APRIL 2005 CHAMBER LINK
SUMMER IS AROUND THE CORNER
~Got All Your Tourism Tools Ready?
Even though it’s a dark and rainy March morning as we write this edcition of ChamberLink, we know that the bright sunny days of summer aren’t that far away. We’ve been on the road for the past three months, attending consumer travel shows and encouraging visitors from all over the northeast to visit Yates County this year.
With that in mind, we thought we’d review some of the tools that are at your disposal to help promote spending and direct the visitors, when they begin arriving.
Yates County Travel Guide – our full color travel guide is printed in 125,000 copies and is available in two formats (4”x9” and 8”x9”). This is the definitive guide to our area and highlights all of the wineries, farm markets, historical attractions and scenic beauty.
Central Finger Lakes Tear Off Map – these maps come in tablets of 100 and are perfect to use when you help route visitors around the area.
Our Website – remember to use www.yatesny.com all the time. You’ll find a comprehensive events listing as well as a keyword searchable database of all the businesses in the County.
Penn Yan & Keuka Lake Brochure – this piece has been printed since the late 1950’s and provides a map of the Village of Penn Yan as well as reference to all of the activities in and around Penn Yan.
Historic Walking Tour Brochure – this brochure is an essential for folks that are interested in the history of the architecture in downtown Penn Yan. It walks you building by building and tells the story of the development of this community.
Finger Lakes Countrysides Video – this 10 minute video highlights all of the attractions in the Yates County community. You should add this to your video library and share with your guests.
All of these resources are available just by calling the Chamber at 315.536.3111 or stopping by our offices at 2375 Route 14A.
Business After Hours
~ Cole’s Furniture and Floor Fashions!
We had a large crowd at the Lown’s Building last month where we were hosted by Chris Vaughan and Carl Schwartz. Steve Owens catered the food and Rooster Hill, McGregor Vineyard Winery and Keuka Lake Coffee Roasters provided plenty of liquid refreshment. It was a great event, everyone was so impressed at the super job that Carl has done in renovating the building.
This month, join us on Wednesday, April 13th, beginning at 5PM at Cole’s Furniture and Floor Fashions at 123 Main Street in the Village of Penn Yan. Gene Berardo purchased Cole’s Furniture late last year and moved his Floor Fashions business into the historic building. He is excited about showcasing his products and services to the Chamber membership.
As always, an array of hors d’oeuvres and liquid refreshments will be offered and several door prize drawings will be conducted. These events are a great way to increase your circle of business contacts and we always offer each and every member a chance to address the crowd with product or service updates.
One of the highlights of the evening will be the cash prize drawing which this month has a value of $150.00. Every Chamber member’s name is in the pot for the drawing and all you have to do to win is be in attendance when your name is drawn. Each month that we don’t have a winner, the prize increases by $50.00.
We’ll also be conducting our 50/50 raffle, with the help and cooperation of the folks at the Yates County Workforce Development office. Fifty percent of the proceeds will go to the lucky winner with the other half added to our donations for the Yates County Christmas for the Needy program.
Mark your calendars and plan to join us!
Open House
~Dundee Library
The Dundee Library located at 32 Water Street in the Village of Dundee is hosting an open house to showcase the online databases provided by the Southern Tier Library System libraries. These resources are available to anyone using a home, workplace or library computer.
The open house is scheduled for Thursday, April 21st from 8AM – 10AM and refreshments will be provided.
STLS information technology staff member Al Oliveras will be on hand to demonstrate the varied, useful and reliable databases available through the library system. Additionally, Assemblyman Jim Bacalles and Senator George Winner have been invited to join Chamber members and other interested citizens for this get-together.
For information or to RSVP, please contact Mary Geo Tomion at the library, 607.243.5938 or dundee@stls.org
Celebrate Service,….Celebrate Yates
~Community Service Day Planned
The 8th annual Celebrate Service,…Celebrate Yates community service day, organized by volunteers from Keuka College in cooperation with the Chamber is scheduled for Sunday, April 24th from 11:30AM – 4:30PM.
For the past seven years, students, faculty, staff and community residents have joined forces to wash windows, rake, paint, mulch and clear brush for such local organizations as Clinton Crest Manor, Camp Good Days and Camp Cory. Last year over 150 volunteers performed a variety of duties at 17 sites.
The event is sponsored by local merchants, businesses and citizens. Last year’s sponsors included: AES Greenidge, Ferro Electronic Materials, Graphic Connections; Keuka College Student Senate; K-Ventures; National Bank of Geneva; Penn Yan Rotary; Roto Salt; Silgan Plastics; Sodexho; Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital; Stork & Manahan Insurance; Yates County ARC and the Chamber.
For complete details and a registration form visit www.keuka.edu or call 315.279.5264
Spring Wine & Cheese Event
~Seneca Lake Wine Trail
The Seneca Lake Wine Trail’s 7th Annual Spring Wine & Chesse Weekend, co-sponsored with the Heluva Good Cheese Company of Sodus, NY gives member wineries the chance to invent new dishes using Heluva Good Cheese products as ingredients. Each winery then chooses one or tow of their wines to complement the food. The 2005 version includes stops at 28 Seneca Lake wineries and will be held on April 23rd and 24th.
Tickets to the event are just $25 per person, including tax and handling charge and can be ordered on www.senecalakewine.com or by calling 877.536.2717
A Taste for Murder….and Wine!
~Keuka Wine Trail
Travel along serene Keuka Lake, visit nine wineries and participate in the mystifying tale of homicide and humor. Hop on the trail the weekend of April 9th & 10th as the wineries unravel another Vintage Murder Mystery!
