Chamber Welcomes The Rotary Club of the Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce

SANDPOINT- The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce welcomes the Rotary Club of Sandpoint.

“The Rotary Club of Sandpoint is proud to join the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce and its member businesses,” said Rotarian PR spokesman, Matt Kerr. Kerr then explained that, “the Rotary Club has been a part of Sandpoint since 1966 and has been a great supporter of our community over the years. Sandpoint’s Rotary Club is 70+ strong and part of the larger Rotary International organization, with 1.22 million members in 33,976 clubs in over 200 countries.”

Among the many local projects they’ve completed are playgrounds at Travers park, the patio at the library, stairs from Bridge St to the board walk, outdoor bathrooms at Farmin Stidwell, the Clock Tower at Farmin Park, assisted with funding for bathrooms at Jeff Jones Square, assisted with patio installation at The Daybreak Center, and a picnic shelter at Memorial Field. They also take pride in their scholarship program, sponsoring local students for over 20 years; this year they gave just over $17,000.

Their newest fund raiser, The Great Sandpoint Flatwater Regatta, is growing in attendance and popularity and should provide our community with even more in scholarship money in the coming years. Combined with our new 501 (c) 3 Charitable Trust, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds and website, Sandpoint Rotary is positioned to serve the citizens of Sandpoint and the Greater Sandpoint area for another 50 years and more.

Please join the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce in thanking the Rotary Club of Sandpoint for their great citizenship in our community and wish them success in the upcoming year and welcoming to the chamber. If you’re interested in getting engaged in the community and would like to learn more about joining the club, contact their membership chairman Toby McLaughlin for more information.

Photo: President Jerri Anderson cuts the ribbon with the support of the Sandpoint Rotary Club members and the Greater Sandpoint Chamber Ambassadors.

Chamber Recognizes Connie Taylor as September’s Volunteer of the Month

The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce honors Connie Taylor as September’s Volunteer of the Month. Taylor is involved with the Panhandle Animal Shelter, Pend Oreille Arts Council (POAC), and Elks club. Her dive-in and get your hands dirty attitude shines with all of the activities she’s willing to help with.

“I love Connie because she gets excited about new ideas and will jump on board with both feet,” said Mandy Evans at the General Membership Luncheon on Thursday, September 8. “She rarely says ‘No,’” Evans later expelled.

Kim Queen of POAC also had very nice things to say about Taylor. “You can always count on that genuine smile and the reassurance that she will do what’s right for the longevity of the agency, and we will continue to serve our community to the very best of our abilities,” she explained.

Please join the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce in congratulating Connie Taylor in being honored as September’s Volunteer of the Month and thanking her for all of her wonderful qualities as a citizen of our community. She’s a wonderful model of what a leader in our community looks like and it is our pleasure to honor her with this award.

In Photo: From left to right Mandy Evans, Connie Taylor, Kim Queen.

Chamber Recognizes Lake Pend Oreille Cruises as September’s Business of the Month

The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce has honored Lake Pend Oreille Cruises as September’s Business of the Month. Lake Pend Oreille Cruises has one ship, the Shawnodese and has graced our lake since 1995. They are a very active member in our community and serve hundreds of people a week during their work seasons.

The Shawnodese was designed and built by Captain Curtis Pearson. He and his wife, Linda Mitchell, the First Mate, have been offering public cruises and private charters in the Spring, Summer, and Fall since 1995. Lake Pend Oreille Cruises offers a myriad of cruises, including history, dinner, sunset, eagle watching, river cruises, island tours, and the popular Clark Fork Delta cruise. Their summer cruises depart from Sandpoint City Beach, but Fall Cruise season out of Kramer Marina in Hope is now going on until late October.

Captain Curtis is retired now, although he still has a hand in the maintenance of the boat and as a relief captain. Captains Ron Nova and Dale Hopkins are now at the helm, but Linda continues to work as First Mate. Linda says, “It is great to be out on the lake every day and meet such wonderful people and cruise on such a spectacular lake…life is good!”

Please join the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce in congratulating Lake Pend Oreille Cruises in being honored as September’s Business of the month. Fall cruises are happening now. You can still get out on the water with Lake Pend Oreille Cruises and see the beautiful fall color changes. For further information, visit http://www.lakependoreillecruises.com/ or call Lake Pend Oreille Cruises at 208-255-5253.

Photo: From left to right Owner Linda Mitchell and Chamber Ambassador Carol Warren.