The newest member of the chamber is AAH Fireworks on Route 26 in Oxford located where the Oxford Fun Park was. However, they have done a wonderful job of renovating the building, so stop in and say hi to Andre Vandenbulcke, the owner, for all of your celebrations. You can find more information about AAH Fireworks by going to their website at www.aahfireworks.com .

The Maine Legislature, the 127^th, has recessed for the summer and left 65 bills in the hands of the state Supreme Court. All of these bills were vetoed by Gov. Lepage and one of two things will happen. Either the court will rule that they pass and become law without the governor’s signature because he technically did not return them within the 10-day window allowed by the Constitution, or they will side with the governor who said that because the Legislature is out he was not required to act on them until they return.

And speaking of bills, the minimum wage issue was presented in various forms of bills during the 127^th but the Legislature recessed without passing any of them. Subsequently, Portland is presenting a proposal to raise the city’s minimum wage to $15 per hour and there is a group gathering signatures for a statewide referendum in 2016 to raise the state’s minimum wage to $12.

Our next Business After Hours will take place at the Oxford Legion Hall and will be co-hosted by Rotary and United Way on Thursday, Aug. 6 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. We are asking anyone coming to please bring school supplies that United Way will fill up back packs with to help children in need. Pencils, pens, notebooks, etc., are welcome and will help children be prepare for the upcoming school year. We also have a box at the chamber office at 4 Western Ave., Paris, if you’d like to bring supplies ahead of the Business After Hours, please feel free to drop them off at our office. Hope to see you there.

We’re still looking for anyone interested in registering a team for our annual Leon Truman Memorial Chamber Golf Classic, which is coming up on Monday, Aug. 10 from the Norway Country Club . If you have an interest in putting together a foursome and winning some great prizes get in touch with us here at the chamber at 743-2281 or go to our website for all the information at www.oxfordhillsmaine.com

Finally, each week I’ll list one of the benefits of being involved in our chamber and this week it’s our annual Oxford Hills Chamber Magazine, filled with great stories and profiles about people, businesses and organizations that make our area so attractive. The bonus is that if you are a member then your business or nonprofit is listed in the comprehensive Business Directory at the back of the magazine and it’s free. We currently have more than 12,000 copies in circulation throughout the 13 towns of Oxford Hills and at all of the Maine Tourism Association Visitor Centers.

See you next week.