THE BEDFORD BANNER

Bedford Chamber of Commerce Newsletter

June/2010 Vol. 12   Issue 7

In This Issue

Chamber Celebrates Award Winners

Business Spotlight

It's great to B.S.E.E.N!!

IRS Offers Details on New Small Business Health Care Tax Credit

Member Announcements

Chamber Calendar

     CHAMBER CELEBRATES AWARD WINNERS

By Susan Ellis

The Bedford Chamber of Commerce celebrated another successful year at their annual dinner last week held at the Doubletree Bedford Glen Hotel, featuring guest speaker Keurig Vice President Chris Stevens.
The evening commenced with a series of awards to recognize outstanding service to the Chamber and the community at large. These included Cambridge Savings Bank who were chosen as Outstanding Business of the Year in recognition of their financial stability, community involvement, and the leadership role they play in financing and encouraging small businesses and affordable housing. "All of us at Cambridge Savings Bank are extremely proud to receive this award," said Assistant Vice President Sue Saladino.  Saladino, who is also Sales and Service Manager at the Bedford Branch that received the award was not able to make the dinner, but has certainly been in evidence when it comes to service to the Chamber and the Town. 
"The bank donated over $720,000 to local charities last year including $175,000 to local housing not-for-profits and volunteered 1000s of hours of employee time to area organizations," she said.  "We are grateful to the Chamber for recognizing our collective efforts."
Business persons of the year were Bedford Florist co-owners Nancy and Leo Tripodi. Bedford Chamber of Commerce Director Maureen Sullivan said of the couple, "They have worked hard to establish a comfortable, friendly yet professional family atmosphere in their business and make their customers wants and needs their highest priority." Sullivan said they were chosen not only for the way they run their business, but the work they do and contributions they make on behalf of charitable and other organizations in Town on a regular basis, all of which had made them treasured members of the community.
Reverend John Gibbons, pastor of First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, who was given the Chamber's Diversity Award spoke eloquently upon receipt of his prize about the importance of diversity and the huge amount of work left to be done in that area.  Gibbons has regularly hosted meetings, visited businesses, and participated in Business Diversity Training, which the Chamber was instrumental in establishing in Bedford. The Church also has assumed a leadership role in community issues related to incidents of racism and hate by hosting public gatherings related to affirming Bedford's stance as a community committed to cooperation and non-violent resolution of conflict.
A final award was granted to Susan Ellis of Clever Girl Communications for outstanding service to the Chamber. 
Said Sullivan, "It is an award that goes each year to someone who goes above and beyond the call of duty.  It is an award that I value very much as the recipient makes my job remarkably easier by their contribution of time, effort and expertise in their field."

Suzanne's Shop at Home Makes Light Work for the Holidays and Birthdays

With everyone's time at a premium these days, it's become more important than ever to save time and find what you want by shopping on the Internet. The problem is that the Internet takes time, too...researching, exploring links, and comparing prices. That's where Suzanne's 24/7 Shop At Home Site can help. As an Independent Distributor for Market America, Suzanne helps you access a whole range of name brand products...from shoes to soup spoons, jewelry, gifts, books, and nutritional supplements from companies like Kmart, Best Buy, Apple, Sports Authority and many more.
It's like shopping at the old 5 &10 cents store with everything in one place and a proprietor willing to help you negotiate the sometimes overwhelming array of choices. Need a gift for Aunt Mary? A special pair of shoes for your son? Or maybe a hostess gift to bring to a party. Suzanne loves playing matchmaker, looking for deals and special gifts that might otherwise take you hours to find.
Her services spread worldwide and there's global shipping so you can send packages wherever you'd like. A Home Page option lets you customize to individual interests, and with live, real-time customer service through Suzanne herself, you may find shopping is less of a chore and more productive than you ever thought possible.
Want more information? Check out her website at http://www.marketamerica.com/suzanne or join Suzanne on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=65836107119&ref=ts .

Be So EVENTurous Event Network     
It's great to B.S.E.E.N.!

                        Hello EVENTurous friends! 
Be So EVENTurous can help you with your next event. It's easy and free and it can save you valuable time in the process. We're a quick call away or use the event inquiry form on the website. You can register on the site for free as well so that you can partake in the coupon offers that some of our network partners have posted. Our network is dedicated to helping the small, local, independent and entrepreneurial businesses in the Boston area and always keeps your budget in mind.

Here are just a few of our restaurants and venues.....

Dalya's on North Road in Bedford. From the intimate Library with warm colors and Dutch pictures for the smaller meetings and dinner parties, to the Main Dining Room with the bar, fire place and heavy wrought-iron chandeliers, for the larger parties with possibilties of dancing, create an ambiance as if your party is at someone's home.

Ronnarong Thai Tapas in Union Square Somerville. Some of the best Thai food you'll experience in the area. The Thai Sangria is an explosion of flavor and every month they have Thai Tapas Tuesday, coming up again on June 8.

Alba at 1486 Hancock St. in Quincy Center. 3 private rooms with seating up to 60, this is the premier Mediterranean Steak House on the South Shore.

