Prez Post
August 23, 2010
If you haven’t noticed, the days are beginning to get noticeably shorter, and that can only mean one thing; its Fair Time again!! The theme this year for our annual fair is; Big time in a Small Town. Beginning Friday September 3rd and running through Monday the 6th, we always anticipate a great time at the fair. It’s a great time to visit old acquaintances and see class mates from years gone by. Our annual fair is a real important part of small community life at its best.
The Mariposa County Chamber of Commerce will again have their wine and water booth in the grassy area. We will be serving wine from boxes with many different varieties available for your enjoyment. Our helpful staff will be there to help you with your selection. We will again be selling water for the low, low, price of one dollar for a one-half litter bottle. Stop in for a visit with our staff.
With very little advance warning, tonight is our Business Mixer, Tuesday the 24th. We will have a combined mixer with two local businesses. River Rock Café and Mariposa Brewing Company will be combining forces to entertain you for a couple of hours. With music and good eats, this mixer is a must for all to see. Plan on joining us tonight at 5:30 until 7:30 and bring your dancing shoes for a wonderful evening.
We are expecting delivery on the 26th of this month of our new 2010-2012 Visitor Guides. For all businesses that purchased ads in this handout, stop by the Chamber office and check out your ad. It looks great!
Looking forward to seeing each of you out in the community.
God Bless,
Lester
August 9, 2010
It is great to be home! After 52 days seeing the beautiful USA on a bicycle, home sweet home feels real nice. Our group of 30 riders began the journey across America in San Francisco with a rear wheel dipping in the Pacific Ocean. We ended it, 3950 miles later in Portsmouth, New Hampshire with a dip of our front wheels in the Atlantic Ocean. What a celebration we had. With over 265 hours in the saddle of our bicycles, and having climbed over 100,000 feet of elevation, our group was ready to celebrate. We had completed the trip of a lifetime!!
Now, on to Chamber business. For those of you who traveled to Coulterville last Saturday, it seemed as if all in attendance had a great time. The 8th Annual Summer Sultry Shindig dedicated the recently completed stage in the Community Park. Many local residents were recognized for their participation in the planning and construction of the stage. We live in a community that is very giving and very helpful in local events and construction projects. A big thanks to all of you who had a part in this project.
The weather Saturday for the dedication was perfect, the food was great, and the music was outstanding. Good job Coulterville and the Shindig Committee, it was a great party.
Our next mixer is in downtown Mariposa on August 24th and with all the planning going on, it promises to be a great event. Word is that a number of businesses are participating in this mixer. Stay posted for more on this coming event. Mark your calendars for this 4th Tuesday in August and come join us for a fun, fun evening in Mariposa. It starts at 5:30 and goes until about 7:30. See you there!!
God Bless,
Lester
June 15,2010
As Lester winds his way across the United States on a bicycle I, Barbara, thought you would like to hear a little about his trip thus far. Following are excerpts from his blog at www.lesterridesamerica.com I'm sure he would love to hear from you as he continues on his once in a lifetime journey. You can sign his guest book and see more pictures on the web site.
6/5/10 -Up at 5:30 AM and after a cup of coffee all was well with the world. A group of 8 of us got together for a short 24 mile ride, out and back on a bike path. I could hardly believe that you could ride 24 miles and only gain 41 feet. What a change from Mariposa.
6/6/10 -We left San Francisco at 6:45 AM, in the fog, and made our way to the traditional dip the wheel in the Bay spot on the beach. We lugged our bikes about 100 feet down to the water and let the salty ocean flow over our rear wheels. Lots of pictures were taken and people were getting a little crazy.
6/9/10 -We were warned by the staff that this would be the toughest day of the ride and guess what? It certainly was! With over 6 hours on the bicycle the total climb was over 8400 feet. It was brutal coming over Donner Pass but you can't say that we weren't warned. We left Auburn at 5:45 AM and began our ride in a light rain as we progressed up the road on Historic Hwy 40 it began to rain harder. Riding a bicycling in the rain is not fun and then you throw in 30 - 40 mile an hour winds and it becomes pretty tough riding.
