COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL July 1, 2015
CHAMBER NEWSLETTER
CHAMBER NEWS
Travis Palmer,
Executive Director
Note from the
Director
Our free summer concert series at
Bohemia Park has begun and the Main
Street Chili Cook-off is just around the
corner. With numerous community events
on the horizon such as Bohemia Mining
Days, Wings & Wheels, Art Walk Fridays,
racing at the speedway, KNND’s Rock,
Roll, ‘N Rumble Car Show and several
others, you can easily guarantee yourself a
busy and fun-fi lled summer without even
leaving town. That is of course if you
don’t let yourself get beat by the heat.
The summer temperatures have come
up fast and the high heat seems to be the
talk of the town, especially when it comes
to attendance at outdoor events. Not
surprisingly, there are two very different
conversational themes taking place,
depending on where you happen to join in
with the discussion. If at the offi ce water
cooler or from behind a computer screen,
the conversation will likely be about how
unbearable the heat is and how anyone
would be crazy to want to go outside and
sit in the sun. On the other hand, if you go
to any of the events and talk to the people
that are there, they’ll be more likely to talk
about the cool breeze that blows across the
pond and over the crowd at Bohemia Park.
They’ll talk about how quickly it cools off
when the sun is at your back as the races
begin at Cottage Grove Speedway and
they’ll talk about how an umbrella can be
just as useful in the sun as it is in the rain.
I have a theory about why the second
group has such a different conversation
from the fi rst group. Sure some people can
handle heat better than others but at the
end of the day, heat is heat, and people are
people. The difference is that the second
group (whether they know it or not) has
resolved to embrace the heat and do what
they want to do regardless of what the
thermometer tells them. They can’t control
what Mother Nature has planned but they
know what they can do to handle it. If
they don’t want too much sun, they use
sunscreen, fi nd some shade or they bring
their own. If they want to cool down, they
drink ice water, dress appropriately, and
use those handy neck coolers that really do
make a difference. The point is that they
control what they can, and acknowledge
what they can’t. They go into the situation
with the expectation that even though there
are obstacles to being comfortable and
having a good time, they have prepared
themselves are ready for whatever may
come.
The philosophy of “control what you can
and be ready for what you can’t” has the
power to affect far more than the ability to
have a great time at an outdoor event. If
applied properly, it can make you a better
business person, a stronger community
leader and it can even lower your stress
levels and change your outlook on life. In
life and in business, there will always be a
heat wave from time to time. Some people
will choose to stay indoors and wait for
the heat to end and others will head right
out into it and do what they can to avoid
getting burned. No one can say which
choice is right and which is wrong, but
you can bet that when the two groups of
people talk about their experiences, their
conversations will be very different.
Travis Palmer, Executive Director
Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce
July Business After Hours
This is how it works
· Tasting kits are sold at the information
booth.
· Each kit includes three tasting cups,
one voting ticket, a spoon & napkin.
· Those who purchase the kits will
present a tasting cup for a taste of chili at
the chili booth(s) of their choice.
· The public must present an unused
tasting cup for each taste.
· Tasting cups are not allowed to be
reused.
· For every three tastes, the public gets
one vote for their favorite. The more
tasting kits purchased, the more chili gets
tasted, and the more votes get cast!
· Chili is also collected for judging by a
panel of judges.
· Contestants are encouraged to provide
“extras” to serve with the chili (i.e. cheese,
onions, crackers, etc.)
· Contestants are encouraged to decorate
as there will be judging for Most Festive
booth in addition to awards for Judges
Choice, and People’s Choice. Awards are
presented at the end of the day.
We encourage churches, restaurants,
fi nancial institutions, and any other groups
to fi nd your favorite recipe and challenge
your peers to a cook-off! Start thinking
now about how you will decorate your
booth for a chance at the Most Festive
Booth award in addition to Judges Choice
and People’s Choice Awards. So pull out
your recipes and form your teams. We need
your CHILI and those secret ingredients
that make this event a success! Entry forms
are available at the Visitor Center, 700 E.
Gibbs or on the chamber website www.
cgchamber.com.
This month Lane Electric Cooperative
will host Business after Hours on Thursday,
July 16 from 5:30 – 7:00pm, at Coiner
Park. Bring your business card to enter
the door prize drawing, learn something
It Just Gets Better and
new, and have some fun! Your attendance
Better
reinforces the spirit in which the Chamber
The Bohemia Park Foundation continues to
provides these monthly activities. We develop the Bohemia Park for the community’s
look forward to seeing you there! Many enjoyment. Their newest addition will be
thanks to those who support our efforts by chess tables and we’re helping them celebrate
attending this Chamber program.
