That One Little Place

Where Stuff Is

I. Introduction

A. The Outdoor Resort is the one thing that sets Palmyra apart from all those around it.

II. Economic Effect

A. Money coming in to Palmyra

1. Rounds of golf annually

2. Tourists

B. Employment

1. Expansion

2. Summer Jobs for Highschoolers

III. Intangible

A. Pride

1. Differentiates it from others around

2. Pride

IV. Conclusion

A. The Outdoor Resort is the one thing that sets Palmyra apart from all those around it.

B. Economic/Intangible effects

Cory Knowles

Ms.Lind/Mr.Viles

Honors English/History 10

1/14/08

That One Little Place

Palmyra Maine is by all accounts a small town. Its largest claim to fame would probably be its Wal-Mart (which can barely even be considered to actually be in Palmyra). Other than that, Palmyra has many acres of woodland, a couple convenient general stores, a quaint little elementary

school, a wood mill, and some snowmobile trails, not much to set it apart from hundreds of other towns… except one thing; the aptly named Palmyra Outdoor Resort. Since 1952 when Richard Cayer first opened the original 9-hole golf course, Palmyra has never been the same on both an economical, and an intangible level. The Outdoor Resort is the one thing that sets Palmyra apart from all those around it.

In 1952, all of the world, all of Palmyra, and all of it’s golf course were a completely different place then they are today, the whole establishment has undergone many changes; the most notable of course would be its expansion, in 1998, from simply a 9 hole golf course, to a an 18-hole golf course/driving range/95 lot campground/winter ski park/Outdoor Resort (Relaxinmaine.com). A full round of golf alone will cost someone $28, and about 9,000 rounds are played annually bringing in about $252,000 from the golf course alone, not to mention the extra additions, every year to Palmyra (RelaxinMaine.com). This expansion covered all its bases on soil erosion control, surface-water runoff, and solid-waste disposal, and as such it did not harm or severely impact the environment at all. What it did impact though, is the overall attractiveness and appeal of Palmyra as a place for people from at least the surrounding towns and such to come to. Besides the Golf Course, Palmyra really doesn’t have anything to draw potential consumers to it. With a golf course, and even (hugely) more so, now with an “Outdoor Resort” Palmyra now has a legitimate reason for people to come to it above other local areas, bringing with them their hard earned money, which they promptly then place in the hands of a Palmyra resident golf course attendant. The Palmyra Outdoor resort has brought quite a bit of money to the local economy, and it doesn’t stop at cash coughed up by people directly to the resort itself; no, as people are traveling to get to it, they must also stop at one of the few other small businesses proudly located in Palmyra. Had Richard Cayer never decided on Palmyra for his project, we would have been a much poorer community.

When the golf course first opened in 1952, it required a much smaller staff, to maintain, and run it, since then, especially with the expansion into becoming the Palmyra Outdoor Resort it now creates jobs for many people, most of who live nearby. A large number of jobs are created in maintaining the golf course alone; many of which are taken by local high school students on their summer vacations, such as Ben Taylor, who worked as an attendant keeping the green in good shape this past summer (Ben). Add to the jobs created during the golf courses open summer season, to those needed to run the campground, and also the ski park during the winter, and you have one of the largest job opportunities for many miles around. The resort has produced a marked effect on the employment opportunities close to home for many a Palmyra resident.

Also gained with the golf course is something that differentiates Palmyra from so many other small towns in the area. The golf course gives Palmyra something that no one else around has anything like. It, in a sense, gives Palmyra a symbol of something that puts it above and ahead of other local communities, at least in one respect. Nokomis Regional High is able to have a golf team, which is able to practice at a nearby real golf course to help them… because Palmyra has just such a thing (Ben). Without the golf course and outdoor resort, Palmyra would be just another unnoticeable little town in central Maine. With it, people have a reason to note Palmyra more than most other local towns. Ask anyone around, and besides Wal-Mart the golf course is the first thing that will come to his or her mind as important about Palmyra. If there is one immeasurable gain from the creation of these facilities it is pride, which is a rare commodity around here. The outdoor resort gives Palmyra something to have some pride.

All that being said, the thing that really needs to be realized is that this could quite easily have been about thousands of other small rural towns with hardly anything noteworthy floating around them. The thing that really needs to be realized is the effect one single place can have on an entire community of people. One thing can bolster and improve the lives of many people. Most small towns have one of those kinds of places. In Palmyra, it happens to be the Outdoor Resort. The development of it affected Palmyra on both an economic, and intangible pride levels. First, and most obviously, it brings in much money from outside of Palmyra. Second, it gives that money to the people of Palmyra who find employment there. Finally, it gives the people of Palmyra something that they can be proud no other town has in the general area. If Richard Cayer (and now Brian Cayer who is currently the general manager and spearheaded the 1998 expansion) had not decided to place his efforts in Palmyra, today the small town community would be profoundly less prosperous. It is most definitely that one place, that one thing that gives Palmyra something to set it apart, and in some ways ahead of all those places surrounding it.

Works Consulted

“Civil Design”. Acheron: Engineering, Environmental & Geologic Consultants. 12/5/07 [http://www.acheronengineering.com/civil_design1.htm].

“USGolfers”. 12/5/07 [http://www.usgolfers.com/FullCourse.asp?CourseID=12949].

“Golfme.com”. The Golf Maine Association. 12/6/07 [http://www.golfme.com/courses/palmyra.htm].

Works Cited

“Palmyra Outdoor Resort”. The Palmyra Outdoor Resort. 12/4/07 [ http://www.relaxinmaine.com/ ]

Taylor, Ben. Personal Interview. 1/13/08