Message From the President Editors: Evelyn Mars; & Christine Collier Fall2011 – Volume 27 Number 3

OFFICERS

Jim Dallas

Envirotactics

SMCC President

Adam Puharic

Danskin Insurance Agency

SMCC 1st Vice President

Denise Wegeman, MSW, LCSW

SMCC 2nd Vice President

Jack Costello Chadwick Financial Group

SMCC Treasurer

Allison Wilson

OceanFirst Bank

Secretary

Dana Gangemi

WayComm Consulting

Past President

STAFF

Evelyn Mars

SMCC Executive Director

Christine Collier

Office Coordinator

DIRECTORS

Kathie Adams

Manasquan Savings Bank

Mark Balsam Investors Bank

Tom Cardinale EisnerAmper, LLP

(ancy Conte

Coldwell Banker

Linda Hertler

TD Bank

Bernie Marciniak

The UPS Store

Pat Mayer

Diane Turton, Realtors

Jacqueline McGowan

Attorney

Joseph Milano

The Milano Financial Group/,MF,

Dennis O’Brien

Coastal Financial Advisors, Inc.

John Spottke

C & A Financial

Lauren Stroin

HarborPoint Bancard Corp.

Linda Talbot

Central Jersey Bank

Kristine Zulewski

Manasquan Savings Bank

Dear Members,

As our very wet summer season ends,

it appears that many business and

homeowners were affected in some way

from all the rain and historical flooding that

occurred throughout Monmouth and Ocean

Counties and the rest of the state. Despite

the inclement weather, many businesses are

rebounding and flourishing in our

communities. To reflect on 2011, the Chamber has actually done rather

well during the stormy fiscal year, membership is up and many new faces

can be seen at our events.

As we continue this fall season, I’d like to mention that our SMCC

Coffee Connector business networking event held at Perkins Restaurant on

Route 35 every Wednesday has also grown substantially. So, be sure to

join us every Wednesday from 8am to 9:30 AM for a very casual open

networking environment featuring a Spot Light Speaker and of course, lots

of coffee and breakfast! Please contact Evelyn Mars (Executive Director)

for details.

As the end of the year approaches in December, be sure to mark your

calendars for our annual Holiday Gala event being held at Barlow’s from

5:30pm to 8:30pm on December 8th.

In closing, I look forward to seeing you at one of these events and as

always, I thank you for your continued support and dedication to the

Southern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce.

Your President,

Jim Dallas

Post Office Box 1305 · Wall, (J 07719-1305 · 2510 Belmar Blvd. · Unit 1-20 · Wall (J 07719

Phone: 732-280-8800 · Fax: 732-280-8505 · info@smcconline.org · www.SMCConline.org

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(EW LOWER PRICES! The Southern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce web site was recently redesigned by inVisual New Media Design. The new Chamber site is full of important information about upcoming Chamber events, news and town information. There is a complete member directory where businesses can be located alphabetically or by category. We are offering all of our members exclusive advertising opportunities on the web site. The business listings were created using the information the Chamber had on file and include business name, contact information, address, phone, fax, email, web address, hours and a general description. If you would like to update your listing or inquire about the many advertising opportunities available on the web site, contact Rachel at Rachel@invisual.us. Also, contact us for all of your advertising opportunities. For more detailed info visit www.southernmonmouthchamber.com/advertise.asp

ADVERTISE ON www.SMCConline.org!ADVERTISE ON www.SMCConline.org!ADVERTISE ON www.SMCConline.org!ADVERTISE ON www.SMCConline.org! Rate Sheet:

Southern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce Website (Smcconline.org) **Generating over 100,000 hits a year

For the Year: $250: Banner Ad $350: Sponsorship $600: Menu Page $650: Jump Screen, only one per business category. Available! Act fast! $50 for two weeks Front Page Ad **All graphic design is included in price if needed Also available: One-time fee $80: Logo or picture upgrade added to your business listing $100: Logo and picture added to your business listing

The “Seeping” Truth about Flooded Basement Coverage on Homeowners Insurance

By Adam Puharic, Danskin Insurance Agency By now, I am sure most of you have heard of a little rain storm that passed our way on August 28th, 2011 named Hurricane Irene. If you, like so many of my customers and friends, enjoy home ownership by finishing your basements and making them into Man or Woman

Caves – you probably feared or suffered this storm worst than most.

