Designing Women was established in 1991. Its current membership of women designers and artists now exceeds 120, with most of the artists hailing from Maine and New Hampshire. In addition to providing unique, handmade creations to the public, Designing Women collaborates with non-profits to raise funds for programs that directly benefit women and girls. At the September 4 show, 100% of the suggested $2.00 door donation will go to New Hope for Women. Each donor will also be entered into a drawing to win select prizes provided by Maine businesses.

New Hope for Women, which will mark its thirtieth anniversary next year, offers assistance to all persons affected by domestic and dating violence in Lincoln, Knox and Waldo counties. It provides a 24-hour crisis hotline, support groups, legal services, safe homes and transitional housing, school programs, community outreach and workplace training. New Hope also operates Time for Change, a certified batterer intervention program.

Staff and volunteers from New Hope will be serving lunch beginning at 11:00 a.m. Menu items include homemade chili and chicken salad, bagels, desserts, coffee and water. Information about New Hope’s programs and services will also be available.

Here is some additional information about the featured craftspeople mentioned above.

Joelle Leavitt Webber binds one-of-a-kind books and editions for clients, rebinds old books, and has created a line of blank books, gift boxes and albums. Her designs are based on historical models, built with traditional tools and techniques and use only archival materials.

K. Dale Turdo creates original, hand-built sculptures that are realistic in style. Turdo has received many awards and exhibits in Maine and across the country. She finds great pleasure and peace creating these beautiful works of clay and feels that sculpting is good for the soul.

Wendilee Heath O’Brien is versed in conventional painting techniques from eastern and western cultures. She transcends and manipulates these techniques to create a visual dialogue with her viewers, using watercolor, pastels and Asian ink.

Mary Ann Small is the owner of Maine Island Rag Rugs, whose rugs grace homes all over the world and provide warmth and beauty underfoot. Her rugs have been displayed at the Blaine House in Augusta, the Archipelago and the Jonathan Frost Gallery in Rockland, the Art Gallery at the University of New England’s Westbrook campus, the National Folk Festival in Bangor and most recently at the Camden Garden Club’s Showcase House rooms sponsored by Phi Home Designs.

For more information about Designing Women, check www.designingwomen.org. For more information about New Hope for Women, check www.newhopeforwomen.org.

GORHAM, MAINE – In an effort to increase the energy efficiency of her businesses and provide a safe, allergy-free environment for her teachers and students, The Dance Studio of Maine and the Music School of Maine owner Trish Moulton spent the summer upgrading her studios and websites to be more environmentally friendly.

First off, Moulton converted light fixtures to environmentally friendly bulbs and switched to all natural soaps and cleaning products in the studios. A recently installed heating and central air conditioning unit is equipped with a state-of-the-art, “giant” HEPA filter that minimizes airborne particles and allergens. Her newly designed website accepts online registration and an expanded email system will reduce paper consumption at her business.

Finally, in order to encourage carpooling between students, Moulton will appoint one staff member to facilitate conversation between dancers and their families and work to set up a carpooling schedule for all those interested in participating.

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The Dance Studio of Maine, a family-oriented dance studio, serves over 350 students each year ranging in age from 2 – 73. Dance Studio of Maine dancers have performed at Madison Square Garden, Gorham Marketplace Lunch Time Extravaganza, Manchester Mill Rats Basketball, Falmouth by the Sea, Perform for a Cure, The Maine Red Claws, Gorham Memorial Day parade, and the Gorham Wellness Fair.

The Music School of Maine is an exciting place where students work and study with an outstanding faculty of performing musicians. The Music School of Maine offers both group and private instruction. Our goal is to bring the passion of playing music to all our students, children and adults alike.

For more information, visit www.dancestudioofmaine.com, www.musicschoolofmaine.com or call Trish Moulton at (207) 839-6161.

An English degree from Wheaton College in Massachusetts and a Media Production degree from Boston’s Emerson College enabled Josh to hone his expertise in digital marketing, while still staying true to the original, and most important, form of engagement and communication – the written word.

Josh has worked with various businesses, organizations, and musicians to achieve success in web marketing. He helped develop content for new website launches and redesigns; produced digital video in the promotion of new music; and spearheaded entire web marketing and social media marketing campaigns, from genesis to fruition, for various organizations.

Josh’s current role is Chief Marketing Strategist of his own firm, Promenade Media, which offers social media marketing and digital media production for small businesses, musicians, and sustainable causes. Promenade Media also provides webinar production, SEO, and overall web strategy consultation.

Josh became an official Board member of the Maine Marketing Association in September 2007. He eventually went on to spearhead the entire website redesign process and helped launch the successful 2009 membership drive. He also continues to create the bi-weekly e-newsletter sent to over 1400 Maine professionals.

