June Enewsletter

June e-newsletter

Chamber Flag Day Parade Float
The Chamber will have a float in the Flag Day Parade on June 12, 2010. Theme is the "Future of Businss in Columbia County". The float will feature children dressed in costumes of professions in Columbia County. If you would like to volunteer or have your children ride on the float, call David Colby at 828-4417.

Leadership Columbia County Now Accepting Applications for 2010-11 Class
Leadership Columbia County is looking for candidates for the Class of 2010-11. The Chamber Board feels Leadership Columbia County is vital to building strong future leaders that will work in the best interest of the community. This enhanced program includes some of the most popular historical components, but also features new cutting edge speakers, topics and host locations. The program brings together a diverse group of professionals from financial services, education, healthcare, the arts, community organizations, government and other sectors. We encourage all Columbia County businesses to consider sending an applicant to the program for the 2010-11 class. Please click here for an application.

Chatham Bowl & Custom Overhead Doors Business After Hours - June 3

Chatham Bowl, Side Door Grill and Custom Overhead Doors will host a Business After Hours on Thursday, June 3 from 5:00 - 7:00 pm. Business After Hours' offer excellent networking opportunities for area business people. All members of the business community are invited to attend this event. Chatham Bowl, Side Door Grill and Custom Overhead Doors is located at 305 Route 295 in Chatham. Reservations are not required, but appreciated. Please click here for more information

Computer Security Basics Seminar - June 10

June 10, the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce presents “Computer Security Basics,” a one hour seminar presented by Robert Trevellyan, highlighting some of the risks faced when computers are connected to the internet and steps that can be taken to limit those risks. Topics to be covered include setting up a firewall, managing user accounts and passwords, browser configuration and taking advantage of free software updates. Viruses, spyware, hacking, and phishing will also be addressed. Come and learn the basics of computer security for yourself or or your business. The seminar will be held Joslen Commons in Hudson. Registration begins at 7:30am, followed by the program from 8:00-9:00am. The cost is $10. Please click here for more information.

Chamber Excellence in Business Awards - June 17
Join us to celebrate business excellence in Columbia County at the Excellence in Business Awards and Showcase on Thursday, June 17 at Stageworks/Hudson. The event will feature awards given to local businesses for five different areas of achievement. The 2010 ceremony will include awards for Community Service, Most Promising New Business, Business Person of the Year, Small Company of the Year and Large Company of the Year. The Chamber will also be recognizing the graduates of the 2009-10 Leadership Columbia County Class during the awards ceremony. The Business Showcase will be held from 5:00 to 6:00 pm and the awards ceremony from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. Event sponsors will be able to showcase their business with a table top exhibit from 5:00 to 6:00 pm. Attendees will also enjoy wonderful hors d'oeuvres, a coffee sampling, a wine tasting and a beer tasting during the business showcase.

11th annual Agricultural Awareness Tour - June 26

We invite you to join us to explore agriculture in Columbia County on the 11th annual Agricultural Awareness Tour on Saturday, June 26. The tour will depart at 10:00 am from the Washington Hose Company located on Front Street at the base of Warren Street in Hudson and return at 1:00 pm. The tour is open to Chamber members and the public. In addition to a back roads tour of the county, participants will get an in-depth look into three local farms; Fix Bros., Local Ocean and Grazin' Angus Acres. The cost is $15 and includes coach bus tour transportation and a "box lunch" of local products. Please click here for more information.

Victoria A. Simons Golf Tournament on August 9
You are invited to join David Colby, Roger Coleman and the rest of the Tournament Committee at the first Victoria A. Simons Locavore Award Fund Golf Tournament on Monday, August 9 at Columbia Gold and Country Club. Registration will be at 8:00 am with a shotgun start at 9:00 am. The registration fee is $100. Forms are available at the Chamber Office and will be mailed to Chamber Members. For more information call Terry Ackerman at 851-7502.

Chamber Announces 2010 Sponsorship Opportunities

The Chamber is pleased to announce creative ways to promote your business in 2010. Don't miss this opportunity to promote your company to the Columbia County business community. Event sponsorship enables us to provide high quality programming for our members and promotion for your business.

Click for a 2010 Sponsorship Form.

Promote Your Business in the July 2010 Chamber Connection Mailing
Are you looking for new connections? The Chamber Connection is a great way to promote your business to over 1,000 Chamber members for only a $150. Promote your business this summer and get a great return on your investment. The next mailing will go out in July 2010. The deadline for materials is June 24. Please contact the Chamber if you are interested in promoting your business.

Chamber Stats
During the month of May the Chamber answered 675 phone calls, sent out 12 relocation guides and welcomed over 260 members to events. The Chamber website was visited over 13,840 times or an average of 461 times daily. For more information about your Chamber of Commerce contact akneller@columbiachamber-ny.com.

