Why did the Chamber Cancel Events?

Many have wondered why Fall Chamber events were cancelled. While they did seem far off when the fires began, the Board based the decision to cancel on the predicted containment date and anticipated debilitating smoke negatively affecting participants in the events. The Board of Directors made the difficult decision to cancel the events to protect the Chamber’s limited funds, which would have been decimated if we had significantly reduced attendance. Putting on a big event entails more than just sending out a flyer and people showing up; there is a huge amount of behind-the-scenes work that occurs, hundreds of hours of prep time, thousands of dollars in investment, etc. In addition, many of the volunteers involved in these two events chose to return to their primary homes to escape the smoke; we lost our workforce. We cannot offer quality events without our much-appreciated volunteers!

The structure of how the Chamber works has changed a bit. In the past we had an Executive Director who was a figure head and could make many executive decisions on behalf of the Chamber. The Chamber doesn't do business like that anymore. We are trying to get it out there, that this way of working has changed back to a basic board structure. Kim James is our office manager, webmaster, and assists members to maximize our platform, that's all. The President, Vice president, Secretary, and Treasurer form the Executive Team, that push all decision making to the body of the board. We have a board comprised of strong business community members working (for free) on behalf of the entire membership. They have a genuine intention of making it better and want to help in anyway they can. We urge all business people and members to bring and voice their concerns to this board as Kim works for the Board and they work for you.

 

Your voice matters, your business matters and we want to hear from you.
 

On August 26, the Chamber Director and business owners had the opportunity sit down with Senator Ted Gaines at the Chamber office to discuss the economic impact of the fires. Each told their particular story of financial losses. The message to the Senator was clear: our legislators, both State and Federal have a duty to the residents and taxpayers of California to demand that the Forest Service be better stewards of their property which lies within the boundaries of our state. Senator Gaines promised his office would assist with Public Service Announcements to urge visitors to return when the fires were out He also strongly suggested contacting our Federal legislators. Dale Knutsen wrote a brilliant letter (posted on Chamber’s Facebook page) outlining the history of recent fires, how and why they are happening, and provided contact information for our legislators. This letter can be utilized by all to keep this issue on the front burner. Senator Gaines also wants his office to be kept abreast of the work the Alliance for Workforce Development has gathered from businesses regarding loss of business income and possible Federal aid.

With the Chips fire behind us and a resounding THANK YOU! to the firefighters, we are looking forward to a glorious Indian Summer and fall color. Encourage your friends and neighbors to return to indulge themselves in the spectacular displays of fall foliage. Merchants Safe Trick or Treat is just around the corner. Do you have your costume ready yet? Costumes will be judged and prizes given; don’t miss out on the fun. Enjoy the decorated storefronts and stop in to purchase your decorations, Halloween candy, costumes, whatever…shop local; give your local businesses encouragement!

Help us celebrate life in the Almanor Basin: shop local; support and share words of encouragement with local businesses.