Chamber Welcomed UPS Store - Sandpoint

The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce is excited to welcome the UPS Store- Sandpoint. Located at 217 Cedar St, The UPS Store – Sandpoint has been a family business in Sandpoint for 19 years and carries on the tradition with the Batchelor’s.

Brett and Joy Batchelor recently purchased the UPS Store – Sandpoint from Bill Clatworthy and are excited to be serving Sandpoint in a new way. The UPS Store – Sandpoint has broken the mold to the well-known shipping store and offers printing and copying, as well as Secured Document Destruction. As owners of Busy Beaver Graphics and Promotions, they make the UPS Store – Sandpoint a place for more than just shipping, it is a place to come to for many areas of your personal and professional needs like graphics, promotional items and more.

“We’re much more than shipping. Whether you need business cards, brochures, flyers or to print off an email, come use our public computer to make copies and your printing needs, plus we’ll get it to you at the best prices in our area,” said owner Brett Batchelor. “Identity theft is tragically on the rise but there are sure fire ways to combat it, one being document shredding. Bring your documents to us for the most affordable secured document destruction in town.”

The UPS Store – Sandpoint has new hours. They are open Monday-Friday from 8am-6pm and Saturday from 8am-4pm. They are also one of the few places you can do your USAA deposits with our new check scanner.

“We’re still a great shipping resource for local businesses, especially the retail sector, and visitors alike. If someone has purchased too much for their carryon, send them down to us so we can ship their favorite Sandpoint items back home for them. Lately, we’ve been told we have some of the funniest greeting cards in town.”

Please join the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce in welcoming UPS Store- Sandpoint and wishing them continued success in our community. For more information, give them a call 263-0261, visit them at their store at 217 Cedar St, email them at store1829@theupsstore.com and Like them on Facebook.  

In photo left to right: Kate McAlister, Chad Beck, Brett Batchelor, Joy Batchelor, Representative George Eskridge, Jim Lovell, Clem Hackworthy and Chuck Brewster. 

REACH FOR THE SKY By Barney Ballard

Creative, employment-ready educational opportunities for students in our remote area are a must, and it truly takes a village to get these opportunities off the ground.  In the fall of 2013, twelve students from the Forrest Bird Charter School and Sandpoint High School have been working together in the inaugural year of the High School Aerospace Program.  The main goal of this unique program is to provide a well-structured, comprehensive and cost-effective course of study for local area high school students to investigate and experience potential careers in the aerospace industry, interfacing with regional colleges and aerospace businesses.

The program’s fall 2013 course, Survey of Aerospace Careers, was led by local aviators and aerospace professionals Ken Larson, Randy McLain, Hunter Horvath, and Andy Berrey.  The current trimester at FBCS offers an introduction to aircraft maintenance under the guidance of Jason Hauck, a certified A&P mechanic. For the fall 2014 trimester, Tamarack Air engineer Steve Babin has offered to teach an introduction to aerospace engineering.  To facilitate those students wishing to attain a Sport Pilot license, Granite Aviation has provided a model aircraft, the Tecnam P92 Eaglet, for flight lessons. The membership of the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 1441 has also given generously of their time and money to support the efforts of this program.

Joining in on our exciting education-in-aerospace efforts, North Idaho College has initiated a composite program at the CDA airport with forty students enrolled in the first year of this industry specific college level certification process.  Boeing has stamped its seal of approval on this NIC course, certifying that students who complete this program have achieved an initial level of competence for job opportunities.

Bonner, Boundary and Kootenai counties are the hotbed of aviation activity in Idaho, and there is no better time than now to offer our local students an outstanding opportunity to get a leg-up on a growing industry – right in their own hometowns.

Next month: The impact of P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) for the students of North Idaho.

Spring has sprung - March Bonner Biz

 We have officially made it through another North Idaho winter and, according to the calendar at least, spring is once again upon us.  In Sandpoint’s Business Improvement District (BID), that means it is spring cleaning time! 

Sandpoint’s BID is gearing up for the annual ‘Shake the Sand Out’ downtown clean up event.  Teams of business owners and community volunteers join forces for a few hours on a spring morning and put the sparkle back into our downtown core (and Sand Creek).  This year’s event will take place on Saturday, April 26^th.  Volunteers will gather at 8:30am in Jeff Jones Square to receive sector assignments, gloves and garbage bags, as well as coffee and pastries to get them started.  Volunteers will reconvene at the Square for lunch, also provided by the BID. 

