Latest news with #SusanJ.Bellor
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chamber ambassadors coming back to Massena
May 29—MASSENA — The chamber ambassadors are coming back in Massena. Greater Massena Chamber of Commerce ambassadors once donned red coats and were present to welcome businesses or dignitaries to the community, and take part in grand openings, open houses and groundbreaking ceremonies. Now, the group is being resurrected. Massena Town Supervisor Susan J. Bellor told town board members that a meeting for those interested in becoming chamber ambassadors had been held on May 14 to discuss "community engagement, advertising, and celebrations locally." St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Benjamin R. Dixon said the group was starting to form. "Sue did mention that we are now having monthly meetings of the Massena ambassadors, which is kind of our boots on the ground volunteers and interested parties," he said. "I feel like we're getting a lot of traction there with them, and that I think is a big turning point for us in Massena, to have that group of engaged citizens working with us. It's a great group of people." Dixon also highlighted some of the chamber's upcoming activities for the town board. They include the annual tourism dinner Wednesday at the Freighthouse Restaurant in Ogdensburg, He said the Seaway Visitor Center at Eisenhower Lock will receive the Tourism Destination Marketing Award. "They've been a great partner this year, and they brought in 37,000 visitors since they started from all 50 state and more than 30 countries. So, it's really been quite the asset for Massena and the county, and we're excited to recognize them," he said. "We'll also be giving our Best to the Guest Award to the Best Western University Inn." Other upcoming events include the Dairy Festival June 6 and 7 in downtown Canton, Car-B-Que June 21 at Fort La Presentation in Ogdensburg, Business After Hours networking event from 5 to 7 p.m. June 24 at JJ's on the River in Ogdensburg, Massena Community-Wide Garage Sales on June 28 and 29, Canton Community-Wide Garage Sales on Aug. 2 and 3, and Craft, Food and Wine Open Air Market Sept. 20 at the St. Lawrence Power and Equipment in Madrid. He said the garage sales will include an online map on the chamber's event page to indicate where the sales are being held. Also on the schedule are a nonprofit conference Sept. 17 at the Best Western University Inn in Canton, annual dinner Oct. 22 at the GranView in Ogdensburg, and Craft, Food and Wine Holiday Market at a date and location to be announced. The 2026 calendar includes Canton Winterfest, the North Country Kids Expo, the annual membership breakfast meeting, and Massena Spring Fever Festival. Dixon said the ambassadors have been discussing ideas for the Spring Fever Festival. "Chamber events, while just one element of our extensive programming, provide multiple benefits to our members, businesses, non-profit, service organizations, and communities of St. Lawrence County," he said. "Through them, we provide networking, exposure, education, commerce, tourism attraction, and quality of life opportunities."
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cornwall mayor brings message of unity to Massena
Mar. 7—MASSENA — The mayor of Cornwall, Ontario, had an opportunity to address the Massena Town Board during its most recent meeting, bringing a message of unity between Cornwall and Massena, and the United States and Canada. Town Supervisor Susan J. Bellor said Justin Towndale had reached out to her for a Zoom conversation and she invited him to the meeting. "Justin sent an invitation to us a couple of weeks ago to have a chat, so we've had a nice conversation online, and then we invited the mayor for tonight," she said. "It's a pleasure to be here. I appreciate the invitation to join you," Towndale said. "I just want to kind of bring greetings on behalf of your neighbors in the city of Cornwall. Our city certainly has seen a lot of change over the last few years, and we continue to grow, and that's good for everybody." He said he can see New York from his home in Cornwall. "That just shows how close we are," he said. There's also the shared power between Ontario Power Generation and the New York Power Authority, Towndale said. "I thought that's the kind of close connection we have here. I'm saying this because I'm trying to illustrate that we are really a region," he said. He said he made a comment to a reporter talking about the "invisible line in the sand that divides us." But, he said, while the border is real, he had his passport and had no problem traveling to U.S. "I don't feel like I'm going to a foreign country," Towndale said, recalling visits to Massena while growing up and visiting places like the mall and restaurants. "All this is to say we're neighbors, we're friends, we're allies." He said, because of the closeness between the two municipalities, there should be more reachout. "I feel like my term started two years ago and I probably should have done that," he said. "Historically, my predecessors have invited the town supervisor and the mayor of the village to the inauguration. So, that falls on me as a responsibility as the mayor." Also because of the closeness of the two communities, Towndale said they're both impacted by regional events. "Any positive impact in this region, any negative impacts affect both of our communities very directly, economically and socially," he said. He said a Canadian resident had been in the Twin Towers for a meeting on 9/11 when the terrorists attacked the World Trade Center. "He was killed as part of that attack. So, that touched our community as well. We're not immune to these effects," he said. "I raised this just to show how close our communities are and how close our countries are and how events that happen in the United States affect us."
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cornwall mayor brings message of unity to Massena Town Board
Mar. 7—MASSENA — The mayor of Cornwall, Ontario, had an opportunity to address the Massena Town Board during its most recent meeting, bringing a message of unity between Cornwall and Massena, and the United States and Canada. Town Supervisor Susan J. Bellor said Justin Towndale had reached out to her for a Zoom conversation and she invited him to the meeting. "Justin sent an invitation to us a couple of weeks ago to have a chat, so we've had a nice conversation online, and then we invited the mayor for tonight," she said. "It's a pleasure to be here. I appreciate the invitation to join you," Towndale said. "I just want to kind of bring greetings on behalf of your neighbors in the city of Cornwall. Our city certainly has seen a lot of change over the last few years, and we continue to grow, and that's good for everybody." He said he can see New York from his home in Cornwall. "That just shows how close we are," he said. There's also the shared power between Ontario Power Generation and the New York Power Authority, Towndale said. "I thought that's the kind of close connection we have here. I'm saying this because I'm trying to illustrate that we are really a region," he said. He said he made a comment to a reporter talking about the "invisible line in the sand that divides us." But, he said, while the border is real, he had his passport and had no problem traveling to U.S. "I don't feel like I'm going to a foreign country," Towndale said, recalling visits to Massena while growing up and visiting places like the mall and restaurants. "All this is to say we're neighbors, we're friends, we're allies." He said, because of the closeness between the two municipalities, there should be more reachout. "I feel like my term started two years ago and I probably should have done that," he said. "Historically, my predecessors have invited the town supervisor and the mayor of the village to the inauguration. So, that falls on me as a responsibility as the mayor." Also because of the closeness of the two communities, Towndale said they're both impacted by regional events. "Any positive impact in this region, any negative impacts affect both of our communities very directly, economically and socially," he said. He said a Canadian resident had been in the Twin Towers for a meeting on 9/11 when the terrorists attacked the World Trade Center. "He was killed as part of that attack. So, that touched our community as well. We're not immune to these effects," he said. "I raised this just to show how close our communities are and how close our countries are and how events that happen in the United States affect us."
