Enthusiasm can only carry you so far when you have a new job. And as I am a couple of weeks away from my half-year anniversary, there are still painful reminders that I have a lot to learn. Oh, I could make excuses and say that my training consisted of three days sitting with the lovely Nikita before she moved on to her new job. But excuses are just that … excuses.
This painful reminder popped up again last weekend. I was in in bed and woke up slightly in the middle of the night. For some reason, a thought popped into my head: Does the Chamber handle the Memorial Day Parade!? When I got back to the office after the weekend, I made a few frantic calls and sure enough, the Chamber does handle the parade sign-ups. Yikes! So, long story short, a scramble was made to find an old form, convert it for 2013 and get it out there. It is now on the website, on the Facebook page and available here at the office.
Yes, it is probably a couple of weeks late for publicizing the parade and getting organizations lined up to march. But it is what it is. The Lister-Knowlton VFW Post No. 8389 has the honor of setting up the order for the parade this year. I hope my lateness to the party does not prevent a good marching turnout.
If your business, organization, band, other institution would like to be a part of the parade, please fill out the form and get it to me as soon as possible.
In other news, the City-Wide Yard Sale maps are all over town. Plus, they are here at the office, so stop on by if you want one.
I attended a conference hosted by the Northern Maine Development Corporation and the Aroostook County Tourism (ACT) board. I was greatly encouraged by the conference in how various people from The County are looking to work together and see momentum building for the area. Probably the thought that stuck with me the most was that we are all involved in the tourism business. You may work in a bank or a grocery store and not feel that you have anything to do with tourism. But if an out-of-town person comes through your doors and gets great and friendly customer service, then that person(s) will go back to their hometown and tell everyone what a great experience they had here.
Leagues are getting ready to get started up at the Caribou Country Club. If you would like to play in a golf league this season, please sign up at the club. I know I probably talk too much about golf. But seriously, I have played in many parts of the country and golfing in Aroostook County is not only beautiful, but it is also cheap compared to other places. I have played at some golf courses where 18 holes of green fees with a cart are as expensive as the membership at the CCC. The course, like others in The County, is well maintained and has an active volunteer base that keeps it that way.
Playing golf at the Caribou Country Club is great exercise and a great way to enjoy fresh air and the scenic beauty that surrounds us. I have seen moose on the course, eagles, deer, fox and others. What a great place.
I bought some spring garden supplies at S.W. Collins last week and enjoyed the courteous service as soon as I walked through the door to find what I needed. I also found the prices very competitive and I did not have to drive far to get what I needed. And best of all, I spent enough that the company delivered the stuff right to my door the same day.
Do you remember some of the tunes to the old television shows like Gilligan’s Island? I should get one of those writers (if they were still alive) to write me a saga about the Caribou Annual Recognition Dinner. The event, if you remember, was originally scheduled for May 9. But then we did not feel comfortable with the number of nominations we received for the award, so we rescheduled the event for May 23 to make one last appeal for nominations.
We received the nominations we needed but found out a big event was announced for that date by another organization. Argh! As you can imagine, the end of May and the first couple of weeks of June get very busy around here. So we have decided to postpone the event until autumn. By then, we can find a nice, uncluttered spot for it and really do it right for our community.
The Chamber office will be closed until Friday morning as I am traveling this week to the Maine Chamber of Commerce event in Augusta. I feel this event will be very beneficial to me as it will allow me to learn from other chamber directors and find networking opportunities. The office will be open on Saturday, May 18, so that people wanting to stop and get a yard sale map can find one (the maps are all over town though).
Happy Anniversary wishes go to Chand Eisanmann Metallurgical which joined the Chamber in 2000, Pack Rat Storage which has been a member since 2003, Caribou Veterinarian Clinic which joined in 2007 and Visiting Nurses of Aroostook which has been a member since 2006. You are all very much appreciated and I look forward to serving you in the year to come.
Executive Director William Tasker may be reached in the CACC office at 498-6156 or e-mail him at cacc@cariboumaine.net.
