Saco is a great community! Anyone living here should think themselves fortunate;" so says Bernie Gaines, a life-long resident, businessman, and a active volunteer who helps make Saco one of the best small towns in America.

 

 A graduate of Thornton Academy and the University of Southern Maine, Bernie worked for Unum for 25 years. After retiring from Unum he started a travel agency named Travelwise on Main Street. He immediately became a part of the Saco Business Association and later was the president of the Committee on the Revitalization of Downtown, a group active in forming Saco Spirit. Bernie served first as vice president of Saco Spirit and then became president of the organization.

 

As president of Saco Spirit, Bernie's highest priorities were encouraging the resurgence of Saco Island and the establishment of the Amtrak Station. [See the story on Island Point in last month's newsletter (www.sacospirit.com)  and the article below on the Amtrak Trainriders Host Program.] Both of these projects are very nearly completed.

 

He said that when he first established Travelwise, his business was at the end of Main Street -- because of the Amtrak Station and the "fantastic" renovation of Saco Island, Travelwise is now in the middle of Main Street; this is his measure of the growth of downtown Saco.

The owner of two buildings on Main Street, Bernie has been especially busy lately with their renovation. The building that presently houses Travelwise (now owned by Beth Rogers) and the Saco Spirit office (space donated to Saco Spirit by Bernie), is called the Sweetser Building and was built for shoe manufacturing by Cornelius Sweetser in 1874.

 

Working with his brother, Bernie personally designed and executed the beautiful renovations in this building. Oak moldings and dentils hand-made by the brothers are only two of the features that make these office spaces unusually attractive. With 26,000 square feet of space, this building is a fine example of real estate offered here in Saco. Previously known for it's restaurant and bar, Bernie has converted these spaces into first class office and retail spaces with spectacular views of the Saco River. Bernie has listed these spaces with InvestComm Commercial Brokers to help him lease the property.

 

The Caldwell Banker Building, also owned by Bernie, is another excellent office building. Besides Caldwell Banker Realty, tenants include a barbershop, Anderson Watkins Insurance, Shear Heaven, Fotografix, Paramount Pictures, and Literacy Volunteers.  This building is 100% occupied. (Click here to see more about these buildings.)  

 

               Many Volunteer Activities

Always extremely active in the community, Bernie has served on the boards of the Chamber of Commerce and the Southern Maine Medical Center Visiting Nurses. Presently he is on the boards of directors at Thornton Academy and the Southern Maine Medical Center. He remains active in Saco Spirit and many other community organizations, including the Masons and the Eastern Star

. 
Soon to be celebrating his 40th wedding anniversary with the wife he met in high school, Bernie and his wife Sue enjoy using the facilities of Travelwise to tour the world. They have, in fact, been on 32 cruises over the years, but Saco is still home and the place they love the most. 

     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

     Two thousand pumpkins will soon be going out to area school children in preparation for the annual Pumpkin Fest in Saco. The children cut the pumpkins into Jack-O-Lanterns and the Pumpkin Fest Committee will use them to line Main Street in Saco.

 

     Scarecrows made by community members will be another highlight of this Pumpkin Fest. In the past the committee has scattered these original pieces only in the streets of Saco and in Biddeford, as well. The scarecrow contest is open to businesses, families, schools, and churches. Last year 25 scarecrows were entered to win the huge trophy; this year even more entries are expected. (The scarecrow pictured on the right is last year's winner in the Children's category.)

     There are four different categories of scarecrow designs in the contest: traditional, whimsical, children's and business. The traditional category consists of a design that resembles scarecrows seen on farms; the whimsical category includes original designs that can be made with any kind of material; the children's category is open to all individuals, groups and organizations for children younger than twelve; and the business category is for any for-profit business in Saco or Biddeford.

     As we did last year, people can go online to www.sacospirit.com and vote for their favorite scarecrow. Entrants should email a picture of their scarecrow to brogers@travelwise.com before the October 15th deadline. An email will soon be sent out giving more details on this year's contest and there will be a note in the Courier regarding the event. Watch for them.  

 

Everyone is welcome to participate -- the more the scarier! 
 
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
    

      More than 50 Mainers are volunteers in the Downeaster TrainRiders Host Program this year. One of them is David Howe, a Saco resident and chairman of the board of directors of Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution. He has been with the TrainRiders program for several years now and he is hoping to start a volunteer Station Host Program when the new Saco Amtrak Station is complete.

     The purpose of the TrainRiders Host Program is to have volunteers serve as goodwill ambassadors; to promote patronage of The Downeaster; to assist passengers with information onboard the train, along the route and at scheduled stops; to assist train crews in duties as requested by them; and to promote rail safety.

     The volunteer's activities onboard the train are driven by the needs of the passengers. David says that the children of riders are the easiest to make contact with, as he has coloring books and games to give them. The parents are usually very glad to talk with David and to ask him for information about their destination. Other passengers will hear him answering these questions and will then feel comfortable asking him to help them with directions, suggestions for accommodations and restaurants, and shopping needs.

 
   Other volunteers activities include assisting the train's staff in keeping an eye out for any safety concerns, working to insure that the train is kept clean and neat, and monitoring the comfort level of the heating and cooling conditions in the coaches and café car. Thorough training is given by the Downeaster management in all of these areas.

