Chamber Chat: Nov. 25

Chamber welcomes new members

The Corning Chamber of Commerce welcomes Corning Chevrolet-Buick, at 2087 Solano St. in Corning as a new member. Their phone number is 824-5171. Also welcomed is North Valley Flyers, a non-profit organization. For more information, call the chamber at 824-5550.

Business spotlight offers unique training

"R" FarmHouse Mercantile and Organic Gardens, 3840 Marguerite Ave. in Corning, is the chamber's business spotlight for the week. "R" FarmHouse is open from 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturdays.

The business has been opened for approximately two years and has been a chamber member since they opened. They have 35 employees who are part of a unique work-training program of Corning Union High School District.

There, CUHSD students learn to cultivate, harvest and market various seasonal crops in the organic gardens. In the mercantile, students research and market the specialized gift items. They focus training on customer service and the important aspects of running a small business. The chamber encourages the community to come by and meet some of these great young people in the area. Most likely, these very students will be applying for a job at a local business in the next couple of years.

There are several CUHSD staff educators who invest much into the students' development at "R" FarmHouse. They are: Laura Endres, Debbie Lamson, Dana Pierce, Wade Souza, Barbara Taylor, Terry Utterback, and Evan White.

Jeff Tollison is the teacher/manager of the "R" FarmHouse training program. He graduated from Corning High in 1998, earning his bachelor's degree at Western Baptist College in 2002. In 2006, he married Holly (Van Dyken) Tollison.

The Tollison's have one son, North, and are expecting their second in May 2010. They enjoy spending time with family and friends.

Jeff said, "We are always learning how to do our gardening and our marketing more effectively. Our focus the last few years has been on summer produce. However, we are currently working on offering more winter produce. We would also like to see more local produce products fill our shelves. On top of all of theses things, our primary focus is giving our students the best training we can, which is constantly evaluated and adjusted to meet their changing needs."

Boutique features exclusive items

Saturday, New Life Assembly, 660 Solano St. in Corning, is having a Christmas Boutique. The day will start with a pancake breakfast at 8 a.m. Vendors are welcome and there is no fee for the space, however, a donation of ten percent is asked to go back to the church from any profit made. The boutique will feature jewelry, stain glass, exclusive teapots, teacups, silk jackets and much more.

Churches host a Christmas musical

At 6 p.m., Dec. 12, the Christmas musical, "Comfort and Joy" will be held at New Life Assembly, 660 Solano St., with several other churches participating. Everyone is welcomed.

E-waste recycling event held at Third and Solano

From 8 a.m. - noon, Saturday, residents may bring TVs computers, monitors, printers, microwave ovens, VCR and DVD players, and other small electronic waste to the Transportation parking lot, corner of Third and Solano streets.

Information submitted by Valanne Cardenas, manager of the Corning Chamber of Commerce. Contact her at 824-5550 or corningchamber@sbcglobal.net.