6/11/10 -A tail wind helped us reach a very nice pace and maintain it for about 10 miles but it would not last. What brought the group to a halt was not ONE flat tire but THREE flat tires in 100 yards by "yours truly". When you ride along the interstate you encounter lots of small pieces of wire thrown aside by the large trucks with steel belted tires.
6/12/10 -After a huge four course breakfast at the Cowpoke Restaurant we left Lovelock, NV at about 7:00 AM raring to go. I didn't realize that the wind could blow so incessantly but today was just like yesterday -WINDY! With 20 to 25 mile an hour winds we got on the road and began our arduous journey.
6/14/10 -Today was Flag Day so our entire group wore our America By Bicycle, red, white and blue jerseys. We looked like quite a patriotic group. We received a lot of honks from people driving by and hoped that they were encouraging us on our ride and not honking to tell us to get out of their way.
I didn't realize that Nevada had such pretty country until we rode through some very beautiful canyons. Carlin Canyon was just such a place. Even though it ended to car traffic we rode our bicycles clear through and carried them over barricades and onto Interstate 80's bicycle path. With perfect temperatures and 10 to 15 mph headwinds we were almost to Elko, NV when one of our pace line riders took a tumble. At 25 mph when you go down on the highway something in your body breaks. Emergency personnel were called. Highway Patrol, Ambulance and Paramedics all arrived to attend to Ken. He was taken to the emergency room were after an MRI and a number of X-Rays it was determined that he had a broken collar bone and his Pelvis was broken in three places. Tomorrow he will be shipped to Salt Lake City, UT by ambulance and his tour will have ended. Kind of a sad day for the group but please pray for Ken and his family during this ordeal. Thank you for your continued prayers.
God Bless you all,
Lester
June 1, 2010
You couldn't help but see all the BMW motorcycles in town over the weekend, if you were out and about, so hopefully they provided a much needed boost to our economy. The Mariposa County Fairgrounds was home to most of them and the town still seemed to be bustling with activity. They were expecting over 300 riders and their passengers and it appeared that that many had chosen to spend the weekend in our beautiful community. The only opportunity that I had to get down to Cathey's Valley to attend the Coyote Springs Western Fair was on Monday afternoon. I was able to catch some team roping in the arena and everyone seemed to be having fun. Four days is a long time to sit in a booth selling widgets so most of the vendors were wrapping up early in order to return home. Let's hope that it was a profitable weekend for all. Here we are talking about the weather again, but the last few days have been quite nice in Mariposa. Very typical of our weather is to go from winter to summer in a period of just one week. It looks like the weeds will finally have a chance to turn brown and then it's time for our weed eaters to come out of our garages or sheds and begin their spring/summer duty. Get ready guys, it's your time to prove yourselves!! This being my last letter for a while, I have asked our Vice-president to get ready as I hand over the gavel to him until August 1st. Tolley Gorham is a very capable person and will do whatever needs to be done to fill your President's shoes. (yes, that is me your president). My venture will have me spending the night in 47 cities in the next 2 months and traveling (by bicycle) just under 4,000 miles. My website will be kept current daily and is available to comment or view my trip at: www.lesterridesamerica.com . This trip for me was supposed to be a vacation but Peter S. is lining up Chamber of Commerce meetings all across America. Somebody please keep an eye on Peter while I am gone! Bon Voyage. God Bless,
Lester
May 18, 2010
This week has been a busy week for me with an increase of bicycle miles. With over 200 miles in the saddle, all else has taken a back seat to my preparation for riding across America in June and July. With 52 days on the road and 46 days of riding the bicycle, we will cover almost 4,000 miles. You probably think that I am crazy! My wife thinks so also! I hear that Peter is lining up Chamber of Commerce meetings in all the 47 towns that I will be visiting. Leave it to him to make this a working vacation where I can check out other Chambers. If you want to follow the progress of my ride, check out my web site at www.lesterridesamerica.com . It will be updated every day. As the weather warms, Mariposa continues to be busy, especially on weekends. This past weekend Relay for Life was center stage in our community. This event has touched the hearts of many people in our community and the out pouring of support has been tremendous. Let's hope and pray that the money raised this year will be at record levels and it will continue to help stamp out cancer and benefit those touched by this terrible disease. We were asked by Coyote Springs Guest Ranch to be involved in their Memorial Day Event and have begun to prepare for that. If you are contacted by the Chamber of Commerce to help out, please willingly do so. Many hands are needed to serve. If you have not made a decision about your ad in the Visitor Guide to be published in June, please contact the Chamber office and do it A.S.A.P. As final preparations are made you will want to be in this publication. Given to 50,000 guests to this County and used as a relocation packet, people will see your business and hopefully respond to your ad. We will try to reproduce this Guide every two years in order to keep it current. Call the Chamber office if you need help or want to finalize your ad. See you around town. God Bless,
Lester
May 3, 2010
For those of you who were in Mariposa this past weekend, I am sure that you will agree, the Butterfly Festival was a success! Not since the Labor Day weekend have we seen the crowds that were milling about town enjoying the festivities in such numbers.