 

David says he "Enjoys helping riders plan a pleasant visit to Boston or other cities along the return route in Maine. There are occasions when a listening ear is well received by passengers who have medical appointments in Boston. Sometimes it makes a big difference to assist the passenger with several pieces of luggage or help a newcomer to Saco/Biddeford discover what is within a shot walk of the station!  Many people don't realize all that is in their own backyard."
  
     For more information on this volunteer program and news on the proposed expansion of the Downeaster, visit their website by clicking here. 

 

                   -------------------------------- 

 

Located adjacent to Historic Pepperell Square in Saco Maine, Fotografix Studio provides professional photography for the Portland, Biddeford and Southern Maine area.

 

A wide range of services are offered, including children, senior and family portraits; wedding and fine art photography; commercial photography including product, advertising and brochures; as well as packages for proms, sports, little leagues and other school events. The high quality images are made in the studio or on location, day or night, digital or film, by appointment only.  Call 207-282-9045.

Photographer David Bates is dedicated to putting the customer first by providing outstanding photography at an affordable price. His focus is on making an impact in someone's life by creating a memory for them: a moment in time to remember always.  www.fotografixstudio.com

 

 

Located at 174 Main Street, Shear Heaven is a full-service salon specializing in personal service. Facials, total body waxing, complete nail care, and hair styling for men, women, and children are all offered by this cozy shop.

 

Owner and stylist Deborah Brewer brings over 30 years of experience to meet her clients' needs. She has been at the Main Street Saco location for eight years.

Debbie (pictured at right) has been a mentor for beauty school students and often volunteers at beauty schools to lecture students on styles and business practices.

Open 7 days a week for nail care, the salon is open Tuesdays-Saturdays by appointment or walk-in for hair care. Wednesday and Thursdays the salon is open evenings until 9:00 p.m. Don't forget to enjoy refreshments when you drop in for an elegant hair style and the full service of a very special salon.

 

 

 

The above is the opening paragraph in the Hannaford Lighthouses on Parade published in 2003. to commemorate the community project to sixty-six 10' x 4' fiberglass lighthouses. Each of these lighthouses was sponsored by a community business, cultural organization, school, foundation, or civic group here in Maine. Saco organizations supported six of these lighthouses.

 

 
Sponsored by Fleet Bank (now Bank of America), "The Lights of Maine" lighthouse was created by retired teacher and artist Chet S. Wancewicz and Johanna F. Hoffman, a freelance illustrator, restoration specialist and professional picture framer. A tribute to the sentinels that dot the coast, "the Lights of Maine" features 63 lighthouse images, mirrors, shells, lobster designs and a poem about the guardians of the sea.

 

Over 300 hours, 16 days and a mix of acrylic paints and lots of love combined to bring this magnificent lighthouse to life. Because of time constraints, Chet and Johanna had only two weeks to design, paint, and waterproof the lighthouse. They choose to do all their work at The Wardwell Home in Saco, as this was the only available building that had doors sufficiently wide to accommodate the lighthouse.

 

For 16 days (and a lot of evenings), they worked on the lighthouse, very often with an audience of Wardwell residents. One of the daily watchers was a one-hundred- year-old resident, who came eagerly every day to watch the work and whose cat is immortalized on the lighthouse.

The lighthouse was given to the Dyer Library where it remained on display until the Library donated it to Saco Spirit. Members of Saco Spirit arranged to place it in it's present location, and a generous donation from a member of the community enabled Saco Spirit to purchase a Gazebo to protect it from the elements.

Now Saco residents and tourists, by way of the paintings on the lighthouse, can see lighthouses from Lubeck to Portsmouth, including each name, when commissioned, who authorized the commission, and its location.

 

As an extra treat, the designers added lots of hidden pictures: tiny figures of patrons' cats, other real pets and people, and Police Chief Brad Paul snokling off the Portland Head Light. Don't miss this wonderful tribute to Maine's lighthouses and community cooperation.

 

 

In addition to her business knowledge, she has also used her years of volunteering in the community to help her with one of her most challenging volunteer tasks: The Saco Spirit Fashion Show, held every year in May. Nadeen and Ann Lonergan  (general manager of the Hampton Inn) co-chaired the fashion show this last year, and have been active volunteers for the affair in the past. Each year, according to Nadeen, has seen more community participation and more volunteers involved in this activity.

"Terrific cooperation," was Nadeen's enthusiastic comment about this year's fashion show, which was held at the People's Choice Credit Union on Industrial Park Road. Several area restaurants combined to present their food specialties to the guests for a memorable meal. Many of the area's fine retail stores also participated in the fashion show, with rave reviews for the clothing and presentation.

 
Nadeen and Ann also plan to co-chair next year's fashion show. Nadeen says that she expects the volunteer staff to grow in numbers and diversity for this event, as well as for all the other Saco Spirit activities.

 

Her personal goal is to see more businesses and people invest their time and interest in Saco Spirit and to share the vision of a strong and prosperous Main Street. She feels a energetic downtown produces a community center that encourages mutual cooperation and growth among its residents, and she is proud to be a part of this process.