Tempo Bistro on Moody St. in Waltham. Downtown quality and atmosphere with a suburban location and price. They offer $5 bar bites from 5-6:30 every day and :30-10 Mon-Thurs and 9:30 -11 Fri-Sat., closed on Sunday. They also offer a special celiac menu

Tryst Beverly  On Cabot St. in the center of town this intimate American Bistro is not affiliated with the Tryst in Arlington but we are glad to have them both in the network. Open every night except Sunday, Chef Capalbo has had experience working in Manhatten, Boston and has been on the North Shore for 10 years.

Regis College in Weston. Picturesque campus with many banquet and meeting room options. Maureen Iaricci can help you plan your next breakfast meeting, day long seminar, wedding reception and everything in between. Room rates and menu pricing make this a great alternative to other colleges and conference centers in the area.

Guy on The Go. Joe Lemerise offers a Boston based personal concierge service helping you with everything from administrative office work to personal needs to save you time or assist while on vacation. 

Check out our website at www.BeSoEventurous.com
to find out more and see who else is a part of the network..
Let your EVENTure begin!

Tim Harris
President, Be So EVENTurous, www.BeSoEventurous.com
tim@BeSoEventurous.com
781-267-1504

IRS Offers Details on New Small Business Health Care Tax Credit

The Internal Revenue Service issued new guidance to make it easier for small businesses to determine whether they are eligible for the new health care tax credit under the Affordable Care Act and how large a credit they will receive. The guidance makes it clear that small businesses receiving state health care tax credits, may still qualify for the full federal tax credit. Additionally, the guidance allows small businesses to receive the credit not only for regular health insurance but also for add-on dental and vision coverage.

Notice 2010-44 provides detailed guidelines, illustrated by more than a dozen examples, to help small employers determine whether they qualify for the credit and estimate the amount of the credit. The notice also requests public comment on issues that should be addressed in future guidance.

Included in the Affordable Care Act, approved by Congress in March and signed into law by the President, the small business health care tax credit, which is in effect this year, is designed to encourage small employers to offer health insurance coverage for the first time or maintain coverage they already have.

In general, the credit is available to small employers that pay at least half the cost of single coverage for their employees in 2010. The credit is specifically targeted to help small businesses and tax-exempt organizations that primarily employ moderate- and lower-income workers.

Member Announcements 

The Doubletree Bedford Glen Hotel Summer Series

Live Entertainment Every Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 6pm to 9pm, starting JUne 1st

Alfresco Bar & Grille on the Upper Terrace

Special Cocktail, Wine and Beer of the Month

I attached the menu. All guests who attend June 1st or June 2nd will receive 50% off all Food Items!

Chamber Calendar

June 1
Tee It Up Golf
Patriot Golf Course

4:30 PM

June 8
Cambridge Savings Bank Senior Prom Stroll
Town Common
4:30 PM
Class Picture at 5:15

June 10
Board of Directors Meeting

Bedford Police Station
7:30 am

June 10
Town Department/Chamber Meeting
Bedford Police Station
9:00 am

June 17
New Member Orientation
Garrison Knight Financial Planning
12 Great Road

9:00 am

June 17

Working Women Alliance

Town Center

Noon

June 18
Bedford Historical Society

 The Fitch Tavern Party

6:00 PM

June 22

Oracle Business Expo

Hilton Garden Inn
Burlington,  MA 5-7 pm
More info to follow

Quick Links

Did you know that the Chamber has a Facebook Page?

Become A FAN

What The Chamber Has Been Up to this Month!!!

Catch the Net Networking/Middlesex Savings Bank

BrightView Concord River Ribbon Cutting

 Right at Home Ribbon Cutting

 JRM Ribbon Cutting
Annual Dinner
Weekly Tee It Up
Social Media After Hours
Fox 25 ZIP Trip
and 8 New MEMBERS

Christine Pinney, Susan Baldauf & Joan Turnberg

 at the Annual Dinner

2010 Chamber Members

2010 Chamber Members

Advanced Media Web 

Affinity Hospice of Life

Amptek Inc.

AMS Communication

B2B CFO 

Baudanza Electric
Baldwin Insurance

BCAT
Be So Eventurous Event Network

Bedford Acupuncture Center
Bedford Car Wash
Bedford Family Connection

Bedford Farms

Bedford Florist

Bedford Funeral Home
Bedford Historical Society
Bedford Motel
Bedford Orthodontics
Bedford Plaza Hotel
Bedford Vision Center
Brightview Concord River
Brookline Bank

Brown & Brown Attorneys

Cafe Luigi
Callahan's Karate Studio
Calling All Pets
Cambridge Savings Bank
Carlton & Duran CPAs
Carleton Willard
Carriage House Cafe & Catering
Christine Pinney Marketing
Clevergirl Communications
Community Connection Yellow
Pages
Cranberry Hill Associates
Dalya's Restaurant
DebbieSpencer/TheHigginsGroup
Design 1 Kitchen & Bath   Design Photo
Design Unlimited
Dianne Bridgeman, DDS
Diane McIver/The HigginsGroup

