The  Winchester  Chamber  of  Commerce  Newsletter 
  Serving our Business Community
APRIL 2013    

Visit our new website at
   
winchesterchamber.com
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On Line Directory 

 

 


Please check membership database  at
Winchester Chamber

 

To add your website,  corrections  

or additions please let us  know at    

Membership Updates

 

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 winchesterchamber.com 

 

viewing traffic is growing rapidly

Advertise and get your logo and web link on the Chamber Website now at

info at ADSPACE 

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Chamber Office hours

Monday-Friday  9am - 1pm

781.729.8870  

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Display your business cards and brochures  

in the Chamber Office 

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Chamber members can list their events on the Chamber Website Bulletin Board for free. Send info to Bulletin Board

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Gift certificates are available at the following four banks4 bank logos    shop locally - over 60 participating Chamber members
If you are not already listed on the Chamber gift certificate, contact [email protected] 
 

Add your company's name  to our growing gift certificate page on the web - it's free at  

gift certificates

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Don't forget to visit our
 
website sponsors

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True Value  

    Fells True Value Hardware

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Puffer

PUFFER INSURANCE 

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Nan Shanahan   

THE SHANAHAN GROUP 

 

  

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CathyPortrait

Executive Director's Message

Just a quick reminder that we are putting the final touches on the 9th Annual WHW Spring Fundraising Event:
"THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS"
 
Thursday, April 4th, 2013 
Burlington Marriott 
6:30pm Cocktail Hour Begins 
The event is completely sold out thanks to the great planning and organizational skills of Dot Butler, Kimberly Miles and their fabulous team of helpers. We look forward to another successful fundraising event.
 
We will Introduce our DAZZLING DESIGNER DUOS:

Aggie Baker/Catherine Baker 
Annie Baker/Megan Parsons 
Jackie Burchard/Melinda Stone 
Mary Ellen Rourke-Falvey/Jill Abrahamsen 
Kara Spelman/Meredith Conway 

Cathy Alexander

Executive Director, Winchester Chamber of Commerce

 

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Annual Meeting For Winchester Chamber-April 11th

 

Combined luncheon  

with the Rotary Club of Winchester 

 at the Church of the Epiphany - 70 Church St

 

April 11 at noon $15 pp 

  

Keynote Speaker

Dr Arlan Fuller

Oncologist at Winchester Hospital

 

  Dr Fuller


Please make reservation at  [email protected]
or by sending payment to 25 Waterfield Rd. Winchester

We will announce the  

Recipient of the Citizen of the Year Award

Save the date - May 15, 2013 at the Burlington Marriott
for the celebration 

 


Member Perspective  ~  Pairings Wine and Food  
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On April Fools' Day, Pairings Wine and Food, my family-owned wine store, celebrated its third year of business in Winchester. It has been a rewarding experience for my husband Ray and
Lori Schaefer
Lori Gagne Schaefer  
 
me to become involved in the Winchester community and to get to know so many Winchester residents and business owners; at times, almost like a large, extended family!

And, being a member of the Chamber of Commerce family has helped me to expand my support of small businesses, which I believe contribute to making this community vibrant and distinct.                                             
                                          
Local businesses provide substantial support to community organizations and, in return, deserve and need support from Winchester residents. So, I ask Winchester residents' one thing: 

Before going to a big box store or the mall, or before shopping on the internet, stop and think about whether the product or service you are looking for might be available at a local business. With the multitude of online or mass-marketed retail and service options, many of us forget to shop locally. Tremendous value, unique items and superior personal service exist right in our own community and we hope that you will experience that for yourself. 

  

Lori Gagne Schaefer                      PairingsWineandFood.com  
Pairings Wine and Food 
600 Main Street 
Winchester, MA 01890    781-721-9463 
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Member Spotlight - Eric Keough owner of KidsFootstop 
 
Kids Footstop opened its doors in March 2011.
It is a uniqueric keoughe children's footwear store that caters to kids' feet - infant through grade school. We focus on sizing and properly fitting children in an atmosphere that is fun for kids and relaxing for the parents.
Prior to launching Kids Footstop, I had never worked in retail or the footwear space so the first question I typically get is, "Why on earth did you open a kids' shoe store?"

It didn't start out that way. After graduating from Tufts University as a Mechanical Engineer, I earned my chops at GE Aircraft Engines designing parts for Apache helicopters. Then I attended grad school and obtained my MBA in Marketing. Most of my career was spent working in Boston as an advertising-exec developing and managing traditional & digital marketing programs for clients like AT&T, FedEx and Gillette.

Fifteen years in the ad game took its toll. I grew weary of the travel and long hours. My wife had given birth to twin boys and I was lucky to see them once a week. During the long flights I started researching ideas for a small business. The Winchester schools were growing each year and more and more young families were making Winchester their home. When a space in the Center became available I hired a consultant and made the leap.

