Business Notebook: Chambers bids farewell to Linda Glohs

Warwick - On Thursday evening, June 14, the Executive Committee of the Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce hosted a cocktail reception honoring Linda Glohs for her many years of service and dedication as its executive director. After 14 years of service, Glohs recently announced that she had decided to seek new challenges. “But I’m not retiring,” she insisted. The well attended function, which included family members, friends, local officials and chamber members was held on the porch of the Dautaj Restaurant on Oakland Avenue. Glohs, who earned her bachelor of arts degree at American University in Washington, D.C., and performed graduate work at New York’s New School, took over the reins of the Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce in the late fall of 1993. At that time it was a relatively small organization. Glohs and her husband, Robert, who is the food service manager at Orange County Community College, have lived in Warwick for 27 years. They have three grown children: Hanna, Sacha and Travis. During her tenure, the chamber grew to encompass the entire Town of Warwick, including Florida, Greenwood Lake and Pine Island as well as Vernon, N.J. “She reached out to bring everyone together,” said Town of Warwick Councilman Leonard DeBuck. Working out of her small office in the Chamber “Caboose” on South Street, Glohs managed to keep abreast of commercial activity throughout the Hudson Valley while remaining personally involved with the Warwick business community. She constantly kept in touch with local media and was closely involved with the organization of popular annual events such as Applefest, Taste of Warwick and the annual Chamber of Commerce dinner. Glohs can also take credit for organizing the well-established “Farmer’s Market” and for her involvement in the Warwick Partnership, which was designed to bring together the three villages, the Town of Warwick and the Chamber of Commerce. That organization evolved into Quality Communities, now known as the Partnership for Warwick Quality Communities Committee currently chaired by Councilman DeBuck. During her 14 years of service Glohs was responsible daily for providing member information such as the organization’s group medical insurance plan and other benefits, organizing mixers and networking breakfasts, publishing and distributing the membership newsletter and business directory along with other publications and maintaining the chamber’s Web site. Glohs is not prepared at this time to discuss her future plans. The Chamber of Commerce has selected a new executive director who will be announced shortly. “All these years,” said Glohs, “I thoroughly enjoyed my work. I loved my job and I love Warwick.” End of an era Sadly, one of the oldest businesses in Warwick is about to close. Ed and Charlotte Cummiskey, owners of the Card Spot, 51 Main St., have decided to close the doors on their popular shop shortly after school graduations. “We just can’t compete,” said Charlotte Cummiskey pointing to the entrance of her shop. “That door never stopped opening and closing. Now I wonder if anyone is coming in.” Pointing to CVS Pharmacy, across the street, she added that, unlike chain stores, small shops like the Card Spot cannot afford to purchase products in quantities sufficient to warrant the lower costs which could be passed on to the consumer. The Cummiskeys have owned and operated the Card Spot, first established in 1926, for approximately 41 years. Their customers were also their neighbors and friends. “I’ll miss the people,” said Charlotte Cummiskey, “We both want to thank everyone for their friendship and support throughout all these years.” The couple, however, has no plans to retire in the usual sense. Ed Cummiskey, a former Village Trustee, is a well-respected accountant and shares an office in Warwick with his son Edward, a Certified Public Accountant. His wife, Charlotte, doesn’t care to move or travel far from Warwick and said she has no problem finding work to do. “I’ll just keep doing all the household chores I always did except I won’t have to do them before and after I open the store,” she smiled. ‘Our Town’ continues to grows Last January, Frank Truatt, station manager of Warwick/Florida radio station WTBQ (1110 AM), announced the expansion of the station’s local news coverage with a new program titled “Our Town.” The program, hosted by Dick Wells, Rob McLean and Frank Truatt, which aired from 8:05 to 8:30 a.m., everyday except Wednesday, was an immediate success. The new talk show was intended to offer listeners an opportunity to hear and speak with local office holders and to invite callers. “Basically,” said Truatt, “this program provides listeners an opportunity to hear something important about the town they live in or where they do business. And, if it’s not that town,” he added, “it will remind them of similarities in their own communities.” During the week, guests on the program may include local mayors and supervisors as well as State officials such as state Sen. Thomas Morahan and Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt. As a result of the positive response from fans the program, sponsored by WVT Communications and Country SAAB, will now air every weekday morning including Wednesdays. On Fridays, former Warwick Town Supervisor Tony Houston will continue to be on hand to review all the roundtable discussions during that week Listeners are invited to call 651-1110 during the broadcast with questions and comments. Sidewalk sale On the heels of a very successful Springfest, the Warwick Merchants’ Guild is already planning its next event, the popular annual Sidewalk Sale. The event has been scheduled for Friday to Sunday, July 13-15, and this year’s theme is, “Bargains, Books and Barbecue.” That will require more explanation so more to follow.