Attendees: Greg Zakrzewski, Julie Maedl, Ann Fisher-Bale, Wendy Beals, Keith Bond, Vonda Westcott

The meeting was called to order at 8:12 AM by Greg Zakrzewski.

Treasurer’s report – Balance – $2,793.32

New Business:

Discussion was held on the future of the organization. The last two scheduled functions (Evening Mixer in November 2017 and Annual Meeting/Dinner in February 2018) received no responses and were cancelled. Monthly attendance at meetings has remained low and consisted of the same 3 or 4 members.

A motion was made by Greg Z, and seconded by Ann F-B to dissolve the organization.

A discussion was held to determine which organizations would benefit from our remaining funds. It was decided to distribute $600 to each of the following:

• Middleport Area Tourism and Beautification Committee
• Gasport Beautification Committee
• Royalton-Hartland Community Library
• 4th of July Committee

In addition, a donation of $190 each will be made to the Middleport and Gasport Food Pantries. The remainder will be kept to cover anticipated bank fees.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:40 AM.

The post RHBPA February 2018 Meeting Minutes appeared first on Life in the Village of Middleport, New York 14105.

The meeting was called to order at 8:10 AM by President Greg Zakrzewski. He introduced our new member Mike Carrier from the Niagara Orleans Country Club.

Treasurers Report: Current balance – $2,808.32. Payments since last meeting include newspaper ad for Music In The Park, paper supplies for tickets and flyers.

Old Business:

Music In The Park

Ann Busch reported that the wineries did well at the event, as well as Baker Farms.

Julie reported that the Bicentennial had a basket raffle at their event at the ravine and made $700. She suggested we do this type of raffle with more basket offerings instead of the three prizes we have done in the past as people seem to love the offering of 50 or more baskets that they can buy chances for. She noted that the baskets would not have to be elaborate. We could have smaller baskets with just a few items, a gift certificate, or perhaps one item of more value. We would need more member participation to seek out donations from many businesses and improve our promotion of the event.

Other suggestions include
1. Include more information on larger signs to list bands that will be playing
2. Include more information on signs and/or flyers that list vendors participating
3. Be more clear on cost for the event
4. Communicate that this event is to raise money for the RHBPA Scholarship
5. Include a map for location of event (on signs or flyers)
6. More participation from members on selling tickets
7. More breweries (we should have two)
8. Contact some new wineries (soon, so that we can book them)
9. Make programs to distribute to those attending listing names and phone numbers of all participants
10. Suggestion made to lower the price of Goat Chip Bingo chances to get more participation
11. Spend more time on the mic at the event to encourage people to stop and see what the vendors have to offer

Fall Evening Mixer
Greg is finalizing details for this. He will contact Vonda when he has all details to send out notice.

UPDATE: Fall Evening Mixer – Wednesday, November 1st – Masonic Hall, Main Street, Middleport

6:00 PM Cocktails and Hors d’Oeuvres, Meeting at 6:30 PM

RHBPA Newsletter

Ann Fisher-Bale suggested we create a quarterly newsletter to feature businesses and promote our group and the benefits of being a member. This will be discussed at a future meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:55 AM. The next meeting will be Wednesday October 11th at Darrell’s.

The post RHBPA Meeting Notes – September 13, 2017 appeared first on Life in the Village of Middleport, New York 14105.

The meeting was called to order at 8:20 AM by President Greg Zakrzewski.

Treasurers Report: Current balance – $3,368.53

Old Business:
Music In The Park
 Receivables
Tickets: $860 (includes presale and tickets purchased at the door, ($180)
Goat Chip: $80
Hot Dogs: $66

 Expenses
Overnight Stay: $125
Tent: $375
Glasses: $399.55
Newspaper Ad: $112
Port-O-Potty: $175
Yard Signs: $162
Tickets & Flyers: $65-70 (receipt to be provided)

Final figures will be available at the September meeting.

Discussion on ways to improve MITP
1. Better promotion and advertising
2. More participation from members on selling tickets
3. More breweries (we should have two)
4. Ask for donations for the music
5. Make programs to distribute to those attending listing names and phone numbers of all participants
6. Discussed improving sign details with more information (location of Rotary Park, cost, etc.)

Fall Evening Mixer
Greg is working on a fall meeting to network with other businesses. He will contact the speaker he has in mind to confirm a date. Once he confirms availability, he will see if the Masonic Hall is available for the event. Hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine will be served. More information will follow when date and venue are firm.

