Sodus Chamber of Commerce meeting

When the Sodus Town Chamber of Commerce met earlier this month, in attendance were:

Jim Hopkins, Mary Jane Mumby, Richard Sina, Carole Snyder, Mary Cook, Janie Hyland, Griff Mangan, Jim Colucci, John Catlin, Paul Saracen, Sandi Saracen, Belinda McElroy, Tracey Fox, and Guest Speaker David Neal.

Members discussed several matters, including:

Citizen of the Year - Fifteen letters of nomination have been received. A list of past recipients was handed out. The nomination committee of Mary Cook, Richard Sina and William Stirling will review the letters and select the winner. Mary Cook will arrange to get the large plaque from the Town Hall, and an individual plaque for the winner. The committee will also prepare a biography for the winner.

Dinner tickets are $20 each, and by advance sale only. Tickets are available from Mary Jane Mumby and at the Fox Law Office. Mayor Cook has agreed to be master of ceremonies, and the Rev. Ralph Deen-Clingan will lead the prayer.

Membership - Tracey Fox handed out a list of members who have paid their dues as of March 1. As set forth in the past several meeting notices, members who have paid their dues by this date will be listed in the banquet program.

Proposed Letter To Governor - Prior to the last Chamber meeting, Agnes Hawley had suggested that the Chamber send a letter to Governor George Pataki requesting a meeting. There was discussion of what to include in the letter; what forum could be provided to the Governor; mentioning that the recipient of the Governor's 1999 AgriTourism Award is located in Sodus (Alasa Farms); and proposing Sodus as a stop on any future trip the Governor may be making. The issue was tabled until after we receive further information on the 'Your Town' Study Program.

'Your Town' Study Program - A recent newspaper article on the 'Your Town' study program was discussed. According to the article, Sodus will be a pilot project for this program. Wayne County Planning Director Sharon Lilla is the program coordinator. Janie Hyland will contact Lilla to see if she is available to speak at the May 4 meeting.

Sodus Garden Club - The Chamber received a thank you from the Sodus Garden Club for the donation made last fall. These funds were used to purchase plants that the Garden Club planted around the new 'Welcome to Sodus' sign.

Telephone - There was discussion of the Chamber having a phone number. Belinda McElroy told about the phone arrangements for the Great Sodus Bay Association, which has a local number, an 800 number, and a web page. She advised that the current cost of their phone is $5 - $10 monthly. Previously, Raymond Seppeler had proposed the availability of a Chamber phone through Sun Rad. Mary Jane Mumby suggested a cellular phone, which could be connected to an answering machine or voice mail. She also suggested members taking turns and sharing the responsibility of answering the phone. Members discussed the need for education and information for the persons answering the phone, so that they can accurately answer questions regarding businesses, travel time, local attractions, etc.

Future Meetings - There will be no regular April meeting. The next meeting is the Citizen of the Year Banquet, scheduled for Tuesday April 11 at the Normandy Inn. Social Hour is at 6 p.m. and dinner is at 7. The next regular meeting will be on Thursday, May 4, at 6 p.m. at Nick's Restaurant.

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