July 2014 Newsletter - Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce

700 Main Street, Sebastian, FL 32958
(772) 589-5969
www.SebastianChamber.com
July 2014 Issue
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Lin Kocher—LOGO.Sew LLC
Being a home based company which prohibits employees; I have
formed a cooperative arrangement with one of Randy’s former
business associates, Jennifer Wilke-Banta of Sticky Frog Signs &
Screen-printing in Troy, Alabama (formerly of Vero Beach). We
have utilized this cooperative agreement to obtain very advantageous purchasing power with excellent vendors for garments and
other accessories (catalogues available ~ request yours now). We
use our complimenting business capabilities to support each other.
Jennifer does our screen printing and signs and we do her embroidery and sublimation. We are hands on which allows us to fulfill
customers’ needs here and in Troy, Alabama only so we can maintain control from order to delivery. When you deal with us, you deal
with family with a long tradition of home-town customer service.
Hello, my name is Lin Kocher founder and owner of LOGO.Sew LLC.
LOGO.Sew is a full service home-based embroidery business.
I can help you with graphic design, obtain great pricing on garments and
accessories, do the required digitizing and sew outs on my three 15thread state of the art commercial embroidery machines.
I have always loved sewing, so in addition to embroidery, I am
able to offer minor repair and alteration services. My interest in
embroidery began when I attended trade shows with my husband who owned Randy’s Trophies and Tees in Sebastian for
nearly 20 years. Now he is my only employee and his expertise
and vast experience is a valuable asset which I utilize often. We
are well into our second year of business and the addition of
sublimation will help us to continue offering customers alternative
decorating ideas. As Randy first said to me 20 plus years ago
“what better way can you help someone promote their club,
cause or business with such a minor investment on their part
since everyone wearing your logo or message is a walking advertisement for you.” We are very pleased with our customer
reactions to our services.
Sublimation is a way to print garments and accessories made
possible with the great improvements made to polyester performance wear which has qualities such as moisture wicking and
UV protection which is perfect for our Florida climate. Its application is limited however to white or light colored garments.
Sublimation is perfect for those special photos of family, pets or
even a trophy fish you may catch. The fact that sublimation is
ideal for small quantity garment application made it a wonderful
fit for our business.
I realized going into this business that our competition would be the
internet and marketing brokers who in many cases are not handson but simply place orders to third party suppliers for large jobs.
However, I am willing to take the risk that people appreciate doing
business directly. Our customers have face to face contact with
those actually performing the service and we can react quickly and
efficiently to the customers changing business requirements.
My philosophy is that no job is too big or too small. We have successfully completed every order we have received on time and
have achieved great response and compliments from our customers. Another of my philosophies is to make it a point to do all we
can to help local non-profits, veterans and kids programs as
Randy did in his 20 years while in the garment and accessory
personalization business.
I am extremely excited and proud of LOGO.Sew and will do all I
can to stay on the leading edge of personalized garments and
accessories to provide your business, non-profits or clubs.
Our association with the Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce dates back to when Randy first joined in 1995. I look forward to continuing this association for a long time since I feel the
Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce affords a business
great networking opportunity and helps keep its members informed on what is going on in our extended area.
I have enjoyed being a Sebastian resident for over 25 years. Its
people are special as is our beautiful waterfront community. I am
grateful to all those who have supported my venture. Thank you.
Lin Kocher, LOGO.Sew LLC, 772-388-0105,
[email protected] .
If you would like to “make the front page” of our newsletter, make sure you schedule time this month at one of our
networking activities, and maybe your name will be drawn for the monthly spotlight! Check out our calendar inside!
Fabian Cruz
Property Manager
June CHAMBER EVENTS
Chamber Breakfast hosted by Design Transformations by Joan Mari Vanover
Chamber Luncheon hosted at Marsh Landing
Guest Speaker
Sarah Ruwe, Community Executive
Treasure Coast, American Red Cross
Lunch Sponsor
Michael Natale
MN Worldwide
Present this Chamber ad at the time of service to receive savings.
