THE GREATER WESTERLY PAWCATUCK AREACHAMBER OF COMMERCE

NEWSLETTER SEPT

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Michele Gardner Julie Holland

Linda WilkinsonHeather BessetteChristine Misto

GRAND OPENING

Congratulations to Dr. Stuart the Pediatrician and Dr. Stuart the Internist who recently opened their practice on Wells Street in Westerly. A large support base attended their ribbon cutting ceremony. Now accepting new patients

2 The Westerly - Pawcatuck Chamber of Commerce www.westerlychamber.org

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For 90 years, Westerly Hospital has cared for our community.

We provide expert, compassionate and patient-centered care.

From ice cream servers to hairstylists to actors, you can depend on us

to support your health and well-being, right here in Westerly.

5 Ice Cream Parlors. 6 Salons. 2 Theaters.

1 Community Hospital.

WESTERLYHOSP ITAL .ORG | 401 .596 .6000 |

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NEW MEMBERS

Misquamicut Sandwich Company (MSC)

BRUCE BRYAMAN BUILDERS, INC (BRAYMAN CONSTRUCTION)

Westerly ArmoryConnecting the Community & Remembering Its Hisory

Subaru will donate $250 for every new Subaru ve-hicle sold or leased from November 19, 2015 through January 2, 2016, up to $15 million total (“National Do-nation Cap”). Locally, Valenti Subaru has selected the Greater Westerly Chamber Foundation as their local charity that stands to benefit from some of these funds. Each purchaser of a Valenti Subaru has the choice of having their money donated to the Greater Westerly Chamber Foundation or their choice of four national charities: ASPCA, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Amer-ica, Meals on Wheels Association of America and the National Park Foundation. The promotion applies to all new Subaru vehicles (based on VIN numbers) sold or leased from November 19, 2015 through January 2, 2016. Subaru will make the donation to the GWCF in a lump sum payment by March 1, 2016.

The Greater Westerly Chamber Foundation is the charitable, 501c3 arm of the Chamber of Commerce. It recently made a $1,200 donation to support the summer concert series in Donahue park, a $4,000 donation for a video camera for the Stonington police Department and a $500 donation to the Future Business Leaders of America. The Greater Westerly Chamber Foundation is in the process of fabricating and installing a brand new wayfinding sign for the North End of Westerly. Funds raised from this Subaru program will be earmarked to support video cameras for the Westerly Police Depart-ment and other important community projects.

If you are considering a new car purchase, please consider the Subaru line of vehicles offered by Valenti Subaru of Westerly. Your purchase could make a big dif-ference in supporting community projects. Thank you!

BUY A SUBARU AND THE CHAMBER FOUNDATION BENEFITS!

57 Shore RoadWesterly, RI 02891Phone: 401-637-4910Contact: Bill Beattie

At the Misquamicut Sand-wich Company (MSC), we aim to please the “meatiest” of carnivores to the “veggi-est” of vegetarians…and to everyone else who falls some-where in between. We are a

small, locally-owned restau-rant (eat-in or take-out) serv-ing breakfast and lunch, as well as sandwiches and salad platters for your office event or family get-together. Please know that we are happy to improvise our sandwiches to meet your dietary needs, including gluten-free and/or vegan preferences (upon request).

8 Dixon StreetWesterly, RI 02891Phone: 401-596-8554Contact: John Humble

The Westerly Armory, built in 1901, was originally built for use by the Rhode Island State Guard, but is now a community museum, home to America’s oldest ac-tive civic band (The Westerly Band), largest memorial in Washington County to veter-ans of all wars and conflicts, and event venue in the Ar-mory’s 6,000 sq ft drill hall. The community-oriented museum is open Mondays

and Thursdays from 9-4 and tours are free. Displays high-light the people, businesses, and institutions that make the community so rich. The drill hall is used for events rang-ing from wedding receptions and dances to concerts and antiques shows. The Armory has a membership program offering members an invita-tion to an evening of dinner and entertainment. Dues and donations are tax-deductible. Volunteers are needed and welcome. Website is www.westerlyarmory.org; phone 401-596-8554; email westerl-yarmory@aol.com.

