Chamber Newsletter - July 2019
Volume 24 - Issue 7
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Chamber Chat with Amanda
Dear Chamber Members,
I wanted to let you know that this will be my last monthly newsletter for a few months. My husband and I are expecting our second baby so I will be on maternity leave starting at the end of this month. The weekly e-newsletter will continue each week, but you won't hear from me until November. It will be strange not being in the office everyday! The office will be in good hands with the great staff we have here! If you have any questions while I am gone, please reach out to Office Manager Kathy Kopp at
kathykopp@blackrivercountry.net.
In August, you will be receiving a letter with sponsorship opportunities for the Black River Area Oktoberfest. Planning has already begun and this year's activities will be great! There will be live music on the stage all day, a Car Show which continues to grow each year, children's inflatables, face painting with the local Royalty Courts, magic and balloon creations by Kris Wrobel, Medieval Knight Fights, food and craft vendors, the Police Department K-9 Unit brat sale fundraiser, Interfaith's bake sale, apple pie dessert contest with auction and Chinese Raffle, photo booth, caricature artist and more! We will also be looking for volunteers to help throughout the day. If you are interested in helping, please let us know.
In late September, 2020 Membership Renewal forms, sponsorship opportunities, invoices and Ad Placement forms for the Visitor's Guide will be sent. There will be no price increases for membership dues or ads! These forms will be due in early November. We will be working directly with The Print Shop on our 2020 Visitor's Guide. If you have questions on any of these items, please let us know.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support of the Chamber. Together we build business, create community and promote tourism.
Sincerely,
Amanda Gunn
Executive Director
Black River Area Chamber of Commerce
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Karner Blue Race & Karner Blue Butterfly Festival -
THIS WEEKEND!
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2019 Entertainment in the Park
Summer entertainment began June 4th at the Lunda Park Bandshell!
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Photo Contest
Calling all photographers! We need new photos for the 2020 Black River Country Visitor’s Guide and for our website! We are looking for all types of photos – scenery, wildlife, ATVing, snowmobiling, skiing, paddling, fishing, etc.
We will pick one photo to be used as the main cover photo for the 2020 Visitor's Guide. The person that submits the winning cover photo will receive
$100 in Chamber Bucks
and will receive photo credit in the guide! Any photos used on our website will also be given photo credit.
Please submit photos no later than September 3rd to: chamber@blackrivercountry.net.
Photos MUST be sent in high resolution. Contact us with any questions. The photo below is this year’s cover photo by Heidi Tubbs.
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The 2019 Black River Area Menu Guides are now available! If you would like some for your business or lodging facility, stop in our office and pick them up or give us a call at 715-284-4658 and we can drop them off for you!
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Events to Share
Please send us information on any upcoming events your business or organization is hosting. We will get them posted to the calendar on our website and in the printed calendar we distribute at our office. We also share many different events on our Facebook page!
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Brochures, Rack Cards and Business Cards
Make sure to drop off a supply of your brochures, rack cards and business cards at the Chamber office. Help us help your business by passing along information to both our out-of-town visitors and to local residents who come to the Chamber. If you can't make it to the office, give us a call at 715-284-4658 and we will gladly pick them up at your business!
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Goody Bag Items Needed
Throughout the year, we put together goody bags for our Karner Blue race, new teachers, hockey tournaments and other events. We are asking businesses to donate goody bag items. If you have items such as pens, magnets, key chains, coupons, etc that you would like to donate, give us a call. It is a great opportunity to advertise and promote your business!
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Rotary President Passes the Torch
The Black River Falls Rotary Club celebrated the end of the Rotary year with the Passing of the Torch Party, Monday, June 24. Current club president Kristin Franks handed over the reins to president-elect, Brad Chown. Franks expressed her thanks to the club and shared some of the highlights during her term which included forming an Interact Club at the Black River Falls High School, welcoming four new members into the club, sponsoring the high school athletic banquet, providing volunteers each month at the Food Pantry, helping the Karner Blue Garden Club with mulching, sending a student abroad through the Rotary Youth Exchange Program, committing to host an Inbound Youth Exchange Student for the 2020-2021 school year, and holding a very successful Rotathon Fundraiser.
Incoming President, Brad Chown, has been an active club member, helping with events and community projects. Chown said, “I am looking forward to working with the Interact Club as they enter their second year and coordinating efforts to establish host families to accommodate inbound Rotary Youth Exchange Program participants from other countries.”
The club thanked Kristin for her year of service and welcomed Brad who will lead the club into the future.
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At the recent Rotary Passing of the Torch party, incoming President, Brad Chown honored outgoing President, Kristin Franks with a plaque.
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Jack Taylor of Taylor Media Joining Discover Wisconsin Team
Story by JoDee Brooke/Banner Journal
Podcast guru and the man behind the lens of Taylor Media, Jack Taylor, will be sharing his work with an even broader audience. “I just got hired at Discover Wisconsin,” Taylor revealed last week. “I will be traveling the state of Wisconsin as a host of some of their upcoming TV shows.”