~ Now Open at Collier Club ~
Expires January 31, 2014
July 2014
Chamber of Commerce
Calendar of Events
July 3
8:00 a.m.
Chamber Executive Committee
Chamber Main St. Office
July 4
All Day
July 4th Freedom Festival
Riverview Park, Sebastian
July 8
Noon
Chamber Monthly Luncheon at Capt. Hiram’s Tiffany Room
Guest Speaker: Indian River County Supervisor of Elections Leslie Swan
Sponsored by Hometown News
RSVP by Noon on Monday, July 7th. Email: [email protected]
Lunch is $15 with reservations, $20 at the door
July 9
8:00 a.m.
Chamber Full Board Meeting
Chamber Main St. Office
July 15
4 p.m.
Chamber Tourism Committee Meeting
Chamber Office
July 29
8:00 a.m.
Building/Fundraising Committee Meeting
Chamber Main St. Office
“There, I guess King George will be able to read that!”
John Hancock
Happy Fourth of July!
www.dumpstersanytime.com
Member News
July 4th is fast approaching. The Chamber Booth
Sign-Up Sheet is now open for reservations. Interested members should contact the Chamber quickly as
the slots go fast.
Call or click info@SebastianChamber Available
times: 10am—12noon,12noon-2pm and 2pm –4pm
“Honors for HAVA” Golf Tournament at Sandridge
Golf Club On Thursday, July 17, 2014 Indian River
County and the Treasure Coast Sports Commission
will host the "Honors for HAVA" Charity Golf Tournament at Indian River County’s own Sandridge Golf
Club. Participants are invited to enjoy a complimentary breakfast and range balls before the shotgun
start at 8:30 a.m. An awards luncheon will ZZ
follow the tournament with special prizes for the
sports shooting enthusiast.
The golf tournament will be held in conjunction with
the 12th Annual Shooting Industry Masters, which is
owned and produced by FMG Publications. The Masters is a closed event, three-gun style shooting match
featuring a Mystery Course of Fire to be held at the
Indian River County Shooting Range. For more information on HAVA, visit www.honoredveterans.org.
Wells Fargo Presents Treasure Coast Food
Bank with a $1000 Donation
Kim Albritton of Wells Fargo presented Treasure
Coast Food Bank's Director of Corporate Partnerships, Rhonda Blakey, with a $1,000 check at the
Wells Fargo Community Breakfast held recently at
Indian River State College's Stuart Campus. The generous donation will provide 7,000 meals to people in
need in the community. Hat's off to Wells Fargo!
SET YOUR DVR'S....
Sebastian will be featured on an upcoming episode of
"How to Do Florida" which will air this weekend. How
to Do Florida is a broadcast show that entertains,
teaches, and encourages Floridians to actively engage their state. The episode we are featured in is
"How to Treasure Dive." Our area is well known for
the rare antiquities that have washed upon its shores.
The shipwreck from the 1715 Spanish Plate Fleet left
many treasures along Sebastian's coast. Treasure
hunters continue to search our waters for gold, jewelry, and other artifacts lost in history. Be sure to tune in
to learn more about our rich history and how you can
get in on the thrill of treasure hunting!
Here are the episode air dates and times for
various markets throughout Florida:
Tampa - WTSP (CBS) 6/21/14 at 1pm
Sarasota - WWSB (ABC) - 6/21/14 at 2pm
Miami - WFOR (CBS) - 6/22/14 at 12pm
Orlando - WFTV (ABC) - 6/22/14 at 11am
West Palm - WFLX (FOX) - 6/22/14 at 12:30pm
Jacksonville - 6/29/14 at 1pm
Pensacola/Mobile-WEAR(ABC)-6/21/14 at 12:30pm
Tallahassee - WTXL (ABC) - 6/21/14 at 2pm
Panama City - WJHG (NBC) - 6/22/14 at 11am
Gainesville-WNBW/WMYG(NBC)-6/21/14 at 9am
Educational, full of discovery, and relaxing is how participants describe their canoe excursions on the Indian River Lagoon with the Environmental Learning
Center (ELC). These excursions are led by experienced guides who explore “off the beaten path” canoe
trails. Beginning May 24, 2014 these excursions are
scheduled the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month
through August. They are early morning trips, from
8:00 to 10:30 am, so that participants can enjoy cool
summer breezes. The guides will explain ways that
the participants can positively impact the ecology of
the Lagoon. The fee, including canoe rental and gear,
is $15 per adult and $7 per child ($3 less for ELC
Members and their children). Reservations and information inquiries may be made by calling the ELC at
(772) 589-5050 ext. 101.
