ChamberNEWS ChamberNEWS - Ashland Chamber of Commerce

ChamberNEWS
YOUR CHAMBER
AT-A- G L A N C E !
Festival of Light!
Free Photos with Santa!
Saturdays through the holiday
season:
Nov. 28th, Dec. 5th, 12th & 19th
11am-4pm
OSF Welcome Center, on the corner
of E. Main & Pioneer St.
Enjoy Strolling Carolers
Every Saturday during the Holiday season,
throughout downtown.
Your donations are needed
to light Ashland for the
Holidays. Donate Now!
(see enclosure)
Holiday Mixer RSVP
Mail or drop off by Monday,
December 14th
business name ______________________
name(s) ____________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
# at $15 ea. _____ total $ _____________
Check # ________ Visa __ MC __
CC # _______________________________
billing name ________________________
billing Address ______________________
__________________________________
Phone _____________________________
VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT
www.ashlandchamber.com
DECEMBER 2009
P R O J E C T S & P R O G R A M S
Festival of Light
Celebration Continues . . .
Free Photos with Santa!
stop by and have your photo taken with our very own
santa every saturday from nov. 28th through dec. 19th
(see schedule in At-A-Glance). santa will be at the
Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Information
Center, corner of e. Main and Pioneer streets
on Saturdays from 11am-4pm and will be
accompanied by his favorite elf, photographer
extraordinaire, Graham Lewis. Photographs can then be picked up at Advanced Photo and
Imaging on Ashland street.
this year we will be welcoming members of the Rogue Valley Harmonizers as street
carolers to perform during these saturdays.
Come downtown, visit santa, listen to some wonderful live Christmas caroling, and do
your holiday shopping and dining in Ashland.
Adopt-A-Wreath Program a Continued Success!
thank you to everyone who has made the
Adopt-A-Wreath program a continued
success. on november 14th the Chamber
staff and a crew of wonderful volunteers
replaced all of the garland and added new
led lights to the 50 wreaths that decorate
the downtown core. Without the help of
the following individuals, we would not have been able to assemble the wreaths in time for the
festival of light: Mark Marchetti; Adam, Cindy, Bailey and Taylor Hanks; Jane Stromberg;
John Karns; Mary Gardiner; Kevin McKelvey; Ann and Bow Seltzer; Alex Vlach; Mike Morris;
Graham Lewis; Sarah Cribb; Denise Daehler; Brittany Graham; Sonja Dedrick; Martha
Bennett; Meiwen Richards; Cindy Bernard; Pam Hammond; Hanna Loop;
Bud Clardy; Dean and Lori Fortmiller; Cassidy
Walters; Mark, Simon and Owen DiRienzo;
Hannah Miller; Barbara Allen; Jim Batzer;
Brittany Holcom and the Chamber Staff, Sandra
Slattery; Shanna Claflin; Dana Welsh; Katharine
Flanagan; Sean Daley and Dana Fortmiller.
on sunday afternoon and Monday morning
following the wreath making, a group of dedicated volunteers hit the streets
to get them all on their poles. thank you to Mike Morris; Cindy Bernard; Graham Lewis and
Sean Daley for making this happen so quickly.
the Adopt-A-Wreath program is still in motion. there is still time to take a part in the
Greening of the Festival of Light by by adopting a wreath. Please visit www.ashlandchamber.
com to adopt your wreath or contact dana fortmiller at events@ashlandchamber.com or 541-
482-3486 ext. 107.
2009 Holiday Mixer, Mon., Dec. 21st
tis’ the season to celebrate with your Chamber friends! our Annual Holiday Mixer is
scheduled for Monday, December 21st beginning at 5:30pm at Alex’s Restaurant. the cost is
$15 and the proceeds go towards the festival of light celebration. We will also be accepting
Toys For Tots at the Mixer so please bring an unwrapped toy to help make a child’s Christmas
brighter. rsVP to dana fortmiller at 482-3486 ext. 107 or events@ashlandchamber.com by
Monday, december 14th. or, visit our website to make your reservations online, or return the
form to the left. Make sure to include this fun event in all of your holiday plans!
