Terry Shumaker

The Ballot Law Commission decides election disputes and hears appeals from recounts. It comprises five members, two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, two by the senate president and one by the governor.

“I am honored by the confidence placed in me by the governor and I look forward to serving the state in this role,” said Shumaker.

Shumaker received his JD from Boston University School of Law in 1973. He is a member of the New Hampshire Bar Association and the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. He resides in Concord, New Hampshire.

About Bernstein Shur

Widely regarded as one of New England’s most entrepreneurial law firms, Bernstein Shur is a multi-service firm with more than 100 attorneys in offices in Maine and New Hampshire. Founded in 1915, the firm provides practical and innovative counsel in the areas of business law, litigation and municipal law to clients throughout the region and around the world. Bernstein Shur is Maine’s exclusive member of Lex Mundi, the world’s leading association of independent law firms. More information is available at www.bernsteinshur.com.

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Jaimie Schwartz

“Jaimie has been part of MEREDA for more than 15 years and has always considered his various positions in the organization a pleasure and a privilege,” said Thomas Lea, president of MEREDA. “For Jaimie, real estate is a very real and tangible thing that has meaning to people, whether it’s a profitable office building, the protection of a sensitive ecosystem or perpetuation of a beautiful view.”

Schwartz received his JD from The Ohio State University in 1991, graduating with honors. He is a member of the Maine State Bar Association and the American Bar Association, and is AV-rated by Martindale Hubbell. He is a director of MEREDA and volunteers with many local organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, Junior Achievement of Maine and the Portland Players. Schwartz has been recognized by both Best Lawyers in America and Chambers USA for his work in real estate law. He resides in South Portland.

About Bernstein Shur

Widely regarded as one of New England’s most entrepreneurial firms, Bernstein Shur is a multi-service law firm with more than 100 attorneys in offices in Maine and New Hampshire. Founded in 1915, the firm provides practical and innovative counsel in the areas of business law, litigation, and municipal law to clients throughout the region and around the world. Bernstein Shur is Maine’s exclusive member of Lex Mundi, the world’s leading association of independent law firms. More information is available at www.bernsteinshur.com.

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PORTLAND, Maine (February 1, 2012) — Mercy’s 7^th Annual Gourmet Gala for Gary’s House Food and Wine Extravaganza will be held on Wednesday, March 21^st  at the Holiday Inn by the Bay and will feature 16 restaurants and chefs from greater Portland’s restaurants and caterers.

Hosted by comedian Joe Ricchio with guest judge Sam Hayward, James Beard Award winner and Chef at Fore Street, this food and wine extravaganza includes both a silent and a live auction, as well as live music by Paper Street Jazz Band. And all new this year— beer tasting!

This event is open to the general public, details follow:

What:              Mercy’s 7^th Annual Gourmet Gala for Gary’s House

When:             Wednesday, March 21

Time:              Doors open at 6 PM, Judging is 6-7:30 PM

Where:            Holiday Inn by the Bay, Portland

Cost:               $40 per person

Highlights:     Comedian Joe Ricchio as the guest MC and auctioneer, Sam Hayward, Chef at Fore Street as guest judge, Music by Paper Street Jazz Band, Silent and Live Auction – items include airline tickets, restaurant gift certificates, jewelry, art and much more.

Restaurants and vendors attending the event include A Moveable Feast, Calendar Island’s Maine Lobster, Cranberry Island Kitchen, CVC Catering, DiMillo’s Floating Restaurant, Figa, Flour Designs, Frog & Turtle Gastro Pub, Holiday Inn by the Bay, Mercy Food Service, Nosh, Otto’s Pizza, The Meat House, Pineland Farms, The Farmer’s Table, and Zapoteca.

For tickets, more information about the event or to sponsor, please contact Kim Toppi at
207-879-3605. For a complete list of participating restaurants visit our website or Facebook Page.

About Gary’s House
Gary’s House opened in 1998 as a safe and affordable place for families to stay when a loved one is in the hospital. Gary’s House is more than just a place for guests to rest, it’s a place where families can gain strength from one another while they cope with emotional and physical stresses that can accompany illness and hospitalization.

