Wine and dine with the chamber

Diane Raver

“Wine & Dine As We Celebrate 90 Years” is the theme of the 2010 Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce annual dinner, and community members are invited to join in the festivities.

“It has been a challenging year for all of us .... so why not have a fresh start in 2010 by attending this event and networking with other businesses, friends and family,” suggests BACC executive director Melissa Tucker.

“We will be celebrating things that happened in 1920 .... (and) have a nice elegant evening with surprises,” she reports. Easy listening music will also be played.

To coordinate with the theme, guests can purchase door prize tickets for $10. Then they can pick a cork that has a number corresponding to a prize.

Patrons can also participate in a split-the-pot drawing.

The dinner menu includes various pasta dishes, mandarin orange salad, breadsticks, zucchini medley and a variety of desserts.

During the award presentation, the 21st Distinguished Service Award recipient will be named.

Last year’s honorees were Denis and Connie Schutte.

For the fifth year, a Distinguished Educator will be honored. In 2009, St. Louis School teacher Amy Weigel gained the recognition.

Community members were invited to submit nominations for these two awards. Then a committee picked the winners, the director notes.

A fourth Distinguished Chamber Volunteer will be named, following Ryan Tekulve last year. This year’s winner “has given time to help in the community.”

In addition, outgoing (Tamara Lamping, Luke Kaiser, Ryan Tekulve and Carla Austin) and incoming (Tim Putnam, Beth Miller, Rebecca Bolchalk and Victor Sarringhaus) chamber board members and officers will be introduced, including new President Jeff Nolting, who replaces last year’s President Bill Flannery, and incoming Vice President Liz Kellerman, who will replace Nolting.

Tucker encourages the public to attend the event to “support our community and show support to the chamber.”

Since the chamber has been around for 90 years, members will celebrate “with a brand new Web site with new resources,” which will debut Feb. 1.

“There will also be special things throughout the year,” the director reveals.

For more information or to make a reservation, persons can call 934-3101.

Diane Raver can be contacted at 812-934-4343, Ext. 114; or diane.raver@ batesvilleheraldtribune.com.

Text Only