MEMBER SPOTLIGHT 700 Main Street, Sebastian, FL 32958 www.SebastianChamber.com (772) 589-5969 April 2009 Issue

Home Instead Senior Care Assistance for Senior’s Varying Needs There are many things that make the place you call home special, but it’s how you live your life that’s most important. Home Instead Senior Care is a reliable source of care for older adults who need one-on-one non-medical assistance with daily activities that aren’t quite as easy for them as they use to be. Home Instead Senior Care is a network of independ-ently owned and operated franchises that stretch across North America and around the world. Each franchise office employs professional staff members and CAREGivers who are responsive to client needs and engaged in the community. Home Instead CAREGivers are compassionate com-mitted individuals who assist older adults with every-day tasks so they can live independently, no matter where they might call home. For example, clients may receive the following services according to their indi-vidual scheduling needs and preferences: . Meal Preparation . Medication Reminders . Laundry . Light Housekeeping . Escort for Shopping and Errands . Respite Services . Assistance with Personal Care

A Resource You Can Trust Family members can’t always be there for their par-ents and relatives, so we take great pride in making sure our CAREGivers are the next best thing. De-pendability, quality of care and accountability have earned Home Instead Senior Care a deep level of trust with our clients; their family members and friends; health, medical and social organizations. Our employees are: . Thoroughly Screened . Extensively Trained . Insured and Bonded . Matched to Your Needs . Professional . Dependable Dedicated to Training and Education CAREGivers complete a thorough, multi-phased train-ing program that helps them become extraordinary senior care professionals. They know how to respond to situations unique to their work; such as managing the challenges of memory loss with a sensitive touch. And, to ensure that the relationship with the CAREGiver is meeting expectations, you can expect our office to conduct periodic quality assurance visits to the home. We can Assist You When You’re Ready Whether you’d like help for a few hours a day or 24 hours a day, a CAREGiver can assist you. Our office staff is on call 24 hours a day to quickly and efficiently accommodate your service requests. Home Instead Senior Care Office is located at 1847 14th Avenue, Vero Beach. Our phone number is 564-8821 and we invite you to check us out on our web site at www.homeinstead.com/259. If you would like to “make the front page” of our newsletter, make sure you schedule time this month at one of our net-working activities, and maybe your name will be drawn for the monthly spotlight! Check out our calendar inside!

Proposed renovations to the Chamber building on Main Street, entitled the:

Pelican Porch

Visitor’s Center

Acorn Mini Storage AC & Non AC Units

Boat & R.V. Storage Gated facility, security cameras, 24 hr access 5’ x 5’ 10’ x 10’ 10’ x 20’ 5’ x 10’ 10’ x 15’ 10’ x 30’ 189 Sebastian Blvd. Sebastian, FL 32958 (Rt. 512 East) 772-589-6939 Find us on the Web at www.acornmini.com

February Business & Pleasure at Flexvision Products & Services

Breakfast at Sherri’s Floral Shoppe March Networking Events

Luncheon at Capt Hiram’s Tiffany Room

Left: Ron Krasnanski, Owner, Home Instead Senior Care, Luncheon Sponsor

Right: Bonnie Swanson, President, Pelican Island Preservation Society, Luncheon Speaker, and Kristen Beck, PIPS Board Member & Co-Owner of Kayaks Etc.

