Portage Chamber Breakfast Meeting has been rescheduled to MARCH 31
Join us for the Portage Area Chamber of Commerce Breakfast Meeting and be part of the Business Event of the Year! The meeting is rescheduled for Thursday, March 31 at the Best Western.
Our featured speaker for the event will be Kristin Runge, Ph. D., Communication Research Specialist, Community Development Institute Division of Extension UW-Madison, who, as a part of the Portage Housing Task Force, will be discussing the results of the housing survey taken last year.
This Task Force conducted a community housing survey with presentations by professional housing specialists/experts over the past 8 months. The study identifies possible housing policies, programs and resources that supports a safe, diverse, affordable and equitable housing system and contributes to a healthy tax base for Portage.
Thank You to the sponsors of our 2022 Breakfast Meeting:
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Exclusively for Portage Chamber Members ONLY: |
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Welcome New Portage Chamber of Commerce Members
The Char-Kuhnerie LLC
Portage, WI 53901
Tricia Kuhn at 608-566-5730
Charcuterie Hot Cocoa Bombs, Premier Picnics and Event Planning.
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Business Luncheon March 2022
The Portage Area Chamber of Commerce is offering another way to network with your fellow Chamber members and make those important connections that can help you in your business or career. Bring your business cards, brochures, or anything you wish to share with other members.
Luncheon Information:
Steve Sobiek, Director of Business Development and Planning for the City of Portage will be our speaker. He will be giving us an update on projects, programs and development in the City of Portage.
Date: Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Location: American Legion State Headquarters, 2930 American Legion Drive
Time: Lunch at 11:30AM, Presentation at Noon
Cost: $10 - pay for your lunch at the door
Please RSVP to this event!
Click Here to Register or call the Portage Chamber at 608-742-6242.
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PACT auditions for Miss Lulu Bett
PACT will present Miss Lulu Bett, written by Portage native Zona Gale, at the Zona Gale Center (PCA) in honor of the 100th anniversary of her Pulitzer Prize for the play. Auditions are being held on March 1 and 3, 6:30pm-8:30pm, at the Portage Center for the Arts. Performances will be in mid-May. The play requires 3 men, 3 women, 1 teen boy, 1 teen girl, and 1 pre-teen girl.
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Afternoon Social at the Portage VFW
Portage VFW Post 1707 is open for the community to come play cards, board games or just chat on Tuesdays from 1pm from 8:30pm. Coffee will be available. Stop by to meet some new people and spend an afternoon. Open to all.
Elvis performs at the Portage VFW
Elvis (aka Clyde Masten) will be performing from 3:30pm to 7pm at the Portage VFW Post 1707 on Sunday, March 6. A light meal will be available and all your favorite beverages too!
Darts and Poker at VFW on Wednesdays
The Portage VFW is open on Wednesdays for Dart Leagues and Texas Hold'em Poker. Poker starts at 7:30pm with a $20 buy in. All buy in money paid out to winners. Come on in and join us!
Portage VFW Texas Hold'em Tournament
Doors open at 11am and the cards are in the air for the Texas Hold ‘em Tournament beginning at 1pm on Saturday, March 19. A $5 raffle ticket guarantees a seat at the tables; $40 buy in, multiple buy ins. 100% buy-in money paid out to top place winners. Call Jeff at 262-328-7185.
The Portage VFW Post 1707 is located at 215 West Collins Street. For more information, please call 608-742-5350.
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Childcare Grant Opportunities
The Portage Chamber has received notice of grant opportunities for your business relating to childcare. Please review this information taken from the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families(DCF) Project Growth. There are two grant opportunities for you being offered: Partner Up! Grant Program and Dream Up! Child Care Supply-Building Grant Program.
Grant applications for both programs will open today (February 28) and close April 4. Learn more about each program below and on the Project Growth website.
Partner Up! Grant Program
Supporting Families Together Association (SFTA), in partnership with Wisconsin’s nine Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (CCR&Rs), will administer the Partner Up! grant program. The Partner Up! grant program will provide $10 million in funding to support partnerships between essential businesses who purchase slots at existing regulated childcare providers, with matched funding from DCF. These slots will be funded for the full amount of the state’s true cost of care. The funding will be awarded to businesses based on existing community childcare needs throughout Wisconsin. This program can be used to increase staff compensation, pay expenses, reserve full and part time childcare slots for local business employees, improve the quality of a childcare program, and more. Note: applications submitted for the Partner Up! grant by March 14, will be given priority consideration.
