GBACC NEWSLETTER

SEPTEMBER 2007

If you do the best you can, you will find, nine times out of ten, that you have done as well as or better than anyone else. -- William Feather

The next monthly membership meeting of the Greater Brunswick Area Chamber of Commerce will be held at 7:30 AM on Wednesday, September 5th at the Green Country Inn, located at 620 Souder Road. The featured speaker will be John Beck of KCH Business Solutions. His topic: Is your business getting a steady stream of referrals day in and day out from others? If not, does your business have a proactive referral generating system in place? If you don’t, you could be losing out on an easy way to grow your business, without spending a fortune on advertising dollars. Mr. Beck will be talking about an easy 4-step formula for getting more referrals for your business. After the meeting, you should have realized new ideas that you could implement immediately and ‘grow’ your business beyond the investment that normal advertising dollars would achieve.

The "Spotlight" Speaker will be a Sherri Wright of Book Crossing. The meeting will begin at 7:30 AM with networking, light breakfast, followed by the business meeting; the guest speakers will follow the meeting.

The Business Card Exchange in September will be held on Thursday, September 20th from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Book Crossing, located at 2 East Potomac Street in downtown Brunswick. Enjoy networking, light refreshments and door prizes. For more information call Book Crossing at 301-834-5577 or contact Jerry Knight at 301-834-5774 or email him at either: cripplecreek2@verizon.net or www.gbacc.net

Monthly membership business meetings will be held on the first Wednesday of the month at the Green Country Inn, 620 Souder Road, unless otherwise designated. Each month, the meetings will alternate between morning and evening. See the web web site for times.

GBACC NEWS:

The GBACC General Business Meeting was held at theGreen Country Inn on July 11th at 7:30 AM. Carey Perkins and Naomi Everett of Pixie Dust were the "Spotlight Speakers". Carey and Naomi explained how their business works and announced they would be hosting the August Business Card Exchange on August 23rd. Everyone present enjoyed featured speaker Chris Olson, of the Frederick Small Business Development Center. His topics were the Small Business Development Center business training and confidential business counseling (all for free); The Frederick Entrepreneur Support Network, an organization of business support organizations in Frederick Country; and the Frederick County Small Business Loan Fund which lends up to $50,000 to worthy Frederick County Businesses.

The August Greater Brunswick Area Chamber of Commerce (GBACC) Business Card Exchange was on August 23rd at Pixie Dust, a children’s boutique and consignment shop in downtown Brunswick. Members enjoyed networking in this very friendly establishment. Members and guests were surrounded by an array of children’s toys and clothing. The winners of the door prizes were Karl Brink of Connie Phillips Insurance who won a gift certificate from the Brunswick Wellness Center; Mary Nix won a Main Street water bottle; Louise Lynn of Louise R. Lynn Floral Designer (a guest of Beth from Stone Manor) won a gift bag from Head to Toe Salon; Julie Sauinier of Treasures to Warm the Heart won a Main Street water bottle; Jerry Knight of Cripple Creek Antiques won a gift bag from Head to Toe Salon; Kitty Nalewaik of Gallery in the Woods won a gift certificate from Pixie Dust; Oneida Heffner of H&R Block won a candle selection from Connie Phillips Insurance and Traci Giganti of Book Crossing won the stuffed Aflac Duck.

The next GBACC Business Card Exchange will be 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, Thursday, September 20th at Book Crossing, 2 West Potomac Street in Brunswick. Connie Phillips Insurance, Inc. will sponsor the refreshments. Join fellow business owners for networking, door prizes and refreshments.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:

Bobby Chow – Emerald Garden Chinese Cook House 09/03

Dawn Page – Offutt, Horman & Burdette 09/03

Geri Reynolds – City Events Coordinator 09/05

Ayala Sherbow – Greater Goods 09/14

William Warren – Emmanuel Computer Consulting 09/24

If your name is not mentioned in this column during your birth month please contact me so it can be added to our GBACC Birthday list.

GBACC SEPTEMBER BUSINESS OF THE MONTH

AFLAC

Aflac’s Mission:

"To combine innovative strategic marketing with quality products and services at competitive prices to provide the best insurance value for customers."

Mary Nix is the quality service provider for AFLAC. Your business payroll slot is the catalyst for your employee’s individual policies for income, asset, and lifestyle protection. This is at no extra cost to the employer, and the employee receives group rates and pre-taxing capability. I provide the service; if there are any questions about the policies, I can be contacted to answer those questions and to help with claims.

Mary, representing AFLAC, has been a member of GBACC since April 2007 and has attended most of the GBACC events since she joined. We look forward to having AFLAC and Mary as a member of GBACC for a long time in the future. You will find AFLAC’s listing in the GBACC Web Directory.

