Cohase Chamber of Commerce
 Newsletter   June 2011                                

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Ice Storm in Corinth, VT



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Cohase Website

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"Link of the Month"

Whole Hog Facebook Page

 

 

"Event of the Month"

Race to the Top of Bradford 

 Saturday June 4th  

8:30 am-9:30 am 

Wright's Mountain

Devil's Den Trailhead Parking, Chase Hollow Road, Bradford, VT

3.5 Mile Run or a

1.5 Mile Fun Run/Walk  

 

2010 Film Slam DVD   

 

The First Annual 48 Hour Film Slam Compilation DVD is now available through the Cohase Chamber of Commerce for $10.  Proceeds will be used to help fund future Film Slams.

To order yours.    

 

 

 

Our 2011-2012 Map and Guide has arrived and is now being distributed around the area.  Please do not hesitate to call if you need copies. 


 
 

 

Whole Hog BBQ and Music Festival adds a Vintage Car Show!


Mike Laraway, board member of the Twin State Cruisers, (a local car club) is teaming up with the Cohase Chamber of Commerce to bring a Vintage Car Show to this year's Whole Hog BBQ and Music Festival on August 6th!  Mike will be putting out the word to other local car and motorcycle enthusiasts on the new venue. The cars will be judged and awards handed out at the end of the day.

Several rows of the Vintage cars will be parked to the left of the main entry gate, visible from Route 10.  To get a closer look at these beauties you can buy your admission to the Whole Hog BBQ and Music Festival for $10 at the gate.  There will be plenty of parking for your own (maybe not so Vintage) car on site.

If you have a real Vintage car or motorcycle, you can register for the show between 12 and 1pm the day of the event at the North Haverhill Fairgrounds.  If you are interested in details or have any questions for the Whole Hog Vintage Car Show, you can contact Mike Laraway by email or by phone 603-443-6555.  Visit the Twin State Cruisers website at
www.twinstatecruisers.org/

In addition to supporting New England's only "Memphis Barbeque Association" sanctioned BBQ contest, enjoying great music, competing in the Backyard BBQ, voting in the "Peoples Choice" contest, sampling local beer in the Beer Garden, and eating your fill of great BBQ, you can also wander among some of the finest Vintage cars the area has to offer!   

 

Now that's a great day! 

   

Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society benefits from three Cohase Chamber members:

 

Three chamber members, Housewright Construction, Eastman Electric, and Oaks Brothers,  form part of a volunteer team to facilitate the expansion of the Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society.    

 

The renovation in the barn section of the shelter will function in a variety of ways.  The goal, Heidi Edmunds, Executive Director of the Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society said, "Is to continue educating people of all ages about the care and proper training of pets." Each year hundreds of abandoned, neglected, mistreated and stray animals find their way to the shelter. The expanded area will function as a space for staff of the no-kill shelter to offer year-round education through dog training programs, agility training and an area for the summer learning Kids Camp.

 

The Vermont Offender Work Program is providing a crew of ten inmates to the labor force. This program has been available to community projects for about two years and offers invaluable services to a broad range of organizations. Inmates do not get paid, but receive a reduction in the incarcerated portion of their sentence. Receiving training and skills decreases the incidence of reoffending after inmate release.

 

The Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society was founded in 1915 by Woodstock, VT businessman Frank Mackenzie in memory of his wife, Lucy. "Lucy Mac," as the shelter has come to be known, is one of the oldest continuously operating humane societies in the United States. It moved to its new home on Route 44 in West Windsor, VT in 2007. Their continuing mission of "improving the lives of people and pets," is the motivating force behind the new expansion under way.

 

Tax-deductible donations to the Lucy Mackenzie barn expansion project are welcome and can be made online at www.lucymac.org. For more information, call the shelter at 802-484-5829. 

What's New?:

What's new, takes 2 to 4 hours of your time, is free, and might save your business?


Give up?  So did I.  The answer is (for Vermont businesses anyway) a new program called Continuity Planning.   Funded entirly through Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission, their planners are now enlisting small businesses who would like to review and develop their survival plans  in the event of a natural disaster.   Before you decide you do not need this kind of planning, think about this fact:  25% of businesses never reopen following a natural disaster, and 90% of businesses that are affected by a significant event are forced to close within 2 years.  Given that, what is there to lose in 4 hours of your time for a program that is free of charge?  This is a pretty minimal commitment to protect yourself against a nightmare.

 

Let's make this real. This year a number of businesses were dislocated from their offices due to a fire resulting from a lightning strike in Bradford. Less rare but increasingly damaging are floods, flash floods (May 26th 2011), and storm related power outages.  

 

This kind of plan can, if kept current, allow a business to fully recover operations, services, and programs. That is good for owners, good for business, and good for the businesses that you have relationships with. (See Participation Form). 

 

It's confidential, It's free, it's worth it.  Contact  me, Sally Hull or Peter Gregory at 802-457-3188 

 

Mark Nielsen  


Exec. Director HeadshotMusings on our community:    

   

Laying the groundwork.

 

If you have your hands on our new 2011-12 Map and Guide, take a close look at the large map.  You will notice that we have highlighted Routes 5, 10 and 302 to stand out in comparison to the Interstate.   We have added road symbols to Routes 5 and 10 and  
we have also flagged exits 15,16, and 17 on Rt. 91.   

 

Whats this all about?   

 

We are laying the groundwork for a future campaign consisting of two projects, encouraging out of state tourists to take an exit, slow down and explore our region of the Connecticut River Valley.  For now, we are calling the two projects "HANG 10" and "TAKE 5".  Routes 5 and 10 form a wonderful loop in the valley that is easy to drive or bicycle with great views of the river and three crossings allowing a visitor to tailor the length of their trip.   

 

Some time before the year's end, the Cohase Chamber of Commerce and our Marketing Group will invite key businesses in Vermont located on Route 5 and in New Hampshire on Route 10 to gather and discuss how they might come together to promote these two river routes.  If you own a campsite, inn, motel, restaurant, or roadside stand, are a destination business or represent a cultural landmark, you may be interested in attending and contributing to the discussion.  The chamber will facilitate and kick start the project but ultimately it will be your call  to decide how far and for how long to carry the ideas forward.   

 

More details to come! 

   

Mark Nielsen, Executive Director   

 


Our Mission: 
The Lower Cohase Regional Chamber of Commerce is committed to fostering a vibrant economic climate by encouraging cooperation and communication among the region's communities, while ensuring a high quality of life.
Cohase Chamber of Commerce
www.cohase.org
[email protected]
(802) 757-2549
Mark Nielsen, Executive Director
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