CSE

Published in the Star Exponent Monday, July 26, 2010:

CSI - Culpeper took place on Tuesday, July 20th 2010. A little known group of Crime Scene Investigators were in action in Culpeper on this day. The stage was set and the crime scene investigators of Culpeper were assisted by 12 specialists who may shape the future of investigations in significant ways. Who were these 12 specialists? Why were they recruited? How will they shape the future?

The 12 specialists were recruited from the youth of Culpeper for the Annual Culpeper County Sheriff’s Youth Academy. Many at the Sheriff’s Department invested last week in the career development possibilities for participant’s of the academy ranging in age from 13 – 17 years old. The students arrived every day at 8 AM and spent the day until 3 PM learning the coolest things on these hot summer days….

The students were exposed to basic crime scene investigation. They were exposed to firearms safety while gaining experience with firearms at a live firing range (thank you Cedar Mountain Range). They were shown the effects of alcohol and drugs using special simulated vision goggles while trying to drive golf carts (accompanied by an adult). They learned crime scene processing and fingerprinting skills. They were shown law enforcement patrol procedures, basic First Aid, and a variety of crime prevention concepts. The students also attended several demonstrations by specialized units such as the K-9 Unit, Motorcycle Officers, and S.W.A.T. Finally, the students took fields trips to the Culpeper County Jail and the Culpeper Joint Communications Center. Wow, what a week!!!

The students graduated from the C.C.S.O Youth Academy on Friday with a ceremony that demonstrated the military etiquette drill and ceremony skills that they had learned and obviously practiced. All of the students were proficient in their maneuvers and focused on the required discipline, a very impressive display after only one week of instruction.

According to the literature, the program is rooted in the Citizen’s Law Enforcement Academy that began in England in 1977. The first program of its kind was introduced in the United States in Orlando Florida in 1985. The original intent of the program was designed to provide better understanding between police and citizens thru education and exposure to the Department. Adding the youth component provides an important opportunity for our local youth to see first-hand what they see on television and in the movies.

There are few things more important than educating our youth. We have opportunities to facilitate excellence in youth programs. The Sheriff’s Department has taken the lead in offering this type of program. Career Development can start early, strengthen our community, and offer creative pathways for our young minds.

There are many programs in Culpeper with similar ongoing benefits such as the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Verdun Adventure Bound, and The Civil Air Patrol Youth Program (meeting at Culpeper Airport), to name a few.

Thank you, Sheriff Branch, for your commitment to the youth of Culpeper. The Youth Academy is an example of excellence in community development. We can only imagine what the future will bear from the seeds planted in the hearts and minds at the Youth Academy.





Best Regards


Jim Charapich
President / CEO
Culpeper Chamber of Commerce

Culpeper Chamber of Commerce in the Lead

Published in the Star Exponent Monday, July 18, 2010:

Culpeper Chamber of Commerce leads the country in “Hot Deals” according to Jill Schmoyer an Internet Marketing Consultant for ChamberMaster. Ms. Schmoyer reported this at a recent meeting of the Culpeper Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. The Hot Deals section of the Chamber Website is just one of the many cutting edge opportunities for our community to take advantage of. Our businesses offer these as a way to encourage both businesses and everyone in Culpeper to buy locally. Any Chamber member can post Hot Deals with printable coupons free as part of their membership on CulpeperChamber.com.

In addition, the Culpeper Chamber has offered “Chamber Cash” for anyone to buy as gifts. We offer them in $10 increments. The Chamber Cash is redeemable locally at many Chamber Member locations – encouraging local spending. A commonly published statistic suggests that $68 of every $100 stays in the local economy. We are offering a special promotion this month at ChamberCash.com.

To further encourage local awareness of business, the Culpeper Chamber was one of the first in the Country to have a Smart Phone App referencing our Chamber members. Try downloading MyChamberApp to your IPhone or Blackberry free. You will find a directory of “Local” Culpeper Chamber of Commerce members. MyChamberApp allows the business location to be pinpointed on an easy to navigate map. The App allows one touch dialing to call each member business. I have used this and it works…. When I need to find a Chamber member to do business with, now, I just touch the MyChamberApp icon on my IPhone, find the business, and press the phone number… “Hello, this is Jim with the Chamber, I need to schedule an Oil Change…. how many miles were on my vehicle at the last change….” So easy and no need to have the numbers in my phone directory…. Now, in addition to the Chamber Member Directory on our website, we have an easy to use mobile app.

One of the new Chamber acronyms is RAVE – meaning Resources, Access, Visibility, and Energy. We have taken strides to bring visibility to the Chamber members both physically and virtually. Physically… we have begun a new Wednesday Evening Leadshare group for members to meet at a new time – after work - to share leads and network – spaces are limited and first come first served – contact the Chamber office for details.

Virtually, we are in the process of upgrading our SEO… Search Engine Optimization. Our members are currently connected to one of the largest business networks virtually thru our ChamberMaster affiliation. The new SEO partnership with ChamberMaster will bring more search visibility for online searches. When it comes to online visibility, large networks matter. Our members can further improve their results thru their personal login and access to tweak their key words.

Our Virtual Visibility continues with our Facebook, Twitter, and Blog posts. Look us up as Culpeper Chamber and “like” our page to have access to our up to date local business 411…..

Growing local business since 1915 …. Join us….

