Grafton Chamber. In This Issue.. NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2008

Transcription

1 Grafton Chamber NANCY HUNDT Executive Director A Publication of the Grafton Area Chamber of Commerce In This Issue.. Home for the Holidays Grafton Holiday Events.....page 1 From the President Chamber Gift Checks page 2 Welcome New Members..... page 3 Grafton Outstanding Citizens ONCE...page 4 A Grand Night Out Breaking New Ground page 5 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2008 Sunday, November 23, 2008 Community Christmas Tree Lighting 6:00 P.M. A community gathering downtown to usher in the holiday season. The ceremony will be held in the new Paramount Plaza. There will be entertainment, food and song. Jolly the Elf will be on hand to collect letters to Santa from children and give them a holiday treat! Kids should remember to include their name and address in their letter to Santa so that Santa can write back. Saturday, November 29, 2008 Breakfast With Santa, sponsored by Cornerstone Community Bank 7:30 A.M. until 10:00 A.M. Circle B Recreation, Hwy. 60 Cost: $5.00 Children $6.50 Adults Advance prepaid reservations only (sorry, no refunds). Please mail payment to: Breakfast, P.O. Box 132, (tickets will be held at the door) The 29th Annual Christmas Parade 11:00 A.M. Don t miss Home for the Holidays. The event will feature an abundance of holiday floats, marching units and bands. New this year, the UW Marching Band, sponsored by Bank Mutual and returning favorites New Generations Drill Team, sponsored by E.J. Plesko, and the South Shore Drill Team, sponsored by Harris Bank, will also be appearing, just before Santa Claus, the star of the show. Community Christmas Party & Auction 5:30 P.M. Social - 7:00 P.M. Dinner Your Chamber will honor Bonnie and Lester Bartel with the Outstanding Citizens Award. A silent and oral auction will be held throughout the evening to benefit the Chamber Scholarship Fund. Join your friends, co-workers, and fellow Chamber members at Mequon Country Club. $35.00 per person (cash bar), appetizers, silent auction of quality items, sit down dining, and entertainment. Please respond by November 20 with payment and names of persons attending to: Christmas Party, P.O. Box 132,.

2 From The President Dan McKelvey, Investment Center of Grafton Welcome to Fall in Wisconsin. It s the time of year that most of us dread for one reason or another. Golf clubs are gathering dust in the basement. The boys of summer are gone. (That means baseball is over for those of you who aren t fans.) Motorcycles are put in storage. Bikes are hanging in the garage. Leaves are falling off the trees. Snowblowers are getting tuned up. Snow shovels will soon be put to use. Should I stop now? Now let s look at it from the glass is half-full point of view. Keep in mind there is also a silver lining to this time of year. Hunting season is just around the corner. (A national holiday in Wisconsin!) Football season! (And yes, the Bears still.. Never mind.) The Brewers made the playoffs for the first time in 26 years. The Cubs watched most of the playoffs at home. Skiers are anxiously awaiting the first snowfall. No more grass to cut. (My boys are happy!) No more mosquitoes. (We re all happy about that!) And of course, the holiday season is upon us. In Grafton, this time of year brings us some of our favorite events. Pumpkin Fest was a huge success in its first year. The Christmas Tree Decorating in the Plaza is on November 19th. The Community Tree Lighting Ceremony is scheduled for November 23rd. And of course, the Saturday after Thanksgiving is one of the biggest days. The day starts out with Breakfast with Santa in the morning. Then at 11:00, a favorite of young and old alike, and the highlight of the Holiday Events for our community kicks off.. The 29th Annual Grafton Christmas Parade. Then later that evening, the Community Christmas Party will be held at Mequon Country Club. Wow! How can you not like this time of year! I look forward to seeing many of you at these events. On behalf of your Chamber Board, we would like to wish all of you a very happy and joyous holiday season and a prosperous New Year. Dan Chamber Gift Checks Give the Gift of Variety Accepted at a wide variety of Chamber Member Businesses Provides the merchant with 100% face value of the check Available in any denomination Available at the Chamber Office, 1624 Wisconsin Ave., Grafton Monday - Thursday 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Friday 9:00 am - Noon For more information, call the Chamber at

