Published March 17th, 2010
business briefs
Dan St. Paul on stage
'Live at the Orinda' a Great Success
On the evening of March 5th, the Orinda Chamber of Commerce invited the community to a champagne-filled night of comedy at the Orinda Theatre. It was a first, and the force behind the event, Chamber Board Member Rick Kattenburg, was a bit anxious that evening. "We had a fantastic night," reported a very satisfied Kattenburg, "we had 650 in attendance and all the people I talked to thought that it was fantastic." Some of your neighbors from the Lamorinda Weekly who attended the event had nothing but praise to share. "We both haven't laughed that much in ages. We especially loved the jokes teasing Orinda," said staff writer Cathy Tyson, who went with her husband, "the Chamber must be thrilled." Staff writer Andrea Firth added, "My husband and I had a great time. It was great fun to laugh so much." Kattenburg admits that the evening was a lot of work to put together. "The idea came up because my son is close to the child of Tommy T. (owner of the Tommy T's Comedy Clubs)," says Kattenburg, "we looked for humor that would relate to the crowd and were delighted when the comedians poked fun at us." Kattenburg believes that the evening was a success thanks to the dedication of the Chamber Board who never counted their hours working on the project. "We made about $7,000," said Kattenburg, "and we'll be pleased to give a part of it to EFO (the Educational Foundation of Orinda)." Kattenburg promises that the March 5th show will be followed by many others: "Next year it's going to be even better," he promised.

Lori's Swim and Sun 1460 Moraga Road, Moraga, 376-4433
Lori's Swim and Sun has re-opened in the Moraga Center (Moraga Way at Moraga Road). The swim apparel store and tanning salon left the Rheem Center to a new location between A&H Hallmark and The UPS Store, across from the Moraga Garden Center. "We are focusing our new store on athletic gear," says owner Lori Stubblefield, "we will carry everything needed for swim teams and aerobic water exercise. We are also continuing to carry all swim gear such as goggles and fins and of course we are still offering thousands of different pairs of sandals." Lori is conscious that the market has changed and that people are more budget-conscious, "I listen to what my customers say," she adds, "and I will continue to offer what they ask for." Lori's only concern with the new location is that it cannot be seen from the street.



Mt Diablo Business Women's Networking Dinner
The next networking dinner is on April 8 from 5:45 to 8:30 p.m. at the Lafayette Park Hotel, 3278 Mt Diablo Blvd. The guest speaker will be Jessica A. Braverman, Esq. a well known local attorney, talking about "Legal Landmines of Social Media for the Business Owner." For info and registration contact www.mtdiablobusinesswomen.org. Cost for members $37 and guests $47. Please no walk-ins, registration by noon on April 5th.

New Realtors
Alain Pinel Realtors is proud to announce the addition of Amy Rose Smith, Rochelle Williams and Erin McCoin to its team in the Orinda Office. Amy joins APR with a wealth of practical knowledge of the East Bay. Having worked as a Registered Client Analyst for Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. in London, New York and Los Angeles, Amy learned to appreciate the simplicity and beauty of her home town of Orinda. In 2007, Amy returned to Orinda where she now lives with her husband and three daughters. Williams and McCoin joins APR as a team from the prestigious firms of McGuire R.E and Pacific Union R.E. where they represented buyers and sellers in San Francisco. After moving their families to Lafayette, they joined the local APR office and have launched the Lamorinda Living Team, specializing in representing buyers and sellers in Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda. McCoin and Williams have over a decade of Real Estate experience between them. Amy Rose Smith can be reached at.438.2020 or AmyRoseSmith@apr.com. McCoin and Williams can be reached at 258.1111 or emccoin@apr.com

News from the three Chambers of Commerce
Tri-City Chamber Night at the Town Hall Theater
Saturday, March 20 at 7:15 p.m.
Town Hall Theatre, one of newest members of the Moraga Chamber of Commerce, would like to invite the members of the Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda Chambers and their guests to a performance of The Importance of Being Earnest, a romantic comedy by Oscar Wilde. As an added treat, Parkmon Vineyards will be offering a premium wine tasting with a $15 donation to Town Hall. Parkmon wines are grown right in Moraga by Dave Parker, founding member of the Lamorinda Winegrowers Association. Chamber members and their guests will receive the special rate of $25/ticket - call the box office at 283-1557 to reserve your seats.
Lafayette
- Ribbon Cutting on Thursday, March 25 at 5:00 p.m. for Stone Creek
Insurance Agency, 3738 Mt. Diablo Blvd., #304
- The Pleasant Hill Chamber is having its Business Showcase on March
25th and booth space is now available to the members of the Lafayette
Chamber at the Pleasant Hill Chamber Member Rate. Be part of this
business experience as it enters its fourth decade. For more information
contact the Pleasant Hill Chamber at 925-687-0700 and ask for Celina or
check the web site at http://www.pleasanthillchamber.com/.
Moraga
- Chamber Meeting Fri., March 26, from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Hacienda
de las Flores. The report of the Chamber 2010 goals will be presented.
- Registration forms for the May 8 Community Faire are now online at
moragachamber.org. Registration deadline is April 24th, 2010. The Faire
will include a classic car show; the Chamber would like to encourage
owners of restored classic cars that live in Lamorinda to contact Andrew
at lilducci@aol.com.
- For the first time the Faire will produce banners that will advertise the
faire throughout town. The Chamber is offering banner sponsorship to
businesses that would like to see their names on it. The cost is $175 and
the deadline for registration is April 9. Interested parties should contact
Gloria at 247-4473 or glorianoggle@yahoo.com



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