Some News You Can Use - Maybe?

We met at Lee Gribben's on Main. If you haven't checked it out, guess what, you need to!  It's a great place to be able to enjoy an intimate evening, or just cool to hang out at the bar... they also do quite bit of catering too. 

The food was fresh. The tortillas were amazing. I did not have a chance to ask, but I would venture to guess the are made right there.

Lee, thank you for the company and the great staff.  The hospitality was warm and welcoming! We will be coming back again!!

What's going on this weekend??

You have got to get to Nature's Charm Silk Floral Designs this Saturday, June 11th for their open house. Their address is 436 Chestnut Street. Janice will have live music and refreshments. Stop in between 10 and 5 and say 'hi'. See Janice's beautiful silk flower arrangements. They are gorgeous! 

Stop in town this Saturday for the Shops of Emmaus' Best In Bloom art and garden festival. They tell me town will be loaded with artists, musicians, gardening clinics and more!

Also happening this weekend, the Emmaus Garden Club's  'Garden of Reading' Event. Be sure to get to the Emmaus Library to check out everything that is going on from 1 until 5 Saturday and Sunday!

What's going on with the "Ray, Our Traffic-Warden Fund"??

Nancy O'Keefe of LaBelle Cuisine (www.cooksite.com) is heading up the Memorial Fund for Ray. Nancy is meeting with Chief Dave Faust on June10th, thereafter with Jeff Clapper, (Emmaus Borough) and with Ray's wife, Natalie. We look forward to a date to honor our friend. At last count, the fund collected over $1,300. Thank you everyone and we will keep you posted on the proceeds and the date and time of the dedication event. Details are forthcoming.

What's with businesses complaining about Amazon.com? 

I just watched on FoxNews (yes, I watch FoxNews) so you don't pay tax when you buy from them, right???? Well, guess what, half the retail world has a web site. Guess something again... ship out of state, that small business is not charging sales tax either! It seems that the only ones that are complaining that it hurts small businesses are those that don't do a web site business! 

What's with that big yellow bank building between Artisans' Day Spa and Janet's Stained Glass??  

Oohhh, so many people think it's a secret society, or they house delinqents there!  lol. It's called The Impact Project and it's a foster care agency. In addition to foster care, The Impact Project administers three programs for Lehigh County: Collegiate Mentoring Program (working with local colleges, students mentor and tutor others in the county that are having problems), School Justice Panels (works with middle school kids that have gotten into some trouble) and finally the Community Justice Panel. I was personally on CJP, and earlier in Bucks County served there as well. CJP is a program where everyday citizens comprise a panel and hear "cases" (a kid gets into trouble and is a first time offender). The panel discusses the circumstances with the offender and their family. A "consequence" is mandated (usually restitution, letters of apology, community service, etc). Once this is completed, with no other occurrences, the record is expunged. It's a great program and almost every borough and township has a panel.  If you are interested in serving on one, please contact The Impact Project. Here's their web site: www.theimpactprojectinc.net

Did you get To the Creamery??

OMG!!!!  You've gotta get there!!  It's on the Triangle at the former Perk location. The ice cream is great and I just passed and they have a sandwich board sign out that says they are serving soups and salads too. Good luck to Bill and his crew!

Check out the new web site

Haney Associates has updated its web site!  A huge thank you to the amazing work that Danelle Andrews at PC Patch-Up (www.pcpatch-up.com) completed for us!  These people are great to work with!  Check it out:  www.HaneyAssociates.com

What's with the talk of a "merger" of Shops of Emmaus and the Main Street Program aka Main Street Partners?  and when can we expect a refund?

If this is true, it is unfortunate for the businesses in Emmaus.  It should ensure that very little will be accomplished.  I urge Emmaus Borough Council (if they don't already) to request a breakdown of where our tax money is going for any and all organizations that receive funding for the 2012 borough budget. 

After the 2010 Shops of Emmaus expenses were paid, there was a net profit for 2010 of $2,500. This remained in the SOE 2010 "coffers" when I resigned in February; plus, of course, 2011 "membership dues", plus the $1,000 in kind gift from the Times News. If this news is true, and since it appears that virtually no money was used for the Best In Bloom (other than an ad in the Times News), when can the membership expect a refund of their 2011 dues and the  pro-rated profit from 2010? The Shops of Emmaus is filed as a non-profit corporation, which I understand prohibits them from "merging" finances with another non-profit corporation. My understanding is that it must be dissolved and the proceeds distributed. 

I think the goal of every business owner in Emmaus is for a prosperous Emmaus. When individual businesses succeed, a thriving business community will exist. I am sure every business owner in town shares the vision of a prosperous Emmaus (if you don't, you should probably close). That was the original vision 3 years ago when the SOE was originally formalized. The SOE was formed because of the void that existed within the business community. Some saw the Shops of Emmaus as competition to the EMSP. This was unfortunate. The SOE did not consider the Main Street Program our competition. Our competition was always other communities and competing for other communities shopper's dollars...  not one of Emmaus' own organizations. Furthermore, each organization has a very succinct and different set of missions and goals.

Three years ago, we sat with the Main Street Program board  because they wanted to discuss a "merger." Obviously, we declined; the main reason being that we saw little value for our members in 'merging' and only more bureaucracy. In my opinion, it wasn't a fit then and it's not a fit now.  

After having the privilege of serving the community on the Shops of Emmaus board, I feel that any organization requesting tax payer money should be more thoroughly reviewed by the Emmaus Borough Council. This will ensure our hard-earned tax payer money is being utilized for the best purposes for our community.

If there is truth to what is being whispered, I truly wish both organizations well and hope that by utilizing your joint resources you can come up with something better for the community than a beer truck on the Triangle.

PS:  Again, if true, when will the Shops of Emmaus members receive a refund?