There was the perfect storm of the challenge faced by those of us who believe in Caribou and the potential in this area. I was delivering flyers of the Caribou Cares About Kids events to Sleeper’s to spread the word on this year’s events. The theme of this year’s CCAK is, “Caribou: On the Move.” I put the flyers on the checkout counter and a guy getting his groceries looked at the flyer and said, “Caribou on the move? Where is it moving to?”
The comment probably irked me more than it should have. He was just making a joke. I am sure he meant no harm. After thinking about it for a bit, the man, in his own way, asked an excellent question. Where is Caribou moving to?
And my own personal answer to this question will be part of my speaking engagement when I speak at Rotary the day this paper is delivered.
I believe that Caribou is on the cusp of moving in a very positive direction. In fact, I believe that train has already started rolling. The starting point of the process is a change in attitude. And I think most people want a fresh attitude. People tell me all the time that they appreciate the upbeat messages of this column.
I appreciate those comments, but the main point is that the upbeat messages are resonating with a large percentage of people tired of inertia and negative thinking. I remember badgering my poor son during his youth. When he was asked to do something, he would respond with, “I can’t do that.” Basically, he did not believe his achieving my request or demand was doable. My response was always the same: “Don’t tell me that you can’t. Tell me that you won’t.”
The “can” requires a faith put into action. I think there is a whole lot of “can” going on in Caribou and our area right now. I think city manager, Austin Bleess, and assistant city manager, Tony Mazzucco came here with a “can” mindset and I am all in with them as our leaders. I see a “can” in the City Council, which, faced with difficult decisions, passed a fair if painful budget. I see it in the way all city departments have worked together to bring the area the Thursdays on Sweden events.
And I see it in my membership. Sam Collins paid a visit this week and said that he is encouraged by what he sees. I see it in member participation on Thursdays and with the CCAK events. I saw it by many showing up recently at a special City Council meeting. The members of the Caribou Area Chamber of Commerce have set their course in this area and are willing to fight for it.
Contrast this to a meeting I attended five or six years ago when a person of high authority said that we (Caribou) should stop spending money on community development because it is a given that we cannot attract anyone to the area. My jaw almost hit the floor on that one.
It starts with attitude. We can. Caribou can. Change can occur. Good times can come. The message is resonating because our citizens and businesses are hungering for it and are thrilled to see a pulse again in what we are doing.
A few quick notes on Thursdays on Sweden: First, this week’s event will feature a teen dance. But that does not mean the rest of us are not included. All signs point to another great event. Now pray for good weather.
The second note is for August 22nd, the Thursday on Sweden, Luau Night, I want to whet your appetite on a very special performance that will occur at 7 o’clock in front of the bandstand. I will not ruin the surprise even if you torture me, but it will be fabulous. So look forward to that.
I spent a busy week fielding registration forms for the big parade Friday. The CCAK Parade is our big one for the year and I am really looking forward to it. I am also looking forward to our Tie-Dye Extravaganza at the Caribou Wellness Center tomorrow and all the activities being offered for the weekend. Again, a lot of effort was put into this by many departments in the city and that has been fun to witness.
The schedule of events for this weekend is listed on our website and should be included in this newspaper issue in advertisement form.
As much as I love technology, I hate technology. Much of what I do is based on technology. Which is great. But when it does not work, I am beside myself. This past couple of days have been a technology challenge. One of my hard drives went down and it contained our QuickBooks information. Bob Sowers of our great IT vendor, Oak Leaf Systems, Inc., tried to salvage the ruined drive but it was deader than a doornail.
So I had to rebuild our accounts in that program and all past accounts were lost. Ouch. You better believe I will start backing that puppy up on a regular basis from now on. It is a good thing I duplicate everything in Excel.
Then I could not print and I must use our printer fifty times a day, so that was a real problem. But the folks at our vendor, County Qwik Print, came to the rescue and that obstacle was overcome.
Often, I think about and romanticize Caribou’s early history and wish I could have seen it. But I would never have survived those days. Sheesh, if the power goes out, I whimper helplessly.
Working here for the last nine months, I have really come to appreciate the local media. The folks at WAGM, the radio stations, most notably, Channel X, and our local folks at the Aroostook Republican really want to put The County and our area in the best light and really work hard to emphasize positive stories. They have been a huge asset in what I am trying to accomplish. And Mark Putnam has been very gracious allowing me to write this piece every week.
I will see you on Thursday night and at the Parade!
Executive Director William Tasker may be reached in the CACC office at 498-6156 or e-mail him at cacc@cariboumaine.net.
