In The Press

Souhegan Valley Anniversary Awards Start with a Bang!

(June 8, 2008 - Amherst, NH) - Souhegan Valley Chamber of Commerce members and guests at the Twentieth Anniversary celebration were called to the award dinner with the firing of the Lafayette Artillery's cannon. Starting the evening with a bang, the regiment was on hand to receive the 2008 History Recognition Award on behalf of Edna Worcester, Lyndeborough. Her contribution to the maintenance and restoration of the cannon and the company was noted as only one of the many volunteer efforts of this long-time beloved resident.

Clifford L. Harris, Chairman of the SV Chamber, presented awards for the Business of the Year to County Store, Milford, Small Business of the Year to Amherst Orthodontics, Business Leader of the Year Alan Woolfson and Volunteer of the Year Kathy Carson, Milford. A first for the Souhegan Valley Chamber of Commerce, special awards were presented to J. Kenneth Fordham, Distinguished Service Award and Honorary Membership to NH Chronicle, WMUR-TV. Fordham served as the first chairman of the Chamber "when a band of 28 renegades broke from the parent organization". His service to CASA, Milford Rotary, Amherst Lions and our veterans were all sited in presenting his award. NH Chronicle was honored for the faithful telling and preservation of the stories unique to our area and state. Like an oral history with pictures it creates a tapestry of NH's people and places.

This year, Souhegan Valley proudly presented seven students with Future Business Leader of the Year honors. Representing the five area high schools, Brian Cormier, Hollis-Brookline, Zachary Cook, Mascenic, Kayla Benuck, Milford, Landon Kowalczyk and Derek Walker, Souhegan and Jillian Jowders and Zach Rolke, Wilton-Lyndeborough received their awards from Harris along with congratulatory letters from Senator Sununu.

Wrapping up his tenure as the chairman of the board of directors, Harris thanked all the many members and businesses that keep the Souhegan Valley communities vibrant and growing, providing support and volunteering their time for the civic organizations. In-coming chairman, Rick Boyd expressed the gratitude of the Chamber for Harris' leadership and dedication over almost three years.

High school juniors honored at chamber dinner

(June 10, 2008 - Hollis, NH) - Twenty years ago, when what is now the Souhegan Valley Chamber of Commerce separated from the Nashua chamber, it adopted a philosophy based on optimism and hard work: To get where you want to be, you have to plan and stay focused.

On Thursday night, during the chamber's 20th anniversary program and annual awards dinner, a quote on the program cover summed it up: "Today's successful path is built on yesterday's plan for tomorrow."

It's a philosophy that continues to guide the chamber's 260 members, representatives of the area's business, school, government and civic organizations.

Before the event, May Balsama, executive director of the chamber, noted the chamber's strengthened role in the community because of the downturn in the economy.

"When economic times like this present, there's more interest in being part of a chamber," she said. "People are looking for ways to work the opportunities harder."

About 200 people attended the awards dinner at Alpine Grove, an event that began with a social hour and included dinner, musi cal entertainment and humorous exchanges between outgoing board Chairman Clifford Harris and his colleagues.

The chamber acknowledged contributions by seven high school juniors in the Souhegan Valley who are headed toward careers in business. It also honored local businesses with awards for distinguished service, history, leadership and voluntarism.

In addition, an honorary membership award was presented to New Hampshire Chronicle, a program produced by WMUR.

Harris, the outgoing board chairman, served as master of ceremonies, introducing the future business leaders: Brian Cormier of Hollis-Brookline High School, who is vice president of the Future Business Leaders of America at his school and wants to pursue a career as a chef and restaurant owner; Zachary Cook, a member of the National Honor Society at Mascenic Regional High School, who designed an independent project in which he worked with a company, learning the business from manufacturing through shipping and engineering; Kayla Benuck of Milford High School, a National Honor Society member who wants to study business management and accounting; Landon Kowalczyk and Derek Walker, Souhegan High School students who created an investment club; and Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative High School students Jillian Jowders, who wants to be nurse, and Zach Rolke, who aspires to a career in engineering. Both are National Honor Society members and athletes.

This was the third year the chamber recognized high school juniors.

May Balsama, executive director of the chamber, said awards are made in the junior year so that students can list them on their college applications.

J. Kenneth Fordham, recipient of the Distinguished Service award, urged his colleagues to share their talents with others who are less fortunate.

Fordham, the first chairman of the former Milford/Amherst Chamber of Commerce, is credited with building the organization from 18 charter members with a two-town focus to its present scope, serving the business and civic communities in eleven towns in the Souhegan Valley.

"I want to encourage people to volunteer," Fordham told the audience, offering a story about a young boy walking the beach and returning starfish to the ocean.

"I made a difference to that one," the boy tells a cynical adult who can only see the dozens of fish who aren't being rescued.

"If you save one life, help one person, what a great life that would be," Fordham said.

Lyndeborough resident Walter Holland, dressed in the costume of the Lafayette Artillery Company, a re-enactment group, accepted the Souhegan Valley History Recognition Award for town resident Edna Worcester, who is battling cancer.

He said Worcester has been "the driving force keeping the history and heritage of the Lafayette Artillery Company," organized in 1804.

"It is the oldest continuous company in the United States thanks to Edna working tirelessly to raise awareness and funds for the uniforms, equipment and the fully operational cannon," Holland said.

Milford resident Kathy Carson was named volunteer of the year, while Alan Woolfson, also of Milford, was singled out for business leader of the year.

Wolfson runs Monarch Instruments in Amherst, considered, one of the world's largest suppliers of portable speed measuring products. He is also president of the board of the Boys and Girls Club of the Souhegan Valley and involved in a number of other community and civic groups.
Carson is active in the Girl Scouts, PTO, CYO and other community groups dedicated to children and families.

The Business of the Year award went to the County Stores, started more than 50 years ago by Mario Infanti and now run by his sons, Jim and George Infanti.

Jim Infanti was unable to attend, but his brother, George, read a letter from him, describing the modest beginnings of the multi-million dollar business, the calculated risks the founder took, and the appreciation for customers that has remained a cornerstone of the business.

Small business of the year went to Amherst Orthodontics, established by Dr. Deb DeBeradinis, who practices with associate Dr. E. Diane Shiel. The practice includes 14 employees.

Hattie Bernstein can be reached at 673-3100, ext. 24, or at hbernstein@cabinet.com.