 September 2015 |
 Sign Ordinance Meeting
The Portage Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a breakfast meeting featuring Steve Sobiek, Director of Business Development and Planning, to give us an overview of the proposed changes to the sign ordinance and also answer any questions you may have. The meeting will be held at the Portage Enterprise Center, 1800 Kutzke Rd., on Tuesday, September 15 at 8am.
We encourage Chamber members who have an interest in the sign ordinance to attend this meeting. We ask that you please RSVP to the Chamber office by calling 608-742-6242.
To review the proposed sign ordinance draft, click here.
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 2016 Community Guide & Member Directory
The Portage Area Chamber of Commerce is planning the 2016 Community Guide & Membership Directory. Your opportunity to advertise in the guide is right around the corner. The guide may be the first exposure your business receives from those relocating to or visiting our community. This year, we are increasing the number of guides printed to 20,000.
Our advertising representative, Jacklyn Ewerdt, will be wrapping up the opportunity to advertise very soon. The new guides should be out in early 2016. For more information, call the Portage Chamber office at 608-742-6242.
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 Request for 2016 Event Dates
For those of you organizing events in 2016, the Portage Chamber is asking to send in your event information and dates by November 1. The community guide will include some of the events we receive, however, due to space limitations, not every event we receive will appear in the guide.
We are requesting event dates earlier than usual because we want to get the guide out earlier in 2016. Your event will appear on the community calendar on our Chamber website. There is also a good chance your event will appear in our weekly news email and be mentioned on our morning radio show with WPDR/WDDC as your event date draws near.
You can submit an event directly to our website here http://business.portagewi.com/events/public-submission or email your event information to [email protected] or call our office at 608-742-6242.
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 Business After 5 at Verlo Mattress Verlo Mattress, 2830 New Pinery Road, Suite C, is the site of our next Business After 5 on Tuesday, September 8 from 5pm to 7pm. Join fellow Chamber members for networking, conversation and refreshments. Don't forget to bring your business cards. Call the Portage Chamber for more information at 608-742-6242.
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Welcome New Chamber Members
Rolling Woods Estates
2552 Airport Road, Apt. 3 Portage, WI 53901
Tim Kath at 608-745-2391
A premier property that takes great care to make you feel right at home.
Cross Jenks Mercer & Maffei
221 3rd Avenue Baraboo, WI 53913
Andrew Gove at 608-356-3981
A full service law firm providing high quality legal representation
to Baraboo and the surrounding area since 1889.
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 Bridal Pond fountain update
The Portage Service Club Association has issued a matching donation for funds raised up to $3,000 for a new fountain at Pauquette Park. With a $500 pledge from Charlie Mantey and a $250 pledge from BMO Harris Bank, plus the SCA match, the amount raised has reached $1500.
Members of the Service Club Association are Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary, Optimists and Chamber. Estimates for a new fountain are just over $6,500. The Portage Parks & Recreation Department offered installation and maintenance.
Contributions can be sent payable to the Portage Area Chamber of Commerce (memo: fountain) and mailed to 104 W. Cook St., Portage, WI 53901. Call the Portage Chamber at 608-742-6242 for info.
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 Looking for a Hot Deal? See our list! Check out our Hot Deals webpage for deals our Chamber members are offering. Have a Hot Deal of your own you want others to know about? Post your deals on our webpage and join the Hot Deal brigade! There is no charge for posting a Hot Deal, so post away! If you have questions, call the Chamber office at 608-742-6242 to get started. Click here to see the specials that are currently running! |
 Business Profile
LegalShield Business Solutions helps business owners run their businesses more effectively and grow their profits by providing affordable business legal solutions. We also provide programs that allow employees unlimited access to our law firms for everything from having a will and health care directive prepared to receiving unlimited legal advice, full representation for various family law situations, assistance with speeding tickets, and so on. Additionally, we protect both the business owner and employees with comprehensive identity theft protection and restoration services provided by our licensed private investigators. Our employee programs have no cost to the business itself.
LegalShield has been in business for 43 years, and I have been with the company for more than 2 years. I truly enjoy working with business owners and their employees, providing a very unique solution to their legal needs. Even having a will drafted is now affordable for every family. In addition, with the prevalence and complexity of identity theft in our society today, it is essential to protect employees with a comprehensive, affordable identity theft protection and restoration system -- especially if they require a professional license in order to perform their job.
Too often I hear, "I wish I had known about your services years ago; it would have saved me a lot of money." I've also heard too many sad stories about companies going out of business due to a legal issue that could have been avoided or resolved easily. My goal is to let all business owners know that we are here to protect the company they have worked so hard to build.
As part of Strategic Partnerships LLC, I also work with businesses to identify and form strategic business partners that help grow the business. Sometimes that means forming an alliance with another business, and sometimes that just means adding another revenue stream that fits into the overall vision of that company.
