rachelh@myweeklysentinel.com
CANTON — The Canton Chamber of Commerce met via Teams on Thursday, April 1 at noon.
Present members included: Mary Ann Porter, Eric Schoonover, Crystal Salsman, Tami Bethune, Amy Seeley, Kim Bailey, Frank Watson, Robyn Cummings and Rachel Heitzenrater
Several upcoming events were the topic of the meeting, including a June 23 Golf Tournament for the Pregnancy Care Center, A virtual referral meeting Tami invited the group to on April 27, Frank’s event in the fall and the change of Wine and Cheese to a new festival.
Amy Seeley started the monthly reports on behalf the borough, stating that May 24 will be the borough’s spring cleanup. She also plans to get with Frank Watson and the Lions Club on their annual cleanup as well. Street sweeping has begun.
She also reported that Bishop Brother’s were the winning bid for the DCNR grant to help fix the tennis courts and basketball courts as well as internal work.
Frank Watson spoke about the Watson Diesel shops being busy.
Crystal Salsman reported about the two fundraisers coming up: Pound the Ground on May 29 and the golf tournament on June 23 at the country club.
Kim Bailey reported that Chemung Canal had to make a couple hires lately. Masks are still required at the bank. She said they’ve seen a lot of stimulus check activity.
Mary Porter spoke about the Canton Fitness Center, saying things are going well and membership is increasing. She also noted they have started up with dry cleaning. She also reported some classes kicking in gear. The upstairs is open for rental: $100 deposit, $50 return for parties.
Tami Bethune spoke about a virtual event on April 22 called “Referral Topia.” She invited some of the chamber members to attend.
Bradford County Tourism and Promotion
Robyn Cummings reminded members of the three new guides that the agency has produced this year. She said they have all been well-received.
The Local Goods Guide is Bradford County only and features 40-50 producers and encourages shopping local. The recreation guide is for outdoor activities: hiking, biking and showcasing what all Bradford County has to offer outdoors. The travel guide is the final guide which highlights restaurants and more for tourists to view.
All guides are available for download at their website at: www.visitbradfordcounty.com.
Cummings also spoke on the progress of the mural, stating they are partially done with a panel. So far, she has had 56 volunteers help with the mural and plans to reach out to valley art teachers to get their classes involved. She plans to have a location set for the Troy/Canton area to help paint the mural as well. The agency is looking at a fall installation of the mural. This is partnered with the Regional Arts Council.
As we are approaching “events season,” Cummings reminded members to include her in their planning for Facebook live and promotions.
Mary Porter asked about the status on the “Rails to Trails.” Due to COVID, it’s unclear as to what the status is on that.
Building status
Amy reported 75 members total currently. The next Canton Chamber of Commerce meeting will be Thursday, May 6, at 8:30 a.m. with location still to be determined.
The new building purchase was the next topic. Amy reported that she had submitted the application the day prior to the meeting.
Eric thanked Amy for the time and effort she has put into putting the paperwork through, including a resume and dealing with some funding questions.
There was a second walk through of the building in March. Members discussed the future of the building.
Website
Tami Bethune spoke with members about the new chamber website. She says it’s a marketing piece to invite more membership and have new potential members learn about the chamber. The website will go live within the next couple weeks.
Tami said she thought it would also be beneficial for members to post the financials and meeting minutes on the new website as well, and possibly archive the previous ones.
Wine & Cheese update
Amy reported on behalf of the committee, stating that Wine & Cheese will not be Wine & Cheese anymore. However, the committee is planning a festival with the block dance down town. More details will be released at a later time.
Motorcycle event
Frank spoke about the status on the event he is planning in the fall.
The Canton Lions Club will be sponsoring the event. The fire department will also be doing a poker run with the event.
The schedule is planned and ready to be viewed on the website: Friday Evening - Registration and Motorcycle Show with Vendors and Entertainment; Saturday Ride - 150 Mile Ride including lunch; Sunday Ride - 50 Mile Ride including lunch; Registration Fee - $30 per day or $45 for both days. Your fee will benefit local charities.
Tami Bethune has been working with Frank on a new website which can be found at: www.tourarmeniapa.org.
The next Canton Chamber of Commerce meeting will be Thursday, May 6, with location and time to be determined. For more information, go to www.cantonareachamberofcommerce.com.