Josh is also actively involved with the Maine Animal Coalition and Maine Businesses for Sustainability. When not working or playing music, he enjoys skiing, attending U2 and Phish concerts, and hiking trips with his wife and Bulldog.

The Maine Marketing Association (MMA) was founded in 2001 in Portland. The goal of the organization is to provide ongoing marketing-related education and support to its members and to the region’s business community.

Contact:

Will Fessenden, Encompass Marketing

will@encompassmarketing.com

(207) 755-9445 ext 101

(207) 632-8926 (day of event)

Celebrating Learning That Matters:

Students and Educators Convene at Regional Summit at UNH, Durham Campus

Focus on Climate Change and Other Environmental Issues

• Hundreds of New England students share community problem-solving experiences
• Cameron Wake, UNH, keynotes the Summit at 1:35 pm Tuesday, May 25
• Great photo ops of K-12 students start at 2 pm Tuesday, Memorial Union Building

Durham, NH—Hundreds of K-12 students from across New England will gather at the University of New Hampshire, Durham Campus, May 25-26, 2010, for the 10th annual KIDS Consortium Student Summit on Service-Learning. They will celebrate their work solving real problems faced by their schools and communities through service-learning, a teaching method that links community projects with academic studies. The event’s theme, “Green Thumbs” Up for Green Schools, is part of a Green Schools initiative that also funded 35 mini-grants awarded to New England schools.

Attendees will come from more than 30 schools across Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont to this unique event to share their results and ideas for future work. The Summit’s reach expands each year. The 2010 Summit will mark the first time that New York schools have participated.

From elementary students who established a school-wide composting program, to middle school students who worked to reduce invasive species in a local wetland, to high school students who started a school garden, youth teams throughout New England have made their schools and communities more environmentally sustainable. These student teams will all give oral presentations and display exhibits at the Green Schools Student Summit this year.

Through these service-learning projects and the opportunity to present at the Student Summit, youth learn to be communicators, problem-solvers and active members of their community. This year, major corporate sponsors are State Farm Insurance and Downeast Energy.

“It’s exciting to see so many young people thinking about the environment and engaged in driving positive action to make their schools greener. These young leaders are not just our future—they’re also our present,” said Marvin Rosenblum, founder of KIDS Consortium.

Seventh and eighth grade students at Lisbon Central School in Lisbon, Conn., have been planning the Summit throughout the school year as one of their own service-learning projects, with KIDS Consortium as their community partner.

The event’s Green Schools theme encourages participants to work together to make their schools and communities more environmentally friendly. The keynote speaker, Cameron Wake, is a research associate professor with the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space at UNH. He will speak about climate and environmental change and how the actions of individuals can make a difference. Using this theme, students and educators at the Summit will have fun showcasing their work, reflecting on their experiences and learning new skills.

KIDS Consortium, based in Auburn, Me., works with teachers, administrators and students to involve students in addressing real challenges faced by their communities. Through service-learning, students identify, research and work to address local community needs. With guidance from KIDS, teachers match those projects to school curricula, providing a powerful hands-on learning experience that improves the community and brings academics to life. For more information, visit www.kidsconsortium.org.

In addition to State Farm and Downeast Energy, grants from Hannaford, Wheelabrator, Walmart, Kennebunk Savings Bank, UBS, Poland Spring Water, the Horizon Foundation, the Sam L. Cohen Foundation, L.L. Bean, United Way of York County, Lee Auto Malls, R. H. Reny, Inc., and the Learn and Serve America Program at the Corporation for National and Community Service make this year’s Green Schools Summit possible

May 17, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Portland, Maine) The Maine Center for Enterprise Development (MCED) is proud to announce its newest Benefactor Level Sponsor:  Kepware Technologies.

“MCED is the “go-to” organization for any small business start-up that needs Maine business connections, and mentoring from experienced businesspeople. Kepware was in there about 10 years ago, and I only wish that those resources had been available to me back then,” says Corson Ellis, Chairman and Founder, Kepware Technologies. 

Headquartered in Portland, ME since 1995, Kepware Technologies is the world leader in communication software for automation and offers a unique experience in both OPC and embedded device communications.  The company focuses on the development of communication drivers to automation controllers, I/O and field devices. 

To learn more about Kepware Technologies visit their website at http://www.kepware.com or call 1-888-537-9273.

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ABOUT MCED

MCED is a private, not-for-profit 501-c-3 organization created to establish an environment where small companies, start-ups and first-time entrepreneurs can grow, prosper and successfully commercialize their technology in southern Maine. As Maine’s first business incubator, MCED was created out of the Portland Regional Chamber in 1997 to be a model of excellence for nurturing entrepreneurs, launching successful start-up companies and implementing innovation as an economic development tool for Maine.

For additional information about MCED please visit http://www.mced.biz.

