October 19, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 17 The Mahwah Regional Chamber of Commerce is again organizing WinterFest, an eight-week celebration scheduled to begin on Dec. 2 with a 7 p.m. Opening Ceremony in Veterans Memorial Park. This year’s festival will present a wide variety of activities for all ages, including charity drives, contests for all ages, dining events, and opportunities to discover the region’s remarkable history and cultural diversity. “The WinterFest Steering Committee is collaborating with local merchants, restaurants, retailers, and nonprofit groups to develop innovative, fun, and educational activities,” said WinterFest Chairperson Annette Freund. “We are partnering with the Hindu Samaj Community Center in Mahwah to present the first-ever, inter-cultural dance spectacular, featuring dance troupes from all over the region. It is sure to be exciting, and I encourage everyone to come out and join us.” Prospective sponsors are invited to put an ad in the program. The theme for this year’s festival is “supporting our military moms and troops,” and part of the proceeds received from sponsorships will go to the Mahwah Plans for WinterFest under way; sponsors needed Marine Moms & North Jersey Military Moms, and the Chamber’s Organization of the Year. Want to attract new customers to your restaurant and support our troops at the same time? Several WinterFest “Support Our Troops” nights are being planned at member restaurants. Since 2006, the Mahwah Marine Moms & North Jersey Military Moms have shipped care packages to over 230 service men and women and their units in Iraq and Afghanistan, some serving two deployments. Bring your family to a “Support Our Troops” night and thank these organizations at the same time. Is your business planning a charity drive for the holidays? Are you confused about which charity drive to supwith our neighbors in New York and Pennsylvania….we need more grassroots ideas, like S-2874, from the business community to continue making New Jersey more business friendly,” Bracken said. The chairman of the inter-Chamber committee is John DePalma, MPH, regional director of UHY Employee Benefits Consulting Services and member of the Mahwah Regional Chamber of Commerce. According to DePalma, “If the State of New Jersey is serious about growing the economy, then it must give the one-person company the same rights as a two-person company.” The effort to change the law was begun over a year ago by Dr. Annette Freund, immediate past president of the Mahwah Regional Chamber of Commerce. Over 200 other Chambers statewide have been invited to join in a letter-writing campaign. “We need to explain to our legislators and the governor that a vote for this bill is a vote for small business,” said Freund. “Saving money on group health insurance could free up capital for hiring new employees, support the economic recovery, and encourage over half a million individual proprietorships to stay in New Jersey.” For more information, or to join the letter-writing campaign, visit www.mahwah.com or call the Chamber office at (201) 529-5566. port? The WinterFest “Spread the Cheer” program can help you promote your drive or provide a comprehensive list of options from clothing drives to toy collections and much more. Check the Chamber website, Mahwah.com, for details. Many other activities, including the annual senior line drawing and children’s coloring contests are being developed. Keep an eye out for future announcements about these and other family-friendly events. Business and family sponsors are needed ($25 to $5,000). WinterFest sponsors help support the good work of the selected local organizations and the families they serve. Donations from previous festivals have lit the Veterans Tree, helped families in need through the Center for Food Action, and funded family-friendly exhibits at the Mahwah Museum. For a calendar of events or to purchase a sponsorship, visit mahwah.com, or call the Chamber office at (201) 529-5566. Chambers (continued from page 13) health coverage through their Chamber of Commerce. Chambers in New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania already provide this benefit. The bill’s primary sponsor, Senator Gerald Cardinale (R-District 39, Bergen), ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, stressed the importance of business and government collaboration. “In these tough economic times, it’s critical that government work with business to make health care more affordable,” said Cardinale. Since introducing the bill on May 12, the Senator has garnered support from the bill’s Democratic co-sponsors, Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-District 37, Bergen), and Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-District 22, Middlesex/Morris/ Union). Throwing his support behind the bill was Thomas A. Bracken, president and CEO of the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce. “The Bergen County inter-Chamber Bill S-2874 is a great opportunity to make our state more competitive