3 A & L INVESTMENTS, LLC 2139 Valley Court, Suite A Fax: lisa@hansen-stahl.com Al and Lisa Hansen We have new office suites and storage units available in the Town of Grafton. All Utilities Included: Heat, Air, Electric and High Speed Internet. Secure, Well-Lit Building on Quiet Raod. Close to Town, Hwy 60 and I-43. We also operators of Hansen-Stahl, a manufacturers representative agency. Welcome New Members RE/MAX UNITED 1009 Washington Street Fax: remaxrenae@gmail.com Renae Thimm RE/MAX United is a real estate company whose agents custom design their services to fit their customers needs. Our agents are some of the most experience people in the industry. You can expect courteous, professionsl service and knowledge of communities and marketing conditions. COMSTAR, LLC 2240 N. Grandview Boulevard Waukesha, WI Fax: Matthew De La Pasqua We are developers of custom web design and applications. We offer internet marketing and web hosting serviese. At Comstar, we create a true asset our of your website, one that is both useful and used. We are the internet specialists. HAMPTON INN & SUITES 2 Quail Creek Circle North Liberty, Iowa Fax: Linda Stone Opening a new property in Grafton in Spring of MERCY ORTHODOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH W63 N589 Hanover Avenue Cedarburg, WI rjth70@aol.com Pastor Jim Hockstra Mercy Orthodox Presbyterian Church is a church of warm and loving people. You will be welcomed here! We meet in the downtown area of Cedarburg, and look forward to seeing you! NORTH SHORE BANK 2301 Wisconsin Avenue Fax: ddidier@northshorebank.com Dane Didier, Manager We will be a full service bank opening soon in Grafton. THE BLACK SWAN th Avenue Fax: thedillongrp@aol.com Peter Shepherd This is the perfect venue for your Wedding Reception, Holiday Party, Birthday or other celebration. Schedule your corporate meeting in this upscale yet relaxing setting complete with professional presentation equipment and seating for up to 200. Full catering kitchen and bar service are also available for your function. U.S. CELLULAR th Avenue Fax: kassy.loberger@connectell.com Kassy Loberger We are a U.S. Cellular Authorized Agent Celebrating their 10th year in business, Ye Olde Pharmacy & Wellness Center has just been awarded accreditation status by the Accreditation Commission for Health Care, Inc. for the services of Medicare Providor of Durable Medical Equipment, Diabetic Supplies and Diabetic Shoes. Ye Olde Pharmacy will be offering Mercury-Free flu shots which are availabe Monday through Friday during normal business hours. These shots are avaialbe to adults 18 years and older at a cost of $ For more information, please call

4 2008 Outstanding Citizens Lester and Bonnie Bartel The Grafton Area Chamber of Commerce has selected Lester and Bonnie Bartel, a couple who have embraced community service throughout their married life to receive the Outstanding Citizen Award. Lester and Bonnie were high school sweethearts during their school days in Cedarburg and in 1977 settled in Grafton after marrying to raise their family. The couple took their responsibility as residents and stewards of the community to heart by becoming involved in areas where they could positively influence many citizens young and old. They are starting their 20th year as registered 4-H leaders. Their extensive involvement in 4-H ranges from offering space on their farm to children that did not live on a farm and would never have had the experience of raising, training and caring for their animals, also providing guidance and advice; to opening their home to meetings; planning the annual Varity Show act and scheduling performances for the senior citizens at Manchester Heights; to building award winning floats for the Grafton Christmas Parade. One nominator stated, Lester s love for baseball motivated him to build a ball diamond on their farm, so when public fields were not available, he could teach some of the kids that may not have made the team that year. Lester and Bonnie became O.N.C.E. AGAIN! Ozaukee Networking Chamber Exchange Please join us on Wednesday, January 28. This event is for those who want to experience salesmanship in action, form strategic alliances and willingly refer business to others. Time: 7:30-9:00 AM Full Breakfast Buffet The Paramount Restaurant, Grafton 2009 Dates March 25, May 27, August 28, October 28 Agenda 7:30-7:45 am Networking 7:45-8:15 am Breakfast 8:15-8:30 am 30 Second Commercials 8:30-8:35 am Business Promo 8:35-8:45 am Success Stories/Networking Leads 8:45-9:00 am Outrageous Requests 9:00 am Adjourn active in the Grafton High School Athletic Booster Club, and have been chairing the group s annual Corn Roast for ten years. They are currently preparing for the 50th anniversary of the event in Lester does the play-by-play announcing at all the home G.H.S. football games, while Bonnie busies herself in the concession stand. Lester s involvement in local politics began in 1987 when he was elected to serve as a Town Supervisor. In 1989, he was elected Town Board Chairman, served until 1999 and was elected to the position again in 2001 and continues as Town Board Chairman today. A long-time friend who provided one of the nomination letters stated, There are many other things that Lester and Bonnie do behind the scenes that go unnoticed, but would be missed if they were not there to do them. The Bartels live in the Town of Grafton and attend First Immanuel Lutheran Church in Cedarburg. They have three children, Kim, married to Nick Zvara and Alyssa and Nick, still at home. Lester and Bonnie will be the Grand Marshalls of the 28th Annual Grafton Christmas Parade on November 24 and will be honored with the Outstanding Citizen Award at the Community Christmas Party that evening at the Mequon Country Club. Please join the celebration that will take place at Mequon Country Club. Advanced reservations for the dinner can be made by calling the Chamber office at by November 19. To register, mail or fax this form to the Grafton Chamber or call the Chamber office. P.O. Box 132 phone: fax: Business: Attendees: Payment: $ check MasterCard Visa Credit Card # Exp. Date Signature:

