Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Next week I get the benefit of two nights out in a row. Both the New Rockford and Carrington chambers of commerce and economic development organizations will be hosting their annual banquet/meetings.
Carrington’s joint annual meeting is first on the calendar, with the social, dinner and presentations scheduled for Thursday, March 24 at the Chieftain.
New Rockford gets its night to shine on Friday, March 25. After three straight years of not hosting one in New Rockford, this year the New Rockford Area Chamber of Commerce has teamed up with NRABC and the New Rockford Park District to put on the Community Honors event.
Carrington has brought several organizations together in a joint event for several years, while this is the first time the New Rockford Chamber will collaborate in organizing the annual soiree.
In either event, I look forward to delicious food and great networking with other business owners and community members.
The Chamber banquet in New Rockford has been a favorite of mine for several years, since the first time I attended about 15 years ago. Then, I was the speaker, relatively new in town as the first full-time economic development director for the city.
The part that I enjoyed most as a first-timer, and then every year thereafter, was the “live” auction that featured goods, products and services from local businesses. They may be a thing of the past, but they bring up memories of great camaraderie and friendly competition.
I remember my husband bidding against Greg Anderson for a Vikings football autographed by Jim Kleinsasser (my husband eventually “won” the ball and the hefty bill). I also remember making the mistake of sitting right in front of my husband with my back to him, not realizing until it was almost too late that we were bidding against each other for the same item. Of course neither the auctioneer, nor anyone else, was going to tell us we were bidding each other up!
Speaking of the auctioneer, we sure will miss Dale Nystrom, who presided over many Chamber auctions. The last time he did so was in 2016, and I remember formally recognizing him for his many years of service. Nystrom passed away in September 2019.
Marge Anderson’s pies were always a big hit too, as well as jars of homemade pickles and the bountiful baskets from Bakers Dozen filled with delicious baked goods. Shane Wendel was among those who was willing to part with a surprising amount of his hard-earned cash to get one of Marge’s fresh-baked pies!
Yes, folks, the banquet is back. It might be a little different, but the goals remain the same. It gives your local business and community development folks a chance to tell you what they’re working on, and allows you the opportunity to interact with them and with other business owners.
The evening of Friday, March 25 starts with a social at 5 p.m. After dinner, New Rockford native Tracey (Weber) Miller, the Community Development Lead at the N.D. Department of Commerce, will speak, and several businesses will be recognized..
I also look forward to attending my first annual meeting in Carrington Thursday night (March 24). There, the newly-formed Chamber and Economic Development Corporation and the Convention & Visitors Bureau will give presentations In New Rockford, several local businesses will be recognized for their contributions, and both the NRABC and park district will highlight both the past year and what’s ahead.
Readers, if you are looking for an opportunity to find out what’s going on in the community, I encourage you to mark your calendar. All are welcome, as both events are open to the public. For $25 and a few hours of your time, it’s a little time and money well spent. I hope to see many of you there!
