Lisa Konicki, Executive Director, Greater Westerly-Pawcatuck Area Chamber of Commerce, was elected President of the New England Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.
Lisa Konicki, Executive Director, Greater Westerly-Pawcatuck Area Chamber of Commerce, is elected President of the New England Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (NEACCE) at their annual conference last month. Lisa serves on the Board of Directors for the past six years and previously served as Vice President, Membership Directory Chair, and Conference Chair for 2008-2009. Her one year term as President runs through October 2010.
“I am honored to have been selected by my peers to lead this organization,” said Lisa. “NEACCE provides the conduit for Chamber professionals to learn from fellow Chamber leaders from throughout New England. Networking, sharing best practices, exchanging fundraising ideas, brainstorming membership strategies, and developing valuable member programs are all part of the NEACCE experience. I’ve been on the Board for six years now and have really gained a lot from the information exchange and professional development opportunities. I intend to focus on tangible tactics and programs that help chambers throughout New England thrive in the months and years to come.”
NEACCE is a membership organization that is made up of over 120 Chamber of Commerce Presidents and Executive Directors from RI, CT, MA, NH and Maine. The group provides a forum for Chamber professionals to share ideas, network with one another, problem solve, learn best practices, become aware of job opportunities and more. The organization’s website is www.neacce.org.
Brie with Caramelized Onions (Serves 6) 5-oz. wheel Brie cheese 1 onion, chopped 2 T. butter ½ c. brown sugar, packed ½ c. sweetened dried cranberries 2 T. balsamic vinegar 1/4 c. pistachio nuts, chopped assorted crackers Slice top off cheese. Place cheese in a greased 9” pie plate; bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven; set aside. In a saucepan, over medium heat, sauté onion in butter until tender, about 5 minutes. Add brown sugar, berries and vinegar. Cook until mixture caramelizes and thickens, about 5 minutes. Spoon mixture over cheese; sprinkle with pistachios. Serve warm with crackers.
Whether you’re planning a festive celebration for friends or just looking for new dinnertime ideas, you’ll want to check out the new cookbook, 101 Christmas Recipes. With over 100 recipes in full-color photos, it’s a great way to start your holiday season. Kathleen Richter-Niedbala, Pawcatuck, is one of those people whose original recipe, Brie with Caramelized Onions, was published in 101 Christmas Recipes.
Gooseberry Patch invites customers to share their tried & true family recipes for possible publication in the company’s community-style cookbooks at www.gooseberrypatch.com. Each recipe tells a special story with ingredients and family memories. Those who submit recipes are located all across the country and each has a heartwarming story to tell.
Brie with Caramelized Onions
(Serves 6)
5-oz. wheel Brie cheese
1 onion, chopped
2 T. butter
½ c. brown sugar, packed
½ c. sweetened dried cranberries
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. pistachio nuts, chopped
assorted crackers
Slice top off cheese. Place cheese in a greased 9” pie plate; bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven; set aside. In a saucepan, over medium heat, sauté onion in butter until tender, about 5 minutes. Add brown sugar, berries and vinegar. Cook until mixture caramelizes and thickens, about 5 minutes. Spoon mixture over cheese; sprinkle with pistachios. Serve warm with crackers.
“Heff the mighty gardener. My rooster loves to help me garden, especially when there’s bugs to be had,” said Debbie Sposato, Voluntown. “He’s a good boy though, he never damages the plants and always leaves behind some organic fertilizer.”
Purina Mills® announces the winners of America’s Fanciest and Funniest Chicken Photo Contest®, and Debbie Sposato, Voluntown, and her bird Heffner were named one of the fanciest.
All contestants entered pictures of their fanciest bird struttin’ his stuff or their funkiest chicken doin’ his funniest thing. Winners were selected for both the fanciest and funniest categories based on originality, overall artistic composition, use of color and photo quality.
Ten grand prize winners in each category receive a one-year’s supply of a Purina® SunFresh® Recipe poultry feed of their choice for one bird. All other winners receive recognition and a Purina® SunFresh® Recipe apron.
Raising chickens is growing in popularity as people look for ways to save on food cost and control their food choices. From the farm to the backyard, chicken raising provides a healthy and educational alternative. Purina Mills is a poultry raising resource for communities throughout the country for both poultry raising experts and beginners.
