The Chamber Beat

Photo:

John Williams

Register your float right now for the 37th Annual Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade which will start at the head of Main Street in Norway on Saturday, November 24 at 11 a.m.

It’s Maine’s largest Christmas parade and this year we have the United States Naval Precision Rifle Team performing in the parade along with numerous mascots, the Kora Shriners Log Rollers, bands, choruses, and personalities from around the region. This year’s theme is “Characters & Critters,” so have fun.

And our 2nd Annual Festival Of Trees from the Four Seasons Conference & Function Center in South Paris is also on the agenda for the entire weekend after Thanksgiving, from the 23rd to the 25th and we’ll kick it off with the Chamber Annual Holiday Open House Friday evening from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

You can have a tree in the Festival Of Trees at no charge. Just go to our website for all the details at www.oxfordhillsmaine.com and you can download a parade and/or a Festival Of Trees registration or pick one up at the Chamber office at 4 Western Avenue in South Paris.

I’d like to reach out and thank Bill Ryan for all of the effort he has put into Oxford Plains Speedway since acquiring Maine’s largest track and outdoor facility 14 years ago. Literally hundreds of thousands of fans have attended races and other events at the Plains since Bill took over ownership.

We hope that Tom Mayberry, president of the Pro All-Star Touring Series, will continue the tradition of providing the fans of racing here in the Oxford Hills and beyond, a quality product that has enhanced our area economically and brought a greater awareness of the superb facility that we have the privilege of calling our own.

The next Business Roundtable, sponsored by SCORE and the Chamber, will be held Thursday, October 18 at the Norway Town Office from 7:45 to 9 a.m., and is titled “Identity Theft: How it affects you, your family and your business.”

Identity theft has exploded into a serious national problem. Not only do businesses suffer direct loss due to this crime, but inadequate security and poor business practices may open a company up to liability suits, fines and loss of clientele.

A company must take steps to protect the confidential information of it’s customers. There are steps that a company can take to minimize the risk and so SCORE and the Chamber are pleased to present Regina Krause, a principal at Northeast Risk Management Services, who will lead a discussion about this increasingly invasive problem. Don’t miss it.

You can register online through SCORE or call the SCORE office at 743-0499 or the Chamber office at 743-2281. All of the monthly Business Roundtables are free of charge.

And coming up in November SCORE and the Chamber are bringing Rich Brooks from Flyte New Media back to our area to talk about mobile marketing and how Facebook really works for small business. The tentative date is November 18 with more details to come.

Finally, Best Western Hotels will be in the Oxford Hills on October 30 to meet with Building Solutions USA of Oxford and the Chamber of Commerce to check on possible sites for one of its facilities. We’ll keep you posted.

If you need information on services in the Oxford Hills then look no further then our website which has a comprehensive listing of virtually any product or service you can imagine. In addition we now have an interactive selection of maps where you can click onto flags that will bring you to businesses and their locations under specific categories like: Accommodations, Restaurants, Retail Outlets and coming soon Real Estate Agencies.

And our information center at 4 Western Avenue is loaded with a bevy of information on all of the Members of the Chamber and the products and services that they provide.

As always, the Chamber is on top of business throughout the Oxford Hills – are you a Chamber member yet? It’s easy, just call us at the office and speak with Jennifer or myself and we’ll sign you up. I'll see you next week.