P u b l is h e d Mo n t h ly by t h e A s h l A n d C h A M b e r o f C o M M e r C e
Photos by Graham Lewis

Sustainable
Business Corner
Submitted by
pam lott {product} photography
Green Your Lights
This Holiday Season
leds use 10% the electricity of incandescents,
and are 90% more efficient than their oldschool
tungsten counterparts. they’re perfect
for strings of holiday lights, because they
don’t get hot, they last forever and when one
burns out, it doesn’t take the whole chain
with it! you’ll get a full 100,000 hours out
of most leds, they’re made with less nasty
chemicals, and come in all kinds of festive
shapes! What more could you ask for? (www.
inhabit.com)
And…good news for your old lights that no
longer work- this will be the third year in a
row holidayleds.com has operated a recyling
program for incandescent holiday lights. until
we have our own local program, check out
http://www.holidayleds.com/holidayledscom_
christmas_light_recycling_program
Plus they have a great fAQ page: http://www.
holidayleds.com/faq#n803
finally, for the cost conscious among us check
out this online energy savings calculator:
http://phil.greenoptions.com/2008/06/27/
how-to-calculate-the-energy-savings-ofswitching-to-led-christmas-lights/
Happy Holidays!
The kind of hands
you like to shake for the
kind of work they do.
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P R O J E C T S & P R O G R A M S
Annual Dinner Re-Cap
the 2009 Annual dinner- Celebrating 40 years of a
sister City relationship with Guanajuato, Mexico was
a wonderful evening for all in attendance. Master
of Ceremony, Meiwen Richards of People’s Bank of
Commerce was welcomed in as the 2009-2010 Chamber
board President after a heartfelt exchange with outgoing
President, Paddington Station Co-owner Pam Hammond.
We are very excited to welcome Meiwen in her new role
as Chamber President and wish to thank Pam for her
year of service and dedication to our organization. the
highlight of the evening was the awards presentations.
the awards presentations were supposed to begin with
Katharine Flanagan introducing the Food and Wine
Classic Top Chef award, but the Chamber staff had a
different idea in mind. instead, Dana Welsh spoke on
behalf of the staff in honoring and thanking Sandra
Slattery for her 30 years with the Chamber. Much to
the staff’s delight, it was a surprise for sandra.
following the heartfelt thank you to sandra,
Katharine flanagan presented the Food and Wine
Classic Top Chef award to Neil Clooney, two time
Food and Wine Classic winner and two time Bite of
Oregon Iron Chef champion.
Alex Amarotico, Chamber board member and
Standing Stone Brewing Co. owner presented the
Emerging Business of the Year award to Noble
Coffee. this was the second year this award has been
presented.
Mayor John Stromberg then honored Standing
Stone Brewing Co with the newest award, Green
Business Practice of the Year. this was the first year
this award was presented.
Greeter of the Year was given by Gordon Roda,
last year’s recipient. the third recipient to receive this
award was Kevin Bendaw with the Oregon Shakespeare
Festival.
Retail Business of the Year was presented by
Paddington Station Co-owner and Past President Pam
Hammond to Hal Koerner of Rogue Valley Runners.
Past President Katy Bazylewicz presented
the Ashland Tennis and Fitness Club with
the Service Business of the Year award.
Manufacturing Business of the Year
was presented by Jac Nickels, Chair of
the Chamber’s economic sustainability
Committee. the award recipient was Brammo
Motorsports.
this year there were two volunteer of the year awards, one presented to an individual
and one to an organization. Dana Fortmiller presented the Volunteer of the Year award
to Mabel Young, a dedicated Chamber of Commerce office volunteer, while Sandra Slattery
presented the Volunteer Organization of the Year to the Rotary Club of Ashland for their
service to Mi Casa diferente in Guanajuato Mexico.
the Citizen of the Year was presented by Mina Turner, the President of the Amigo Club.
this award was given to Leo van Dijk, a humble individual who has served in multiple
capacities with the Chamber of Commerce, lions Club and Amigo Club just to name a few.
the final award, the Honorary Life Member, was presented by Past President Dennis
Slattery. this award honored Graham Lewis- an individual who always goes above and
beyond what is asked of him. the Chamber cannot thank Graham enough for his continued
service and dedication to our organization and community.
Photos by Graham Lewis
Franco Console from Omar’s . . .
