Penrose Chamber of Commerce

 

The Penrose Chamber of Commerce had their monthly breakfast this year on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17^th, at the Crossroads Event Center. We want to thank Pick & his crew for the work they do for our breakfast. There was talk of trying to work on a flea market with the Florence Chamber & using the Crossroads Event Center as a set-up spot. Crossroads would make a nice place for it.

 

We had 14 at the breakfast. Elvira was unable to attend due to work. Bill & Ione were absent due to illness. Pat Lindley, Vice President of the Penrose Chamber, ran the meeting. Introductions were made around the table. Everyone gave a brief description of what they do in their business.

 

Guest Larry Baker, who is on the Florence Chamber board & the Florence Council board, joined us. We want to welcome him.

 

Shane Allen will be attending as a representative of Holcim. He lives in Penrose & it’s easier for him to attend than Dan Bennett. Dan comes from Colorado Springs.

 

Brandon Hyait reported on the Shopper & the future plans. The car delivery has been discontinued. The Shopper will be delivered in the mail. They are hoping to expand coverage to include Pueblo West in the future. He said they had received positive reports on the mail delivery.

 

There will be a job fair at the PCC campus April 2, 2011. everyone is welcome to participate.

 

 

 

The Penrose Chamber of Commerce met at the Coyote’s Coffee Den for breakfast May 19, 2011. There were 31 guests and members present. An enjoyable time was had by all in spite of the chilly start. A big Thank You to Pete & Rhea Mugasis for allowing us to have our summer breakfast there on the lovely patio. The line-up of the tables was greatly appreciated, too.

Elvira Patterson, Chamber President & representative of Cañon National Bank introduced herself & thanked everyone for coming out. She then turned the introductions to those present by encouraging them to speak about their business & organizations.

Steve Smith, Director of D.O.C., has been accepted to sit on the Planning & Zoning board of Fremont County. He wants to set up a tour for our chamber to visit sometime in the future & show us what the inmates raise & process within the Department facility. They have a list of food items that can be purchased from them at competitive prices.

John Warnok represented the Colorado Workforce. He said they are receiving more job postings now for job offerings. John reiterated on the youth program, which for employers to find out what they need to know & encourage youth from Fremont County to apply for those summer jobs. There are posters around the businesses to let them know when & where. Thursday, June 21^st at the UAACOG Building will be a meeting. For more information, call 275-7408.

We want to welcome Marlowe Scutti, representative of the Sons of Italy of Fremont County, as a new member. He spoke about the fundraisers they have to benefit various needs. They hope to have a spaghetti dinner to be announced & they have a vendor-ship at Blossom Day & sell “grinders”. They are looking forward to having a scholarship program in the future.

Charlie Phipps talked a little about his locksmith business. He says it is growing. He is getting more customers. If you need a locksmith, call Charlie at Rainbow Trail at 289-0457.

Larry Baker (newly appointed to Fremont County Planning & Zoning) spoke on behalf of the Florence Chamber of Commerce. He announced that Highway 115 going through Florence & to the North is now open & Florence is very accessible for those wishing to visit & do business in the Florence community. Larry also said the Price Museum is open & they have been remodeling & fixing up the museum over the winter. They are looking forward to a good season coming up. Get out & go see the museum with all of the 150 years in Fremont County. This is a good time to take your families & let them see where & how things were done “way back when.” Thank you, Larry Baker, for your time spent at our chamber. He also talked about the Florence Appreciation BBQ that is held annually. This year it will be held on June 4^th at 10 am at the Pioneer Park in Florence. This is a good BBQ. If you’ve never been it is a good time to get out & meet others in the community of Florence. For more information, call the Florence Chamber of Commerce at 784-3544 or go on the website.

Anne Sterling of Penrose Senior/Community Center announced that June 10^th in the evening there will be a spaghetti dinner there for $5 per person. They will have carry-out for those wishing to take it home to eat. For more information, call 372-3872.

Harry Athey of I.T. Dimensions talked somewhat about his business & how your business can benefit from being listed on the website. He also encouraged everyone from Penrose & surrounding areas to check out the Penrose Chamber of Commerce website at www.penrosechamber.com. Harry told the group there has already been over 675 hits this last month & it is growing. He saw some from as far away as Chile, South America. If you wish to advertise on our website, contact the Penrose Chamber of Commerce office at 7190372-3994. For more information on what’s happening with I.T. Dimensions, call 719-429-2864.

