NOKOMIS — The Nokomis Chamber of Commerce met Thursday, November 9 at noon for its final meeting of the 2023 calendar year at Demi’s Diner.
President Dr. Scott Doerr presented an update on the upcoming Snowkomis celebration on December 8-9. The Chamber will be hosting carriage rides and a vendor fair at The Vault, the former Jim’s IGA building.
The carriage rides will only be available on Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The vendor fair will run on both Friday night and Saturday until 1 p.m.
There are some last-minute loose ends that will need to be tied up in regards to volunteers, as money will need to be collected for the carriage rides. Vendor spots are still available, and interested individuals should reach out to Dr. Doerr. Flyers will be put up around town, while continuing to circulate the information on the Chamber’s Facebook page.
An update from Dr. Doerr regarding the potential fall fruit sales reflected that the event will not be occurring this year. Factors include the ongoing drought conditions in Florida, supply shortages, and cost increases. The Chamber will revisit the matter next year.
Important information of note
The Nokomis Public Library will be hosting a welcome reception and ribbon cutting at 6 p.m. on Saturday, November 11. All are invited to attend.
Several items were discussed in open discussion, including ways to share public events, looking into grant programs to help the community, and plans for growing Chamber membership. Jo Ann Keele reported the revival of the Nokomis Historical Society. The Society had been inactive for several years until recently.
Other Nokomis Chamber business
Other items of business taken during the November 9 meeting include:
- Approval of meeting minutes from the September meeting via a motion from Treasurer Ed Chausse and seconded by Jake Leonard.
- Approval of the treasurer’s report via a motion from Keele and seconded by Judy Beaman. The report reflected available funds of $2,134.16 and $2,713.37 in the Nokomis Bicentennial CD held at First National Bank of Nokomis.
- The Chamber’s other CD is coming up within the next two weeks at Nokomis Savings Bank. A motion by Keele was approved to reinvest the $39,299.17 balance into a 12-month CD, which currently has a special rate. The rate should carry through even after the bank becomes Land of Lincoln Credit Union sometime after the new year.
With no other business, the Chamber adjourned at 12:55 p.m. The next meeting is Thursday, January 11, 2024, noon at Demi’s Diner.
Present in the meeting other than Doerr, Chausse, Beaman, Keele, and Leonard were Secretary Michele Orsborn, Nokomis mayor Dylan Goldsmith, and Cynthia Crowe, who was representing the Public Library in the absence of director Lisa Casterline.