Carbon Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development gathered new business owners together for a chance to display wares and shop space in the historic Jim Thorpe district.

"We did this last year and wanted to keep it going. Our goal is to keep the merchant group strong," said chamber Executive Director Marlyn Kissner.Over coffee and Bagel Bunch bagels in Mauch Chunk's park, Kissner told shopkeepers about the new partnership with Whitehall Chamber of Commerce, explaining the potential of exposure to an untapped customer base located in the Lehigh Valley area.Seven businesses were represented by owners on the tour: Stonekeep Meadery, Antiques on Broadway, Marianne Monteleone Designs, Turn To Us, Jim Thorpe Wellness and Somersault Printing and Creative Letter Press."The more we know what is in town, the more we can help each other and shoppers," said Meadery manager Heather Hane.The 8 a.m., walk took participants up Broadway past well-established businesses that were highlighted by the chamber along the way.Alice Wanamaker, director of member relations at the chamber, pointed out Seller's Used Books' new location and Soundcheck Records."It's one of the few records stores left," she said.Shelley Roberts' new spa is located in the former YMCA building."We opened four months ago. We offer massage and acupuncture. We will be implementing workshops for meditation," she told the group. Roberts pointed to the display case announcing that four area artists sell their handcrafted jewelry in the shop.The tour continued across the hall where Alice Kline of Turn To Us explained the services provided by the nonprofit and the status of the upcoming move."We are moving into one of Kresge's buildings on Center Street. The parking will be easier and there will be more programs."According to Kline, to date the organization has helped over 100 people gain access to area resources and helped cut medical and living costs for families impacted by major or chronic illnesses.The group made forward progress to the Douglas House, the "Jim Thorpe Mall," according to Hane.The Meadery is located on the first floor and is the only mead dealer in the area."We use the 1376 English recipe. It was written in the old language and it had to be translated," she said.According to the manager, the honey water and yeast concoction is brewed and bottled at the Birdsboro Borough location."We work with five apiaries and used 9,000 gallons of honey last year." Hane explained to the crowd the varieties of mead depend on the season."We have strawberry and blueberry now, but once they're gone, that's it," she said.Marianne Monteleone bought her building in 1993 when she was hand-sewing her self-designed jackets."Over the past 23 years we've grown," she said. According to the clothing designer, any label bearing the capital M is one of her own creations. Atop the clothing shop sits her Victorian-style three suite bed-and-breakfast, Suites on Broadway. The rooms were renovated over the years but still retain the original wallpaper from around 1860.The tour doubled back down to visit Somersault. Fellow shop owners chuckled at the retro-press printed cards and remarked at the revamping of the 1800s building."All of the cards are made on vintage presses," said co-owner and designer Amy Pienta. "Everything in here is handmade."The last stop was Antiques on Broadway. Ted Hamilton invited the merchants to look over items and ask questions about what they found.To gather his goods Hamilton will spend months raiding auctions and bring back his finds to sell in the store."You might sit for an hour and get 20 things or sit for hours and get nothing," he said."I look for details and where things come from. It's amazing what you run into at an auction, things that might not mean anything to some but mean a lot to my customers," he said.Hamilton said he was pleased to have joined the early morning walk."It was a good opportunity, I don't ever get to see the other buildings because I'm in the shop," he said.According to Wanamaker the chamber hopes to conduct another tour in the spring."Hopefully we'll be welcoming more new business," she said."The goal is bring the season and new owners together so they can learn a little more about the shops, make connections and get to know their neighbors."