A hearty thanks and a "job well done" to all those involved in the planning and preparation for this grand weekend. Not only was town full of tourists but the weather was gorgeous. It was a weekend that will long be remembered for just about everything going perfectly well. We salute you!
As we count down the days to our 3rd Annual Golf Scramble we are still looking for players and sponsors. With less than one week left (May 8th) the girls in the office are making calls. If you are able, please sign up with a foursome as we still need teams to play. If you don't golf please help out as a sponsor. Call the office to get involved. This event is a large fund raiser for the Chamber and benefits the North County Fire Departments and is always well received by the recipients. We have donated over $6,000 dollars to the North County in the first 2 years of the Scramble and the money is used to fund needed equipment for these organizations.
As the tourism season begins for the summer, we remind you that our Courthouse docents are on staff to give guided tours. If you have out of town guest coming to Mariposa send them to the Courthouse to get a 15 minute tour. These tours are well done and very informative to the participant. These tours are on Saturday and Sunday and are usually well attended. Thanks to our tour guides for all their help and knowledge of our local historical sites. Hope to see you around town.
God Bless,
Lester
April 27, 2010
Spring was definitely in the air this past weekend. Temperatures were up and the whole town seemed to be out and about. The Agri-Nature "Weekend in the Country" seemed to draw a larger crowd than ever. Every year this event continues to grow as the word gets out that Mariposa can be a destination for a great weekend in the country. Bring on the tourists!!
I spent part of Friday at the Planning Commission meeting at the Government Center in Mariposa participating in one of the last public meetings on the Agri-Nature and Agri-Tourism amendments to the County Code. Hopefully when a Negative Impact Declaration is issued, local residents will have clear direction in establishing local Agri-Tourism and Agri-Nature businesses and see the positive impact that they can make on our local economy. We should be promoting these as they can be a great financial benefit for our community.
As our 3rd Annual Golf Scramble approaches, be aware that since Lake Don Pedro golf course has closed, we have relocated our event to Sierra Meadows on South Highway 49 towards Oakhurst. It is much closer to us and is a beautiful course to play on. If you are a golfer, put together a team of four and get ready to go. If you haven't been approached by our staff at the Chamber about a sponsorship, please call us at the Chamber office and help us fund this event. If you have helped with support in the past, expect a call from our office.
This is a big to-do for us, so mark your calendar and put together that team and enjoy the fun in the sun on Saturday, May 8th at Sierra Meadows Golf Course. It is located about 25 miles south of Mariposa on Highway 49. Thank you for your support!
God Bless,
Lester
April 20, 2010
If you were not in attendance at the 8th Annual Clubs and Organizations Dinner at the Fairgrounds last Thursday, you missed a great time. Everyone in attendance seemed to enjoy the evening as we presented awards to a very deserving organization and a very busy individual.
We began the evening with a social hour at 5:30 PM and then served dinner at 6:15 PM. After dinner the program was kicked off with a rousing welcome and introduction by Kevin Cann, Chairman of the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors.