Because of the torrential downpours of rain, water tables rose, and sump pump-equipped basements were the most at-risk assets during Irene. Many people suffered water losses to their basements once sump pumps failed as a result of power failure. I’ve heard countless tales from new customers that their previous agents recommended

against filing for a claim. Others received the bad news that there was no coverage for this type of claim.

The type of loss described above can usually find coverage under a section entitled “Water/Sewer back up and Sump Pump Failure.”

Understanding this coverage, and knowing how your specific policy responds to this type of claim can end up saving you thousands in this

type of disaster recovery.

Below is a general summary of the type of coverage available for this form of loss, and some corrections and misconceptions about what is

covered and what is not: 1. Homeowners insurance excludes all floods. This is technically correct. Insurance terminology defines a flood as a

seeping, flowing, rising body of water. Broken pipes in the upstairs bath is NOT a flood. Wind-driven rain that pushes water through

sofits and fascia of siding is NOT a Flood event. If the water in your basement did not come from the sump pump well, or if you do not have a working sump pump well – this loss is probably not covered. 2. Homeowners insurance carriers created the sump pump

failure coverage as an efficient way of buying back a tiny bit of this coverage. I live high on a hill in Wall twp. It probably (though it is

debatable) does not make economic sense for me to purchase a flood policy. However, to protect the work I have done in the basement, this sump pump failure coverage gives me a limited form of this protection, assuming the water might rise only through my sump

pump well. 3. This coverage is usually limited. Typically, carriers assign a separate deductible and limit the amount you can recover to $5,000. Keep this in mind should you start work on a basement project this year. If you spend money on building materials in an area prone to rising ground water, insurance might not be adequate to repair and

restore your work. The simple truth is that some homes might choose to forgo the expensive bars and entertainment centers in their

basements if the homeowners knew that every 5 to 10 years, a loss might occur that only provides limited recovery from insurance

carriers. 4. The sump pump must fail. If you have a well, but no pump, or if you have neither, you have no coverage under this endorsement. Similarly, some carriers pay for failure due to power outage, and

IMPORTANTLY, others do not.

The best advice is having an agent who takes the time to explain this coverage to you, and helps you to understand the limitations of your

policy. I happen to know one.

Adam Puharic

Commercial Insurance Lines, Danskin Agency

1937 Highway 35, Wall Township, (ew Jersey 07719

PO Box 285, Spring Lake, (ew Jersey 07762

P: (732) 449-3800

F: (732) 974-2065

C: (732) 404-7764

Let me help you make good insurance decisions.

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Featuring the exclusive content packed informational series designed exclusively for members of the Southern

Monmouth Chamber of Commerce. Over the next three newsletters you will see three new articles in each issue,

based on Internet sales and Marketing topics.

What’s in it for you? More Sales!

Let’s Begin.

The lifeblood of any online business, regardless of niche or market, is in generating targeted, qualified and consistent traffic to your websites. Hence, once targeted quality traffic that is flowing inbound becomes established, your company transforms from an “expensive interruption advertising” model to an “inbound marketing model.” This saves the company many-many thousands of dollars on wasted forms of advertising like the yellow pages. In the online world: you the business owner need to think like gravity would… Attraction. Without traffic, there’s no possible way for you to monetize your websites, generate profit or build a brand while saving funds. Further, this is where an inbound marketing footing dominates the marketplace. You Need Traffic! But before you dive into the meat of this special 9 part guide, I want you to remember one very critical component of a successful traffic campaign: Never focus on the quantity of traffic but rather the QUALITY. “One of the biggest mistakes that beginner and novice website owners make is in focusing on the amount of traffic they get, rather than the “Sources” of traffic.” The Source is the quality indicator. “Far too often when I meet a new perspective partner, they describe their Internet Website as a ”brochure” style site or something other. Then they go through the levels of mistrust they have with their web developer. They become very frustrated by their website and soon resort to giving up. The sites typically have poor “SALES” performance and are withering away, thus being buried by the competition.“

Well…

If you would like to access the 3 articles just click this:

wahoo internet sales and marketing.

My name is Brian Schneider and I am the Online Sales Guy. I operate Wahoo Internet Marketing and I will change things for a few lucky business owners in the next year. As a highly skilled Internet Sales and Marketing Professional I partner with companies to bring growth to their online efforts. Tee off with a howitzer shot! Boom! Please leave a comment…

Thanks Brian, The Online Sales Guy!

