July 2024 News

Hello Bishop Chamber Friends and Community Members,

I hope this message finds you well and enjoying the summer in the beautiful Eastern Sierra. Yes, we know it’s H-O-T outside, but we are fortunate to have the mountains close by for a refreshing retreat. A quick drive up Bishop Creek Canyon offers an easy way to escape the heat, with stunning lakes, high-elevation wildflowers, and places like Cardinal Village, Bishop Creek Lodge, or Lake Sabrina Boat Landing for a refreshing beverage or yummy meal. It’s a mini-vacation in just half a day!

CHSRA State Finals Rodeo Success

Last month, the Bishop Chamber of Commerce, with the support of many co-sponsors and volunteers, had the pleasure of hosting over 300 families for the CHSRA State Finals Rodeo. We were thrilled to provide t-shirts and gift bags for all contestants, host a welcome barbecue dinner for over 700 people, and offer volunteers for check-in, ticket sales, and notary services. Thanks to the generous contributions from our local lodging partners, we provided over 100 complimentary room nights for the CHSRA judges, timers, and announcers. We are excited to announce that the CHSRA has decided to keep the State Finals Championship in Bishop through 2027!

Visit California Instagram Influencer

We recently had the pleasure of hosting Visit California Instagram Influencer @geobeckly for a few days in Lone Pine and Bishop. Her focus on “edu-tourism” perfectly aligns with our efforts to attract visitors who are eager to explore and understand the unique geological features of our region.

Chamber Board Updates

In June, we held our Chamber Board election and are excited to welcome our new Board Members, John Marko of Wayfinder Bishop and Jason Brown of Laughing Parrot Productions. We also have a new Board President, Sunil Lad, owner of Best Western Bishop Lodge and Comfort Inn. We look forward to celebrating their appointments at the Board Installation Dinner and Volunteer Appreciation Party on October 2nd. Stay tuned for more details on the location and event specifics!

Community and Tourism Initiatives

I’ve been actively involved in several planning efforts, including California Jobs First and the Visit California/JLL Consulting initiative for developing a regional tourism strategic plan. Additionally, our team is conducting passenger surveys at the Bishop Airport, and we are pleased to announce that United Airlines has extended service through October 6th. There will now be daily flights to San Francisco, with weekend service available after Labor Day through October 6th.

Summer Fishing

CDFW hatcheries have been busy stocking all the nearby lakes and streams. And, thanks to a partnership with all five resorts in Bishop Creek Canyon, the Bishop Chamber has arranged for supplemental stocking of catchable rainbow trout raised and delivered by Wright’s Rainbows in Idaho. The second truckload (1200#) was delivered today.

Upcoming Events

There are several exciting events coming up, which you can find listed in this e-newsletter and on our website at www.bishopvisitor.com. If you’d like to have your event featured on the web calendar, please email us at execdir@bishopvisitor.com with a photo or flyer.

Thank you for taking the time to read this e-news. We hope you find the information useful and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Have a great day!

Lunch & Learn

Date: Wednesday, July 24, 2024
Time: 12 Noon
Location: Bishop Country Club Golf Course
Cost: $20 per person

Program: Valley Health Team’s (VHT’s) Health Educator Heidi Pesterfield will be speaking about her organization’s dental and medical facilities in Bishop.

Join us to learn more about these two highly rated, yet under-utilized community clinics. Find out all you need to know about VHT, from its origin nearly 50 years ago, to the Bishop clinics’ hours of operation, its providers, and the many insurances currently accepted.

Heidi will also discuss VHT’s special low- and no-cost programs for qualifying individuals including their sliding-fee schedule, assistance signing up for Medical and Covered CA, and health education counseling for established patients.

Heidi will happily accept all your questions and will come equipped with plenty of brochures and flyers.

After Hours Mixer

Date: Wednesday, August 7th
Time: 5:30-7:30pm
Laws Railroad Museum & Historical Site

Enjoy complimentary appetizers and beverages while networking with fellow business owners and community leaders. All members and guests are welcome to join the fun!

Contractor Classic Golf Tournament

Bishop Chamber of Commerce was thrilled to be a part of High Country Lumber’s first annual Contractor Classic Invitational Golf Tournament on June 22.

By all accounts, the event was a resounding success! 24 teams with 4 players each enjoyed 18-holes of golf with vendor-sponsors and special games at each hole. There was a HUGE raffle with a portion of the proceeds going to support the non-profit Bishop Chamber of Commerce.

We’re thankful to High Country Lumber for including our organization and we’re grateful to chamber hole sponsors including: Adventure in Camping, Alex Printing, Alta One Federal Credit Union, Ameriprise Financial – Don Matthewson, Ashley Furniture – Ridgecrest, Bishop Automotive Center , Bishop Twin Theatre, Britt’s Diesel, Coso Operating Co., Eastern Sierra Community Bank, Eastern Sierra Now, Eastern Sierra Realty, Inc., Elevated Bishop, Grocery Outlet, Honey Bee Photography, KIBS, Laws Railroad Museum, Looney Bean, Our Water Works Car Wash, Perry Motors, Sierra Maps/Robert Atlee, and State Farm Insurance – Tom De Leo