Welcome New Members!
Fred’s Auto Body & Repair
of Sebastian
Fred Maio
1100 Louisiana Ave.
Sebastian, FL 32958
589-2226
[email protected]
Auto Body & Repair
Grant Station
Christopher Pozgar
5390 US Hwy 1
Grant, FL 32949
321-288-3532
[email protected]
Adventure Center/Restaurant
Market at the Tracks
at Grant Station
Richard Schwarzbach
5390 US Hwy 1
Grant, FL 32949
630-240-1123
[email protected]
www.toodlesbynancy.com
Candidates Bio’s
Ms. Dawn Biehl is currently a paralegal at the law office of Gregory J. Gore, PA. She has been a fixture in
this office for over 20 years. She is a professional guardian and has many individuals that she looks after
both personally and financially. She currently holds a State of Florida Administrator’s license. In 2011, she
became a partner in the Tiki Bar & Grill. She currently holds her State of Florida Food Manager license.
Her professional experience includes retail, management, administration and law. She has an AS in
Business Management, BS in Criminal Justice and an MBA in Business Management. She has lived in
Sebastian for nearly 30 years and has watched this town grow by leaps and bounds! She is married with
four children.
Gustav J. Brugger, or Captain Gus as he is best known has resided in the Sebastian area since
graduating from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1991. Gus’s ties to the Chamber go back to the late
1990’s when he was a tourism committee member and chairperson for the popular Sebastian River Area
Flats Fishing Tournament. Recent natural events having direct effects on the productivity of the Indian
River Lagoon have led Gus to look for alternate ways to help allow people enjoy the paradise that is
Sebastian, Florida and has brought him into the real estate business. Gus is now a sales associate with
RE/MAX Crown Realty, the area’s largest and most productive brokerage.
Capt. Christy Lenz has been a resident of Sebastian since 1991 and a small business owner of
Capt.Christy Lenz “Casual Cruisin” for over eight years. She has been an active Chamber member for
10 years plus, serving as an appointed director on the board, the Pelican Porch Project Committee, the
Tourism Committee and was the recipient of the Tourism Leadership Award in 2013 for her ongoing efforts
to help promote tourism and supporting the Chamber promotions. She is a United States Air Force Veteran
of 12 years, a member of the Treasure Coast Waterway Cleanup for 6 years and a United States Coast
Guard Merchant Mariner Master Captain. Married for 28 years to an USAF 20 year veteran with a blended
family of 4 children and 2 grand babies. And a Graduate of Northern Michigan University with an AS in
Criminal Justice. She would be honored to serve as an Elected Board of Directors member of the chamber.
Joni Mazzola is the proud proprietor and operator of the Marina Café in Micco. Prior to acquiring the
cafe in March, 2013, she was employed as a Senior Claims Adjuster and reserve member of the
Catastrophe Response Team at Progressive Insurance in Cleveland, Ohio and Tampa, Florida. Joni is a
graduate of Kent State University with a B. A. in Psychology and obtained her law degree from the
University Of Akron School Of Law. Joni is a member of Project 195, an organization dedicated to
assisting victims of natural disasters and has participated in relief and reconstruction efforts in multiple
locations, including New Orleans, Joplin and Tuscaloosa. In her spare time, she enjoys studying martial
arts and visiting the beautiful beaches of the Treasure Coast.
