“Nothing is given to man on earth – struggle is built into the nature of life, and conflict is possible – the hero is the man who lets no obstacle prevent him from pursuing the values he has chosen.” – Andrew Bernstein.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
A CREW from Langille Construction fills in the sidewalk after work was completed to upgrade a water line from the main line to the building for the Braden Theater’s new sprinkler system. With work now completed on that portion of the project, all that remains to be done are some finishing touches on the inside, such as painting and installing the seats. Plans are to have the facility open in time for Christmas.
Recently, several heroes in the area were honored at NMCC for going “above and beyond the call of duty to exhibit a true act of selflessness.” Peggy Kern, one of the hero selection committee members, was quoted as saying, “A lot of people in Aroostook County do great things, and very rarely are people thanked.” The Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank those heroes who were honored that night. Thank you for being the kind of people you are.
There are other people in “The County” who deserve hero-hood, as well. Two of those people are Arlen and Chris Dow, the newest owners of the Braden Theater in Presque Isle.
Last summer, Arlen and Chris bought the Braden and immediately began to pursue their goals to renovate the building for use as a theater. It was a great risk on their part, as it’s an older building and the movie theater business is different than it once was. The Dows believed in the future of the Braden and have worked hard to make this dream a reality.
Since they began the process of purchasing and renovating the building, they’ve been presented with significant struggle and conflict. But, as with any true heroes, they let “no obstacle prevent them from pursuing the values” they have chosen. They continued to work on a project that was near and dear to the heart of the community, understanding that the investment would be huge. The town owes these heroes much respect and gratitude for their integrity and “stick-to-it-iveness.”
Within the near future, the Braden will open its doors and again be a center where families and friends can meet to enjoy quality entertainment. One way the community can express its gratitude is to support the theater. We need to attend the movies there, even after the novelty of a new movie theater has worn off.
We know what it’s like to be without a theater – let’s not let that happen again. Let’s do our part and support the valiant efforts of Arlen and Chris Dow to bring entertainment and life to our Main Street. And let’s thank them when we see them for having the strength of character and the courage to see this difficult project through.
There are other heroes on Main Street, as well, although we may not think of them in the way we usually think of heroes. We have merchants who have run their businesses downtown for many years, surviving bravely through tough economic times there. These people have believed in the strength and the community spirit of a vital downtown. They’ve kept that community spirit alive, even as Wal-mart and the mall have drawn traffic away from the center of town.
The third group of heroes include the several new businesses that are adding their personalities to the Main Street mix. A new clothing store called ShyAnn’s has recently located downtown. It’s a great place to get lovely, unique women’s clothing and accessories. Sorpresso opened recently, as well, with excellent food and a wonderfully relaxing atmosphere. Merchants on the corner currently offer fascinating homemade products, with more to come in the future. A&J Florist has beautiful floral arrangements and gifts for the discriminating customer, and Nel’s Furniture and Mattress provides options for home furnishings. These merchants have heroically come to the aid of our downtown.
We can be heroes, too. We can support the businesses that are willing to take a chance and locate downtown. If we don’t support them, they won’t be able to stay here. We won’t have the wonderful shopping, entertainment, and dining opportunities we have now, and Main Street will go back into hibernation. So let’s support all the great things that are happening on Main Street and, when we’re doing businesses in these places, let’s thank them for being here.
Thank you to all our heroes!
We welcome your thoughts and opinions. It’s your city. We need your input in order to make it better. You can e-mail us at pidrc@yahoo.com or write us at: The Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee, 411 Main St., Presque Isle, Maine 04769.
For more information about the PIDRC, e-mail us at pidrc@yahoo.com or call Sandy Gauvin (764-0876), Cathy Beaulieu at Wilder’s Jewelry Store (764-0309), or Patty LeBlanc (769-7731), or you can contact us at the address listed above.
We meet at the Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce on the Houlton Road at 7:30 a.m. on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Please join in our efforts to help our wonderful city.
The Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee is
an ad hoc committee of the Presque Isle City Council