135 Fairview AvenueHope Valley, RI 02832Phone: 401-539-1013Contact: Bruce Brayman

We are a full service con-struction company complete

with excavation services such as roads, drainage, sep-tic systems installations, foundations, as well as hy-dro-seeding, loam, sand and gravel. We also complete new home building.

September 3, 2015 The Westerly - Pawcatuck Chamber of Commerce 3

We are delighted to report that the Governor of Rhode Island will be our keynote speaker at a Business Luncheon on Thursday, September 10 at 12 noon at Haversham House. She will discuss the Rhode Island Jobs Plan, tourism and the proposed welcome center at Exit 1 on I-95. There will be a question and answer period that follows. The event is open

to the public and we’d really like to make sure that we give her a warm Westerly welcome, so please try and attend. A lovely buffet style lunch will be served. The cost is $20 for members, $30 non-members. Email membership@westerlychamber.org to RSVP or for

GOVERNOR RAIMONDOAT CHAMBER LUNCHEON

Our Annual River Glow Event took place on Saturday, August 8, 2015. It was a beautiful evening in Downtown Westerly-Pawcatuck. Floating Bonfires illuminated the Pawcatuck River and created a magical setting for a wonderful community event. Entertainment was performed by Happy & The Moonshine, Jose Costa Solo Steel Drum Band, Keith Leaf the Amazing Fire Juggler, Sirena Sultana Belly Dancing and Mystic Paper Beasts. There were hay rides through town by Side Hill Farm, karate demonstrations by East Coast Karate and Shield Martial Arts and a dance demonstration by Seaside Dance Studio. Children & adults enjoyed Bjorn’s balloon twisting, The Rock Spot rock wall, face painting, henna art, air brush tattoos, hair braiding and more. Our downtown businesses offered shopping specials, there were delicious foods and treats making this a fabulous night.

RIVER GLOWThis Special Event is produced by:

THE GREATER WESTERLY-PAWCATUCK AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Special Thanks to:STONINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT • PAWCATUCK FIRE DEPARTMENT

TOWN OF STONINGTON • WESTERLY POLICE DEPARTMENTWESTERLY FIRE DEPARTMENT • TOWN OF WESTERLY

WESTERLY AMBULANCE CORPS • ALL OF OUR AMAZING VOLUNTEERS! • WARM CENTER

Special Thanks to our Sponsors!

FIRE BURSTS SPONSORS

SPARKLERS SPONSORS

TWINKLERS SPONSORS

EMBERS SPONSORSDUNN’S CORNERS MARKET • IN DESIGNS • DR. WOODWARD DMD & DR. KAUFMAN DMD

MEL’S DOWNTOWN CREAMERY • THORP & TRAINER • PADDY’S BEACH • ROCKY’S TREE SERVICE, INC

A collaborative grant application submitted by Families Learning Together/the Westerly Public Schools, Jonnycake Center, Literacy Volunteers of RI, The Washington County Education Exchange and the Greater Westerly-Pawcatuck Area Chamber of Commerce was recently approved by the State of RI as part of the RealJobs RI job training and creation program. The $16,000 planning grant will allow the groups to hold focued meetings with area employers, conduct an extensive survey of employment needs utilizing a professional with survey experience, and develop a plan for an Implementation grant. This was a very competitive grant process so the agencies involved are proud! If your business would like to support this initiative contact Lisa Konicki at Ikonicki@westerlychamber.org. Thanks to the business partners who have already agreed to participate in the 3 month planning process. The Chamber hopes to develop a Biz Camp Program that would involve practical job training for high school students during February and April vacation, starting in 2016.