New Business:
Town of Royalton Bicentennial Event – August 27th
Julie is putting together a basket to donate to this event from the RHBPA. She already has 2 or 3 gift certificates and will solicit a few more to add to the basket for the event on August 27th.

Eastern Niagara Extra
Ann Fisher-Bale advised that if you place an advertisement in the Eastern Niagara Extra (just launched in September and distributed in Lockport and Newfane), it can be picked up and placed in the Union-Sun & Journal on a day of your choice, at no charge. Please contact her if you would like to place an ad.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:14 AM. The next meeting will be Wednesday, September 13th at 8:00 AM at Darrell’s.

The post RHBPA Meeting Notes – August 9, 2017 appeared first on Life in the Village of Middleport, New York 14105.

Attendees: Greg Zakrzewski, Ann Busch, Keith Bond, Janet Lyndaker, Julie Maedl, Vonda Westcott (if I forgot anyone, please let me know!)

The meeting was called to order at 8:14 AM by President Greg Zakrzewski.

Treasurers Report: Julie reported we have $3,082.08 in our account. ($500 was given for scholarship, and $3.00 bank fee was deducted).

Old Business

Membership – Julie has received only seven memberships so far. She will send hard copy invoices.

Scholarship – There was only one student who applied for our scholarship, Emma Halstead. Greg had the business plan she submitted and passed it around the group. He presented the scholarship to Emma Halstead at the Awards Ceremony. Emma also was awarded the FMC scholarship

Music In The Park

• Event sponsors – Janet said the Beautification Committee should be listed as one of the sponsors of the event, along with FMC since they pay for the band every year.
• Wineries – Wineries are all confirmed. Ann will contact Barker Brewery to see if they can come (they have since closed). She will also contact Becker Farms to see if they want to bring their beer offerings to sample. Becker Farms also noted they will need an electrical hook up. There is power at the pavilion however, since the band will be using that we will probably need to provide another source for them. Vonda will check with Bryan Bobbitt to see where the closest outlet is for this. Greg has a 100’ power cord he can loan them.
• Music – Moon Hunters will play from 3:00 to 4:00 PM and Easy Street will play from 4:30 to 6:30 PM.
• Food – Keith will provide food options and we will also sell hot dogs.
• Farmer’s Markets – Huntington Farms, Baker Farms and Stone Hollow Farms will participate.
• Goat Chip Bingo – Greg will contact Sara to confirm that she is all set for the event.
• Vendors – Ann spoke with Specialty Wine Holders (not sure if this is the correct name) and he will participate.
• Library – The Roy-Hart Community Library will hold a book sale at the event.
• Tents – have been ordered
• Glasses – Ann B has ordered more glasses in a new color.
• Port-a-potty – Julie ordered a flushable one from Julie’s since it was only $50 more. She will let the church know it will be delivered on Friday before the event.
• Gift Baskets – Greg will pick up the gift certificate for the overnight stay at Russell’s or Salvatore’s. A second basket will consist of gift cards from local stores/businesses. Greg said he would contact Dan Bragg to see if he would donate a gift card. Julie said she would contact the Basket Factory for a gift certificate. Julie will see if she has something from the shop she could contribute. Keith will donate 3 dozen cookies. If any member is willing to donate a gift certificate or service, please contact Julie at 735-7631. The third would be the basket donated by FMC.
• Publicity – Julie will do an article and get a picture with Donna in it and be sure FMC is noted as a sponsor.
• Tickets and posters will be passed out at the July meeting.
• Yard signs – IF ANYONE HAS ANY YARDSIGNS, PLEASE CONTACT JULIE AT 735-7631 ASAP OR BRING TO THE JULY MEETING.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:47 AM.

The next meeting will be Wednesday, July 11th at 8:00 AM at Darrell’s.

The post RHBPA Meeting Notes – June 2017 appeared first on Life in the Village of Middleport, New York 14105.

Members present: Julie Maedl, Janet Lyndaker, Donna McCloy, Brendan Dymes, Dave Stockton, Keith Bond , Ann Bush, Ann Fisher-Bale

Treasurer’s Report: Balance of $3585.08

• Discussed:
  Upcoming Music in the Park Event
• The Moon Hunters Band may be able to play for the hour before Easy St. Big Band. We should know by the next meeting.
• Dave Stockton suggested we contact John Hotaling to participate in the event this year. He makes wooden wine bottle holders and other wood crafted items. Ann Busch will contact him.
• Ann Fisher-Bale volunteered to design an event flyer and redesign the tickets.
• Donna McCloy said they could print them on the FMC printer. Julie said the flyers and posters should go up 3 weeks in advance, about mid July.
• Julie said there are 72 wine glasses left from last year. Ann Busch will order 12 dozen more glasses from the Print Shop in Medina.
• Wineries participating: Leonard Oakes, Schulze, 810 Meadworks and Vizcarra Vineyards. Barker Brewing is also participating.
• We all need to promote this event to our family and friends and sell as many presale tickets as possible!
• It was decided that we should provide the portable toilets this year since we are anticipating a good turnout.