This project usually takes just a few hours, and is a great way for individuals and service groups to jump in and help provide much-appreciated sprucing up of our downtown – as we know our spring and summer guests are soon to visit, and we want to look our very best!  If you are interested in volunteering, either as an individual or a team, please contact me to sign up by phone at (208) 263-2161, or by email at kim@sandpointchamber.com.

The Sandpoint Shopping District’s retailers and restaurants will also be holding their much-anticipated annual ‘Get Your Spring On’ event that same day – Saturday, April 26^th.   Many of our unique downtown shops will be offering discounts on winter merchandise and showcasing their new seasonal products and services, as well as hosting fun mini-events for you and yours to take part in. Several restaurants will also have specials available, paired with the excellent fair and friendly service they have come to be known for.  There will even be a $500 Shopping Spree available, as the Grand Prize in the ‘Enter-to-Win’ contest that day - sign me up, please!

Keep an eye out for ‘Get Your Spring On’ posters and advertisements soon, where you will find a detailed list of the events and the businesses involved. Opportunities for business owners to join in on this one-day event are still possible, which offer co-marketing and advertisement (cost sharing) within and outside the area. If you are a business located within the downtown core and interested in taking part in this event, please contact Ranel Hanson at (208) 946-7703, or at zanyzebrastore@gmail.com.  Deadline for inclusion is coming quickly, so please act fast!

Volunteers needed for Annual ‘Shake the Sand Out’ downtown clean-up event

The Sandpoint Business Improvement District (BID) is seeking volunteers, individuals and groups, to help clean up area streets and public spaces on April 26.

The ‘Shake the Sand Out’ clean-up event will bring local businesses, community organizations and area residents together to remove litter from streets in downtown Sandpoint, as well as Sand Creek, prior to the start of the busy summer season.

The event will take place on Saturday, April 26, when volunteers will meet at 8:30am in Jeff Jones Square.   There, they will register and enjoy a light breakfast, courtesy of the BID membership.  Participants will be assigned an area in downtown Sandpoint, then fan out in teams to pick up litter, pull weeds and tidy up business corridors, public spaces and Sand Creek. 

Disposable gloves and bags will be provided.  Volunteers are encouraged to dress for the weather by wearing comfortable clothing and appropriate footwear, as well as to bring gardening gloves or any additional clean-up tools they are comfortable using.   The event will wrap up at 11:30am back at the Square, where volunteers will be treated to lunch.

For information or to preregister, please contact Kim Queen at 263-2161, or by email at kim@sandpointhchamber.com.

Free Marketing To B.I.D. Members - February Bonner Biz

“It doesn’t matter where you are, you are nowhere compared to where you can go.”                                                                                -Bob Proctor

Last month, I shared one of the promotional projects the Business Improvement District (B.I.D.) team has recently implemented – the monthly radio program entitled the Downtown Dialogue.  The show airs at Noon every third Monday on 1400AM/KSPT and on 1450AM/KBFI, and is hosted by the B.I.D. manager (me) and Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce Communications Manager, Mack Deibel.  

On the February 17^th airing, we shared the microphone with Ranel Hanson, owner of Zany Zebra and member of the Downtown Sandpoint Shopping District, and Denise Alvaeri, Public Relations maven for Pend Oreille Winery.  They each had the opportunity to not only share the outstanding events and promotions their establishments are sponsoring for Winter Carnival, but also gave the listening audience important information on upcoming news and events.  The show was fun and informative for the listeners, and it also served as a great way for both of those businesses to promote themselves on the radio at NO COST to them – an outstanding benefit for B.I.D. members in good standing!

Our goal with the Downtown Dialogue is to create a forum for open discussion on events, issues and general topics-of-interest pertaining to downtown Sandpoint.  We will continue working with our constituents in all areas represented in the B.I.D.: Restaurants, Education, Real Estate, Professional/Banking/Law, Health Care, Retail, Arts/Entertainment, Lodging, and At Large/Miscellaneous businesses and organizations. We will also host future conversations with our partners at the City of Sandpoint, Bonner County Economic Development Corporation, and many others.

In a recent meeting with a concerned BID member, they shared with us the importance of understanding the difference in individual business models.  The reformed B.I.D. Council and staff is working hard on identifying improved strategies and events to creatively market the B.I.D. constituency, in a solid effort to answer the concerns of the various sectors we represent.  We recognize that while a promotion may work well for one type of business, it may fall completely flat for another.