Peter Schimmelfennig , the Executive Director of the Mariposa County Chamber of Commerce, took over and began the presentations and recognition of all the clubs and organizations that were present.
We recognized almost 25 clubs and organizations from our community and allowed their presidents or representatives to share a little about what they do and give information about their organization. There are some very active people in these clubs and organizations as many people wear multiple hats as they serve in a number of different capacities.
We applaud you for the work that you do and realize what it means to our small community to have so many excellent clubs and organizations. Each of you, for the part you play, make this town of Mariposa a very loving, caring, giving and wonderful place to live.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of three awards. The first, presented to Kris Casto as the Volunteer of the Year for the year 2009. This lady is a busy person who does an incredible job at whatever she does! With her involvement in a number of different organizations, she well deserves this recognition.
The E.O. Lewis Community Service Award was presented to the Mariposa County Contractor's Association for the volunteer work they do for the community. All of them, in the building trade, donate their time, labor and expertise to many local projects.
The public restrooms at the Mariposa Visitor's Center were one of their projects. We thank you for what you do and appreciate having you as a very important part of our local community.
Last, but not least, was our "Big Bear Award", given to the club that had the best turnout. This award was presented to the AYSO for their support and involvement in the Soccer Clubs of Mariposa.
A hearty thanks to Sal and his crew for a wonderful and delicious meal, as usual, enjoyed by all.
God Bless,
Lester
April 13, 2010
The Rest of the Story.....
Most of you are familiar with the stories that Paul Harvey used to tell. He would tell a compelling story and before he completed it, he would take a break. He would come back with "The rest of the story" which would always allow us to catch our breath with the outcome.
Such is a story that I would like to tell you. It happened this weekend in our County of Mariposa but it doesn't end there but rather way down in Mexico!
To begin, most of you realize that the County of Mariposa purchased a lot of new fire engines for our outlining communities to replace some of the aging engines. The dilemma arose about how to discard the old fire engines that were still working quite well.
Last Saturday while riding my bicycle to Hornitos and back with a friend, we passed and then were passed by four fire engines plus a squad vehicle heading south through Hornitos. When we stopped for water at the county park in Hornitos we were greeted by a Hispanic gentleman named Manuel who was coordinating the endeavor of moving these fire engines out of the county and down into Mexico.
As we began talking to Manuel he shared with us why he was doing what he was doing. He held out both arms to us and showed us the scars that covered both arms and hands and began to tell us what had happened. He had been involved in a fire in his community and unable to call for a fire truck locally. When the call for help was made, the truck had to come many miles in order to respond to his request for help. As the tears welled up in his eyes, he said that his goal was to keep this from happening to others and his goal was to get a fire engine in every community became his passion in life. Needless to say, we were touched by his desire to do so. You could tell that it had become very important for him to accomplish this goal.
I am not sure how much the county sold these four engines for, but it moved my heart to hear the need that these Mexican towns have for these engines. Thank you Mariposa County for helping out others in need! And that's The Rest of The Story....
Here we are three weeks into spring and the snow is currently falling. If we can tolerate the wet spring, it's looking like we might have an above average snow pack and maybe some reservoirs that are full of water. The word is that you can already launch a boat at Bagby. It is looking good!
Let me share what else is happening in our community this weekend. We are in store for a busy time. Thursday, April 15th is our 8th Annual Clubs and Organizations Dinner, sponsored by the Mariposa County Chamber of Commerce.
We will be honoring the Volunteer of the Year for their part in our community. The 2008 recipient was LeRoy Radanovich for his many contributions. The E.O. Lewis Community Service Award will honor the person or persons for their service to the community and the 2008 recipients were The Friend's of the Red Cloud Library in Greeley Hill.
We will also award a prize for the "Best Decorated Table" during the Dinner on April 15th. The doors open at 5:30 PM and dinner will be served at 6:30 PM. If you purchase your tickets online you can purchase them for $20.00 each and at the door they will be $25.00. A great way to save $5.00 each!