5 Oh What a Night! The Fourth Annual Grand Night Out Mary Ann Velnetske, Silent Auction Chairperson, puts the final touches on the auction display. Event Co-Chair Tom Sweet presents Aurora Advanced Healthcare representative Brad Hahn with an award in recognition of Aurora s Major Sponsorship of the Grand Night Out in Grafton. Event Co-Chair Sharon Irwin makes sure that everything is ready to go at the Chocolate Fountain. Todd Martin, Event Co-Chair, provides some last minute instructions to the bottle sabering contestants. Special Thanks to Our Organizing Committee: Tom Sweet, Moraine Environmental; Sharon Irwin, Port Washington State Bank; Todd and Betsy Martin, Martin s Wine and Spirits; Mike Donahue, Donahue s Accounting & Tax Services; Lyn May, Lakeshore Newspapers; Laurie Sass, Sass Accounting, LLC; and Mary Ann Velnetske, Hersh Law Offices. And to the those volunteers who helped to make this event so successful: Sherry and Adam Sweet, Moraine Environmental; Chris Velnetske, Hersh Law Offices; Kim Meisinger, The Bloomin Olive. 2 Ground Breaking Ceremonies x One Week = 4 N e w B u s i n e s s e s i n G r a f t o n! On October 1, Mike Herbrand, Village Attorney, Mike Rambousek, Village Director of Planning & Development, Bruce Kinseth, VP Kinseth Hospitality, the management company, Kraig Sadownikow, American Design-Build, the project developer and Scott Sadownikow, BP Convenience Store owner and operator broke ground for the Hampton Inn & Suites, WaterStreet Brewery and BP Convenience Store, located in the 'Gateway to Grafton' at the interchange of Interstate 43 and State Highway 60. The Hampton Inn & Suites is an 83-unit hotel and suites. At a ceremony on Sept. 23, Aurora Health Care broke ground for Aurora Medical Center in Grafton, a state-of-the-art hospital that will serve patients from throughout Ozaukee County and beyond. From left to right: Don Nestor, Aurora Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer; State Representative Mark Gottlieb; Jim Brunnquell, Village of Grafton President; Eugene Monroe, MD, President, Aurora Advanced Healthcare; William Ebinger, MD, internal medicine at Cedar Creek Clinic in Grafton and member of the Board of Directors of Aurora Advanced Healthcare; Nick Turkal, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer for Aurora.

6 UP COMING EVENTS NOVEMBER DECEMBER Chamber Board Meeting. The Flipside - 11:30 a.m. Chamber Tree Decorating Paramount Plaza - 6:00 p.m. Community Christmas Tree Lighting Paramount Plaza - 6:00 p.m. Thanksgiving Day Home for the Holidays - Holiday Events Breakfast With Santa - 7:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m., Circle B Christmas Parade - 11:00 a.m. - Downtown Grafton Community Christmas Party & Auction, Mequon Country Club 5:30 p.m. Social 7:00 p.m. Sit-Down Dinner 25 JANUARY 9 22 Chamber Office Closed Happy Holidays! Chamber. Board Meeting 11:30 a.m. Chamber Member State of the Community Luncheon 11:30 a.m. PRSTD STD U.S. Postage PAID Grafton, WI Permit No. 9