“Raising poultry for eggs and meat is a tradition farm families have shared for many generations,” said Mary Corley, marketing manager for Purina Mills. “We are excited to help families, wherever they may live, learn the value of raising their own poultry. Whether on the farm, or in town, people like knowing their eggs are fresh and all natural.”
(l-r) Bruce Sullivan, Nick Distasio and Rod Coleman celebrate Nick’s last day at the Mystic Drawbridge house.
After 35 years at the Mystic Drawbridge house, Nick Distasio is retiring. He is originally from Brooklyn, NY and moved to New England in 1968 when his father’s job at the Brooklyn Navy Yard moved to Groton.
Nick’s time at the Mystic Drawbridge house has been an extremely fulfilling part of Nick’s life and he says, “I’ve had a lot of nice experiences with people in downtown and with the beautiful vessels that I’ve let through.”
Many unexpected people have sailed their vessels along the Mystic River including some well known celebrities. During his time working at the bridge, Nick has met some of these celebrities, including Billy Joel, Clint Eastwood and Steven Speilberg who were all enjoying some relaxing time on the Mystic River.
Those are not the only ones that Nick met over the years and he even joked that he had a, “Standing lunch,” at a catering truck with Julia Roberts while she was filming the movie Mystic Pizza. She told him how beautiful she thought Mystic was and that she was enjoying the time that she spent here.
Nick also had a small part in the movie and was shown working at the bridge house, but his scene was cut out.
“You’re your own boss,” says Nick, of working at the drawbridge house, which is part of what he really enjoyed about his job. Although he is retiring, he will continue to visit the bridge and plans on coming down to Mystic to see what work will be done on it next November.
The rehab of the bridge will be a tremendous project in which the State will restore Mystic’s drawbridge by repainting it, checking and replacing bolts and looking over the bridge for general maintenance.
Right now, the Department of Transportation does not have a replacement for Nick, but his friends, Rod Coleman and Bruce Sullivan, who also work at the bridge, will fill in for him until they find someone.
Nick had a small get together upstairs in the tiny drawbridge house with his friends and brother. They celebrated his time at the Drawbridge and his retirement. The celebration was complete with Mystic Pizza’a own pies and an assortment of doughnuts.
The friends spent time talking and making jokes on what was Nick’s last day at work.
Nick lives in Norwich, where he moved with his family when they first left Brooklyn in 1968.
LuLu Kiley, owner, Captain Daniel Packer Inne is the recipient of the 2009 Employer of the Year Award.
As part of the celebration, the 2009 Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner will be held on December 10th at the Mystic Marriott, Groton. This year, the recipients of the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce’s annual awards are Volunteer of the Year – David Silvia, Employer of the Year – LuLu Kiley, owner, Captain Daniel Packer Inne. This year the Chamber is also pleased to recognize two Community Service Award recipients: Neil Kluepfel and The Washington Trust Company.
The Community Service Award will be given to Neil Kluepfel and Washington Trust for their unwavering commitment to the Mystic community. Neil Kluepfel’s energy, positive attitude and cheerfulness touch the lives of thousands. Neil provided significant contributions in terms of his talent and generous financial support to local groups that seek to meet the needs of the Mystic area’s most vulnerable citizens.
The Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the 2009 Employer of the Year Award recipient is LuLu Kiley. She was nominated by members of her management team, daughter Allison Kiley Nasin, Judy Hartley and Chaz Paull.
This year’s recipient is especially deserving of the 2009 Volunteer of the Year Award: David Silvia. If you know David, you know the meaning of having a positive attitude. He worked at Pfizer for more than 30 years while running additional businesses, ranging from snow removal, appliance repair to tree removal. He also owns Patriotic Waves, a home based business that sells flags, flag products and installs flagpoles.
David serves on the Executive Board for MilitarySEEDS™ and he is a member and an extremely active volunteer of the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce and the Groton Business Association (GBA). As a volunteer you can always count on David Sylvia; he is always present with bright ideas and new initiatives, ready to take the lead. David always has a kind word and encourages guidance for those around. He is constantly upbeat. Through his positive attitude, he motivates those around him to do their best, as well.
David Silvia is the recipient of the 2009 Volunteer of the Year Award. The Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce will present the award on December 10, at the Mystic Marriott, Groton.
