CARIBOU, Maine — City administrators, recreation department heads from throughout the state, political leaders and community members got to say a final farewell to outgoing recreation director Kathy Mazzuchelli at an open house held in her honor Aug. 16 at the Caribou Wellness and Recreation Center.
Following a time for socializing, Susan White, chairperson of the recreation commission and the new superintendent of schools for RSU 39, served as emcee for the organized program, which allowed several individuals to deliver praises to the woman who ran the city’s rec department for nearly 40 years.
Caribou Mayor Gary Aiken began by saying that Mazzuchelli “has done so much for this city.”
“I have written a column from time to time and I always end it with the words ‘what have you done today to make Caribou a better place to live?” Aiken said. “It’s a question I haven’t dared ask Kathy because she’d have an answer every day of the week.
“If we had another 8,000 citizens like that here in Caribou, nobody could stop us,” he added.
Cindy Hazelton is the recreation director in Gorham and represented the Maine Recreation and Parks Association. An Easton native, she remembers when Mazzuchelli came to Caribou from her home state of Massachusetts.
“There is nobody in the state of Maine more respected, more revered and more looked up to than Kathy, I can tell you that honestly,” said Hazelton, who presented an MRPA vest as a gift to Mazzuchelli.
City Manager Austin Bleess said the pride that Mazzuchelli shows for the city of Caribou and the recreation department is unmatched.
“You have the recreation department that I want my kids to be a part of as they grow up,” Bleess said. “I spoke to recreation directors from throughout the state and they kept asking ‘how can you let Kathy retire?
“You are loved beyond these borders here in Caribou. Everybody loves you and you’ve done a great job. You really do have the model rec department everyone wants to see,” he added.
Rep. Carol McElwee presented Mazzuchelli a legislative sentiment, as well as homemade bread, while Kathy Finnemore, representing U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, gave her a U.S. flag which had been flown over the Capitol.
Dwight Stickles represented both the Caribou Snowmobile Club and Caribou Snowmobile Advisory Committee and lauded Mazzuchelli’s legacy.
“She has so much behind the scenes as well as out front to affect snowmobiling and make winters that much shorter here in Caribou because of snowmobiling,” Stickles said. “Before she was here, there was no such thing as groomed trails. You just went helter skelter and rode everywhere across the countryside. Then we got organized more, got more people ‘from away’ to come up and visit us and developed the trail system.
“Thank you very much, Kathy, we really appreciate your presence with us,” he added, presenting her with a gift certificate.
Also part of the evening were speeches by Abby and Paige Small, now college students who developed a dance school at the rec center when they were 13 and 11 years old, respectively.
They thanked Mazzuchelli for directing youth programs they were part of growing up, and then later for providing an opportunity for growth for the youngsters by starting the Small Steps Dance School.
“You helped us believe in ourselves and that we indeed could succeed with this program,” said Paige Small. “It has been one of the best decisions we have ever made coming to you. You helped teach us that wherever our lives or careers take us, it will require an excursion into the unknown, but the important thing is to enjoy the journey.
“Your knowledge and insight into people and willingness to share it will forever be appreciated. Your model of excellence and mentoring is a gift to those of us fortunate enough to learn from you,” she added.
White also gave Mazzuchelli credit for showing her “how to live as a productive and contributing member of the city of Caribou.”
“She practices what she preaches. She is sensitive enough to be moved by the needs of our community and strong enough to confront them head on,” White said. “She is wise enough to make sense of the world and humble enough to connect with anyone in order to improve the quality of life in Caribou.
“She is the epitome of persistence and perseverance. For every project she has worked on, she moved it forward with class and dignity, regardless of the obstacles placed before her,” she added.
Mazzuchelli then took the podium to cap the evening. She deflected the attention on her to first thank her co-workers.
“We’ve been successful in Caribou because of the wind beneath my wings — the people who worked for me,” Mazzuchelli said.
She said it was a matter of the timing being right that played in her decision to retire.
“I love what I do. I’ve never come to work a day and not wanted to come,” she said. “But sometimes you just have to follow your dreams and make choices in life that probably aren’t timely. I have some opportunities to travel and the time is right to do that.”
Mazzuchelli said she heard from numerous people in her final days, letting her know of the impact she and the recreation department as a whole made on them.
“What we do here is meaningful to people — it does impact their lives,” she said. “I can walk away from this job looking at some of the young people and knowing they have chosen to stay in this community. This is what we want. We need to work to make our young people want to stay here.”
Mazzuchelli threw her support to her replacement, Gary Marquis, and closed by thanking those who have been a part of her 40-year tenure and said she was grateful to be able to “grow up” in the community.
“It’s been a labor of love,” she said. “It has been a totally awesome journey and I loved sharing it with all of you.”