The 2009 Black River Falls (BRF) High School graduate has been capturing - in his unique way - stories of everything from a couple’s wedding to a school district’s community to a family’s business.
“Discover Wisconsin reached out to me a few months ago,” shared Taylor. “They were impressed with some of the local videos I was making here in Black River Falls.” Taylor will be hosting TV shows across the state as a freelance host. “This will allow me to keep my family here in Black River Falls,” he said.
Discover Wisconsin is a weekly non-fictional
television program
that encourages
tourism
throughout
Wisconsin
, featuring profiles of cities, events and tourist attractions throughout the state. The program is written, directed and produced in
Madison
and is billed as the longest running tourism
TV show
in the United States.
“I’m constantly on the lookout for new talent to add to our team,” said Mariah Haberman, co-host/director of Discover Wisconsin. “While there are a lot of folks who express interest in wanting to be on camera, finding the right fit is a bit trickier. There are two main questions I’m always asking myself: What is this person already doing in his or her community that proves they can walk the walk? And, what are they like off-camera?”
Haberman said having a boyfriend who is a Black River Falls native with connections to the area helped her stumble across videos produced by Taylor every now and then on social media. “His natural talent for production and performing on-camera was evident, but what struck me more so was his authenticity, charisma and raw passion for his community,” explained Haberman. “I care so much more about those traits than whether someone has decades of experience talking in front of a camera.”
Discover Wisconsin has won 20 National Telly Awards and has been nominated for eight Emmy Awards, winning once in 2012 for its 25th Anniversary Special.
Discover Wisconsin is a multi-faceted media brand, focused on telling the stories of Wisconsin’s most fascinating people, places and companies, with a TV show that streams on Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire, Smart TV and Roku. The show also broadcasts in eight states across the upper Midwest, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, northern Illinois and Upper Michigan. Discover Wisconsin has an estimated weekly audience of 600,000 viewers.
“We’re so excited to have Jack on board,” shared Haberman. “We’re sure he’ll be an amazing new addition to the Discover Wisconsin team.”
“I’m really excited to join the Discover Wisconsin team,” shared Taylor.” I’m also really excited to represent Black River Falls and Jackson County across the state of Wisconsin. But, I do hope they have a good makeup artist, because it’s going to take a lot to make me look good on TV!”
Taylor assured he will continue with his videography and podcasts.
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Jack Taylor will be sharing all that the state of Wisconsin has to offer in tourist attractions through the weekly television show
Discover Wisconsin. Taylor will be a freelance host for Discover Wisconsin Shows, which will allow him to remain in Black River Falls with his family and continue Taylor Media.
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White-Jacobs Named to Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Board of Examiners for 2019
The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has named Mary Beth White-Jacobs, President and CEO at Black River Memorial Hospital in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, to the Board of Examiners for the 2019 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The Baldrige Award is the nation’s highest honor for organizational innovation and performance excellence.
Appointed by the NIST Director, examiners are responsible for reviewing and evaluating applications submitted for the Baldrige Award, as well as other assessment-related tasks. The examiner board is composed of more than 325 leading experts competitively selected from industry, professional, trade, education, health care, and nonprofit (including government) organizations from across the United States.
Those selected meet the highest standards of qualification and peer recognition, demonstrating competencies related to customer focus, communication, ethics, action orientation, team building, and analytical skills. All members of the board must take part in a nationally ranked leadership development course based on the Baldrige Excellence Framework and the scoring/evaluation processes for the Baldrige Award. They must also complete an independent review of a Baldrige Award application or another comparable examiner task.
In response to her appointment White-Jacobs said, “Having seen the benefits of using the Baldrige Criteria for our organization, I wanted the opportunity to give back to others using the criteria to improve their businesses. Most examiners are volunteers and the program relies on our willingness to use what we know to assist others.”
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Jackson County Farmers Market
Diploma Drive
Black River Falls, WI 54615
Phone: 715-284-6012-
The Jackson County Farmers Market aims to bring expanded, local Farmers Market options to the Jackson County community. We are open Thurs. 2p-6p and Sat. 9a-1p, May – October. Indoor Winter Market available in November and December.
Wisconsin Cranberry Discovery Center
204 Main Street
Warrens, WI 54666
Phone: 608-378-4878
The Wisconsin Cranberry Discovery Center is your ultimate cranberry destination! We host a museum, gift shop, and ice cream parlor. The WCDC is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about Wisconsin's #1 fruit crop - the cranberry. We are your ultimate guide to cranberries and a must-see destination in the Midwest. Our museum features interactive information all about the cranberry industry and history of Wisconsin cranberries. Our one-of-a-kind center is located in the historic Union Cranberry Warehouse in Downtown Warrens. Make sure to stop by on your journey through Wisconsin or make a day trip to the museum!
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A ribbon cutting was held on Thursday, July 11th at Marco's Italian & American Grill in Warrens. Guests were treated to a buffet of food, live music by Scott Wilcox and they were able to see all of the changes and updates that the new owners have made to the property.