There are no cookie cutter businesses in the B.I.D., and that is a wonderful thing. However, it does create challenges (albeit not insurmountable) for us as we work towards our mission of cultivating year-round economic prosperity and vitality within the district – we need your input on what YOU feel the B.I.D. can do to help you get the word out on the services you provide.  Reach out to your sector representative, and share your ideas.  Your representative is your voice, and he/she will bring those ideas to the Council table.   This is where real change in the B.I.D. begins!

January's BonnerBIZ Article - Sandpoint B.I.D.

By Kim Queen, Manager at Sandpoint Business Improvement District

“I cannot sing, dance or act; what else would I be but a talk show host.” 

-David Letterman

Things are moving quickly for all of us now that 2014 is underway, and in the BID, we are working on several new projects to keep that momentum progressing in the right direction.

In December, the Sandpoint Business Improvement District team launched a new monthly local radio program entitled the Downtown Dialogue. The show airs on 1400AM/KSPT, as well as 1450AM/KBFI, and is hosted by the B.I.D. manager (me) and Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce Communications Manager, Mack Deibel.  The show airs at Noon every third Monday, with our next airing slated for Monday, February 17^th.  

Our goal with this program is to create a forum for open discussion on events, issues and general topics-of-interest pertaining to downtown Sandpoint.  We will be working with our constituents in all areas identified and represented in the BID: Restaurants, Education, Real Estate, Professional/Banking/Law, Health Care, Retail, Arts/Entertainment, Lodging, and At Large/Miscellaneous businesses and organizations. We will also host future conversations with our partners at the City of Sandpoint, Bonner County Economic Development Corporation, and many others.

This is where YOU come in! 

We are seeking 2 professionals to interview every month on the Downtown Dialogue. If you are a BID member in good standing, and would like the opportunity to present yourself as an expert of your industry and promote your business and/or services to the audience, then please contact me directly at kim@sandpointchamber.com.  

For future programming, we would also like to have input from our listeners: what business, organization or individual in the BID would you like more information on? Is there an event or project you want to know more about, or get more directly involved with? Again, please contact me at kim@sandpointchamber.com.  

For the February program, we will mostly be focusing on the highly-anticipated 40^th Annual Winter Carnival, taking place this year from Feb. 14 – Feb. 23^rd, with numerous events being hosted around greater Sandpoint and up on Schweitzer.  The BID has been asked to bring back an old favorite, the Parade of Lights, and we just couldn’t say no! The Parade will be held on Friday night, February 21 in the downtown core, and will end its route at Jeff Jones Square. There, we will be announcing the Parade’s award winning floats, and then enjoying a jaw dropping performance by Cirque de Sandpoint.  For an entire list of Winter Carnival events, and to download a registration form for the parade, please visit sandpointwintercarnival.com. 

Did I mention things are moving quickly in the BID? 

Lovin’ Sandpoint is 40th Annual Sandpoint Winter Carnival

The Sandpoint Business Improvement District is honored to announce the 40^th Annual Winter Carnival, and the return of the Parade of Lights at 5:30pm, Friday, February 21 in downtown Sandpoint.  The Winter Carnival celebration starts Friday, February 14 and runs through February 23, offering a jam-packed week of family fun and activities throughout Sandpoint and up on Schweitzer. Theme for this year’s Winter Carnival and Parade is Lovin’ Sandpoint. 

The downtown Parade of Lights, sponsored by the Business Improvement District member businesses, has returned after a 5-year hiatus. The parade offers businesses, organizations and individuals a chance to show off their local pride, creativity and the whimsy. They are seeking themed floats, groups, marching brigades, snowplows and tractors – if you can move it and decorate it, you should register it and show it!  There are four categories which will be awarded honors at the end of the parade: Best Business, Best Civic Organization, Best Youth Organization, and Grand Champion.

Deadline to enter your float is Friday, February 14^th. Cost to enter your float is $25 or free if you are a B.I.D. Member in good standing or a 501c3 non-profit.

Come downtown and line First Avenue and Cedar St, up to 4^th Ave, to watch the parade and all the wonderful floats. The Parade concludes at 3^rd and Oak, where winners will be announced and then the jaw-dropping Cirque de Sandpoint, sponsored by Pend d’Oreille Winery, begins.  Starting at 7:00pm, the Cirque de Sandpoint presentation includes fire dancing and a silk aerial performance, as well as a local dance troupe that will thrill onlookers of all ages.

