THE BEDFORD BANNER
Bedford Chamber of Commerce Newsletter
 
August/2012
Vol. 14   Issue 10
In This Issue
Breakfast Smarts
Governor's Task Force
Construction Alert
Alewife Shuttle to Crosby Drive
What the Chamber did in July?
Chamber Connections
Chamber Calendar

Chamber Introduces Business

 Smarts Breakfast Series

MArc Wayshak The Bedford Chamber of Commerce invites members and non-members to a new breakfast series designed to strengthen and inform the Bedford business community. Providing you with business advice from the best minds in the business, the series is a great opportunity to network over breakfast. Business topics range from marketing and technology to finances.

The first Business Smarts Breakfast event is scheduled for September 21, 2012 at Brightview Concord River in Billerica, MA. 7:30 AM -9:00 AM. The speaker will be Marc Wayshak, author of two books on sales and leadership, Game Plan Selling and Breaking All Barriers. He is a sales expert who created the Game Plan Selling System based upon his experiences as an All-American athlete, Ivy League graduate, startup entrepreneur and years of research, training and selling. He holds a Master's degree from the University of Oxford and a BA from Harvard University. Check out this promotional video and RSVP to bcoc@bedfordchamber.org by September 18.

 

 

Partnering with Chambers of Commerce to Enhance Our

National Security and Economic Growth

 
By Timothy P. Murray

Collectively, Massachusetts military bases and defense and aerospace industries employ more than 120,000 people in the Commonwealth. Defense contracts awarded to Massachusetts companies have almost tripled since 2000 because of our state's strong, innovation-based economy and world-class education, research, and engineering institutions. Understanding and promoting the jobs, strategic location, national security mission, and economic impact of all Massachusetts military bases must be a statewide initiative.

That's why Governor Patrick and I are taking steps to protect Massachusetts' military bases. On February 27, I signed an executive order creating the Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force. As chair of the task force, I am working in partnership with our congressional delegation and also engaging industry and community leaders across the state to better position, promote, and protect each military base.

I recently completed a tour of the state's six bases with members of the Task Force, including visits to Hanscom Air Force Base, Fort Devens, the U.S. Army's Natick Soldier Systems Center, Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, Westover Air Force Reserve Base in Chicopee, and the Mass Military Reservation (MMR) on the Cape.

As part of this statewide initiative, I have led roundtable discussions following each tour to gain local perspectives from the community. Chamber of Commerce leaders, members, and industry partners provided great insight during these conversations at each of the six sites. I have since expanded the Task Force to encourage business, industry, community and local officials to stay involved. Going forward, the Task Force will consist of four subcommittees:

  1. Business, Industry, and Mission Alignment;
    1. For those chambers who would like to participate in the work of this subcommittee, interested Presidents/Directors or their one designee will have one seat per chamber.
  2. Education, Innovation and Workforce Development;
  3. Community and Municipal Support and Engagement; and
  4. Military Mission, Operations, Opportunities and Efficiencies.

Through the leadership of the Task Force and our congressional delegation, our work to protect Massachusetts' military bases will continue. There are distinct missions and critical jobs associated with each base, playing a vital role to our local and state economies and national security. Here are some highlights:

Hanscom Air Force Base is the Commonwealth's 10th largest employer, supporting approximately 4,000 direct jobs and more than 10,000 indirect jobs across the region. As the digital nerve-center that helps make our Air Force the most advanced in the world, Hanscom's mission has national security and economic implications for us all.

 

Chamber President Josh Cohen is a member of Military Task Force's Business, Industry, and Mission Alignment Subcommittee

 

 

Middlesex Turnpike Construction Alert

(click here for a detour map)

As of  Monday, July 23rd and continuing thereafter, the section of Middlesex Turnpike from Plank Street in Bedford to Route 62 (Bedford Street) in Burlington will be restricted to southbound travel to allow work crews to complete roadway reconstruction operations. Drivers travelling northbound will be detoured as described below. The restrictions and associated detour are expected to remain in place until early fall 2012.

Traffic will be detoured as follows:

Northbound regional traffic will be directed to follow Network Drive; turn left onto Route 62 (Bedford Street) West; turn right onto Crosby Drive rejoining Middlesex Turnpike just north of Plank Street.

Eastbound and westbound regional traffic on Route 62 (Bedford Street) will be directed to use Crosby Drive rejoining Middlesex Turnpike just north of Plank Street.

MassDOT coordinated the detour route with each of the affected municipalities and has implemented traffic signal timing adjustments at seven locations in order to better manage traffic along the modified travel routes.

Appropriate signs, channelizing devices and traffic control measures will be used to guide drivers through the work zone and along the detour routes.

MassDOT encourages drivers to seek alternate routes, to avoid delays. Drivers that must travel through the affected area should expect delays and should reduce speed and use caution while approaching and traveling near or through the work zone or along the detour route.

The work is part of a $13.2 million project to widen and realign the section of Middlesex Turnpike between Route 62 and Plank Street to provide an additional travel lane in each direction along with turning lanes at intersecting roadways and driveways.

 

 

 

      ALEWIFE SHUTTLE TO CROSBY DRIVE
 The business development committee is working with the 128 Business Council (http://www.128bc.org/)  on establishing shuttle service from Alewife to the Crosby Drive area. In meeting with local companies, the lack of public transportation has been hindering their efforts to attract high quality employees who live Cambridge/Boston. We have begun meeting with these companies and the interest from their employees had been high. Please contact the Chamber office at 781-275-8503 if your company is interested in participating in this Shuttle Program and/or if you know some other companies in the Crosby Drive area that you think would be interested. 