Ashland’s New Top Chef!
A “well-attended, hotly contested” Culinary event, the 3rd annual
Food & Wine classic welcomed over 500 attendees to a weekend full
of excellent cuisine, great competition and lots of fun!
Welcoming back four returning
Chefs, Franco Console from Omar’s;
Mario Chavez from Oregon Artisan
Foods; Will Shine from Tabu and
Chandra Corwin from Cucina Biazzi
who competed in 2007; there were four new Chefs that
brought great competition to the table! the four new Chefs
were David Georgeson from Lark’s; Tim Williams from
continued on page 3...

Welcome Our New Members!
Urban Minx
Melissa Walton, owner
melissa@urbanminx.com
www.urbanminx.com
14 s first street
Ashland, or 97520
(541) 499-2986
AZ Catering & Event Planning
Awna Zegzdryn, owner
awna@azparties.com
www.azparties.com
Po box 735
Ashland, or 97520
(541) 261-5783
Matchbox Productions, LLC.
Jim batzer, owner
pilotroc@mind.net
131 terrace street
Ashland, or 97520
(541) 261-3568
Orenda International
rex holt
goodguy45@aol.com
www.rexorenda.com
480 Charlotte Ann rd.
Medford, or 97501
(541) 773-1101
Sesame Asian Kitchen
lisa beam, owner
lisajbeam@mac.com
www.sesameasiankitchen.com
21 Winburn Way
Ashland, or 97520
(541) 482-0119
Chamber Member-to-Member
Business Works!
m e m b e r N e w s
n The Phoenix Day Spa & Salon invites to you our open house, A holiday of Warmth. Please join us sunday, december 6 from 3 to 6 for
wine, tasty treats from Helena Darling Catering, and enjoyable company with friends old and new. browse our selection of Aveda holiday
Gift Packages. drawings throughout the day, including a desert oasis spa package! bring friends and family for this special afternoon of
holiday warmth! Call us at 541.488.1281 for more information. And remember to visit our website at http://thephoenixspa.com for easy
gift certificate shopping!
n once again the Siskiyou Singers will offer a concert of festive holiday music, “In Sweet Joy,” with Mark reppert conducting. the featured
work is francis Poulenc’s Gloria, with soprano ellie holt-Murray as soloist. other works include renaissance motets, spanish carols, lively hebrew
dances celebrating hanukkah, and spirituals. Pianist Joseph yungen will accompany the concert. Performances are on saturday december 5 at
8 pm at the Performing Arts Center, Grants Pass, and in Ashland on saturday december 12 at 8 pm and sunday december 13 at 4 pm, at the
southern oregon university Music recital hall. tickets are $12 in advance, $14 at the door, and $5 for students. they are available in Grants
Pass at Aquarius books & Gifts, larry’s Music and the Music shop, in Medford at the Grocery outlet, and in Ashland at tree house books, the
Music Coop and Paddington station. for information and reservations call 482-5290. the website is www.siskiyousingers.org.
n Trinity Episcopal Church invites you to their 6th Annual Winter Solstice Event: People of all ages are invited to come to the trinity
labyrinth from 5 to 6 PM on Monday, december 21, for the annual community ritual walk to celebrate the Winter solstice. on this the
darkest day of the year, one hundred twelve candles will surround the labyrinth with light, and each walker will be given a candle to carry.
this is a beautiful way to experience the beginning of winter. the labyrinth is found in many faith traditions and there are thousands of
them all over the world. it is truly something people of all faiths can do together. At 6 PM walkers are invited into the warmth of the Parish
hall for hot cider, freshly baked cookies, and a very informal interfaith talk on the subject, “light in the darkness.” Confirmed guests are
rabbi david Zaslow, lama yeshe Parke, and rev. Pam shepherd joining trinity’s rev. Anne bartlett. be sure to invite friends and neighbors
-- and do bring the children. trinity episcopal Church is on second street and lithia Way.
continued from page 2...
Visit our
website
to learn more
about our
New Members!
Martino’s; Skye Elder from Black Sheep and last but certainly not least, Miles McCollum from Tease Restaurant.
