Top 10 List for July 17th

Here are 10 Biddeford & Saco items of interest as we head into what promises to be a great (and hot) Maine summer weekend:

1. Engine 's Tammy Ackerman will be leaving the area later this summer, and we want to thank her for all of her many contributions. The Biddeford-Saco area is an energized "live-work-and-play" destination now with a compelling arts scene, and Tammy has played a major role in this evolution over the past decade. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors. And speaking of Engine, they have a colorful new exhibit they are featuring for the next month entitled Reciprocal Joy , featuring artist Elizabeth Kelley Erickson.

2. "Hats Off (and Masks on) for Local Businesses": Read the Chamber's latest monthly column in the Courier, highlighting the above-and-beyond efforts our local businesses have undertaken these past few months.

3. It's been great to see a number of members offer discounts and deals to other Chamber members as of late. Check out the latest Member Hot Deals list on our site, highlighted by a "Half Price on Sundaes on Sundays" very generous deal from the Way Way Store in Saco! If you'd like to add a discount or offer for members as well, just let us know.

4.. Good news, the Amtrak Downeaster will begin operating four round-trip trains between Brunswick, ME and Boston, MA every day beginning on Monday, July 20, 2020. For additional information, please visit AmtrakDowneaster.com

5. Kudos to Chamber Member Kevin Roche and the entire "Save Our Shores" team who are working with city, state and federal officials to protect Saco Bay from further erosion. Camp Ellis has borne the brunt of the impact over the years, but this is an issue that impacts many cities and towns in Southern Maine, so these efforts are welcome and needed. Learn more here

6. This weekend is shaping up to be the hottest one of the year so far, so it's an ideal time for a visit to Aquaboggan . They are putting the finishing touches on a water slide with the perfect name of "The Yankee Ripper" - sounds like a bucket-list experience that is not to be missed.

7. Our most recent member to join the Chamber this week is Vieux , a new store on Main St. in Biddeford that features antiques, vintage items, and collectibles. Right now they are open every weekend, and their amazingly diverse and fascinating items are featured on their website if you can't wait a day to visit them in person.

8. Thank you River Winds Farm for hosting our first Business After Hours in quite a while last night outdoors on their vast deck. They have such a beautiful event facility, if you weren't able to make it you'll have to check it out soon -maybe even tonight for live music on their expansive grounds.

9. Norway Savings Bank recently let us know that there is a shortage of coins in circulation currently, due to a number of factors related to the pandemic. We can all help solve this problem though by emptying our coin jars and scouring our couches to bring rolls of coins into our banks for cash or a deposit.

10. Advance foreshadowing: this has been a tough year, but experts recommend using any unanticipted time you might have learning a new skill or hobby - so we recommend golf! And you can plan to unveil your skills at our Scholarship Golf Tournament that will be held this year at Dunegrass in Saco on September 17th. More details about how you and your business can participate will follow next week.

11. (YES - a Bonus Top 10 List Item!) Wearing a mask is critical for our collective health, please follow the state's guidance and put one on whenever you are out and about. There is also a peripheral benefit that was noted in the networking event last night: it accentuates the expressiveness of your eyes, which are the windows to your soul, so that is yet another good reason to wear a mask :).

Please continue to be safe and resilient, and thank you for your support!