For more information, contact Lisa Taylor, Director - Independent Associate, LegalShield Business Solutions, 608-345-0557.
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 Taste of Portage review
Well, the big summer event has come and gone. But what a successful event it turned out to be! The perfect weather contributed to the large crowds both Friday and Saturday. Many of our food vendors reported running out of food to serve and having to get more. The car show participants were up nearly 30 percent from last year and we made space for 10 more craft vendors.
Along with the delicious samples of food, live music is always a treat at the Taste of Portage. This year, Aaron Williams & the Hoodoo and Best Practice performed for the very first time at this event; both bands entertained very well on Friday night. On Saturday, live music, camel rides, petting zoo, craft fair, and car show kept the crowds humming.
We are very proud to bring this event to the community each year. Thank you to our food vendors for serving up delicious samples. Thank you to our generous sponsors for helping us put this year's Taste of Portage on:
GOLD SPONSORS
City of Portage Tourism
Arbor Green
Frontier Communications Business Improvement District
Silver Sponsors
Hill Automotive Cardinal Glass
American Transmission Company Portage National Bank
Johnson Chiropractic Community Bank
Blau Family Chiropractic Divine Savior Healthcare
General Engineering Company
Bronze Sponsors
Weaver Auto Parts Portage Motors
Don-Rick Insurance Rhyme
Pflanz Mantey Mendrala Funeral Home Wilz Drug & Home Health
HG Meigs/Meigs Trucking Bindl Chiropractic
Wisconsin River Title Consultants Picha Funeral Home
Miller Brussell Ebben & Glaekse LLC Crawford Oil & Propane
Schultz Small Engine H&M Contracting
NAPA Auto Parts New Life Physical Therapy
Walsh's Ace Hardware Larry's Trophies & Awards
St. John's Child Development Center
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Office Space Available
Build to suit on Washington Street, approximately 1400 square feet.
Contact the Chamber at 608-742-6242 if you are interested in more information.
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Ribbon Cuttings
 A ribbon cutting was held at Paula's Place, 100 E. Cook St., to welcome this Paula as the new owner to Portage.
Offering breakfast anytime, daily specials, dine-in or carry out. They are open daily at 6am. Check out
their 75 wings special!
Thanks to all who helped Paula's Place open! For more information, call 608-745-0900.
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 A ribbon cutting was held at Head 2 Toe Salon, 321 W. Conant St., to celebrate a new location. Owner DeAnn Tollefson thanks everyone who made the quick move possible and thanks all the customers for patience as all the kinks get worked out of the new place. She looks forward to serving the community with a new zero gravity massage chair, all the basic salon services, specialty up-dos, tanning, and massages. For more information, call 608-745-4935. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A ribbon cutting was held at Rolling
Woods Estates, 2552 Airport Rd., to celebrate this new development in Portage.
A premier property that takes great care to make you feel right at home.
For more information, call 608-745-2391 or 608-566-1567.
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A ribbon cutting was held at City Hall to celebrate Portage as Columbia County's first Dementia Friendly Community (DFC). The employees and staffs of many Portage businesses and organizations completed training to recognize and help someone, transforming Portage into a caring DFC. For more information, please call Janet at the Alzheimer's and Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin (local Portage office) at 608-742-9055 or visit www.alzwisc.org.  |
Portage Chamber September Meeting and Events
2 Ambassador Meeting at Community Bank 8am
4 Ribbon Cutting at Fresh Indulgence Noon
7 Portage Chamber office closed for Labor Day
8 Business After 5 at Verlo Mattress of Portage 5pm-7pm
9 Ribbon Cutting at Johnson Chiropractic 9am
15 Sign Ordinance Meeting at Portage Enterprise Center 8am
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RE/MAX opens new office
The husband-and-wife team of Gary and Glenna Schumann is pleased to announce the opening of a new RE/MAX Connections office in Westfield at 223A North Pioneer Park Road. The office is planning a grand opening at its new location on Saturday, September 5 from 10am to 4pm during which times the public is welcome. The open house will include prizes, food and beverages. This will mark the second office for the Portage-based brokerage.
"We're excited to announce a second location for RE/MAX Connections," said Gary Schumann, co-broker/owner. "With the availability of the franchise in Westfield, we saw an opportunity to expand our service area and visibility. We look forward to providing our current and future clients with the new resources RE/MAX Connections has to offer in Westfield."
For more information, contact RE/MAX Connections co-broker/owners Gary and Glenna Schumann at (608) 296-7096.
