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Ground Broken for Fairfield Metro Center Complex
The Fairfield Metro Center development is finally underway after a ceremonial groundbreaking July 26. Joining the developers at the site were town, state and federal officials and the many business leaders behind the project.
Fairfield Chamber President Patricia Ritchie was also on hand, and she brought back some pictures from the event. The Chamber has been a vocal supporter of the project throughout the long years of negotiations and planning.
The first phase of construction will bring a much-needed third commuter train station to Fairfield, along with retail and office space, a 175-room hotel and a large fitness center, with completion scheduled for November 2007. The developers, Blackrock Realty LLC, envision a total of 800,000 square feet of office space by the time the complex is finished.
Arts & Crafts Winners Announced
The Chamber is proud to announce the award winners from the June 26-27 Arts & Crafts Show:
Art
- First Place, $100: Barbara Sandson, Peirmont, NY; color photography
- Second Place, $75: Henry Barnard, New York, NY; sepia-toned photography
- Third Place, $50: Robert Wilkinson, Niantic, CT; landscape & architectural photography
Craft
- First Place, $100: Shauna Walsh, Fayetteville, NY; blown glass
- Second Place, $75: Ron Pessolano, Brimfield, MA; hand-turned wood vases
- Third Place, $50: Anna Liss, Preston, CT; polymer clay sculptured Victorian jewelry
Chalk Up Another Successful Arts & Crafts Show
Although the rain poured down during the Friday evening hours and Saturday morning, the sun shone on the Arts & Crafts show for the rest of the weekend. In fact, the weather was picture perfect and the crafters and general public were ecstatic. (Remember last year when it rained every weekend about ten weeks in a row?)
Since Max Becker has departed for SONO and an art gallery of his own, Linda Matthews and Patricia L. Ritchie co-chaired the event for the first time. If anyone needs a "striper," someone to paint lines and numbers on big plots of land, you should know that Linda, Patricia, and Diane Melish are now experts. Armed with striping machines, large steel stakes, cans of paint and measuring apparatus -- materials provided by Richard White, Ed McCourt and Kevin Fox of the Department of Public Works -- the women began marking the Green Thursday morning. By 4:30 the job was half done.
Arriving again at 8 a.m. Friday, they picked up where they left off. Diane Melish, incoming Chamber Chair, put her artistic skills to good use numbering the squares. Mark Barnhart's office overlooks the Green, and because he wanted to be a part of the fun, he came out to lend a hand. By 3:00 the job was finished, just in time for some early-bird artisans to set up at 5 p.m.
Saturday volunteers included Mary Ellen McLean, Janet Hogarth (our resident balloon exhaler expert), Lone Weglarz, Val Senew, Joe Stamler, Joan Neiley, and Jill Kelly. On Sunday Dave Price, Milt Jacoby, Dana Ambrosini, Peggy Brenton and John Passios manned the booth and helped to clean up and put the tent back in its hiding place at the Mail Depot. I would be remiss not to mention five-year-old Taylor Passios, who volunteered to pass out balloons to all the children. What a big help that was!
All the expenses have not yet been accounted for, but we anticipate that this show will make more than any other show in the past. Much was learned and much will be improved upon for 2005. Won't you come out next year and volunteer your time? You won't be disappointed. It is a fun, exciting and successful event.
Business and Fun at Chamber's Annual Dinner
Eighty-one people attended the June 9 annual dinner and board meeting at the Patterson Club in Fairfield. Not only was the weather accommodating, but the Patterson staff worked diligently to provide us with an evening to remember.
Once again Tim Russell served as our emcee for the evening, allowing for a smooth transition between business and fun. Dr. John Orman of Fairfield University was our keynote speaker for the evening.
Congratulations to Diane Melish, our new Chair, and to all of our newly elected board members: Priscilla Haslob of Boston Billiard Club; John Sarra of CM IT Solutions; Felix Giannini of Lexco, Inc.; Robert Leiphart III of ICG Investment Consulting Group, LLC; Lance Herman of The Westport Inn; Bob Sussman of Fairfield Center Jewelers; and Terry Medlin of Cimitry. And our thanks go out to Lt. Dan Gombos, serving as the Chamber's liaison with the Fairfield Police Department.
Chairman's Award - Congratulations to Lone Weglarz of Weglarz Design, who earned the Chairman's award this year for all her work on the design and layout of our Chamber web site. This continues to be an on-going effort, so Lone works closely with our office on improvements and new features.
Harold B. Harris Award - The Chamber honored Dr. William Kueffner, the 2004 recipient of this award. He is a retired pediatrician and a long-time resident and active member of the Fairfield community. Former First Selectman of Fairfield Jacky Durrell, a dear friend of Bill's, had the honor of telling our audience about his many accomplishments.
Web News: A Tale of Two Old Desks
I know what you're thinking: "Surely this guy's run out of new things to say about the Chamber web site. We've already been through the free Member Profiles, the online event registration system, Members on the Move, and even the brand-new online advertising opportunities at FairfieldCTChamber.com. Are we done yet?"
Weeeeell, you haven't heard about the Chamber Classifieds yet, have you? Sit yourself back down and I'll tell you a story.
"Fred" (not his real name) has some surplus office furniture to sell after he redecorates his office, so he puts it up for auction on eBay. "Michelle" (not her real name either) wins the auction with an outrageously high bid and requests immediate delivery to Singapore. You already know where this is headed: Michelle, who is in fact a 12-year-old boy by the not-his-real-name of "Irving," drains Fred's bank account and signs him up for a timeshare condo in Estonia. The End.
Now, here's how our version of the story goes. Lisa takes out a Chamber Classifieds ad for a mere 10 bucks, which gets her old desk listed on this very web site for up to a month. And instead of being wiped out by a larcenous teenager, she gets a call from business owner Ed, who just so happens to be outfitting a new office across town. And they both live happily ever after.
Estonia may be a wonderful country, but wouldn't you rather do business with Chamber members, not to mention people who have actual names? Maybe you have some office space to rent, or you're looking for a secondhand fax machine. Use our web site to connect your needs with their needs, and let's leave "Irving" out of it.
OK, we're done for now. But be back here next month, because I have more chilling tales of internet intrigue to tell.