Maggie Sammons has resided in Florida since 1966. She relocated from St. Lucie County to Fellsmere in
1998 with her family. Maggie is co-owner of Custom Air Systems, Inc. celebrating their 40th anniversary
and is family owned. Along with raising her family and running a business Maggie has served on the
Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival Board since 2000, chairing the event for 10 years. She loves being involved
in community events and outdoor activities. She is seeking her 3rd term on the board of directors of the
Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce.
Joel Stout – Sandpiper Pest Control: Joel and his wife Lori have been in Sebastian since 1997, coming
from Palm Beach County. They started their family owned pest control business, which employs seven
Indian River County resident, in 1998. Joel serves as an Elder in a local Christian congregation and has
an active local ministry, he also volunteers for the construction of worship centers throughout Florida and
provides termite and pest control treatments along with masonry skills to these projects. Joel’s hobbies
include beer making and bee keeping. Sandpiper Control has been a chamber members for the last
fifteen years.
Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce
Board of Directors
Election 2014
Listed below are the proposed candidate’s names as provided by the Nominating
Committee for Election 2014. Please vote for three candidates only. You must be a
bona fide Chamber member to caste you vote. Ballots will counted on September 1st
and the results will be announced at the September Chamber luncheon.
Candidates
_____
Dawn Biehl, The Tiki Bar and Grill
_____
Capt. Gus Brugger, RE/MAX Crown Realty
_____
Capt. Christy Lenz, “Causal Crusin”
_____
Joni Mazzola, The Marina Café
_____
Maggie Sammons, Custom Air Systems
_____
Joel Stout, Sandpiper Pest Control
Mail your ballot in, or drop it off at the Chamber offices,
700 Main St., Sebastian, 32958,
fax it to 772-589-5993 or email it to [email protected]
______________________________________________________________
Signature of Chamber Contract, Name of Business
Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce
Monthly Networking Opportunities
Fill out this form and fax it to 772-589-5993
Chamber Luncheon – Tuesday, July 8th at Noon
Capt. Hiram’s Tiffany Room
Guest Speaker: Indian River County Supervisor of Elections Leslie Swan,
Sponsored by: Hometown News
Reservations Please! $15.00 with reservations, $20.00 at the door
How many will be joining you for this Networking Event? _______________
Business Name: _________________________________________________
Contact Person: _________________________________________________
Contact Number: ________________________________________________
Chamber Fax: 772-589-5993
Twenty four hours in advance of all functions the Chamber must notify the host of the number of
reservations, and must guarantee that number. We can accept calls or faxes for reservations up
until 24 hours prior to the event. If, for some reason, you are not able to attend a function for which
you have made reservations, please call us at 772-589-5969. Your reservation for any function or event is
considered a commitment to pay.
Friday, August 1st, 2014
5:30 – 8:00 pm
Business Name: _______________________________________________________________________
Address: _____________________________________________________________________________
Contact Person: _______________________________________________________________________
Phone: ______________________________ Email: __________________________________________
We will be providing the following special activities to the public - (Include information about refreshments,
special sales, drawings, or offers to be included in event advertising):
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Yes, send the secret judges to our location! We will be entering the following Watermelon Challenge:
______ Watermelon Decorating Challenge – show off your artistic abilities by carving, painting, or creatively
displaying your watermelon!
______ Watermelon Recipe Challenge – create drinks or desserts, even savory dips and appetizers with
watermelon as the featured ingredient!
Please mail your signup sheet and $30 promotional fee ($50 for non-members) to
Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce
700 Main Street, Sebastian, FL 32958
To ensure your inclusion in advertising all entry forms must be received by Monday, July 28, 2014
Tourism Tidbits
By Nicole Capp Holbrook
The 2014/2015 Visitors Guides are currently being
printed! The new format looks great and we are so
excited to get them out to our visitors, tourism partners, and various advertising outlets!! We should be
getting them in the next week or two. Once they
come in, I will start distributing them around town. I
will be updating the concierge books with information for July, August and September over the next
few weeks and while I’m visiting those hotels and
attractions that carry our books, I will also drop off a
box of new visitor’s guides. If any of our other tourism related businesses (or other businesses that get
a lot of out of town visitors) would like to distribute
our visitor’s guides, please call the Chamber and we
will be happy to drop some off to you or you are welcome to stop by and pick some up.
