The Chamber VoiceJune 2015

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce100 Veterans Memorial Ave.

Bennington, VT 05201P: 800-229-0252 | F: 802-447-1163

www.Bennington.com

Executi ve BoardChad Schmidt President

Ed Woods 1st Vice PresidentStuart Hurd 2nd Vice PresidentTom Dailey Treasurer

Brenda Jones Past PresidentJoann Erenhouse ExecutiveDirector

Marie Shutt s OperationsDirectorLindy Lynch ExOfficio

Art Whitman ExOfficio

Board of Directors Mike Baker

Mike BarriereSueCongdonDavidEvans

JohnDrzewieckiLynnFrost

DimitriGarderMicheleHoganLindyLynch

Mike McKenna ShannonMcLenithan

MaryMorrisseyTR Paquin

JohnReddingTraceySchwarzPattySurdam

PJVentiPat WarnerArtWhitman

Ad Hoc MembersMichaelHarringtonJohnShanahan

Staff BarbaraBlutoCarolCameronGaryDormanKathyGallett

MaddieHadden

Welcome Center Staff PJDeVito

MelissaHunterPaulKennedyLeslieKnappLowreLaCroixFrankNolin

TommiOutwaterJohnReed

JosephRussellNancySmith

RobertaStange

MemberoftheMonthWCWCarpetWarehouse

IWCWCarpetWarehousehasbeeninbusinessfor35years.SteveBellemaretookoverasthemanag-erlastyear.StevehasworkedinflooringandintheBenningtonAreaforalmost30years.Ifthenamesoundsfamiliar,heranBellemareFlooringandWindowTreatmentsforhisfatheranduncleforthe14yearsbeforeitclosed.YoumightsayStevegrewupinthehomedécorbusiness.

JasonCampbellhasbeenasalesassociatewithWCWforthepast10years.ThisincludesthispastyearwithSteveandtheyarestilltalkingandjokingwitheachother.

Betweenthemyouhavealotofyearsofflooringexperience!

WCWhasalargeinventoryofcarpet,vinyl,andrugs.Theyserviceresidential,commercial,andin-dustrialapplications.Theycarryallthemajorbrands.Whenaskedaboutnewtrendsinflooringtheybothanswered“vinylplank”.Why?Becauseitiswaterproof,durable,andcanbeinstalledaboveorbelowgrade.

WCWCarpetWarehouseservicesnotonlyBenningtonbutalsoacrosstheNewYorkborder,DeerfieldValley,theBerkshires,andtheManchesterarea.Theyhavequitealotofsecondhomeownerclients.Checkouttheproductsandlearnfromthepros.

WCWCarpetwarehouseislocatedat211RiverStreetinBennington.Theyareopen8-5Monday–Fridayand9–2onSaturdays.Call802-447-1166forFreeIn-Homeestimates.

GarlicFest

211RiverStreet|Bennington,Vermont05201|802-447-1166–OurProudPartners–

Relay For LifeJune 20, 2015

Mount Anthony Union High School Track

Join us to celebrate survivors, remember those we have lost and fi nd a cure for cancer!

Opening ceremonies starting at 6 p.m. This year we will have laser tag, a dunking booth and so much more. Come join in the fun for a great cause. You don’t need to be on a team to participate, but it’s not too late to form a team if interested.

The 20th Annual Southern Vermont Garlic and

HerbFestivalisonlythreemonthsaway.SoIamaskingyoutothinkabout

anitem,coupon,etc.thatperhapsyouwouldliketoinsertintoourVendor

Bagsthisyear.

Thisisaveryspecialyear,markingthe20thAnniversaryoftheFestival

andwewouldliketohaveourmemberspromotethemselvesandtheir

businessesbyinsertinga“goodie”intotheVendorBags.Someideascould

beadiscountcoupon,afreesmallgiftatyourplaceofbusiness,afree

dessert,etc.Lastyearwehadjustover180vendorsandhopetohave

thesamenumberthisyear.Sobethinkingaboutideasandletmeknow

ifthereissomethingthatyouwouldliketohaveinsertedintotheVendor

Bagsthisyear.Iwillcontinuetoputoutremindersbutthesooneryoude-

cide,youcanjustletmeknow.Whatafreewaytoadvertiseasweknow

thevendorsdoventureoffsitetoeat,shop,sleep,etc.Whynotgivethem

anincentivetocometoyourbusiness,whateverthatmaybe.

