Melodymoments

It's petition time!

This week started the great walk for signatures.  I had the pleasure of covering an easy walking neighborhood to get signatures on the petition to place my name on the ballot for the November election. The neighborhood was mixed with homeowners and renters.  I found that many renters would not sign the petition nor were they interested in the election process. Someone has encouraged them to register to vote for the last general election but they were not planning on voting for the local election.  I also encountered a few of them who would not sign as they felt signing would jeopardize their employment with the State or Town. This early in the process I made the decision that someone must not only register the voter but educate them.  I guess you could say that maybe they just didn't want to be bothered to sign or really didn't care so they came up with the excuse of fear.  Whatever the excuse, there still needs to be education about the reason for exercising one's rights when it comes to signing a petition and voting.

While knocking on doors and greeting people, I heard many of the same comments from door to door.  Granted, I was only speaking to members of the one party but it was loud and clear what major issues were on the minds of voters in that neighborhood. Very often I did not have to ask about the important issues, they were handed to me - on a silver platter! (or a brown clipboard, in this case)

I'll continue to walk and ask for signatures in other neighborhood throughout the Town, hoping to get the necessary number to place my name on the ballot.  I'm not alone in this quest, I am fortunate to have many other walkers out there, helping me achieve that goal.

In closing, no matter what party you are, I strongly encourage you to sign a petition and exercise your right to choose who will represent you in the upcoming fall elections. ( I know it is early summer but fall is not that far off)

Bethlehem Town Board

I recently accepted the nomination to run for Bethlehem Town Board from the Bethlehem Republican Committee and the Conservative Party.  While I am both honored and proud, I also understand that a great responsibility comes along with this nomination.  Not only do I need to understand the current issues that my fellow community members feel are important, I must also understand what the issues are affecting Town employees. 

Over the next few months, I will work hard to gain as much information as I can to effectively represent my community if I am elected to Town Board.  I'll explain areas of concern in this blog and encourage readers to respond and share their concerns with me.  I can also be reached via email at burnsmelody@yahoo.com.

bethlehem leads group

The Bethlehem Chamber Leads Group currently has a few openings for specific business leaders. Mike White, Bryant Asset is the chair of the group and should be contacted via email to request a profile to join the group.  The group is 16 members strong and a few good leads have been generated.  One power team has been very successful and are sharing leads each week.  The Leads Group, a benefit of membership in the Bethlehem Chamber, meets every other Wednesday morning at 8:00 am at Bruegger's on Delaware Avenue.  The next meeting is May 23.  For more info call the chamber office for Mike's contact info.

What is your address?

Have you noticed we have become a nation of Nomads? No one seems to have a business address any longer. When you meet a client or potential client, you meet them at a coffee shop.  No longer do we venture into an office setting with chairs that roll and desktops covered in papers and files.  With the "invention" of coffee meetings, you never get the opportunity to meet one on one. Now you are meeting with everyone in the coffee shop, listening to the music that is playing in the background and occasionally, watching your competition with a potential client.  There is no personal attention, now it is mass attention. How can we do business this way?  Have we become so "mediaized" that we do not know how to meet one on one and carry on a conversation without all the distractions? Do we have to have noise, activity and other people to conduct business?  What caused this shift to the coffee house from the office?  Was it that never-ending sitcom of a group of "young and hip" people who spent their lives sitting around in a coffee shop that caused the dislocation of the office address? Or, is it our need to always be around people and be seen? If you are seen everyday in a coffee shop with a different person, does that mean you are successful and doing lots of business or are you bored with your surroundings and not busy enough?  I'll admit it, I'm a coffee addict and enjoy the taste. I do meet clients and potential clients in a coffee shop and feel very comfortable doing it.  I could meet them at my home office and introduce them to my dogs. But not everyone is a lover of large dogs that feel the need to really get to know you when you enter. They are great dogs but very male dogs and proud of it! (Maybe it is because they still have all their maleness and they are protecting their territory.) However, I do make a visit to the client's office to get a feel for who the client really is.  How can you tell if they need organizational help if you don't know if they are organized or not. Or, how can you tell if they need customer service help if you are not a customer, at least once?  I look at it this way..I do visit my friends at their address, why would I not want to visit a client or potential client at their address!  After all, are you not building a relationship with the client?  I think coffee shops should be used for a casual outing and a place to enjoy a cup of coffee. I'm tired of all the business being done while I am trying to enjoy a cup of quality coffee with my client.  In closing, let me ask this, Do you have an address, do your clients know your address. do you know their's?  How about we meet for coffee and talk about it!