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Give Portage Green Gift Certificates
Portage Green Gift Certificates make an excellent gift. Used just like cash, the certificates can be purchased from the Portage Chamber in $5, $10 and $25 increments. Recipients of the Portage Green may redeem them at these participating Chamber member businesses. By buying Portage Green Gift Certificates, you are helping to boost local business by keeping thousands of dollars right here in Portage. For more information, call the Chamber at 608-742-6242.
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Chip in Fore Pets!
Bring three of your animal loving golf pals out to Portage Golf Club on September 15 for an afternoon of golf while supporting the Columbia County Humane Society. Enjoy 18 holes of golf for four with a cart and a cookout-style dinner at The NorthShore on beautiful Swan Lake for $150. Check in on the deck at 11am and the scramble golf game begins at Noon with a shotgun start. Registration required prior to play: http://www.getmyperks.com/deal/madison/chip-in-fore-petsFor event information, visit the Chamber event page here. |
 The Welcome Home Sew-N-Vac classes
Click here for a schedule of September classes at The Welcome Home Sew-N-Vac, located at 118 E. Cook St. Call 608-566-1663 for more information.
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 Portage Center for the Arts happenings
Tickets for the 2015-2016 Performing Arts Concert Series go on sale on Wednesday, Sept. 2. A ticket to all six shows is just $70 and includes a coupon for a free ticket to any show. An opening reception for Amy Carani and her abstract acrylic paintings will be held on Friday, Sept. 4 from 4pm to 6pm. Her works will be on display through
Sept. 26.
A weekend of performances of 'Really Rosie!' is on tap with shows on Sept. 11 & 12 at 7:30pm and Sept. 13 at 1pm. For more information, please call the Portage Center for the Arts, 301 E. Cook St., at 608-742-5655.
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 Historic Indian Agency House Living History Weekend
The Historic Indian Agency House will once again welcome a talented group of historic reenactors on Saturday September 12. This year's theme is "Wedding at the Portage," and will feature 1830s frontier-style nuptials. All festivities will take place in and around the Agency House. For more information, click here or call 608-742-6362.
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 The Percolator Coffee House new catering service The Percolator Coffee House, 224 W. Wisconsin St., offers free delivery anywhere in the City of Portage, with a minimum order for 10 people. Order by Noon the day prior to your event, meeting or party and they can deliver it the next morning. We cater Collectivo Coffee and a fresh assortment of pastries! For more information, call 608-742-7372.
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Kids Day
Come to this Health, Safety & Environmental Awareness Day featuring spinal, dental and eye screenings, photographed ID kit, Bouncy house, and tours of a fire truck, ambulance, school bus and police car on Saturday, September 19 from 10am to 1pm at Culver's.
Bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the Portage Food Pantry and you will be entered to win an iPod Shuffle! Visit www.blauchiropractic.com or call Rachel at 608-742-1300 for more information.
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Got News?
What is your business up to? Pass along information and corresponding photos to [email protected] and let us help spread the word about the great things your business or organization is doing. The deadline is the 20th of each month.
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Mum Sale
The Partners of Divine Savior are offering Mums, Chrysanthemums, Asters, perennial Hibiscus, hanging baskets of fall grasses and flowers, plus gourds, pumpkins, and other colorful fall decorations. Located just off Eastridge Road at Divine Savior Hospital's northeast clinic entrance.
Hours are September 3 from 9am to 5pm and September 4 from 9am to 5pm. Contact Mary Farrell-Stieve, Volunteer Coordinator, at 608-745-5166.
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September Community Events
Spread the word about your events by posting them on our website!
2 2015-16 Performing Arts Series Concert Season tickets on sale at Portage Center for the Arts
3-4 Mum Sale at Divine Savior Healthcare
3 Portage Farmers Market
4 Food Challenge - Support Student Council at Portage High Football Game
4 Opening Reception for exhibit by Amy Carani at Portage Center for the Arts
5 Portage Skateboard Levee Cruise
5 Portage City Flea Market
5 Portage Presbyterian Church Brat Sale at Pierce's Market Place
8 Business After 5 at Verlo Mattress
10 Portage Farmers Market
11-13 'Really Rosie!' at Portage Center for the Arts
12 Historic Indian Agency House Living History Weekend
13 Alzheimer's Walk at Riverside Park
15 Columbia County Humane Society's Chip In Fore Pets at Portage Country Club
17 Portage Farmers Market
19 Kids Day at Culver's
24 Portage Farmers Market
27 Walk for Hope benefiting Prevent Suicide Columbia County at Portage High Track
28 Portage Sharing Supper
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Organizing an event or having a sale?
Submit your event or sale to us and have it appear on the Chamber website calendar of events.You may enter your event by clicking here. Please note: Your submission will take a while to appear as the Chamber office first reviews the submissions before approving them to appear on the web calendar. For more information, please call our office 608-742-6242.
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Become a member of SHRM , click here for a membership application brochure.
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