Swanton Community Visit

Dear Friend,  Our Government is Coming to Town 2015 is kicking off with a marvelous opportunity for Swanton and surrounding Franklin County. This Wednesday, January 28th a contingency of Vermont State, Federal, business and non-profit leaders will be converging on Swanton in what is called a "Community Visit." This is big.

What is a Community Visit? A Community Visit is a three step process where the state sends high ranking officials from state, federal, business and non-profit agencies to spend time with local citizens in an effort to find out how best these groups can assist a community in meeting their goals for growth and developing strategies to address their challenges. Why is this a Big Deal? That's a no brainer! Anytime you have visitors who are interested in helping you, it's a big deal. But seriously, these visits help our towns people get hooked up with the right agents and programs that CAN make a difference. We come out of this with a document loaded with suggestions, connections, ideas and links to state and federal funds, programs and personnel - all directed at something we identify as important to our community. We are expecting between 30-40 official visitors - that's huge. How Do I Get Involved? Show Up. Stop what you are doing right now and block out this coming Wednesday from 2:00 until 8:30. Next, download the agenda - right here - pick the sessions you want to attend. And show up ready to share your ideas, concerns and your support. This is a roll up your sleeves event where everyone can and will be heard. And at 6:00, we'll take a break and have a bite to eat courtesy of MVU. You don't have to sign up all you have to do is show up. We want to fill these venues with citizens who what to help take Swanton to a new height. By The Way - News from Montpelier I am looking for the best way to share what I hear from Montpelier. We have done a nice job of getting in touch with our delegates and I believe we have the doors open for good communications throughout the session. I get input from a number of different agencies during the week, so I am trying to figure out the best way to distill that all and get it to you in a useful format. This week I am sending you a link to This Week in the Statehouse from VTDigger.org. I like their format and I think you will find the pieces on Tobacco taxes and why gas prices are so much higher in Northeastern VT interesting. Let me know if you see anything you would like the Chamber to chime in on. Did You Know? The number three reason businesses fail within the first five years is: Failure of the leaders to engage in personal development and perform at their top level. Franklin County is loaded with professional training opportunities. Take time out of your busy schedule to improve yourself. Don't get stale.

Thank you for your continued support of the Chamber in your community.

Dave Southwick