Pioneer Times photo/Joseph CyrAnother exciting year for the Shiretown. Here are some business news highlights of what happened during the second half of 2016.
July
Lisa McNeil opened an office in Houlton at 99 North St. for her reflexology business called A Sole In Knead, LLC.
Teaching young drivers the rules of the road requires a great deal of time and patience. And in some cases, it takes a lot of coffee. Buddy Mountain has operated Mountain’s Driving school for nearly 17 years from his home in Houlton. This year, he added a new business to his repertoire as he has become a licensed distributor for Organo Gold coffee.
Thirty-Two Below, an old-fashioned ice cream truck owned and operated by the White family of Houlton, opened for business.
After years working for a larger company, Nicholas Fournier decided to take the plunge and start his own plumbing and heating business in southern Aroostook County.
August
James A. Mattila joined Katahdin Trust Company as assistant vice president, commercial services office.
Katahdin Valley Health Center had a new chief executive officer following the retirement announcement of Durwood Humphrey. The KVHC board of directors named Claudette Humphrey as its next chief executive office.
September
The Cubby Gives program in Houlton presented a check in the amount of $4,500 to the Ronald McDonald Charities foundation.
Grants totaling $30,000 were awarded to the Regional Creative Council (RCC) for the development of a cultural plan for the tri-county region including southern Aroostook, northern Penobscot and northern Washington counties.
The Rotary meeting on Sept. 12, took place in New Limerick at the Louisiana Pacific facility. Thirty Rotarians were treated to lunch and the tour was led by the supervisors at LP.
October
The County Federal Credit Union announced that Kyle Taylor was promoted to branch manager in Houlton.
A Houlton couple can now add business owners to their resumes after purchasing a Linneus convenience store. Clark’s Variety Inc., formerly known as Peg’s Place, is now owned by Daniel and Vanessa Clark.
November
Cody Gould, a 19-year-old resident of Hodgdon who graduated from the Greater Houlton Christian Academy in 2015, attended the Pennsylvania Institute for Taxidermy in Ebensburg for seven months opened Crown of Maine Taxidermy.
An empty storefront in downtown Houlton had new life for the holiday season as Fireflies and Fezziwigs, a “pop-up” shop featuring high-quality educational toys and books for children, celebrated its grand opening.
December
The Houlton Rotary Club declared the 61st Annual Radio and TV Auction a success. The auction last year grossed over $55,000 which includes money from the bidding, sale of oil tickets, advertising, sponsorships and donations, as well as the sale of six Boy and the Boot statues for the Houlton Regional Health Services Foundation.
Sadie’s Bakery, located on Water Street near Market Square, has been a doughnut tradition for generations in the greater Houlton area, and that tradition will continue for many years to come thanks to the sale of the business.
More than 900 meals were provided to families in Aroostook County, thanks to the generous people in our own communities. A total of 1,090 pounds of food was collected and distributed to families across Northern Maine that otherwise would not have food to eat.