The Greater Westerly Chamber Foundation is in the process of fabricating and install-ing an additional way-finding sign for down-town. The sign will be placed in a high visi-bility location in the North End of Wester-ly. The Chamber has been expanding the signage throughout the downtown community to help visitors find their way around, and to enhance the look of our two state downtown business district. We hope the sign will be installed before the first snowflakes fly.

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GARDEN OF

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BUSINESS AFTER HOURS August 12, 2015

September 3, 2015 The Westerly - Pawcatuck Chamber of Commerce 519886-01

HeatHer BessetteStoningtonCEO/Managing Partner

I Can Fitness

For over 20 years, Heather has owned and operated a small personal fitness studio in Stonington and has focused on helping others with their lives. She has worked with mostly women (some men) of all ages en-couraging one on one to be their best, work a little harder and stay focused on their goals. She has demonstrated her leadership by encouraging those girls that have come to her for help, which at first was in the physi-cal fitness sense, but with her leadership, the training was about being a stronger person and believing in themselves. She has led teams to the top of tall buildings, lead teams

through 26 miles of a marathon. She has supported her friends who have been ill and rallied the troops to come to their aid. She was the founder and the inspiration be-hind the annual Vil-lage Fun Runs, which have been so success-ful in bringing the community together

and focusing on the development of a stron-ger, healthier community. Heather won the 1996 Hartford Marathon, a qualifier for the 1998 US Olympic Marathon Trials. She was a nationally ranked runner and was on the New Balance National Running Team for 7 years.

Heather’s community service is mea-sured by her daily acts of helping others; be it from helping a school running team to helping a young girl looking to find her way. Heather’s actions every day are all part of her community service and always has the spirit of how can I help others live a better life. From driving a friend to the doctors, to dropping off items at the food bank, orga-nizing a trunk show, to supporting a friend with cancer.

MicHele GardnerWesterlyGroup Exercise Instructor,

Ocean Community YMCAFitness Instructor

Stonington Human Services

A certified Instructor for SilverSneakers, Body Sculpt, and Spinning, Michele was the catalyst behind the expansion of the Silver-Sneakers program from 10 participants to over 150 participants in the first two years. These days, participation numbers are in the hundreds and the OCY programs have

one of the highest participant enrollments in the country. Michele’s infectious energy and enthusiasm has been instrumental in growing the program from a basic level to advance and cardio levels. She has caringly

coached SilverSneak-ers members to stron-ger levels of fitness so they could participate in higher intensity classes. Her guidance has resulted in par-ticipants progressing from “frail to fit”. Mi-chele enjoys inspiring others to commit to long-term health and fitness goals.

In January, 2014, Michele was diagnosed with breast cancer. She returned to the Y in June, 2014 even though she continued to receive treatments through September, 2014. She was an inspiration and showed grace, strength and determination. She started teaching one spin class per week for a month then took on a second spin class and soon after returned to the SilverSneakers class as the spotter at the back of the class.

Michelle’s community service includes volunteering for the Ocean Community YMCA annual triathlons and Roger Schon-ning Race. She was the Volunteer Coordina-tor of the Triathlon in 2011 & 2012. She was active on numerous committees of Dunn’s Corners Elementary School from 1998-2005. She supported the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center when she painted a wall mural for their preschool in 2003.

Some of her past awards include: 2012 Ocean Community YMCA President’s Award (all three branches) Outstanding Ser-vice Award

2014 Westerly-Pawcatuck Breast Cancer Awareness Honoree – Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation

Julie HollandPawcatuckCommunity Service Advocate

Julie Holland sees a need and goes about figuring out how to meet it. She has a gift for organizing people, especially women and

children, toward common needs. The im-pact of her community service has spanned across Stonington schools as well as many local non-profit organizations. She uses so-cial media to promote people, organizations

and events. For the past several years she has hosted monthly “benefit” parties at her home consisting of 30 to 40 women with a goal of iden-tifying worthwhile projects and enlisting commitment from the group to move for-ward. Groups bene-fiting from her initia-

tives include Westerly Library and Wilcox Park, Autism Speaks, Pawcatuck Neighbor-hood Center and the Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation, to name a few. She supports other community groups by publi-cizing their events and fundraisers through social media.

