Pocono Talk

Next Wednesday and Thursday March 10th and 11th the Greater Pocono  Chamber of Commerce will be holding its annual Business Expo at the Koehler Fieldhouse at East Stroudsburg University.

Wednesday March 10th it will be open from 2:30-7pm and Thursday March 11th it will be open from 12noon to 7pm.  There is an admission cost of a few dollars but plenty of free pens and promotional materials to get from vendors when you’re there.  The expo was held in May last year and it was a bit slow so I’m hoping having it earlier this year will get some more people out.  If you’re bored and have cabin fever be sure to stop by and check out the local businesses in the area.

It’s a great place to get a lot of information from a lot of different companies all at once.  Whether you’re looking for a bank, home improvement opportunities, website design(shameless plug for my company  www.webleaps.com who will be there), you can meet a variety of vendors and get information all at once.

I’ve seen people in the past stopping by booths looking for jobs – this isn’t really the place you’d find job opportunities – but if you’re scouting out companies in general it may help to at least get some information.  A better place to seek career opportunities would be one of the many job fairs that run throughout the year like PA Careerlink – you can reach hundreds of employers all at once that are all looking to hire – definitely beats flipping through the paper.

From now until “the recession has lessened”, at least for the summer if not the year, after 4pm on Friday’s Cherry Valley Golf Course will be offering free golf.  I heard about this at the business card exchange that they held at their location this month but I would still call to double check the details since I couldn’t seem to find anything in writing.

With times being tough all around, the slogan “if it’s free it’s for me” readily applies so whether you’re a golfer or not, a local or just visiting it’s something you might want to check out.

If you are looking to access wireless internet in the Poconos you and are a PTD(penteledata) customer here is a current list of wi-fi spots:

Alaska Pete’s
Route 209
Marshall’s Creek, PA. 18335
570.350.7300
www.alaskapetes.com

Barley Creek Brewing Company
RR 1 Box 185 Sullivan Trail & Camelback Rd.
Tannersville, PA. 18372
570.629.9399
www.barleycreek.com

Best Western Pocono Inn
700 Main Street
Stroudsburg, PA. 18360
570.421.2200
www.bestwesternpocono.com

Blakeslee Inn & Restaurant
Rt. 940
Blakeslee, PA. 18334
570.646.1100
www.blakesleeinn.com

Camelback Ski Area
Exit 299 I-80
Tannersville, PA. 18372
570.629.1661
www.skicamelback.com

CamelBeach
Exit 299 I-80
Tannersville, PA. 18372
570.629.1661
www.camelbeach.com

East Stroudsburg University–Stadium Fieldhouse
200 Prospect Street
East Stroudsburg, PA. 18301
570.422.3211
www.esu.edu

Four Seasons Restaurant & Diner
5000 Milford Rd.
East Stroudsburg, PA. 18301
570.460.7974

Jubilee Restaurant
Route 940
Pocono Pines, PA. 18350
570.646.2377
www.breakfastking.com

Lakeview Pool & Country Club
33 Leisure Lands
East Stroudsburg, PA. 18301
570.223.9429
www.lakeviewpcc.com

Nibors Coffee
Rt. 209 & Monroe Plaza
Brodheadsville, PA. 18322
570.992.8458

Nibors Coffee
Rt. 209 & Schaffer Lane
Brodheadsville, PA. 18322
570.992.8458

Nibors Coffee
Rt. 611
Tannersville, PA. 18372
570.619.4019

Resorts USA, Fernwood Resort
Rt. 209
Bushkill, PA. 18324
570.588.6661
www.resortsusa.com

Rocks Smoke Shop
7 Liberty Square
East Stroudsburg, PA. 18301
570.223.6534
www.rockssmokeshop.com

Siamsa Irish Pub
636 Main Street
Stroudsburg, PA. 18360
570.421.8434
www.siamsairishpub.com