Doubletree Bedford Glen Hotel

Dr. Kiana Kaymanesh & Assoc.
Dr. Oscar DePriest
DSA Printing
Edward Jones/Barb Davis
Edward Jones/Britton Wilson
Elm Brook Place

Essential Skin Care

First Parish, UnitarianUniversalist
FW Webb Company

FUJIFILM Recording Media  U.S.A., Inc

Garrison/Knight Finacial Planning

GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies
Global IMplant Solutions

Genetti's Wine & Spirits, Inc.
Great Road Gallery & Framing
Hanscom Federal Credit Union
Harold Nichols Insurance Agency

Helen Chen & Company, LLC 

Heritage at Bedford Springs

Holly Chessman Marketing

iRobot

In Home Design

Inside Out Staging and Design
Inner Visions Interior

JRM Antiques 

Keller Williams Realty

Kimberly Bee Designs

Lapels Dry Cleaning

Latady Design

Law Offices of Robert D'Auria

Leary Auto Repair
Lexington Symphony
Live-Life-Well

Massage Therapy Associates

Margaritas

McColough Associates
Mead Tree Service, Inc.

Middlesex Savings Bank
Minuteman Volkswagon

Minuteman Advisory Partners
National Stop Loss

New England Nurseries

North Road Chiropractic

Northwestern FinancialNetwork

O'Malley & Colangeli, CPAs, PC

OrganizingWORKS! 

Organix Spa & Salon  
Paychex
Patriot Pediatrics

Peter C. Quinn Insurance Agency

Precious Paws Pets Service

Progress Software

Professional Enterprise Solutions
Quality Database Design
ReadyPay, Inc.

Regus

Rental Car Momma   
Right At Home

Slak ChiroprcaticGroup
Spaulding Management Company 

Spencer Company 

St. Michael Parish Center
Strategic Financial Partners

Summit Health & Fitness

Suzanne's 24/7 Shop At Home Site
The Entrepreneur's Source
The Goddard School

The Higgins Group

The Law Office of DavidCormier

The MITRE Corporation
Town Planner Calendar

Vela Ventures
Watson Law Offices

Whole Foods Market

Women's Financial Network

COMMITTEE REPORTS 

PROGRAMMING-BRYAN MCKAY

            The program committee is working on future programs to start in the fall or winter. We are looking for ideas, and volunteers to help. Tee  IT UP Golf has been a success so far.  We have been averaging about 18 golfers per week.   The only down-side is that most of the golfers come to us via the base.  Not that this is a bad thing.  However it would be nice if we could have a better showing from the Chamber members.  This is the perfect time of year as there is still plenty of daylight even for the last groups. 

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE- LEA ANN KNIGHT

It's been a busy month for Membership!  Our plan to highlight new businesses in town by promoting Ribbon Cutting ceremonies has been a great success.  Thanks to those Chamber members who have been able to attend one or more of these events.   They garner great publicity for the new business and provide  a chance for some informal networking at the same time.

We are also getting ready to host another quarterly New Member Meeting on June 17 at 9 am.  The meeting will be held at the offices of Garrison/Knight Financial Planning (aka The Fitch Tavern), 12 Great Road.  If you haven't attended a meeting yet, it's a great way to hear all about the opportunities for involvement in the Chamber.

And the Committee is hoping to use the slower summer months to develop our membership database capabilities - capturing additional information from current and future members.  We want to be able to pinpoint the events and services that our members are most excited about and focus on the marketing campaigns that bring in additional members.  If you would like to become more active in the chamber without committing a lot of time, this database project would be an ideal opportunity!  So be sure to let a committee member know OR come to our next committee meeting on  Thursday, June 3 at the Law Office of Brown & Brown, 110 Great Road.  We will meet from 10:30am-11:30am.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT- KEVIN LATADY

Our focus is the upcoming meeting with the town's department leaders/liaisons on June 10 to discuss ways to improve the process of bringing in businesses wanting to expand in Bedford and new businesses coming to Bedford (and how the Chamber my be able to assist in that process). The proposal for using the Economic Development money was presented to the Planning Board on May 25 (and the Selectmen discussed the allocation of money at their last meeting.)

FUNDRAISING-FATIMA MENDONCA

 The Cambridge Savings Bank Senior Prom Stroll will be held next Tuesday, June 8 at 4:30 PM on the Town Common. We are also holding our start up meetings for Flavors of Bedford. We are looking for someone to be head the following- Raffle, Best of Flavors Competition, and Publicity. 

The Bedford Chamber of Commerce, Inc.

12 Mudge Way
Bedford, MA 01730

 Telephone (781) 275-8503

 Fax: (781)-275-8501

www.bedfordchamber.org

Office Hours

 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday

 8:00 am -2:00 PM

 President: Pamela Brown

 Executive Director: Maureen M. Sullivan

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Bedford Chamber of Commerce | 12 Mudge Way | Bedford | MA | 01730