By Aimee Caruso - Jan 30, 2017
Doug Gilmour, of Wells River Chevrolet, listens during the trivia game at the Cohase Chamber of Commerce annual meeting, held Jan. 23 at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee. Wells River Chevrolet is the chamber's Business of the Year. (Nancy Nutile-McMenemy photograph, www.photosbynanci.com)
Connie Philleo, left, and Claude Phipps, center, were honored as the Cohase Chamber of Commerce Citizens of the Year at the chamber's annual meeting, held Jan. 23 at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee. With them is Monique Priestley. (Nancy Nutile-McMenemy photograph, www.photosbynanci.com)
Longtime board member Steve Puffer, of Puffer Broadcasting, is recognized at the Cohase Chamber of Commerce annual meeting, held Jan. 23 at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee. (Nancy Nutile-McMenemy photograph, www.photosbynanci.com)
Cohase Chamber of Commerece member Nancy P. Jones, of the Bradford, Vt., Conservation Commission, looks over her answers to the trivia game during the chamber's annual meeting, held Jan. 23 at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee. (Nancy Nutile-McMenemy photograph, www.photosbynanci.com)
Lisa Hervey, vice president of Housewright Construction, in Newbury Vt., thanks Steve Puffer of Puffer Broadcasting for his 10-plus years of service on the board of the Cohase Chamber of Commerece during the chamber's annual meeting, held Jan. 23 at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee. (Nancy Nutile-McMenemy photograph, www.photosbynanci.com)
More than 100 people attended the Cohase Chamber of Commerece annual meeting, held Jan. 23 at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee. (Nancy Nutile-McMenemy photograph, www.photosbynanci.com)
Charles Cooper, right, of Wells River Chevrolet, won a 200 gift certificate to a Cohase Chamber of Commerce business at the chamber's annual meeting, held Jan. 23 at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee. Erik Volk, the chamber's executive director, awards the certificate. (Nancy Nutile-McMenemy photograph, www.photosbynanci.com)
Jeff Moore, right, of Wells River Chevrolet, draws the winning raffle ticket at the Cohase Chamber of Commerce annual meeting, held Jan. 23 at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee. Erik Volk, the chamber's executive director, is at left. (Nancy Nutile-McMenemy photograph, www.photosbynanci.com)
More than 90 people turned out for the Cohase Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting at Lake Morey Resort. The draw? A chance to support the chamber’s business and citizens of the year, get a rundown on its recent accomplishments and catch up with their cohorts, said Erik Volk, the chamber’s director.
“Folks are really engaged in their businesses” and don’t have a lot of opportunities to socialize, Volk said in a telephone interview. Some may not have seen each other since last year’s meeting.
At the Jan. 23 meeting, the chamber recognized community leaders Connie Philleo and Claude Phipps, of Newbury, Vt., as its Citizens of the Year, and Wells River Chevrolet its business of the year. It also honored longtime board member Steve Puffer of Puffer Broadcasting, which operates the Wells River-based country music station WYKR.
“He’s done so much for the chamber,” Volk said of Puffer, who recently finished his last term on the board.
The event featured a screening of Do Over, the winning entry in the chamber’s annual 48-hour film slam competition, and a trivia contest full of local factoids.
The chamber also celebrated its key accomplishments from 2016, including two forums — one on small business financing and another about the wood products industry, which attracted more than 100 participants. It also brought back after-hours events and in December offered an annual economic summit that brings together neighbors from both sides of the Connecticut River.
— Aimee Caruso
