. My job is to eff ecti vely communicate a message, product or idea to the target audience… and I love doing it!”

Day Under the Dome

262 North Street | Bennington, VT 05201 | (802) 447-1778– Our Proud Partners –

The Chamber Day Under the Dome Bus Trip to

Montpelier is scheduled for March 10, 2015.

That is to be the Lions Club Vermont Recogniti on Day in

the Legislature.

So, aside from inviti ng students to go with us we will

also be encouraging Lions Club Members to buy a seat

and travel up together for the day.

We will have a bus that seats 56 so it is going to be a

great trip!

More informati on as we develop the plan.

PARENTS:Wondering what your kids will be up to during the up-coming Winter School Vacation???

How’s this for an idea:

Oldcastle Theatre Company’sVacation Theatre Camp

Oldcastle’s Vacation Theatre Camp is an ideal way for parents to treat their kids to a fun and unique experience during February school break. Campers will study acting and improvisation, play theatre games, and create and perform an original Folk Tale which will be presented to friends and family on Saturday, February 21.

Director of the camp, Christine Decker, is a long-time professional actor, improviser, and director and also teaches Oldcastle’s adult acting classes. She says, “This is a great opportunity to learn new games, make new friends, and bring ‘once upon a time’ to ‘happily

ever after’.”

Ages 8 -12

Tuition is $140 per camper • 50% Sibling Discount!!

Class size is limited • Register today! Call: 802.447.0564

Join the fun!

at Oldcastle Theatre • 331 Main Street

HappeningsBennington Oral Health Coalition Forum

February 12th

Upstairs at the Bennington Fire Department

6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The Town of Bennington is hosting the Bennington Oral

Health Coalition Forum. A diverse panel of experts will

answer questions about community water fluoridation in

Bennington. The panel will include local physicians, a

dentist, a chiropractor, VT State toxicologist, a representative

of the State Division of Oral Health, and a representative

from SVHC. This event is open to the public and questions

from Bennington and North Bennington residents are wel-

come. It will take place upstairs at the Bennington Fire De-

partment on River Street. For more information or to submit

a question in advance of the meeting please call 802-447-

3700 ext. 3 or email info@benningtonoralhealth.com

Field Workshops

February 20th and 21st

One World Conservation Center

413 US Route 7 South

Bennington, VT

Susan Morse of Keeping Track (www.keepingtrack.org) will

present both a Slide Show and conduct on “In The Field”

outing about Animals of The North: What Will Global Climate

Change Mean For Them? A Slide Show will be held on Febru-

ary 20th starting at 7:00pm and the cost is $5 per person or

$10 per family. Open to all ages. Then on Saturday, February

21st from 9:00am until 3:00pm a Field Workshop will be held

($35 per person). This group will be limited to 20 people:

adults and older teens. Pre-registration for both the Power

Point show and the field outing is required by February 13th

as space is limited. Please call One World Conservation Cen-

ter for more information and to register (802) 447-7419 or

email at info@oneworldconservationcenter.org.

February Mixer

Bennington College

February 25th from 5:30-7:00pm

Bennington College

One College Drive

Bennington, VT

Director’s MessageThe Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce had a lovely Annual Dinner Meeting on January 23rd. Our Award Winners included Dave Matti-son for the President’s Award. Tracey Schwarz for the D. Ed Moore Award, Kevin Lynch of Kevin’s Sports Pub & Restaurant for the Business Community Spirit Award, and Carol Lucier of Jensen’s Restaurant for the Mike Williams Hospitality Award. A Special Recognition Award was given to our outgoing President, Brenda Jones for all her hard work over the past two years. Our new President is Chad Schmidt who is actively engaged in making sure the Chamber runs efficiently. It looks like 2015 will be another year of progress for the Bennington Area Cham-ber of Commerce.

Our New Board Members include Mike Baker of Michael J. Baker Architect, LLC, John Drzewiecki of Benefits Resource Group, P.C., Lynn Frost of The Tuscan Sunflower, and John Redding of the Safford Mills Inn & Café. We welcome them onto the Board of Directors and look forward to working with them in the coming year. As you can see they represent a wide spectrum of our Member businesses.

The Mount Anthony Country Club provided a delicious meal as always. It is a lovely venue and we are lucky to have David and Maru in our community. Many “thanks” to them as our hosts.

