MADISON — The Madison Area Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Holiday Party was held at Rocco’s Bar & Grill, 30 Cook Avenue, on Tuesday, January 15.  This annual social event hosted more than 50 guests who enjoyed an evening of networking and celebrating the end of a successful holiday season, as well as, the 75th Anniversary of the organization.

The Madison Area Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit organization that works to promote the economic interests of its dues-paying members and Madison. The Chamber is an independent business league that was founded in 1943 in the midst of World War II “by local citizens eager to provide outstanding customer service and civic-minded dedication to the community,” said John Morris, president of the Chamber.

“Tonight we celebrated seventy-five wonderful years of our Chamber. And give one giant salute to the thousands of dedicated and loyal Chamber members past and present,” said Karen Giambra, executive director of the Chamber.

During the event, Mayor Conley delivered a proclamation in honor of the 75th Year Anniversary and congratulated the organization on the achievements of its members, past and present,  and saluted the vital efforts made in making Madison a special place in which to visit, work, and live.

The Chamber is an independent business league that was founded in 1943 in the midst of World War II “by local citizens eager to provide outstanding customer service and civic-minded dedication to the community,” said John Morris, president of the Chamber.

“Today’s Chamber members, which number 185 businesses and non-profits, salute our forebears for setting the Madison business community of a solid foundation of care, progress and prosperity,” said Peter Daniele, Chamber vice president.

The Chamber of Commerce of the United States issued a Certificate of Organization to the Madison Chamber on November 30, 1943. “We’re calling that day our anniversary date due to the national recognition it provided to Madison,” Morris said. “Certificate number 3431, which is about the size of travel poster and framed under glass, has a green color and motif that has some semblance to a U.S. Army tank. That’s fitting to that era.” said Morris.

Earlier in 1943, local business person John Scinto promised the residents and shoppers of Madison that the Chamber “is to be formed for the promotion of the economic, industrial, business, professional and civic interests of Madison.” In time, Scinto became the first Chamber historian.

For the most part, the founding members of the Chamber were owners of small business, many of them operated by families. Several of the founders were also members of either the local Rotary or Kiwanis service clubs.

The first Chamber Board, which included Scinto, was comprised of twelve individuals and they conducted their initial meetings at the Madison YMCA and other local venues, said Giambra.

Sam Gordon of Madison Food Center was elected the Chamber’s first president and Kathryn Earley of Kathryn Earley Shop was elected the first membership chair.

According to a 1943 advertisement in the Madison Eagle, some of the Chamber’s 101 charter members included the following: Scinto Shoe Store; Roth’s Madison Theatre; The Central Service; Fritz Barber Shop; Kurtz Men’s Shop; Miller’s Army & Navy Store; Rose City Market; Otto Gerlach; Weiss Wine & Liquor; James Lassiter & Sons; F.W. Woolworth.

Some other charter members were: Hope Dairy Farms; Tot’s Bazaar; Vic’s Service Station; Larison Pharmacy; Kluxen Winery; Madison Department Store; Madison Feed & Seed Store; Madison Iron Works; Madison Esso Station, Donald F. Zeek, Prop; and The Madison Eagle.

“Even though we were very young then, my friends and I fondly remember many of the early businesses and the people who worked there,” said Carmine Toto, Jr. a longtime Chamber Board member. “My father knew the business owners very well. To me they were great people who loved their town,” he said. Toto served as Chamber president from 1993 to 1995 during the Chamber’s fiftieth anniversary.

“According to the incomplete records we have, Gerlach’s Jewelers and the Madison Eagle are the longest continual Chamber members,” Daniele said. “If people happen to have Chamber documents or artifacts from 1943, we’d love to hear about them.”

According Michael Odell, Chamber treasurer, “Today’s Chamber is still mostly governed by rules, organized by procedures and dedicated to principals first established seventy-five years.” The full Chamber Membership elects the Board of Directors, which is responsible for guiding the organization. Every two years the Board elects from its own a president, two vice presidents and a treasurer. The Board also appoints the Executive Director of the Chamber, Odell said.

Since 2008 Karen Giambra has been the executive director of the Chamber, a full-time, professional position.

In the last ten years, the Chamber “has re-committed itself to increasing the value of membership so that its members and Madison can reach new heights of progress and prosperity,” Giambra said.

“The Chamber’s main role is to share the good word about shopping and dining in Madison, New Jersey, through programs, events, advocacy and learning,” Giambra said. “We’re improving existing programs and adding new ones when it’s in the best interest of the membership,” she said.

The current members of the Chamber Board of the Directors included Dr. Allison Adams of Adams Dental; Peter Daniele of Rose City Collision; Sam DeAngelis, Esq., of Chiarolanza & DeAngelis, Esqs.; Frank Iannarone of The Madison Pharmacy; Georgeanne Limbach of Adams Dental; Salvatore Minardi of Salvatore Minardi Salon; David Morozoff of Haven Savings Bank; John Morris of Stewart-Morris Awards, Gifts & Flags; E. Michael Odell, CPA, of Odell & Critchley, P.C.; Gwen Riddick of Madison Area YMCA; Robbin Salmeri of Cleaners Advantage; Andy Simpson of Stamford Web Design; Carmine Toto, Jr., of C. Toto & Sons Restoration; Nadine Vitro of Investors Bank; and Marsha Ann Zimmerman of Investors Bank.