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Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce Calendar of Events

April 2009

April 2 Executive Committee Meeting 8:00 a.m. Chamber Office April 3 Good Morning Sebastian Chamber Breakfast 8:00 a.m. Billero & Billero, 300 Sebastian Blvd., Sebastian April 3 Concerts in the Park, Riverview Park 5:30 p.m. Featuring: The Nouveaux Honkies! April 4 Fellsmere Days All Day Celebrating the heritage of Fellsmere, Downtown Fellsmere April 8 Chamber Full Board Meeting 8:00 a.m. Chamber Office

April 10 Chamber Closed for Easter Weekend

April 14 Chamber Luncheon at river grille Noon Guest Speaker: Kristine Sarkauskas, Mental Health Association Sponsored by: Solantic, Reservations Please: $15, At the Door: $20

April 16 Business & Pleasure 5:30 p.m. Orbit RV Park 3860 US Hwy 1, Grant (just past Tony’s Seafood Market)

April 17 Concerts in the Park, Riverview Park 5:30 p.m. Featuring: The Nite Life

April 18 Earth Day Celebration 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Riverview Park April 20 Free Score “Speed Counseling” Event Captain Hiram’s Tiffany Room April 21 Free Score Workshop: “How To Start A Small Business” 9:30 a.m.– 12 p.m. Chamber Office

April 24 & 25 Sebastian Relay for Life 6 p.m.-10 a.m. Sebastian River High School

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New Members 2/10/09 – 3/12/09

Nautic Quest Joseph R. Cloutier 1400 US Hwy 1 Sebastian, FL 32958 772-388-6040 nauticquest@att.net Art Gallery

Donghia Design Lawrence Donghia, Tania Donghia-Wetmore, Renate Donghia 9496 Frangipani Drive, Vero Beach, FL 32963 772-559-8947, 772-581-8578 Fax 772-581-8578 www.donghiadesign.com donghiadesign@bellsouth.net Graphic & Web Design

Good Health Market Martin & Lori Drummond 13570 Mystic Drive, B-101 Sebastian, FL 32958 772-589-7410, 305-807-0963 www.goodhealthmarkets.com martin@goodhealthmarkets.com Specialty Grocery

Aquarium Maintenance Plus / Hamilton Group Mike & Holly Hamilton PO Box 780235 Sebastian, FL 32978 772-453-9891, 772-453-3314 www.aquariummaintenanceplus.com holly@aquariummaintenanceplus.com Aquarium Maintenance & Rental – Business & Residential

Roxy’s Salon Roxy Larabie 8802 N US Hwy 1 Sebastian, FL 32958 772-388-6500 Hair Salon

Harry Parker Photography Harry Parker PO Box 381 Roseland, FL 32958 772-532-3220 www.harryparkerphotography.com harry@harryparkerphotography.com Photographer

Special thanks to our many renewing members! We can’t do it without you!

DID YOU KNOW???

THE CHAMBER RESPONDS TO AN AVERAGE OF 60 INQUIRIES A MONTH FROM PEOPLE INTERESTED IN VISITING OR RELOCATING TO OUR AREA. THOSE LEADS COULD BE YOURS FOR ONLY $100 A YEAR! FOR MORE INFO, CALL NICOLE @ 772-589-5969!

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2009 Concerts in the Park Riverview Park, Sebastian

5:30-8:00 p.m.

April 3rd The Nouveaux Honkies

April 17th The Nite Life

May 1st Stoney & The House Rockers

May 15th The Porchdogs

June 19th TBA

Sugar Shack will be selling food & refreshments and the Lions Club will be selling popcorn. Sponsored by the

City of Sebastian, Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce, Mel-

bourne International Airport & RBC Bank.

FREE SCORE

Counselors to America’s Small Business

Free Small Business Workshops

“How To Start A Small Business” Start Up Fundamentals

Marketing and Business Planning Capital, Credit, Permits, Licenses

& Employment Business Structure, Taxation

And Regulation

April 21, 2009 9:30 a.m.- Noon

June 16, 2009 9:30 a.m.- Noon

At the Chamber Office 700 Main Street, Sebastian

To register, call 589-5969 or visit www.score308.com

MEMBER NEWS

CASTLE, the premier agency for the prevention of child abuse on the Treasure Coast is proud to announce that the National City Foundation has committed to a $25,000 grant announced on March 4. National City, now part of PNC, has a long history of financial support for the prevention of child abuse.

