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Brandon:
This Weekend (and Week)
Part I
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BRANDON: THIS WEEKEND and THE COMING WEEK AHEAD
For the last month of the year, we've decided to send a weekly update with all the great things happening in Brandon and the surrounding area.
Get a cup of coffee or tea, have a seat, and take a few moments out of your busy schedule to see what your friends and neighbors are up to!
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MOONLIGHT MADNESS DECEMBER 4 (WED.) and again: DECEMBER 19 (THURS.) Area shoppers eagerly await for Brandon's annual Moonlight Madness evenings. We encourage you to come on out, browse the unusual and eclectic offerings! We would venture to guess that tens of thousands of items are available for purchase in lil' ol' Brandon, Vermont which can't be found at the mall or the big box. Many shops offering 20% off storewide! Lots of others with refreshments, specials, and incredible selections. Dress warm and be ready for one of the most enjoyable evenings of the year! Keep It Local! Click here for a link to all the specials and deals that will be found in Brandon on Wednesday, December 4 (and again on Thursday, December 19) |
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NOV. 30 & DEC. 1
MAPLE VIEW FARM ALPACAS
HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE
11:00 am until 4:00 pm.
Learn abou  t these gentle, intelligent fiber animals and tour the fiber mill and studio and learn how fiber is turned into yarn and other products.
The mill processes fiber into high quality batts, roving, yarn and felt. 185 Adams Rd, turn at Arnold District Rd and travel one mile. 802-247-5412
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DECORATE A GINGERBREAD HOUSE at
THE INSIDE SCOOP
Announcing the 2013 Decorate A Gingerbread House at The Inside Scoop: December 8 and 15.  We are trying something new this year -- you tell us the time you want to come on either of those days, we won't have "set times for sessions". Small houses = $12 and Large houses = $18. NEW THIS YEAR: GINGERBREAD CASTLE = $25. Private parties for groups of 8 or more. Start thinking of those creative ideas!
Call 802-247-6600 or email: janet@brandon.org to reserve your space(s)!
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NEW ENGLAND MAPLE MUSEUM New hours of operation for the season: 10:00am until 4:00pm. Open seven days a week and there is "no" admission fee to the museum for the remainder of the season. Everything in the gift shop is 10% off its marked price. The sampling room is still open for the season and includes hot spiced cider for these cold late fall days. Stop in today!  |
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BRANDON'S MEMORY TREE
SINGING & LIGHTING THIS SUNDAY
3:30 pm in CENTRAL PARK
One of Brandon's long-standing traditions is the presence of a lit Memory Tree in Central Park to remind us of our loved ones who
are no longer with us. The Tree helps brighten our darkest days. Bulbs in memory of loved ones help keep the tree lit all season. This Sunday, December 1, holiday singing starts at 3:30 pm by the OVUHS Chorale followed by the Festival Singers. For more information, contact the Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce at 802-247-6401.
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VILLAGE SPA 
Village Spa in downtown Brandon is so excited to announce that we are now offering parties for your little spa goer...ages 3-13. Thinking of hosting a spa party for your pampered princess or prince? Call 802-236-9087 or email heather@brandonvillagespa.com for more information
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CONGRATULATIONS to Christy Gahagan for being selected as a Hannaford Health Hero Boys from Hannaford Supermarkets for all her work on behalf of the Boys and Girls Club of Brandon. The award honors the work of volunteers from non profit organizations who inspire others to make healthy lifestyle choices. Christy founded and secured donations for the meal program at the Boys and Girls Club, which provides healthy home-cooked meals to club members every day of the school year. Besides being a tireless volunteer with the Boys and Girls Club, Christy is a BACC board member and serves on the OVUHS Board. |
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CONSIDER VOLUNTEERING WITH THE
PARADE COMMITTEE
Small Commitment ... Big Rewards!
More people means less work!
Meetings are once a month Dec. thru March and twice a month April thru June, held at the Stephen A Douglas Birthplace meeting room.
The next meeting is December 4 (yes, Moonlight Madness) at 7 pm. If you would like to help out with a task, and can't make the meeting, here's the contact info:
For more information----Contact Debbie Boyce
802-345-0056
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Chaffee Art Center presents its annual Gingerbread House Contest and Holiday Boutique.
