Vendor Night

Last night we held our first VENDOR NIGHT at the Kent Community Center with great success!! We had over 30 vendors come out and we are excited about the turnout. We shared some pizza, listened to a presentation by the EPA about lead-based paint and remodeling, got the opportunity to meet in person a lot of the folks who we only connect with over the phone, and gave away a pair of hockey tickets to one lucky vendor. Thank you very much for those who came out to meet us. If you were unable to attend, we hope you will join us in the future. If you are a vendor and have suggestions for a speaking topic that you may find interesting for next year's meeting, please e-mail Maria at mgarcia@bell-anderson.net. For those who wanted more information about becoming a NARPM affiliated vendor, you can find that at http://chapters.narpm.org/C015/affiliates-join.html

The EPA's presentation

All of our lovely vendors

Maintenance Coordinator Maria (who put together the event) & Jen going over reminders and community events

Dawn & Carrie signing people in

Thank you again for everyone who came out. We are hoping to do this again in the future!!

Cancer Sucks!

by Vickie Gaskill, MPM®, RMP® CPM®

Some of you may already know this, but for those of you that don’t, I thought that it was time to let you know. At the end of Dec. 2009, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. On the 12^th of Jan. this year I had a bilateral mastectomy. All my tests have now come back and because they look awesome, I won’t have to have any chemotherapy. I share this because I want each and everyone you to take a moment and reconsider just how it is you are going about your life on a daily basis. I was given a pretty severe wake up call!

Have you put off vacations, medical procedures, visits with your relatives, or schooling just because you figured that work and business was more important? I did. I enjoy my work and being an entrepreneur. I thought that’s what was going to make me fulfilled. Well, I learned really fast in the past month and a half that work and business isn’t everything.

I’m so very grateful that I had the mammogram when I did. Even then, I only went in because a good friend of mine had had a bit of a scare and I knew that it had been three years since my last check up. When the word came back that I had three cancer positive biopsies, I was scared to death, as was my entire family. I don’t want any of you to go through that experience. It’s like your life force is ripped right out of you. My story has a happy ending. I don’t want yours to be otherwise. So please, schedule that medical test today, pick up the phone and call a relative that been waiting to hear from you, look at your calendar and decide when you’re going on vacation, and remember, there are a lot of people who love you and want you in there lives for as long as possible.

And for all of you who have been absolute “pillars of support” for me during all of this, I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

My husband Tim and I at our 40th Anniversary Party