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.

Oakhurst Chamber Promotes Our Tourism Partners To Other Chambers All Over The State!

If you have special dining, lodging, retail, spa, or attractions offers you would like to offer visitors to our area; here is your chance!

Check the links below: The first link is how it looks on our Visit Yosemite website:

visitortouristinfo.com

These other two links are how it looks on the San Francisco website and the Sacramento Chamber (towns are listed alphabetically).

san-francisco-valentines-day-events

sacramento-valentines-day-events

All of our Oakhurst Area Chamber partners are eligible to participate in this program for FREE!!!! Please forward your special offers to:
events@oakhurstchamber.com

Upcoming holidays to consider:

Saint Patrick's Day ~ Earth Day ~ Easter ~ Mother's Day ~ Memorial Day

Score Business Roundtable

Thursday, February 17th
10:30 - 12:00 pm
Yosemite Gateway Restaurant
40530 Hwy 41, Oakhurst CA
Map

Central Valley SCORE Connects with Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce and Business Owners through Peer Networks at the SCORE Business Roundtables

Central Valley SCORE presents the SCORE Business Roundtable for small business owners. Entrepreneurs can connect, share ideas and get feedback as they build the success of their businesses. The SCORE Business Roundtables help emerging firms seize opportunities. Business owners will learn from the success of SCORE mentors and other entrepreneurs while growing their peer networks.

Yosemite International Jazz Festival

A landmark jazz arts festival occurring annually in October.

The purpose of this festival is to raise money to support a new Civic, cultural arts and business center in Oakhurst with the Sierra Yosemite Visitors Center and Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce offices as its core.

The inaugural event will be held at Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino to allow seating for 1,800 at three shows without the initial expense of stage, sound and accommodation. Subsequent festivals will be held in the immediate Oakhurst area to benefit our local economy. Chukchansi is one of the main sponsors and, along with providing the Half Dome Event Center for the three performances, will be providing shuttle service to and from the Oakhurst community.

This annual festival event will:

Have additional jazz venues in the Oakhurst and Eastern Madera County area.
Provide an overflow of hotel reservations within the Oakhurst area.
Provide over 1 million impressions through the Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce website.
Draw people from all over the world to a jazz venue.
Provide a "destination event" for the Oakhurst area.

Patronage and sponsorship by individuals & businesses will provide:

Opportunities for business advertising and exposure
Permanent patron recognition for ground floor participation
Multiple night stay-overs and increased visitors in an off season time
Website exposure
A presence at the main venue and additional venues in the Oakhurst and Eastern Madera area.

Over $70,000 has been raised to seed this event to date!

We appreciate you taking the time to support the economic vitality of our mountain area and to enhance our community. We look forward to your participation.

Women In Business Luncheon

Thursday, Feb 24 12:00 - 1:00 pm Woody's New Orleans West 40291 Junction Drive, Oakhurst
Map

Topic:

Free Marketing Opportunities

Speaker: Colette Goga

Menu Choice: - $15 per person, includes meal, non-alcoholic drink, tax and tip.

Click Here To RSVP

February's Business Open House

Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011

5:30-7:00 pm

Ameriprise Financial 40291 Stagecoach Rd, Oakhurst CA
Map

Mixers get a new name and a new image for the new year. Meet the owners and managers and find out more about the business that is your host for the evening. Meet the Board of Directors. Meet other business people. Enjoy complimentary appetizers. Free raffle prizes given to those that enter the business card drawing. Promote your business by bringing an item for the raffle.

____________________________

Would you like to schedule a Business Open House?

Only three spaces left. August, November and December. Contact the Chamber office to schedule your Business Open House today. Chamber members are welcome to partner together and co-host events.

559-683-7766 or email:chamber@oakhurstchamber.com

Attention All Quasi Politically/Civically/Charitable And Motivated Individuals!

You can become the next Honorary Mayor of Oakhurst. To win the race, simply raise money for your favorite not for profit charity.

Over the Years the Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce Honorary Mayors program has brought awareness to and raised thousands of dollars for many local charities.

We are now accepting nomination for Oakhurst Honorary Mayor Candidates. For more information stop in to the Chamber office, call 683-7766, or visit us online at: www.oakhurstchamber.com.