The post RHPBA Meeting Notes – May 2017 appeared first on Life in the Village of Middleport, New York 14105.

Attendees: Greg Zakrzewski, Ann Busch, Keith Bond, Janet Lyndaker, Julie Maedl, Vonda Westcott

The meeting was called to order at 8:20 AM by President Greg Zakrzewski.

• Scholarship – Greg is dropping off the paperwork this week.
• Evening Meeting – Greg will continue to try to make arrangements for another evening meeting and will keep us posted.
• Music In The Park – Sunday, August 6th at Rotary Park:

1. Music – Easy Street Big Band is confirmed. Dave Stockton was not aware that the date had been changed from the 3rd Sunday in July and is already booked elsewhere on August 6th. Julie will see if Mike Hartman is available.
2. Wineries participating are: Schulze Winery, Leonard Oakes Winery. Ann will confirm with Becker Farms, Barker Brewery, and Meadworks.
3. Discussion on tents – discussed keeping the 2nd tent. We would need 3 pop up tents if we decided to drop it. If anyone has another one or two tents (pop up) we could use, please contact Ann Busch.
4. Glasses – we will need to order more. Julie will advise how many we have and Ann B will contact them. It was decided to change the color (not sure if a color was decided on).
5. Gift Basket – It was suggested we have 3 prizes; one for overnight stay at Russell’s or Salvatore’s; a second with a basket of gift cards from local stores/businesses; third would be the basket donated by FMC.
6. We also discussed preparing a list of the wineries and other vendors participating in the event as a thank you.
7. We will hand out to those attending MITP. Greg will have his secretary do it when we have all the information.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:01 AM. The next meeting will be Wednesday, May 10th at 8:00 AM at Darrell’s.

The post April 2017 RHBPA Meeting Notes appeared first on Life in the Village of Middleport, New York 14105.

Attendees: Greg Zakrzewski, Ann Busch, Keith Bond, Ann Fisher-Bale, Donna McCloy, Dave Stockton, Vonda Westcott

The meeting was called to order at 8:10 AM by President Greg Zakrzewski. We welcomed Dave Stockton to the group.

Treasurers Report: Not available as Julie was absent

Old Business

Scholarship – Greg will contact Colleen Albee to discuss.

Evening Meeting – Greg will look into confirming a date for another evening meeting, possibly at the Masonic Hall with a speaker.

Music In The Park – Sunday, August 6th at Rotary Park

• Dave Stockton will play from 3:00-4:00 PM. Dave asked if we were interested in having a duo this year. Group agreed that would be fine.
• Easy Street Big Band will play from 4:30 – 6:30 PM.
• Wineries participating are: Schulze Winery, Leonard Oakes Winery. Ann will confirm with Becker Farms, Spring Lake, Barker Brewery, and Meadworks.
• Della’s Chocolates has agreed to participate.
• Bond Catering will provide food.
• Royalton Hartland Community Library will participate.
• It was suggested to contact Baker Farms on Beals Road in Medina to see if they are interested.
• Greg will call Sara to confirm that she can provide the goat for Goat Chip Bingo.
• We will not order outhouses this year. We will have the restrooms in the Scout House available.
• Gift Basket – will confirm with Donna if FMC will donate. We should look at a different give-away prize to change things up. Please think about possible ideas.
• Advertising – we will need a newspaper article and ad. Also could go in the Home Town News. We should utilize Facebook to spread the word. We need to get a count of signs so we can determine if we need more.
• Ann Fisher-Bale suggested that we look at other activities we could have at the event. Dave Stockton noted that he has seen wooden items for wine bottles (holders, etc) at the Lockport Community Market. It was suggested we look into this vendor when the market opens for the season and/or others that would be a good fit with our event.
• Ann Busch was concerned about eliminating a tent. It was decided we should keep the two tents.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:41 AM. The next meeting will be Wednesday, April 12th at 8:00 AM at Darrell’s.

