MEMBER SPOTLIGHT 700 Main Street, Sebastian, FL 32958 www.SebastianChamber.com (772) 589-5969 January 2010 Issue

Don W. Wright, GRI Broker/Owner

Don Wright Real Estate, LLC

Mission: Providing a full range of real estate services to individuals and corporations in Indian River County, FL. Flexible commission plans custom-ized to meet the requirements of the buyer or seller.

Business Brokerage– The purchase or sale of an existing business with or without real property. Consulting services, analysis of profit and loss history, preparation of pro forma financials, ex-ecutive summaries, business plan preparation and analysis, marketing, business valuation.

Commercial Real Estate– Working with buyers and sellers to provide a better understanding of the market place and possibilities for the highest and best use of a property. Property analysis to determine whether a commercial short sale situa-tion is likely, whether new financing is needed and when, what will be required to acquire or re-tain a property if financing is needed, market value analysis.

Industrial Real Estate– The need for industry to bring jobs into our area has never been greater. As a result, there are some very favorable incen-tive programs available to industry. I would wel-come the opportunity to discuss and bring to-gether the resources that are available in this area.

Residential Real Estate– Focusing on value ori-ented buyers and owners that have equity in their homes. Talk to me about the flexible commission plans available that meet your needs and leave you with some equity instead of spending all of it on commission and closing costs.

Background information on Don Wright: Elected to Sebastian City Council– Nov. 2009 Started Don Wright Real Estate, LLC- Mar. 2009 Resident of Sebastian since 2000

Background in Real Estate working for Exit Re-alty as a Broker Associate specializing in busi-ness brokerage and commercial real estate in Indian River County and St. Lucie County. Prior to Exit, general real estate experience with Gold-smith/GMAC in Sebastian and Vero Beach. Many years as an individual investor in real estate, business owner and corporate executive.

Education: Graduate Realtor Institute Designation, CPCU, BA from Franklin and Marshall College

Goal: To use my experience to help individuals make the right decisions for themselves.

Recruiting: Looking for a few experienced associates that would like to have a flexible and customized com-pensation program providing: • No monthly fees • Financial aid for advertising and association

fees • Maximum percentage of compensation • Freedom to set their own schedule • Professional office space and conference

area • Supportive and caring work environment

For more information, contact Don Wright Real Estate, LLC at 772-913-4720 or 1627 US Hwy 1, Suite 221, Sebastian. Office hours are by ap-pointment.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

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

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December Networking Events Breakfast at About Kayaks

Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort

Installation Dinner at Marsh Landing Restaurant

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Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce Calendar of Events

January 2010

Jan. 1 & 2 Chamber Closed

Jan. 2 LoPresti First Saturday Event 8:30 a.m. Carol Ann Garret, Pilot & Author Sebastian Airport Jan. 7 Executive Committee Meeting 8:00 a.m. Chamber Office Jan. 8 Legislative/Government Affairs Committee 9:00 a.m. Chamber Office Jan. 11 Fellsmere Economic Development Task Force Noon Marsh Landing Restaurant, Fellsmere Jan. 12 Chamber Monthly Luncheon at Capt Hiram’s Tiffany Room Noon “State of the Chamber 2010,” Beth L. Mitchell Sponsored by: Indian River Medical Center Reservations Please, $15 for lunch, $20 at the door Jan. 13 Full Board Meeting 8:00 a.m. Chamber Office Jan. 15 11th Annual Concert in the Park Series featuring 5:30 pm “He Said She Said Rocks,” Riverview Park, Sebastian Jan. 16 Special Call Meeting on Economic Development 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Chamber Office Jan. 19 Tourism Committee Meeting 5:30 p.m. Chamber Office Jan. 21-24 19th Annual Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival All four days! Downtown Fellsmere at the Historical School on S. Orange St. Jan. 23-24 9th Annual Sebastian Riverfront Fine Art and Music Festival Two Days Riverfront Park, Sebastian Jan. 26 Golf Tournament Committee Meeting 4:30 p.m. Chamber Office

We are now OPEN on

SATURDAYS! 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Welcome New Members! 11/11/09—12/04/09