We will be setting up a booth at the 4th of July Celebration at Riverview Park on Friday, July 4th from 10
a.m.-4 p.m. We have a limited number of 2 hour
times slots available where members can volunteer
to work at our booth and network with the community. If you are interested, please call the Chamber to
sign up!
Our next Tourism Committee Meeting is on Tuesday, July 15th at 4 p.m. at the Chamber. For those of
you that are new to the Chamber, we have a Tourism Committee that meets on a quarterly basis and it
is comprised of Chamber members that are in the
tourism industry (hotels, restaurants, attractions,
shops, boat tours, fishing charters, etc.). The purpose of the committee is to create new ideas on how
to promote tourism in the Sebastian River Area that
will benefit our community. The meetings are also an
opportunity to brainstorm ideas and network with
other tourism businesses throughout the community.
At the end of the meeting, we will be drawing the
Tourism Spotlights for September, October & November. You must be present to win this FREE advertising opportunity which is featured in the Chamber Currents and in the Chamber Tourism E-blast
which is distributed to our database consisting of
over 3,500 email addresses. I encourage all of our
Tourism Partners to participate. If you have any
questions, please feel free to contact me.
Have a wonderful summer and I look forward to seeing you at our meeting on the 15th!
Tourism Spotlight
Capt Hiram’s Resort
Capt Hiram's Resort, located at 1606 Indian River
Drive, Sebastian, FL is celebrating 28 years on the
Treasure Coast.
The evolution of Capt Hiram's history as a waterfront resort and restaurant is truly a unique story
with solid roots in the area. The property was purchased by Tom Collins in 1986, who partnered with
Martin Carter and Jimmy Hoffman to open, what was
then known as Sebastian Inlet Marina. Since then it
has grown from a small marina into the area's largest
waterfront resort and restaurant. With the growth of
the resort came the welcome addition of owners Liz
and Mickey Capp in 2001. In late 2013 Capt Hiram's
truly came full circle with the appointment of Will Collins, who was born the year the company was purchased, as President of Capt Hiram's.
Capt Hiram's is a fun, relaxed waterfront beach resort, with a riverfront restaurant, Bahamian-style
SandBar, Boutique-style hotel, Boatique gift shop,
and marina nestled on the Intracoastal Waterway.
Capt Hiram’s Resort is a unique option for Florida
corporate and group events as well as leisure travelers. It features a restaurant, hotel, live entertainment
nightly, and more. There are a variety of packages to
suit corporate and group events’ requirements. The
Inn offers rooms with a variety of amenities including
balconies or patios, a heated pool with tropical foliage, a coin laundry, and vending machines. A new
addition to our Hotel is the new Sand and Surf
Rooms perfect for meetings or corporate retreats.
There is also plenty to fill your time with fishing, boat
rentals, kayak, stand up paddleboard & bike rentals,
and eco-cruises on the new River King, right on property. And with the completion of our North Dock and
the addition of Breakfast seven days a week there is
truly something for everyone. Capt Hiram's also features live entertainment seven nights a week, including the Capt Hiram's Concert Series where you can
enjoy national recording acts in the intimate setting of
the SandBar.
This year Capt Hiram's excited to add to its presence
in Sebastian, with the purchase of the Best Western
just to our north. All this and so much more, in one
location so just park you car and join the fun. Come
to Capt Hiram's, where you can be lazy or crazy! For
more information about the Sebastian Florida Beach
resort, Specials, Events and everything "Hiram's" call
the Captain today @ 772-589-4345 or visit online at
www.hirams.com!
Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce
Board of Directors, 2013-2014
Executive Team
Theresa Tolle, Bay Street Pharmacy – Chair
(2014)
Maggie Sammons – Vice Chair(2014)
Sandi Gerhke – TD Bank—Treasurer (2015)
Elected Directors
Chuck Mechling, Collier Club (2016)
Betty Lollio, Seacoast National Bank(2014)
Michelle Napier, Esq.(2016)
Ali Qizilbash, Cemco Contruction(2016)
Kim Ellis, Kim Ellis Insurance Agency(2015)
Cynthia Hall, Esq., Law Office VandeVoorde,
Hall (2015)
Appointed Directors
(All appointments are for one year, 2014)
Capt. Christy Lenz, “Casual Cruisin”
Joel Stout – Sandpiper Control
Margie Duffell, Dan Duffell Realty, Past President
Debbi Vickers – Immediate Past Chair
Ex Officio
Wesley Davis, Indian River County Commissioner
Susan Adams, Mayor, City of Fellsmere
Jason Nunemaker, City Manager, City of Fellsmere
Chamber Team
Beth L. Mitchell, President/CEO
Nicole Capp Holbrook, Tourism Director
Britney Faulk, Operations Director
Kimberly Armstrong, Accounting
Gail Cavallo, Administrative Assistant
July 2014
Beth L. Mitchell, President & CEO
“You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns,
tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may
think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.”
Erma Bombeck
We hope you will join the Lion’s Club and the City of Sebastian on their Freedom Festival on the Fourth
of July in Riverview Park! A very patriotic parade, 5K run/walk, festival in the park and spectacular fireworks display will prove that our community has spirit and celebrates freedom in the good old fashion
American way!
Other events this month include our luncheon at Capt. Hiram’s Tiffany Room, featuring Leslie Swan, IRC
Supervisor of Elections as our guest speaker. The right to vote is the most basic example of the freedoms we celebrate in July. Leslie will provide updates on election dates, registration information, and
inform us of her ongoing efforts to insure that we exercise this right. Hometown News is our lunch
sponsor, as a news publication, they are another example of our rights to free speech!
We are eagerly anticipating the arrival of a new representative from SCORE, counselors to America’s
Small Business, and affiliated with the US Small Business Administration. The Sebastian River Area
has been without these services for a number of years, and news from the organization is that they
have one, maybe two volunteers on the way to help our businesses reach their maximum potential.
Look for an announcement this summer!
Grill Out Night registration forms have been mailed to the membership, it is scheduled for August 1st, a
Friday night in Sebastian. An annual summer event sponsored by the Chamber, it provides an opportunity for our businesses to get their grills out, show some customer appreciation and open their doors
to the community. By vote of the membership, watermelon is the featured fruit this year, looking forward to the creative efforts of our businesses. If you have questions about how to participate, just give
us call at the Chamber.
Elections for Chamber Board of Directors is underway, a ballot is available with this newsletter and
through Chamber Intel. In the next couple of weeks we will be snail mailing a ballot to insure that all
members have the ability to help select business representatives to guide the Chamber! We appreciate
the candidates who have volunteered to serve as Board Members.
Our newly designed Visitor’s Guides should be here in a week, we are excited about this marketing
piece, and thank all of the members who participated in this project. We hope you like the end result!
The Chamber hopes you enjoy the celebrations in July, and have a prosperous month!
Where consumers easily
find the local businesses
they’re searching for!
[email protected] | (772) 231-8441
DITCH 13 GALLERY AND GIFTS
Handcrafted by local artisans
National Elephant Center T-shirts
Local Honey, Preserves, Sauces,
Ceramics, Pottery, Coasters,
Leather Wallets, Belts, Purses
Intarsia Wood Carvings
Alligator Memorabilia
Unique Signs
Stained Glass
Bird Houses
Jewelry
Calendars
Postcards & Notebooks
Children’s Books & Cards Games
Framed Paintings, Photos, Prints
CD’s & Books on Local FL History
And More...
46 North Broadway Street | Fellsmere, FL 32948
Wednesday thru Monday 10am—6pm
(772) 918-8467 | ditch13galleryandgifts.com
All major credit cards accepted
The Chamber Currents
Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce
700 Main Street
Sebastian, Florida 32958
Ph:772-589-5969
Fax: 772-589-5993
www.SebastianChamber.com