October, 2011
The brisk nights remind us that fall is here and the Festival is only a few days away. Thanks to Keith Fischer and his REMC crew the Chamber cobbler shack is set up on the south side of the Courthouse square. So we’ll soon be ready to serve those tasty warm cobblers with whipped cream to many happy customers.
We are very pleased that almost 100 of our Chamber members have stepped up to volunteer help with the Cobbler shack at the upcoming Covered Bridge Festival. All shifts for the shack have at least two volunteers. Plus, our many wonderful bakers should keep us supplied with blackberry and peach cobbler. The cobbler sales price has been kept at $3 per serving and we hope to dish out many during the Festival. Please help us promote sales. If you have not yet volunteered to help and would still like to give us a hand, call the Chamber Office at 569-5565 as soon as possible. There are a few shifts where we could still add another person to help on busy days or perhaps utilize another volunteer baker. We personally appreciate all of your support.
Latest "Shop Local" Published Last Week
The third annual "Shop Local" tabloid was published last week in the Sentinel. The companion radio ads that many of you also supported will come out in November on WAXI and the other Crossroads stations. If any of you would like some extra copies of our "Shop Local" tabloid to have available for customers during the Covered Bridge Festival, please contact the Chamber office.
Chamber Supports Bridgeton
After hearing the expressed concerns of several of our members from Bridgeton about the potential closing of the Bridgeton Post Office, the Chamber board authorized a letter opposing the closing be sent to the Postal Service. The letter has been sent and we also appeared on TV-38’s Valley Business program to discuss our concerns. Hopefully we can help Bridgeton keep their Post Office open.
Another of our members (Valley Press) is concerned about the proposed closing of the mail sorting facility (BMEU) in Terre Haute that directly serves them as well as nearly all postal patrons in Parke County. Closing this facility will slow all of our mail service and increase costs to many postal customers. The Board has also registered their opposition to this proposal with the Postal Service. Letters from our membership would also help support our positions on both of these proposals and may be sent to: Judy Bays, District Discontinuance Coordinator, Greater Indiana PFC, 3939 Vincennes Rd., Indianapolis IN 46298-9998.
Treasures of Parke County
The Chamber will again be sponsoring a table at the Parke County Community Foundation’s annual Treasures of Parke County dinner this year on November 12 in the 4-H Community Building at the Fairgrounds. This dinner is designed to help raise funds for the not-for-profit organizations in Parke County and includes a table decorating contest. We are pleased to have Debra Ackerman, Karen Durr, Kristin Clary and Diana Ader as our decorators.
The decorated tables can be judged by the public through an in-person voting process. The public can also designate their favorite not-for-profit organization and the three receiving the highest scores will be getting a percentage of the event’s revenue. The public may judge and vote on the tables for $5 per vote. Voting takes place on Friday, November 11 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The dinner is at 6 p.m. on Saturday, November 12. We expect at least 30 businesses and organizations to have tables at the event. So please come out and support your Chamber of Commerce.
We Welcome Another New Chamber Member
Our latest new member has an international business approach:
Global Ag Experts, LLC owned by Joe and Caterina Gooch of Rockville
Please welcome them as new members when you see them. More information on each member will be included in the next full edition of Chamber Check newsletter after the Covered Bridge Festival. You may also check out photos on the Chamber website from ribbon cuttings held upon request for some of the new members. The Chamber website can be accessed at:
The Parke County Chamber of Commerce recently conducted a ribbon cutting ceremony at the open house for the new Edward Jones Office of Jessica Lynk. The office is located 107 West High Street on the south side of the Courthouse Square in Rockville. All investor services are offered by the office. 
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