CARIBOU, Maine — A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Superintendent of the Caribou Parks and Recreation Department Kathy Mazzuchelli during the May 8 Recognition Dinner hosted by the Caribou Area Chamber of Commerce for all that she’s accomplished in her 39 years serving the city and its residents.
Sue White spoke on the impact Mazzuchelli has had on Caribou, and White had the unique perspective of knowing Mazzuchelli as a coach, a boss, a colleague and a mentor — all starting from when White was a 6-year-old “Rec Rat,” as she fondly described. The event was held at the Caribou Inn and Convention Center.
“Kathy’s the epitome of persistence and perseverance,” White said. “With every project that she’s worked on, she moved it forward with nothing but class and dignity, regardless of the obstacles put before her. We should all strive to deal with adversity in such a manner.”
White described the challenges of condensing Mazzuchelli’s many accomplishments into one speech, so she focused on her opinion of what the community leader would consider her greatest achievement — the young people she’s worked with over the past four decades.
“Maz,” White said, “I could go on and on about all that you’ve accomplished over the past 39 years, and your influence on the lives of the citizens of Caribou, your employees and your colleagues, but I really do know that you hate this kind of attention,” she commented with a grin. “You always talk about the power we have to make positive change, and to make a difference in the lives of young people. Please know that I have heard that loud and clear, as have all the others who have been fortunate to work under your watchful eye.”
The speaker shared that Caribou will strive to carry on that legacy that Mazzuchelli has established — particularly her passion and commitment to young people.
Recalling her own days learning softball and tennis from coach Mazzuchelli, White recalled how Mazzuchelli always taught fair play while instilling a love for the game, all the while modeling sportsmanship and making sure not to miss a single teachable moment.
“It was clear that not only did she make it her job to develop recreational programs for the city of Caribou, but it was also her role to develop young workers by instilling in them a sense of pride for their community and a work ethic that was second to none,” White said.
White also told an agreeing crowd that Mazzuchelli is sensitive enough to be moved by the needs of the community, strong enough to confront them head on, wise enough to make sense of the world and humble enough to connect with anyone to improve the quality of life in Caribou.
“On behalf of the rec employees, past and present, the rec commission, the rec foundation and all the citizens of Caribou, I say ‘thank you’ for all you’ve done for our great community and I wish you all the best as you head out on your next adventure,” White concluded.
Thanking the audience and all the community members over the years, Mazzuchelli recalled that she was reminded of a Randy Travis song that says, “it’s not what you take when you leave the world behind, it’s what you leave behind when you go.”
“If you can all do something, you have to remember that we aren’t raising kids — we’re raising adults,” Mazzuchelli said. “We have to understand what we want that future to hold — and that’s what we’re going to give to those kids.”
Her decision to retire, recently announced to the Caribou City Council, was not overly planned — she flipped a coin, knowing that it would have to happen some day and, in her perspective, things in Caribou are better than they were a few years ago.
The longtime rec superintendent imparted on the audience that they can lament on the things that aren’t going well in Caribou, or they can talk about the positive things the city has going.
“I hope I can continue to be a part of (those positives),” Mazzuchelli added. “What we have is that spirit of community and again, with (City Manager Austin Bleess and Assistant City Manager Tony Mazzucco) coming up with Thursdays on Sweden Street … and the fact was at that particular time in this community’s history, it needed Thursdays on Sweden Street.”
Those bi-monthly events developed much communication and neighborly bonding while growing camaraderie.
Mazzuchelli commended the young entrepreneurs like Entrepreneur of the Year Award recipient Spenser Ouellette for opening a business in Caribou, and she commended the longtime businesses that still mentor young people into becoming entrepreneurs.
Slated to retired this fall, after 39 years of serving Caribou, Mazzuchelli said that she never woke up not wanting to go to work.
“I look at a person like Susan White, who I have known since she was six years old, who’s homegrown … who stayed here and came up through the ranks, and now is going to be running RSU 39 — that’s the best we can hope for,” Mazzuchelli said. “Encourage them, give them a fun environment, make them want to be in the place to live, work and grow, and we’ll do well.”
