March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Fort Fairfield chamber presents awards

FORT FAIRFIELD — The Fort Fairfield Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting Saturday to recognize the community’s outstanding citizen-volunteer, outstanding director and outstanding business for 1990.

Patricia Dorsey was recognized as Outstanding Citizen-Volunteer, Kenneth Hensler was recognized with the chamber’s first Outstanding Director award, and Peterson’s Motor Mart was selected as the community’s Outstanding Business for 1990. More than 80 members and guests attended the event in Presque Isle.

Awards were presented to the Police, Fire, and Highway departments for work at the 1990 Potato Blossom Festival. An award was presented to the Fort Fairfield Utilities District for work on the new elementary school.

Anna Watt, chamber executive director, recognized chamber directors and presented a llist of projected events for 1991.

Dorsey was recognized for her involvement in numerous projects benefiting the community for several years, including volunteer work on town beautification efforts, municipal elections, and work at the Community General Hospital. She is a member of the Hospital Guild.

Watt said Dorsey’s commitment to the community and willingness to serve as a volunteer earned her the respect of her peers. Her selection was the result of a two-week voting period, which solicited resident participation in the selection process.

Hensler, a native of St. Charles, Mo., received the award as a result of two years of work as a Fort Fairfield Chamber of Commerce director and for participation as a Rotarian.

Hensler is the director of the Tri-Community Recycling and Sanitary Landfill, serving the communities of Fort Fairfield, Limestone and Caribou.

From 1971 to 1988, he was employed by Northern National, now Casco Northern Bank. He became branch manager of Key Bank in Fort Fairfield, resigning in April 1990 to assume his current position.

The chamber recognized Peterson’s Motor Mart as the community’s Outstanding Business for 1990, and as one of Fort Fairfield’s oldest businesses.

The business, established in the early 1900s, was operated by Fred Peterson, a blacksmith who owned a shop on the corner of Bridge and Main streets. The business was expanded to manufacture and sell wagons, predecessors to today’s potato trucks, said Watt.

In the 1920s to early 1930s, Peterson acquired the distributorship of Hudson-Essex automobiles and the Texaco product line, becoming a full-service automobile business. The business expanded to include distribution of tires, oil products, gasoline, cars and heating oil, according to Watt.

Watt reviewed a list of goals for 1991.

Economic, business and community development plans listed included meeting with the Northern Maine Regional Planning Commission to organize a workshop for the business community. Plans were reviewed to organize at least three “business after hours” meetings to feature topics of interest to the business community. A retail promotion during the Maine Potato Blossom Festival also was listed.

Projects under tourism development included improving the annual festival to include new events, publishing a color brochure to be distributed to tourism centers throughout the state, and development of a community video.

Hensler was named new president, replacing Cherie Boulier.

Listed as chamber directors were Dan Ayoob, the Rev. Dave Beatty, Boulier, Jeanette Condon, Paul Cormier, Dave Donovan, Hensler, Jean Jackson, Richard Lombard, Kathy Ouellette, Toni Street, Steve Towle, John Wall, Pat Welch and Ruth Sawyer-White.


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