CONTACT:

Steven Bazinet, President

228-8525

SBazinet@mced.biz

“It can be very frustrating relying on another company – Google – for the success of an SEO campaign and, ultimately, the growth of a business,” says Owner and Chief Marketing Strategist, Josh Valentine. “We strive to motivate business owners, activists, and musicians to take control of their marketing efforts and focus more on social media optimization (SMO) – such as participation on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter, consistent blogging, or online video. SMO is becoming more and more important – until, of course, the next thing comes around.”

Promenade Media’s past projects include work with USM’s Muskie School of Public Service, Working Together: Expanding Maine’s Workforce, Maine Animal Coalition, and Maine Businesses for Sustainability. They have also done video campaigns for The Island, a side project of the popular national jam band, The Disco Biscuits. Currently in the works: a video campaign for New York jam band, God Street Wine, social media marketing for Maine Center on Deafness, and an interview series on social media for musicians with Tears For Fears co-founder and bassist, Curt Smith.

“One of our company goals is to differentiate ourselves in the crowded world of social media and internet marketing,” says Valentine. “We look to work closely with small business owners or marketing executives and coach them on growing their business using online tools; maintaining web presences for non-profits looking to promote a cause; or musicians interested in taking control of their career and promoting their art without an intrusive record company.”

Valentine goes on to explain that Promenade Media is a “green business, highly focused on social responsibility and sustainability. The expansion of non-profits and theses types of activities will only be a boon to Maine’s future economy.” He says, “non-profits must be as aggressive as small businesses when it comes to participating online. Social media is a new way of doing business and the transparency it creates is mostly a good thing.”

Promenade Media was founded in 2007 by Josh Valentine, Owner and Chief Marketing Strategist. Josh is also the President of the Maine Marketing Association (with his term beginning next month). Connect with Promenade Media on their website, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

“Earth Day is our holiday, an opportunity to do more for our planet and our community. As a relatively young holiday, we’re starting to see traditions beginning to form with annual events and clean-ups; and I’d love to see more emerging,” said Heather Chandler, president and founder of The SunriseGuide.

“Holiday traditions root us in the meaning of the day and provide a way for us to celebrate. Mainers take Earth Day seriously and we’ve identified numerous activities around the state where people can get involved and celebrate together, like the Scarborough Marsh Earth Day Clean Up, Wells Reserve Earth Day Celebration and the week-long celebrations at Frontier Café & Cinema in Brunswick. Our website www.thesunriseguide.com/earthday has a comprehensive list of local events, as well as the history of earth day and tips for celebrating. In addition, we are excited to launch a new Earth Day Scavenger Hunt to get friends and family outside and explore their communities.”

“We plan to start a tradition of planting something every year on Earth Day with our son, something that we can watch grow together,” said Robin Tannenbaum, a Westbrook resident and architectural designer who has a 1-year-old son. “My son loves the dirt and being outside. My husband is a landscape architect and loves the natural world. It seems only fitting that our family traditions reflect that too.”

Below is a sampling of ideas for starting your own Earth Day traditions.

Around the House

• Lights out and electronics free for the day
• Craft projects with recycled materials —cards, puzzles, magazine pages, etc. The recycle bin is a great source of materials for this.
• Start a garden or work in your garden, build a raised bed. Learn about and plant some native plants – visit the University of Maine’s resource link (http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/2502.htm
• Break bread with friends and neighbors showcasing local dishes where most ingredients used are grown or produced right here in Maine.
• Spring clean and donate clothes, recycle the rest (FreeCycle.org as a way to give away anything, the Habitat ReStore in Portland or Bath for furniture and building materials, and Goodwill for computer equipment. They take it free of charge.)

Around the Community

• Commute to work on bike or explore your local neighborhoods on bike with your kids.
• Explore your local public lands and take a hike with family or friends, check out www.healthymainewalks.com for ideas.
• Trail clean up – contact your local land trust or trails organization to volunteer for a cleanup project, i.e. Portland Trails, Maine Island Trails, South Portland Land Trust.
• Team up with your local school or child care center to start a community children’s garden.
• Host an Earth Day scavenger / nature hunt for kids of all ages (visit www.thesunriseguide.com/earthday for ideas on what to hunt).

Recognized on April 22 each year, Earth Day is a celebration of the environment designed to inspire awareness and concern for our planet. The tradition began in 1970 when U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin announced his idea for a nationwide teach-in day on the environment. It is widely seen as a kind of birthday for the modern environmental movement.

The SunriseGuide is an annual resource guide and coupon book for living green in southern Maine. It contains more than 165 coupons for healthy and eco-friendly products and services, plus articles with tips for healthy and sustainable living. Topics include food and dining, outdoor living, home and garden, travel and transportation, community and culture, and more. Look for the 2010 edition at school and community fundraisers, natural food stores, bookstores, and other retail outlets. Learn more and find out where to pick up a copy at www.thesunriseguide.com.