Julie worked as Paraprofessional Teach-ing Assist at West Vine Street School (2007-2013). She took her responsibilities to her students to a whole new level helping not only the children but getting involved with families with the goal of identifying unmet needs. Through this work she went on to become one of the driving forces in bring-ing the Light It up Blue to Support Autism Awareness to the greater Westerly-Paw-catuck area. Her benefit parties resulted in a fundraiser at a local venue along with coordinating with businesses, banking in-stitutions and local municipalities to light up their buildings in blue in support of Au-tism Speaks. Julie’s expansive community service includes serving on the Stoning-ton K-12 Building Committee to gain sup-port for improvements to the elementary schools Past awards include The Golden Apple Award in 2012, bestowed by Stoning-ton Public Schools and the the Civic Rec-ognition Award for being a positive role model to children helping to teach them to respond to situations in healthy ways that can contribute to individual and communi-ty wellbeing. Julie was instrumental in the founding of the West Vine Street School Sensory Garden and currently serves as its Chair. The garden has morphed into an out-

door classroom and provides learning op-portunities for students year round. It has resulted in food production and subsequent donations to the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center and local families. Julie also orga-nized a hat/mitten/scarf drive for the PNC.

cHristine MistoWesterlyMarketing & Communications Manager,

Westerly HospitalVice Chairman

Westerly RepublicanTown Committee

Christine is responsible for helping project the image of Westerly Hospital in

the community, and communicate news to the media and public. Throughout her ten-ure which included the hospital’s transi-tion to the L + M Hos-pital family, she has been creative, dedi-cated and energetic working on events and marketing of this important communi-

ty asset. She is a well respected leader who makes a very professional presentation on behalf of the region’s largest employer.

As the Chairman of the Republican Town Committee in Westerly, she is or-ganized, passionate and dedicated in her work to help fellow republicans achieve their goals of getting elected and serving the community. Christine offers sage ad-vice, savvy marketing tips and strategic vi-sion that has enabled several candidates to excel in their path to public service. She is a role model to other women who may be considering getting involved locally. She is a long time advocate for quality education and accountability in the school and town budget. For many years she eloquently and respectfully speaks at town council meetings and school committee meetings, challenging the process of back-door con-tract negotiations and other issues of con-cern. In 2009 she served as a member of the “Westerly High School Renovation Subcommittee”. Christine was a volunteer dancer for Dancing with the Stars to Ben-efit the Bradford Schools. She has been a donor and supporter of the Westerly Edu-cation Endowment Fund. She volunteered with a team of 5 others to create 2 unique outfits for the Chamber’s Fashion Trash-ion event. She serves on the Marketing and Newsletter committees of the St Pius School where her son Louis attends. She provides invaluable marketing tips, devel-ops advertising materials and is an asset to the school’s community outreach efforts.

2015 ATHENA AWARD

Please join us at Lake of Isles Golf Resort on October 22 as we honor 5 outstanding members of our community. Each

has been certified as an ATHENA nominee and has excelled in their career, demonstrated a commitment to the community

through volunteerism, and has helped other women achieve goals and leadership roles. Tickets are $50 payable to:

Greater Westerly Chamber Foundation.The nominees are:

6 The Westerly - Pawcatuck Chamber of Commerce www.westerlychamber.org

11th Annual

Brews

&

Blues

Tickets $25 in advance $30 at the door

21 & older ID required

Live Music By: Neal and the Vipers

Sample over 30 beers and wines paired with gourmet foods from local eateries

Friday September 25, 2015

6:00-9:00 PM The Windjammer

321 Atlantic Avenue, Misquamicut, RI

For tickets or information, call (401) 596-7761 or go to www.westerlychamber.org

Special Thanks To :

