Cutline (Martha harris) – Martha Harris, on the left, receives the Gorham Business & Civic Exchange 2005 Business Person of the Year award from Judy Brown, president. Courtesy photo

Gorham Business & Civic Exchange honors Harris

The Gorham Business & Civic Exchange presented the 2005 Business Person of the Year award to Martha T. Harris, owner of Natural Country Photography, at its annual award reception held at Crockett Interiors on May 11.

Judy Brown, president of the exchange, presented the award, reminding those present of the criteria used to select the candidate. “Nominees must: be involved in the community, promote business in the community, be currently doing business in Gorham, be a mentor and leader in the community, and be creative and imaginative in business. Choosing the winner from the qualified nominations is never an easy task. But each year, one nomination seems to stand above the others. This year was no exception,” Brown said.

“This year’s Gorham Business Exchange Business Person of the Year Award is being presented to a person who is a lifelong resident of Gorham, who has also operated a business in Gorham for 20 years,” Brown said.

“You probably have seen this person anywhere that anything is happening in Gorham – she is always there! And, she is here… supposedly to take a picture of this year’s recipient for the Gorham Times.”

“Martha T. Harris of Natural Country Photography is Gorham’s Business Person of the Year for 2005 and here are only a few of the reasons that she was chosen:

“Nominees must be involved in the community: Martha is sooo involved! She is everywhere – as I mentioned just now – you will see her at school productions, dance recitals, town functions like the Family Fair and our annual Marketplace, sports events, the Gala…. Well you get it – she’s everywhere! She is a member of First Parish Church and has served on their Memorials Committee, has preserved our town’s history in a time capsule project for Baxter Memorial Library, is an active member of Gorham High School alumni, serves on the nominating and by-laws committees for the Gorham Historical Society, has been a volunteer photographer for the Gorham Times since its inception ten years ago, and probably other things that we don’t even know about!”

“Nominees must also promote business in our community. Martha has done that with her long-time membership in the exchange. She has donated photographs for our Web site, the directory, the newspaper and she does a wonderful job of taking the best photographs of business people to be used in promotional pieces. She is always ready to refer anyone looking for the services that our members offer. Keep in mind, she knows everyone! She is a strong advocate for Gorham businesses!”

“Nominees must be a mentor and leader in the community. I don’t think I need to say another word about that criterion. But I will anyway. Martha’s motto is to ‘bridge the gap between people.’ She does this in many ways, but one of the most important ones we know about is that she serves as a volunteer sign language teacher (after five years of study) at the Senior Citizen Center. She does this so the people there can communicate with a deaf resident. She also helps out frustrated customers and clerks in stores with her knowledge of sign language.

“Nominees must be creative and imaginative in business: This last criterion was the easiest one for us to measure. Martha took a hobby (taking pictures of her daughters), expanded that from using a Christmas gift camera, to a 35 mm camera, to the digital world of instant photography… to create a business that has grown over the past 20 years to have touched almost everyone who lives in Gorham! She takes pictures of babies, families, senior citizens, high school graduates, kids in sports, kids who dance, people who attend anything in town. She is Gorham’s Number One Paparazzi!”

“Martha’s name joins the previous winners on the traveling wall plaque (that she will keep for one year). Previous recipients include: Maynard Charron, Joe Kerwin, Cindy Hazelton, Shawn Moody, Don Cross, Dan and Jon Shaw, and Bob Caswell.”

Harris received an engraved clock to remind her of this prestigious honor. Family, and friends as well as members of the Gorham Business community were on hand to offer their congratulations.

The Gorham Business & Civic Exchange is a membership organization whose mission is to promote business in Gorham. For more information about membership, contact Virginia Wilder Cross, Executive Director at 892-5515, or visit the organization’s Web site: www.gorhambusiness.org.

Cutline: On a recent chilly, spring day, the McKenney family of Wood Road was in Carroll Park in Buxton. Matt McKenney, 10, is up at bat with younger brother Adam, 5, doing the catching while dad, Joe, and mom, Chris, look on. Matt recently made the Cal Ripkin little league team in Gorham. Joe and Chris are proud of both their boys. Courtesy photo by Cathy Feeney

Gorham Middle School line dancers

Sheila CharlA?© McAtee, an eighth-grade social studies teacher at Gorham Middle School, organized a before-school line-dancing class that has blossomed into a life-changing activity for eighth-grade students.

A group of girls and boys has been meeting before school starts on Thursdays since last September. The students were so enthusiastic they organized themselves into a school club, allowing their photo to appear in the yearbook, that they named the group The Explosions, developed a dress code for performing, and now have team shirts. Additionally, they meet McAtee with their parents at a local dance studio one evening a week. The group has grown over the year with about 19 girls and boys participating regularly.

Members of the Explosions were so confident about their dancing ability, they line danced to heavy metal music at the first school-sponsored dance in October, and plan to perform in the annual middle school talent show this spring.

McAtee organized the dancing activity along with a walking club and potluck breakfasts as part of a graduate project for her Education Leadership Practicum in University of Southern Maine’s College of Education and Human Development. Through the project, McAtee hoped to give students who are not involved in organized sports a chance to participate in activities that can lead to lifelong fitness and healthy eating.

– Contributed by Judie A. O’Malley

Cutline (village/Barstow) – A class of fourth-grade students from Village Elementary School, in Gorham, toured the Statehouse with Rep. Chris Barstow, D-Gorham. At the conclusion of the tour, Barstow, on the right, and Sen. Philip Bartlett, D-Cumberland County, on the left, introduced the students to Gov. John Baldacci. Courtesy photo

Hamblen mustering veterans

Town Councilor Calvin Hamblen is hoping that 100 veterans will participate in this year’s Memorial Day activities on Monday, May 30.

Gorham will have parades and services in the village and in Little Falls. Complete parade and services information for Gorham will appear in next week’s American Journal.

50 years ago

The Westbrook American reported in its issue of May 18, 1955, that Mrs. Philip W. Boothby entertained the Knit Chat Club the previous week.

U.S. taxpayer debt

The Bureau of Public Debt reported on Thursday, May 12, that the U.S. debt was $7,745,283,298,873.13.