9 WAYS TO GENERATE SALES ON YOUR WEBSITE GUIDE9 WAYS TO GENERATE SALES ON YOUR WEBSITE GUIDE9 WAYS TO GENERATE SALES ON YOUR WEBSITE GUIDE9 WAYS TO GENERATE SALES ON YOUR WEBSITE GUIDE

(ow Offering Flat Fee Debt

Collection Services

Tax Services

Accounting Services

Business Startups

Financial Planning Services

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(ewsletter Ads

. Business Card 2″ x 3 ½″ (per issue) $65

. Business Card 2″ x 3 ½″ (annual – 4 issues) $225

. ¼ Page Ad 4 ¼″ x 5 ½″ with ½″ framed border (per issue) $185

. ¼ Page Ad 4 ¼″ x 5 ½″ with ½″ framed border (annual – 4 issues) $625

. ½ Page Ad 5 ½″ x 8 ½″ with ½″ framed border (per issue) $315

. ½ Page Ad 5 ½″ x 8 ½″ with ½″ framed border (annual- 4 issues) $1125

$50

$180

$150

$500

$250

$900

For More Advertising Information Contact the Chamber Office: Telephone: 732-280-8800 Fax: 732-280-8505 E-Mail: info@smcconline.org Website: http://www.smcconline.org/

Don't miss the opportunity to advertise in SMCC's Southern Exposure.

Member

Prices (on-Member

Prices

(ETWORKI(G

1. Weekly "Coffee Connector" breakfast meetings 2. Informative Quarterly Meetings 3. Sponsor a meeting or event 4. Host a business after hours 5. Annual Golf Outing 6. Quarterly Women in Business meetings 7. And many more opportunities! ADVERTISI(G/CUSTOMER ACCESS

8. Business referrals from our office 9. Member-to-Member discounts 10. Access to our mailing lists 11. Spotlight your business in local publications 12. Listings in Chamber publications including our area map & guide 13. Free listing and links on our website to yours 14. Annual Business Expo 15. Submit a FREE article for our Chamber newsletter

COMMU(ITY I(VOLVEME(T

16. Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting Ceremony 17. Community Blood Drive 18. Use of Chamber conference room (by appt.) 19. Support local high school seniors with college scholarships 20. Osprey Awards honoring area businesses and community members 21. Free Certificate of Origin for export

VISIT

WWW.SMCCO(LI(E.ORG

FOR YOUR APPLICATIO(

& JOI( TODAY!

TOP 21 MEMBERSHIP BE(EFITS OF THE SMCC!

Business After Hours

with Investors Bank

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MemberMemberMemberMember----totototo----Member Member Member Member

DiscountDiscountDiscountDiscount Our Membership Committee is launching a "Member-to-Member" Campaign. We would like to implement and advertise the use of these discounts to SMCC members. We should be aware of the services we have to offer each other and look INSIDE the Chamber before going to another source.

Please let us know the applicable discounts you wish to offer other members!

Name:_____________________________________________________________________________

Company___________________________________________________________________________

Address:____________________________________________________________________________

Phone:_____________________________________________________________________________

Services:___________________________________________________________________________

A brief description of discount to be offered:________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Expires:________________________________

Fax: 732-280-8505 ���� Email: Info@smcconline.org

Member-to-Member Discount

Mr. Shrimp Seafood, Belmar, was the setting for our 4th quarter Women in Business Social Networking meeting of 2011. The new luncheon format has been a great success; this meeting had over 40 members and guests in attendance. After the attendees had an opportunity to network and become acquainted with each other, the Chamber’s Board Member Denise Wegeman, MSW and member Dana Puharic opened the meeting and announced the Chamber’s upcoming events. Each attendee was then given one minute to formally introduce themselves (both professionally and personally). The attendees shared invaluable information with the group while providing several details about their respective businesses.

Keep your eyes on the Chamber calendar and the SMCC website so you won’t miss any of these exciting networking functions.