Oldcastle Theatre331 Main Street, BenningtonJune 5th through June 21st

Time Stands Still

“Time Stands Still” - focuses on Sarah and James, a photojournalist and foreign correspondent trying to fi nd happiness in a world that seems to have gone crazy . Theirs is a partnership based on telling the toughest stories, and together, making a diff erence. But when their own story takes a sudden turn, the adventurous couple confronts the prospect of a more conventional life. Sarah is loosely based on Lynsey Addario, prize winning photographer who covered the Afghanistan and Iraq wars for the New York Times and others. Her book, “It’s What I Do” has been a major bestseller. Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies has written a powerfully contempo-rary , searing story of an heroic female journalist wounded covering the war in Iraq. Can you be a dispassionate, uninvolved observer of horrifi c events, recording them for posterity and still keep a sense of right and wrong? That is just one of the intriguing questions in this smart, timely, stylish and compelling play.

For more information, call The Box Offi ce at (802)-447-0564

HappeningDollhouse and Toy MuseumFairy Houses at the Dollhouse and Toy Museum Thefairiesoflegendgenerallyhidfromrealpeopleandcouldbemischievousandmalevolent.ThefairiesnowattheDollhouseandToyMuseumofVermontareneither.Instead,theyaretinywingedpixieslikeTinkerbellwhoareanxioustoshowofftheirhomesinthenewcollectionoffairyhousesnowonexhibitthere. ThefairyhousesareimaginativeandenchantingcreationsthatwerecarvedmainlyfromgourdsbyHelenGreene,whoisretiringthisyearafterhavingbeenanartteacheratBenningtonElementarySchoolandMonumentElementarySchoolsince1998.Photographsofthemwillformthecoreofachildren’sbookaboutfairiesandfairyhousesthatshehopestopublish,alongwithpoemsaboutfairiesbyherhusband,MitchGreene,anddrawingsoffairiesbyAdrianSweeney,whohasbeenteachingartattheVillageSchoolinNorthBenningtonsince1992.Thepermanentcol-lectionofthedollhousemuseumincludesmanylargeandfully-furnisheddollhouses,frommodestCapeCodstoelaborateVictorianhomes;alargecollectionofMadamAlexanderdolls;anexcitingcollectionofpuppetsandmarionettes,oneofwhichhasarabbitmagicianpullingamanoutofahat;andsuchtoysforboysasvintagetrains,planes,circuswagonsandErectorsets. Themuseumislocatedat212UnionStreet(atthecornerofValen-tineStreet),andisopenSaturdaysandSundaysfrom1to4p.m.Admis-sionis$2forchildrenthreeandolder,$4foradults,and$10forfamilies.Formoreinformation,pleasevisitthemuseum’swebsiteatdollhouseand-toymuseumofvermont.comorcall802681-3767.AdmissionforChamberMembersisFree.

Kimalie WassickKimalie WassickisjoiningtheranksoflocalauthorswiththeintroductionofherBasil&Pruneseriesforchildren.Hertalentasanartisthasbeengreatlyadmiredandnowshehasturnedherhandtocraftingengagingandlovelypicturebooksfortheyoungersetofchildrenuptoabout5yearsofage.ShewillhaveherworkshowcasedattheSouthernVermontGarlicandHerbFestivalonSeptember5thand6th.Makesureyoustopbyearlyandgetcopiesforyourfavoritelittleones.

The Clark Art InstituteThe Clark Art InstitutehasappointedChristopherP.HeuertoserveastheassociatedirectorofitsResearchandAcademicProgram(RAP).HeuerwilljointheClark’sstaffonJuly1.Heuer,anotedEuropeanandbaroqueartscholar,wasanassistantprofessorintheDepartmentofArtandArchae-ologyatPrincetonUniversityfrom2007–2014andiscurrentlytheSamuelH.KressSeniorFellowattheCenterforAdvancedStudyintheVisualArtsattheNationalGalleryofArt,Washington,D.C.HeisawidelyrecognizedspecialistinearlymodernEuropeanartandarchitecture,withanempha-sisonpainting,architecture,andprintcultureinnorthernEurope. AlsoattheClark:theJamesMcNeilWhistlerclassic:Whistler’sMotherdisplayopensonJuly4thalongwith23otherworksbytheartist.VanGoghandNatureopensonJune14th.Checkwww.clarkart.edu/eventsformoredetails.