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Matt Dugal, Thayer Corp

Thayer Corporation of Auburn, Maine, HVAC wholesaler/contractor, recently  announced the addition of Matt Dugal as a Maintenance Sales Representative. Previously self-employed, Matt brings with him many years of sales experience. He will be working closely with Thayer’s expert team of HVAC service techs to deliver timely and cost effective maintenance solutions. Matt currently resides in Auburn with his fiancé. For more information: www.thayercorp.com

Qualified Partners assist business owners in choosing the right equipment and providing technical assistance, as well as applying for the cash incentives available through Efficiency Maine. They are integral to the state’s success in helping Maine businesses reduce their energy consumption and save money.

Thayer Corporation, based in Auburn, in an HVAC wholesaler/contractor that supplies a complete range of heating, air conditioning and plumbing services to residences and businesses, as well as mechanical contracting work.  For more information, call 207-782-4197, visit www.thayercorp.com or email Heather Blease, Thayer Corporation, hblease@thayercorp.com

AUGUSTA On March 18, 2010, Maine Legislature’s Utility and Energy Committee held a  2 hour work session on LD 1810, the bill to implement the recommendations of the Governor’s Ocean Energy Task Force.  Scroll down   to listen to the speakers and legislators at this worksession (mp3s) Listen to March 11th public hearing on LD 1810 Mp3s

Due to the presence of Maine fishermen  and oceanic beauty in virtually every square foot of Maine state ocean waters, commercial windfarm companies may be required by the legislation to keep out of Maine state waters; in exchange, the industry seeks nonconfrontation with the fishing industry further offshore.

“Fishermen, resorts, the schooner fleets, a variety of human users are already fully exploiting Maine’s nearshore natural resources.” said Ron Huber “They can only be harmed if the industrial wind companies began leasing nearshore waters.”

Because of the complexity of the 38 page bill,  (see pdf copy of LD 1810 with state waters parts highlighted) the committee could not get through the entire bill and will meet again on Tuesday at 1pm

The Maine Lobstermen’s Association will work through the weekend on acceptable wording protecting fisheries.  Doubtless other fisheries as well.  The ocean windmill industry is no doubt busy, too,  hoping to reinclude permssion to do windpower in state waters in the bill.

Listen to speakers at the March 18, 2010 Hearing

* Introduction to the Worksession 4min

* MDEP’s Beth Nagusky describes proposed changes to Bill Part A 17 minutes

* MDEP’s Nagusky Q&A session 11 minutes

* Patrice Farrell, Maine Lobstermen’s Association 3 & 1/2 minutes

* MDEP’s Beth Nagusky describes proposed changes to Part B of LD 1811

* Suzanne Sayre 2 minutes

* John Ferland Ocean Renewable Energy Corp 1 minutes

* Dianne Messer, advocate, Liberty Maine 2 minutes

* Chris O’Neill, Friends of Maine Mountains 1 minutes

* Todd Rousette (sp?) Preti Flaherty lawfirm 2 minutes

* MDEP’s Beth Nagusky describes more changes to Part B

* MDEPs Beth Nagusky on changes to Part C of bill

* MDEP’s Beth Nagusky on changes to Part D of bill

* MDEP Beth Nagusky on Changed to Part E of Bill
* MDEP Beth Nagusky questioned on Part E 7 min

* MDEP Beth Nagusky questioned more 10 minutes

* University of Maine Dr Dagher 12 minutes

* Final stakeholders and close of work session  11 minutes

The unexpectedly loud powerful opposition to the bill by Maine scallopers, shrimpers and groundfishermen, joined by ocean resort and sailing interests and conservation activist Huber, may be bearing fruit.  “We won’t just stand by and let  the Department of Conservation start leasing out Maine’s legendary fishing and sailing grounds to big energy companies out of Boston and New Jersey.” said Huber  who is the litigant in the aforementioned  Huber v Bureau of Parks and Lands lawsuit over the Monhegan floating test site.

He said the bill would allow companies to seek 20, 40 and 50 year leases over state waters. “Are we really ready for that?” Huber asked. “I don’t think so.  Neither do most fishermen I know.“    The ocean windmill industry is probably busy this weekend too, he said,  hoping to regain language in the bill allowing windpower in state waters in the bill.

Heuber said That  the Maine Lobstermen’s Association leadership, which had been negotiating behind closed doors with the wind industry, had to be taken to task by scallop, shrimp and groundfish fleets and its own rank and file  before it stopped supporting DMR’s “Prepare to Share”  campaign, as  described by George Lapointe at the  wind energy seminar at the 2010 Maine Fishermens Forum.

On March 23rd, all interests will be back in Augusta before the Utility and Energy Committee for a 1pm  final  showdown on LD 1810