Contact: Chaffee Art Center/Chaffee Downtown
16 South Main Street/75 Merchants Row, Rutland, VT 05701
Phone: 802.775.0356
Email: info@chaffeeartcenter.org
Chaffee Art Center's annual Gingerbread House Contest is currently showing at the new Chaffee Downtown gallery, 75 Merchants Row, Rutland, VT.
"This exhibit marks the end of a very busy year for the Chaffee; a year during which our board, members and staff have worked tirelessly to broaden the Chaffee Art Center's presence in our Rutland Community." stated Margaret Barros, Executive Director. "The Chaffee's mission is summarized in three words EXHIBITION EDUCATION COLLABORATION, "We have worked hard to be an active part of our new downtown neighborhood and fulfill these three words."
The efforts of the collaborations are evidenced by the many people involved in making this exhibit the holiday wonderland it is. Chaffee downtown will host one of over twenty windows animated for the holiday season in Downtown Rutland, the idea belonged to Tim Schneller, of Timco Jewelers, and was shared with merchants through the Downtown Partnership. Jeff Fowler, woodworking instructor at Stafford Technical, accepted plans and his class created wooden risers; so the Rutland Garden Club could create the animated display in the galleries front windows, which highlights several of the gingerbread houses. Students in Lisa Fennimore's Culinary Arts class at Stafford Technical and several very merry Chaffee members are making cookies for the December 6th reception.
The cookie houses have been created by area families, members of both the Rutland and Brandon Boys and Girls Clubs, an entire class from Wallingford Elementary, residents of the Lenny Burke Farm and one large "village" is a masterpiece that over forty people visiting the Chaffee art table at Rutland's indoor Farmers Market helped to create. Each house has its own distinct charm.
The public is invited to view the exhibit and vote on their favorite house right up until 6pm on Friday December 6, during our cocoa, cookie, wine and cheese reception being held on that date from 5 to 8 pm. Prizes for the contest have been donated by Ann Clark Ltd, The American Cookie Cutter Company.
There will be live music throughout the reception, and a special guest appearance by children performing in the Rutland Youth Theatre's production of Beauty and the Beast, which is scheduled for performance at the Paramount Theatre on December 13 and 14.
In conjunction with the houses the public will have the opportunity to shop from the Holiday Boutique which covers the walls and gift shop in the downtown gallery; all items are made by Vermont area artists.
The gallery is open from 11 to 6 pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; and from 11:30 to 7 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. The Chaffee Art Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit.
Questions please call 802.775.0356 email info@chaffeeartcenter.org
For a visual tour of our work visit our website www.chaffeeartcenter.org or our Facebook page.
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HOLIDAY PARTIES AT THE BRANDON INN
We Have the Perfect Way to End Your Year.
Holiday parties at the Brandon Inn! From small and simple to large and grand, we can do it all!
Whether your office is an intimate party of 8 or a large metropolitan 200, we can arrange the perfect night to honor your staff. Please contact us for available dates, ideas and menu options. We are happy to do Christmas cookies and hot toddy's, hors d'oeuvres and drinks or a full menu with dancing.
Gift Certificates: Do you have friends and family visiting for the holidays, or vacationing in Vermont next summer? How about a Brandon Inn Gift Certificate. What do you give the person who has everything? A Brandon Inn Gift Certificate.
Brandon Inn Gift Cert ificates make the perfect gift because along with it you are giving a lot more: Rest, comfort and a home away from home. Mention that you are a chamber member or work for a chamber member business to get the "Friends and Family" $20.00 per night discount. Call the Inn for more information and rates.Tel: 247-5766. Who could ask for anything more?
The Brandon Inn 20 Park Street
Brandon, VT 05733-1122
(802) 247-5766
Website:www.brandoninn.com
Email: mail@brandoninn.com
Reservations Only: 1-800-639-8685
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Book your Holiday Party now at Neshobe Golf Club!
