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Networking By Night
No Networking in December.
See You February 9th at
Nini's Ristorante
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 DONATE NOW!
Holiday Stroll
Friday, December 2, 7:00pm starting at
Maple St. School
Holiday Dinner Dance
Thursday, December 15
6-11pm at
Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House
CLICK ABOVE TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKET
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Chamber
Celebrates 50 Years! Thank you to our
Charter Members
Banas & Fickert Insurance Agency
Big E's Supermarket
Boulanger Plumbing & Heating
Cernak Fuel Corporation
Daily Hampshire Gazette
DeGrandpre Jewelers
Easthampton Feed
Easthampton Savings Bank
Finck & Perras Insurance Agency
Landry Furniture Company
O'Brien Funeral Home
The October Company
Stevens Urethane
Strong Bus Corporation
Western Mass Electric Company
WHMP Radio
The Williston Northampton School
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Membership Directory, Buy Local Resource Guide
Now Available
With already 17,000+ copies distributed through the Daily Hampshire Gazette's Summit and mailed to non-subscribers in the Greater Easthampton area, plus now electronically available at www.gazettenet.com, our Greater Easthampton 2011-2012
Membership Directory and Buy Local Resource Guide is now available for our members to have at your place of business for your customers to pick up.
The latest, 82 page, edition of our Directory contains a complete listing of our members by their business category, an alphabetical listing and a quick reference telephone guide which offers area consumers all the information needed to contact and do business with our members. The Guide also includes important contact information for local city and town departments and agencies, regional business resources and local and state legislators.
We have extra copies available, along with the pictured holder, so that you can display and distribute this fantastic marketing tool at your place of business. Please contact the Chamber office at 413.527.9414 or email us and we'll set aside a start-up group of Directories for you!
Eric Snyder, Executive Director
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Member Spotlight: Cranberries Home Decor
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Cranberries Home Décor, located at 162 College Highway, Southampton across from Opa-Opa, has been in business and a Chamber member since 2008. Owners and long-time local residents Tom and Jane Lagowski offer "a blend of all things country," including high quality reproduction furniture hand crafted in the U.S., kitchen linens, wreaths, florals, wall decorations, scented products, and other home décor items. The third member of the shop's staff, Brodie (the Lagowskis' Golden-doodle dog), helps to greet customers as they enter. Throughout the store, displays of flowers, candles, trays and other items are set up to give shoppers ideas about how to create their own arrangements, and Jane is happy to help with suggestions and referrals to interior designers as well. They started the business when Tom decided to leave his career as a busy CFO, to improve their quality of life. He and Jane, who had experience in the retail industry, found an established Cape Cod business whose owners were retiring and were willing to sell their inventory. The couple helped the Lagowskis set up their store and have offered additional support over the years. Much of the Lagowskis' time is spent going to trade shows, both local and out of state, to meet with manufacturing representatives. "We are always looking for something high quality and unique. We won't buy from a company unless we personally can see their merchandise," said Tom. Meeting personally with manufacturers also allows them to negotiate prices for high quality items that are affordable for their customers. Their biggest annual show is a three-day show in Valley Forge, PA, where they can view examples of hand-crafted one-of-a-kind items, frequently made by local Amish craftspeople. Because of the painstaking nature of hand-crafting furniture in particular, Tom and Jane have to place some orders 6 to 8 weeks in advance. Holiday buying can begin as early as February, as items that vendors feel will be popular for that year can sell out quickly. Jane said, "It's early, right after the previous Christmas, but the good thing is that it's clear in your mind from the year before as to what items you need to order and how many." The Lagowskis try to always buy new items and freshen their displays. "People are always looking to see new things in your shop," Jane said, "Also, everyone's taste is different-that's what makes the world go around." The best thing about doing business in the Valley is the nature of the community itself. Tom said, "People in this area like country décor, and there aren't many shops that offer it. We have a broad customer base in this area, and some customers come from as far away as Plymouth and Harwich, Mass." Being a Chamber member allows the Lagowskis the ability to build a sense of community and give back in a way they would not be able to do as an individual business. "The activities as a whole are greater than our support would be to an individual event, which benefits the entire community of the Greater Easthampton Chamber." Cranberries Home Décor can be reached at 413-203-1891, Wed through Sat, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Sun, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM (their hours will soon be extended for the holidays), or at their website at www.cranberrieshomedecor.com. |
Would you like your business to be featured in a future Member Spotlight? Contact the Chamber office and we will put you on the list. |
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Member News: Kenneth Peters Photography Wins Directory Cover
The Chamber selected a design by Kenneth Peters Photography of Easthampton to serve as the 2011-2012 Directory cover. Ken has owned and operated his business since2009, and offers the full range of photography services, including portrait, corporate, event photography and video/slide show DVDs.