Joe Sieberlich of Estes-Cox Corp. said the Estes-Cox Corp. is expanding their factory by setting up to make remote control airplanes & other remote air toys. By doing this they are looking forward to being able to create more jobs.

Pete Mugasis said that Coyote’s Coffee Den will begin their summer concerts. These will go on throughout the summer every Saturday evening at Penrose Coyote’s Coffee Den beginning June 4^th. The concerts will be from 6:30 pm- 8:00 pm. Concerts are free! Meals are served throughout the evening. Tips for the musicians are appreciated.

Calvin Sunderman of Penrose Volunteer Fire Dept. said the ban on burning was lifted due to the rains this last week in Fremont County, but he also cautioned because wind seems to dry out every fuel (grasses & trees) , to take every precaution to prevent fires getting out of hand. If you have questions, contact the Penrose Volunteer Fire Dept. at 719-372-3001. We were very glad Calvin brought his son by, he’s always welcome. We enjoy seeing the youth in our community.

We will be meeting next month back at Coyote’s Coffee Den.

 

The Penrose Chamber of Commerce met for their monthly breakfast at Coyote’s Coffee Den on June 16^th in Penrose. A big coyote howl of thanks goes to Pete & Rhea Mugasis for letting the Chamber come & sit on their patio for the meeting & enjoy the good coffee & breakfast while the meeting is going on.

George Sugars, Fremont County Manager, said that sales tax was up 2% from last year at the same period of time. The County is watching the budget very close, but seems to be keeping on target with their construction use, which is down 4%.

Janet Vansyoc, representing the Senior/Community Center, gave a report about some of their activities. The Spaghetti dinner was a success, as well as the dinner sales they hold at the center. They prepared 38 carry out meals. Black Hills Energy is carrying out an evaluation of their electrical usage at the Senior Center to see if there is a way they can get a better rate. Janet thanked the county for providing the insurance for the building.

Ron Vansyoc of VIP Storage said he has been busy trying to keep the weeds down at his place.

Charlie Phipps says he gets 2 or 3 calls for a locksmith help every other month. Charlie owns the Rainbow Trail Locksmith. He is licensed & bonded so if you ever need a locksmith, his phone number is 719-289-0457.

Paul Maye of the East Fremont County Alliance said all is going well on the Western front at the present. Paul prepared the papers for Governor Hickenlooper’s plan to help the counties in the state. We hope to get help with solar wind & possible get the hydro electric plant out here. These are all possible sources of renewable energy.

Ina Finch of Indian Springs Campground said their getting off to a good start. They have had several geology students & professors come & stay with their colleges backing them. This is such a rich area for geology studies. One of the latest projects that they had at the campground has been refurbishing their swimming pool. They have that open over the summer months. Ina said if anyone wants to come out as a group to camp, swim, or use the building they have for meals or programs, they can call them at Indian Springs Campground at 372-3907 & make arrangements.

Over the Blossom Day Festival, Cañon City Chamber of Commerce had their Texas Hold Em. This year they had 80 players. This was reported by Doug Shane, Cañon City Chamber of Commerce Executive Director.

The representative for the Sons of Italy said on July 9^th that the Shadow Hills Golf Course will have their 1^st golf tournament. The cost will be $300 per team or pay $75 to be put into a team & there are $100 application forms for business sponsorship. Contact the Sons of Italy for more information at 269-3519. The proceeds for this tournament go to the Orchard of Hope.

Pete Mugasis, owner of Coyote’s Coffee Den, said they will have Big Jim Adams & John Stilway to perform at Coyote’s Coffee Den in Penrose on the patio this Saturday, June 18^th. There are about 14 more performers & groups coming out. Pete will have a concert every Saturday night until the beginning of September. Keep your eyes open for the info in the newspapers & on their sign by their business.

Joe Rall, Doug Lamborne’s aide of District #5 Congressman, said that Congressional District #5 was just El Paso & Douglas County, but there is a possibility that there are 12 counties in District #5. They will be going to court to decide that. Fremont County has 3 representatives at the present time.

Commissioner Debbie Bell gave a report on several activities going on at the present that is affecting Fremont County. The Fremont County Commissioners enacted a fire ban across the county. There have been over 300 people evacuated from their homes. Those from Custer County went to Westcliffe School, those Fremont County went to Cotopaxi School, & some were helped out by family. Fremont Airport and personnel helped with the planes filling for slurry & possible water drops over the fires in our county & some others.