About Mercy Health System of Maine
Mercy Health System of Maine is a growing community of health care professionals who provide clinically excellent, compassionate care. A recognized leader in quality, safety, innovation and patient experience, Mercy operates campuses throughout southern Maine, offering a broad range of medical and surgical services, as well as primary and specialty care. The story of Mercy includes Mercy Hospital, Gary’s House, McAuley Residence, Mercy Recovery Center, and VNA Home Health Hospice. For more information, please call (207) 879-3486 or visit www.mercyhospital.org.

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Lucille Moffett of RPC with Michael Newsom of W.J. Wheeler

South Paris & Bethel, Maine – For Immediate Release –During the months of December and January, W.J. Wheeler Insurance Agency donated $500 to Responsible Pet Care of Oxford Hills in Norway, Maine through their popular “Facebook Like Contest”.  The agency will be hosting a similar contest during the month of February, which will benefit another one of its non-profit partners – Oxford Hills Athletic Boosters (OHAB).

OHAB exists to serve the students, parents, faculty and the Oxford Hills community-at-large. Their mission is to promote, support and create interest in the Oxford Hills athletic programs.  Unfortunately, throughout the country and in many parts of Maine, student athletic programs are suffering because of budget cuts.  The OHAB raises money and offers support so that the community’s children can stay healthy, active, and happy through these athletic programs!

Recently, the OHAB has helped the area’s children by purchasing a new scoreboard for the elementary schools, buying a new wrestling mat, paying for the freshman sports programs, and starting a lacrosse program in the middle school.  This only scratches the surface of the benefit that the Boosters are to the community!

The team at the W.J. Wheeler Insurance Agency encourages its local community members to join in the effort to support the OHAB by liking the agency’s Facebook page.  The experts at W.J. Wheeler are committed to supporting the OHAB and making sure that the youth of Maine can still express themselves through athletic programs!

Facebook Page – www.facebook.com/wjwheelerinsurance

About W.J. Wheeler:

Established in 1864, W.J. Wheeler is a locally owned, independent Maine insurance agency.   The insurance experts at W.J. Wheeler strive to offer the highest quality customer service, and take pride in creating long standing relationships with each and every client.  W.J. Wheeler is also invested in the community through programs designed to provide consumer coupons to local businesses and donations to local non-profit organizations.  Finally, they are on the forefront of technology by offering fun and informative opportunities through their social media pages.

Jeff Desmond, KICTeam’s new online marketing specialist, will be handling all digital projects with an emphasis on SEO, along with managing website traffic, social media and customer awareness.

Previously he worked as a marketing coordinator for a jobs oriented website. Desmond is a volunteer for the Gray-New Gloucester Patriot Parents, and enjoys cheering for his son’s Lewiston Area Youth Hockey League team.

Andrew Turner has been hired as KICTeam’s Web developer. He will develop and maintain Web applications to enhance the company’s global online presence.

Turner is a published children’s novelist and is working on his second novel. He also enjoys performing in local theater productions. He spends his free time with his wife and their eight children, ranging in age from 3 to 20.

For more information about KICTeam, a subsidiary of Enefco USA, visit www.cleaningcard.com.

Andrew Turner

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul LePage congratulated Legacy Publishing Company today at a ribbon cutting ceremony in Westbrook as the business announced the expansion of a new customer engagement center. The new center will be located a few minutes from their Westbrook Headquarters and employs 125 Mainers.

The Governor joined Legacy’s Executive Team including Legacy Publishing founder and CEO Steve Anderson and Executive Vice President of Sales Jim DeWolfe to highlight the expansion of the 10,000 square foot facility and the services Legacy has to offer. Westbrook Mayor Colleen Hilton also joined the ceremony.

Legacy Publishing Company is the world’s premier producer and publisher of personal development products and services for families. Executive Vice President of Sales Jim DeWolfe says Legacy puts the knowledge of America’s most respected psychologists and therapists in the hands of parents and couples, to give them practical tools they can learn and apply quickly in their families and relationships.

Delivering remarks, Governor LePage commended the company for their good work within the community. “Even in a tough economy we have bright spots and it’s important we recognize there are companies that are doing well and making a difference in the lives of Maine families. Legacy Publishing is a shining example of the positive contributions a company can have on its employees and its community. Our Administration will work with them to see that they continue to succeed,” said Governor LePage.

“This is a great day in the lives of 214 Legacy employees, the City of Westbrook and the State of Maine,” said DeWolfe. “Legacy’s programs have helped coach and inspire hundreds of thousands of parents. They have instilled hope back into families everywhere and a healthy dynamic back into their homes. As a company, we’re improving the lives of an entire generation of families, one family at a time.”

