Rebecca A Kujawa

January, 2021

Dear Members:

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve as President of the Phelan Chamber of Commerce for the year 2021.  I would like to start by introducing myself.  I am a 17 year resident of Pinon Hills, Ca.  I have worked for the Snowline Joint Unified School District for almost 13 years as a Special Education Associate.  I have served on the Chamber in different roles; including Director and Treasurer, helping with events such as Concerts in the Park, Phelan Phun Days and Easter.  Most recently I was elected as a Director on the Phelan Pinon Hills Community Service District.

This past year has been a challenge for our residents and businesses.  I hope in the coming year that we can support our local businesses and find ways to celebrate our great community, even if it does look a little different.

Sincerely yours,

Rebecca A Kujawa, President
Phelan Chamber of Commerce

Hello, Phelan Chamber of Commerce Members,

Polls are closed with 100% of the districts reporting 100% of votes counted for the 2021 Phelan Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Here is your 2021 Board of Directors:

• PRESIDENT: Rebecca Kujawa
• PAST PRESIDENT: Jeanna Mills (non-elected position)
• VICE PRESIDENT: Don Fish Jr.
• SECRETARY: Nikki Ewing
• TREASURER: Jeanna Mills
• HONORARY MAYOR: Tony Spampinato
• CHAMBER DIRECTOR #1: Isabel Natividad
• CHAMBER DIRECTOR #2: Davy Feller
• CHAMBER DIRECTOR #3: Kathy Hoffman (Current Director)
• CHAMBER DIRECTOR #4: Michelle Hannon (Current Director)
• CHAMBER DIRECTOR#5: Robert Chacon (Current Director)

Congratulations to the 2021 Phelan Chamber Board of Directors, and thank you to the 2020 Directors. Leaving the board this year are Charlie Johnson and Kyle Zimbro.

The Chamber Installation won't be until the new year; keep an eye out for an email with details. And don't forget to spread the word about our Home For The Holidays Booklet & Coloring Contest and the Angel Tree Gift Drive. Angel applications are due now, and Angel Trees will be up starting December 2nd through December 23rd.

We are looking forward to working together to make Phelan a better place to do business!

Thank you,

The Phelan Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors

The Phelan Chamber Board of Directors Election is underway.  Ballots were sent out to Chamber members on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 at about 6:00 pm.  Members, you've got until Friday 6:00 pm to cast your ballot.

This year the voting process has moved to an online platform.  An email was sent out to all members with a link allowing them to log-in to the Chamber website and cast their vote.  Who members vote for will be anonymous with the only requirement that members must log-in to their account in order to cast their vote and will only be able to vote once.

The current slate of candidates are:

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS A Phelan Chamber Business Promotion

Calling All Chamber Members! The Phelan Chamber of Commerce is producing an 8 page pull out booklet to be published in the November NewsPlus and on the Phelan Chamber website.  In addition, ads will be placed in the Mountaineer Progress for further promotion. The Home for the Holidays publication will include games, songs, recipes, stories, favorite traditions, and promote a coloring contest.  The activities will be for children and adults.  With the current Covid situation, this can be a fun additional activity for those confined to home. Additional copies of NewsPlus will be available for businesses to hand out during the length of the event. How can you be involved and promote your business? Choose to participate in any or all of the following, it’s up to you: Update your business information on our Chamber website.  It’s simple.  Log into the website by Oct 25th and make sure all your information is correct and membership fees are current.  Information to verify is: Company Name, Address, Phone number, Website Address, Email Address, Membership expiration.  (All current members will be published for FREE) Email us your favorite holiday tradition to be published with your name and business name. This is a two to three sentence description of your favorite tradition.  Simply reply to this email with your tradition, name and company name. All traditions are due by Oct 25th, so send it now. (All Members’ traditions will be published for FREE) Donate a cash prize to give to coloring contest winners.  First three businesses to sign up with a $300 donation will sponsor the coloring contest.  Additional mentions of your business will be in the publication and online.  Call or text 760-662-.3737 to sign up to be a sponsor. (Act now, only the first three sponsors will be accepted.) The coloring contest will have three age categories:  3-7, 8-12, 13-999.  In each age category, prizes will be for 1st place - $150, 2nd place - $100, and 3rd place - $50 Donate a gift basket from your business. In addition to the above cash prizes, gift baskets will be given to the winners of the contest.  Pictures of the winners with their prize will be published on the Chamber Website and in NewsPlus. (Gift Baskets must be dropped off at Mills Hardware by Dec 1st to participate) Join us online and cast your votes for each age category.  On Dec 12th, the final coloring entries will be put on the Chamber website for members to vote on.  (All members are invited to cast your votes)  Deadline to vote is Dec 15th.

We are looking forward to working together to make Phelan a better place to do business! Thank you, The Phelan Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors

The Call for Nominations for the Phelan Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors is open. Board service is a chance to grow personally and professionally, develop valuable skills, gain unique experience, and make lasting connections with other passionate and motivated local business owners and community members. Board service is a chance to help improve the programs and services that we offer to our members and provides unique opportunities to expand your network and gain recognition from your community and peers. 

The Call for Nominations opens every year in October, and we are seeking candidates for the following Board positions for the Phelan Chamber of Commerce:

• President (1-year term)
• Vice President (1-year term)
• Secretary (1-year term)
• Treasurer (1-year term)
• Director #1 (2-year term)
• Director #2 (2-year term)

Candidates must be of good standing and reputation, located or doing business in or in the vicinity of Phelan, and meet a professional standard of excellence by demonstrating the following: 

• be a Phelan Chamber of Commerce voting member in good standing*;
• interested in the purposes of the Phelan Chambers of Commerce;
• adherence to high ethical standards; 
• leadership; 
• Teamwork; and 
• diversity in all of its aspects. 