Ms. Puharic then handed the floor over to the sponsor of the day, Ms. Stephanie Lambert-Bartner. Ms. Bartner is a fashion consultant specializing in the beautiful line of clothing and accessories by CAbi. Ms. Bartner shared her tips for fall fashion and then delighted the attendees with a fashion show. The models were members of the Chamber as well as guests and with much good cheer, made wonderful models. Stephanie was able to provide details about each ensemble and the attendees were able to take a look up close. Ms. Bartner also had a rack of her CAbi favorites to show and/or purchase. Anyone looking for an in-home fashion show of their own can find Fashion Consultant Stephanie Bartner on the Chamber’s website. Ms. Bartner reminds us how nice it is to shop from home.

Thank you to Vincent Petruziello of Mr. Shrimp Seafood for the warm hospitality and delicious food. The restaurant was the perfect venue for our 4th quarter WIBC, with delicious food and attentive wait staff.

WOME� I� BUSI�ESS LU�CHEO�

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Despite a thunderstorm in the early evening, our 2011 Schol-

arship BBQ was a huge success. Bar Anticipation welcomed

the SMCC with plenty of delicious BBQ style food, drinks,

and a fun bar/wait staff. The Chocolate Carousel provided a

delicious cake for a scrumptious dessert. We were served a

tasty, endless cup of Boresha coffee, courtesy of Phil and

Gretchen Melnick of PNG Health Solutions. Bar A’s back

beach bar was set aside especially for the SMCC, giving us

the opportunity to enjoy the summer night, good friends and

great networking.

Our musical entertainment for the evening was The Breeze

107.1. An exhibition of flamboyant dancing was pro-

vided by Fred Astaire Dance Studio, as two dancers

gracefully dazzled the guests. The Fred Astaire dancers

had everyone on their feet dancing the night away, a fun

surprise for the guests. Thank you Fred Astaire Dance

Studio for your special appearance.

SMCC members and guests had great time bidding on

the selection of over 60 silent auction items that were generously donated by our members and friends of the SMCC. This

year there was an eclectic range of items. Apparel, jewelry, gourmet food and wines are just a few of the categories repre-

sented in this year’s Scholarship Auction.

As the evening closed there were only smiling faces making way to their cars. Our members’ arms were filled with their

winnings and their minds filled with joyful memories of yet

another successful Scholarship BBQ event.

A big thank you to our host Bar Anticipation, our music

provider The Breeze 107.1, and our dessert sponsor The

Chocolate Carousel. Much appreciation goes to Francis As-

bury Manor and Envirotactics for sponsoring this wonderful

event. Additionally, thank

you to all who gave of them-

selves to raise money for our

high school seniors’ scholar-

ships.

We are looking forward to

summer 2012 already!

2011 Scholarship Fundraising

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Southern Monmouth Coffee Connector! Join us every Wednesday morning from 8:00-9:30 am

Perkins, 2027 Highway 35, Wall Township Start your mornings in a positive and energized manner!

Members: Enjoy networking and breakfast all for $10! Each week one member will have the floor for 5 minutes to showcase themselves

and their business (at no extra charge!). Call to reserve your week to showcase your business! 732-280-8800

Guests of the SMCC receive their first breakfast event free,

thereafter cost will be $15.

Registration is not necessary - just wake up and roll in!

Payment may be made by check, cash or credit card.

Leverage Your Membership with the Southern

Monmouth Chamber of Commerce Here are three ways to leverage your SMCC Membership to better your business and the com-

munity.

Membership in the Southern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce provides your business with powerful tools to mar-ket your services, reach potential clients, and foster positive economic development in the communities where you live and work. Joining the SMCC is about more than attending General Membership Meetings. Here are three hot tips for making your membership dollars work for you: 1. Contribute to our newsletter and have your article reach our entire email database..... all for FREE. By writ-ing articles in the quarterly SMCC Southern Exposure Newsletter, your words of wisdom will reach the entire SMCC email database. This is a surefire way to leverage your membership dollars and market your industry know-how to a friendly audience that you will meet again. Articles with an awareness or education focus can be for-warded to clients who need your services, providing endless opportunity to work with the existing membership to reach your ideal customer. 2. Hosting a "Business After-Hours" is the lowest cost solution for bringing customers through your door. One of the benefits to SMCC membership is the opportunity to host a "business after-hours" gathering that is broadcast to members with planning advice provided by the Chamber. There is simply no more inexpensive way to create ad-vertising, broadcast a message, and reach a willing and enthusiastic audience. What would you pay to have 30 - 70 potential customers in front of you at once? 3. Joining the SMCC allows the Chamber to flourish and provides an important business incubator for startups and entrepreneurs. Let's face it, the past two years have proven that we all share the same national economy. Whether your business has 300 employees or you are the "chief cook and bottle washer," a vibrant chamber allows startups the best opportunity to reach customers, test their business models and grow into success. Your chamber membership is about more than reaching customers. Even the largest of companies in our area can do their part in supporting the community around them.