The birth of an idea

People often ask me where do you get all of those ideas?  An idea can come from need, a conversation, or a great cup of coffee. Some time ago I needed a solution to a problem that was growing. The problem was, I was a young women working in a man's job with men who had occupied their positions for years.  I was the "young chick taking away a man's job".  A man who had a family to support.  It did not matter that I too, had a family to support, I was not a man.  The duties of the job were not always the most pleasant and not at all glamorous.  One duty in particular lacked the luster and often carried with it a strong odor.  The task was picking up "road kill". To men working for this "agency" road kill meant a few things.  An ugly woman who was left in the bar at the end of the night or, animals who had committed suicide along the roads in the rural area.  The later being the duty I was assigned.  After a few days of riding in the big yellow truck with the crew and listening to the comments about me taking away a man's job, too  many times to count, I had the dubious task of being the picker.  That meant that as we traveled on our journey from one coffee shop, diner or restaurant to another, when there was an animal on the road, it was my job to pick it up.  I was after-all, a woman and the new person on the crew.  I think the animal kingdom was upset over the weather or having a contest to see how many cars they could dodge because the  ratio of live to dead animals was skewed.  They were all over the road!  Each time there was something dead, I climbed out of the truck, grabbed the shovel off the back and scooped up the suicide victim.  After a very long morning of picking up these critters, I was getting angry and growing tired of the smell. I had asked a few times why it was my job to do the shoveling and the response was, "you wanted this job, now do it."  There just happened to be two individuals on this crew that never seemed to show dirt or dust on their cloths. They were impeccable, spotless, showing no wear--everyday. I could not figure that out, how did they stay so clean?  Of course it did have a little to do with the fact they never got out of the truck to retrieve the animals - that was my job.  I had finally reached my limit. I knew I had to find a creative solution to this problem. For those of you who can not determine the problem I'll help you. The problem was, I was the only person getting out of the truck picking up the dead animals and a woman in a man's job.  My fellow crew members were nestled into their seats and well into their morning naps.  As luck would have it, the creative solution appeared at the next stop.  There in the middle of the road was an elegant puffy skunk. He appeared to be sleeping until I jumped out of the truck. As the song goes, he was "stinking to high heaven"! There was a box on the back of the big yellow truck, one that sleeps six, so I scooped up Mr Smelly and placed him ever so gently into the box. The big yellow truck was returning to home base for lunch so while a certain party was enjoying their lunch, I placed the box under the car.  To set the scene, it was a very warm day and the sun was shining brightly over this fresh, clean car belonging to Mr Spotless.  As the big yellow truck pulled out of the parking lot, I chuckled and thought, that was a very creative solution to the problem.  Yes, it did solve the problem and a few additional problems.  I was no longer someone who could be pushed around. I was now respected for being so creative and changing the hierarchy of the big yellow truck.

Sometimes creative ideas do come from need and necessity.  But sometimes they come from opportunity.

Women in Business Unite

It's Official, the new Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce Women's Business Council is up and running.  The first meeting of the group was a huge success. Over 30 women attended the lunch event and shared information about who they are and what they do.  Each woman grabbed a business card on the way out and was asked to contact that person before the next meeting on April 11.  We are putting together a newsletter about the group and what they hope to accomplish at future meetings.  Since the meeting, two weeks ago, we have added 12 new members to the group.    This is the first time a women's business council has been formed in Betlehem so we are making history.