The cover posed a challenge for Ken. "It was a daunting challenge to incorporate art, industry and agriculture, the three areas that the Chamber represents, into one photo. One day, I saw a "Come in, we're open" sign, an d it triggered the idea. Sometimes you just have to step out of your normal idea process." The picture itself is made up of 68 different pictures, using mosaic software, a process Ken has wanted to experiment with.
"This is not just a collection of photos, it's an art piece. I wanted to create an image that said that we're open for business, from Easthampton's point of view. The image says that we all have to work together to make our businesses successful."
About his business, Ken says, "Photography for me is passion and stress relief. I know that sounds weird, but when I am behind the lens I am not in front of it. For a couple seconds the world is not looking at me but instead I am looking at it . . . the business allows me to take my passion, stress relief, and talent and bring it to the next level."
Ken can be contacted at 413-297-4311 or kpphotography@me.com. You can see Ken's portfolio and blog at his website at www.kpphotography.biz and more information on his Facebook page.
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Member News: Cottage Street Studios Celebrates 25th Anniversary 
Cottage Street Studios at One Cottage Street, Easthampton will have its 25th Open Studios and Sales on Dec. 2, 3 and 4. The Open Studios will include close to 50 artists offering fine art, photography, fine furniture, metal and mosaic sculpture, fused glass, ceramics, lighting, ornaments and jewelry. Admission is free, and many artists will serve light refreshments.
There will be a 25th Anniversary Kickoff on Friday, December 2 from 11:30 AM to noon, attended by artists and local dignitaries and open to the public. Riverside Industries will be acknowledged as the host of Open Studios, and Mayor Tautznik and members of the Mass. legislative delegation will honor the Open Studio's contribution to the city and region.
An arts and crafts collective consisting of about 80 artists, Cottage Street Studios is housed in a former mill converted to multi-use space in the 1970s by Riverside Industries. Their December event is the longest-running Open Studios in the Valley. Show participants meet over the course of the year to plan the show, manage the advertising and direct mail campaign, train volunteers, and work with local sponsors.
Lynn Latimer, glass artist at the Studios, said, "We have two new very fun things this year, the Passport/raffle; collect studio stamps on your Passport to be entered in a free drawing with 40 individual artist gift certificates; and also new this year, GREAT FOOD by Pengyew Cartering, Southeast Asian cuisine, light lunch, desserts and drinks! Help spread the word, it is a fun event to visit and find some holiday gifts."
Hours for the Open Studios are Dec. 2 and 4 from noon to 5:00 PM and Dec. 3 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. See the Cottage Street Studios website at www.cottagestreetstudios.com for a complete list of participating artists. For additional information, contact Carolyn Cushing at 413-529-9759 / carolyn@artofchangetaraot.com or Margaret Larson at 413-527-6103 / margaret@nesaw.com.
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Member News: Distinguished Young Women Award Goes to Molly Bialecki
 The Chamber sends its congratulations to 2012 Distinguished Young Woman of Greater Easthampton, Molly Bialecki. Molly was selected from a field of 12 contestants in a competition held on Nov. 20 at the Academy of Music.
Molly is the first representative chosen under the pageant's new name of Distinguished Young Women of Greater Easthampton (formerly Greater Easthampton Junior Miss). She is a senior at Easthampton High School and lives here with her parents, brother and sister. Molly plans to study environmental engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute or the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.
Molly received scholarship awards in the Scholastics, Interview and Talent Categories in addition to winning the overall title. She will now advance to the Distinguished Young Women of Massachusetts held in February in Franklin, MA.
More information about the DYW program can be found at their website at ajm.org, or by contacting Easthampton's program director Jennifer Lawton at 413-388-5566.
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