ChamberWorks
October 2002
 » Past Issues

 » President's Message
 » Casino Expansion Update
 » Home from Margaritaville
 » Future Business After Hours Update
 » Plan Ahead for Holiday Membership Reception
 » Santa Claus is Coming to Town!
 » Membership Directory & Business Guide 2003
 » Note of Thanks
 » Attention Member Insurance Agents
 » What's Happening
 » Welcome New Members!

 
President's Message

Our chamber's philosophy is focused on empowerment. Members, in a manner of speaking, are business partners who come together because of similar goals and interests to ensure the Town of Fairfield maintains its prominence as a thriving community for businesses and families alike.

Volunteering one's time to an organization like the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce can be personally enriching. Volunteering is an expression of support for a principle, in that by working together we can make the chamber a better organization and by extension, our town. Our volunteers serve by bringing their energy and skills to help fulfill the goals identified by its member/partners. We empower individuals when asking them to volunteer their time for various chamber functions and events, as well as executive and board duties, thus encouraging participation and building solidarity. By doing so we create a network of people sharing common goals, reinforcing the benefits for volunteering. Volunteering helps in building strong social and economically cohesive communities. The citizens of Fairfield have come to trust the chamber's mission and have relied on our volunteers to make important contributions.

I encourage all our member/partners to get involved in the Fairfield Chamber, either by referring a business, volunteering their time or by participating at chamber sponsored events and fund raisers. Our community depends on it!

Mark J. Hawkins
President
Fairfield Chamber of Commerce

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Casino Expansion Update

If you haven't been living in a vacuum, you will have been reading about casino expansion in CT. On October 1, at a luncheon in Ridgefield, Governor Rowland stated emphatically, once again, that none of us should worry since there would be no further casino expansion in CT. He did not, however, lay out a plan as to how this will happen.

Over the past few weeks, various splinter groups have been forming to protest casino expansion in the state. One of these groups is made up of chambers from Fairfield County, including your own Fairfield Chamber. It is the intent of this and other chambers to educate the public regarding the ramifications of any more casinos in CT. In a nutshell, it is bad for business. It is bad for the infrastructure of the state, which in turn impacts on business. It is bad for the school system. It negatively impacts property tax rolls, local police, fire, and ambulance services. More and more it appears that the only ones who will benefit from casino expansion are the tribes and their very wealthy backers.

Several things have occurred in the past few weeks...

  1. The state of Connecticut denied that the Eastern Pequot tribe exists, even though they have lived on a reservation in CT for hundreds of years.
     
  2. Senators Daniel Inouye of Hawaii and Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado gathered enough votes to shoot down the proposed one-year moratorium on the recognition process crafted by Senators Lieberman and Dodd and Attorney General Blumenthal. Inouye and Campbell, while against the moratorium, stated publicly that the recognition process "is a scandal and it should be changed."
     
  3. The Town of Fairfield and several other Fairfield County chambers have asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs for interested party status. This allows the town to have a voice in any appeals process.

It appears that the evidence regarding tribal recognition is corrupt and should be challenged. The Fairfield Chamber of Commerce has been asked to join with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, and other business and civic groups as well as all interested citizens to form a coalition against further casino expansion. We are looking into this, including adoption of a mission statement that will serve the coalition in its quest for no further casino expansion in Connecticut, and we will keep you all posted.

In the meantime, be sure to attend the November 6 luncheon with Jeff Benedict at the Patterson Club. Jeff is the author of Without Reservation. He will fill you in on the historical process of Indian recognition and where we are today in that process. 

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Home from Margaritaville

The crowd was noisy, the food and drinks kept coming, and the conversation was interesting. As you will recall, we had our membership development dinner at the Angus Steak House on Thursday, September 26. Did we have a good time? Yes. Did we get any new members? Yes, and we're still counting.

Participants all said the same thing: Boy, what a great idea! I'm having a ball!

Different tequilas were offered at each course, and they ranged all the way up to $90 a bottle. If you drank down every drop of every sample, a designated driver would have been necessary. Most people, however, were smart, tasting a bit on their tongue and leaving the rest in the glass. Those that answered quiz questions posed on behalf of Jose Cuervo, won a T-shirt or some other prize.

A big thanks to Robert Wool, proprietor of the Angus Steak House, and to the chamber ambassadors who made everyone feel welcome. A special thanks to Mary Ellen McLean, Mark Hawkins and Kevin Lally who helped to plan and execute the event.

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Future Business After Hours Update

The November 14 Business After Hours will be hosted by Porsche, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz of Fairfield, at 165 Commerce Drive in Fairfield.

Michael Brown, General Manager, looks forward to meeting our members! A flyer is enclosed, so please sign up as soon as possible.

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Plan Ahead for the Holiday Membership Reception

You might as well get ready and start filling in your seasonal events calendar! Our Chamber Holiday Membership Reception will take place on Tuesday, December 17th at Villa Del Sol restaurant located at 1229 Post Road. More details will follow in the November ChamberWorks.

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Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

Pencil in Saturday, November 30 on your calendar and come to Sherman Green. We need people to help set up the chamber tent, sell gift certificates, blow up balloons, and support other local organizations. Volunteers will be asked to participate in two-hour shifts. This is a chamber member's opportunity to participate in a fun community event that benefits everyone.

This year Santa will arrive on Sherman Green by hook and ladder where he will be greeted by 16 other community organizations. These groups will be selling various items to raise funds for their organizations or for some other good cause. As of this writing, those who have signed up are:

Call the chamber office at 255-1011 and tell us you'll help. If you can't volunteer, bring your kids and grandkids and plan to have fun and at the same time, support the effort of all the community organizations that will be there. Their success is our success.

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Membership Directory and Business Guide 2003

Once again, please visit the Chamber's web site and click through the Membership Directory to search your company and review your information.

Please check everything from company name, address, zip code, and your e-mail and/or web site address. We are planning to get a jump on the production of our Business Guide and Membership Directory so it is critical you review the information. You can either call the chamber office, e-mail or fax the information to be corrected. Only current paid-up members at the time of printing will be listed.

You might have already received a call from Chamber Publishing regarding advertising. Please give some serious consideration to placing an ad, as this is the premier publication we produce. It is the staple piece we use to promote our members and the community. Chamber Publishing will hold to the same rates as last year. Rate sheet is enclosed.

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Note of Thanks

Joann Pollak, daughter of the late Harold B. Harris, sent a wonderful note of thanks to our Board of Directors thanking the Chamber for remembering Harold by making a donation in his memory to the Fairfield High School Scholarship Fund, knowing he was so deeply involved with this activity. She also extended her thanks to the many members who turned out for his funeral service. He was truly a special person.

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Attention Member Insurance Agents

Please be sure that you are taking advantage of the new referral program through CIT by way of the internet.

Very soon, if not by now, local Chambers will be entering insurance inquiries via the internet program and they will then be automatically disbursed to enrolled and approved agents on a rotating basis. If you do not sign on you will no longer be receiving leads. Please go online and follow the instructions at www.citleads.com.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the Chamber office at 255-1011.

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What's Happening

One of our newest members, New England Family Health Associates will be hosting a Grand Opening, ribbon-cutting celebration on Wed., Oct. 16th from 4-7 p.m. at their offices located at 2425 Post Rd., Suite 100, Southport. Meet Dr. Darin Ingels and his wife Dr. Michele Ingels, Lac, and Dr. Jeffrey Morrison. NEFHA is a unique medical practice which incorporates naturopathic, Chinese and integrated medicine. Refreshments will be served. For further information, call 254-9957.

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Welcome New Members for September!

For contact information, consult our online Member Directory.

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The fine print

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