Beginning Friday, the Civil War Days will get started for students only. Close to a thousand student have signed up and it will be a great lesson for them. Saturday, bright and early will begin the second day and the events will continue through Sunday. Plan to support this activity that has grown to be one of the largest reenactments in the United States. All are invited to attend and it will be fun for all. See you there.
God Bless,
Lester
April 6, 2010
Thank you to everyone who posted a response to our Blog question in our special e-Blast last Friday April 2nd. You, as our members, have spoken and we, as your leaders, have listened.
The question sent out to 345 e-mail address was: Should Mariposa allow franchises to set up business in our community? Our question seemed to hit a nerve with some of you while others were not as concerned with allowing franchises to do business in our small town.
The majority of responses were in favor of and answered yes to our blog. We have already decided that we don't want to look like our neighboring town south on Highway 49. The challenge to maintain our rural lifestyle continues as we invite retailers into our town and then limit or restrict their ability to do business here.
We all seem to want the products and services that the large retailers offer but we question if we want them in our town. We will drive to Merced or Oakhurst for a Starbucks coffee or a digital camera from Costco but we want to maintain the rural lifestyle that Mariposa offers. Is this really possible to do?
That is the challenge that we have given our elected officials to deal with. Tuesdays Board of Supervisors meeting will allow this question to be aired publicly and decisions will be made concerning the Subway question.
We as a Chamber of Commerce are in support of building and maintaining the businesses here in Mariposa and will try to be involved with maintaining our rural lifestyle in our beautiful town and in all of Mariposa County.
God Bless,
Lester
March 30, 2010
Greetings from Lake County - the Pear Capital of the World. My travels have taken me north this week but I can communicate by laptop computer.
For those of you who attended the wonderful Mariposa Safe Families get together this past weekend at M.E.S. it was a great time for everyone. The goal of the event was putting helmets on the head of every child in motion. Bicycling, skateboarding, skiing, horseback riding, that helmet will protect the head of the child wearing it. The cycling law states that any child under 18 is required to wear a helmet at all times while riding that bicycle. As a bicyclist, when my leg goes over the top bar of the bicycle, the helmet is always on my head, ALWAYS ON MY HEAD! No, I didn't stutter.
For those of you who haven't reserved a table for the Clubs & Orgs Dinner please do so A.S.A.P. We will be hosting this annual event at the Fairgrounds in Building A and hope to fill the room with guests.
The event is scheduled for April 15th, a Thursday evening and just days before the Civil War Days. Please get involved and plan to sponsor a table at the Mariposa County Chamber of Commerce Clubs & Organizations Dinner. Call the Chamber office, at (209)966-2456 for more information.
Thursday April 1st is our monthly Board of Directors meeting and the public is invited to attend. It will be held at Salvador's Mexican Restaurant in Mariposa. If you would like to be placed on the agenda contact Peter Schimmelfennig, our Executive Director, at the Chamber office. The meeting will begin promptly at 5:30 P.M. See you there.
God Bless,
Lester
March 23, 2010
We were all saddened to hear the news last week of Mariposa Brewing Company's decision not to hold their 2nd annual Blues & Brews Festival. When an event of this magnitude is attempted it often takes a few years to get over the hump financially. When people see how successful it can be, they are more than willing to support it.
Early attempts at the Civil War Days in Mariposa met with the same fate, but when it was reintroduced a few years later, the town of Mariposa supported it and it became a success. This year we will celebrate the 4th annual Civil War Days in Mariposa on April 17th & 18th.
We as businesses in a small community need to support the efforts by local people to start and establish local events in order to build a stronger business base for our small town. We all need to get on board with the local events to show our support.
If you get this e-Blast early enough, you still have time to plan on attending the Business Mixer at 5th Street Inn tonight! It begins at 5:30 PM and we always have a good time meeting and greeting those we haven't seen in a while. We will welcome 5th Street Inn as a new business member and show them that we will support and promote their business. See you tonight.
God Bless,
Lester
March 9, 2010
As I sit here watching the snowfall, I am reminded that spring is just around the corner. That might be a long corner, but it will get here before we know it. Which bring to mind the time change this Sunday March 14th at 2:00 AM. If you don't change your clocks you will be late for your early Sunday appointment.