All eight chefs competed on saturday using pork and chicken as the secret key ingredients of the respective
rounds. sunday’s semi final round included the key ingredient of black cod and they were asked to create a
brunch dish. the final four Chefs were Chandra, Mario, Franco and Miles. in the final round it came down to
Franco Console and Miles McCollum who were asked to create an appetizer and entrée incorporating rib-eye
and lobster. fifteen minutes into the final round, they got a curve ball thrown at them and had to add blue
cheese to the list of ingredients. in a very competitive round, franco took the top Chef honor. Congratulations,
franco! from the opening reception sponsored by Weisingers’ and Ashland Springs to the great workshops
provided by Paddington Station, THRIVE and Winchester Inn, the weekend was enjoyed by many visitors and
locals alike. Congratulations is also in order to the winner of the NEW Dessert competition of which eight Pastry
chefs submitted creations. Congratulations to Winchester Inn who took 1st place and Apple Cellar with a close
2nd. thank you to the Ashland community for being a part of this event and supporting the amazing culinary scene
we have here in Ashland! Save the date for the 4th annual Food & Wine classic, November 5th – 7th, 2010!

ChamberNEWS P.o.
P u b l i s h e d M o n t h l y b y t h e A s h l A n d C h A M b e r o f C o M M e r C e
b o A r d o f d i r e C t o r s
Alex Amarotico standing stone brewing Co. - Vice President
Don Anway Ashland springs hotel
Lisa Beam Pasta Piatti
Cindy Bernard rogue Valley roasting Co.
Mary Gardiner schneider Museum of Art
Pam Hammond Paddington station ~ Past President
John Laughlin sou school of business
Mark Marchetti Ashland Community hospital
Nancy Morgan dreamsacks
Mike Morris Morris Construction
Meiwen Richards People’s bank - President
Jim Teece Project A
s t A f f
Sandra Slattery executive director
Katharine Flanagan VCb & Marketing director
Sean Daley sales and Membership Manager
Dana Welsh operations Manager/Graphic designer/Web Administration
Dana Fortmiller Projects and special events Coordinator
Graham Lewis Plaza booth Coordinator
Kelsey Holderness sou intern
o f f i C e V o l u n t e e r s
bob Arago, belle bell, Catharine Church, donna daniels, Joyce epstein,
barbara field , brian Gorham, Jacqui harris, bob horton, betty howe,
Joyce Jarvis, barbara Keen, brigitte Kreutz, susan lander, Karen leng,
Joanne lescher, Pat lockheed, Art lundahl, Aletha lundblad, dolores Marx,
Mary Mastain, Charles Meek, nancy Menken, Pete norvell, Anne novina,
Colette Pleich, Judi Pocan, Kathleen Provence, Maynard telpner, Jenny
thurston, lorrayne Whitten, Mabel young.
Be Involved With
Greeters:
Please arrive by 8:15AM. If you would like to host Greeters, please
call Amy at the Chamber office: 541-482-3486.
Dec. 4 The Phoenix Day Spa
2425 siskiyou blvd.
Dec. 11 Bank of America Home Loans
685 A street
Dec. 18 Tease Restaurant & Bar
303 e. Main street
Dec. 25 No Greeters Today!
happy holidays
Ribbon Cuttings:
Chamber Ambassadors help with a
ribbon Cutting at Torero’s Family
Mexican Restaurant. let’s welcome
Ashland’s newest Mexican restaurant!
2345 Ashland st. (Across from rite Aid).
the Ambassadors helped again with
a ribbon Cutting at Deux Chats,
LLC Bakery. be sure to visit their
new retail location at 222 A street.
box 1360
Ashland, oregon 97520
Address Service Requested
Prsrt std
us PostAGe
PAID
PerMit no. 110
Medford, or
YOUR Chamber
Deanna Eames
of Minuteman
Press is our
Greeter of
the Month for
november!
Photos by Graham Lewis
Another ribbon Cutting was held at
boulevard Cafe, 555 siskiyou blvd. in
stratford inn. stop by and check them
out!
Also at Unicorn Toys & Gifts, now
located at 242 e Main. Visit their
new convenient location!
A s h l A n d C h A M b e r o f C o M M e r C e n 110 east Main st. n Ashland, oregon 97520 n (541) 482-3486
www.ashlandchamber.com