The body of Joe Loudmouth was found in the quaint town of Hammondsport at the southern point of Keuka Lake, and the list of suspects has been narrowed to seven people. Hammondsport CSI needs your help in solving this puzzle! Could it have been Dr. Mal Practice, Mary Popup, Cool or Detective Defective? Or was it Ms. Sweet Tart, Maryanne the Librarian or General Nuisance?
At each of the nine participating wineries, sample fine vintages and enjoy delicious hors d’oeuvres as you ponder the clues. At your starting winery you will receive a packet of instructions along with a Keuka Lake Wine Trail 20th anniversary wineglass. Be prepared to cross paths with the entertaining suspects, they will be played by talented actors from The Keuka Lake Players, The Not Ready for Prime Rib Players and NUTS (Niagara University Theatre Students).
The participating wineries include Keuka Spring Vineyards, Rooster Hill Vineyards, Barrington Cellars/Buzzard Crest Vineyards, Keuka Overlook Wine Cellars, McGregor Vineyard Winery, Chateau Renaissance Wine Cellars, Heron Hill Winery, Dr. Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars, and Hunt Country Vineyards. All characters and the “crime” are fictional however and are intended to be fun and in good taste.
This event always sells out! So get your tickets now. Tickets are $16 per person advance by calling 800-440-4898, visiting www.keukawinetrail.com or stopping at Wegmans Food Markets. Prices go up to $20 per person at the door. Designated Driver tickets are available at a 25% discount. Event hours are 10:00AM – 5:00PM on Saturday and Noon to 5:00PM on Sunday with the Eastside wineries opening at 11:00AM on Sunday to accommodate early birds. Sorry, we cannot accommodate groups larger than 20 on event weekends.
Yates County Business Briefs
Finger Lakes Wine & Dine – mark your calendars for Monday, May 23rd which will be the date of the 2nd Annual Finger Lakes Wine & Dine. This wine and food event features the award winning vintages of our local wineries and the gustatory delights of all the area restaurants and eateries. The event will be held at Esperanza Mansion and tickets are $35.00 with proceeds being split between the Chamber and the Yates County Chapter of the American Red Cross. Join us!!
Flying Colors – Claudia Baldwin just got back from a convention in Atlantic City and has some new product offerings. They can now print on promotional materials, including pens, pencils, luggage tags, napkins, calculators, golf balls and the list goes on!! Call Flying Colors today at 315.536.5667 to find out how they can help promote YOUR business.
Winemaker’s Dinners at the Mansion – this month Esperanza Mansion is hosting two winemaker’s dinners. Keuka Spring will be at the mansion on April 1st and Rooster Hill stops by on April 15th. These multi-course meals match each course with a wine from the featured winery and the winemaker and chef are on had to discuss the nuances of the pairings. Visit www.esperanzamansion.com or call 315.536.4400.
Free Events Publicity – here’s the best deal going. If you have a special event that you would like the world to know about – all you have to do is let us know. We will include it on our website – free of charge. The event listings on the website are used by a variety of media outlets around the Empire State so your listing on there will get you tons of exposure. All you have to do is FAX us the information, 315.536.3791 or e-mail jody@yatesny.com
Folding Paper – do you produce your own brochures on a copier or do you do mailings that require a bunch of folding and stuffing?? The Chamber has a great new folding and stuffing machine from Pitney Bowes and we’ll let our members use it for free. Just give us a buzz for the details!
Defensive Driving Course – advance registrations are now being taken for the next Defensive Driving Course sponsored by the Chamber. The next session will take place on Monday and Tuesday, April 18th and 19th from 6PM – 9PM each evening. The course location is the Yates County Visitor’s Center at 2375 Route 14A, just south of Penn Yan. Successful completion of the course affords drivers a ten-percent reduction in their collision and liability insurance premiums, as well as a four-point reduction of their DMV point total. The cost of the course is $35.00 per person. Advance registration is mandatory and can be made by calling the Chamber at 315.536.3111.
Internet, Internet, Internet – we keep reminding you and will do so until we have EVERY member listing on www.yatesny.com perfect. Log on today and search for your business, then search for your competition. Think about what keywords we could add to your listing to assist customers in finding you. This is one of the many benefits of membership and unlike other Chambers, we have never charged you a dime!!
Chamber Talk – be “in the know” and “ahead of the game” by listening to the only radio program in the County devoted to business issues. Chamber Talk can be heard on WFLR Radio (95.9FM and 1570AM) the first Thursday of each month at 8:30AM. Hosted by Chamber President Mike Linehan the program features a guest host each month. In April we welcome Jim Berg and Michelle Benjamin to the microphone. The program looks at current trends in the business community and gives listeners an inside look at Chamber programming. Tune in!!
SCORE – don’t forget that another great Chamber service is SCORE, small business counseling. Offered by the US Small Business Administration, SCORE matches retired business leaders with emerging entrepreneurs. The retirees offer their years of knowledge and expertise to help support the new businesses. The service is free, confidential and VERY effective. Call the office today to learn more!
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
April
5 Retail Council – 8:00AM – Chamber Office
7 Chamber Talk – 8:30AM - WFLR
Tourism Committee – 4:00PM – Chamber Office
13 BAH – 5PM – Cole’s Furniture & Floor Fashions
14 Board of Directors – 7:45AM – Chamber Office
19 Long Range Planning – 8:30AM – Chamber Office
Thought of the month
Those who stand for nothing fall for anything
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