News from Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce

Greetings!

Welcome to the Eastern Madera County Area News brought to you by the
Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce. We are pleased to present news from our members and the communities of Eastern Madera County.

Healthy CommuniTree Grant

Help Plant 350 Trees in Oakhurst, Ahwahnee, Coarsegold, and North Fork on October 23, 2010, THIS SATURDAY

Volunteers will meet at True Value Hardware between 8:00 - 8:30 am on Saturday, October 23^rd, get planting assignments, go out in teams to plant the trees and then come back to True Value and enjoy a complimentary lunch.

The Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce, the Eastern Madera County Chamber Foundation and the Ahwahnee Regional Park Committee have obtained a grant that will provide 350 fifteen gallon size trees for us to plant in an effort to beautify our communities and clean the air. We plant ALL of the trees on October 23^rd!

We need your help! For the day of the planting we also need food for the volunteers, gardening tools (we can borrow or they can be donated), and mulch.

To volunteer or donate, please call 559-683-7766 or click here

Member Appreciation Dinner and Ballot Election Results

November begins the season that reminds us to count our blessings. This year, the Chamber would like to do something very special for our annual Membership meeting. We would like to show our appreciation to our community, our leaders, our public service workers, and to our extraordinary businesses. During these current economically trying times, our members have stayed true to our shop locally tradition, and we continue to enjoy many big city services in our beautiful rural community. We praise all of our members, however on this special evening we will also be acknowledging several specific businesses for their longevity and their commitment.

We had a run off this year for the open Board of Directors positions! Incoming President, Angelo Pizelo will announce the outcome of the election.

October Chamber Mixers

Chamber Mixers are FREE and open to the public

~Meet and Greet
~Hors D'oeuvres
~Free Raffle
~No Host Bar

TOMORROW Thursday, Oct 21,
5:30 - 7:00 pm
Mid Cal Escrow Services, Inc.
40034 Hwy 49 Ste A7, Oakhurst
(In the Vons Shopping Center below Round Table Pizza)

Wednesday, Oct 27
5:30 - 7:00 pm
Macaulay Associates
49774 Rd 426, Oakhurst
(Above Firesign)

Women In Business Luncheon

Thursday October 28, 2010
12pm - 1pm
Old Mexico Taqueria
40083 Hwy 41, Oakhurst

"Learn How To Add Color To Your Holidays"
Demonstration by Christina Bilby of Sweet Pickins Florist

Meal Choice: Chicken Taco Salad, Shrimp Scampi or Steak Fajita

Make your reservation today, visit Women In Business online

Trunk -N-Treat Halloween Night

The Oakhurst Area Chamber and the Oakhurst Community College Center, are looking for "Trunkers" (volunteers to act as treat givers). "Trunkers" are asked to arrive by 5:30 p.m. and provide and hand out treats to the children from 6:00-7:30 p.m. from the trunk of their cars. We hope you enjoy the camaraderie of the event by providing children with a safe, enjoyable and memorable celebration. "Trunkers" decorate yourselves and your cars (no masks or gore please). Be prepared for a couple of hundred "Treaters" and a hauntingly good time!

Be a "Trunker" >>

The Redwoods in Yosemite Fall Specials

Rent a vacation home in Yosemite for as low as $180 per night!

Discounts valid October 24 - November 20, 2010
Not valid with any other discount or offer.
Availability is limited, CALL NOW!
Mention, "I heard about this special from the Oakhurst Area Chamber"

Ask about our discounted group rates!
1-888-225-6666

www.redwoodsinyosemite.com

Visit us on

and enter to win a FREE weekend vacation!
(facebook drawings on October 31, 2010, November 30, 2010 and December 31, 2010)

Final Deadline October 31st Spend St. Patrick's Day in Ireland

Since so many of you are still wanting to sign up, we begged and pleaded and got one more extension! Prices will not be going up until October 31st. So you still have time to get your deposit in at this great price.

Discover & Explore Scenic Ireland for only $1849 pp!
March 15 - 23, 2011

Perched on the northwest tip of Europe, this is the one place in the world where even time getting lost will be worthwhile... With ancient myths and legends to uncover, amazing landscapes to explore and locals who will be more than happy to reveal our hidden gems, just go where the island of Ireland takes you. Guaranteed, you'll return home with memories that will last a lifetime.

Read More>>

How to do Business with CalTrans and State Government Sponsored by: Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce, Central Valley SCORE and CalTrans

State Government spends billions of dollars each year on contracts with California Businesses.
This seminar covers:

1.    Registering your business with eProcurement. This allows suppliers to upload bid/proposals in responses to applications online solicitations. There is NO FEE to register.
2.    Becoming a Certified Small Business (SB), or Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVEB). The Governor's Executive Order S-02 requires state agencies to award 25% of their annual contracting dollars to certified SB's and 3% to DVEB's.
3.    Accessing the California State Contractors Register (CSCR) which connects you to government solicitations providing any easy-to-use, on line publication.

Date: November 9^th, Session #1, 10am to 11:30 "Become Certified"

Date: November 16^th, Session #2, 10am to 11:30am "Marketing your Business to State Agencies. *must attend session #1 or have their "suppliers number" for this session.

Location: Yosemite Gateway Restaurant
40530 Hwy 41, Oakhurst (next to Best Western)

Read More>>

Are You Taking Advantage Of A Roth IRA?

Simply put...contributing to a Roth Individual Retirement Account (IRA) may be a smart money move. The question then is...are you taking full advantage? The benefit of contributing to the Roth IRA is the money you put into one of these accounts grows tax free and distributions may be made tax free.¹

If you haven't opened a Roth IRA, do it now. You have until your tax deadline (typically April 15) to set up an account and make contributions for the previous year. Annual contributions are limited; currently the maximum amount is $5,000.²That means you can invest $5,000 for 2010, giving you a solid start to your savings.