Looking Forward to Spring
By: Cory King
Oh, the joys of false spring! I’ve lived in Maine long enough to know that spring comes thrice before actually arriving in earnest. Nevertheless, the slight thaw of this past weekend has me thinking about what lies ahead for all of us.
Many groups and activities are being planned, and though some have been postponed for this year (like the Yarmouth Clam Festival) plans continue for many other events and projects. Over this month we’ll dive into upcoming community events as well as highlighting some non-event happenings we think you should know about.
Chamber Awards Dinner & Hacker’s Ball Golf Tournament (May 13)
Though this is further down the road than other topics on the list, I include it up front because typically our Chamber’s Annual Awards Dinner would be the first Friday in March, which would’ve been this week. Due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions, instead of moving the event online, we’ve decided to push it to March and combine it with our Chamber Golf tournament.
The golf tournament already has an outdoor gathering afterward where we announce the golf team winners. Adding some award presentations to that event is a great way for us to be able to honor several business leaders in-person. With Brunswick Golf Club having a 360 degree PA system and lots of outdoor space, we’ll be able to stay socially distant while celebrating our golf champions, and community champions, at the same time.
The details are still being finalized, but over the coming weeks you’ll be getting updates on the event, with everything from ticket prices, to how to reserve a seating area, to hearing who the award winners will be. In full disclosure, we already know we’ll be paring down the award recipient list this year to 3-4 award recipients (from typically 8-9) to keep the event to about an hour as it will be outdoors in May (which can still get cool when the sun starts to set). And though nominations for most awards will not open for another two weeks, we do have one very prestigious award that is accepting nominations now…
Joshua L. Chamberlain Award Nominations Open Now; Closes March 8
Annually, a signature part of the SMMC Annual Awards Dinner is the presentation of the Joshua L. Chamberlain Award. This award has been given for decades and honors an individual who has been instrumental in building the relationship between the military community and the citizens of Bath, Brunswick, Topsham and the surrounding communities.
The Joshua L. Chamberlain Award is not selected by a committee of the chamber of commerce like the other awards given that night, but rather by a select panel of past winners of the award, retired military personnel and esteemed community members. For that reason, their nominations are always earlier than the other chamber awards due to the meeting schedule and vetting process for the nominations. Nominations close March 8, which is next Monday, so there is not time to waste.
If you would like to nominate an individual, there is a specific criterion for the award which is posted on the SMMC homepage at www.midcoastmaine.com If websites are difficult for you to maneuver you can call Paul Loveless at the Navy Retired Activities Office which is part of the Midcoast Veterans Council at 406-4103.
$15 Veteran Dental Cleanings at UNE (March 2 -April 9)
David Barber has a veteran-owned small business in Durham, specializing in furniture building, cabinet making and woodworking (Forwood Thinking). David also works on behalf of veterans and recently negotiated a very affordable dental cleanings with the University of New England Dental Program. The announcement read as follows:
“To honor our veterans, the University of New England’s Dental Hygiene Clinic in Portland will offer Veterans discounted teeth cleanings for $15, along with free dental exams and fluoride varnish and 50% off all other services from March 2nd until April 9th, 2021. Veterans must have a valid VA ID card, Maine driver’s license/state ID with a military service designation or a DD-214.
To book your appointment, please call the University of New England at 207-221-4900. UNE is a teaching clinic and educational environment, so appointments will require more time than a typical visit. Please note that X-rays are an additional cost and fillings are not available at this clinic. For Additional Information about the UNE clinic, please visit https://www.une.edu/wchp/dental/patient-info
Due to COVID-19, patients must be able to wear a mask while on campus and in the clinic lobby. If you cannot comply, we would be happy to see you when the pandemic is over. Thank you in advance for keeping our community healthy.”
SMMC Has Three Big Releases in the Coming Weeks- Regional Guides, Policy Newsletter & Survey Results
Very briefly here are three things local businesses need to know about that don’t have specific dates, but will be coming in the days and weeks ahead:
2021 Regional Chamber Guide: The SMMC will be producing a regional guest guide for this year with updated member business information. This guide is an essential travel and relocation piece, and though COVID-19 prevented us from creating a 2020 edition, we’re very happy to have it back in 2021. There are advertisements that help offset the printing price of the guide and are a great way for businesses to get noticed- we’ll be reaching out with those details soon. We print in late April for Memorial Day distribution.
Policy Newsletter: The SMMC is producing a special e-newsletter asking for business opinions on the PPP Tax Conformity issue, and seeing if businesses would like the chamber to take a stance. Members, look for it in your inbox within the next 48 hours.
Survey Results: The SMMC was a big part of a massive business survey that went out in Decemebr and the over 500 responses have finally been analyzed. The results will be available within the next week so you can see exactly what businesses say they need right now.
Cory King is the executive director of the Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber.
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