iNFORMER News July '09

Welcome to iNFORMER!
Our Trinidad Chamber Blogletter

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It's our monthly newsletter merged with commenting capabilities. Here, you'll collect Chamber News and Information, as well as updates on upcoming events in-and-around Trinidad. On page 2 there's a letter from your Chamber President and Business Reports. On page 3 there's business specials for Chamber Members and Member announcements. Of course feel free to leave a comment or start a conversation with your Chamber too.

Monthly Chamber "Dinner" Meeting
Tuesday, July 21st - Moonstone Crossing
Special Event - Member and Accompanying Guests Only

Wine, Cheese, Snacks and Fun! Moonstone Crossing Winery Tour and Tasting

While our dinner meetings are always special, this month's is a bit different. This will be a Greater Trinidad Chamber of Commerce Members only event. Members are encouraged to invite guests who may be interested in joining our Chamber and attending with them.

We will be hosted by three Chamber Members - Moonstone Crossing Winery, Loleta Cheese Factory, and Beachcomber Cafe. Shuttle service will be provided by Chamber Member Cher-Ae Heights. Shuttle riders should meet at the Casino pick-up point at 5pm. First come, first go! The Winery grounds can only accommodate a dozen vehicles for parking, and it has a one lane road, so we will coordinate individuals who want to carpool or drive themselves through reserved parking and a 6pm arrival time.

We can only accommodate forty guests for this event. Dori needs to coordinate even more than usual, and we can help her by reserving our spots early next week.

Don't miss out! Make your reservations as soon as possible, SVP.
Call 677-1610

Calendar Of Up-Coming Events

• Chamber Events
• Tue.Jul.21 - Moonstone Crossing Winery Tour and Tasting - 6p
• Tue.Jul.28 - Chamber Board of Directors Meeting - 7p

• Member/Friend Events
• Sun.Jul.5 - Westhaven Center for the Arts Artist Reception - 1p
• Tue.Jul.7-10 - Maritime Explorations HSU Marine Lab Marine Science Summer Program II - for students entering the 7th or 8th grade.
• Thu.Jul.23,24,25 - Tidepooling Trips HSU Marine Lab Host - for the entire family.

Hint: hover over or click for more details and links to more info.

If you or your organization would like to advertise your special event, we're glad to add it to our Calendar of Up-coming Events. For more information,
Call 677-1610

Simple & Effective Ways to Promote

We can help! Use our Chamber Blogletter & Newsletter. We will post your event in our iNFORMER Blog, and we can include your flyer in our monthly newsletter. Our blog and newsletter are sent to all of our Chamber members as well as other Chambers in the Northern California area. We'll Tweet for you! Many people and organizations follow us on Twitter @TrinidadTweets to receive up-to-the-minute Chamber News and Member Promotions.

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iNFORMER News - Page 2

What a Day!

The 52nd Annual Trinidad Fish Festival is going down as the "windy one" for sure. Selling out of fish was a surprise too! Has that ever happened before?

There was lots of great music on three stages and many new things to be enjoyed, including Cher-Ae Heights BBQing Oysters and AllHits95.5 playing music at Trinidad Harbor, Trinidad Bay boat tours, a children's fishing derby, kayak demos in the bay, and HSU Marine Lab participation. We had a surprise "Parade to the Pier" of Trinidad School Pan Drummers and some "fishy" students along with local Fire Departments - Trinidad VFD, Westhaven VFD, and Cal Fire Trinidad Station. A few locals joined in and Smokey the Bear and Sparky marched too!

Traditional Fish Festival activities were well represented on Trinity St. with a bustling artisan market, busy local organizations raising funds, a beautiful Town Hall Art Gallery and of course, wonderful fish dinners! By the Memorial Lighthouse, the Bureau of Land Management's Arcata Field Office Representatives found a great spot to set up their scope and show off part of the California Coastal National Monument. On Trinidad Head, the other lighthouse was open to the public for its once-a-year tour day. Thanks Coast Guard for hosting and staffing it each year for the festival.

Whew! What a big, fun day. Guess What? We are already planning for next year!

We couldn't have done it without all of our loyal festival volunteers, donors and last minute draftees. We wouldn't have raised much money for next year's Academic Scholarship winners without the financial support of our Fish Festival Sponsors.

Special thanks to our major sponsors: Cher-Ae Heights Casino and All Hits Radio 95.5 FM, and thanks to Forbes & Associates for their continuing financial support.

To our indefatigable Event Chairman, Richard Johnson, our new Entertainment Chairman, Michael Crosbie, and our Executive Director, Dori Fulk - you guys are to be congratulated for your long hours, remarkable dependability, and your grace handling all the unexpected situations that popped up. We are blessed with the wisdom and support of Patti Fleschner who saved the Town Hall Art Gallery this year with her artist arm twisting friend Ned Simmons.

Beverly Harper's Great Painting - Something's Fishy!

Fish Festival FUNdraiser 3 Art Contests

The Winners

1. Best Father's Day Fish Story - Janine Volkmar - $250
2. Best Trinidad Fish Story - Ron Linderman - $250
3. Art - Best Trinidad "Something's Fishy!" Creations
1st place Jane Robin - $250, 2nd place Kathrin Burleson - $150, 3rd place Lois Harrington - $75

Thanks all you last minute contest participants! It may take a little while, but we'll get pictures and prose up as soon as possible

President's Comments

After all my Fish Festival comments, do you really want more?