Private, corporate and open event bookings should not be left to the last minute. Securing our newly renovated dining facilities at the Nesh will assure you and your guests of a fantastic time with great food and drink served in our comfortable, casual atmosphere. We want to let you know, too, that holiday gifts from the Pro Shop-from equipment and apparel to gift certificates-are available all year round. Stop by, call or email us now. Contact us soon to reserve the clubhouse for your party. We are filling up fast! Our service and kind attention to our guests is legendary
Our service and kind attention to our guests is legendary. 802.247.3611 or inquire on the web by clicking here!
See you soon! Rodney
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$50/Class - Buy 3 Classes & get 1 free!
Watch Chef Robert (or Gourmet pastry chef) demonstrate each dish
& taste the end result!
Monday December 2nd - 2:30pm-5pm
Traditional French onion soup
Cassoulet of duck from the south of France
Floating island
Monday December 16th - 2:30pm-5pm
Practice your Christmas dinner
Gratin of Baked oyster with champagne cream sauce
Stuffed fillet of sole with a seafood mousse, lobster and saffron sauce
Flourless chocolate cake with caramel sauce
Space is limited - Call 802-247-9997 for reservations
11 Center Street
Brandon, Vermont
www.cafeprovencevt.com
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Food Safety Classes
ServSafe® Certification
NEW! For 2014
HACCP Food Safety Program CertificationCertification Examinations Administered at end of Session
Check out New ServSafe® Certification Retreats Offered
Training to Excel
Norm Milot, Certified Instructor and Registered Proctor
Inquiries 802.247.0098,answered by Rosebelle's and Training to Excel
Additional information at www.trainingtoexcel.com
Stress Free Classes offered Monthly in Brandon or your Location Sessions Tailored to Accommodate Client Schedules
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NEXT CHAMBER MEETING
JANUARY 2014
The Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors will not meet in December 2013. The next meeting will be Monday, Jan. 20, 2014 at 6:30 pm in the Cliver Room at the Stephen A Douglas Birthplace. Chamber membership and the general public are invited to attend. |
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Front Porch Forum Now Active in Brandon
Brandon's Front Porch Forum is now active with over 100 people signed on as local members. Neighbor s have already posted about a missing dog on Florence Road, a grill for sale on Sunset Drive, and town recreation department news. This modern-day cross between community bulletin boards and virtual town greens is making it easy for neighbors to connect. It's free. It's local. And it's friendly.
Visit FrontPorchForum.com to join in.
Because the service is moderated and real names accompany postings, the discussions remain civil, engaging, and relevant. In times of need, such as during and following natural disasters, a Front Porch Forum becomes even more powerful.
More than 60,000 households across Vermont already use their neighborhood FPFs to find roofers, give away strollers, rally volunteers for pie suppers, trade equipment, and describe wildlife sightings. Common topics also include school budgets, town office candidates, local events or starting a food shelf.
FPF and the Vermont Council on Rural Development's Vermont Digital Economy Project are teaming up to bring this service to all Vermonters for free. Vermont's Congressional delegation played a crucial role in getting this project funded and off the ground in our state.
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INVITE YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO SIGN UP FOR GMP TEXT ALERTS
· Easy to register
· Report outages and get updates about your outage right from your cell phone
Good afternoon!
Thanks to more than 100 GMP employees who have already registered for our new GMP Text Alerts during the past two weeks, we've been able to identify and fix some glitches.
Now we'd like to expand the pool of testers. If you haven't already registered, we encourage you to do so. Your involvement will be key to helping us better prepare before the next big storm hits. We'd also like you to invite your family and friends to register for Text Alerts.
To let your family and friends in the GMP service territory know about this opportunity, please forward this email:
In January 2014, Green Mountain Power will be launching a new service that will allow customers to report outages and get updates about their outages on their cell phones.
Before we announce the service statewide, we're inviting employees, their families and friends to test drive the system. It will be a great service for you and your family, and you can help us find and fix any bugs before thousands of our customers sign up.
If you are a GMP customer there are two ways you can sign up for alerts. First, grab your bill, which has your account number and the associated phone number, and then do one of the following:
· Use your cell phone to text the word REG to 46788 (GMPVT) and follow the prompts. You do not need a smart phone to sign up for text alerts. All you need is a cell phone with the ability to send and receive text messages. Note that standard text and messaging rates will apply.