 

 

July's Catch The Net

 Thanks to Daisy Girifalco of The Bedford Children's Center for hosting this month's Catch the Net.

 
Roywatson
Roy Watson & Mike Lombard discussing what color hula hoop they want ...
 
Daisy Girifalco
 
John Monahan
John Monahan
 

CHAMBER CONNECTIONS 

 

 

 Each month, Executive Director Maureen Sullivan tapes the Chamber Connections at the Bedford Tv Studio. Check out the links below of who she has interviewed and if you are  interested in being a guest, email her at bcoc@bedfordchamber.org

 

Madeline Altman ~ Bedford TV

Linda Stimson ~ Inner Visions Interiors

 

Adam Schwartz - Business Development


Mara Briere - Grow a Strong Family

The UPS Store

 

 Joan Turnberg - Live LIfe Well
 

Dr. Jean Marc Slak ~ Slak Chiropractic Group


Lea Ann Knight ~ Garrison Knight Financial

 

The Goddard School

 

Brookline Bank


Kristen Presley/Bedford VA

Karen Kenney/ OrganizingWorks

JRM Antiques

 

 

_________________________________________________________________

 

Chamber Calendar 

  

 August 16

Working Women Alliance
Get in Shape for Women
328 Great Road
1:30 PM

September 12
Multi Chamber Networking Event
Hilton Woburn Inn
Woburn, MA
5:30 -7:30 PM

September 13
Board of Directors Meeting
Bedford Police Station
7:30 AM
 
September 15
Danny Oates Memorial
5K Road Race & 2.5K Fitness Walk
8:30 AM
September 15
Bedford Day
10-3
September 21
Beakfast Smarts Series
Brightview Concord River
7:30-9:00 AM
 
October 26
Goddard Schol Trunk Or Treat
Wholefoods Parking Lot

 

 

 

18th Annual

DANNY OATES
Run/Walk

 

The Danny Oates 5k is a long standing Bedford tradition. The morning of Bedford Day, September 15, 2012, close to 300 runners join with our 2.5k walkers and over 100 little feet in our Kids Fun Run to help raise money for the Danny Oates Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship fund distributes over $9,000 each year to deserving local students. A true community event, we have participants from strollers to age 90 and everywhere in between.

You can find out more about the race, and register to run at www.dannyoates5k.com

 

Welcome to New Chamber Member
 

34 Dunelm Road
Bedford, MA 01730

781-791-9508
 

Ellie Poopa
250 North Road
Bedford, MA

217-721-1122

The Bedford Citizen
PO Box 212

Bedford, MA 01730
781-325-8606

 

Acme Packet Inc

Advanced Media Web

Atlantic Capital Strategies
Atria Longmeadow
Baldwin Insurance
Baudanza Electric
B2B CFO
B&D Agency

Bedford Acupuncture Center
Bedford Car Wash
Bedford Center
for the Arts

Bedford Children's Center
Bedford Farms

Bedford Funeral Home, Inc
Bedford Historical Society

Bedford Plaza Hotel

Bedford Motel
Bedford Orthodontics
Brightview Concord River

Brookline Bank
Brown & Brown, P.C.
Cafe Luigi

Callahan's Karate Studio
Calling All Pets

Cambridge Savings Bank
Carlton & Duran CPAs

Carleton-Willard Village

Christine Pinney Marketing

CouponSurfer.com

Cranberry Hill Associates

Dalya's

Design 1 Kitchen & Bath

Design Photo

Dr. Dianne Bridgeman

Dr. Kiana Kaymanesh

Dr. Oscar DePriest

DSA Printing

Edward Jones/Britton Wilson
Edward Jones/ Barb Davis
Elm Brook Place

EMD Millipore

Enterprise Bank

First Parish
Flatbread Company
Frank Webb's Bath Center

Fujifilm Recording Media U.S.A.
Garrison Knight Financial Planning
GE Infrastructure Sensing, Inc.

Genetti's Wine & Spirits, Inc
Get In Shape for Women
Great Road Gallery & Framing
Grow a Stronger Family
Hanscom Federal Credit Union
Harold Nichols Insurance Agency
Heritage at Bedford Springs

Inner Visions Interiors
JRM Antiques

Inside Outside Staging
Kamate Fitness

Keller Williams Realty

Latady Design
Leary Auto Repair

Lexington Symphony

Live Life Well
Massage Therapy Associates
Mettler -Toledo Thorton

McCullough Associates, Inc
Middlesex Savings Bank

Minuteman Volkswagen Inc.
New England Nurseries, Inc.

North Road Chiropractic
Organix Spa & Salon
OrganizingWorks!
Panospin Studios
 
Patents Etcetera and Minuteman Legal Services
 
Patriot Pediatrics
Peter Quinn Insurance Agency

 
Progress Software
Pulte Homes of New England

 
Quality Database Design
 
Rental Car Momma
Richard Egan Insurance Agency
Right At Home

Salon Alfonse
Salon OZ
Scotia Lights
Serenity Yoga
Slak Chiropractic Group
Spencer Company

St. Michael's Parish Center
TD Bank
The Bedford Minuteman
The Boardroom Bistro

The Divorce Collaborative
The Edge Sports Center

The Goddard School

The Higgins Group
The MITRE Corporation
The Tired Dog

The UPS Store
Town Planner

Vela Ventures

Watson Law Offices
William Raveis Real Estate

Women's Financial Network