Bridge Repair

The much needed bridge repair to the North Street bridge started on Wed morning. It truly stinks to mess up traffic heading into our busiest months; but the work is sorely needed. I guess we'll deal with it and use the Highland Ave bridge a lot more this summer.

I wonder if the Town has thought about a TEMPORARY Traffic Light at the Highland Avenue, Water Street, Pleasant Street, and Mechanic Street intersection?? There are times during the day when it probabaly will be needed inthe coming months. Just a thought.........That's the View From My Couch tonight

Trade Show

I attended the Southern Aroostook Trade Show earlier today and felt somewhat disappointed. The show seemed much smaller this year. It seemed that the lawn and garden section of the Show took up almost 50% of the floor space and the Campers took up another 25%, leaving very little space to the others.

I slowly went around, stopping at each booth, signing up for prizes, contributing to raffles and enjoying some good conversation. The vendors who were there, were very friendly for th emost part, and the few who weren't, were probably just over tired from all the hours on the cement floor.

It takes a lot of work, to put on a show like this, but it does seem like some changes need to be made to get more people in there. I have a few suggestions.

Limit the amount of space any vendor can have, until one week before the show. Give others a chance to come in.

Encourage more organizations to be there. I saw Project Graduation booths from Houlton and Hodgdon. What about GHCA and SACHS? I would have liked to see the Little League have a booth, as they are still working ontheir fields. Soap Box Derby isn't too far away, They easily could have had a booth. I saw a girls scout cookie booth. Doesn't this area have Cub Scouts and /or Boy Scouts too? How about the HPD to promote thier Citizen's Academy? How about the HFD to promote smoke detectors? How about the Mud Pullers? Kids would love to get in a big truck and people would be more likly to come to one of their mud runs . The possibilities are endless.

With the big ticket items in there, I was surprised that no bank was there to offer financing packages. No insurance Companies either. Houlton has lots of each of them.

Amazed that with Springs arrival, that no florist or greenhouse had plants and garden supplies in there.

I would like to see some food vendors sit up in there also. The Civic Centre kitchen staff are painfully slow and have a very limited selection. You could have driven up to the North Road and drove back before your order was ready. This needs to be addressed.

I would like to see more local talent preform on the stage area. Even no Tim the Tuneman this year. Houlton has so many talented young singers and musicians (although a lot were busy this weekend at the High School)

Even Clowns walking around and helium ballons for the kids from some booth would have been nice.

The Chamber does a nice job filling the place, but it would be nice if some one else stepped up to help them with recruitment of some smaller local businesses and organizations for next year.

Houlton has a lot to offer, and too many people are missing out on this opportunity to show others what is here in this area.

That's the view from my couch tonight.

Houlton's Hidden Treasures

Houlton has a lot of "Hidden Treasures" among area businesses, if you want to really search hard enough. A perfect example would be Jean's Serendipity Store on Main Street. You would be amazed at what you can find in that place if you look around. Not only do the have a pet store, fish, and anything you could ever want for a horse, in the rear of the store; but the isles are full of other things as well.

Jean's is your stop for J C PENNY Catalog orders. Need a first rate quality toy? Check out Jeans. need a custom embroidered shirt, hat, or just about anything welse, they have a brand new machine for that. Need an old photo fixed, they can do that too, while you wait. Collectibles, John Deere items,clothing, pet supplies and medicines, candles, and many other assorted unique items can all be found there. Truely one of the Town's "Hidden Treasures"

Just a short thought today as I ponder what next to watch on TV this evening from my couch...................

Vacant Stores

Taking a ride during lunch today, I looked at some vacant storefronts and wondered to myself, why they are empty now and more importantly, what- if anything- could fill these places up?

I'll mention a few: first one that come to mind was the old Netherland Office Supplies Store on Main Street. This is a fairly large building, that would seem to have some use left in it. The biggest drawback, as it is with most businesses in that area, is a lack of parking. So whatever moves into that space, would have to be something that didn't need to have a lot of foot traffic. The interior is large enough that it could be split up between multiple businesses. It has lots of window frontage too. It could make a good office complex, I suppose??