Subway
Rt. 611 Fountain Ct.
Bartonsville, PA. 18321
570.620.9007
www.subway.com

Subway
601 Rt.940
Mount Pocono, PA. 18344
570.839.5833
www.subway.com

Werry’s Cottages, Motel & Pub
Rt. 209
Marshall’s Creek, PA. 18335
570.223.9234
www.werrys.com

West End fairgrounds
Fairgrounds Road
Gilbert, PA. 18331
610.681.4293
www.westendfairgilbertpa.com

West End Lanes
209 S. & Weir Lake Rd.
Brodheadsville, PA. 18322
610.681.9000
www.westendlanes.com
If you are not a PTD customer I know the Panera Bread on 611 has free wi-fi (no account needed) as did the Starbucks right next to it.  The Starbucks on Main Street in Stroudsburg should as well.  If anyone else knows of any spots feel free to leave a comment, thanks!

This past Sunday was the annual American Red Cross of Monroe County Telethon which ran from 12pm to 9pm on Blue Ridge Cable Channel 13.  I’m ashamed to say but this is the first year I actually saw it aired and hope that we can spread the word so the viewers and donations can improve each year.  The telethon raised over $57,000 all of which goes to the Monroe County Red Cross to help local fire victims.  There were local fire victims that told their stories during the telethon and local singers, dancers, magicians and other talent filled out the rest of the day.  Connie Roberts, Mario Scavello and Kim Bell were just a few of the MCs for the day that joined together to help the cause.

Eric and I actually got a chance to participate this year as we recently redesigned the Monroe County Red Cross website: http://www.redcrossmonroepa.org this past year as part of their building makeover.   So we were there for the telethon handling the online auctions which included the following:

Autographed Eagles Football
A piece of Eagles Memorabilia. It is an Eagles limited edition football autographed by: QB Donovan McNabb #5, K David Akers #2, and FS Brian Dawkins #20. A certificate of Authenticity is included.

Autographed Eagles Helmet
An authentic on field, Riddell, NFL pro line helmet. It is autographed by Brian Westbrook. A certificate of Authenticity is included.

Autographed NFL Football
An authentic NFL game ball signed by, 2006 Hall of Fame, Harry Carson. A certificate of Authenticity is included.

Autographed Penn State Football
A Penn State football autographed by the Penn State Coach, Joe Paterno.

Will Daskal Painting
WillDaskal.com
Will Daskal Fine Art
RR7 Box 1258
Saylorsburg, PA 18353-9344
1-610-381-6188

Open cockpit by-plane Ride
An open cockpit by-plane ride provided by Fred Duckloe. Must be used on a Sunday Morning.

Helicopter Ride
Dave Moyer 570-656-4172
30 minute helicopter ride for 3 people out of Mount Pocono Airport. Sight Seeing Tour of Monroe County.

5-10 Page Website
5-10 page business or personal website. Includes 1 year FREE hosting(initially 3 months) & 1 year domain name registration. WebLeaps – www.WebLeaps.com – 570-629-6980

The auctions were available to bid on during the day and then went to bidding by telephone only after 8pm.  I think some of the items were a STEAL for the prices bid on them.  I would definitely keep my eye out next year as many items went for less then what they would fetch on ebay and would make great gifts if nothing else.

The Monroe County Red Cross has their next big fundraiser coming on May 4th, 2008 – the Pocono Mountains Run for the Red Marathon.

The thought of adding tolls on Interstate 80 personally makes me cringe.  If you haven’t heard already Act 44 was passed in July 2007 which gave the ok to put tolls on 80.  Living in the Poconos I-80 is a HUGE part of the transportation flow - for residents who hop on 80 to avoid the slower back roads, for tourists visiting the area, and for commuters that commute to New York, New Jersey and even Philadelphia.  Adding tolls would cause a number of problems – increased traffic on the back roads due to people avoiding the tolls, a possible dip in tourism, with gas prices constantly getting higher for the weekly tourists tolls add on that much more cost to their trip, and to commuters who already are stretched due to gas prices it would be yet another daily expense that cuts into their bottom line.

