National
Clothesline
Oregon cleaners to convene at Spirit
Mountain Lodge
Cleaners can expect to have a grand old
time in Grand Ronde Oct. 20-22 when the Oregon
Dry Cleaners Association hosts
its annual convention and tabletop display there.
The event will be held at the Spirit
Mountain Lodge at S.W. Salmon River Highway.
On Friday evening, there will be a
President’s Reception between 6 and 9 p.m. featuring
tabletop vendor displays, a party platter buffet, and hosted
beer and wine.
ODCA will also host a banquet on Saturday
evening between 7:30 and 10:30 p.m.
In addition to spending time networking,
cleaners can experience the diversionary thrills of the Spirit
Mountain Casino, Oregon’s largest casino.
Cleaners who bring their families will
not have to worry about keeping the kids entertained, either,
as Playworld and the Arcade are located right next to the ODCA
meeting rooms.
The weekend will also feature a few
educational seminars for those who wish to take something home
besides all of their gambling winnings.
Steve LaCesa of the Independent Insurance
Agents will make an appearance to inform attendees on what they
need to do when disaster strikes. His seminar on
“Disaster Planning” will demonstrate types of
insurance programs that will provide business owners with
adequate protection before problems arise.
The convention will also be a good place
to learn about the regulatory process, first from
representatives of Associated Oregon Industries, who deal with
the broader legislature picture on a daily basis.
The other session will be by Dick Dezeeuw
from the state’s Department of Environmental Quality. He
will update cleaners on how years of research may have yielded
insurance policies that could be worth millions of dollars for
the cleaning industry.
Lastly, NCA’s Executive Director
Nora Nealis will deliver two discussions: one on how to build
company spirit and one on ODCA’s work to help influence
the Air Toxics Scientific Committee’s decision on perc
and its nationwide significance.
To make reservations at the Spirit
Mountain Lodge, call the hotel at (888) 668-7366. Room
availability is limited, so contacting the hotel early is
advised.
For more information on the convention,
visit ODCA’s site at www.oregondrycleaners.org.
Colorado Coat drive kicks off this month
Since 1982, Coats For Colorado has
collected and distributed over 1.3 million coats to individuals
and families in need. Last year alone, the drive tallied over
77,000 winter garments to people of all ages, and, hopefully,
the 2006 drive will eclipse that figure.
This year, Coats For Colorado will begin
on Oct. 1 and run through Nov. 30.
Overall, the campaign assists more than
100 non-profit health and human service agencies in providing
clients with protection from the frigid Colorado winters.
The drive was originally established by
the Dependable Cleaners and Shirt Laundry company.
This year, Dependable will team up with
Denver’s 7 (KMGH-TV) in hopes of expanding the reach of
Coats For Colorado in order to distribute as many coats as
possible in the state. The partnership has worked successfully
since it was formed in 2003.