Take Stock in Children is a comprehensive program that helps low income youth suc-ceed in school by providing scholarships, mentors and hope. It only takes a few hours a month to make a huge difference in the life of a child. Training is provided. We are currently accepting applications for mentors need in the Sebastian area. There has been a surge in student requests in North Indian River County. For more information, call Lisa Ruiz at the Indian River State College Mueller Campus, at 772-226-2506 or visit www.irscfoundation.org.

The Chamber needs help! Ed Moore has been a one man committee planning our annual Golf Tournament, scheduled for May 2 at Sebastian Municipal Golf Course. Please consider joining him to help make the tournament a success! You can email him at info@ferndalelodge.com, or contact the Chamber! We are looking for spon-sors, golfers, gift certificates, and prizes. Any donation would be appreciated.

Highlights of the

Florida Chamber of Commerce Property Insurance Summit: ‘Solvency Matters’ February 24th-25th, Orlando, FL

More than 300 concerned representatives including consumers, builders, educators and leg-islators met at this two-day summit focusing on the need for reforms in the state’s insur-ance market. ‘Florida is financially unprepared for a hurricane,’ said Mark Wilson, president and CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. ‘Floridians are currently paying nearly $5 billion in hidden hurricane taxes on their property and casualty insurance policies and could face many more assessments if our state does not take action,’ he concluded. Participants at the summit urged Florida lawmakers to reduce the state’s regulatory grip on homeowner’s rates and find a way to fully fund Florida’s Hurricane Catastrophe Fund. Without these changes, more and more companies will become insolvent, they warned. ‘Solvency means everything,’ according to Steve Pociask, president of the American Consumer Institute’s Center for Citizen Research. ‘Without solvency, insurance doesn’t work. Without solvency, there’s no reason for consumers to buy the policy.’ ‘When states pass laws designed to keep premiums artificially low, as Florida has, the availability of insurance declines,’ he said. The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund relies on borrowing after the storm and YOU pay it back even if you don’t own a home or live near the coast (you get taxed on auto, business, home-owner’s and other policies.) Looking ahead, the FHCF (Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund) has about an $18.4 billion shortfall for 2009. This has both rating and solvency implica-tions.

In his summit presentation, former State Representative Don Brown said: ‘A Federal solution would be the least costly short term solution and may be the only feasible solution since world wide reinsurance capacity may not be available to the extent needed for Florida.’ One of the most promising events at the summit was the unveiling of the Shield Our State Coali-tion, a group of concerned Floridians dedicated to solving Florida’s insurance crisis through a public-private partnership. The Coalition, spearheaded by Daniel Montgomery, a veteran financial and insurance professional, proposes a ‘bold new solution’ for ending the crisis and the economic devastation to follow. Under Florida’s present structure (FHCF and Citizens), the total impact to be paid by Floridians, in addition to the premiums being paid now for property insurance, could be as much as $14,000 per household. The Coalition proposes transforming the FHCF into a non-profit, publicly owned and funded ‘Hurricane Insurance Pool’. An earlier version of the Coalition’s plan was proposed by the House Minority Leader during the 2008 legislative session. Members of the Coalition are in touch with legislators and top business leaders who are in favor of the plan. You are encouraged to visit the Coalition’s website at www.shieldourstate.org and join with them so your voice can be heard in solving this crisis. Submitted by Lois Kennedy, Agent, State Farm Insurance

Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce

Board of Directors, 2009

Officers President – Debbi Vickers, Scripps Treasure Coast

Newspapers

Vice President – Maggie Sammons, Custom Air Systems

Treasurer – Rick Wisner, Wisner Controls

Secretary – Theresa Tolle, Bay Street Pharmacy

Past President – Margie Duffell, Wells Fargo

Elected Directors

Michelle Barkley, Complete Electric

Sandi Gehrke, Riverside Bank

Emily Holliman, Sebastian River Medical Center

Sherri Sproch, Sherri’s Florist

Appointed Directors

Ben Bishop, Squid Lips Overwater Grill

Mickey Capp, Capp Custom Builders

Patti Jamar, RE/MAX Riverside

Daisy Knowles, Sebastian River Medical Center

Chuck Mechling, Collier Club

Chris Pinson, Rotary Club of Sebastian

Don Wright, Exit Realty Associates

Ex-Officio

Wesley Davis, Indian River County Commissioner Susan Adams, Mayor, City of Fellsmere

