Holy cow! That was a cold week, was it not? The cold led to all kinds of fun as a pipe from the furnace burst here at the office and it was 40 degrees in here on Tuesday with frost on the doors. Yikes! My car also died thanks to the weather. It was a real test for my indefatigable nature. But I am still smiling. So I guess I passed the test.
I really enjoyed Mayor Aiken’s article last week. I enjoyed its tone and can-do feel. People have told me that I am always positive when it comes to Caribou. My answer is always, “What is the alternative?” I read once where it takes more muscles and energy to smile than it does to frown. So I understand that it is easy to be negative. But focusing on the negative means that it becomes too easy to fold our tents and be accepting of where things are.
That will never work for me. This country and this area have been through depressions and recessions before. They are painful but they are not conquering. They are finite and they end eventually. Another lesson I learned long ago was the story of a 19th century evangelist whose message was that the end of the world was coming soon. Someone asked him what he would do if he knew for certain that world was going to end the next day. His answer? Plant a tree.
We can always keep working, keep trying and keep planting for the future no matter the current circumstances. As such, I had a wonderful meeting with Leslie Jackson who is the regional tourism and IT developer up at the Northern Maine Development Center. By the time the meeting was over, we were both excited because of the ideas we discussed together.
For example, Caribou (and the area) has a wonderful opportunity with the Maine State HOG Rally that will fall upon us July 18th through the 20th. Thousands of motorcyclists will converge on Caribou. Many of us will see it as a nuisance and perhaps a bit frightening. But this will mean thousands of dollars for our local economy. Yes, they might look frightful and will be noisy but 99 percent of these motorcyclists are just your ordinary working folks that simply like to ride their Harley’s and dress the part.
We have an opportunity because once they discover our hospitality and have the chance to ride our magnificent roads and see such wide open beauty, they will want to come back. Motorcycle tourism could become as big up here as snowmobiling and the season is longer!
To stick to the negative leaves us unable to even see the opportunity, never mind act upon it.
I talked to Cathy at Progressive Realty and she mentioned that she is very busy with listings and showings. In January!? That is great news and a very encouraging sign.
Membership renewals continue to pile in at a steady pace. I am so grateful that our members are willing to commit their hard-earned dollars to the belief that the Chamber can be beneficial to their business and organization. You betcha that I am inspired by that and will find every way I can to make their investment worth it. That will be one of the messages I convey at our Membership Meeting at the Caribou Inn & Convention Center coming up on Tuesday, Feb. 5 and 9 a.m.
The Chamber’s Facebook page reached 4,880 people this week. That is a record since I started in the position. That is a lot of people reading about our members. Naturally, you would like to build on that kind of momentum, but with the car being toast after a lost day dealing with the mess on Tuesday, no member visits could occur this week. Rats! Hopefully, something will be resolved and I’ll get back at it on Monday (these columns are written on Fridays).
I put the finishing touches on the quarterly newsletter yesterday and soon that will be available at selected counters around town. Send me an e-mail at cacc@cariboumaine.net if you want an electronic version e-mailed to you.
The Chamber would like to heartily welcome Galen A. Rockwell, CPA back into the membership fold. The firm is a full-service accounting office specializes in financial planning. The firm is located at 376 Sweden Street and has a local business phone number of 492-1414. Thank you!
There are lots of anniversaries this week! Cary Medical Center joined the Chamber back on Feb. 2, 1983. Gray Memorial United Methodist Church joined on Jan. 31, 2002. Highway Tire became members back on Jan. 26, 1999. Katahdin Trust joined on Feb. 2, 2002. Key Bank became members on Jan. 24, 1983 and R.H. Foster joined on Feb. 1, 2000. Thank you! And Happy Anniversary!
Have a great week.
William Tasker may be reached in the CACC office at 498-6156 or e-mail him at cacc@cariboumaine.net.