NEWS AROUND THE AREA:

On Thursday, September 29th 7pm to 8pm. ..Catch the Murder Express. This will debut our Monthly Murder Mystery Club. Each month will feature a different mystery author. Join us as Book Crossing, where mystery writers and readers can come together to meet, chat, and discuss our love for suspense and intrigue.

Guest author for September: Lauren Carr, A Reunion to Die For and A Small Case of Murder. 7 to 8pm. Open late for those late commuter train riders.

We send our condolences to Charlie Summer of Stauffer Funeral Home on the loss of his father.

Join Total Basket Cases for a SPECTACULAR SEPTEMBER! On Tuesday, Sept 11th from 6:30-8:30 TBC will have their monthly TUESDAY NIGHT TRUNK TREASURES.... a fantastic ladies' night filled with food, fun, and friends while enjoying the first peak of tremendous FALL FINDS by our Merry Band of Basketeers! THEN, on Saturday, September 29th join TBC and ALL OF LOVETTSVILLE for OKTOBERFEST-----a super day featuring sales throughout the store.... refreshments.... and fun! Call (540) 822-9415 for more details or visit the website at www.totalbasketcases.com

From Bethany Lutheran Church:

We are pleased to welcome our newest Vicar, Terry McCarthy, who comes to us as part of his degree completion for his Master in Divinity. He is studying at the Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary.

His wife Susan has completed her degree and is currently the Pastor for Benders Evangelical Lutheran Church in Biglerville, PA. They live in Gettysburg with their infant son Luke.

Please join us at 10:15 am on any Sunday for Worship with Holy Communion. Come meet Vicar Terry and welcome him to the wonderful, loving community here in Brunswick.

Karin Birch Exhibition

Brunswick and New York

Brunswick artist Karin Birch has been selected by the Museum of Arts & Design in New York City to exhibit one of her fiber art works as part of an exhibition of “Extreme Embroidery.” The show will highlight experimental work by emerging and established international artists and designers using embroidery techniques. The New York exhibition dates are November 8th through February 2008. Birch will exhibit a work titled Broken Time.

Birch’s fiber art and paintings are exhibiting locally at Sundance Art & Frame in downtown Brunswick. Her Peace Prayers exhibit is now on display and runs through Sept. 22nd. Meet Karin during First Friday in Brunswick on Sept. 7th from 6-9 pm at Sundance.

Karin Birch has exhibited her work both nationally and internationally while maintaining a studio and residence in Brunswick. She incorporates hand-stitched embroidery, glass seed beads and paint to create unusual works that have achieved critical acclaim. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art in Washington and the Boston Museum of Fine Art. The title for the Brunswick show, “Peace Prayers,” refers to a series of small paintings on canvas and linen that are made to look like distressed fabric. For the artist, the repetitious patterns are like meditative prayers.

Sundance Art & Frame is located at 18 W. Potomac Street. For more information about the Brunswick exhibit, call Diane Ellis at 301-834-7904

Editor’s note: If you have any positive news about our area, drop me a line and I will include it in this space

NEWS FROM THE MEMBERSHIP:

David Swope of Trailside Outfitters advises the membership that September is "Scouting Month" for new recruits. David would like you to know they are stocked and ready for all Cub Scout and Boy Scout needs: uniforms, patches, literature, handbooks, etc.

Carey Perkins and Naomi Everett from Pixie Dust, 5 West Potomac Street, are having a "Rainbow" sale throughout the month of September. They invite you to come on in for a visit!

Head to Toes Salon would like to welcome any GBACC members to visit and receive 10% off any service. We have just introduced acrylic nails to our services. Come for a relaxing massage from Leigh Ann our massage therapist. Our products include Calming Facials featuring Bio-Elements. Yes, these are for the gentlemen, too.

Karl Brink announces a Connie Phillips Insurance Free Seminar. A free seminar on Elder Law, Medicaid and Long Term Care will be presented at Dutch’s Daughter Restaurant. The buffet dinner will begin at 5:30 pm, followed by the seminar at 6:00 pm. The dates are September 12th , October 23rd, and November 14th. Please contact Karl at 301-662-5717 for more information and/or reservations.

Total Basket Cases in Lovettsville is pleased to announce the addition of our newest Basketeer----Jeannette Valentini! Jeannette comes to TBC after a 3-year tenure with Toll Brothers, Inc. She is the new Regional Sales Director for Prince William and Fauquier Counties in Virginia, and will focus on corporate accounts and business building opportunities.