The Pathfinder Park at the time of the breakfast was still able to have horses, but the day of the breakfast as soon as Debbie Bell got back to the County building Pathfinder as well as many other arenas were put on an equine quarantine for Equine Herpes that affect the horses mouth. This is very contagious & some horses won’t or can’t eat & sometimes die from it.

Debbie encourages people to come in & vote if you want the county to operate the same hours they have this year or go back to having Fridays open once again. If you want to vote, drop by the courthouse on Macon Ave. & ask for a ballot at the clerk’s office.

Chuck Lake & Kaye Widger both represented the Habitat for Humanity Restore. Kaye said the Restore has been in operation one year now & there is a sign on 9^th Street to direct you over to their business now. Chuck said they are open Tuesday- Friday & are able to take donations of furniture & building supplies. If you need to buy any of the items, you might try Habitat Restore first. Their address is P.O. Box 149 Cañon City, Co 81212. Their phone # is 275-7781.

Pat & Rose Lindley have E & R Enterprises. Pat sells the Amsoil Products & can tell you all about how they will help you get better performance from your vehicle by using these products. Call Pat at 372-6114.

Rose Lindley, our Apple Day Coordinator, brought a guest, Heather Tippit. Heather announced when the Apple Dumpling contest would take place. It will be at 1 pm at the Penrose School on June 25^th. Heather said they have been doing fundraisers all summer.

Heather is the Chairperson for the Apple Dumpling committee.

Sonnie Meirhage represented Credit Card Care Company that works with businessesto have credit card service for their companies. This service is at Central Payment at 719-371-0552.

We were glad to have Sylvia Hooper come to represent the YMCA Effort. She invited everyone over to the Penrose Library at 4 pm for a presentation on what the YMCA is, it’s past, & the future of it.

Historian Sherry Johns said there were 2 up & coming programs representing 150 years in Fremont County. There will be a program talk about the town of Buckskin Joe on the 3^rd Sunday in July at the Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. On August 19^th the Penrose Library will be having a change of history exhibit. This will be on Friday night. Come & enjoy fun program & food.

Executive Director of PCOC, Bill McGuire, announced the community blood drive put on by Bonfils June 24^th from 2 until 6 pm. They will be in their bus on the Wells Fargo Bank parking lot. He also announced the Apple Dumpling Pageant. Time & dates are still pending for Appreciation day for the Penrose Chamber members. This will be in conjunction with the Penrose Volunteer Fire Department. Bill suggested everyone come by the Wells Fargo Bank entrance & pick up a nomination form for Senior King & Queen & Honored Guest.

 

President of the Penrose Chamber of Commerce, Elvira Patterson, thanked all who came for the breakfast.

See ya next month!

Ione McGuire

 

 

 

 

 

The Penrose Chamber of Commerce met at Michelle’s Restaurant for their monthly breakfast on November 17, 2011. We had 20 guests & members present. Thanks to Michelle & all of her workers for their great service & allowing us to come back through the winter months for our breakfast. PCOC Executive Director Bill McGuire opened up the meeting by asking Ron Vansyoc from VIP Storage to introduce himself & tell a little about his business. Ron has been giving his business a facelift hoping to build the business up somewhat. Good Luck, Ron! For more information call Ron at 719-372-7057.

Brandon Hyatt of the Cañon City Shopper thanked the Penrose Chamber for the ads they’ve placed in the Shopper. We have ads running for our Apple Country Memories, which will be held Friday, December 2,2011 at Coyote’s Coffee Den beginning at 5:30 pm & running until 7:30 pm. Santa will be there to see all of the little tots.

Ann Sterling talked about the chili cook-off they are planning for December 3^rd at the Senior Center between 2-5 pm. There will be a craft fair, as well as the cook-off. There will be a charge of $5 per person to taste the chili or have a meal. The Senior Center is still trying to get a grant writer to write for them so they can get a grant to purchase their building from Fremont County. Ann always invites everyone out for their lunches on Tuesdays & Thursdays. The price is $3 a plate but please call ahead to make reservations. For more information or to make reservations, call 719-372-3872.

Juan Rodriquez, Family Carpet Care, was present & told everyone about the kind of floor cleaning they do. For any type of floor care , refresh tile grout, etc., call Juan at 372-6730.

