INSIDE

2002 Year In Review
Point Roberts Chamber of Commerce

By Terrie LaPorte

We kicked off the year with our first ever Christmas Contest/Festival of Lights. We had lots of entries and were pleased to award the top three selections with cash awards.

We hosted a very successful fund raising spring social at the marina and our Fourth of July parade and family festivities at Lighthouse Park. We were honored to have governor Gary Locke here for a public meeting. We hosted a number of interesting and varied public speakers at our luncheons.
This year, we also developed a new website with our own registered domain, hosted by Whidbey Telephone Company. Many thanks to Jen and Gary Kunze for their many hours and their efforts in keeping us updated through our website.

On several occasions at luncheons and public evening meeting sessions, we met with INS to discuss the implementation of NEXUS for Point Roberts and tried to find solutions to our border issues. Because of the new heightened border security the chamber developed an advertising campaign with the Surrey Leader newspaper for public awareness and border-related policies. We were able to assist our large animal community in acquiring veterinary and farrier services after the regulation changes as a result of September 11.

We were proud to participate in the Dollars for Scholars program where Heather McPhee presented Kyle Teutsch with the chamber’s $500 scholarship for outstanding academic achievement and community involvement.

We worked with the county establishing encroachment permits for the three chamber directional signs located along Tyee Drive and worked with the golf course enabling the fourth in the series of directional signs to be placed at Gulf and Marine drives.

Efforts to bring a pier to Point Roberts continue. Phases I and II which consisted of the feasibility study and biological assessment are complete. The pier committee has completed a petition for the formation of a special recreation district. We are seeking to be placed on the next ballot for a special tax to cover operational and maintenance costs once a pier is constructed. The next step is to find funds for engineering drawings. The pier committee intends to ask the rural sales tax council for these funds.
Five editions of the Chamber News were sent to all chamber members this year. Numerous tourist information and relocation packages were mailed out in response to enquiries received on our chamber information line as well as communication received by email through our website. All of the above are examples of your volunteers hard at work for the community. These were our successes.

With the effects of September 11, this year has been a particularly challenging one. All of our businesses suffered and some did not survive. Some of the areas where we were not as effective: Our tourist information booth needs a greater volunteer base although Henry does a great job and is much appreciated. We need to find someone who will manage this and come up with a better plan to service our tourist flow on a consistent basis through the summer. We were not successful in convincing INS that our needs were seasonal. We only needed the additional staffing between July and September, and efforts to cover specific dates worked against us. We shall have the same problems next year unless the NEXUS system is opened further to accommodate our frequent border commuters and ease the flow of traffic in and out of the Point in our seasonal high during the summer.

Retiring directors are Peter Fraser, Terrie LaPorte and Galen Irwin. It is now time for a new board of directors to take you into the new year. New blood brings enthusiasm and great ideas. As a collective group, the chamber of commerce does have a voice for the business community. The chamber has been effective and we thank those involved who have assisted.

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