The same weekend as the Annual Dinner Meeting I was in New York City working the NY Times Travel Show. Our booth was busy all three days. There were thousands of people all looking for some place to visit. This was a great show and a huge opportunity to communicate with people about all the experiences they could have in our part of Vermont. Since the only representatives from Vermont were from the southern section (Okemo, Mt Snow, and Bennington), we were able to give a good impression of our regions. We did have a nice new communications representative from the Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing who had all the statewide literature. So, we were able to concentrate on our local highlights. The crowd was very receptive. Both Okemo and our Chamber gave away a trip to our areas up on the stage along with other prizes. This is a market we could never afford to touch without this trade show. Now we are busy following up on the many leads we gathered.

Speaking of prizes, there were three prizes awarded at the Winterfest on January 31st for the Ice Carving Contest. The Most Artistic Award went to Southern Vermont College. The Bennington Boy Scout Troop # 353 took the combined Creative & Team Spirit Award. Returning Artist, Dan Caron and his Friends won the Peoples Choice Award. As soon as some of the new snow disappears you will be able to see the seven ice sculptures at the North Benning-ton Train Station. Congratulations to all the ven-ues, volunteers, and participants of the Penguin Plunge and Winterfest for putting together a wonderful day.

Our Committee Chairs, Michael Barriere and Patty Surdam did a lot of work to get it all coordinated. Without the help of Art Whitman, VAE, the North Bennington Fire Department, Norshaft Lions Club, Dollars for Scholars, the MAUHS students, Kevin’s, the McCullough Library, The Village School, the Girl Scouts, the Buzz Saw Boys, Michele Hogan, and many of our favorite volunteers we would never be able to help expand the experience for the people who come to encourage the “Plungers” who help raise money for Vermont’s Special Olympics.

While the Chamber of Commerce no longer is eligible to sell health insurance to its members through VACCE, we can offer a very good Delta Dental Plan, a Life and Accident Plan, and as an add on if you take either Delta Dental or Life/Accident we can offer a Vision Plan. The VACCE Delta Dental Plan is much more comprehensive than the one through Vermont Health Connect and costs the same. Let me know if any of these benefits interest you.

Also as a reminder, this year please make sure you get your updated brochures and rack cards to both the Chamber Office and the Welcome Center. Promoting our Members is an important piece of the Chamber’s activities. As a Chamber Member there is no charge to include your ma-terial in the front rack at the Welcome Center.

Also – some good news: The Art Wall at the Welcome Center has been highly successful for our area Artists. We do not sell anything at the Center but our recent “Chicken” artist has been contacted by individuals and reports that all the pieces are sold. In addition, the amazing driftwood moose, Abraham, by Artist, Rita Dee has also been sold. Make sure if you want to reserve a month of display you need to call PJ DeVito at 447-2456 and she will fit you into the schedule. Display cases are also available on a monthly basis. We do not charge for this – it is simply another way of reminding visitors of some of the wonderful culture, businesses and activities available in our area.

Please call Marie at 447-3311 to RSVP to this month’s Mixer to be held on February 25th at Bennington College.

All the best,

Joann ErenhouseExecutive Director

New MembersState Farm, Mark Sekora, Agent 818 Main Street #1, Bennington, VT 05201 802-447-2227

MPKC, LLC, d/b/a Ramuntos Pizza 515 Main Street, Bennington, VT 05201 802-442-6622

Catamount Glassware 309 County Street, Bennington, VT 05201 802-442-5438

Greg Nesbit Photography 186 North Street, Bennington, VT 05201 802-558-3618

Trustco Bank 215 North Street, Bennington, VT 05201 802-447-4952

Battenkill Valley Health Center 9 Church Street, Arlington, VT 05250 802-375-6566

Louis M. “Mike” Dougall, Friend of the Chamber

Chet Chapin, Friend of the Chamber

Welcome!

On Tap for June 13, 2015...

Bennington Brewfest 2015 Colgate Park will be the home of the first Bennington Brewfest, which will feature hand

crafted beers, on Saturday June 13, 2015. A day of

amazing beer, yummy cider, great food and the best live music. More details to follow.

Southern Vermont College’s award winning ice carving at Winterfest.

Art Whitman working at Winterfest. Photo by Beth Mclean