E.R. Chamber looks to entice shoppers

The East Rockaway Chamber of Commerce is going through a period of changes, according to Michael Hawksby, its new president, brought on by shifts in the country’s economy and culture. He said he is working with business owners and local officials to build the Chamber into one of the strongest and most active in the area.

“The East Rockaway Chamber of Commerce is currently going through a reorganization,” Hawksby, who was voted in as president in May, wrote in a statement to the village board. “The summer months are providing us a timeframe to look at everything, from by-laws, to membership, community events, advertising and marketing to further the growth of our business community. I am confident that the chamber in the future will be a stronger and active chamber with increased membership and exciting events.”

In an interview with the Herald, Hawksby said that the need for these changes is a result of economic conditions not just in East Rockaway, but also throughout Nassau County and throughout the country. The economic downturn in 2008, paired with the rise of Internet retailers like Amazon, and big-box stores like Target and Walmart, has put small businessowners in a difficult position from which they have yet to recover.

“This is something that a lot of chambers are going through,” he said. “When we had the economic downturn, it was a game changer … it really made it tough for a lot of people, and some of them haven’t really recovered.”

While those problems are difficult to tackle, Hawksby said, he has his eyes on more local issues that he feels can be addressed. One of those problems, he said, is East Rockaway’s location and its reputation for being a way to travel through western Nassau County, rather than a destination itself.

“Part of it too, is East Rockaway seems to be a pass-through town,” he said. “People travel on Atlantic Avenue to get to Long Beach Road, and to get to Broadway or the Five Towns area … Ocean Avenue is used as a cut-through from Sunrise Highway to get to Long Beach.”