Many commuters try to find local jobs once they’ve been living in the Poconos for a bit – it saves travel time and money and is definitely a smart option.  The issue is that the average salary and availability of work in the Poconos doesn’t hold a candle to New York City and other popular locations that Pocono commuters work.  Adding tolls makes it that much more difficult for people that want to live in the Poconos and commute to do so. 

The only glimpse of hope is that the federal government has not yet given its approval, it actually denied it back in December due to lack of details.  Pocono commuters and residents putting up a fuss but so are businesses and truckers – businesses are concerned that they’re going to need to increase their prices to make up for additional freight fees.

Whether it gets approved or not I think the bigger concern is will it actually work and do what it is suppose to?  The casinos in Pennsylvania were suppose to make huge changes – have they?  Pocono residents haven’t seen any reduction in property taxes, it might take awhile but will it ever happen?  Adding tolls to I-80 and making it that much more expensive to live and work in and out of the Poconos makes it that much less appealing to live here as a resident.

My hope is that the big Pocono changes and potential changes increase the area as a whole rather then turn it into a “little New York” or “little Philadelphia”.  The railroad system – has the potential to reduce traffic on the roads, help commuters, and bring in additional tourists.  It also has the potential to increase crime and congestion.  I-80 has the potential to assist with fixing our roads - it also has the potential to drive away commuters, tourists and even residents.  The constant building of new stores – has the potential to bring additional employment and tourist to the area and provide residents with a wider variety of options.  It also has the potential to slowly wipe out the beautiful landscape of the Poconos – the changes to Route 611 in the past 5 years are a perfect example.

The Poconos is a beautiful place to live, work and visit.  Change is inevitable and has to be embraced as a part of life and changing times.  Without a doubt the Poconos is expanding and changing daily – I personally would like to see more effort put into restoring some of the businesses that made the Poconos what it is today versus starting fresh – but either way when I stand on my deck at the end of a long day and see nothing but trees and a beautiful sunset I’m reminded of what it is that truly makes the Poconos a special place to live.

There are plenty of places to shop in the Poconos but by far the largest and I’m assuming most visited is The Crossings Premium Outlets in Tannersville.  Its location right off of Interstate 80 makes for easy access, especially if you are not familiar with the area.  On weekends it definitely gets a bit crowded and backed up – both at the Outlets themselves and also on 80, a large contributing factor is the scores of tourists literally coming in by loads of buses to shop.  If you’re looking to avoid the crowds I’d definitely recommend going during the week to avoid the weekend crowds.

Crowds or not the Crossings are a great place to visit for a couple of reasons:

1) The beautiful location in the Poconos:  Although its right off of 80 its still surrounded by beautiful views of the Poconos.  Because its all outside you are able to take advantage of the views and weather without feeling like you’re stuck in the mall and wasting a nice day.

2) Store Options: There are over 100 outlet stores available so no matter what you’re looking for you are bound to find something that interests you.  There are great deals available and its a great place to shop during the holidays as you can get great deals and can usually find something for everyone on your list!

3) Its close to other attractions: About 10 minutes up the road is Camelback(skiing in the winter, waterpark in the summer) and during the spring/summer/fall you can drive up to Big Pocono State Park for the best views of the Poconos.  On a clear day not only can you see the Poconos – but parts of New York and New Jersey as well!  There’s also plenty of places to stay overnight nearby if you’re looking for longer then just a day trip.

I’m not much of a shopper myself, but even if you’re just looking to kill some time on a rainy day the Crossings and surrounding area offer plenty of ways to keep you occupied!