It is sure nice to have our Executive Director back in the office. He and his lovely wife have gone through a lot this past week. Keep praying for Cherylann, that her recovery will go well and that she will be back in great health in short order.
For those of you who knew Ken Gosting and the way that he helped the Visitor's Center out last April, his efforts to increase tourism in this small community will be missed greatly. He was a unique individual and extremely talented in the area of tourism and what it took to keep the tourism dollars flowing. Because of his efforts, with the media, the beautiful flowers displayed in the Merced River Canyon were advertised and seen all across the U.S.A. on CNN. He will be missed.
The Storytelling Festival is the big event this week, Friday, Saturday and Sunday (March 12th, 13th & 14th). Sponsored by the Mariposa County Arts Council, this is their 23rd annual event. With performers from around the world, this is a must see event! Tickets can be obtained by calling the Arts Council at 209-966-3155 or 800-903-9936. Call early and reserve your tickets.
This Saturday the 13th we will have our first docents on duty at the Courthouse for tours between the hours of 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Let your out of town friends know about these very informative tours of our Historical Courthouse!
God Bless,
Lester
March 2, 2010
Watching the closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, B.C., I am inspired at the way it all came together. It was 17 days of games that culminated in over 8 years of planning and preparation.
The Canadians, along with the I.O.C. oversight, stepped up to the plate and put on an incredible Olympics. Thorough planning is what it takes to pull off such an exhibition.
As the flag is presented to the Mayor of Sochi, Russia, the planning continues for the 2014 Olympics. Lots and lots of planning and lots and lots of money go into making these games outstanding. If you saw the opening ceremony and the malfunction of the lighted underground piller, you know that nothing is perfect in this world!
We, at the Chamber, are even now in the planning of many functions upcoming in this community. If you have not signed up for our upcoming Golf Scramble on May 8th at Lake Don Pedro Golf Course, now is the time to do so. This event is one of our biggest events and we are able to raise and give back a lot of money to help others.
If you haven't cleaned up all your old electronics, old phones, printers, computers, fax machines, modems, etc. the first Friday and Saturday in March are the days you need to be aware of. March 5th & 6th will be clean-up days for a lot of us as the Mariposa County Fairgrounds hosts the bi-annual e-waste cleanup. They will be open from 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM to help you get rid of this junk.
Just around the corner is the Storytelling Festival on March 12th-14th, Friday, Saturday and Sunday with some of the best storytellers around coming here to perform. This is always a great event and supported well by our local community.
Keep an eye on our Community Calendar for a list of current events in our community.
God Bless,
Lester
February 23, 2010
I hope this week finds you well, most of you have probably been engrossed in watching the Winter Olympics in Vancouver B.C. It's always exciting to see our United States athletes do well in competition and bring home the gold to our country. About another week and it will all be history for another four years. Good luck to our men and women! My quick trip to Merced this morning reminded me that spring is just around the corner. The fruit trees are in full blossom and everything is turning green. Spring is truly in the air. Let me remind you to continue to check on our calendar for up-coming events. February and March continue to be busy months in our community. The last weekend in February is our annual Republican Central Committee Dinner at the Fairgrounds. The first weekend in March (5th & 6th) our local Fairgrounds is a place to take all your e-waste to dispose of properly. In mid-March (12th - 14th) we will again welcome the Mariposa Storytelling Festival. On Sunday March 21st you'll have the opportunity to hear a local speaker, Julia Parker, at the Mariposa Museum and History Center as she gives an informative talk on local history. On March 23rd our Business Mixer will be held at the 5th Street Inn, located on, guess where, 5th stre1et in Mariposa! All are invited to attend and let your gracious hosts know how much you appreciate them hosting this event. Next week be sure to look for our first Chamber of Commerce "Blog" question on our website at www.mariposachamber.org. God Bless,
Lester
February 15, 2010
It is always special to recognize an organization that has been around a long time. This month we can recognize the Boy Scouts of America as one organization that has stood the test of time. Incorporated February, 1910 they celebrate 100 years of giving to the community.
