Page 13 - Flathead Beacon // 5.27.2015

FLATHEADBEACON.COM NEWS MAY 27, 2015 | 13 New Executive Director Takes
Reins at Columbia Falls Chamber
Anna Stene took over for Carol Pike on May 4
By JUSTIN FRANZ of the Beacon
COLUMBIA FALLS – Anna Stene has been named the new executive director of the Columbia Falls Area Chamber of Commerce. Stene replaces longtime director Carol Pike, who stepped down at the beginning of May.
The Columbia Falls Area Chamber of Commerce was es- tablished in 1987 and now has more than 250 members. The chamber represents businesses from Polebridge to Essex.
Stene is originally from South Dakota and has lived in the valley for more than a decade holding numerous jobs in business management and communication. About a year ago, when her daughter had graduated from high school and moved, Stene took some time off to travel the country for a few months. On that trip she decided that she wanted to stay in Co- lumbia Falls and rededicate herself to making the community a better place to live. A few months later, the executive director position at the chamber opened up.
“I wanted to make a commitment to Columbia Falls and my community and I wanted to find a job that filled that need,” she said.
As executive director, Stene said she has two objectives: to draw visitors during the busy summer tourism season and to attract new businesses to the area. While Columbia Falls shares a lot of the same qualities as Whitefish, Kalispell and Bigfork, it has one advantage that sets it apart from the rest: its proximity to Glacier National Park. Stene said that is a huge selling point when trying to bring people to the area.
Stene said she plans on listening to local residents – both those who have been in the community for years and newcom- ers – to find a vision for Columbia Falls’ future. She hopes the chamber can help attract companies to build a diverse econ- omy that does not just rely on the seasonal ups and downs of tourism.
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Anna Stene works with her horses at her barn near Columbia Falls last year.
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“I want to bring all groups together to help create a sus- tainable community that has a long-term vision,” she said.
Stene said that following Pike, who held the top job at the chamber for 27 years, will be tough but that she is excited about the opportunities ahead. The chamber is also excited about some upcoming events, specifically a roundtable discus- sion with Greg Gianforte, an engineer and founder of Right- Now Technologies, about economic opportunities in the Co- lumbia Falls area. The event is set to take place on June 1 at 12 p.m. at the North Valley Hospital Community Room on Nucle- us Avenue in Columbia Falls. To RSVP for the event, call (406) 892-2072 or email [email protected].
For more information visit www.columbiafallschamber.
org.
[email protected]
Second Street Pizza Coming to Kalispell
Whitefish restaurant opens second location at old Scottibelli’s Pizze- ria off U.S. Highway 93
By TRISTAN SCOTT of the Beacon
Second Street Pizza, a New York- style pizzeria that has become a staple in Whitefish, is opening a location in Ka- lispell.
Owner Dave Sheeran said the new location, called Second Street South, will open at 55 Commons Way, near the Blue Cow Carwash in the old ScottiBel- li’s Pizzeria shop, which is closing. He hopes to open his doors June 4.
“It’s going to be exactly the same as the Whitefish location, same menu, same everything,” Sheeran said last week. “The only difference is that we are going to deliver from 11 to 11, open to close.”
The Whitefish location offers deliv- ery service from 5 p.m. until close.
Second Street South joins the ranks of other eateries opening in the busi- ness-heavy corridor of U.S. Highway 93 North, serving employees at Kalispell Regional Medical Center, as well as students and staff at the Flathead Val- ley Community College, and a crop of burgeoning outlet stores in Kalispell’s northern commercial district.
He’ll cater to lunchtime demands and business functions, he said, and de- spite the change of address, the pizza will remain classic Second Street.
Sheeran hails from Queens, New York, and his authentic pizza – dually in- fluenced by his wife Susie Sheeran’s Chi- cago roots – has been a hit in the resort town of Whitefish, drawing hungry pa-
trons who return for Sheeran’s colossal pizza slices, hoagies and heaping plates of pasta.
At the new location, he expects to do more business through deliveries, and to accommodate that contingent of cus- tomers he’s launching a free app for mo- bile devices.
“You’ll be able to order right from your smart phone, just like that,” Sheer- an said.
He’s also hiring 16 employees to cov- er positions at both stores, and must fill them by July 4.
“We’re busier than ever, the pizza is great, and the new location is exciting,” he said. “It’s a good move for me.”
For more information, check out www.secondstreetpizza.com
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“YOU’LL BE ABLE TO ORDER RIGHT FROM YOUR SMART PHONE, JUST LIKE THAT.” Dave Shwwewe.TrharneeRiversBankMontana.com