Upcoming Ribbon Cuttings

Saturday, June 5th at 10:00 am

Hudson Farmer's Market

6th Street & Columbia Street

Hudson, NY

www.hudsonfarmersmarketny.com

Thursday, June 24 at 4:30 pm

Year Round Yarns

3021 Main Street (Corner Main St. & Church St.)

Valatie, NY

518-758-9799

www.yearroundyarns.com

Member News

The Preservation League of New York State selected Looking for Work: Industrial Archeology in Columbia County, New York by Peter H. Stott (Syracuse University Press, 2007) to receive an award for Excellence in Historic Preservation. The League’s statewide awards program honors notable achievements in retaining, promoting and reusing New York State’s irreplaceable architectural heritage.

Contributing to the success of this effort were Columbia County Historical Society, Furthermore grants in publishing (a program of the J.M. Kaplan Fund), and the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency. For more information about the Columbia County Historical Society call 518-758-9265 or visit their website at www.cchsny.org.

The 22nd Annual Columbia Memorial Hospital Ball to be hosted by Taconic Farms, Inc., an event produced by the Columbia-Greene Hospital Foundation. This year’s “Night of a Thousand Moons” Ball will honor Nancy J. Kyle and John B. Fraser for their many years of generous support of Columbia Memorial. As has become tradition, the Ball will be held at “The Point” in Catskill, New York, on June 5, 2010.

“Foot Traffic Friday” will take place on June 4, 2010 at 11:00AM. A ribbon cutting ceremony, hosted by Mayor Richard Scalera, city officials, the Coalition, and guests, will take place at the Warren St. crosswalk located in front of the Hudson Opera House. Everyone who is visiting or working in Hudson on that day is encouraged to attend. In addition to the ribbon cutting ceremony, Warren Street. Restaurants will offer healthy luncheon specials. The participating restaurants include: Baba Louie’s, Verdigris, Tanzy’s, Swoon Kitchen Bar, Ca’Mea, Cascades, Earth Foods, Wasabi, American Glory, Mexican Radio, Nolita, Lick, Tortillaville, Hudson Supermarket, and Wunderbar. Walkers may also visit the site of future home of the Chamber of Commerce office located at Front and Warren, and walk the ”Hudson Walks” one or two mile walking loops.

Community Events

Beginning June 2, 2010, Hudson Area Toastmasters will be known as Taconic Toastmasters. The six-month-old group is joining forces with Taconic, a leading provider of life sciences solutions to researchers worldwide, to make the Club easily available to employees as well as the community at large. Anyone seeking to improve their communication and leadership skills should contact Walter Beveridge, acting President, at 845-553-0630.

Clermont State Historic Site will feature the annual Hudson Bush Plant Sale & Exchange on Saturday, June 5 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Eary Buyers Breakfast at 9:00 am - tickets are $20. $5 fee per vehicle after 10:00 am. The event attracts 30 vendors and 2,000 garden enthusiasts a year. In keeping with the style of the Garden Sale Founders the vendors offer a wide selection of heritage and contemporary plant material, much of it locally grown. For more information about Clermont State Historic Site call (518) 537-4240 or visit their website at www.friendsofclermont.org.

On Saturday, June 12 attend the Flag Day Parade. Starting at 10:00 am in the 7th Street Park and surrounding area will be exhibits and entertainment. 11:30 am will be the Flag Day ceremony. At 2:00 pm the Hudson Elks Flag Day Parade steps off. Following the parade there will be vendors, food and entertainment at the waterfront park. From the waterfront you will be able to enjoy the Iron Eagles Air Show and fireworks at dusk.

Benefit Event for Haiti on Saturday, June 19 at 7:00 PM at Solaqua Power & Art. Join us for a fun and rockin’ evening of entertainment and live music at Solaqua. Headliners: Mother Fletcher. Many performing artists and musicians will share the stage. Suggested donation of $10 at the door. All proceeds go to the Haitian Community Development Project (Earthquake Relief Fund). Silent auction. Donations of tents, sleeping bags, and toiletries will be accepted. For event information or to make a donation call 518-392-4000 x102. Visit Solaqua Power & Art on Facebook for event updates. Their website is www.sundogsolar.net.

If you would like to submit information for the member news section please email to akneller@columbiachamber-ny.com .

June and July Events

June Events

Business After Hours - June 3

5:00 - 7:00 pm

Custom Overhead Doors/Chatham Bowl

305 Route 295, Chatham

Reservation are not required, but appreciated.

Computer Security Basics Seminar -

June 10

7:30 - 9:00 am

Joslen Commons

540 Joslen Blvd, Hudson

Cost is $10.

Reservations are required by June 8.

Excellence in Business Awards and Showcase - June 17

5:00 - 7:00 pm

Stageworks/Hudson

41 Cross Street, Hudson

Contact the Chamber to reserve.

Agricultural Awareness Tour - June 26

Depart from Washington Hose Company in Hudson at 10:00 am

Return by 1:00 pm

Tour will stop at three specific farms for guided tours.

The cost is $15 and includes transportation and box lunch.

Contact the Chamber for reservations.

July Events

Celebration Cruise with 12 Chamber - July 8

Boarding 5:30 - 6:00 pm

Cruise 6:00 - 8:00 pm

Sail on the Captain JP II

Cost is $36.

Reservations are required

Business After Hours - July 15

5:00 - 7:00 pm

Countryside Woodcraft

2368 Route 66, Chatham

Reservations are not required, but appreciated.

Please click here for our 2010 Chamber Calendar.