INSIDE

Point Roberts Chamber of Commerce

By Terrie LaPorte

After last year’s election, we set to work to rebuild confidence in the chamber. Our goals were to increase membership, work towards the pier project and to do substantial advertising off the Point to draw visitors and businesses alike.

Activities for the chamber in the past year included:

December: Social at Brewster’s on December 11 where we raised $685 and food donations for the food bank. A great success which was repeated this year on December 3 at Dockside Cafe. A group also attended county council chambers via our WTA bus for ratification of the Special Parks & Recreation Service Area as a result of our pier financing ballot.

January: We attended Point Roberts golf course; speaker Toby Johnson of SHEBA, a state health advisory board discussed medical coverage options. Off the Point, Deb Hart of Northwest Permits & Terrie LaPorte attended a grant writing seminar held in Mount Vernon to seek possibilities for funding our pier project.

February: We held an FDA work session at the community center with regards to the new food regulations and our luncheon was at Dockside Cafe with a cross border topic where guest speakers included: Murray Lott, Gary Shearer and Dr. Earl Nind, all of Tsawwassen Rotary. Joan Roberts, Carol Fowler and Terrie LaPorte also attended the Canadian consulate office to discuss regulations affecting our cross border goods entering into the Point.

March: Saw us at Whalen’s Restaurant with Derek Westfall of the Canadian consulate general office and Jasper MacSlarrow from U.S. Representative’s Rick Larsen’s office discussing border issues.

April: We voted for a change of topics and elected for light-hearted comedy relief at the Reef with comedian Billy Mitchell.

May: Our annual spring social fundraiser event at the Dockside Cafe saw us all dressed in 60s theme with some of us being unrecognizable. It was a great success raising additional working funds. Our thanks to businesses on both sides of the border for their generous donations for our raffle and silent auction.

June: Saw us again at a luncheon at Brewster’s where a small group gathered but our guest speaker was unable to attend. Our tourist information booth opened once again.

July: We held our annual Fourth of July parade, one of our best. With 43 registrations prior to parade day, it was a record. We also held our luncheon at Lighthouse Park, catered by Steve O’Neill of the Dockside Cafe where we presented an appreciation award to Andy Anderson of Rick Larsen’s office for his unending support for projects on the Point. We also had an introduction to judge Chuck Snyder, where he talked about very interesting youth programs that he is involved in. At that luncheon, Caroline Bremner from Wellbrook Wines of Delta also joined us to give us a report on the new venture off Highway 10 and distributed a very delicious supply of blueberries for us to take home with us.

August: Christopher Keys, editor of Whatcom County Business Pulse magazine gave us an update and a commitment to do one issue a year on Point Roberts. Keith Johnson of NASE presented options in health care coverage for business. On August 17, we also hosted a town meeting with congressman Rick Larsen. Our National Geographic article was finally published.

September: Warren Roberts hosted a summer wind up barbecue social at Oceanside Apartments. September 10 saw the closing of the tourist booth. Henry Rosenthal volunteered 404 hours alone that benefited our food bank.

October: Our luncheon at Brewster’s enabled us to meet Art Thomas who was seeking election to the charter review. We also had a discussion about the pros and cons of fireworks for the upcoming Fourth of July in 2005. Even the show of hands at our AGM indicated that the majority of people are in favor of some kind of fireworks display for the Fourth.

November: Our AGM with election of officers and our food bank fundraiser social on December 3 to promote generosity for those less fortunate, especially at the festive time of the year.

Throughout the year, the chamber also maintains information on our website which links all members from our site to theirs, answers telephone calls and inquiries and does mail outs and newsletters. We hold our monthly director’s meeting the last Tuesday of each month and are very fortunate to have the use of the local community center for these meetings.

Our advertising initiatives this year included: Our local map initiative with the All Point Bulletin, Kitsap News, the Georgia Straight, Whatcom Visitors Bureau publication, Whatcom County Events Calendar and membership with the Bellingham Whatcom County Convention & Visitors Bureau which distributes our literature. We maintain the Welcome to Point Roberts signage at the entrance to the Point and as each new business joins they are given an option to have their name listed. We have a liaison membership with the Delta Chamber of Commerce and Tsawwassen business associations and have representatives who attend the 2010 Olympic planning committee. This is the progressive networking and chamber on the job program that we have initiated to gain our business’ confidence.

The chamber directors have been very busy representing you in issues that affect all of us in our community. We shall continue to raise awareness about the Point and be positive in our approach to problem solving. We thank you for your continued support.