Mariposa's own, Stu Tanner is helping to plan an afternoon of activities and recognition of locals involved in Scout functions. Saturday's events begin at noon at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds and the cost of the dinner and festivities is $20.00.
The February 11th edition of the Mariposa Gazette lists many projects that are done locally by Pack 94. They include: Set up/providing water and aid for the Amigo de Oro 5 and 10 mile runs, picking peaches and delivery of them to Manna House, working at the Methodist Church on outside cleanup and installing shelves in the basement for the church.
The Scouts are also involved in picking apples in an old orchard in Lushmeadows for Manna House and bell ringing for the local Salvation Army. These young men are very involved in community work and are being taught to be responsible citizens. Give them your support this weekend and let them know how much you appreciate them.
Reservations need to be made by the 15th of February but Stu Tanner says that late reservations can probably be accommodated. His phone number in Mariposa is 209-966-4664. You are encouraged to attend this celebration and support your local Scouts.
God Bless,
Mr. President
February 9, 2010
I don't know where you were Friday evening but if you were not at the Mariposa County Chamber of Commerce Installation Dinner, you missed a fun, fun time. Seems as if all the who's who in Mariposa were in attendance.
The meeting started with an invocation by Ron Sexton, the Chaplin of the Mariposa County Sherriff's Department and continued with a flag salute involving a standing room only crowd.
Dinner was prepared by the legendary Leo Prelip and his crew and was served by the Four H group from Bootjack, California. What a delightful menu was shared by all and the best part of the program was yet to come.
One of Mariposa's pioneer families, Pearl Williams and sons Trent and Gary, were recognized as our Businesswomen and Businessmen for the year 2009. Family and friends who were in attendance were excited and pleased to see this award presented to this wonderful Mariposa family.
The Mariposa County Fairgrounds, with over 70 years of history, was our Business of the Year. The Fairgrounds has such a wonderful history of providing fun for the whole family, and it has become the center of community activities. Brian Bullis, manages/CEO and staff never tire of helping people have fun at their facility.
The evening progressed with an award given to one of Mariposa's finest gentlemen. Donald Haag, who could not be in attendance, was awarded the "Lifetime Achievement Award" for his contributions to our community. Having been the Businessman of the Year for the years 1995 and 2006, he was clearly deserving of this award.
The gavel was then passed to your new Mariposa County Chamber of Commerce President for 2010 and the people were dismissed.
February 2, 2010
With our annual Recognition Dinner just days away, excitement is mounting for this historical event. You, as members, have not only chosen some wonderful individuals and businesses, but you have selected a family that well deserves it.
Friday night we will recognize the Williams family as our Businesswoman and Businessmen for 2009. What a wonderful honor that is so well deserved by these people.
If you have been in the community long, you will have crossed paths with Pearl, Trent or Gary Williams. They are always out and about, involved in many Mariposa functions.
You have also chosen as the Business of the Year, the Mariposa County Fairgrounds, who are also much deserving of this special honor. Led by the ambitious and hard working Manager and CEO Brian Bullis, he and his staff are always up to the task of making your fairgrounds visit a first-class event.
Thanks to all of you who participated in the voting process as you are the reason that we can recognize these wonderful people. You are also able to vote on-line for the Business of the Month through the Chambers web site. Your vote counts.
God bless,
Lester
January 25, 2010
Greetings to all of you on this wet and rainy Monday, good things are on the horizon.
Peter Schimmelfennig, your Executive Director and I spent the morning in a meeting sponsored by the U.S.D.A. Rural Development. We and a group of about 12 others were able to share our concerns and possible solutions to our on-going financial crisis.
When I returned home, early afternoon, I received a call from a local Supervisor. She asked about possible business concerns I/we might have for our local businesses. This is a good thing!
We as business owners don't have all the answers, but we can sure share our concerns with our local and state lawmakers. I believe that they are listening to us as they too search for answers to our business struggles. Thank you Board of Supervisors for your concern and due diligence in addressing these needs. You are doing a great job!
As we head into some slow months for our business and probably yours also, let's all support each other and weather the storm together. We all are in the same boat...right?
