HOULTON, Maine — The Houlton postmaster who was known for his hand-delivered, mislabeled packages was honored for a lifetime of generosity and acts of kindness at the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce annual meeting on Saturday night.
The late Henry James Gartley’s legacy is woven with threads of storytelling, artistic endeavors and an unwavering interest in the history of Houlton, said Chamber board member Lori Weston.
“There was that day before Christmas at about 6 a.m. when I heard a vehicle come into the driveway and out jumps Henry, package in hand,” Weston said. “The day Henry left us, I think a collective gasp went up in town.”
The Chamber’s annual award ceremony honors individuals, businesses and organizations for their innovation and selfless contributions to the community.
This year’s recipients, in addition to Gartley, include Business of the Year, Dead River; Young Professional, Morgan Wiley; Community Spirit, Jason Howe; and Volunteer of the Year, Dick York and Kim Anderson York.
Temple Theater Manager Jason Howe, Community Spirit Award recipient, said that Gartley was a very close colleague and friend, and it was pretty humbling to be honored alongside him.
Gartley died last year, and his son and daughter accepted the award on his behalf.
He loved the history of the town and thought that Houlton’s story was best told in photographs, said Weston during her presentation of the award.
“The pride he took in the Aroostook County Historical and Art Museum and the joy on his face when he found a spectacular picture was a delight to see,” she said.
Howe worked with Gartley for 10 years as a member of the museum board and he has actually been tagged to follow in his footsteps, said head of the Houlton Ambassadors, Cis Rhoda, at the award ceremony.
Howe in his own right shares similar traits to Gartley and was honored for his selfless community outreach work at the museum and his efforts to bring 20,000 students to the Temple Theater for a private showing of the film “Lost on a Mountain in Maine.”
As a stay at home dad for 11 years, Howe said he was blessed to have his three sons with him at the event.
This year’s Business of the Year, Dead River Co., founded in 1909, began as a small forestry and river driving business. Over the years it has evolved into a provider of propane, heating oil, and diesel fuels throughout New England, including Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and parts of New York
“An exemplary business to be sure but the Chamber has always known the folks at Dead River to be our friends,” said Jane Torres, executive director of the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce and the event organizer. “They are supportive, generous with donations and the first to say, ‘How can we help?’”
According to Torres, for the third year in a row, the business leaders rolled up their sleeves and helped cook over 225 lobsters for Potato Feast days.
“They even stayed after for the cleaning up, never leaving until everything was put away. That raises them to hero status in our book,” she said.
The Young Professional Award was given to photographer Morgan Wiley, who owns Morgan Lynn Portraits.
In a surprise presentation, Dick York and Kim Anderson York were together honored with the Volunteer of the Year award for their continuing work with many area nonprofits.
Getting ready for the annual event takes a lot of preparation and three days to set up the space. Additionally, Torres and a group of volunteers cook the entire meal and serve it to the guests.
This year, students from the Summit Academy in Houlton arrived just in time to help lug tables, chairs, dishes and decorations up to the third floor then stayed to help set the tables for 185 guests, Torres said.
On the menu were hors d’oeuvres like phyllo wrapped salami and provolone with honey and thyme and a variety of main course options including beef spareribs with mushroom stroganoff and baked sweet potato with crispy chick peas, stir fried baby kale and a tahini-lime sauce for a vegetarian option.
“Overall, it was an incredibly successful night brought together by our wonderful Board of Directors and over 20 volunteers,” Torres said. It warms the heart to see so many young people volunteering in our community.”
