TONASKET – The Tonasket Visitor and Business Resource Center website is almost ready to go.

The new site, www.tvbrc.org, is open to all Tonasket businesses, said Chamber of Commerce president Dave Kester. Trina and Layton Smith, of TwoRebels Design, have designed the site.

“We want people to know its up,” Kester said at the Chamber’s May 13 meeting.

The site will include information for Tonasket businesses, he said. “We want your information,” he said. Businesses can also advertise on the site with special rates for its inauguration, Kester said.

Site designer Trina Smith said that a free basic listing is available for recreation and tourism providers, as well as small businesses run from homes. The nature of the grants the TVBRC has received has limited that, Smith said.

All local businesses could purchase advertising or a premium listing, she said. Forms are available for all listings at the web site or at the TVBRC office.

The TVBRC hired Laurie Canada as the new director, Kester said. The former director, Ann Zimmer from Oroville, resigned because of the cost of gas.

“She said it was costing her as much to come down here as she was being paid,” board member Julie Alley said.

The board spent some time on the upcoming Founder’s Day rodeo. Its new format stretches from May 30 to June 1, with the Wenatchee Youth Circus coming to town Sunday morning to wrap things up. There are two nights of rodeo events, as well as several community activities, including a flea market, children’s games and a BBQ. Board member Bertha Wandler said that they need parade judges and a PA system.

In other news, the board decided to begin holding one regular meeting and one board meeting per month. The first meeting is held on the second Tuesday of the month and will be for board members. While other members can still attend, the board reserves the right to close doors. The second meeting of the month will be open to anyone.

Ed Lawrence, the owner of Oroville’s Extreme Adventures, was a guest at the meeting. Lawrence said he was planning to make his own recreation book for the area, since he is unhappy with the two currently being distributed. He said that his will focus on outdoor activities and he will distribute a winter and summer version along the I-5 and I-90 corridors, as well as along Highway 97. He said he has purchased his own commercial printing press for the job and would like area businesses to be involved. His deadline for the first edition is June 1.

Kester said he wasn’t sure he could commit the chamber to the publication.

“I’m concerned that we’ve already got an investment in two of these,” he said. He said he also was not sure they could move fast enough to meet the June 1 deadline.

The chamber made no commitment either way.