Over the years I have found that women are often not too helpful to each other but are busy trying to reach over that woman only to be the chosen one.  Why do we compete against each other and not offer a hand to those who need it?  If women spent more time mentoring each other, we would all have a better business atmosphere.  Why can't we celebrate the other women's success, and be happy for what she has achieved instead of finding fault in something. Strange creatures we women are! 

busy week

This week I had the pleasure of sitting in on the Hudson Valley Economic Summitt in Ulster County and listened to plans for Stewart Airport.  There was an all-male panel discussion about the benefits of the changes to the airport. The new NYS Port Authority Director was the keynote speaker and spoke about their plans for the facility.  I was not sure how many of the members of the audience were there for the networking or the econmic impact. It seemed to me, many were there to find out what environmental impact the changes would have. 

As I listented to the discussion, I could not help but wonder what the impact Stewart will have on the Albany airport. If Stewart is to become the 4th jetport in New York State will it not become a large hub for cargo and an ideal location for "cheaper" airlines?  Location seems to be everything and since Stewart is so close to the City and easy to get to from anywhere, what is there to prevent people from the capital region catching their flights out of Stewart if they could save money.  The trip down the Thruway is easy and painless, I can't say the same about the trip up the northway and the congestion at Wolf Road.

The planners on the panel were also singing the "tech company praises", how is that going to affect what is going on here, in Tech Valley? 

give me a break

How could this happen, all of a sudden the conditions at VA hospitals are deplorable. Talk about jump on the bandwagon to get press.  All of these "politicals" now saying how terrible conditions are and they never knew anything about it.  How about the number of reps from both parties who have been to Walter Reed Hospital for photos ops over the last two years, they didn't notice then that the place was in disrepair and falling apart?  Shame on all of them to only speak about an issue when it becomes popular.  The soldiers who have been in the VA hospitals have been complaining for years about the conditions and treatment.  Now that it is a popular topic on the main stream media, do our vets, who by the way protect all of us so we can create blogs and read them, actually get any attention.  Reminds me of a politicians who uses someone's tragedy to increase his or her face value.

Bethlehem Chamber welcomes new business

The Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce welcomed Panera Bread as a new business in the community on Thursday, March 1, 2007.  Panera Bread is now open on 9W in Glenmont. Panera Bread donated over $22,000 to the American Cancer Society as part of their opening ceremony on Thursday.   A great place to stop in and have a quick meeting and enjoy a cup of coffee.  I don't know about you but I'm delighted to have Panera in this community.  Not only is their coffee great but they make a good fuji apple salad for lunch.

bethlehem chamber selects firm for food at 50th anniversary

The 50th Anniversary Committee of the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce selected Nicole's, Delaware Avenue, Albany, www.nicolescatering.com as the caterer for the hors d'oeuvre and dinner at the June 1 event.  Nicole's proposal included  some great choices for the cocktail hour and dinner.  How's this for hand passed hors d'oeuvres? - baked shrimp wrapped with fontina and prosciutto, mini chicken quesadillas with fresh cilantro chutney, asparagus and asiago phyllo, and a big favorite - bite sized lobster club sandwiches with crispy pancetta and basil cream.  Dinner selections included Jail House Rock Fillet, Sandra Dee Salmon, Thunder-bird Chicken - all in the theme of the event - the 1950's.

The committee will now concentrate on securing sponsorships for the event and honorary committee members.  Committee members include, Liz Bradt, Marty Delaney, Melody Burns, burnsmelody@yahoo.com Cathy Griffin, Rose Golden, JoAnne Vandeloo, Shoham Piorentino, Pam Dutcher, Dawn Russ, Heather Tangora, Bill Alston, and Marie Slaton.

The sockhop and classic car show begins at 4:00 pm and concludes at 9:00 pm.  All the fun is happening at the Elm Avenue Park, Delmar.  Tickets for the event are $50 per person.  The car show is open to the public.  It should be a great evening with community members receiving awards for Bethlehem Business Person of the Year. Citizen of the Year, Community Spirit Award.