Richard Gillmor, Mayor, City of Sebastian Jason Nunemaker, City Manager, City of Fellsmere

Beth L. Mitchell—Executive Director

April 2009 Beth L. Mitchell

As we go to print, the news media brings endless grim reports of economic upheaval, doom and gloom. Becoming too affected by it can bring us to the point of despair. Our advise: Turn off the television and go to the beach! People are looking for an escape from the negativity, and we have so much to offer in our community. The Pelican Island Wildlife Festival, which celebrates our awesome Refuge, is a great example of ways to spend your leisure time, without spending a lot of money. Kudos to the Pelican Island Preservation Society and the Fish and Wildlife folks for working so hard to protect, preserve and promote the refuge. Speaking of the festival, Teddy Roosevelt was there, and my new favorite quote is from him:

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

We have a very special concert planned for April 3, you don’t want to miss the Nouveaux Honkies. Originating from the small commercial fishing town of Port Salerno, they started in the summer of 2006 playing in a tiny cafe on Saturday nights. The combination of blues, swing and early country they performed swallowed the local crowd and in a short time this quartet has exploded out of the gate recording two albums and leaving a trail of old tonk-style shows from Florida to the Northwest This group was center stage at our Blues Birthday Bash last No-vember, and they are truly awesome. And the concert is free this time, it doesn’t get any better than that! We follow that concert with a second one in middle of April with the Nite Life, an-other local group with a strong following.

By this time next month Indian River Drive and Main Street may be open. It has been an inter-esting two months, but the weather has been perfect for the construction crew, and they are ahead of schedule which is great news for everybody. Our visitors have figured out how to get into the building (okay a couple of them went to the trailer, and a couple of them scared the heck out of us by coming in the back door) but all in all, everybody has been very accommo-dating, and once the project is complete, the area will be the crowning jewel of the City!

This month we have asked Khristine Sarkauskas from the Mental Health Association to come and speak to us at lunch, which will be served at the river grille. We are looking forward to Michelle’s food and hope that you will join us. Fellsmere is celebrating its birthday with the very fun Fellsmere Days, led by Maggie Sammons of Custom Air Systems. There will be a old fashion, small town parade in the morning, with a Mexican mariachi band in early after-noon and country music in late afternoon, all on the ball field. Food vendors, soda, water and beer will all be available. For those of you who are not in the know, Fellsmere’s 100th birth-day is rapidly approaching, 2011, and this event is a precursor to the BIG one!

Have a prosperous week!

More Luncheon Photos

Cindy Bryant, The Official Dining Guide & Heartbeat of the Treasure Coast, Wanda Simmons, Paradise Ice Cream, and Kristen Beck, Kayaks Etc.

Nancy Johnson, Plan B Business Solutions, Sandy Kunkel and Ron Krasnanski, Home Instead Senior Care

Candy McGrath, CRB, CRS, GRI Broker-Owner 772-633-4583

CMRealEstate@bellsouth.net WWW.WatersEdgeRE.net

Member of Indian River and S. Brevard MLS

Your Edge in Real Estate Personalized service with a world wide

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New Lower Commercial Auto Rates!

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Tim Modesitt Insurance

Please Call to Schedule a Blood Drive at Your Place of Employment or Event

Today! Blood Mobiles are

Available 7 Days a Week.

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The Chamber Currents Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce 700 Main Street Sebastian, Florida 32958

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