· If you already have an online account with GMP, you can log in and click "Manage notification preferences"
Once you're using the service, we'd like to hear about your experience. This will help us fix any problems, and add information to our FAQs. Please contact a GMP call center representative at 1-888-835-4672 with your questions, suggestions and comments.
Thanks!
Dorothy Schnure
Corporate Spokesperson
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Gift-of-Life Marathon plans radio marathon
Organizers of the Gift-of-Life Marathon, hoping to break the national one-day blood drive record, will hold a marathon of their own to promote it - a 1,969-minute radio marathon, one minute for every pint needed to break the national record.
Terry Jaye from WJJR and Steve Costello from Green Mountain Power will broadcast live from 6 a.m. Nov. 21 until mid-afternoon the next day to raise awareness of the Dec. 17 event.
"We continue to look for ways to pull Rutland over the top this year, and what better way to promote the marathon than by having a marathon," Costello said. "We are going all in, and hope to inspire others to do whatever they can to help the GOLM be a success, whether as a donor or volunteer."
"We've done some crazy stuff over the years, but this may be the craziest," Jaye said. "But we were so close as a community last year that we want to do everything possible to spread the word and give Rutland the best chance possible to break the record this year."
Jaye and Costello will be joined throughout the nearly 33-hour marathon by dozens of local residents and community leaders who will stop in, including Dave Wolk from Castleton College, who recently signed on as co-sponsor of the drive, and blood donors, recipients and volunteers.
"WJJR will be playing music as usual, but we'll have special guests every hour to talk about why they donate blood, the meaning they find in volunteering, or how a blood donation affected their lives," Costello said.
"There are heroes all around us who have helped save dozens of lives through blood donations, and people who we all know who wouldn't be with us if not for anonymous blood donors," Jaye said. "We plan to introduce these people to the community and connect some real faces with the Gift-of-Life Marathon."
The blood drive will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 17 at the Paramount Theatre, American Legion, College of St. Joseph, Elks Club and Holiday Inn, which is joining the GOLM effort for the first time. Double red cell donations may be made at the Elks Club, CSJ or Holiday Inn.
Appointments, which are recommended, may be made by calling 800-RED-CROSS or at www.redcrossblood.org. Donors must be at least 16, in good health, and show a photo ID or Red Cross donor card. Sixteen-year-olds may donate with parental consent, provided in person at the drive or by a consent form available on the Red Cross website. For more information, visit www.giftoflifemarathon.com.
The GOLM collected 368 pints in its first year, 2003. After setting state and northern New England records several times, the GOLM broke the New England record for a one-day community blood drive in 2008, 2009 and 2010, beating Boston each time. Manchester, N.H., broke the New England and national record in 2011. The GOLM collected 1,955 pints last year, 13 shy of tying the record and making the GOLM the second-largest one-day drive in the country, the largest per-capita.
The GOLM is sponsored by GMP, WJJR and Castleton College.
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CHAMBER MEMBERS:
ARE YOU USING YOUR BIZ CARD YET? THERE ARE GREAT DISCOUNTS OUT THERE scroll down to the bottom of this email and check them out! NEW OPPORTUNITIES BEING ADDED ALL THE TIME
NEED A BIZ CARD? FOR YOU AND YOUR EMPLOYEES.
CONTACT THE CHAMBER AND TELL US HOW MANY YOU NEED!
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BRANDON BIZ CARD CORNER
BIZ CARD LISTINGS - WE KEEP ADDING
The list is growing as is the number of cards in members' (including employees) hands. Here's the list to date.
It is super easy to add your offering to the list. Just give a call (802-247-6401) or send an email (info@brandon.org).
Not a Chamber member but want to get in on the Biz Card action? We have many Individual Members -- what a great way to support a local non-profit and get your Biz Card! Just click here for an application ($50 annual membership)
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Do you enjoy receiving the e-newsletters from the Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce? Its easy to sign up your co-workers, friends, and family members who are not currently receiving it.
Just click here
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Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 267, Brandon, VT 05733
802-247-6401 ~ info@brandon.org ~ www.brandon.org
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