The race is kicking off Wednesday April 20^th at Yosemite Bank, Oakhurst, from 5:30 - 7:00pm and the winner and new Honorary Mayor will be announced at an event on Wednesday June 29^th.

The Oakhurst Honorary Mayoral Race deadline to enter the event is Monday, April 6, 2011.

Raise Awareness and Money for your Favorite Charity!

Don't rely on others for your retirement

Provided by Marilyn Rigg Registered State Farm agent

Written by State Farm VP Management Corp.

Recent debates about Social Security and the increasing number of employers reducing or eliminating employee pensions have underscored the need for a sound retirement plan. Gone are the days when employees were guaranteed a percentage of their salaries once they leave a company. While Social Security may or may not change, it was never intended to be the sole source of retirement income.

Retirement planning is something everyone needs regardless of their existing situations. If the current financial debates tell us anything it's this: the only funding you can count on is that which you do yourself.

Affordable Health Care Act

To replace or not to replace, that is the question

It is beginning to appear that after the Senate vote defeating repeal of the Affordable Health Care Act. Republicans may make the Act a campaign issue for 2012 rather then pursue either making changes to the current legislation or offering an alternative. Some of the quotes from the Republican leadership seem to point in this direction.

This would be unfortunate and quite risky. Republicans will be defending 23 seats.With the Senate vote coming in at 51/47 they need only peel off a couple more Democratic votes to offer something less costly, less intrusive, and offering actual provisions to control the spiraling cost of HEALTH CARE, not just HEALTH INSURANCE. The cost of health care is the underlying issue not addressed in the Act. As I have said in earlier articles the Act is not so much health reform as it is federal regulation of health insurance.

Join our mailing list

The First Tee Of Fresno Open House

Please join us for an Open House on Saturday, February 26^th

from 11am - 3pm

in the old Kragen building located in the Vons Shopping Center.

40032 Hwy 49 Oakhurst CA

Map

We will be unveiling our plans to build a Youth Learning Center at Sierra Meadows Country Club. This learning center will be one of only a handful found in the country and it will feature a 3-hole golf course, driving range, office, and computer lab. This entire facility is designed specifically for kids.

Bring the whole family to the old Kragen building on the 26^th. We will have free food and beverages, music, golf games, and program information on how to sign up.

California Association Of Realtors Carbon Monoxide Requirement

Q 1. What is carbon monoxide?

A Carbon monoxide is a gas produced whenever any fuel, such as gas, oil, kerosene, wood, or charcoal, is burned. A person cannot see or smell carbon monoxide. However, at high levels carbon monoxide can kill a person in minutes.

Half Dome Cables Day Use Permits Available for Reservation Starting March 1, 2011. Yosemite National Park Instituting Permits Seven Days Per Week in 2011

National Park will require Day Use Permits seven days per week for climbing the Half Dome cables during the summer 2011 season. Day Use Permits were required Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays during the 2010 summer season. However, due to high volumes of people on the cables during the non permitted days, the park is instituting the seven day requirement. This is part of a two year interim program designed to address crowding on the cables that has been occurring over the past few years.

Calling All Madera County Target Shoppers

Madera County Economic Development Commission (MCEDC) is still getting several "likes" a day on their new "Bring Target to Madera County, CA" page. The page has nearly 800 fans on Facebook. Facebook fan Laura Gutile, was even creative enough to come up with a page slogan "Target should Target Madera for a new Target." When viewing the page, many comments express the same desire. Madera County shoppers want to keep their money local and they don't like driving to Fresno or Merced for additional options.

Read More

SBA Announces Grant to Central California Small Business Development Centers to Support Job Creation

Small businesses in central California will soon have greater access to critical resources to help them start or grow their businesses and create jobs, thanks to a $645,894 grant to SBA's UC Merced Small Business Development Center Regional Network.

Read More

Ranger Shelton Johnson Named Winner Of The George B. Hartzog Jr. Award

The Coalition of National Park Service Retirees announced today that its Executive Council has awarded the Coalition's 2011 George Hartzog award to Yosemite Ranger Shelton Johnson.

The award is named after one of the National Park Service's most distinguished Directors, George B. Hartzog, Jr. The award is given to the individual or individuals who demonstrate outstanding support for the mission of the National Park System and/or the National Park Service.