Ok ... at our Chamber Dinner Meeting last month, we announced our Academic Scholarships for two Trinidad School Graduates. They not only maintained a high GPA through their high school years and are heading off to college, but they also have become shining examples of community involvement. Their glowing recommendations from teachers are impressive. Congratulations to Anne Woodworth and Ross Ward. We wish you the best at UC Berkeley and UC Davis. We are very proud of you both. Good luck to all class of 2009 grads.

June's meeting also included approving your new Chamber Board and electing officers. Your new Chamber Board has some familiar faces - Richard Johnson, Don Zeman, Dan D'Anacona - Catch Cafe, David Peak - View Crest Lodge/Hidden Creek, and Jenni Dodd - Cher-Ae Heights, and myself, Mike Morgan - Trinidad Bay B&B. We also welcome a new one, Dawne Davis - All Hits Radio 95.5 and even have two future (once we amend our bylaws in the Fall) board members lined up; Sharon Ferrett - The Lady Anne and Katherine Perry - Trinidad Massage and Day Spa.

Richard Johnson has done such an amazing job as Chamber President. He's left some pretty big shoes and lots of long hours to fill. Thankfully, we'll have him and his experience for one more year on our Board. Guia's service as Vice President, especially some of her dinner and holiday parties will be appreciated for a long time to come and she'll certainly be missed at our meetings. We welcome Dan D'Anacona as Vice President. We are lucky to have Don Zeman staying on as Treasurer.

With Dori's supportive help as our Executive Director, we will endeavor to continue the good work we've done, develop new ideas, and meet challenging opportunities head-on. We will make the rest of this year and the next another great one for the Greater Trinidad Chamber of Commerce.

Our next project is our Trinidad Chamber Membership Drive for 2010. Business Members who join or renew early, will be receiving a special benefit this year. We will be pooling everyone in a summer radio advertising campaign with part of our Fish Festival donation from our Chamber Member All Hits Radio 95.5

We are assembling new membership kits this month. They will include member information forms to start our new online database with, a quick survey, and some other information to help us help you even better next year. 2009 Members will be receiving invoices for 2010. Members and prospective members will have some new online payment options this year - we'll still take your checks and cash though too.

Please be thinking of individuals and businesses you'd like to see join our Chamber. We will send them a kit on your behalf, or you'll be able to pick them up from our office. We will need your help and new member's help to continue our Chamber Mission:
Promoting the Economic, Civic and Social Welfare of the People of Greater Trinidad

I'll write some more and make corrections after the holiday ... Everyone please have a safe and happy Independence Day!

Mike Morgan
677-1610 Chamber Office

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iNFORMER News - Page 3

Now Open! Trinidad (Twinidad?) Twisitor Center

Follow us @TrinidadTweets and receive up-to-the-minute Chamber News, remindMe Event Notification, and Chamber Member Promotions.

What's all this Twitter stuff you say? showMore

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If you are asking that, tweeting is probably not for you. Well not yet anyway. Meanwhile, we're on the map at Twisitorcenter.com (first on the North Coast!).

Trinidad has joined the ranks of savvy cities around the world that tweet!

Twisitors (Trinidad visitors who tweet with twitter.com) can now "ask the locals" by tweeting travel questions directly to us.

Giving more personal suggestions on things-to-do, as well as unique personal perspectives of Trinidad is not only helpful, it's fun! If we're unavailable, fielding questions like "Where's Strawberry Rock in Trinidad?" can be done by our "followers" (friends who subscribe to our tweets) and the twitter community at large. Someone in London who likes Trinidad may get the tweet, and be excited to answer it. Twitter-ers are generally enthusiastic, helpful people. If we can get Ned tweeting, imagine having him available to answer your tweets.

I like getting tweets like "Hey everyone, there are 3 whales whooping it up in the Bay." You can follow your favorite local businesses as well as international news. Emergency notifications over Twitter have even helped alert residents in their cities. Curious? Check out our Trinidad Twisitor Center and the Web for more information. Get tweeting!

Mike Morgan,
GTCC Global Public Relations & Marketing Chair

Notary Services Now Available in Trinidad

Now there's no need to leave Trinidad if you need the services of a Notary. Robin Frazer, Trinidad's Assistant City Clerk, wants to remind everyone that she is now a certified California Notary Public. Robin is available at the City Office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9 AM to 2 PM, or by appointment. Thanks Robin for this needed service, and your Fire service, and your help with the Chamber. Please note: services offered are provided by a private citizen and not connected with the City of Trinidad).
Call 677-0223 or 599-8537

George Herd Named Chamber's 2009 Citizen of the Year!

Congratulations to George. "Thank you for your service to our community."

Get Linked Up!

If you haven't already been linked from our Chamber's Web site to your own Member Web or Blog site, now is the time to do it. Linking will help your search rankings! We have thousands of visitors looking at our site every month.

With advertising costs increasing, getting maximum benefit from Web based advertising and exposure is critical. Or if you sponsor or support a nonbusiness or non-profit organization that would benefit from linking the Chamber Web site and yours, let us know!