Palm Bay Fire Extinguisher Co. Thomas Whipple and CJ Townsend 2315 S. Pennwood Drive Melbourne, FL 32901 321-837-0420, 321-591-4296 Fax 321-768-7900 www.palmbayfire.com palmbayfire@yahoo.com tommywhipple@hotmail.com Fire Extinguishers and Safety Products

EZ Carwash Joseph Koruo 921 Sebastian Blvd. Sebastian, FL 32958 772-618-3883, 772-618-3772 koruo@bellsouth.net Carwash KB Home Amanda Parah 9102 Southpark Center Loop, Suite 100 Orlando, FL 32819 407-587-3593, Fax 407-587-2384 www.kbhome.com aparah@kbhome.com Builders/Contractors Truly Nolen Shaun Tyree 1595 N. Harbor City Blvd. Melbourne, FL 32935 321-242-8800, Fax 321-242-8813 www.trulynolen.com shaun.tyree@trulymail.net Pest, Termite, and Lawn Control Carousel Party Acres Cindy Vance 15055 93rd Street Fellsmere, FL 32948 772-571-1463, Fax 772-571-1469 www.carouselpartyacres.com partycarousel@aol.com Horseback Riding Smart Shuttle Line, Inc. Juan Dueri 109 S. Babcock Street, Melbourne, FL 32901 321-409-5114 www.smartshuttleline.com smartshuttleline@hotmail.com Airport Transportation Service

11th Annual Concerts in the Park Riverview Park 5:30-8:00 p.m.

SAVE THE DATES!

1/15/10 He Said She Said Rocks

2/19/10 Straight Ahead with Tina Stefanos

Swing Band

3/5/10 Sebastian River High School Jazz Ensemble & Steel Drum Band

3/19/10 Remember When

4/16/10 Mike & Kayte’s Acoustic Pop Tour

4/30/10 Atlantic Bluegrass

5/21/10 The Nouveaux Honkies

6/18/10 MJ Wicker & Matt Manning

21st Annual Light Up Night

The Chambers traditional Light Up in Decem-ber with 36 businesses participating, despite the non chamber of commerce weather. While the rain was uncooperative, the community came out anyway and enjoyed the show! We want to thank those businesses, and Debbi Vickers, who has always organized the event, for their holi-day spirit! The winners were:

Best Traditional Christmas, Outdoors Laporte Farms

Best Traditional Christmas, Indoors

Talk of the Town Hair Studio

Best Christmas Fantasy, Outdoors The Old Opera House Gallery

Best Christmas Fantasy, Indoors

RE/MAX Crown Realty

Community Spirit Special Judges Award Coldwell Banker/Ed Schlitt

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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Membership News and Notes

VeroBeach.com and 3rd Home have teamed up to fill a need expressed by second home owners. Whether homeowners are too busy to visit their vacation homes or simply want a different getaway experience, Ver-oBeach.com and 3rd Home provides the perfect solution. Members’ second homes provide access to open doors beyond their second home into the excitement of a third home. Visit www.VeroBeach.3rdHome.com or call VeroBeach.com for more information, 231-8441.

The ELC inducted their new board members at its annual meeting in November and introduced the Board to some 50 past and present ELC founders, board members, officers, and Environmental Learning Center Foundation board members. The event marked the 21st anniversary of the county’s premier environmental education organization. New trustees include Debbie Berghorst, Doug Graybill, Andrew Hartline, Susie Kasten, Marcia Littlejohn, Mollie Pratt and Emily Tremml.

The Vero Beach Museum of Art is please to announce its plans to exhibit the prehistoric fossil that Barbara Purdy, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology calls the oldest most spectacular and rare work of art in the Americas. This special free exhibit, called FIRST EVIDENCE: the Dawn of Art in Americas Last Ice Age will be on view at the Museum from February 15-21, 2010. Discovered in Vero Beach by local amateur fossil hunter James Kennedy, the bone fragment features a carving of a mammoth or mastodon in motion

The Craft Club of Sebastian will have the first craft show for the New Year on Saturday, January 2nd, 2010 from 9 a.m.– 3 p.m. at Riverview Park in Sebastian. A nice selection of crafts to be on display. For a large space, call Karen at 772-388-5244 or Bob at 321-727-0932. Rain date is Sunday, January 3rd.

