Group weighs in on challenges of life in The County
A lack of transportation infrastructure, limited access to goods and health care and difficulty crossing the Canadian border were among the concerns voiced by participants at focus group sessions held by the nonprofit Aroostook County Action Program.
Among the participants at the Fort Kent focus group session was Alain Ouellette, the planning and development division director of the Northern Maine Development Commission in Caribou, who spoke out about the need to encourage entrepreneurship among younger residents, Fiddlehead Focus reported.
Ouellette added that the NMDC and similar organizations offer entrepreneurial and basic business skills classes, but turnout is typically low, according to Fiddlehead Focus.
Another point of contention was that despite agriculture being a major economic driver of the county, access to fresh food is often limited. That, compounded by the high poverty rate, contributes to poor nutrition within the communities.
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