CenterShore Towns Strut Their Stuff (With Video)

The CenterShore Tourism District, representing seven towns, more than 2,000 businesses, and some of the best tourism destinations the state has to offer, is strutting its stuff with a brand new glossy brochure designed to highlight the diverse offerings in the area.

"It's like going to the Cape, without the four-hour drive," said Edward F. Lazarus, president of the Branford Chamber of Commerce.

Bob Hale of Madison, chairman of the CenterShore Tourism Group, said the district includes East Haven, Branford, Guilford, Madison, Clinton, Westbrook, and Old Saybrook. The brochure, printed with the help of a grant from Guilford Savings Bank, features things to see and do in a variety of categories including action adventures, arts and culture, rest and relaxation, history and family fun.

Madison destinations listed include the Brandon Gallery, the Stuart Allen Lerner Gallery, Susan Powell Fin Art Gallery, Hammonasset Beach State Park, the Madison town beaches, Donanhue's Madison Beach Grille, the Madison Farmer's Market, R.J. Julia Bookseller, the Madison Stock Exchange, the Madison Wine Shop and the Madison Cheese Shop, among many others.

Clinton destinations include the Clinton Antique Center, Gallery Number 9, M. Sarba Fine Art Gallery, Chamard Vineyards, Rocky's Aqua Restaurant, and the Sylvan Gallery, where several members of the CenterShore Tourism District met Wednesday afternoon to announce the distribution of the brochure.

Ellen Cavanagh, executive director of the Clinton Chamber of Commerce, said that despite the size of the group and the wide range of activities and destinations, "we're still undernoticed," a problem the brochure is designed to address.

Isabel L. Jackson, vice president and CFO, of The Essex Group in Westbrook, and a representative of the Westbrook division of the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce, said the initiative "shows that seven towns can work together to show that people can go from one town to another to find everything they need."

Eileen Banisch, executive director of the Madison Chamber of Commerce agreed. "No one town has it all," she said, "so it makes sense to work together."