With our state budget in crisis and our Fed's not anxious to help our state out, we can be thankful to the tourists and other travelers who have chosen to see Yosemite via Mariposa. Our Park continues to draw a crowd and we can be recipients of their travel dollars.
Let's continue to service our customers as they have never been serviced before!
God Bless
January 20, 2010
As the rain continues to fall in Mariposa, let us count our many blessings. We will be glad we got all this rain come summer.
With the Recognition Dinner just around the corner, final preparations are being put in place for the festivities. When the votes are all tallied you will have chosen The Business Man of the Year, The Business Woman of the Year and The Business of the Year.
These people are to be honored in this community. These awards don't come without a whole lot of work on their part. They, in their businesses, are the ones who work for you to better serve you! This comes with a great deal of sacrifice on their parts. Let them know how much you appreciate them.
I didn't share with you all the innovative ideas that came out of our get-together on January 9th, but the Chamber has a whole lot of great and fun projects in the works. We want people to have a reason to come to Mariposa and spend some time here enjoying our small town.
The Chamber continues to work for you and if you have any wonderful or unique ideas for activities, please let me/us know.
I hear through the grapevine that we might have our very own blog in the very near future.
January 12, 2010
Here it is the second week of the year and I'll bet that a lot of you have already broken some of your new year's resolutions? They say that New Year's resolutions are made only to be broken, right? Just kidding...
We welcome a full staff of Directors and look forward to a real working Board. For those of you who attended our staff get together at Jan Mennig's house, did we have fun or what? We ate some excellent food, thanks to each of you, and enjoyed some steak that was to die for. (Thank you Peter)
Not only was the food great, the energy level was high and suggestions for 2010 fund raisers were second to none. Expect a call from your new Board as we get going this year and please get involved.
Have you ever spit a watermelon seed? Yes, I asked, have you ever spit a watermelon seed? Don't be surprised if you see a contest to see who can spit one the furthest. How about wrestled a greased pig in the mud? How about singing karaoke in downtown Mariposa on 6th Street?
We're really not crazy. We're just trying to get the community involved and excited about being a little crazy. Get involved. Stay tuned. Mr. Prez
January 4, 2010
As I begin my new term I'd like to greet you all with, "Happy New Year". I hope that this year will bring prosperity and peace to you and your families.
I would like to welcome our new officers for the 2010 term and also thank them for serving their community.
Dianne Fritz will be serving as our Treasurer for the New Year. Heidi Nelson will be serving as our Member at Large. Jan Mennig has agreed to serve "when he is in town" as our Parliamentarian for 2010. MaryAnn Huff, our past President, will continue to serve as a Director on our Board for the next year. Thank you MaryAnn for all your hard work these last 2 ½ years.
We also welcome our new board for 2010. In alphabetical order we have: Tolley Gorham of Mariposa Rental Properties, Stephen Huff of Huff Electric, Bob Kirchner a local volunteer and coordinator of TVYFL Football, Rick Lobaugh, President of Inter County Title Company of Mariposa, Kit O'Shell of TKO Travel, Phil Stepp of Ponderosa Auto Dismantling and Pat Wight your local Farmer's Insurance Agent.
A big thanks to all of you for your commitment to serve the Community of Mariposa in 2010 by serving as Directors on the Mariposa County Chamber of Commerce!
Now, let me introduce myself, as your new President. I am Lester Bridges, a resident of Mariposa since 1962. I have been on the Chamber Board for over 12 years and have served in almost every office. Now I am excited about filling the position of President of the Mariposa County Chamber of Commerce for 2010.
I have been in business in Mariposa since 1968 when I went to work for NAPA Auto Parts currently located on Coakley Circle in Mariposa. With my son's permission, I have semi-retired and will spend my extra time working for the Chamber of Commerce and being available to help each of you when I am needed. My home phone number is 209-966-2833 and my cell phone number is 209-769-3304. Call if I can be of assistance to you. My e-mail address is 2bridges@sti.net
As our Board of Directors continues to expand we will keep you updated of the new Directors coming on.
Happy New Year,
Lester Bridges