For 2018-2020 the Chamber officers are Morris as Chamber president; Daniele as 1^st as vice president; Salmari as 2^nd vice president; and Odell as treasurer.

Some of the Chamber’s current town-wide activities include Easter Fun Fest, Halloween Parade & Magic Show and the Madison Gift Check. Chamber’s many local partner organizations help to enable the production of the Taste of Madison and the Madison Car Show and similar events, Giambra said.

Every June, the Chamber holds both the Fire Extinguisher Inspection Program and then the Annual Awards Dinner, which honors the successes of previous fiscal year. The Chamber Holiday Party is held every January after the rush of the holiday season.

Chamber’s Focus on Foot Traffic meetings for retailers and service providers are held twice a month. Chamber’s Networking Breakfast and Happy Hour are held every month.

The Chamber Hall of Fame, which is a relatively new circle of distinction, has inducted three people: Carmine Toto, Peter Daniele and Judy Mullins, who was an owner of Poor Herbie’s and an esteemed community volunteer. Hall of Fame recognition is given for extraordinary service to the Chamber, the business community and Madison.

MADISON — The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program provides totally free tax preparation services at the Madison Senior Center on Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Have your taxes prepared for free by IRS certified volunteers at Madison Senior Citizen Center, 28 Walnut Street.

You don’t need to be a member of AARP to benefit from this service. It is open for all ages and income levels. The only limitation is that your taxes be within the scope of our volunteers’ training.

Things you can do if you want to speed up your time at the tax preparation site.

• Print and fill in the Tax Year 2018 Intake Form and bring it with you.   If you don’t fill it in before you arrive, you will be asked to complete one at the site before your tax return can be started.  Do your best. We’ll help you if you get stuck on any of the questions.  This year, in addition to the normal tax return-related questions, you will find three consent forms and a request for demographic information on the Intake Form.  This document will help you to decide whether you wish to give your consent and answer the questions.
• If you had your return prepared by AARP Foundation Tax-Aide last year, try to return to the same location where you visited last year.
• Bring last year’s tax return, if you have it.
• Bring your PTR (blue booklet), if you want help completing it.

Remember to bring with you all of the following that apply to your situation.

• Picture ID for you and your spouse (if married)
• Social Security document for you and every person on your tax return. This can be a Social Security Card, Form 1099-SSA if it contains your full Social Security Number, a Medicare Card if the number on the card ends in the letter “A” or a letter from the Social Security Administration with your social security number on it.
• The folder we gave you last year with last year’s returns and tax documents (If AARP Tax-Aide did your tax return last year)
• Checkbook if you want to direct deposit any refunds or direct pay any amounts owed.
• All of your current tax year income documents
  • W-2 (Wages)
  • 1099 (Interest, dividends, security sales, and other income)
  • 1099-R Pensions
  • 1099-G (State income tax refund) (You must get this online from the NJ Treasury by clicking here.
  • Unemployment compensation statements 1099G (You must get this online from NJ Unemployment by  clicking here.
  • Social Security SSA-1099 or Railroad Retirement (RRB-1099 Tier 1 &2)
  • Brokerage statements
  • End of year pay stub (with breakdown of deductions, etc.)
  • Health insurance documents received from the government insurance marketplace, your employer and/or your insurance provider. 1095-A, 1095-B, 1095-C.
  • Any other income documents
• PTR amount received in the current tax year and forms (PTR-1 or PTR-2 last year and this year if available)
• Forms and/or cancelled checks as a record of all Federal and State Taxes Paid in the current tax year including any estimated tax payments
• Mortgage interest statement (Form 1098)
• Property tax statement and/or postcard from your local tax office or other records of property tax paid (should include Block, Lot and Qualifier)
• A list of all out-of-pocket medical expenses including health insurance payments and long term care insurance payments, that can be backed up with receipts and/or canceled checks
• Round trip medical miles driven to/from medical facilities (doctors, hospitals, prescription drug locations, etc.)
• Distributions from an HSA (health savings account if you have one) (Form 1099-SA)
• A list of charitable contributions backed up with receipts and/or canceled checks
• Child dependent care provider information
• Cancelled checks and/or 1098-T related to secondary education expenses
• If Alimony was paid, SSN for recipient(s) (may be on prior year return)

Life events that may affect your taxes:

• Purchased a new vehicle? (Bring documentation of sales tax)
• Purchase or sold a home? (Bring closing documentation)
• Have debt from a credit card cancelled/forgiven by a commercial lender? (Bring 1099-C)
• Receive a First Time Homebuyers Credit in 2008? (Bring repayment letter)

 The Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act requires that every person on the tax return have Minimum Essential Coverage health insurance or be eligible for an exemption. Be prepared to answer the following questions as part of the preparation of your tax return:

• Did you have health insurance coverage for you, your spouse, and all qualifying dependents for the entire current tax year ? If not, for which months did you have health insurance coverage?
• Did you, your spouse, or any of your qualifying dependents purchase health insurance from the Health Insurance Marketplace (also known as The Exchange)? If yes, you will need to bring form 1095-A which you should have received from The Marketplace.
• If you did not have health insurance that meets the Minimum Essential Coverage requirements for any month in the year, we will explore your eligibility for an exemption. If you do not qualify for an exemption, you will be required to make a Shared Responsibility Payment as part of your current year taxes.
• Note:  Medicare Part A and some Medicaid coverage qualifies as Minimum Essential Coverage.