It’s that time for another edition of the 10 x 100 series — 10 business updates in about 100 words apiece and in no particular order. Here we go:
Winterfest success
Congrats to Main Street Bath on a super successful Winterfest this past weekend! Multi-day events are a lot to pull off, and you did so with the same community spirit that you put into everything you do. Hundreds of local families came out to enjoy the fun, and the smiles were all around. It’s so nice to have mid-February festival as that is a gap in the event calendar year for most people, and with so many looking for something to do to get out of the house, this something-for-everyone festival fits the bill.
Maine Maritime Museum’s free admission weekends through March
If you haven’t heard yet, Maine Maritime Museum is holding free admission weekends from January through March thanks to generous support from Bath Savings Institution. They have two limited run exhibits being featured right now: “Women Behind the Lens: The Photography of Emma D. Sewall, Josephine Ginn Banks, and Abbie F. Minott,” featuring works from those photographers, open until November; and “Sea Change: Darkness and Light in the Gulf of Maine,” which is “a year-long art and natural science exhibition that immerses visitors into the rich ecosystem of Cashes Ledge” (according to their website), open until the end of the year. Check out mainemaritimemuseum.org for more information.
Love to Build Art auction closes Feb. 28
Habitat for Humanity/7 Rivers Maine in Topsham launched their Love to Build Art online auction yesterday and it runs for two weeks closing Feb. 28. The auction features original works from local artists and volunteers, rare art, and unique upcycled items. All proceeds help build and repair homes for local families with limited incomes. Auction items will be on display in February at the Habitat ReStore/7 Rivers Maine location at 126 Main St. in Topsham from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. To bid online, check out their website at habitat7rivers.org.
BBRC awards dinner, March 10
Mark your calendars for the chamber’s annual Awards Night starting at 5 .m. March 10 at St. John’s Community Center in Brunswick. The evening will feature about a half-dozen business leaders being recognized by the chamber for their good work in our communities over the past few years and past few decades. Who are those winners? Well …
BBRC to announce award winners, Feb. 17
My original hope was that I would have contacted all of the winners by the time this column goes to print. Alas, there are a few people I have yet to connect with. So, to find out who will be recognized as the Large Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Citizen of the Year and more, check out the BBRC Facebook page this weekend at facebook.com/bathbrunswickregionalchamber. We will be posting about the winners in several different posts throughout the weekend. Members can look for the full announcement of winners in this Friday’s weekly e-newsletter edition of the BBRC News & Notes.
WILL Power planning meeting, Feb. 16
Our Women In Local Leadership team is having a Zoom meeting at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, to plan out their 2023 events. If you have interest in joining the Planning Committee (including helping decide from our list what the events will be), register on the BBRC homepage at midcoastmaine.com and look at the event calendar for events on Feb. 16.
Celebrate Longfellow Days all of February
The Brunswick Downtown Association in partnership with many local partners presents Longfellow Days all February long (as it is Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s birth month). Events include poetry readings, a discussion series (Feb. 15), Longfellow trivia night (Feb. 17), tours of the Chamberlain House (Feb. 18) and more. Find all of the details on the BDA website at brusnwickdowntown.org and look under “Downtown Brunswick Events.”
New business openings in Topsham: Jersey Mike’s and Aroma Joe’s
Welcome to the neighborhood for two new locations of some beloved businesses, as the Jersey Mike’s in Topsham is now open in the Topsham Fair Mall and the Aroma Joe’s is open on the busy four-way intersection by the Coastal Connector, also in Topsham. The Jersey Mike’s is a free-standing building near Joann’s Fabrics in the mall. The Aroma Joe’s entrance is off Second Street in Topsham. If you need help finding that location, go to the Bath-Brunswick Regional Chamber YouTube channel and check out the “where are we” video I did with them. It must be popular, because it got over 300 views in the first week posted.
Chamber in final stages of name change
Just as a reminder to some who have asked, our chamber is in the final steps of our name change that began nearly a year ago. It’s a pretty boring explanation, but for those who are confused, we’ve been acting as the Bath-Brunswick Regional Chamber since last March when we announced the new name after four polls and a ton of rebranding efforts. However, to legally change it, we needed to change our bylaws, and to change the bylaws we needed to get a vote of the membership which couldn’t happen until our Annual Meeting of the Membership on Jan. 31. We’re in the process of submitting the new bylaws to the state, and by late March it should be official. Until then, for banking purposes, and a few other places, you may see the Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber name or logo still in use. We’re the same organization, not two sperate ones — just getting a new name. Sorry for any confusion.
New Maine State Chamber CEO
After an incredible three-decade run as Maine State Chamber CEO, Dana Connors is retiring and the Maine State Chamber announced the new CEO last week: Julia Munsey. Congrats, Julia, and we look forward to working with you over the coming months and years.
Cory King is executive director of the Bath-Brunswick Regional Chamber of Commerce.
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