Business notebook: Come ‘Home for the Holidays' beginning this Sunday

Warwick - This Sunday, Nov. 18, is the opening day for downtown Warwick’s annual celebration of “Home for the Holidays.” The popular season event begins with a downtown festive celebration from noon until 5 p.m. and all participating shops will be decorated for the holidays. Many will also sponsor their own “open house” events with refreshments and special offers. “We’re grateful that members of the Warwick Valley Chorale will be here again this year,” said Mary Beth Schlichting, president of the Warwick Merchant Guild. “And to make sure everyone is in the holiday spirit, they will be caroling throughout the village during the afternoon.” Home for the Holidays, which traditionally begins just before Thanksgiving and ends after Christmas is an annual celebration designed to present downtown Warwick as a fun and convenient place to do all your holiday shopping. The Warwick merchants offer convenience, quality merchandise, special sales, friendly personalized service including gift-wrapping and in many cases, shops will provide a “wish” list to make things easier for gift givers. Initially most stores will remain open until 8 p.m. on Thursdays and then remain open late every day as we get closer to Christmas. “We want to remind everyone that we’re committed to making your holiday shopping experience pleasant and convenient,” said Schlichting. “And we’re hoping people will stay and enjoy the evening. We’ve printed over 7000 restaurant guides for visitors.” In conjunction with “Home for the Holidays,” there are numerous weekly events to make downtown Warwick a fun destination throughout the season. Residents and visitors can look forward to visits from Santa, horse and buggy rides, men’s night out, ladies night out and a few surprises. This weekend the Historical Society of the Town of Warwick, for example, is hosting its annual “Harvest to Holly” tour. Next Friday, Nov. 23, the Warwick Fire Department will hold the traditional Christmas Tree Lighting at Lewis Park along with a surprise visit from Santa. On Saturday, Dec. 1, St. Anthony Community Hospital will sponsor its popular “Winding Through Warwick” house tour of decorated homes. And that same day, the Warwick Middle School will host the annual craft show. On Dec. 4, Chanukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights begins at sundown and, following a long tradition, the first light of the Menorah will be lit in a ceremony open to all at Lewis Park. More Home for the Holidays updates to follow. Tenth anniversary It’s generally accepted that the first year in business is the hardest and that its fifth anniversary is an important milestone and a good indication that it will enjoy success. But when Annette and Jean-Claude Sanchez, owners of Jean-Claude’s Artisan Bakery & Dessert Café, celebrated the 10th anniversary of their business last Saturday, everyone said, “They must be doing something right.” The open house was actually held a few days after the official anniversary. Jean-Claude’s first opened its doors at 25 Elm St., on Nov. 7, 1997. And earlier this year they opened a second shop in a newly renovated building at 122 Windemere Ave. in Greenwood Lake. That renovation, by the way, earned Annette and Jean-Claude Sanchez a special award at the Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce’s annual membership dinner last Friday. Before opening his first patisserie in Warwick, Jean-Claude Sanchez had served as a master pastry chef at well-known Manhattan restaurants including The Rainbow Room, Le Bernardin and The River Club. His philosophy was to follow the dictates of classic French baking by using only the finest natural ingredients and by baking everything from scratch on the premises. Jean-Claude’s Artisan Bakery & Dessert Café has been consistently featured in the Zagat Survey Restaurant Guide for Southern Hudson Valley and Westchester. Listings are based on the opinions of customers. Among numerous awards, the bakery and café has been chosen by the Culinary Institute of America as a “Destination Restaurant,” and has also been voted “Best Patisserie,” in Hudson Valley Magazine. In the past 10 years the community has also benefited. Jean-Claude’s has proved to be a good neighbor by supporting many charity fund-raising events and non-profit organizations. Part of the proceeds from Saturday’s open house will be donated to the Hudson Valley Food Pantry. “We have always believed in giving back to our community,” said Annette Sanchez. One of Jean-Claude’s key employees is Manager Patricia Bergman. “I want to thank her for all her hard work, diligence and great sense of humor,” said Annette Sanchez. “And I especially want to thank everyone for their patronage. We love our customers.” Toys for Tots Edward Lynch, the local Edward Jones financial advisor, is supporting the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program by using his office as a drop-off location for this year’s toy drive. Local residents may help needy children in the area by bringing in a new, unwrapped toy to the office, 77 Ronald Reagan Blvd, during regular business hours beginning November 12, 2007. “With the holiday season around the corner, we are all getting ready for the festivities,” Lynch said. “And as this is the season of giving, now is a great time to remember the less fortunate in our community.” More about business drop-offs for “Toys for Tots” to follow.