The post March 2017 RHBPA Meeting Notes appeared first on Life in the Village of Middleport, New York 14105.

Attendees: Greg Zakrzewski, Ann Busch, Keith Bond, Julie Maedl, Brendan Dymes, Janet, Lyndaker, Ann Fisher-Bale, Vonda Westcott

The meeting was called to order at 8:09 AM.
Treasurer’s Report: Current balance – $3,771.08. This reflects payment to Keith for the Annual Dinner.

Old Business

• Reminder to be sure to take advantage of the website and contact Patt Fagan with an ad or copy to spotlight your business.

New Business

• Scholarship – Greg will contact Colleen Albee regarding the RHBPA scholarship.
• Evening Meeting – Greg would like to have another evening meeting in April. He will look into getting a speaker and will have a date by March meeting. Once confirmed, we need to encourage all members to attend and bring a friend who might be interested in joining. We need more members!
• Keith reported that the Friends of the Library are moving forward with the Imagination Library Program. Discussion was held regarding a donation to the program. Ann Fisher-Bale made a motion to give $250 to the Imagination Library. Vonda Westcott seconded the motion. Approved.
• Ann Fisher-Bale advised that the newspaper has a new weekly publication that will be mailed to everyone throughout the area. It is entitled, “Your Hometown Extra.” We can advertise to promote the RHBPA as well as our individual businesses.
• We discussed ideas for how to get more members and events we could hold to do this. Attendance at the wine event has dropped and we discussed ways to improve/expand this event. Julie will confirm the date with the village. More discussion on ways to cut costs (pop up tents instead of large tent), change music. Julie will talk to Wayne Blumrick to see if the Easy Street Band is available. A new chairperson and committee is needed for this event. Please think about volunteering for this.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:03 AM. The next meeting is Wednesday, March 8th at 8:00 AM at Darrell’s.

The post February 2017 RHBPA Meeting Notes appeared first on Life in the Village of Middleport, New York 14105.

Attendees: Greg Zakrzewski, Ann Busch, Keith Bond, Julie Maedl, Janet Lyndaker, Ann Fisher-Bale, Vonda Westcott, Heather & Sean Pedini, Anne Dobmeier, Donna Goldhawk

The meeting was called to order at 7:04 PM by President Greg Zakrzewski. Greg and the group thanked Keith for providing a great dinner.
Treasurer’s Report: Current balance – $4,167.08. There is one outstanding invoice to MP Fagan for managing the website & domain so balance after paying this will be $3,947.08.

Old Business – None

New Business

• Election of Officers – All current officers agreed to keep their office for 2017. Ann Busch made a motion to keep the current slate of officers and Keith seconded the motion.
• Scholarship – Greg will contact Colleen Albee in a couple of months to set up the RHBPA scholarship for this year
• Hospice Bouquets are available through the Bates Wallace & Heath Funeral Home. Please contact them if interested.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:50 PM. Following the meeting, the Imagination Library Program was presented by the Richters.

The next meeting will be Wednesday, February 8th at 8:00 AM at Darrell’s.

The post RHBPA January 2017 Meeting Notes appeared first on Life in the Village of Middleport, New York 14105.

The meeting was called to order at 8:14 AM by President Greg Zakrzewski.

Treasurers Report: Current balance – $4,170.88.

Old Business – None

New Business

• January Holiday Dinner – The Annual Holiday Dinner meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 18th at the United Methodist Church, beginning with drinks and appetizers at 6:00 PM and dinner at 6:30 PM, served by Bond Catering. Menu will consist of baked chicken, ziti with meatballs, green beans, chef salad, and cookies for dessert. Members dinners are free and guests will be $14.00. RSVP date is Friday, January 13th. Due to scheduling conflicts, Greg has been unable to get the speaker he was planning on so asked for ideas on a speaker we could contact. Keith suggested Linda Richter with the Imagination Library Program. He will contact her. Ann and Vonda will get with Julie to discuss table centerpieces. Greg also suggested we mail the invitations to members in addition to emailing in hopes of getting better attendance. Vonda will send them in early January.

• Growing the Group – Brian Yaiser asked if we have reached out to all area businesses on the outskirts of the village (i.e. Middleport Family Health, etc.). We need to come up with ways to improve attendance and membership. It was also suggested that we need more ideas for exposure and ideas to make the RHBPA more beneficial to members.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:39 AM. The next meeting will be Wednesday, January 18th at 6:00 PM at the United Methodist Church.

(Please note: There was no meeting in November as only 3 members were in attendance.)

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