Southern Piscataquis County Chamber - December 2000 Newsletter

DECEMBER 2000 NEWSLETTER

Chambers Welcome New Members The SPCCC would like to welcome:

Spring Creek Bar B-Q,
Mike & Kim Whitham
Monson, Maine
(207) 997-7025

Haley Construction, Inc.
Rob Haley,
P.O. Box 339,
Sangerville, Maine
(207) 876-4412

SPCCC Members Renews The SPCCC would like to thank the following members for renewing their memberships:

Penquis Orthopaedics	Wildflowers B & B
Trask Insurance	Thorp Septic Service
The Trebor Inn	Peaks Kenney Motor Lodge
Northwood Canoe	Mallet Real Estate
M.R.A.S. Corporation	Webber Hardware
Lumbra Inc.	Hilltop Manor
Hardwood Products	Guilford of Maine
Down Home B & B	George Kousaie Family Medicine
Dr. Kevin Chasse	American Cancer Society
Woodhaven Physical Therapy	Tillson's True Value
Foxcroft Academy	Foxbrook Variety
Barrett Paving	Cahill's Sporting Goods and B & B
AMB Video & Sign	D-F Community Pharmacy
Gerald Jackson & Son	Vitality Fitness Center
S & L Auto Parts	Stutzmans Business Services
Town of Milo

SPCCC to Join Tourism Coalition The Southern Piscataquis County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has voted to have the SPCCC join the newly formed Penquis Tourism Coalition. The Penquis Tourism Coalition membership will include the Bangor Convention & Visitors Bureau, Lincoln, Sebasticook Valley, Moosehead Lake Region and Katahdin Area Chambers of Commerce. Other partners will be the Bangor International Airport, the University of Maine and the Eastern Maine Development Corporation.

The role of this newly formed organization is to do destination marketing for Piscataquis and Penobscot Counties. A year long tourism marketing study of the two county regions concluded that out of 8.3 million visitors to Maine, only 700,000 stay overnight in the two county region. The report also concluded that the regions needs to create a single organization to build capacity to market the region.

The SPCCC representative on the Penquis Tourism Council Board of Directors will be Dennis Lyford of the SPCCC and Harry Anderson of the Guilford Bed & Breakfast. The Penquis Tourism Council will hold its first meeting on January 10th in Lincoln.

Tim Huff Win's Chamber Raffle The Southern Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce announced that Tim Huff of Dover-Foxcroft was the winner of the SPCCC Digital Camera Raffle. Tim's winning ticket was drawn at a special drawing at the Dover-Foxcroft Kiwanis Club meeting on Dec. 5th.

Tim was presented with his prize of a new Digital Camera from Dave's World at his place of business, the Moosehead MFG Co. on the following day.

The Chamber would like to thank its members and all others for once again supporting the Chamber's annual holiday raffle.

SPCCC to Host
1st Annual Sled Dog Race The Southern Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce and the Down East Sled Dog Club will host the First Annual Southern Piscataquis Sled Dog Race on February 10 & 11 2001.

The race will begin at the Dover-Foxcroft Shopping Plaza and go to Sebec Lake and back. The two day event will feature a series of sled dog races with a total prize money of $1,500.

The Chairmen for this event will be Harry Anderson of The Guilford B & B. Anderson believes that this can be a major event in the future, with the race being held in different locations throughout the Southern Piscataquis County region.

For more information about the Southern Piscataquis Sled Dog Race contact the Chamber 564-7533.

Penquis Building Bridges The Southern Piscataquis County Chamber of Commerce completed its pilot program for the Penquis Building Bridges Project. The Penquis Building Bridges Project allows teams of local educators to visit local businesses to understand how to better prepare students to winter the workforce.

Three teams of educators from Foxcroft Academy, Dexter Regional High School and Piscataquis Community High School visited four local businesses during the fall months.

The four businesses were Guilford of Maine, Mayo Regional Hospital, Moosehead MFG. Co. and Tillson's True Value Hardware Store. The educators were given a tour of the business site plus held meetings with management and employees tom discuss workforce development issues.

Chamber Director, Dennis Lyford, feels that the pilot program was a success and plans to hold more Building Bridges visits in the Spring of 2001.

EXPO Update The SPCCC announced that the Cumberland Sheriff Department Fatal Vision Project will be part of the Penquis Valley Region Expo on April 6 & 7 at PCHS.

The Fatal Vision Project is part of the Cumberland County Sheriff Department DARE program. The project will give participants specially made goggles, which will effect their vision, the same as drinking alcohol. The participants will drive a golf cart through a maze of cones first without the goggles and then with them on to show the effect of drinking and driving.

Chamber Announces Contest Winner Southern Piscataquis County Chamber of Commerce was pleased to announce that Lillian McLean of Brownville Jct., was selected as the winner of the Harvest Open House Tour's "Shopping is in the Cards Contest".

The Harvest Open House Tour "Shopping is in the Cards Contest" which was held on October 28th asked shoppers to visit local stores & businesses and selected a playing card from each business.

The object of the contest was to collect a minimum of five playing cards from five different businesses. The person with the highest poker hand was selected as the winner and received a gift certificate from the Carousel B & B in Brownville.

Local & Regional Chambers Offer Health Benefits to Members

Local and Regional Chamber's team up with the Maine State Chamber to provide an affordable, new health benefits option for members. The Alliance of Maine Chambers Health Plan features...

Affordable Premiums: The Maine Chamber Alliance Health Plan is the most cost-effective program available in the Maine health insurance market today. By utilizing a high deductible indemnity health insurance coupled win a medical reimbursement account that allows routine medical expenses to be paid with pre-tax dollars, the plan allows members to pay for the smaller bills, while covering them in the event of illness or injury.
Extensive Coverage: Once the deductible is met, the Maine Chamber Alliance Health 100% coverage of most medical expenses.
Choice of Doctors and Hospitals: The Maine Chamber Alliance Health Plan gives you access to any licensed doctor or hospital in Maine or anywhere else in the U.S.
Unmatched Service: Thanks to Anthem Blue Cross, Maine Chamber Alliance Health Plan members will receive the outstanding service they deserve.
Automatic Claims Filing: Your claims are automatically filed by almost all Maine doctors, hospitals and pharmacies... saving you time, money and hassle.
A Recognized H) Card: Thanks to the recognizable Cross and Shield, your Maine Chamber Alliance Health will be recognized no matter where you go.
Tax-Favored Savings: By combining the Maine Chamber Alliance Health Plan with a medical reimbursement account from the Maine Choice, members will be able to reduce their out-of-pocket expenses.

For more information about the Maine Chamber Alliance Health Plan, call Joe Cooper at (207) 623- 4568 or your local insurance provider.

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