Linda WiLkinsonNorth StoningtonFounder,

Chikumbuso Women and Orphans Project

Linda has lived all over the world and has made a difference teaching and volunteering. In Mali she taught literacy to women at 25 dif-

ferent training centers. As a volunteer she helped local residents sell earthen ware and beads from Timbuktu to help support their families during the drought and famine. In Senegal she taught a 5th grade class at the International/ Amer-ican school. In Mary-land she taught a tech-

nology class to at risk youths.In 2004 Linda moved to Africa and estab-

lished the Chikumbuso Women and Orphans Project. A bar and brothel was for sale in the compound so she bought it and convert-ed into a community room and school. To-day, the group has grown to 45 widows and

25 at risk youth making beautiful handcrafted items. Their skills as artists and entrepreneurs have grown through various classes ranging from learning about color and design to finan-cial training for both their personal and pro-fessional lives. English training has helped the women continue learning even though they dropped out of formal education many, many years ago. Their confidence has increased tre-mendously; they regularly attend local fashion shows and often find themselves speaking to organizations about the project and how they can help. Chikimbusu also educates and helps feed a total of 450 students, some in its K-6 operation and some through sponsorships to attend middle school and high school. Linda secures locations to display and sell the Chi-kumbuso women’s art work in area restau-rants and businesses. From New London to Westerly, churches, schools, Rotary clubs, businesses and individuals have embraced the group and its work, hosting fundraisers, buy-ing handbags and sponsoring Chikumbuso children.

She is an active member of the Stonington Rotary Club and contributes time and talents to support their many programs.

All 5 of these amazing ladies will have their stories shared with the community during a very special celebration that will be inspiring for all who attend. Tickets are $50 each.

2015 ATHENA AWARDSeptember 3, 2015 The Westerly - Pawcatuck Chamber of Commerce 7

• Home • Life • Restaurants• Auto • Condos • Contractors

Call 401.596.4977 or 800.556.6622 for quotes

48 Main Street, Westerly, RI 02891www.louispancierainc.com

Personal, Flood andCommercial Insurances

Competitive Rates“WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED”

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www.schospital.com/orthopedicswww.scortho.com A partnership of South County Hospital,

South County Orthopedics, and VNS Home Health Services

HIP OR KNEE PAINSLOWING YOU DOWN?

• MAKOplasty Total Hip Replacement andKnee Resurfacing

• Surgeon-controlled robotic arm system offersnew level of precision to restore your mobilityand active lifestyle

• Most experienced MAKOplasty surgeons in the U.S. – over 3,000 procedures

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For a consultation with a physician at South County Orthopedics, call 401 789-1422.

Want to know more? For information on free evening presentations in your area, please call 401 788-1173.

Want to know more?Visit us at www.schospital.com or call 401 788-8749

• New multi-accredited, full-service facility•Comprehensive lab and diagnostic services• No appointment necessary• Confidential, accessible elctronic records of results kept on file

Outpatient Lab Services 27 Crestview Dr.

Westerly, RI 02891

OUR WESTERLY LAB IS AT YOUR SERVICE

Hours: 7 a.m.– 4 p.m.Closed between

noon and 1 p.m., Mon.-Fri.

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GREATER WESTERY CHAMBER FOUDATION

Angela Thoman presented a $2900 check to Police Chief Darren Stewart and First Selectman George Crouse in Donahue Park on July 28. Just two days later, an anonymous donation of $550 was received, allowing The Chamber Foundation to match that and give another $1,100 to the project- $4,000 total raised! Thanks to the generosity of the community and The Greater Westerly Chamber Foundation for supporting efforts for a video camera downtown.

BEST OF THE BEST

Congratulations to chef Jeanie Roland of Ella’s Fine Foods on beating Bobbie Flay in competition on the Food Network! Westerly is so fortunate to have such a talented chef and incredible restaurant.

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