Current Available stores at the Crossings:

Adidas
Aeropostale
Alfred Dunner     (570) 619-7110
Ann Taylor Factory Store     (570) 688-9605
Anne Klein     (570) 688-9292
Banana Republic Factory Store     (570) 629-0518
Bass     (570) 629-3653
BCBG Max Azria     (570) 629-6760
Big Dog Sportswear     (570) 620-2040
Brooks Brothers Factory Store     (570) 629-0771
Burberry     (570) 629-8870
California Sunshine Swimwear     (570) 619-6500
Calvin Klein     (570) 629-0211
Casual Male XL     (570) 620-2785
Chico’s     (570) 619-7050
Coldwater Creek     (570) 629-2176
Converse      (570) 620-1166
Dana Buchman     (570) 619-8641
DKNY Jeans     (570) 629-5488
Dressbarn     (570) 620-1153
Dressbarn Woman     (570) 620-3090
Ecko Unltd     (570) 629-8620
Eddie Bauer Outlet     (570) 629-2240
Ellen Tracy     (570) 619-8641
Gap Outlet     (570) 619-6530
Geoffrey Beene     (570) 629-5669
Greg Norman     (570) 620-1506
Guess     (570) 619-7065
Harleyville USA     (570) 620-2187
Izod     (570) 629-3550
J.Crew     (570) 620-2090
Jockey     (570) 620-2125
Jones New York     (570) 620-9540
Jones New York Sport     (570) 620-1161
Kasper     (570) 688-9833
L’eggs Hanes Bali Playtex     (570) 629-3933
Liz Claiborne     (570) 620-9810
Maidenform     (570) 620-9291
Motherhood Maternity     (570) 620-0308
Nautica     (570) 620-0901
Nike Factory Store     (570) 688-9457
PacSun     (570) 629-9600
Perry Ellis     (570) 688-9100
Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store     (570) 620-9688
Puma     (570) 629-6370
Reebok     (570) 620-0870
Rue21     (570) 619-0180
Timberland     (570) 620-1772
Tommy Hilfiger     (570) 620-1178
Under Armour     (570) 629-3610
Van Heusen     (570) 629-3675
Woolrich     (570) 620-0771
Zumiez      (570) 629-3576

Carter’s     (570) 629-3802
The Children’s Place Outlet     (570) 629-6686
Gymboree Outlet     (570) 619-5240
Hartstrings     (570) 629-1105
KB Toy Outlet     (570) 629-9566
Kids Supercenter     (570) 629-0508
OshKosh B’Gosh     (570) 620-2042
OshKosh B’Gosh Warehouse Sale      Now Open
Polo Ralph Lauren Children     (570) 629-5184
Stride Rite Keds Sperry     (570) 688-9330

Coach     (570) 688-9155
Samsonite Company Store     (570) 620-9296

Claire’s Accessories     (570) 619-8896
Coach     (570) 688-9155
Fossil     (570) 620-1965
Gold Toe     (570) 629-0108
Movado Company Store     (570) 688-9999
Sunglass Hut     (570) 620-0114
Time Factory Watch Outlet     (570) 629-8463
Totes/Sunglass World     (570) 629-4010
Ultra Diamonds     (570) 619-4275

Corningware Corelle Revere     (570) 620-2670
Kitchen Collection     (570) 629-3995
Le Gourmet Chef     (570) 619-6400
Pfaltzgraff     (570) 629-4072
Waterford Wedgwood     (570) 619-7030

Book Cellar     (570) 620-0511
Bose     (570) 619-4108
The Cosmetics Company Store     (570) 629-3303
Designer Fragrance Outlet     (570) 620-1688
Harry & David     (570) 620-9566
KB Toy Outlet     (570) 629-9566
Pepperidge Farm     (570) 629-1867
Perfumania     (570) 620-6040
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory     (570) 688-4058
Vitamin World     (570) 629-7970
Yankee Candle     (570) 619-4245

American Eatery     (570) 619-7812
Au Bon Pain Bakery Cafe’     (570) 688-0646
Auntie Anne’s Soft Pretzels     (570) 629-4740
Just Desserts     (570) 629-5120
Magic Wok     (570) 620-9321
Mr. Deli     (570) 629-5120
Romano’s Pizzeria     (570) 620-2600
Sugar Mountain Candy Factory     (570) 620-2461
Treat Zone    Now Open

Panera Bread
Today we had lunch catered from Panera Bread in Stroudsburg which is part of the new set of stores located on Route 611.  If you haven’t driven by recently the new shopping center consists of Panera Bread, Best Buy, Borders, Old Navy, Petsmart and…I forget the other one :\

