Calaveras Chamber Sees No Positive Economic Signs
The Executive Director of the Calaveras County Chamber of Commerce, Diane Gray, doesn’t see any evidence of an economic rebound.
Gray was Thursday’s KVML "Newsmaker of the Day".
According to Gray, business is hurting in every part of Calaveras County.
"While we continue to hear talk of an economic rebound from our national leaders, we have yet to see it here in Calaveras." Grey said.
One business that Grey pointed out as a victim of the effects of a poor local economy is Klines Fitness in Arnold. Klines will be closing their doors next week, after being in business for over thirty years.
Gray said that downtown Angels Camp is especially hard hit. Several downtown merchants point to the new Highway 4 bypass as part of the blame for what now amounts to nearly 20 empty storefronts from the north end to the south.
A new Angels Camp campaign, recently approved by the Angels Camp City Council, to brand itself as the "Mountain Sports Capitol of Northern California" should have a positive effect in the long term, according to Grey.
Also on a brighter note, Grey is happy that the painted frog that was stolen over the Summer from the S.N.A.C. sports store in Murphys, has been found. It was lying in a creek bed near Stevenot Winery. The thief is unknown.
That frog along with several other painted frogs, will be a part of the Frogtoberfest Parade in Angels Camp on Saturday October 17th.
The painted frogs will then be auctioned on Friday October 30th in the Mark Twain Hall in Frogtown as part of the chamber’s Frogtoberfest. Doors open at 5:30pm, dinner will be served at 7pm and the auction follows beginning at 8pm.
Tickets for Frogtoberfest are $25 and are on sale at Bank of Stockton, Bank of Rio Vista iin Valley Springs, Ace Hardware in Arnold, the Calaveras Visitors Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce office in Angels Camp. Call (209) 736-2580 for more information on either the parade or the dinner/auction.
The "Newsmaker of the Day" is heard every weekday morning on AM 1450 KVML at 6:47, 7:47 and 8:47am.
Written by mark@mlode.com
