To the editor:
On the recent comments regarding the Aroostook Centre Mall: I would like to make a few comments of my own that are probably little known around the area.I feel the Aroostook Centre Mall staff and Mall Manager Patti Crooks do a fantastic job of maintaining the mall, trying to keep the stores we have, and doing many, many charitable acts for the community and nonprofits alike. People are able to go there free of charge to do their walking. How great is that!
The mall sells tickets for many nonprofit organizations at customer service, they provide an empty store for art displays for local schools, and when we didn’t have a big enough venue to house the Boston Trophy and the Biathlon ceremonies, both were held at the Aroostook Centre Mall. Extra staff and security had to be hired at mall expense, plus all the planning and decorating that went into having these events. You were even able to have your picture taken with the trophy! Refreshments were even provided.
I think in a small area such as ours we are so lucky to even have a mall of this size, that we don’t have to drive to Bangor to go to Sears, Staples, Kmart, JCPenney and Ruby Tuesday, plus all the other local and smaller merchants the mall houses.
As far as taking food into the food court, how many of us would take a Burger King bag into Governor’s or Tim Hortons into the Mai Tai? The local theaters ask you not to bring in outside food or beverages. That’s just good business. You want your company to make money or you’re out of business, simple as that. To me that is just common sense.
I wish, as I’m sure most of us do, that there were more stores and food vendors in the mall, but in an area this size we can barely support what we have. So many stores on Main Street have closed, such as Amato’s, the Salvation Army and The Whole Potato, and now, after 30 years, we are losing RentTown to Houlton. With all the construction that has been going on I’m surprised that any business can stay open downtown. Perhaps all the stores should move to the mall. Then the council wouldn’t have to worry about the big trucks ruining the Main treet.
Frankly, I’m proud of the fact that we even have a mall in this area, and we should all support the stores we are lucky enough to have, whether on Main Street or at the Aroostook Centre Mall. Shop local!
Sheena McHatten
Castle Hill