2015 Visitor Center Stats
Main Street Chili Cook
Phone calls
Off
Walk-In Visitors
The Main Street Chili Cook Off along
Relocate Requests
with KNND’s Rock, Roll N’ Rumble will
Visitor Requests
fi ll the streets of Historic Downtown on
Referrals to Chamber Members
July 25, 2015. We hope you’ll join us
and enter your favorite chili against your
friends and neighbors in this year’s cook
2015 Website Stats
off! We’re pleased to hold this event in
Business Directory Searches
conjunction with KNND’s Rock, Roll N’
Members Listed in Results
Rumble and look forward to a big crowd!
Member Page Views
Cook your chili on-site or cook it at home.
Links to Member Website
Either way we want you to enjoy an
Event Searches
afternoon of fun!
Event Page Hits
Hot Deal Searches
Job Searches
with a Ribbon Cutting/Dedication ceremony at
Bohemia Park, 101 N. 10th Street, date to be
announced. We hope you’ll join us!
MEMBER NEWS
Renewing Members:
Friends of the Cottage Grove Public
Library, Cottage Grove Moose Lodge,
Pure Naturopathic Healthcare, Best Little
Printhouse, Universal Trucking.
Thank you for your continuous support
of our efforts through your membership
and your commitment to helping make
Cottage Grove a better place to live and do
business!
We encourage you to support Chamber
member businesses and our local
economy and
“Shop Chamber Members
fi rst”!
A Better Way to
Light Your Business
- Submitted by Pacifi c Power
A typical retail establishment operates its
lighting more than 5,000 hours a year. With
that many hours of operation, there’s ample
opportunity to realize savings from energy-
effi cient lighting improvements.
Besides saving money each month on your
electric bill, upgrading to high-effi ciency
lighting can make your workplace safer
and reduce maintenance costs. It can also
make your workforce more comfortable and
productive. The right lighting can improve the
appeal and color of displayed merchandise and
help drive sales.
Pacifi c Power and Energy Trust of Oregon
team up to connect you with contractors, cash
incentives and ways to make your business
more profi table by making it more energy
effi cient. To learn more about incentives for
effi cient lighting and other equipment, visit
bewattsmart.com.
5/29 Thru 6/25
210
454
1
5
130
YTD
1491
2125
14
26
681
1039
2895
1078
161
1755
1042
48
30
5854
20666
9132
1087
8750
4044
282
195
2015 Chamber Board of Directors,
Advisors and Staff
Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce
700 E. Gibbs • Cottage Grove, OR
info@cgchamber.com • www.cgchamber.com
P. (541) 942-2411 • F. 888-832-2045
2015 Chamber Board of Directors: Thank you for your hours upon hours of volunteer time,
commitment, and service!
Offi cers
Tiffany Thackara, President
Emerald Valley Resort Event Center
Joe Raade, President Elect
South Lane County Fire & Rescue
Paul Tocco, Vice President
Busterʼs Main Street Cafe
Amanda Akers, Treasurer
Commonwealth Financial Network
Tim Wilson, Past President
Universal Trucking
Directors
Lorraine Eriksen
Sheri Henry
Lindsay Laycock
Jennifer Radcliffe
Linda Schmale
Candace Solesbee
John Trombly
Don Williams
Rhonda Worley
Cottage Grove Souvenirs
Banner Bank
City of Cottage Grove
South Valley Athletics
Retired, Past Board President
Shampoo Dolls Salon
Fort Rock Construction
Retired, Past Board President
CJW, LLC
Advisors
Tim Herrmann
Richard Meyers
Mayor Tom Munroe
Krista Parent
Darby Valley
PeaceHealth Cottage Grove Community Medical Center
City of Cottage Grove
City of Cottage Grove
South Lane School District
Cottage Grove Community Acupuncture
Visitor Center Volunteers:
Heidi Abbott, Susan Jeppesen, Suzy Kanich, Sunny Kennedy, Donna Laney,
Chieko Tomasulo, Jim Vander Platt, Judd Van Gorder, Sharon Van Gorder,
Sherry Wendt , Penny Westling, Nolene Wheeler.
Staff:
Travis Palmer
Beth Martin
Jennifer Violette
Executive Director
Offi ce Manager
Bookkeeper
9A