This month's feature story is 5 quick updates and items of interest FYI in the greater Biddeford-Saco metropolis:
- The intersection of Water St. and Lower Main St. in Biddeford will be more congested this Summer and Fall with a major State construction project now underway. It will deliver much-needed safety improvements and smoother traffic flow for this dangerous intersection. While it will likely be a bit of a short-term pain, the long-term benefits of this project will be significant. Please continue to visit and support nearby businesses that will be impacted during this effort (including the Chamber office!).
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If you haven't visited The Ecology School's new sustainable campus in Saco and taken one of their periodic public tours, we recommend you contact them about doing so soon, it's a beautiful campus and a great resource for our area in environmental education. They have made their Mary Merrill Walking Trail available to the public, featuring great views of the Saco River and River Bend Farm.
- Did you know that both the Cities of Biddeford & Saco are in the final stages of updating their municipal long range plans? Countless hours of staff and community member hard work have gone into developing these multi-year blueprints for ongoing success and prioritization. These plans will detail how the cities will continue to build on our current regional momentum. Look for communications to come later this year to learn more about these important documents.
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We learned recently that Rick Knowlton will be retiring from Maine Water in June. Kudos to all the great work accomplished by Rick and the team over the years, especially in building a new world-class facility to make sure Biddeford and Saco's water supply will continue to be of the highest quality and reliability for decades to come. We appreciated Rick's tireless educational efforts and community support and thank him for a job well done.
- Speaking of departures, we will miss Mathew Eddy, who recently left the City of Biddeford's Economic Development leadership position to return to his hometown of Brunswick as the Executive Director of the Midcoast Council of Governments. Mat was always generous with his time, energy, creativity and enthusiasm in helping to shape the Biddeford economic landscape. We wish him all the best in his new position!
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Welcome New Chamber of Commerce Members This Past Month |
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Please help us welcome the latest new members of the Chamber:
Chaya Studio Jewelry at the Hidden Gem: Chaya is a jewelry designer and the founder of Chaya Studio Jewelry on Saco Falls Way in Biddeford. She specializes in custom, re-purposed and bridal jewelry.
Diverse Anecdote: Diverse Anecdote, owned and operated by Karen Chasse, partners with local businesses to develop, sustain, or accelerate their marketing and communications efforts through graphic design, copywriting, and project management.
Impact Fitness: This premier fitness facility is relocating to their new facility in the Lincoln Mill, providing an environment that fosters the improvement of health, performance, and well-being for Every Body.
Mobile Studio Design: Mobile Studio Design is a residential architecture firm that designs functional, livable spaces. They believe in exploring natural materials to create low maintenance, durable and healthy buildings.
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Upcoming Chamber Events
Temperatures are heating up and so is our calendar of events & activities! Please mark your calendars to join us for the following events:
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May 17th: Ribbon Cutting Celebration of 12 Washington St. in Biddeford, 5pm
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May 19th: Business After Hours at River Winds Farm in Saco, with Your Real Estate Co. and Harbor View Lending, 4:30pm-7:30pm
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June 2nd: Ribbon Cutting Celebration at Back in Motion Physical Therapy in Saco, 4pm - Details TBD
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June 9th: Grand Re-Opening Celebration at Impact Fitness in Biddeford, 5:30pm - Details TBD
- June 17th: Educational Session on "Employee Health" - Details TBD
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July 21st: ChamberFest Celebration at Mechanics Park in Biddeford
- September 20th: Chamber Scholarship Golf Tournament at Dutch Elm
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Monthly Member Spotlight:
ServPro
We recently visited with the ServoPro team and enjoyed learning more about their business. Read our UNE Spring intern Jon Petrow's final :( monthly article in this month's spotlight by CLICKING HERE
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Trolley Museum Seeking Volunteers
The Seashore Trolley Museum is looking for new recruits who want to learn a unique skill and help the Museum provide an awesome experience for guests this season by becoming a volunteer trolley operator.
The Museum is holding their annual trolley operator training course on Thursdays May 26, June 2, June 9 and June 16 from 6PM-9PM over Zoom. The course will cover the mechanical aspects of trolley car operation, railway rules and safety, history, and visitor interaction. Following successful completion of the course, new operators will be paired one-on-one with seasoned operators. They will operate and conduct trolleys with you side by side until you are ready and fully qualified to operate solo for museum guests. For more details or to sign up for this or future courses, please call (207) 967-2800 x101 or email training@trolleymuseum.org
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Biddeford ARPA Funding Available
Biddeford received $9,759,098 through the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The City Council has established $744,593.75 of these funds for qualifying projects that propose investments that deliver equitable outcomes and transformative impacts.
Biddeford is now accepting Pre-Applications from candidates that aim to advance community-driven solutions to recovery that deliver equitable outcomes and transformative change. This is the first phase of the process – those applicants that move to the next round will fill out a more detailed Application. The Pre-Application deadline is Monday, June 6th at 4:00pm.
The Pre-Application form and full details about the process are available HERE. Please contact Abigail Smallwood with any questions by emailing abigail.smallwood@biddefordmaine.org or calling the Planning and Development Department at 207-284-9115.
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Biddeford City Theater's Upcoming Show: |
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Free Workshop on Promoting Your Site - May 24th
New Ventures Maine is offering a free online website development class on Tuesday, May 24 from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. This Promote My Site class will cover three main topics:
- Getting found through SEO: Utilizing search engine optimization
- Growing with email marketing: Gain, keep and engage subscribers
- Mastering social media: Why, when, and how to leverage social media
Tools and guidance will be provided by Empower by GoDaddy in partnership with New Ventures Maine and are part of the in-depth course designed to provide small business owners the tools, skills and mentorship to build a successful digital presence. Pre-registration is required and accessible online at bit.ly/GYBO-PromoteMySite. For more information contact Karin Petrin at 768-9468.
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Members Using Video Effectively - Follow-up
Our story in last month's newsletter highlighting great video content produced by our members elicited a few other responses of members creating excellent videos. Here's a few more for your viewing pleasure:
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Apex Outdoor School Courses Available |
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Although Apex Youth Connection focuses on actively engaging youth, they also offer educational opportunities for adults and families to explore the outdoors safely and build self-reliance. From now until June 9, Apex is offering an exciting array of classroom and field-based outdoor school courses for adults and youth 14+ with a paid legal guardian, including Wilderness Skills, Intro to Mountain Biking, Intro to Rock Climbing, Backcountry Navigation, Intro to Map & Compass, and more.
Each classroom-based course takes place on either a Tuesday or Thursday evening and the field-based courses take place on Saturdays. Costs vary between $25 and $75 per person . Pre-registration is required by CLICKING HERE or contact Program Director Phil Bailey at 207-282-9700 extension #3 for more information.
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21st Annual Union Church Summer Speaker Series
Union Church is again hosting their Summer Speaker Series and they are delighted to welcome speakers whose stunning work represents creative expression across its many forms, including storytelling, memoir, fiction, poetry, and photography. Register online for tickets. Questions or need more information? Contact Elaine Robinson or call 207-283-1398.
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Click on the ads below for more information: |
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