Houlton Rotary is pleased to announce the addition of Mac Randolph.  Mac  is the general manager of Andy’s IGA.  His positive outlook on the world and tireless commitment to accomplishing projects make him an ideal candidate for Rotary.  He will make a positive difference in the world.  His efforts are complimented and enhanced by his wife, Nancy, who has already taken on Rotary responsibilities.

In the photo: Rotary President, Scott Dionne; WHOU Morning Show Host, Jason Hill; Fred Grant, Rotarian and WHOU Owner and General Manager.

Fred Grant, the new owner and general manager of WHOU, featured his business plan during a presentation to Houlton Rotary at the January 30^th meeting.  Grant, who is a Rotarian and past president of the Houlton service organization, has a strong background in internet marketing and web design.  He is leveraging this skillset with the power of radio to grow WHOU not only as a station on the dial, but as a marketing firm.  Grant realizes that in rural Maine small businesses can’t afford a diverse advertising portfolio, so he offers cost effective opportunities to access numerous advertising options by bringing together internet and radio.  Though a business may pay for his services to establish a website and facebook page, Grant credits back the fee to the customer in the form of radio advertising.  Essentially, he is making it less costly for businesses to develop both a web and radio presence.

Since he has taken over the station only a few months ago, he has established morning and evening radio shows, a source for current news and weather, designed unique advertising solutions through giveaways and contests, and brought the ability to listen to music and live high school basketball games to the WHOU website: whoufm.com.  Grant looks forward to adding more radio hosts and advertising opportunities in the near future.

In the photo: Jim Brown, Moosestompers Organizer and Rotarian; and Scott Dionne, Houlton Rotary President

Houlton Rotary donated $500 to this year’s annual Moosestompers celebration taking place February 17^th-19^th.  These funds will go toward sponsoring community dogsled rides on Saturday and Sunday from 11am-3pm.  This year’s mushers are Linda Howe and Kevin Quist of Heywood Kennels.

In the photo left to right: Jeff Datte, newly-inducted Rotarian and Houlton Rotary President, Scott Dionne

Houlton Rotary recently added Jeff Datte to its ranks. Jeff hales from Delaware where he worked as a maintenance manager for a large healthcare facility. Jeff currently resides at Drews Lake with his wife Gigi. They have embraced their permanent move to Maine, and they look forward to supporting the community by putting service above self

In the photo left to right: Lori Weston, Houlton Rotarian; Peter Gore, Maine State Chamber of Commerce; Houlton Rotary President, Scott Dionne.

Peter Gore of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce spoke to Houlton Rotarians Monday, January 9th. As Vice President for Advocacy and Government Relations, Peter chose to highlight how he thinks State Governor Paul LePage will help position our state for economic growth and financial stability in the future. Reducing Maine’s dependence on fossil fuels will be a primary focus going forward. Improving energy self-sufficiency in our state means creating more jobs and preventing money from flowing out of Maine. Moreover, developing localized and renewable sources of energy can reduce costs for businesses, making the state more attractive to companies considering moving into our region. Workforce development is another priority that will help bring new employers to our state. There is a lack of skilled workers ready to step into professional and technical jobs as they open up. The governor will help address this need.

Peter is optimistic that Maine has opportunities on the horizon, and he is impressed by the development that has taken place in our community over the past few years.

In the photo courtesy of Mike Clark: Lisa Surran, Adopt-A-Block Event Coordinator; Tammy Goetsch, Program Coordinator; Scott Dionne, Houlton Rotary President.

Tammy Goetsch and Lisa Surran joined Houlton Rotary on September 26^th to promote Adopt-A-Block of Aroostook.  Adopt-A-Block originated in California and has spread across the country, focusing on creating personal connections by reaching out to support individuals in specific community blocks.

Members of local churches, town government, businesses, the police department, and area residents collaborate to restore a community block by walking the streets, knocking on doors, and offering goods and volunteer services to those living in the area.   The program also organizes special events that target needs in an entire community.

The Annual Thanksgiving Box Project is one particular event Houlton’s Adopt-A-Block program carries out to help eliminate hunger in our community.  This year’s 3^rd Annual Thanksgiving Box Project will provide 200 local families with the full fixings to prepare a hot Thanksgiving meal.  With funds from Houlton Rotary and additional support from local farmers, food banks, and supermarkets, Adopt-A-Block will reach out to our neighbors this fall to establish connections that are often lost in the urgency of daily life.

In the photo left to right: John Slipp, Rotary District 7810 Literacy Chair and Otis Smith, Houlton Rotary Literacy Chair.

On August 8th, John Slipp, Rotary District 7810 Literacy Chair, visited the Houlton Club to promote Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Educators continue to emphasize that reading with your preschool child is the single most important activity to prepare a child for school. But just recently, we’ve learned that a child simply living in a house with books readily at hand will be more prepared for a life of learning than a child with no books at home. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library ensures that in areas that adopt the program, no preschool child is without books. The program mails its participants a new book every month from birth to the their fifth birthday. Houlton Rotary is looking closely at how this program can fit into our community and surrounding areas. Otis Smith, Houlton Rotary’s Literacy Chair, is also looking at other avenues for promoting literacy in our community. Under his guidance the club will donate funds to Cary Library to support summer reading programs for over 100 youth participants.

In the photo left to right: Scott Dionne Houlton Rotary President and Mark Drew from Shakaree Red Deer Farm.

Mark Drew from Shakaree Red Deer Farm visited Houlton Rotary this past Monday, July 11th.  Before educating Rotarians about red deer, Mark gave the crowd a lesson in the languages of Star Trek.  Did you know ‘Shakaree’ means ‘Land of Paradise’ in Vulcan?

Also, did you know this 600-acre deer farm in Northern Maine is acclaimed internationally and was the first red deer farm in the eastern United States?  After learning how the antler velvet of deer was being used to treat arthritis, Gary Dwyer, realizing the business opportunity, imported 105 red deer from New Zealand in 1990.

With the help of Mark Drew, Mr. Dwyer has expanded the farm tenfold.  The Shakaree Red Deer Farm now consists of over 1,000 deer and four separate properties in New Limerick.  The antlers of these deer are still a prized commodity, but the expert breeding and care put into the herd has made the deer a commodity in themselves.  Hundreds of live deer are exported from New Limerick to larger ranches throughout the United States every year.

Pictured:

Scott White, Club Pres.
Dale Flewelling, Friends of Aroostook

Photo by Michael Clark