The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Racism occurs in many forms
MIDDLETOWN — The Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee voted unanimously last week to send a statement addressing the recent events that have occurred throughout our nation.
The chamber stands firm in condemning the events surrounding the death of George Floyd, and extends our sympathy to his family and to the grieving nation. The chamber has had a long record of being a steadfast leader and embraces inclusivity in every aspect of business, life and community.
Racism occurs in many forms and should not be tolerated. We need to stand up together, work together, talk together to unite each other as brothers and sisters, no matter what a person’s race or gender or profession.
At the same time, we condemn the violence and destruction that has marred the message of the protesters and damaged many businesses and communities.
We acknowledge that this is a sensitive and volatile situation and commit that as business leaders we will honor our longstanding values, and urge everyone continue to focus on being respectful and working together peacefully through these challenging times to keep our communities safe for all.
We also continue to navigate the unprecedented challenges presented by the COVID-19 crisis. Despite all of this, I continue to be very optimistic about the future of our city, county, state and nation. Rest assured, the sun will continue to shine on Middlesex County.
This week is another busy one for the chamber team as we continue to work to support our regional business community.
Tuesday afternoon includes the next installment of our very successful Tuesday Tips campaign, which features presentations from our colleagues in the legal profession. This session, presented by Pullman & Comley, it titled “How Bankruptcy Can be Used to Rehabilitate Your Business.”
As the state of Connecticut starts to open up parts of its economy during the pandemic, businesses are still facing extreme difficulty in meeting their financial obligations. This webinar will focus on strategies for many businesses seeking relief under the bankruptcy code.
The rest of the week features meetings of the chamber’s Durham and Middlefield Division, and Business and Education Advisory Committee on Wednesday, Cromwell Division and Health Care Steering Committee on Thursday, and Legislative Committee and Middlesex County Substance Abuse Action Council on Friday.
The main event of the week will be Thursday afternoon as we welcome Gov. Ned Lamont and state Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner David Lehman for a special virtual member luncheon sponsored by Liberty Bank.
This is expected to focus on the gradual reopening of Connecticut’s economy, and what precautions will be necessary for the foreseeable future.
To register, visit middlesexchamber.com.
Our Middletown Car Cruise Planning Committee has been meeting on a weekly basis as it gears up for Start your Engines to Sunday Funday: Middletown is Virtually Cruisin’. This event is powered by NAPA. We have been heartened by the overwhelmingly positive feedback from the community about this creative event taking place on Flag Day, June 14.
It will be a fantastic virtual event that will celebrate and cheer on the many American heroes who have been serving on the front lines through this difficult period.
We are expecting a number of vehicles, and we will be following social distancing guidelines outlined by the state. This event will benefit Middletown youth programs, including the Hal Kaplan Middletown
Mentor Program and Middletown Summer Youth Employment Program.
Check out cruisenightonmain.com for the latest information.
I thank Alicia Beal and the entire team at NAPA Genuine Parts Co. for their great support of this event and our chamber. I also send out a special thank you to Joe Santaniello, chairman of the Cruise Night Planning Committee. Joe is a longtime friend and supporter of our chamber, and he has done a great job in this important leadership role as chairman of this committee.
Next week will be another busy time for our team and members. It will be highlighted by a chamberhosted Dialogue with the Delegation Legislative Event, sponsored by Connecticut Water, June 17 at noon. We hope this virtual event, held via Zoom, will be an opportunity for our members to reconnect with their elected representatives in the General Assembly.
Our chamber holds a number of annual legislative events during the normal session. Most had to be canceled this year, but we would still like to keep the lines of communication open. We are working on an agenda, and I will be have more details in next week’s column.
In another example of the chamber team adapting to a difficult situation, our annual Travelers Championship member breakfast meeting will take place, via an online portal, June 23. This year’s event will go on as scheduled, although it will unfortunately have to be played without fans due to COVID-19.
We look forward to welcoming an exciting PGA player as keynote speaker. I will have much more on this exciting chamber event as we get closer, including the formal announcement of the speaker, so please save the date. I would thank Travelers for their outstanding support of our chamber, and so many community-based initiatives in our state.
I will close this week’s column by reminding readers that the chamber’s reLAUNCH campaign is officially underway. This serves as a catalyst to assist the chamber community with recovering and emerging from COVID-19 through innovation, communication and collaboration.
Visit middlesexchamber.com/relaunch to view what is essentially a resource guide covering everything from communications and public relations, marketing, human resources, workforce development, best business practices, signage, access to financing and much more.
This will be a living guide that will grow as more information comes in and more restrictions are lifted. I thank our Strategic Planning Committee, led by Teresa Opalacz and chamber VP Johanna Bond, for all of their great work on this important product.
Have a great week, Middlesex County. Please remember we are all in this together. I have no doubt our city and county will persevere, and that we will be standing strong in the end. Stay safe!
Larry McHugh is president of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce in Middletown.