*Membership in the Chamber must occur before the election day and can be completed online at phelanchamber.info.

Deadline for Nominations: October 26, 2020.

Election Day: November 3, 2020.

The Nominating Committee consists of:

• Kathy Hoffman, Director
• Don Fish, Vice President
• Dane Mills, Member

We are looking forward to working together to make Phelan a better place to do business!

Thank you,

The Phelan Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors

The Phelan Chamber of Commerce and Board of Directors has always supported the annual Halloween Trunk or Treat event.  Unfortunately, as a result of the County issued COVID-19 guidelines and recently issued guidelines for celebrating Halloween, the Phelan Chamber of Commerce will not be participating in this year's event.  While we will be unable to provide a controlled pedestrian crossing across Phelan Road this year, we would like to encourage everyone to use the crosswalks at the intersection of Phelan and Sheep Creek Roads.  

What started as a way for local businesses in the Phelan Town Square to provide a Halloween experience for local children has organically grown over the years, expanding into the Stater Bros. parking lot filled with cars handing candy out to costumed children.  While we don't know to what extent participation in this year's community gathering will bring, we wish our community a safe and healthy Halloween; however you choose to celebrate it.

The Pizza Factory has announced a special fundraiser to help local businesses that have been unable to open because they have been deemed non-essential at this time.
Brian and Kim Lombardi, owners of the Phelan Pizza Factory in a letter to the community, want to help keep their town the same as it was before "the storm" as they put it. "We are coming to you from the bottom of our hearts. Through this whole storm, you have been so loyal, gracious, and understanding as we have had to navigate this new way of doing business." Brian and Kim have been and continue to be huge supporters of their community. "As we are ever so grateful, we continue to look around our small town and see so many closed businesses, and our hearts go out to them," they stated in their letter.
On Tuesday, May 19, 2020, and Wednesday, May 20, 2020, between the hours of 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm the Pizza Factory will donate 40% of sales to seven businesses that have been closed due to state and county health order restrictions. These businesses are, on Tuesday, Earl Knight Salon, Tanya's Dance Studio, JD's T-Bird, and High Desert Gymnastics. On Wednesday, the businesses supported are Motocicli Da Pista, Classic Antiques & Vintage, and Big Rock Inn. The owners or representatives of these businesses will be running orders out to patrons for curbside pick-up during their scheduled day.
You can help in one of four ways. First, you can buy lunch or dinner on one or both days. Secondly, you can buy a gift card or certificate that will be sold by the owners or representatives on the day they are scheduled to participate. Thirdly, you can "tip" the runners with a donation to their business, and lastly, you can drive by and honk to show your support or better yet wave a runner over to buy a gift card or certificate or donate to them.
Brian and Kim and the Pizza Factory Family are encouraging everyone to spread the word to make this a successful event for everyone involved. For more information and updates, be sure to check out the Pizza Factory Facebook page.

Hello fellow chamber members,

During these unsettled times, the Phelan Chamber of Commerce wishes all in our community to be healthy and safe. As the Governor has dictated to have no gatherings of 10 or more, our Chamber Lunch for April 7th has been canceled. Unfortunately, we had to cancel our Easter event on April 11th also. Until the situation changes, all gatherings will be canceled through May. We will keep you updated, both here on our PhelanChamber.info and our Chamber Facebook page.

Tri-Community NewsPlus has launched a new website in order to provide the Tri-Community with current and pertinent information related to the Tri-Community during the COVID-19 pandemic.  It contains daily news updates and articles and many FAQs and guides, including a Small Business Resources page with information about loans and other resources to help businesses get through this.  There is also a Local Restaurant Guide, which lists all of the restaurants in town and how to order from them.  Additionally, there is a Grocery & Food Distribution Guide, which contains all of the places within the Tri-Community you can get food including stores, farmers' markets, and food distribution locations.  You can view the website at 4newsplus.com.

Let's all do our part to help support each other in these troubling times.  Be courteous of your neighbors and don't buy more than you need. Shop for a friend who can't get out.  We pray our community remains strong through this COVID-19 pandemic.

Sincerely,
Charissa Porcu, President
And the entire Board of Phelan Chamber of Commerce

God's Church, formerly Set Free, Needs Our Help!

Each year the folks at God's Church provide a Thanksgiving meal for our community so that all may have an opportunity to give thanks and participate in fellowship. This dinner is something God's Church does to give back to the community, and they rely on their hard work and donations to make it happen. This year they are asking for donations for all the "fixin's" that go along with a hot turkey dinner. The Chamber would like to help by purchasing as many Stater Bros. Gift Cards as we can so that they may buy what they need.

In turn, we are asking for your help to make this happen. The Chamber is looking to raise at least $500 or more, and we have set up a donation page on our website where you can donate as much as your heart tells you. Please feel free to forward this letter to anyone you think would like to help us reach our goal.

DONATE NOW! 

Last year they reached out to the Chamber for turkeys. The Chamber members stepped up, and we were able to provide them with all the turkeys they needed for a hot Thanksgiving dinner.

Each year God's Church provides the Chamber with much-needed manpower to assist in all of our events such as the Easter Egg Hunt, Safe-n-Sane Halloween, and Phelan Phamily Phun Days. Without there help, these events would not be what they are today.

Welcome to the new Phelan Chamber of Commerce website.  Through this new platform we will be able to provide our members and community with resources previously not available, such as a membership directory, up-to-date Chamber news, and information about upcoming events.  More features will be added as we move forward, we were just so excited to show off our new site that we just couldn't wait to let you see it.