Members that attended from left were Joe Williams, Robert Crampes, Owners Mark Chew and Cindy Chew and Scott Johnson.
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Theisen's More for Your Community Grants
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Theisen's Home-Farm-Auto recently announced the launch of the 2019 Theisen's More for Your Community Grant Program. Supported by Theisen's charitable fund and through a partnership with the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, grants will be made available in all Theisen's store communities.
This year, more than $350,000 in total grants will be distributed to the region served by Theisen's. with each store having at least $5,000 available. The maximum request per project is $5,000.
Applications are currently available at dbqfoundation.org/theisens and directions to access the application are also available at each store. The deadline to apply is July 31.
The More for Your Community program makes direct grants to agencies to jump-start and/or sustain projects that most effectively and directly serve the basic needs of families and children: food, shelter, education, safety and health. Applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofits, government-sponsored organizations and directly serve children and families within 60 miles of a Theisen's store.
Theisen's Home-Farm-Auto has donated more than $2.1 million through the More For Your Community Grant Program since its inception and supports many other community events and organizations directly.
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2019 Coulee Region Job Fair
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7 Rivers Alliance Updates
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Inspire Program
The Inspire 7 Rivers team has taken initiative to grow its network of employers and students. Inspire is a way to link together education and industry to help students and job seekers achieve their goals and address communities’ workforce development needs. Inspire 7 Rivers is launched in school districts within Black River Falls, Holmen, Tomah, Hillsboro and Blair-Taylor, and over the next three years, the program will expand to include school districts throughout the entire 7 Rivers Region.
The Inspire program is now up to over 100 employers and 80 coaches that collaborate with over 1,000 active students in the area.
Our team continues to communicate about the benefits of the program to local organizations. We are currently working on creating a more effective, user friendly registration process for employers to join. If you or any employer is interested in learning more please email Jeff at
Jeff@7riversalliance.org
.
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WisConnect is your source for Wisconsin internships!
Employers can recruit interns on WisConnect to enhance their skilled talent pipeline. Create an employer profile, post internships, search for Wisconsin college students and find resources to build or expand internship programs. It's easy to get started.
Create a free WisConnect account
to start your search for interns today. Once registered, you can build your employer profile to showcase and attract interns, post internships and search for qualified interns who meet your talent needs.
College students are joining WisConnect daily. Visit the site frequently to make new talent connections.
Students can seek internships to gain valuable job skills and launch their career. Create a professional profile, upload your resume, and search for internships with Wisconsin employers. Create a free WisConnect account to start your internship search today. Once registered, students can search for internships, explore Wisconsin businesses that offer internships and identify opportunities to gain valuable job skills. New internship postings are added frequently. Visit WisConnect often to find new opportunities.
For more information visit the link below!
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Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation News
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Economic Development Programs
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) offers programs and resources that spur economic prosperity in Wisconsin! Funding, resources and training help companies that do business in Wisconsin maximize their potential. Discover the support WEDC and Wisconsin’s statewide economic development network offer businesses and communities!
Click here to learn more.
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Made in Wisconsin
High-Quality Products from Hard-Working People
When something is produced in Wisconsin, it is a point of pride for those who had a hand in its creation. WEDC created a cost-free logo for businesses to use to proclaim their products' Wisconsin origin. The Made In Wisconsin logo can be adapted to reflect a company's production process.
Join the hundreds of companies who are already participating in the Made In Wisconsin program by filling out an application
here
!
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2019 Business After 5 Calendar
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August 14:
WWIS Radio
September 11: Dale's Refrigeration & Heating
October 9: Co-op Credit Union
November 13: Revolution Coffee House & Wine Bar
December 4: Black River Area Chamber of Commerce
We have
three
openings for Business After 5 in 2020. Open dates are:
February 12, 2020
October 14, 2020
November 11, 2020
Give us a call today to reserve your spot!
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2019 Chamber Board of Directors
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President -
Robert Crampes, Land O'Lakes
Vice President -
Dave Meyer, WWIS Radio
Treasurer -
Matt Streeter, Black River Memorial Hospital
Secretary -
Justin Dougherty, Dynamic Audio & Video LLC
Board Members
Karman Briggs, Western Dairyland
Keith Brown, Farm Urban Realty
Kristin Franks, Edward Jones
Grady Gutknecht, Jackson County Board Rep
Sue Miller, Co-op Credit Union
Melissa Porter, Ho-Chunk Gaming-Black River Falls
Scott Johnson, Aptiv
Tamra Soto, Comfort Inn & Suites
Carrie Timp, Revolution BRF
Joe Williams, Theisen's Home-Farm-Auto
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From left: Lynette LeGarde, Samantha Windsor, Kathy Kopp and Amanda Gunn
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Black River Area Chamber of Commerce
120 N Water St
Black River Falls, WI 54615
715-284-4658
www.blackrivercountry.net
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