Great Thanks

Dear Friend,  We Should All Aspire to Live Such a Life Dr. A. Gould Susslin was honored this past weekend as the Bay Day "Great Race" renamed it's Championship Trophy in his memory. A small token of appreciation for a gentleman who placed family and community at the forefront. These priorities were clearly evident on Sunday as a large number of his family gathered to help the community remember this man's important contributions. Jay Cummings read a tribute to Dr. Susslin that highlighted the many ways in which he enriched this community. A Great Citizen celebrated on a Great Day.

Thank You  My hat goes off to all the participants, sponsors and volunteers who helped make the 36th running of the Great Race a success. Over 300 athletes on 161 teams from 14 states and Canada competed on a beautiful Franklin County day. Volunteers helped weeks in advance to get the course in shape and make sure that everything ran like clock work on race day. Race Directors Jay Cummings and Aaron Reynolds once again showed a calm control of the situation that only comes with years of experience. And Lisamarie Charlesworth is to be credited with much of the heavy lifting that goes on behind the scenes. Check out the FaceBook page to read some of the compliments that are directed at "you," the contribution of many. Franklin County Focus I have had a blast recording our first seven episodes of Franklin County Focus. Three are currently posted and the next four are in production. Elizabeth Malone, the Executive Director of Northwest Access TV, has been a wonderful teacher and mentor as we explore businesses and organizations in our region. Each visit gives us a look into what makes up our local economy. We get an up close interview with key leaders and a look inside that many miss by simply driving by. Our first visits have been centered in Swanton to give us a feel for the issues they face in conjunction with their recent "Community Visit" economic development efforts. We film once a month so if you would like to have us visit your business, give us a call.   Did You Know? "Even the best brands run the risk of becoming old and stale if they are not continually infused with fresh ideas and creativity. Your brand promise, values and personality are the benchmarks by which you'll test decisions for how your company will evolve and grow." Quoted by Chris Vanderzyden in 7 Steps to Entrepreneurial Victory!

Please make a Chamber membership part of your success strategy. Thank you for your continued support of the Chamber in your community.

Dave Southwick