John Warnok, Colorado Workforce, says they work with people trying to find employment in our state & in our area. They hope to help those being challenged trying to make resumes & being confident to meet their future bosses. For any type of work related services, call John at the Colorado Workforce at 719-275-2408.

Pat & Rose Lindley have E & R Enterprises. Rose is also our Apple Day Coordinator. Pat is on the Chamber board serving as Vice President. E & R Enterprises sells Amsoil products, which is a quality synthetic oil. Pat always encourages people to keep their vehicle serviced right by using the proper lubricants for the season. If you would like to try these products, call Pat & Rose at 719-372-6114.

Harry Athey of I.T. Dimensions Inc. was present. He talked about the Penrose Chamber of Commerce website. The website had 460 visitors from many places. If you want your business advertised more, get in touch with Harry & get your business on our website. You can call Misty, our office manager, & she will help you with how to use the website. If you know of businesses that would like to be advertised & aren’t members of the Chamber, encourage them to join the Penrose Chamber of Commerce. As a business they will benefit from the publicity on the website. We also have a calendar page to put all upcoming community activities on & you can change your information as often as you need to. If you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself, call Misty & she will be glad to do it for you. If you have questions or need help from Harry, call him at 719-429-2864.

Max Englehardt, principal of Penrose Elementary School, thanked the Penrose Chamber of Commerce for sponsoring the Business candy give-away at the Penrose School. It was very successful & the kids & adults had a wonderful time.

Kaye Widger, Habitat for Humanity Restore, says the Restore does turn a profit on their merchandise. Their donations are by different ways from contractors, stores, & individuals. Their workers are volunteers & the money made is used to build homes for low income families. If you wish to make a donation, call the Habitat for Humanity Restore at 719-275-7781.

Calvin Sunderman, Chief of the Penrose Volunteer Fire Department, gave a report. The Fire Department is helping out with a toy drive that is sponsored by Penrose School. Calvin said they have had many runs from September through November. Calvin always makes us aware of the safety side of things here in our community. He said to be very careful if we decide to put our turkeys into the hot oil to cook them. He doesn’t want to go out to burned up barns or garages to pick up the pieces.

Mark Healer, Orchard of Hope Foundation, talked about some of the things they have been doing to provide for those under the siege of cancer. They help wherever money falls short. They pay utilities, rides to treatments for cancer, money for food, and other supplies for people undergoing treatments. Mark gave the announcement for the Gourmet Sampler being planned at the Abbey on January 21, 2012. Put it on the calendar & watch for advertisements. This affair will be held at the Old Sunflower Banquet room. Participants should dress in upscale clothes for a lovely party.

Commissioner Debbie Bell talked about the State and Federal Mandates that are being enforced & taking away from the money our state uses to do the actual business & causing the counties that depend on that help to run everything to short fall. The state takes approximately ½ of the normal operating expenses away from the Sheriff’s Department now & leaves very little for Fremont County to run the jail with meals. The Sheriff’s Department serves over 600 inmates a day & they’re hoping to build the new kitchen soon. This will be over $100,000 improvement at the Fremont jail.

 Debbie encourages all that want to express their opinion to do so over the phone, letter, or e-mail, or drop by the office about the art work that has been planned by Jon Claude & the OTR. (Over the River project) They hope to put it up by 2013 or 2014 for 2 weeks in the summer. The County commissioners need input on how you feel & will see if a decision will be made by February or March. They would like to hear from all tax payers how this should go. This is a public opinion poll & they feel you should be heard & listened to.

Congratulations to the new Mayor of Florence, Ron Hinkle. Ron represents Starpoint & can say a few words about Florence as he goes along. Ron says he helped screen 2800 applications for city jobs at Florence. They did their job screening at the Colorado Workforce. The Finance Officer, Martin Duran, will be leaving. They had a farewell potluck dinner for his final day. Now the city of Florence will be looking over the 5 finalists for the position of the finance office at Florence. Ron said SANTA will be in Florence on Saturday, December 12^th 9 am until noon. Ron also encourages people to join the Florence Rotary Club. They meet every Thursday for lunch at the Main Street Grill.

Someone wanted to know what the cables we’ve been seeing put in on the highway between Pueblo & Cañon City & other areas of highway in the medium area. Ron Hinkle said it was a communications system wire that C-Dot is putting in.

See you next month,

Ione McGuire