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Southern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce 2011 Golf Outing

The 9th Annual Golf Outing for the Southern Monmouth Chamber of Com-merce was another great success. The August 1 day had perfect summer weather, which underscored the great day of golfing at the spectacular Jumping Brook Coun-try Club’s golf course. A big thank you to Ron Podhirny for the time and hard work he put into planning this day of golf, fun and good food. Mr. Podhirny and the atten-

tive club staff made sure a good time was had by all.

This year the Chamber had a special reason to celebrate. We had the honor of being able to donate some of the proceeds of this event to an organization working to help the children in Uganda achieve a better life. Sylvia’s Children is dedicated to educating, feeding, clothing, housing and providing health care to orphaned chil-dren. Without the help of Sylvia’s Children, most of these children would be living

on the street without an opportunity for an enriched life.

Prior to the golfers heading out to start their round, they were treated to a free massage from Maria Cermatori’s Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa. Greater Media NJ WRAT 95.9/Magic 100.1, one of our sponsors provided lively music

through our registration and lunch.

The golfer’s were hoping to win one of the many prizes donated for the hole-in-one contests. These prizes included the Lakewood BlueClaw’s season tickets for 2011 and a brand new car from George Wall Ford Lincoln. Once again this year

there were no takers. Keep practicing!

After a great day of golf, dinner was served and awards given out. Press Communications – The Breeze provided music for the evening. There was stiff competition for winners of the putting, longest drive and closest to the pin contests. All winners went home with great prizes donated by generous sponsors and chamber members. The women and men’s first place teams went home with great golf good-ies guaranteed to bring their games to the next level. There were was an opportunity

to win door prizes and no one left empty handed. There were goodie bags for all.

A special thank you to our Sponsors! Gold Sponsors: C & A Financial, Broege, Neumann, Fischer & Shaver and Investors Bank. Silver Sponsors: Birdsall Services Group, Greater Media WRAT 95.9/Magic 107.1, Human Resource Ser-vices of NJ, Matisse Ocean Front Restaurant and Press Communications - The Breeze 107.1. Longest Drive Sponsor Acre Survey; Putting Green Sponsor Francis Asbury Manor; Print Sponsor The UPS Store; Design Sponsor Solari Creative; Shirt Sponsor Initial Impact; Ball Sponsor New Jersey Natural Gas and Gift Sponsor

Ritchie and Page Distributing Co.

Thank you to all of our Hole Sponsors, members and volunteers who generously do-nated items for door prizes and time to fill

goodie bags for our golfers.

SEE YOU I( 2012!

Photography by All is Sharp Photography

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Fun, networking and a little competitive spirit all joined together to cre-

ate another successful SMCC event! All the fun was happening on August 4th,

at Bar Anticipation in Lake Como. The Brick Chamber of Commerce and the

Southern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce joined together at the 2nd Annual

Danskin Insurance Agency Invitational Volleyball Networking Event.

In the heat of the summer on Wednesday, August 4, many Brick and

Southern Monmouth Chamber members, friends and guests gathered to help

raise funds for the charity Michael’s Feat. Michael’s Feat is a non-profit or-

ganization with a mission of providing support to families facing a health cri-

sis with their seriously ill newborn.

“Michael's Feat offers families in need direct financial support, over-

night bags filled with supplies for hospital stays, furniture and medical equip-

ment, meals, gas cards and, if necessary, respite care”.

Everyone enjoyed appetizers, cocktails and cold beverages compliments

of the Danskin Insurance Agency. Teams quickly formed to enjoy the great

sand courts at Bar A. Spectators gathered to chat, watch and coach from the

sidelines. Gone were the suits and ties of the day; t-shirts and shorts were the

recommended attire for this relaxing and casual atmosphere.

