Chamber eNews June 2009

It’s tourist season! If Memorial Day weekend gives us an indication of things to come, 2009 should be a good year for tourism in Fannin County. The Blue Ridge Mountain Arts Association reported a banner year for Arts in the Park and the Scenic Railway had more than 400 walk-up customers that weekend. The Chamber website had more than 50,000 visitors and 544 e-mail requests in May. With tourism remaining steady, there are signs that the overall economy is beginning to improve. Sign up for our Chamber Membership Lunch on June 10th to learn about some of the new developing projects on our community’s horizon.

Membership Lunch June 10
Features Community Update
Make your reservations today for the Chamber’s quarterly Membership Lunch “Community Update” on June 10 at Appalachian Community Bank. The lunch will feature a panel of speakers who will discuss development projects in Fannin County, including the new Blue Ridge riverfront development update; Blue Ridge Golf and River Club progress report; and the Lake Blue Ridge TVA Dam project preliminary plans. Cost of the lunch is $12. Call 706-632-5680 to RSVP.

Membership Picnic June 16
One of the Chamber’s most popular events, the Annual Membership Picnic, will take place on June 16 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Horseshoe Bend Park. Cost of the picnic is $12 for adults and $5 for kids. Music will once again be provided by Lisa Jacobi’s band, Steel String Session. Bring a lawn chair or a quilt and enjoy a great barbeque dinner and toe tappin’ music by the river. For reservations, call 706-632-5680.

Open House June 30th
Visit our new Welcome Center and Chamber of Commerce during our Open House on June 30 from 1 to 6 p.m. We’re so proud of our beautiful new facility and want to share it with all our members. Refreshments will be served and there will be lots of door prizes and surprises. The new facility is located right off of Hwy. 515 behind CVS Pharmacy. We’re on top of the hill in the new building. Also located in our building are the offices of Amanda Mercier and David Ralston, Blue Ridge Insurance, and Edward Jones. The new Blue Ridge Post Office is in construction nearby and should open in August.

Great Response to New Classes
The response to business classes offered by the Chamber in our new conference room has been great. 35 people attended the SCORE Internet Marketing class held in May. The two North Georgia Tech courses on Quickbooks and Web Design are both full. Look for more courses in the fall after the summer tourist season.

New Publications Underway
Chamber publications are in the process of being updated. The New’s Observer’s “Information Please,” containing our member directory, is now available, as well as the new Fannin County map. The new visitor guide is currently being printed, as are our self-guided tours. You can see the new updated versions of the self-guided tours on our website. Ads are currently being sold for the new Fannin County Guide, jointly sponsored by the Fannin County Development Authority every two years. For information about purchasing an ad in the guide, call Heidi Watts at the Chamber, 706-632-5680 or on her cell phone at 678-575-9526.

Streetscape Ribbon Cutting
The Chamber’s membership services committee and ambassadors held a ribbon cutting in May to celebrate the new City of Blue Ridge Streetscape on East Main Street. The second phase of the streetscape is planned to begin in January along West Main Street. There are opportunities to become part of the legacy of Blue Ridge by purchasing a brick, a bench or a tree for the new project. Bricks are $50, trees are $250 and benches are $1,100 each. If you are interested, contact the City of Blue Ridge at 706-632-2091. You can view plans of the next phase of the streetscape at City Hall.

Short Subjects …

* Congratulations to Mountain Valley Motors and the Terminator Pest Control. Both businesses are celebrating their 20th year in business this month.

* Congratulations to our Ambassador of the Month, Ken Williams, Kiwanis of Blue Ridge.