Bethany Lutheran Church in Brunswick will hold their Annual Rally Day Celebration on Sunday, September 16th, at 9am to kick off the Sunday School year. Classes for all ages will be available. This year’s theme is prayer. Everyone in the Brunswick community is invited and encouraged to attend. The events will include a prayer walk for all ages in the neighborhood surrounding the church here at First and A Streets and learning activities for all generations. Whether someone is 3 years old or 103 years old, they will be able to learn, pray and worship together.

In addition, Bethany will install their new intern, Vicar Terry McCarthy, for the coming year during the Worship Service. Come and meet Vicar Terry and his family, and give him a warm Brunswick welcome.

The purpose of the celebration this day and of the activities of the coming year is for Bethany to become connected ever more closely with the greater Brunswick Community, and for all of the members of the community to become connected with not only the programs at Bethany but with the love and support offered by the members of Bethany Lutheran Church. Please join us for this special day beginning at 9 am at Rally Day and then a Service of Worship and Holy Communion at 10:15 am, with a fellowship time following the worship service.

Please call the church if you have any further questions, 301-834-8003.

We welcome the following new members to GBACC:

(Check the web directory for more information about our new members)

Almost everyone in the Brunswick area is familiar with Niningers Tire and Auto Center. They have been serving the area since 1977. GBACC is very happy to have Niningers as a new member.

Greater Good is located in Lovettsville and owned by Ayala Sherbow. If you are looking for earth friendly goods for home, body, office or garden drop by an introduce yourself. Welcome to GBACC Ayala! We look forward to having you as a GBACC Member.

Upward Enterprises Inc. is a unique new GBACC Member. Upward Enterprises Uses adventure programs as a vehicle for experiential learning, UEI specializes in ropes challenge courses and portable low ropes programs along with rock climbing and caving. UEI serves a wide variety of clients such as small business, schools and universities, sports teams, camps, corporations and private organizations. Welcome to GBACC Upward Enterprises!

It is with great pleasure that we welcome The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm as a new GBACC member. This wonderful restaurant specializes in fabulous cuisine and provides a spectacular view.

The Fraternal Order of Eagles #1136 Ladies Auxiliary is a welcome addition to GBACC. I am sure everyone in the Brunswick area is aware of what a wonderful job this organization does in our community.

If you have every visited Total Basket Cases you know what a friendly business Kristine Condie has in Lovettsville. We are very happy to welcome Kristine and Total Basket Cases to GBACC.

SEPTEMBER EVENTS:

FIRST FRIDAY – "The Great Outdoors" will be held on September 7 from 5:00 to 9:00 pm – Featuring outdoor activities and outfitter demos. Weekend "Winedown" at 2 East Potomac Street (across from Square Corner Park). Join in the fun for live music, local wine, microbrew beer and FUN! $3.00cover provides shaded area and seating to enjoy music. You must be 21 and over to participate in this portion of the activities. Shane Gamble will provide the music from 6:00 to 9:00 pm.

September 1, 2007 Potomac Street Mile – Run to revitalize Historic Brunswick, MD. Registration 8:30 am, Novice Race/walk – 9:15 am, Youth Race 9:45 am and Women’s and Men’s Open is at 10:00 am. Registration will be at Square Corner Park on the corner of Maple and Potomac Streets in Brunswick. For more information please call 301-834-8045, 301-834-5591 or email www.brunswickmainstreet.org

BOOK CROSSING EVENTS: Check their website at www.thebookcrossing.biz for all their upcoming events.

For a complete listing of BEANS IN THE BELFRY EVENTS, please access their website www.beansinthebelfry.com

MARK YOUR CALENDAR, UPCOMING EVENTS:

MORE DETAILS WILL BE ANNOUNCED LATER ON THE FOLLWING EVENTS:

October 6th and 7th – Brunswick Railroad Days – Variety of street and stage entertainment, craft show, train rides, car, truck and motorcycle show and lots of activities for all ages. GBACC will have an information table across from Cripple Creek Antiques

Thursday, October 25th – The October Halloween Business Card Exchange with the Lovettsville Business Association at the Brunswick Eagles Club

Saturday, October 27th the Brunswick Halloween Block Party – Enjoy fun at the Square Corner Park from 7 pm to 10pm. There will be a live band with games and projects for the children. Also it is the Trick or Treat Night. Roam the streets of Brunswick with ghosts and ghouls from 6 pm to 8 pm. The shops on Potomac will pass out treats at their storefronts.

November – The Business Card Exchange will be at Blue Ridge Floor and Tile in Jefferson.

December 13th – The Business Card Exchange will be at Stone Manor in conjunction with the Lovettsville Business Association.

January 24, 2008 Thursday – The Second Annual GBACC Award Dinner