Volleyball Business (etworking

10

HIRI(G A( ARCHITECT IS YOUR BEST I(VESTME(T In today's housing market more people are choosing to renovate or expand their existing home versus

building a new one. (ew Jersey allows people to submit their own plans for construction of residential

structures. However, there are more and more guidelines homeowners aren't aware of that make submit-

ting their own plans a frowned-upon decision. Municipalities are directing homeowners to hire a profes-

sional for the design of their home.

If you decide to hire an architect to design your project, there are many questions you should ask. This

guide will help you learn more about the architect you are dealing with and ensure your project runs

smoothly.

1. What does the architect see as important issues or considerations in your project? 2. How will the architect approach your project? 3. How will the architect gather information about your needs, goals, etc.? 4. How will the architect establish priorities and make decisions? 5. Who from the architecture firm will you be dealing with directly? Who will be designing your project? 6. How interested is the architect in this project? 7. How busy is the architect? 8. What sets this architect apart from the rest? 9. How does the architect establish fees? 10. What would the architect expect the fee to be for this project? 11. What are the steps in the design process? 12. How does the architect organize the process? 13. What does the architect expect you to provide? 14. What is the architect's design philosophy? 15. What is the architect's experience with cost estimating? 16. What will the architect show you to explain the project? Will you see models, drawings, or computer an-imations? 17. If the scope of the project changes later in the project, will there be additional fees? How will these fees be justified? 18. What services does the architect provide during construction? 19. How long does the architect expect your project will take to complete? 20. Does the architect have a list of references you can contact? You can see there is much to learn by asking these questions. Expect the architect to ask you many questions also. It’s only fair to the architect that he feels you are a client worth working alongside of. Many relationships between homeowner and architect are successful. Do your homework and avoid a bad experience.

ASR Architecture PA, Inc 732-528-1597 WWW.ASRARCHITECTURE(J.COM

Lakewood BlueClaws Picnic

11

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The lovely Sienna Room at The Mill at Spring Lake was the setting for the Southern Monmouth Chamber of

Commerce’s Annual Meet the Mayors event held on September 20, 2011. The delicious food and beautiful lakeside

room offered a wonderful venue for the event. The Mill provided an expansive buffet offering a wide variety of

breakfast foods. The attentive wait staff provided exceptional service, with prompt attention and friendly attitudes.

SMCC’S President Jim Dallas of Envirotactics opened the event with upcoming SMCC events and announce-

ments. Mr. Dallas rolled out the newest of SMCC’s networking opportunities, The Coffee Connector, meeting every

Wednesday morning from 8:00 – 9:30AM at Perkins on Route 35 in Wall. This weekly breakfast get- together offers

a relaxed atmosphere for networking and is open to both members and guests.

This event was sponsored by Investors Bank. Mark Balsam of Investors Bank proudly reminded attendees of

the bank’s 84 year old existence and commitment to excellence. In addition, Mr. Balsam advised of the bank’s new

name; Investors Bank, dropping the word “savings”.

Adam Puharic of the Danskin Insurance Agency and SMCC’S 1st Vice President, was the emcee for the morn-

ing. Mr. Puharic gave a brief biography of each of the mayors and dignitaries in attendance.

Mayor Schrek of Bradley Beach was the first to speak and gave a description of Bradley Beach, while a family

town, is now actively promoting businesses to put down roots in Bradley Beach. Mayor Schrek has identified limited

parking as one challenge the town is actively tackling towards that effort. The Bradley Beach Chamber of Commerce

is now flourishing and assisting with ideas to make the business area’s streets more pedestrian friendly.

Next to speak was Spring Lake Mayor Jennifer Naughton. Mayor Naughton began by thanking all of the town

services that supported Spring Lake in the wake of Hurricane Irene. The Borough of Spring Lake was one of the

hardest hit towns in Monmouth County and qualified for FEMA assistance. Mayor Naughton went on to outline the

multiple projects currently underway to assist the growth of local retailers and to attract new retailers to the town.

According to Mayor Naughton, downtown Spring Lake, having become dominated by commercial buildings, has

made it difficult for the retailers to thrive and has lessened the attraction of year round tourists.

Lake Como’s Mayor Ryan was next up at the podium. Mayor Ryan advised that over 94% of land in Lake

Como is in use; this is helping to generate tax revenue. In turn, the monies are committed to attracting tourists to the

little town of Lake Como. Although Bar Anticipation is the anchor business, Mayor Ryan and his associates are al-

ways focused on building programs to encourage retailers to put down roots in Lake Como. Recently, Lake Como

was awarded a grant that will be used to change the street plan of the town. Many events have been added to the

town’s agenda, the soonest happening on October 1st. This Town Festival is a free event, open to all. In addition to

all the crafters and artists displaying their wares, the

popular band Cold Play will be rocking the town.

