It was late at night and I was taking a walk downtown. We had finished a Lewiston City Council meeting earlier in the evening, and I wanted to get some fresh air, exercise, and clear my head.

I had just crossed the bridge over the canal past Bates Mill 5 and was rounding the corner onto Canal Street. A vehicle honks and stops. It’s Zach Pratt from Boba with the biggest grin on his face.

Zach has a lot of energy, and I can relate. He rolls down the window and wants to know how I’ve been. With the car stopped in the middle of the street we talk about all things business. Staffing, customers, location, menu; we touched on nearly every single chapter of a business 101 textbook. We should probably be asleep, but instead we’re engaged in an impromptu business summit.

And what exactly is he doing at this late hour? Zach is driving food inventory from a distributor to his Lisbon Street restaurant for the next day. An entrepreneur does what it takes to make their business successful.

A few months later, I was standing on Pine Street, in the shadow of the Basilica. I had arrived at Happy Little Paradise for a ribbon cutting. This new daycare cooperative was started by Angolan immigrants Hahuque Carporteiro, Palmira Dias, Luisa Dias and Maria Baltazar. The joy and excitement on the faces of these child care entrepreneurs was clearly evident.

For most ribbon cuttings, I get to know the business the day of by touring and talking with the manager or owner. For Happy Little Paradise, it was a little different. Cynthia Murphy and Azenaide Pedro, who both work for Coastal Enterprises — the company that hosted the child care lab that helped incubate this new business — had chatted with me often in the months leading up to the opening.

There were struggles with the cost of the required sprinkler system and setbacks with state paperwork. One by one, CEI and the entrepreneurs addressed the challenges and persevered. The commitment of everyone involved resulted in a building renovated, a new business established, and helped create more child care capacity in Lewiston.

Our city needs entrepreneurs like Hahuque, Palmira, Luisa and Maria — who find ways to overcome obstacles.

Last Saturday, I stopped in to see Courtney Schlachter at Quiet City Books. At a recent City Council meeting, I recognized Courtney as a Lewiston Leader. She loves books and she loves Lewiston, and over the years has done what it takes to survive through starting a business, moving locations, and a pandemic. Courtney is a quiet hero and deserved a Lewiston challenge coin for making sure that Lewiston has a bookstore in our commercial landscape.

I walk down the stairs, ask how she’s doing, and inquire about what’s new. It turns out that, later in the afternoon, she is hosting a book signing with a local children’s book author. When I stopped by later, the store was busy with kids and parents with the author at a table in the back. Accompanying the author was also the illustrator and the granddaughter who was the inspiration for the story.

I left with a signed copy of “The Julia and Nan Birthday Hotel,” and as I write this I am grateful for entrepreneurs like Courtney who persevere and believe in Lewiston.

We need to celebrate the success of entrepreneurs in Lewiston and encourage and help assist more people to innovate and start businesses. We grow as a community when entrepreneurs like Abdirahman Saeed and Abdinur Mohamed of Black Diamond Detailing, and Corey DuFour and Angie Lafrance of Obscura, choose Lewiston as a place they want to start a business.

The people of Lewiston define our city, and we are known for our gritty, can-do attitude. We persevere, and we do it with creativity and ingenuity, creating a better thriving community for all.

That’s the kind of entrepreneurial energy that will drive Lewiston forward.

Carl Sheline serves as mayor of Lewiston.

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