For a full calendar of Winter Carnival events, and to download a Parade registration form, please visit sandpointwintercarnival.com, or call Kim with the Sandpoint B.I.D. at 263-2161 for more information.

Looking forward to 2014- Sandpoint Business Improvement District

Good afternoon, Sandpoint Business Improvement District members:
My name is Kim Queen, and I am the recently hired Business Improvement District (now B.I.D., formerly DSBA) Manager for Sandpoint.  I am writing to you today to introduce myself, and also to supply some information on how the B.I.D. functions, and what you can expect from us in the coming year.
Unlike the former DSBA, the B.I.D. is no longer a ‘stand-alone’ agency.  The B.I.D. has an oversight Council with representatives from the 9 identified sectors of the District: Restaurants, Education, Real Estate, Professional/Banking/Law, Health Care, Retail, Arts/Entertainment, Lodging, and At Large/Miscellaneous.  This Council also has 4 Ad Hoc members representing the City of Sandpoint, Bonner County Economic Development Corporation, the Sandpoint Urban Renewal Agency, and a member of the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. 

The B.I.D. is now managed by the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, utilizing the talents of a well-trained team committed to promoting all Sandpoint has to offer, to locals and visitors alike.  This large team has recently completed a 2014 Strategic Plan for the B.I.D., with time-specific deliverables. To view the deliverables document, please click here

The B.I.D. Manager and Chamber team are currently streamlining administrative tasks involved in running the District with 400+ active members (as in, creating a member database, and designing a new, user-friendly and up-to-date website), as well as promoting the entire District through multi-media advertisement opportunities and numerous events aimed at drawing potential customers to the B.I.D. – and keeping them there!
In celebration of 40 years of the Winter Carnival, the B.I.D. will be promoting Sandpoint by reprising the Winter Carnival Parade of Lights on Friday evening, February 21^st.  We are working with numerous community partners to provide more than a week of family-friendly events to showcase our amazing town during a time that is historically ‘slow’, as far as business/income opportunities go.  This is one of several public events your B.I.D. dollars support, to further the vision a vibrant downtown benefits EVERYONE.
More information will be coming your way soon on how you can get involved in upcoming events, quarterly financial reporting on how the B.I.D. is utilizing funds,  as well as communications regarding some of the different items on the agenda at City Council potentially effecting your business (such as sign codes, parking issues, etc.).  Please keep an eye out for e-mails with FROM THE B.I.D. DESK in the subject line – it’s not SPAM!  
Thank you, I look forward to working with you all.

Kim Queen, Manager
Sandpoint Business Improvement District
Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Brings on Kim Queen to Lead Sandpoint B.I.D.

The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed Kim Queen who joined the Chamber as the new Business Improvement District (B.I.D.) Manager. Kim started in the position on October 16^th after leaving Sandpoint’s oldest non-profit, the Pend Oreille Arts Council (POAC), as their Executive Director of seven years. Her non-profit expertise more than fifteen years deep and brings extensive management experience, as well as an insider’s look, to the B.I.D. Manager position.

“As a B.I.D. member with POAC, paying the assessment tax, I was never sure what the benefit was,” explained Kim. “Granted, I didn’t educate myself or take an active role in the process. I simply paid the bill and went on with business.”

Kim was born in Portland, OR and attended high school and college in Vancouver, WA. After college and before she moved to our community, she held the position of Fund Development Manager at the First Place School in Seattle for six and half years and worked at the Northwest AIDS Foundation for one and half years. She relocated to our area to become the Executive Director of POAC and has since fallen in love and made this her home.

“I want to work with B.I.D. folks and figure out what improvements can be made and how the new Sandpoint B.I.D. organization can benefit you and the community. It is my goal to get to know the concerns of all our B.I.D. members and I will have an open door policy.”

Since taking the B.I.D. Manager position, Kim and the Chamber Staff undertook a strategic planning process to help guide the newly formed Sandpoint B.I.D. organization under the Chamber’s umbrella. The first weeks on the job have included meetings with various groups including the City of Sandpoint, Tourism Sandpoint, SURA and Sandpoint Shopping District, as well as planning the Holiday’s celebration themed this year Home for the Holidays.

“If you see me out and about, please introduce yourself and I look forward to meeting you!”

For more information about the Sandpoint B.I.D., call 208-263-2161 or email Kim Queen at kim@sandpointchamber.com.