Best Regards

Jim Charapich
President / CEO
Culpeper Chamber of Commerce

CulpeperFest Update

This is a major THANKS!!! to all of our Sponsor's by Level for CulpeperFest 2009

Sponsor Level Company Name

Grand Champion
Culpeper Star-Exponent
Champion
Your Community Phonebook
Piedmont Communications - WJMA
Patron
Battle Park Farm
Cedar Mountain Stone
Continental Automotive Systems
Found and Sons Funeral Chapels - Cremation Service
Updike Industries
Wachovia

Patron - Silver - All Event Sponsors
CFC Farm & Home Center
Powell Wellness Center
Virginia Community Bank

Supporter
Best Western - Culpeper Inn
CopyRight, Inc.
Davies, Barrell, Will, Lewellyn & Edwards
Delegate Edward T. Scott
Euro-Composites
Full Circle Thrift
Inn at Kelly's Ford
It's About Thyme
Merchants Grocery Company, Inc.
Pepsi Cola Bottling Company
Precision Machine Works, Inc.
Senator Edd Houck
SWIFT
Town of Culpeper
WINC

Supporter - Bronze - All Event Sponsors
K Art & Design

Contributor
Appleton Campbell, Inc.

CulpeperFest

CulpeperFest is coming up soon - Buy tickets now for the June 4th event. Tickets are on sale now at a number of locations. Early Bird prices are available for tickets and booth space thru May 11th. Take advantage of the early pricing now.
Ticket Locations are:
The Depot in Downtown Culpeper
CFC Farm & Home Center
Pepperberries
Petersen Jewelers
Powell Wellness Center
The Frenchman's Corner
Germanna's Daniel Technology Center
StellarOne - Main Street Culpeper and Locust Grove at the Entrance to Lake of the Woods
Suntrust - Meadowbrook Shopping Center
Virginia Community Bank
Wachovia - Downtown Culpeper
Online at http://www.culpeperchamber.com/ & http://www.culpeperfest.com/

Sponsored by the Culpeper Chamber of Commerce

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

HELP SHAPE VIRGINIA’S TRANSPORTATION FUTURE
Revised FY2009-2014 Six-Year Improvement ProgramWorking Draft Public Hearings*
The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) invites your comments about essential rail, transit, transportation demand management, bicycle, pedestrian and highway projects in the Working Draft Revised Fiscal Year 2009-2014 Six-Year Improvement Program (SYIP) to be approved by the CTB in January 2009.
*(Public hearings for local/secondary/municipality-maintained roads are held in other forums.)

All projects in the SYIP that are eligible for federal funding will be included in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, which documents how Virginia will be obligate its share of federal funds.

Lists of specific projects and changes from the current program will be available at each public hearing, on VDOT’s web site at http://www.virginiadot.org/, and at VDOT District and Residency Offices prior to the hearing.
THERE WILL BE FIVE HEARINGS STATEWIDE. EXCEPT WHERE NOTED, EACH HEARING BEGINS AT 6P.M. Please attend the hearing that is most convenient for you.

Tuesday,
January 6, 2009
VDOT Culpeper District Auditorium
1601 Orange Road, Culpeper, VA 22701
Culpeper/Staunton

*If you can not attend a hearing, you may send your comments to:
Public Information Office, VA Dept. of Rail and Public Transportation, 1313 East Main St., Suite 300, Richmond, VA 23218-0590, drptpr@drpt.virginia.gov or to Programming Director, VA Dept of Transportation, 1401 East Broad St., Richmond, VA 23219 or Six-YearProgram@VDOT.Virginia.gov.

The Secretary of Transportation’s Office ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you need more information or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, call 1-866-835-6070 (TTY users, call 711).

Culpeper Fest

The 2009 Virginia Travel Guides arrived at the Culpeper Visitors Center yesterday. The 3/4" thick, glossy magazine is published by the Virginia Department of Tourism. The magazine has a summary of events that are going on around the state during the year. This year CulpeperFest made the list (page 233) with an additional reference to http://www.culpeperfest.com/. Many Thanks to Beth Burns of the Culpeper Department of Tourism for putting us on the map this year.

Follow the link for an Online link on the Virginia.org site

Culpeper Small Business Strategies for Surviving a Changing Economy

Date: November 24, 2008
Contact: Ruth Cope
Lord Fairfax Small Business Development Center at Fauquier
Phone: 540-351-1595
E-Mail: rcope@lfsbdc.org

Small Business Strategies for Surviving a Changing Economy

Culpeper, VA (November 24, 2008) – “SOS: Strategies on Survival, Sustaining Profit and Position in a Changing Economy” a seminar for local businesses will be presented in Culpeper on Wednesday, December 10th. The Small Business Development Center, Culpeper Renaissance Inc. (Culpeper’s Main Street program) and Culpeper Chamber of Commerce are joining together to present this timely seminar to help business owners survive the tough economic conditions and to grow in spite of them.

The presenter will be Casey Willson, a 35-year veteran of retail, restaurant, and tourist industry, and an experienced business consultant with the Maryland SBDC. Willson manages the Maryland Small Business Development Center Network’s Small Town and Merchants Program (STAMP), which uses workshops and hands-on initiatives to address the needs of main street retail and restaurant businesses.

Casey Willson says the two hour program on December 10th will present strategies any business, particularly the retail or restaurant business, can implement to maximize their operation in these challenging times. Willson says even under these economic conditions there are steps a small business can take to grow and to prepare them to emerge stronger. This seminar will focus on 1.positive steps businesses can take now to attract customers even when discretionary spending is dwindling, 2. business priorities to improve cash-flow, and 3. basic "tried and true" marketing and sales techniques that ensure success.

The seminar will be presented on Wednesday, December 10th from 1:30 – 3:30 PM in downtown Culpeper. While the focus will be on retail and restaurants, the seminar is open to anyone and the discussion will be appropriate to any type of business. Registration for this very important seminar is only $25 per business (so owners, managers, and key staff can all attend for one low price). Pre-registration for the event is required. Please RSVP by contacting the Lord Fairfax SBDC at 540-351-1595 or 540-937-2919.