The next dignitary kind enough to speak to the

over 50 attendees, was Mayor Kevin McMillan of Nep-

tune. One of Mayor McMillan’s concerns is the safety

of the streets of Neptune for pedestrians, and especially

children walking to school. Parking is a big challenge

for the Mayor and one he is currently tackling. In addi-

tion, Mayor McMillan has continued to work to de-

crease the response time of local departments in getting

new businesses up and running. Stay tuned and watch

Neptune grow!

2011 MEET THE MAYORS

13

Amy Mallet, one of the County Freeholders to 53 municipalities shared some exciting new services now offered

in Monmouth County. This“Grow Monmouth County” initiative has provided for the emergency response system,

911, to be a service shared between towns. The additional services now offered by Monmouth County include a Well-

ness Card, available for all residents of Monmouth County, free of charge. This card will give the cardholder dis-

counts for various health services. At no cost to taxpayers, there will be a Monmouth Veteran Service. County em-

ployees will be trained and certified to counsel veterans. These counselors will assist veterans in navigating through

the difficult paperwork process, hopefully to find often overlooked benefits to the veterans. The Monmouth County

agenda for 2011 includes reducing waste, recreation programs

for senior citizens and a Solar Power initiative, which will in-

clude reaching out to schools to encourage all to “run clean”.

Mr. David Rible, Assemblyman for the 11th district an-

nounced he will be moving to District 30. Mr. Rible has never

forgotten his small business roots. To that end, he continues to

work diligently on keeping businesses in New Jersey. Al-

though progress is not as far along as Mr. Rible would like, he

did have a recent achievement to share. The company,

“Bayer”, decided to remain in state, keeping hundreds of resi-

dents employed. This was due to a tax incentive offered by the

state.

Door prizes were a gift certificate for two to The Mill, won by Anthony Urgola of Cartridge Depot. Additional

door prizes were one free SMCC General Membership Meet-

ing coupon and two free SMCC Coffee Connector coupons.

Mr. Puharic closed the meeting with heartfelt thanks to

all the dignitaries in attendance, with special thanks to those

who spoke at the meeting. Mr. Puharic is looking forward to

seeing everyone at the next Southern Monmouth Chamber of

Commerce Event.

2011 MEET THE MAYORS CO(TI(UED

14

SMCC HOSTS JULY GMM

SCHOLARSHIP LU(CHEO( The Southern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce held their July

General Membership Scholarship Luncheon on July 19, 2011. This

well attended event was held at the Francis Asbury Manor, Ocean

Grove. Guests and members alike enjoyed delicious lunch fare while

engaging is some social networking before the meeting started.

Our Chamber President, Jim Dallas, was our emcee for the day.

Thank you to Pat Darcy of the Francis Asbury Manor for sponsoring

this event and donating the proceeds to our Scholarship Fund. Mr. Dal-

las opened the afternoon by giving the attendees dates and times for

upcoming Chamber events. Everyone in attendance had the opportunity

to stand and introduce themselves and their business to the over 40 in

attendance.

This GMM was the Chambers’ Scholarship Award Ceremony,

where two students from Monmouth County were awarded a one thousand dollar scholarship check. Each scholarship candidate

must submit either an essay or a piece of artwork and must have an acceptance letter from the college they will attend. The en-

tries are judged anonymously by the Scholarship Committee. All personal information of the candidates’ identity is removed

prior to judging, for fairness.

St. Rose High School’s Hannah Krotulis won with her essay detailing her dream to pursue a career in social work. Ms. Kro-

tulis is attending The College of NJ.

Lauren Strazdis, from Manasquan High School took home the second scholarship. Lauren’s essay detailed her plans of own-

ing and operating her own therapeutic riding stable. Lauren is attending the University of Connecticut, where she was able to

design her own program of animal science and equine management.

Both girls had proud family members in attendance as they accepted their awards. Ms. Nancy Conte, Scholarship Committee

chairperson and Linda Talbot, Co- Chair, presented the students with their awards, as well as engraved gift pens. Way to go

girls!