Getting the business off the ground in the first six months was challenging. But fortunately I joined the Chamber of Commerce and met some terrific mentors and friends. My neighbors from Book Ends, Winchester Jewelers, Carole Kitchen & Bath, and Elegant Affair have all been critical in the success of my business. Whether it's answering a question about sales or sharing marketing ideas for a new campaign, the relationships I forged through the Chamber have been invaluable. Many of the members have been doing business in this town for a number of years and have a wealth of knowledge to share.  

Cathy Alexander, the Executive Director, with the support of her Associate Director Janet Wolbrom do an amazing job of developing and executing new ideas to promote the businesses in the Chamber. The Midnight Madness event has been Kids Footstop's single busiest day of the year two years ru
Eric nning. Whether you are new to the Chamber or have been a member for years, I highly recommend you attend one of the monthly meetings and get involved Who knows, maybe you will find a new business mentor or an idea for getting new customers. 
Cheers
Eric Keough
KidsFootstop.com
553 Main Street Winchester 
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Save the Date - Citizen of the Year Event 2013
May 15 at the Burlington Marriott

 
Town Day 

Exhibitor registration is now open for the 32nd annual  

Winchester Town Day, to be held on Saturday, June 1, 2013!

 

To register, please go to www.townday.org and click on the Exhibitor Application and Brochure links at the bottom of the home page. Print and complete the application and send it with your payment to the address below. Please note that applications received after May 17th must contain the $75 late fee to be processed and are also subject to availability. We have sold out of space for the last three years!

   

Thank you for your past participation in Town Day. We look forward to seeing you again this year
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Pairings Wine & Food owners share
Pairings logo
their concerns with the Selectmen

It has come to our attention that
Craft Beer Cellars of Belmont, Massachusetts is applying to open a beer and wine store in Winchester. We are concerned about this and want to share our perspective. We believe that three liquor stores in Winchester more than adequately meet the demand in Winchester. Another store will likely make it impossible for all of the three existing stores to survive.

 

We believe that local stores preserve the character of the Winchester community. The three wine and beer stores in town are all owned and operated locally, devoted to customer service and supporting the local community in many ways. For instance, in

2012 Pairings Wine and Food made almost 50 contributions to local schools, sports and other organizations in Winchester.

 

Further, Pairings Wine and Food supports the community by carrying local products in our store, including those from 102 Massachusetts entities (26 from Winchester and abutting towns) including stores, small producers, artists, distributors, creameries, even craft beers and liquors, etc. This supports the community in a way that a franchise is not likely to do.

 

In contrast, Craft Beer Cellars is attempting to become a franchise throughout New England and beyond and has asked for public donations to help them. We doubt that a franchise will have the same kind of involvement in the community, There are a multitude of more worthwhile venues - like the Winchester Library, the Winton Club, the Winchester Multicultural Network, the ABC to name a few - to support over a commercial franchise for beer.

 

Furthermore, all three stores have craft beers and one of the existing stores has a very large selection, so that, in our opinion, another store would be duplicative without adding value.

 

For all of these reasons, we ask that the Board of Selectmen reject the application for a beer and wine license to Craft Beer Cellars when their application comes before them.

 

Lori and Ray Schaefer

Pairings Wine and Food

600 Main Street

Winchester, MA 01890 



Jeannie Shapiro
Please join the Women's Innovate Network For:

"Online Secrets"
5 Simple Keys to Grow Your Business Using the Internet

with Jeannie Spiro, the Career Woman's Online Business and
 Marketing Coach

Thursday, April 4th
9:00am-10:30am

Woburn Hilton
2 Forbes Road
Woburn, MA


event details and registration

 

Cross Fit 

Obstacle Course Race Preparation

Who: anyone looking to do an OCR from 5k to 10k+

 

When: Saturdays at 11am

Where: Mountain Strength CrossFit 

70 Cross St Winchester, MA 01890    Cost: pay per class $20/class

 

Register at mountainstrength.com  

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Calendar of Events  2013

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April 4             Women Helping Women

                         There's No Business Like Show Business
                         at the Burlington Marriott   SOLD OUT 

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April 11          Annual Meeting with Rotary Club of Winchester 

                        Noon - The Church of the Epiphany 

                        2013 Citizen of the Year will be announced

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May 1            Chamber Board Meeting  Noon

                       Chamber Office 25 Waterfield Road

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May 15          Citizen of the Year  - Burlington Marriott 6:30pm

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June 1            Town Day

 

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     781.729.8870  
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Deadline for

Chamber Newsletter submissions  

is  27th of each month

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