Written by Jill O’Hara, Membership and Programs Coordinator

Commerce Chenango is always looking for new ways to provide our chamber members opportunities to try new products and services and learn a little bit about the local businesses and communities in which they reside. On May 27th we aim to do just that.
Commerce Chenango has partnered with diamond sponsor NBT Bank to bring “Soiree in The Park” to our Chamber members. According to Webster’s, a soiree is an evening party or gathering for conversation or music. This event will bring that and more to the table. We’re adding awards and raffles to the agenda of the event that will be held in East Side Park in Norwich.
The party portion for Chamber members, will take place from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Nina's Italian Cuisine will provide their signature Italian dishes, appetizers, pizza rolls & desserts; Fred's Inn BBQ will feature their classic pulled pork sandwiches, BBQ chicken, baked beans, salt potatoes & tossed salad and Chobani will provide a sweet creation called Blueberry power, and a savory creation called cucumber and olive oil inspired by the brand’s flagship SoHo Café in New York City. These three businesses are all long-time Chamber members that continue to provide support to the community and beyond.
Beverages will be offered by Black Bear Winery located in Chenango Forks and Good Nature Brewing in Hamilton. Good Nature started up in January 2012 with a small craft brewery just west of the village center. In May 2013, it added a tasting room in the village center. Now, Good Nature is buying a 5-acre parcel on Route 12B in the town of Hamilton about a mile and a half south of the village (heading toward Earlville and Norwich) in an effort to expand their current operation and add jobs. Good Nature Brewing will be serving their Good Natured Blonde (4.5% ABV) and their IPA (6.8%) and a limited selection of their NY seasonal and year-round beers for tasting and purchase.
Black Bear Winery opened its doors in 2002 with a unique twist on the fruit wines they make right on site. They don’t use grapes. Their creations include fruit wine, dandelion wine, hard ciders and dark mead. They provide tastings, musical entertainment and are open for celebrations. Black Bear will feature an assortment of their NY fruit wines that will be available for tasting and purchase by the bottle & glass.
The “soiree” will continue with our awards ceremony. The prestigious “Business of the Year” award will be presented to Monte Westcott of Westcott Electric. This award is presented in recognition of achievement in excellence as a Chenango County business and for the consistent generosity in the community and accomplishments resulting in years of business growth and success. Westcott Electric, owned and operated by Master electrician Monte Westcott, was established in 1996 in Norwich. He started out working with residential patrons but over the years has moved to providing more services to the commercial industry. Some of those customers have included NBT Bank, Frontier, Mirabito Energy Products, Baillie Lumber, Byrne Dairy, Commerce Chenango and most recently the Auto Zone.
“Entrepreneur of the Year” award will be presented to John Payne, a Bainbridge native who owns several businesses in and around Bainbridge. This award recognizes the achievements of someone who best exemplifies the ideals of entrepreneurship by starting and successfully managing one or more businesses in a way that demonstrates notable entrepreneurial characteristics and achievements. John Payne has been providing the Northeast with mobile crane service, under the name Paynes Cranes since 1970. John also provides service to the Bainbridge community and beyond through other businesses such as Bob’s Diner, LD Dexheimer – a Building Moving and Rigging Business, and most recently Bob’s Diner Ice Cream Shoppe. He sits on the Board of Development Chenango, the Economic Development arm of Commerce Chenango and is currently president of the Bainbridge Chamber.
The musical portion of the “soiree” will start at 7:00 p.m. and is open to the general public. The Honey Island Swamp Band is one of the top touring bands for Intrepid Artists International (Charlotte, NC), and a fan favorite in Chenango County. They have performed hundreds of shows to date, including repeat performances at the Chenango Blues Festival. They have also self-released an EP and two full-length albums and have reportedly sold over 12,000 units at shows, along with another 8,000 units in stores and online. We are excited to have them as our entertainment for the night thanks to Frontier Communications, Chenango Blues Festival, Laral Management and Walking Ridge Development.
“Soiree in the Park” would not be possible without the continued support of our sponsors, NBT bank, our Diamond Sponsor, and Silver sponsors - Preferred Mutual Insurance Company and Chobani.
Chamber members should RSVP by May 20, 2015. Visit soiree.chenangony.org for additional information or to register. The public is encouraged to attend the 7:00 p.m. show in the park.