Because the summer is such a busy time for all of us, the GBA has decided not to hold a   formal Membership Meeting until Wednesday, September 16th.  This meeting will be held in the sanctuary at 111 Church Street, Groton.  Coffee and dessert will be served.  However, the Board of  Directors will continue to meet on their regular schedule, the first Wednesday of every month, to work on the various projects and initiatives in progress.  This “newsletter” is being mailed to keep you up to date, and to give you the opportunity to participate.

Reach the GBA by Phone:

The GBA now has its own phone number, 607-222-2417.  This local call will allow anyone interested in speaking with a representative of the GBA to call and leave a message.  Your call will be returned by a member of the GBA Board of Directors the next business day.

The GBA Website:

The GBA’s website, www.grotongba.com, is currently under construction.  Pages have been developed for   Business Members, Individual Members, Officers, Calendar of Events, and Contact Us.  Additional pages will soon be added with information about the Cooperative Advertising program and Upcoming Events.  Members are encouraged to visit the website and use the Contact Us page to make the GBA aware of any changes or additions to your listings.  Be sure your listing includes ANY method that visitors can use to contact your business (phone, email, website address).

Members should take advantage of the website as a marketing resource, and be sure to let the GBA know, via the Contact Us page, when there is a special sale or other event that can be posted on the Calendar of Events.  Because the website is an interactive format, anyone can offer input by posting comments at any time.  This will allow all visitors to make suggestions and comments that will help us to improve services to local business.

If you have photos of Groton from the past or present that could be used on the site, they can be emailed to the GBA at contact@grotongba.com or, you can arrange to have them scanned for the website by contacting Kathy Gilbert at the Groton Bank (898-5871, after July 20th).

GBA Cooperative Advertising:

This program, sponsored by the GBA, offers members the opportunity to place an ad for their business on a special insert in the Freeville Shopper at a very reasonable price.  Your ad, which will reach 1,500 households, costs $48 for one-quarter page or $32 for one-sixth page (a sample has been enclosed for your reference).  The GBA hopes to run this insert once each month, or possibly more often, depending on the response.  GBA members who are interested should contact Mike at The Shopper and tell him that they want to be part of the GBA Cooperative Ad program.

Extended Downtown Business Hours:

In an effort to bring more shoppers to the downtown business district, the GBA has arranged with many businesses for extended Summer hours, until 8:00 pm on Thursday evenings.  All businesses will be invited to share their thoughts and their experiences at the September GBA membership meeting, in order to determine the possibility of continuing these extended hours throughout the year.

The GBA is now Incorporated:

After much discussion and investigation, the GBA Board of Directors decided that it would be in the best interest of the GBA, and its members, to become incorporated.  As an incorporated organization, the GBA will be a legal entity, separate from the members who own it.  The major advantage of incorporation is the limited liability that it affords to all members.  No member of a corporation can be held personally liable for the         responsibilities or obligations of the corporation.  Mr. Liam Murphy, of Ward and Murphy Law, has  generously donated his time and energy to assist the GBA in filing the necessary documents to reach this goal.

Groton Olde Home Days  -  75th Anniversary:

The Olde Home Days Committee is currently creating a website for all information regarding the 75th  Anniversary of this event. This site, www.oldehomedays.com, includes the dates and locations for planning meetings, which are open to the public.  You will also find the form there to register your OHD event and ensure that it is listed on the official Schedule of Events.  Also, please see the enclosed flyer for information on advertising in the 75th Anniversary Olde Home Days Program.

The GBA would like to encourage the entire community to support this event in any way possible.  Olde Home Days draws hundreds of visitors to Groton each year and brings our entire community together in a way that no other event can.  If you can help the Olde Home Days Committee in any way, please contact April Scheffler at 898-5035.

This year, the GBA will once again sponsor the Historic and Haunted Tours, focusing on Groton’s remarkable history.  If you know of an interesting bit of history that could be part of the GBA tours, please contact Karen Lane, GBA Events Planning Committee, at 898-3205.  Information is enclosed regarding these tours and other events being planned by this committee.

To continue our efforts to promote safety in Groton, the GBA will also sponsor the Village Police Department’s Child ID and Fingerprinting program.  Look for this booth, to be located near the Express Mart.

Also enclosed is information regarding the 1st Annual Verne Morton Memorial Photography Show which is being sponsored by the Town of Groton.  For more information on this show, please go to www.townofgrotonny.org.

Another event scheduled for Olde Home Days is The Exploration of Body, Mind, and Spirit, which will take place in the sanctuary at 111 Church Street from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday, August 15th.  This event will      include massage, herbalist, acupuncture, tarot reading, psychic readings, henna tattoos, and ‘create your own’ essential oils.

The events committee’s purpose is to help organize events that will get businesses working together and with other community organizations to present a friendly, community oriented atmosphere in the down town corridor.

It is our hope that a sense of community will be renewed in Groton to the benefit of its citizens, its shop owners, and the children of the community, who need to know that they belong to a community.

In order for us to be successful, business input and participation are crucial.  Please help us to serve you by sharing your ideas for success with our committee.

Calendar of Events for 2009

Old Home Days Events:

Friday, August 14^th 7:30 & 9:30 pm – Haunted Tours

Saturday, August 15^th 10:00 & 11:30 am – Historic Tour of Village

1:00 pm – 1960’s Historic Tour of Village

3:00 pm – 1960’s Tour (if 1:00 tour is booked & interest demand)

7:30 & 9:30 pm – Haunted Tours

Halloween Haunted House (not suggested for the very young)

Friday, October 23^th 7 – 10 pm

Saturday, October 24^th 7 – 10 pm

Friday, October 30^th 7 – 10 pm

Saturday, October 31^st 7 – 10 pm

Downtown Trick or Treating on Main Street

Friday, October 30^st 3:00 – 6:00 pm

Please offer suggestions for Holiday events.  If you’d like to join us in building a better Groton, please send an email with your contact information and we will get back to you.

This calendar is subject to updates.