The second half of the meeting had Mr. Dallas introducing the guest speakers of the day: May Sikora and her daughter Lau-

ren, of Canine Companions for Independence. May brought a dog in training, and a dog that was deemed not a good match for

the program. A client of CCI was also in attendance with her companion dog. Kim graciously demonstrated the ways her dog

worked with her and provided her with an independent lifestyle, although she is wheel

chair bound. The demonstration and presentation was both informative and the dog in

training was entertaining. Ms. Sikora outlined how a dog becomes a Canine Compan-

ion, beginning in puppyhood, and the hard work that goes into training these special

animals. We are very appreciative to May and Canine Companions of Independence

for the time and effort it took for the entire “Canine” team to be in attendance at our

meeting.

The event ended with door prizes awarded for a free General Membership Meeting

and free coupons for Wednesday morning SMCC Coffee Connector breakfasts.

Pictures by All is

Sharp Photography

15

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Wicker- Plus Imports Did you know that our business has been in Wall for 35 years and is located in the former Wall Police Station at 2034 Highway 35? Our building is home to two (2) jail cells located in the back of the store. The jail cells are available for anyone who would like to stop by and see them. Our store sells outdoor and indoor furniture, cushions and accessories. Rather than dwell on the past, let us talk about the future. We have furniture of the future, showcasing solid resin, stainless steel hardware and your choice of an assortment of colors and designs. We carry a full line of all-weather wicker with aluminum frames in four (4) colors. We believe our Adirondack chairs are the best made. Let us design a picnic table for you in any size, shape and color with benches or chairs to match. Our furniture is weather resistant and can stay outside all year. No pack-ing up and moving furniture for the winter! Any member of the Southern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce, and their families, will receive a member-to-member discount of 20%!

Thank you to all our customers past, present and future.

Sincerely,

Wicker-Plus Imports

732-449-3880

30+ Years – SMCC Member Spotlight

Design Line Kitchens

2127 Highway 35

Sea Girt, (J 08750

732-449-6760

GRA(D OPE(I(GS

Turnstile Coffee

1607 Highway 71

Belmar, (J 07719

732-894-9012

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Wednesdays SMCC Coffee Connector - 8:00 - 9:30 am at Perkins, Route 35, Wall. Cost $10 members - non-members $15

Tues (ov 15 General Membership Meeting – 12:00 – 1:30 pm. Location: Sand Bar, Brielle, NJ

Sponsor: TD Bank – Speaker: Lisa Radin of Waterfront College Planning. Cost: $25 members in advance - $30 members at the door and guests.

Thurs Dec 1 Women in Business Council Lunch - 12:00pm-1:30 pm. Location: Dauphin Grille,

1401 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park. Speaker/Sponsor: Optimum Health Chiropractic’s Dr. Veera Gupta. Cost $25 members in advance - $30 non-members and members at the door. Please bring an unwrapped toy for Interfaith (eighbors.

Thurs Dec 8 Holiday Gala – Location: Barlow’s Flower Farm. Sponsors: The Coach’s Zone &

HRS(J - Cocktail Sponsor: TD Bank, Music Sponsors: Alcoeur Gardens, Press Com-munications The Breeze 107.1, Adam Puharic of Danskin Insurance Agency - Des-sert Sponsors: Denise Wegeman MSW, LCSW, JT Lane Corporate Gifts, Thrivent

Financial for Lutherans and the Law Office of Jacqueline McGowan. Cost: $50 in-cludes, appetizers, dinner, open bar, dessert, coffee, live holiday music and shopping at Barlow’s!

2012 Thurs Jan 5 Women in Business Council Lunch – Save the Date - Details to follow

Tues Jan 17 General Membership Meeting Breakfast for 2012 – 9:00 – 10:30 am at Doolan’s

Shore Club, Spring Lake Heights, NJ. Speaker: SBA (J – Sponsor: YOUR (AME HERE. Cost: $25 members in advance - $30 members at the door and non-members.

Thurs Jan 26 1st Annual From the Heart Wine and Chocolate Benefit – 5:30 – 8:00 pm at The Mill

at Spring Lake Heights. Wine vendors courtesy of Spirit of ’76 Wines & Liquors, Route 71, Manasquan. This year’s event to benefit the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Sponsorships available. Door prize: Gift Basket including gift certifi-cates to all food vendors at event and wine! Details to follow.