Dream Up! Child Care Supply-Building Grant Program
DCF is working with First Children’s Finance to administer the Project Growth: Dream Up! grant program. The Dream Up! grants will offer $8.1 million to support 30 communities around the state over the next two years. Through a collaborative community approach, teams will work to evaluate, plan, sustain existing childcare, and expand it in areas where there is need.
Join a Webinar to learn more.
Join DCF and other project partners to hear about Project Growth and its two grant programs: Partner Up! and Dream Up! You’ll learn more about the programs and why childcare is so important to Wisconsin’s economy.
• Monday, February 28 | 12pm CST
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Portage CrossFit Cooperative Friday Night Workouts
No previous CrossFit experience is necessary, open to everyone ages 14 and over. Join in on Friday nights on March 4 & 11 to compete against athletes worldwide. Gym doors open at 4:30pm with 5pm start.
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Adams Columbia Electric Cooperative News
Attending college or planning to this upcoming fall? Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative members are eligible to apply for our Educational Scholarship. This scholarship is available until Friday, March 4. Visit our website to learn more about our Educational Scholarship and to apply: https://www.acecwi.com/co-op-programs/scholarships/. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to receive funding towards your education!
Your car just crashed into a power pole. Power lines are lying across the hood of your car. Bystanders are approaching the scene to make sure you’re okay. Smoke is slowly entering your vehicle. What do you do? Watch the License to Live video to learn exactly what to do in a scenario like this. Be sure to share this video with friends and family to keep everyone safe: https://safeelectricity.org/license-to-live/
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Student Art Show at PCA
The Opening Reception for the Student Art Show at Portage Center for the Arts featuring Portage Elementary and Middle School Students will be held on Friday, March 4 from 4pm to 6pm. Come see what the youth have created this year. Exhibit runs through March 25, 2022.
Gallery exhibits are always free and open to the public. For more information, call Portage Center for the Arts, 301 E. Cook Street, at 608-742-5655 or visit http://www.portagecenterforthearts.com.
St. Pat's Weekend with The Kissers
Catch a performance by The Kissers at Portage Center for the Arts on Saturday, March 19 at 7:30pm. The Kissers' sound blends sharp musicianship, black humor and the lilt and lyricism of the ancient Celtic melodies! Celebrate St. Pat's on March 19 at 7:30pm! Click Here for tickets!
Lunch Break with the PCA
Dr. Erica Rosenfeld Halverson, UW-Madison School of Education, discusses her new book and demonstrates how the arts can transform education from meeting standards to changing lives!
Her topic, How the Arts Can Save Education, will be the subject of this Lunch Break on Thursday, March 24 from 12pm to 1pm. There is a $5 admission at the door.
For more information, contact Portage Center for the Arts, 301 E. Cook Street, at 608-742-5655 or visit
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Ribbon Cutting at Beautifully Blemished
Join us for a ribbon cutting as we welcome Sharon Wade of Beautifully Blemished to a new location in downtown at 104 West Cook Street, Suite B (next to the Chamber office).
The ribbon cutting will be held on Thursday, March 3 at 4pm. Sharon specializes in refinishing and re-purposing both vintage and traditional furniture. She is a dealer for Dixie Belle paints and supplies, offers DIY painting classes and lessons. For more information, call Sharon at 608-697-0297.
Ribbon Cutting with Tiny Homestead
Join us for a ribbon cutting as we welcome Kelsey Houk of Tiny Homestead to the Portage Chamber of Commerce. We will be holding the ribbon cutting on Wednesday, March 9 at 9am inside The Mercantile, 117 W. Cook Street in downtown Portage. Kelsey has her candles, candle-melters, lip balm and other products for sale inside The Mercantile. She also offers candle making workshops throughout the year here as well.
Kelsey sells a variety of products inside The Mercantile, Wilz Hometown Pharmacy and directly at her farm-stand located on her farm at N9164 Muskrat Road just outside of Portage.
The Tiny Homestead onsite farm-stand is open seasonally selling produce, apple butter, eggs, honey, various breads and much more during the spring, summer and fall months. You can visit the farm-stand at N9164 Muskrat Road. For more information, call Kelsey at 608-235-2675.