June23,2015theChamberMixerwillbeheldattheBenningtonMuseumfrom5:30–7:00p.m.Thisissuretobeanenjoyableevening!RSVPtoMarieat447-3311.

LodgingandAttractionsectorswillwanttocontactreceptivetouroper-atorstoupdatethemonanynewandinterestingexperiencesyouareofferingtothetravelingpublic.ChrisDonnellyatSugarTours:vttours@sover.netandwww.sugartours.comGwendyatNotchAboveTours:gwendy48@comcast.netandwww.notch-abovetours.comLindaEdemanatCustomTours:lindacustomtours@comcast.netandwww.customtoursinc.comThesereceptivetouroperatorsworkwithinternationaltouroperatorsandhelpstructuretheiritinerarieshereinNewEngland.

Director’sMessageSouthern Vermont College (SVC)ispleasedtoannouncethatitsBaccalaureateNursingprogramhasrecentlybeenawardedaccreditationbytheCommissiononCollegiateNursingEducation(CCNE).SVCPresidentDavidEvansmadetheannouncementwithastatementtotheCollegecommunitypraisingtheprogramandSVCnursingleaders--DivisionChairMaryBotter,Ph.D.,andthefacultyandstaff,whodevelopedthenewBSNpro-gramandshepherdedtheaccreditationprocess.“ThisDivisioniscommittedtoexcellenceinnursingandhasworkeddiligentlytomeetthestandardsofarigorousnursingandhealthcareprogram,”Evanssaid. “WeareproudofthenewBachelorofScienceinNursingdegreeprogram,”Botterstated.“TheCCNEaccreditationaffirmsthequalityofourcurriculum,facultyandtheCollege.Ourstudentsbenefitfromastrongacademiccurriculumbasedontheartandscienceofnursingaswellasoutstandingclinicallearningopportunitiesinlocalandregionalhealthcareorganizations.” TheCCNEgrantedtheaccreditationatitsApril2015meetingwiththedeterminationthatSVCfullymettheStandardsforAccreditationofBaccalau-reatePrograms.TheaccreditationisretroactivetothedateofthesitevisitinOctober2014,andex-tendstoJune30,2020,themaximumtimeperiodgrantedtonewprograms.

CONGRATULATIONS toallofourcollegeandhighschoolgraduates.WeareveryfortunatetohaveBenningtonCollege,SouthernVermontCollege,CCV,NortheasternBaptistCollege,WilliamsCollege,andMCLAamongourChamberMembers.Theseinstitutionsofhigherlearningenrichthecultural,intellectual,economicandsocialfabricofourcommunity.Iapplaudallofthemforcontinu-ingtoexpandinnovativeprogramsandprovidingtheirstudentsandthepublicopportunitiestolearnandvaluemoreofthisworld.

Senator Richard Searsannouncedsomegoodnewslastweek.HewasabletoinsertthebudgetitemtofundTheShiresRegionalMarketingOrganizationthroughthe2016FiscalYear.ThisisaboutthebestnewsIhaveheardinawhile.NotexpectingittheRMOisverygratefulandwilldevelopour2016GrantWorkPlantoonceagaingetthewordouttomarketsbeyondVermontthatthisistheplacetocome.WhetherforbusinessorpleasureVermontwelcomesvisitorstoourmanyattractions,schools,downtowns,inns,restaurants,galleries,recreation-alfacilities,shopsandevents.

ThereissomuchgoodnewsIoftenthinkeveryoneknowsaboutit.Justincaseyoudon’t:1.Bennington’sMtAnthonyHighSchoolhasthehighestpercentageofseniorsparticipatinginthedualenrollmentprogram.Thatmeanstheyaretak-ingcollegecoursesalongwiththeirregularclasses.

2.OurSouthernVermontMedicalCenterhasre-ceivedanumberofhighmarksandrecognitionasaBestPlacetoWorkandHighPatientSatisfactionallwhileexpandingtheirdiagnosticcapabilityandtreatmentequipmentupgradeswiththeirassocia-tionwithDartmouthHitchcock.

