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Above - Scene from 2011 AFRAM Festival Above left - Scene from 2009 Riverfest Just how badly these improvements are needed was evident last month, when a rain cell stalled over the city, dumping 12 inches of rain in the space of four hours, an even worse scenario than the 18 inches of rain within a 24-hour period in 2006. "The volume was instantaneously greater," Slatcher said. There was no place for the water to go, particularly since water levels in the Nanticoke River were high. Stein Highway (Route 20 West) was closed to traffic from the town limits to Shufelt Road because of extensive damage related to flooding of Chapel Branch, which drains 4,000 acres of land. Inspectors who immediately checked out the new bridge across Route 20 in the area declared motorists could not cross until repairs were made. DelDOT contractors were to do the work. Slatcher reported all city streets were reopened and there was no infrastructure damage on public roads. There is more good news from and about the city. Slatcher said there is a business in town looking to expand and there have been inquiries from another "green energy" type business exploring the possibility of locating in Seaford. "We are seeing more people come forward and ask. There has been more interest from the business community recently," she added. Give the Greater Seaford Chamber of Commerce credit for its good work in that regard. Serving Seaford, Blades, Bridgeville and Greenwood, the Chamber originated in 1940 when business people got together to work as a group to formulate plans for orderly growth and development brought in by the DuPont nylon plant. The Chamber was incorporated in 1954 and in 2010 developed a strategic plan and updated the constitution and bylaws. More
than 350 members support the mission of the Chamber: "to support legitimate business in free enterprise and promote the economic health of the area and thereby contribute to the civic, economic and social welfare of the people of our communities.” Much of the Chamber's focus is on “making connections” for its members through such events as after business hours mixers, rise ‘n’ shine breakfast speakers, planning committees and more where members can talk to one another and to their elected representatives in a relaxed atmosphere. In addition to the festival above, the Chamber supports Apple Scrapple Festival, World Championship Punkin Chunkin, the Little League Senior Softball World Series and, with the Seaford Historical Society, the Heritage Weekend Festival. The Chamber’s goal is to offer a high return on investment for the members, said Paula Gunson, executive director. "More than 50 member-to-members discounts are offered; we help with ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremonies; we accept credit
card payments for dues and other fees; we offer an affiliation with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Federation program that gives discounts to our members; we eBlast and faxBlast services at a nominal fee; we have a presence on FaceBook, Flickr and LinkedIn. The Chamber newsletter is also online as well as available in a pdf format on our website. All members receive a free alphabetical and categorical listing on the Chamber website." Gunson continued, "Part of our funding comes from the Tourism office and is spent on efforts to bring overnight guest to our local hotels." The Greater Seaford Chamber of Commerce holds an annual Fall Dinner and Awards Ceremony, set this year for Oct. 27 at the Seaford Fire Hall. Tickets are $25 and can be reserved by calling the chamber at 629-9173 or by emailing Gunson at admin@ seafordchamber.com. Awards to be presented include the Business Person of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and Customer Service Award.
We’re Making Progress
GREATER SEAFORD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Come Grow With Us 304A High St., Seaford, DE 19973 Voice 629-9690 Fax 629-0281 admin@seafordchamber.com
www.seafordchamber.com Business Report | October 2011