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St. Patrick's Day Alzheimer's Fundraiser & Raffle
A fundraiser and raffle to benefit the Alzheimer's & Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin will be held on Thursday, March 17 from 11am to 7pm at Fitz's on the Lake, W11602 Hwy V, Lodi.
Shenanigans and live music start at 4pm. Corned beef and cabbage dinner is $12.99 - Order to go or make a reservation. Raffle tickets are $5 and the drawing is at 7pm.
All raffle ticket proceeds and 10% of food goes to the Alzheimer's & Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin.
Tickets are available at bar; no need to be present to win.
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Portage Lions Club Radio Auction
Click Here to view this year's amazing auction items!!
This year the Portage Lions Club Radio Auction is moving locations to the Portage VFW Post 1707 at 215 W. Collins Street.
The auction will be held on Saturday, March 26 from Noon to 4pm. For more information, please call Nancy at 608-742-7242.
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Become a Substitute Teacher
Teachers On Call continues to provide substitute teachers and paraprofessionals to the school districts in Portage, and recently added Reedsburg. Both these districts have experienced an extremely high demand for substitutes, so there are lots of opportunities to work as a substitute teacher or paraprofessional in these areas!
Substituting can have a huge impact on our community. It provides flexible employment options, it provides valuable work experience to add to resumes, and it provides K-12 district students with a meaningful learning experience when their teacher or paraprofessional is gone for the day.
The minimum requirement in most districts is a high school diploma for paraprofessionals, an Associate’s degree for substitute teachers. Interested candidates can find more information and an application at www.teachersoncall.com or call Elly Davis, Recruiting Strategist, 608-716-4211.
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Ribbon Cuttings
A ribbon cutting was held at Riley Kubatzke Agency - American Family Insurance to welcome this new business to Portage.
"We are excited to have our agency now become part of the Portage community. As your American Family Insurance agent, we offer auto, home, life, farm, business insurance and many others in between.
Give us a call anytime if there is something that we can help you with now or in the future."
For more information, contact the Riley Kubatzke Agency - American Family Insurance, 1606, Suite B, New Pinery Road, at 608-742-3888.
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March Chamber Meetings and Events
1 Business Luncheon 11:30am at American Legion
2 Ambassador Meeting at Community Bank at 8am
3 Ribbon Cutting at Beautifully Blemished at 4pm
9 Ribbon Cutting at Tiny Homestead (inside Mercantile at 9am)
31 Breakfast Meeting at Best Western
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Spread the word about Portage!
Use #portagewi or #portagechamberwi in your social media posts.
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Check out the Chamber's YouTube Channel HERE
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Want to submit an article for this newsletter?
The Chamber's monthly newsletter deadlines the 20th of the month. Members are always welcome to let others know: about new products and services; introduce new associates or promotions; provide updates about their industry or business; give helpful tips; promote a sale or event. For more information, call the Portage Chamber at 608-742-6242.
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Submit your Events!
Are you planning an event this year? Get it posted on our web community calendar at www.portagewi.com. One of the most popular viewed of the Chamber website pages, the calendar allows you to submit your own events.
Simply click this link and submit your events. If you have questions, please call the Chamber office at 608-742-6242.
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Job postings on portagewi.com
Check out these job postings on our Chamber site from our member businesses. You are welcome to post job openings your business may have at any time. Call the Chamber office at 608-742-6242 for more information.
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Text PORTAGE to 51660
to receive information about upcoming Portage events
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Join a Service Club - Meetings subject to change
Rotary - Meets Mondays at Noon at Dino’s Restaurant, 2900 New Pinery Rd.
Lions Club - Meets the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 5:30pm at Dino’s Restaurant, 2900 New Pinery Rd., summer month meetings change locations
Kiwanis - Meets on Wednesdays at Noon at Pizza Ranch, 2905 New Pinery Rd.
Optimists - Meets on Tuesdays at 7am at Dino’s Restaurant, 2900 New Pinery Rd.
Elks - Meets 2nd & 4th Tuesday at 7pm; 4th Tuesday only during July and August
Women's Civic League - Meets 2nd Wednesdays of the month at Dino’s Restaurant, 2900 New Pinery Rd.
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