Carousel Party Acres is now booking after school riding lessons and field trips on their farm in Fellsmere. They are licensed, insured and USDA certified. Their services include horseback riding lessons, pony par-ties, petting farms, field trips, horse leasing and more! They offer daily field trips on the farm. For more information, go to www.carouselpartyacres.com or call 772-571-1463.

Melbourne International Airport Announces Direct Air Expansion and

US Airways Flights to Charlotte, N.C.

Beginning January 11, 2010 Direct Air will offer 12 roundtrip flights a week to Washington Dulles Interna-tional Airport. On February 4, the airline will launch twice weekly flights to Niagara Falls International Airport and to Charlotte County Airport in Punta Gorda, Florida. Direct Air has built a strong niche service in developing, secondary airports. Direct Air’s flights to Dulles will provide a major resource to business travelers along the Space Coast. Fares to Dulles aboard a 105 passenger USA Jet DC-9 Aircraft will begin at $99 each way. Direct Air’s twice weekly flights to Niagara Falls International Airport and Charlotte County Airport will operate on a 155 passenger Falcon Air MD83 aircraft, and will depart on Thursdays and Sundays. Go to www.VisitDirectAir.com for more information.

US Airways will make getting to Charlotte, North Carolina (its largest hub) a lot easier, after a twelve year hiatus. The new service will offer Melbourne customers convenient connections through Charlotte, US Air-ways’ extensive network. Year round service is set to begin Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010. Three daily flights will be operated by wholly owned US Airways Express Carrier PSA using 70 set Bombardier CRJ700 re-gional jets. With service to Melbourne, US Airways will fly to 15 destinations in the Sunshine State. Cus-tomers may begin booking though US Airway’s web site at www.usairways.com.

Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon

The Chamber honored the following volunteers at our Annual Volunteer Appreciation Lunch-eon at Disney Vero Beach Resort in December 2009:

Healthy Start Coalition—Alice Gaskill Alice was an original organizer of the food and wine tasting event, and chaired the Beverly O’Neil Volunteer Appreciation luncheon. She is currently working on a new fundraiser, A Glimpse of Dance and serves as a board member. She has had a positive impact on the com-munity for many years. Hibiscus Children’s Center –Pam Schnetzler Pam organizes the annual Santa Elves program ensuring that each child receives gifts for Christmas, donates birthday cakes and gifts for the children and serves on a variety of fundrais-ing committees at Hibiscus. The River Fund—Dolores Fredorry Dolores joined the Feed Everyone Program three years ago and volunteers at the Lords Table in Fellsmere and at the Humane Society as a dog walker and in the thrift store. She dedicates most of her time to the River Fund “Feed Everyone Program.” Sebastian Lion’s Club—James Finochi James is the current president of the Lion’s Club and actively supported, arranged and created projects for the Lion’s Club: the 4th of July, popcorn sales in the park, White Cane solicitations at local grocery stores, and the November Poker Run to benefit the Lions Camp for Disabled Persons. Indian River Rowing Club—Ed Wihborg Ed is the treasurer of the club but also is a main volunteer for all activities, he works at all fundraisers and donated a boat to the club for Christmas 2007. North County Coast Chapter of the American Red Cross—Brian Cook Brian has been a volunteer since 2006. He upgraded communications so that all county shelters could talk to each other, and is an instructor for Infant/Child CPR and leads the Chapter’s Emergency First Aid Team. During disasters he is part of the assessment team. Sebastian Exchange Club—Rick Giteles Rick was one of the founders of the Exchange Club Fishing Tournament, and helped create The Kid’s Fishing Tournament, rounding up sponsors to pay for lunch and fishing poles! Daisy Bridgewater Hope Center—Carol Davis Carol collects schools supplies for the Center and coordinates and recruits volunteers to help work at the Center. Sebastian Fishin’ Chics—Donna Maness Donna began Take a Kid a Fishing Day for the Homeless Family Center, mentors three chil-dren for Youth Guidance and volunteers for the Sebastian Fishin’ Chics events.

Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce

Board of Directors, 2010

Officers President – Debbi Vickers, Scripps Treasure Coast

Newspapers

Vice President – Theresa Tolle, Bay Street Pharmacy & Home Healthcare

Treasurer – Rick Wisner, Wisner Controls

Secretary – Patti Jamar, RE/MAX Riverside

Past President – Margie Duffell, Wells Fargo Home

Mortgage

Elected Directors Sandi Gehrke, Riverside Bank

Emily Holliman, Sebastian River Medical Center

Sherri Sproch, Sherri’s Floral Shoppe, Inc.

Michelle Napier, Dill & Evans, LLC

Bob Daberkow, Southern Fulfillment Services

Appointed Directors

Mickey Capp, Capp Custom Builders

Daisy Knowles, Sebastian River Medical Center

Chuck Mechling, Collier Club

Chris Pinson, Rotary Club of Sebastian

Chris O’Rourke, CPA

Beverly Paris, Paris Productions

Shawn Reeves, Merriweather Designs

Ex-Officio Wesley Davis, Indian River County Commissioner

Susan Adams, Mayor, City of Fellsmere Don Wright, Councilman, City of Sebastian

Jason Nunemaker, City Manager, City of Fellsmere Beth L. Mitchell—Executive Director

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January 2010 Beth L. Mitchell, Executive Director

Canadian synergy, awesome. Have you ever wanted to see Niagara Falls? Do we need the Cana-dian tourists? Are you from Buffalo, New York with a hankering to visit family and friends? Great news and opportunities come at the end of the year with the Melbourne International Airport an-nouncement that Direct Air has expanded their service to Niagara Falls International Airport direct to Melbourne, Florida. This makes perfect sense to the Canadians who live in Toronto and have to pay beaucoup bucks to travel in and out of their own country. Now they can cross the border, fly out of Niagara Falls and come direct to Melbourne, Florida for some Florida sunshine. It works both ways of course, we can go see the Falls, without two stops or a car drive to Orlando. It is interesting that we have the RBC Bank here in the county and that travel writers spent time in Sebastian last month checking us out! Synergy, awesome. In closing out the year 2009, I want to take the moment to thank some of the unsung heroes of the Chamber, folks who have helped in some way over the year, without special recognition, to make our business community successful: Steve Marcinik, Sebastian Police, Chris McCarthy, Sebastian Recreation Department, Ed Moore, Ferndale Lodge, Ken Vickers, Bob Barbour, Nancy Johnson, Pam Lewis and Curt Oxford. They all have helped in some way, and we thank them! Congratulations to the folks at Kashi for the grand opening of By The River, a senior center. The facilities are beautiful, and the ceremony was heartfelt. The services provided to the community are just the start for this group of dedicated service providers. Congratulations to the City of Sebastian for completing the Main St./Indian River Drive project this summer. Everyone compliments the beauty of the area, and the vision and fortitude of our city leaders in making it happen! Congratula-tions to Carole Jean Jordan, Tax Collector, for bringing in new services to North County. You now can renew your driver’s license at the North County Tax Collector office, instead of driving to South Vero or Melbourne. Congratulations to the Indian River Lagoon Scenic Highway Coalition for ex-tending the designation of a Scenic Highway through Roseland and out to Fellsmere! Congratula-tions to the Sebastian Soccer Association for the opening of the fields at North County Park! These are just a few of the milestones accomplished this year in our community, plenty to be thankful for and appreciate. I am sure there are more. Send me your favorite, and I will print it next month! We changed up the schedule for January 2010 so that we could focus our resources on special events this month. Our annual “State of the Chamber” luncheon is scheduled at Captain Hiram’s, sponsored by Indian River Medical Center. Concerts in the Park series begins in January with He Said She Said Rocks! That then brings us to the 19th annual Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival and the 9th annual Sebastian Riverfront Fine Art and Music Festival. During the month, we have a number of committee meetings and will set the agenda for the Legislative/Government Affairs Committee, and the Annual Golf Tournament Committee. We will return to our normal three networking events in February. The Chamber Board of Directors has also scheduled a Special Call Meeting on January 16th to dedicate time on the subject of Economic Development. All Board members, Chamber members and business leaders are invited to attend this very important meeting. Please call me if you would like more information, 772-589-5969. Many thanks to the Board of Directors and our Chamber staff for supporting the business commu-nity in the year 2009. Best wishes to everybody for the holiday season and let’s hope for a profit-able new year!

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