Anyway, lunch was terrific – it was a meal for 5 but could easily feed 10 people – their sandwiches are huge and made with fresh bread, the salad was extremely fresh, the unsweetened ice tea was a great drink choice(I know personally I’m trying to shy away from soda), and they provided all cups, plates, utensils, etc.  I have had their bagels before(which were great) and didn’t know about all of the other food options they had so I was happy to have a new local place with healthy and fresh food.  They also have a wide variety of other food options including soups, cookies, frozen coffee drinks & smoothies, pizza and more.  If you’re looking for a new place to try I definitely give Panera Bread a thumbs up.  You can visit their website at http://www.panerabread.com or just http://www.panera.com for locations, menus, information on catering and more.

Another Shopping Center to mention
If you haven’t been down 611 in a long time you might be shocked to see that the truck stop(crossroads) is gone and across the street a new shopping center with a Lowes, Kohls(I think), Red Robin, Longhorn Steakhouse and Chilis has gone in.  I can’t find anything to confim this so don’t quote me on it…but a little birdie tells me that an Olive Garden and Red Lobster will be going in soon down the road soon enough as well.

Personally if I could pick and choose what goes in I’d love to see a Wegmans, an Outback Steakhouse, a Papa Johns and an Olive Garden…but that’s just wishful thinking   We do already have plenty of eateries in the area and you can reach any of those by either heading up to Scranton or down to Allentown/Easton.  With the way things are getting built up now adays I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few or all of them pop up soon enough.

 One last place to mention…a Texas Roadhouse went in by the Stroud Mall not to long ago – so there’s something else to check out!

The grand opening of Mount Airy Casino Resort is scheduled for today October 22nd, 2007 and is bound to impact the Poconos significantly one way or another.  It will make history as the first freestanding casino in Pennsylvania bringing additional attention and traffic to the area which is likely to help local businesses. 

The Controversy

There is controversy over the fact that the money made will not be going back to the local area but instead is being used to cut Philadelphia’s wage tax and assist with horse racing.  As a local myself I was hoping for a bit of a property tax cut as I’m sure many other people were.  I think that at least something should be given back to the locals directly as they will be dealing with the increased traffic and other possible downfalls associated with the casino.  

The Potential

There is the potential for the casino to impact the Poconos in a very positive way and set an example for the state – its my hopes that we see that happen.  Some of the positives I forsee are additional jobs, new restaurants and the potential for local businesses to see increased sales. 

It does start off on the wrong foot though when the owner is currently under investigation for possibly lying about his connections, or lack there of, with organized crime.  Yikes!  This issue is just dripping with controversy on all sides, I just hope people can be civil and work towards making this a positive for the community.  continue reading »

This past month the Pocono Chamber of Commerce officially became the Greater Pocono Chamber of Commerce and along with the name change came the new logo displayed above.  The updates were made to reflect on the future as the chamber will celebrate its centennial in 2010.

Eric and I joined the chamber last year with our website company WebLeaps and have found it to be very advantageous.   The opportunities are widespread and the dues are relatively inexpensive, what we have spent on yearly dues we have made back and more by obtaining new clients through the chamber.

If you are not a chamber member and are interested in finding out what they offer check out their website at PoconoChamber.net where you can find information on upcoming events.   Events are open to both chamber members and non-members(although there is a $5-$10 additional fee) and are a great opportunity to network and learn more about businesses in the area.   The monthly events include a business card exchange that is held in the evening, a monthly breakfast and the women in business luncheon.

With the new look and feel proclaimed by the eye-catching logo, the indian airlines are there to help in planning the travel along with the hotel package deals. Many of the travel agents can work out the super cheap flights to any corner of the world. The travel consultants specifically renowned for offering the cheap flights to canada can plan your trip from the start to finish. The cheap flights to rome with the short stays at three or four mid-destinations attract the tourists traveling on hawaiian airlines. The same carrier is chosen for the fabulous summer vacation family packages on the cheap flights to new york.