Pay less attention to the political leanings of the title and pay more attention to the 10 x 100, which loyal readers know is something I do six to eight times per year, when I give 10 updates on somewhat unrelated content, with each update being 100 words or less. Here we go:
Primaries are over — so what now?
The primary races for the Maine state House and Senate are nearing their conclusion (statewide there are a few seats still too close to call, including — as I write this — the District 24 Maine Senate seat for the Democrats between Denise Tepler and Jean Guzzetti separated by only 22 votes), so the next question becomes, what now? I’d suggest you begin by reaching out to the candidates to see where they stand on the issues most important to you. Misinformation is rampant right now, and before you rely on Facebook friends, neighbors or the community gossip network to tell you what these people believe, ask them yourself. Most candidates love hearing from constituents and are eager to connect. Find a list of winners on The Times Record website by searching “2024 Maine election results” or call your town office.
Parties everywhere
I can’t seem to drive down any road on the weekends without seeing participants for a triathlon, running race, bicycle event or more, which is excellent. Particularly, this past weekend, I saw an abundance of cyclists who were participating in the Trek Across Maine, which begins and ends in Brunswick. There has also been an abundance of community events in the streets and local parks. This update is two-fold: First off, beware while you’re driving as there are a lot of non-vehicular happenings to share the roadway with. Secondly, if you have a community event and you want to get the word out, email it to me at cory@midcoastmaine.com.
MARC grand opening this weekend
The Midcoast Athletic and Recreation Complex opens at Brunswick Landing this Saturday with a full day of events that include two pickleball tournaments on the new courts, a skate park demonstration, a 5K race and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. If you’re interested in the tournaments, visit marcproject.org, but for the ribbon-cutting, just show up at 10 a.m. The MARC is located beside the Brunswick Parks and Recreation building.
Partnership with Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce
In case you missed it, in March, our Bath-Brunswick Regional Chamber entered into a six-month management agreement to help run the Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce, with a potential six-month extension. It has been wonderful getting to know the people and businesses in that region and helping their chamber grow, while also using that new income to grow the hours for our staff so that the BBRC continues to excel. With that, though …
New business survey being released soon
Through my 16 hours per week at the Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce, I’ve been working with their board of directors to create a business-needs survey for their members and businesses. It got me thinking that we haven’t done a survey of our BBRC members in a little bit, so look for a six-minute survey within the next week to assess the needs of our local businesses. It’s always good to ask what is needed.
What is Juneteenth?
This is a question I have been asked in hushed tones over the past few weeks, so for those too nervous to ask, Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Galveston, Texas, at the end of the Civil War. It had been 2 1/2 years since the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed by President Abraham Lincoln, but getting the word to the farthest reaches of the country was a slow process. While completely eradicating slavery took additional time, June 19 became a celebratory day in the Black community, and several years ago it became a federally recognized holiday.
Lean workshop
At 10 a.m. Thursday, June 20, at the BBRC office, Anne Frewin is hosting a free, one-hour workshop about how to make your work processes more efficient by promoting the Lean method of management. What is Lean? Come find out. It’s free and you can register on the BBRC website at midcoastmaine.com. The workshop is happening at 8 Venture Ave. (where the BBRC office is) in the Community Room (it’s all inside the Maine Technology Institute building).
WILL Power Social Hour
The BBRC’s Women In Local Leadership team is getting together for drinks and networking from 4:30-6:30 p.m. this Thursday afternoon, June 20, at Flight Deck Brewing. Come meet up for a drink with your friends and make some new contacts.
Heritage Days around the corner
Heritage Days in Bath is adjusted every year based on what day of the week Independence Day lands on. With it being on Thursday, the week will kickoff the multiday event with their traditional July 4 activities of the 5K road race, parade and fireworks all happening on opening day, with the muster and other events spread throughout the weekend. Get the full rundown at visitbath.com.
Also, just like every festival in Maine this year, they could use more volunteers to help out. It’s a great way to build community and make friends. That information is on the link as well.
New BBRC website
When I first became executive director in 2016, I wanted a new website. However, knowing that there would likely be a name change in the years to come, I waited rather than building a new website just to rebuild it a few years later. I’m thrilled to tell you that in the coming weeks, we will have a modern-looking and still incredibly informative website at midcoastmaine.com. We will announce it on Facebook, but log on in a few weeks and I bet you’ll notice the change.
Cory King is executive director of the Bath-Brunswick Regional Chamber of Commerce.
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