Thursday, March 28, 2024

Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce convenes under new president

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BRIDGEPORT – For the first time in many months the Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce convened Feb. 24 to begin laying plans for this summer’ major city event, Bridgeport Daze. New chamber president Carlos Henriquez met with half a dozen citizens at the Wellspring of Life Church at 1300 Foster Avenue to put the final touches on the event application which has since been delivered to city hall for approval. The new president who, with his wife, Zuni, has served as co-pastor of the church since July 2020, attend the March 23 regular meeting of the Bridgeport City Council to improve a dialogue with the city.

Over the past few years especially, communications between the chamber and council have been hampered by lack of chamber officers and quorums. As a result, obstacles from last-minute planning got in the way of the city’s largest popular summer parade and corners had to be cut to allow it to happen.

Henriquez hopes a more proactive and consistent involvement with the council will make events like Bridgeport Daze and Santa Comes to Town less of a headache for organizers from both groups.

The co-pastors have been busy with another project they revived not long after moving to Bridgeport, the food bank. When the couple arrived to mentor the new church, the food bank, which was housed in the former Bridgeport Community Church at the same site, had been closed for two years when the church had to shut its doors. With assistance from the Chelan-Douglas Community Action Council and Washington National Guard the pastors had the food bank back open and distributing food by April 2020.

During the March 4 regular weekly distribution the food bank served more than 60 families, Henriquez said. In April the program will observe its third year in operation.

 

Bridgeport, Quad City Herald, Chamber of Commerce

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