Legacy’s flagship product, The Total Transformation Program-created by renowned Maine child behavioral therapist James Lehman, MSW-has sold more than a quarter of a million units to date. To schedule an interview, please contact Mary Crowley at 856-5600 x 3005 or mcc@legacypublishingcompany.com . For more information about joining Legacy Publishing Company’s team, visit www.goodnewsgoodjobs.com .

PORTLAND, Maine January 27 2012 – Systems Engineering, the largest independent and employee-owned IT provider in Maine, has developed a niche in the fast growing managed security applications market – attracting companies from brokerage, financial, legal and healthcare market sectors.

The company’s premiere cyber security product, SE Secure®, provides a comprehensive security solution to meet the needs of businesses by delivering a layered, policy-based framework using best-in-class technologies to thwart attacks by cyber criminals. Systems Engineering also delivers an advanced Managed Security option featuring 24-7 monitoring and event correlation for compliance-driven organizations.

“Cyber criminals are getting more and more advanced every day,” said Harry McMann, President of Systems Engineering. “The days of ‘set-it and forget it’ are gone forever. It’s becoming extremely difficult for many companies to maintain IT security that is sophisticated and dynamic enough to stay ahead of the threats. For many companies it has become more cost effective to outsource their IT security to providers like Systems Engineering.”

Information Week estimates that 55% of businesses experience a fraud attack each year, and the Ponemon Institute estimates that the annualized cost of these attacks varies from $284 per enterprise seat for larger-sized organizations to $1,088 per enterprise seat for smaller-sized organizations.  The Systems Engineering portfolio of security services protects customers against these costly attacks by providing 24/7 system monitoring, event management, intrusion prevention, vulnerability scanning, content filtering and compliance reporting as well as appropriate response times designed to protect the network and minimize downtime.

“It’s very important to our clients that their information stay confidential,” said Darryl Hendricks, Director if IT for Preti Flaherty, one of the largest legal firms in Maine. “With SE Secure, we’re saving money, and we’re also saving time in terms of my staff’s resources. It’s one thing to have a piece of hardware in place that’s monitoring something. It’s another thing to have a person who deals with this all the time to understand what that information means.”

In the event of an incident, Systems Engineering’s team of security and network experts has the information and tools necessary to solve the problem quickly, to restore business productivity and to minimize any damage to a client’s reputation.

About Systems Engineering

Systems Engineering, the largest independent and employee-owned IT provider in Maine, is a Northern New England-based information and communications technology consulting company with nearly 100 business technology professionals on staff serving businesses throughout Northern New England for over 20 years. As a leading IT strategy and services leader, Systems Engineering IT professionals have provide comprehensive business technology products and solutions to more than 500 companies and organizations throughout Northern New England. Systems Engineering’s team of technical experts, network engineers, field service professionals, and account managers are available 24/7, 365 days per year. From computer network design, installation, training and administration to a full complement of data management, security, business consultation, and outsource CIO services, Systems Engineering helps business get ahead of IT. Notably, Systems Engineering is 100% owned by the employees of the company. For more information, please visit www.syseng.com or call 207-772-3199.

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Susan Doliner, Matthew Charles O’Reilly and Karen Milliken have joined the Piper Shores Board of Directors.

Scarborough, Maine, January 27, 2012 – Piper Shores, Maine’s first and only non-profit lifecare retirement community, today announced the addition of three newly elected members to its Board of Directors.

New Board Members recently elected at the Annual Meeting in October 2011 include:

Karen Milliken – Vice President at R.M. Davis, Inc.

Matthew Charles O’Reilly – Retired Chief Investment Strategist and Senior Vice President from People’s United Financial, Inc.

Susan Doliner, FAHP – Associate Vice President for Development at Maine Medical Center

These new members join existing board members Patrick O’Reilly, Suzanne Austin, Kathryn Barber, Patrick Costin, Mary Keysor, Stephen Larned, Suzanne McCormick, Stephen deCastro, Sylvia Most, Dennis J. O’Donovan, Victoria Kuhn and Mary M. Bertolet. The Piper Shores Board of Directors is focused on completing construction of the Master Campus Plan started in 2011 and in developing a new five-year strategic plan for the retirement community.