3.TheBenningtonMuseumhasbeenrecognizedbytheNewYorkTimesasaTopMuseuminthecountry.

4.TheCVNHPunveiledanimportantinterpretivepanelbytheHenryBridgelastweek.Thankstoourprojectpointperson,JonahSpivak,therearegrantopportunitiesavailableforprojectsthattieinwiththepreservationthemesoftheChamplainValley.TheShiresRegionalMarketingOrganizationandTheShiresBywayVolunteersallworktohelpourareashowcaseourmanynaturalandhistoricresources.Jonahdoesagreatjoborganizingandrepresentingusattheseimportantconferences.

5.TheARTSExposioninAprilbroughtmanyofourculturalpartnerstogether.ItwasnobigsurprisewhenwediscoveredthattheBenningtonAreahadbeenselectedasoneoftheTop20small/mediumsizedcommunitiesintheentirecountryforCulturalVitality.

6.TheShake,RattleandDrumNativeAmericanPowWowiscomingtoBenningtonafterseveralyearsintheBerkshires.ThisisanimportanteventthatwillrecognizeandhonorourVeteransandourNativeAmericans.ThelocationonthegroundsoftheVermontVeteransHomemakesitallthemorefitting.TherewillbeactivitiesandprogramsleadinguptotheAugust8thand9thevent.

7.TheBenningtonCommunityTheaterisgainingmomentuminitsquesttoprovidetheopportu-nityforourcitizensinterestedintheatertogetinvolved.Acting,scenery,technical,andmarketingaspectsareallavailabletothoseinterested.Any-

onecancheckthewebsiteandsignuptohelpwiththefirstproductionscheduledforOctober:Arsenic&OldLace.

8.TheJuly31,August1&2SouthernVermontArts&CraftsShowhasanumberoflocalvenueshelpingtocreateafestiveweekend.TheHomeBrewFestivalonAugust1stwillfeatureagreatmanycompetitorswithCountyStreetClosedforthedaywhileweallenjoythenewtastingfacilitiesatCatamountGlassandotheradjacentbusiness-es.TheluckywinnerwillhavetheirbrewmadeatMadison’sBrewingCo.,Pub&Restaurant.

9.ThePownalRaceTrackwillbethesiteoftheAugust22ndConcertTour,GreenMountainLiveThisispartofanationaltourfeaturingZZTop,theMarshalTuckerBandandothers.Itcouldbeawonderfulwakeupcallaspeoplecomeanddiscov-erourarea’sbeauty,friendliness,andaccessibilitytorecreation.Checktheirfacebookpageandsendouttheword.

10.The20thAnniversaryoftheSouthernVermontGarlic&HerbFestivalisSeptember5th&6th.AlwaystheSaturdayandSundayofLaborDayWeekendandweareplanninganotherfantasticex-perienceforfestivalgoers.Savethedateandbringyourfriendsandfamily.Wewillbebringingyouthelatestandgreatestthroughoutthesummer.

11.WCAXinBurlington,VPR,andEfficiencyVermontarealllininguptopartnerwithusonprojects.IwantthesetobemeaningfultoourMembersandwillbecheckingwithMemberstodeterminewhatwillbemostusefultothem.

12.TicketsatOldCastleTheatreperformancesareonly$25toChamberMembers.ThisisagreatM-2-Mbenefit.

Allthebest,JoannErenhouse

ExecutiveDirector

MembersoftheTrusteesforNorthBenningtonsitwithvolunteerJonahSpivakwiththenewhistoricalwaysideexhibitattheHenryBridge.ThewaysideexhibitwasfundedbyagrantbytheChamplainValleyNationalHeritageProgram.

Bennington MuseumMarch 28 through June 21

Alcohol in Vermont: Creation to Consumption, Tolerance to Temperance

Chamber MixerDate: June 23, 2015Time: 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM EDTWebsite: http://www.bennington.comLocation: Bennington Free Library Contact: Marie Shutts (802) 447-3311Email: marie@bennington.com The June Mixer is being held on the actual date on which the Bennington Free Library was established 150 years ago. Staff will be on hand to demonstrate new library resources. Several activities are planned and Birthday cake will be provided for all. Remember to mark this on your calendars and please be sure to RSVP to Marie at marie@bennington.com or 802-447-3311. It is very important to do so in order that our hosts will be prepared.