Contributed by Rita Larson, secretary of Starbuck Chamber of Commerce  

Our November meeting attendance included 6 board members and 3 visitors.

Please note that we are old dogs, but we can learn new tricks.  We sent all business reports plus the evening’s agenda out to the board’s directors before our meeting, asking that any questions be brought up in advance thus saving the time to go over them in person.  We simply took a vote to approve the “consent calendar” and saved ourselves 30 mins. in the meeting.  Three cheers for efficiency and a shorter meeting.  Not that we don’t all LOVE to hang together once a month!

Old business included the review of fund raising or fun raising (!) events held this fall.  The Christmas Extravaganza was packed and so successful for all vendors.  The bake sale donations were incredible.  The Country and 60’s Music Bingo held at the VFW were also huge successes with funds being made for the Dragon Boat races coming in 2024.  The big 15th anniversary of this race will be celebrated next summer, and the committee has great plans to make it special.  Remember to hold the dates of Aug. 10 and 11, 2024 to participate or attend in our city park.

Plans were confirmed for the dinner menu of our Annual Meeting to be held on January 27, 2024, in the Community Center.  Think stuffed meatballs for one menu item!  We’d love to see you all there as we look back at our year and hear what is to come next year from your city planners.  Water’s Edge will cater this year, There’s No Place Like Home will decorate the tables, and the Minnewaska Royalty will be there to host and help us all enjoy a fun evening.  We also confirmed next year’s Grand Marshall, Volunteer of the Year, and Community Service awards; to be kept a secret until the annual meeting! 

We also firmed up plans for the lighted parade, which took place 4 days after the meeting.  Jon and Amy Camp, new owners of the Nutcracker, generously opened again this year to Santa and both hot chocolate and Christmas cookie treats.  Dorothy is helping them, of course, as they take over the reins of this beloved restaurant.  

A group of the board will also meet Dec. 12th to judge the Lighting Contest in the city proper.  $100 and $50 prizes to be awarded to first and second place winners in both residential and commercial properties.  Who doesn’t love going to see Christmas lights?  Thank you so much to those of you who go to the work and expense to give the rest of us beauty and fun at this time of year!  Downtown Starbuck’s lights are so welcoming and joyful, aren’t they?  And the spirit of those of you decorating is magical for young and old.

The new business included a discussion about the deteriorating condition of many of the city park’s fixed equipment including bench seats, slides, and the tennis courts.  Nothing lasts forever, and it’s perhaps time to update some things we can “forget about” in the park.  Linda Hoffmann generously offered to work on grant writing and fund-raising ideas to get pickleball courts as well as other improvements going.  We’d all love to see the park zhuzhed up!  (Cambridge Dictionary def:  Zhuzh, to make something more interesting or attractive)  

We accepted the resignation of Vice President Chelsea Hormann as they are in the throes of busy, active children and she doesn’t feel she can give to the chamber what she’d like to right now.  Chelsea will continue to do our Facebook posts and design the “First Dollar” certificates, however.  Thanks so much Chelsea!

We discussed a few new events that will be part of next year’s Heritage Day celebration, one being the inclusion of the Freedom Flight Hot Air Balloon at the Fly In Pancake Breakfast.

The meeting adjourned early, as mentioned above, and that was a treat.  Please join us any month and know that you won’t have to sit through boring business meeting stuff.  You didn’t hear me call it boring….

–Respectfully submitted, Rita Larson, secretary