Right down the street is the old Days Jewelry Story, most recently, Boyetts Flooring. This building has a decent third floor area where dance classes used to be held. It is my understanding that it needs interior renovations- but it offers a wonderful opportunity to the business with a creative mind.

Across the street on the corner of Mechanic Street, Polaris Cable TV has moved from their corner store. This is another store with decent floor space and being on a corner, you have some side parking available. Also in the same building, REMAX has moved to a new location and their store is vacant as well.

The major drawback with these stores, as with this entire block, is the residents of the upstair apartments. They tend to congragate on the sidewalks frequently. Since the present owner has bought the building, he has "cleaned out" a lot of the less desirable tenants, but the area in general still has a reputation that is hard to overcome - But, I feel the right business could indeed be successful there.

At the head of the Square, MC Wireless recently closed down and the store is for rent. one of the most visible store fronts in Houlton, with ok parking and a parking lot right next door, this is a prime spot for someone and should not remain empty for long.

Heading up North Street, the one place that jusmps right out at you is the old Brake Service building. This is a brick building with tons of potential

I could go on, but I won't. The hope here is that the Economy picks up enough, to encourage someone to try and make a go out of these locations. In the end, we all benefit.

That's the view from my couch tonight.

Trains, will they become a thing of the past in Aroostook?

As the State Senate gets ready to consider a new bond, that would include 17 million dollars to purchase the railroad line in Northern Maine; I find myself thinking about how much the rail has changed in my lifetime. Growing up, I can remember waiting at times in my Dads car at a railroad crossing for the train to pass, while counting the cars on the train. Often times it would come very close to 100. Now it is doubtful if there has been a train that large in this area in almost a decade.

The loss of farmers has hurt the railroad. There used to be potato houses everywhere, and all near a track. Now the handful of farmers left in our area ship their crop by truck. You can have a load of potatoes to market in Boston in 7 hours or so by truck, while it takes at least four days by rail.

The railroad closed the train station/ rail yard in Houlton a few years back, and sadly, for good reason. There is just no use up here for it. I understand that the companies that do use the rail, want to continue to use it; but I have to believe that they can adapt, in time, without it.

From Oakfield to Houlton, I believe the only stops now are at LP in New Limerick, and Tate and Lyle's Starch Factory in Houlton. Rumor has it that TATE will be closing within the calendar year, and LP has been hurting with the decline in the building industry. It is not inconcievable that they, too, could eventually close if the economy doesn't shift.

Then what do we have? More vacant rails. Unless someone can convince me that these business will stay open, and some others will also take advantage of the rail, I'd be hard pressed to vote for this bond if the Senate approves it.

That's the View From my Couch.

Random Thoughts

It's been a real long time since I've posted from this blog, most of you who will find this have been reading my other blog by now. However, I have decided to return to my roots and restart this blog.

A few things come to mind tonight. Recently, former Town Councilor, Carl Lord Jr has taken present Councilor Brian Donnelly to task in Letters to the Editor of the local newspapers, calling for his removal due to Donnelly's OUI conviction.

While everyone should agree that it was a pretty poor laspe in Donnellys judgement, to his credit, he did not hide from it. He addressed the matter at the very next meeting and made a public apology. That was almost a year ago. The matter has now gone through the court systems and Donnelly is going to be paying for this mistake for a long time.

However, he has continued to serve during that time and now Lord wants him removed. The simple fact is that Donnelly got almost three times as many votes as Lord did when they ran in the last election. Carl Lord had his chance and was not deemed an effective Town Councilor in the eyes of many; which explains in part, why he has lost two attempts at re election, rather badly, I might add.

Now the same fate may await Donnelly when his term is up- but it may not. He still is a very popular and well liked person, who thinks things through at meetings and doesn't talk, just for the sake of talking. He has done nothing since the day he apoligized that demands a removal from his ELECTED POSITION. If he was going to be removed, it should have happened right then.

The majority of the people are satisfied that Donnelly is working for them, even though, I would assume, that most are disappointed in his actions that evening a year ago.

So I would say to Mr Lord, to run again, or support someone that you feel is better qualified at the next election.

We may never agree on this issue- but that is the View From My Couch Tonight.