The week started with a holiday. When I was growing up, we had Washington’s Birthday and Lincoln’s Birthday. Somewhere along the line it became Presidents Day losing the retrospective of either great president and became a day for “Presidents Day Sales.” I prefer it the old way though I understand the economic reasoning behind the switch. “Presidents” is so generic that we end up honoring nothing. Sales are good for business though.
Wednesday was the snowstorm. On the one hand, such a storm following closely on the heels of another is great for businesses that depend on our winter sporting season. On the other, it sure was a messy day. Usually, we
“Roostic” people hardly sniff at a six and a half inch snow fall. But this one was wet and greasy. I barely made it to the office, got stuck going home at the end of the day and did not dare go anywhere in-between!
So far this column sounds like a big excuse for not getting much accomplished. But a few things were. For one thing, we gained another new member! The Veterans Memorial Park Association joined this week. And we are proud to have them. Being the son of a World War II veteran, such things as our memorial park are very important to me. And they should be important to everyone. The park honors the fallen from our community who died defending our country. All of us drive by the park a half dozen times a week or more. I am not alone in needing to think more strongly about what it means and why it is there. I am glad there is an association that is in place to care for it and very glad that association has joined the Chamber.
Stories on our Facebook page this week include mentions of Sleeper’s Market and Caribou Automotive Repair Service, full stories on Monica’s Scandinavian Imports and Pines Health Services. Both full stories are fascinating. The more I delve into the businesses and organizations in our community, the more impressed I am. How can anyone doubt how cool our community really is?
Probably my biggest surprise was that Pines Health Services was named after a person. I always figured it was named after the trees or the Pine Tree State. But there was a Dr. Philip Pines who practiced in Limestone from 1952 until his death in 1975. I never knew that.
Visiting Pines also gave me a new appreciation for how important the Caribou Wellness Center is to our community. When Penny Wickstrom of Pines is recruiting doctors and other medical practitioners to come to our area, the Wellness Center is one of the number-one selling points. Sometimes you live so close to something and you lose sight of how special it is compared to what other communities have.
Speaking of recruiting, much time this week was spent recruiting new members. It is hoped that they will see the Chamber heading in the right direction and a more attractive option. We’ll soon see if seeds planted this week will take root in the coming weeks.
Mark a date on your calendar. May 9, 2013 has been set as the date for our Annual Recognition Dinner to be held at the Caribou Inn and Convention Center. This event was very well attended last year and invitations to members will soon go out and tickets will be made available to the public. So stay tuned for details in the next couple of weeks.
We are also inching closer to the City-Wide Yard Sale. How incredible this event has become in Caribou! People from out of town call me all the time asking when this year’s event will take place. I tell them May 18 and 19 will be the weekend. In another couple of weeks, the Chamber will start taking listings for this year’s event.
William Tasker may be reached in the CACC office at 498-6156 or e-mail him at cacc@cariboumaine.net.