“We are very excited to welcome Susan, Karen and Matthew to the Board of Directors,” said Michael Bierley, Executive Director of Piper Shores. “They are each outstanding business and community leaders, and we look forward to utilizing their talent and experience to further the implementation of our 2012 initiatives, most especially the completion of construction of our Master Campus Plan started in 2011.”

About Piper Shores

Piper Shores is the only nonprofit lifecare retirement community in Maine and the first to be recognized by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and the Continuing Care Accreditation Commission (CCAC) – the nations’ only accrediting body for continuing care retirement communities. Built in 2001 in a style that complements Maine’s architectural heritage, Piper Shores is located on 138 acres of beautiful oceanfront property, situated between Higgins Beach and historic Prouts Neck in Scarborough, Maine. Piper Shores is an innovative retirement community that promotes the long-term wellbeing of its residents through a continuum of activities and lifecare services. Piper Shores’ residents enjoy active, independent lifestyles with guaranteed priority access to on-site assisted living and skilled nursing care, whenever they may need it.

Piper Shores is owned by Maine Life Care Retirement Community, Inc., a Maine nonprofit organization, formed by a group of accomplished local individuals to deliver the shared vision of creating an ideal retirement community on the coast of Maine. Life Care Services, LLC, the nation’s leading development and manager of senior living communities, provides management services for Piper Shores.

For more information, visit http://www.pipershores.org or call 207-883-8700.

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For Immediate Release

MEDIA CONTACT: Danielle Eaton, Media Relations, Lewiston Auburn Film Festival
Telephone: 207-713-4672
Email: Danielle@lafilmfestival.org
www.lafilmfestival.org

Lewiston Auburn Film Festival (LAFF) organizers have released the names of the first round of accepted films to the 2012 festival.  LAFF accepts films in four categories: documentary, feature length, shorts, and experimental.  As of mid-January, almost 350 films have been submitted.

Chairperson of LAFF, Sandra Marquis, said: “Even with the expansion of the festival from a one-day event last year to this year’s three day long festival, we still only have time to show about 45 to 50 hours of film, so the competition is even higher this year.”

In the category of documentaries, LAFF is excited to announce the acceptance of four outstanding films:

Welcome to Lee, Maine (Maine) is the story of a small close-knit community in rural Maine that comes together to deal with the devastating news that it has become the smallest community in America to lose two sons, Joel House and Blair Emery, in the Iraq War.

The Darkness in My Heart (Rwanda) tells of the unspeakable horrors of war and genocide from the perspective of one unbelievably brave and strong young woman.

Finding Donn Fendler: Lost on a Mountain in Maine 72 Years Later (Maine) follows two young filmmakers Ryan Cook and Derek Desmond as they try to track down the infamous Donn Fendler and acquire the rights to share his story in a whole new way.

Four Guys, No Ball: Surviving the World Cup (Argentina & USA) is what happens when four young filmmakers meet in Germany to document World Cup fever.

For feature length films LAFF is happy to welcome:

Schizophrenic Love Story (Texas) a hilarious comedy, where an agoraphobic, schizophrenic consults his three delusions – Mary Mother of Jesus, Einstein, and a vampire –  for love advice when his new neighbor, Lily, shows up with secrets of her own.

We are the Hartmans (New York) starring Richard Chamberlain (Dr. Kildare, Shogun & The Thornbirds) is a heart-warming comedy about a small town music club struggling to survive against corporate takeovers.

Three short films LAFF organizers urge you to explore include:

The Carrier (California) with a star-studded cast including Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill), Rita Wilson (Sleepless in Seattle, Volunteers) and several familiar faces from True Blood including Anna Paquin (X-Men) and Mariana Klaveno, The Carrier follows a grieving mother’s attempts to warn her son’s partners of his HIV positive diagnosis after his untimely death.

Flippy Day (Maine) directed by native Mainer Michael Panenka and made for the 2009 48 Hour Film Festival in Portland, Flippy Day is a comedy about an obscure holiday sacred only to roller skaters as observed by its unique followers.

Atroz (Spain) shares a hilarious insight into the torturous life of a teddy bear as told from his point of view.

For experimental films, LAFF is proud to present:

Colony Collapse (Maine) an eerily beautiful view of an abandoned looking downtown Lewiston amidst a snowstorm.

Out of Step (Pennsylvania) the innermost thoughts of female war veterans are shared through both spoken word and interpretive dance.

Automata (Australia) is the dark-humored story of Henry, the last in a long line of duck hunters, and explores the obsession between the hunter and his prey.

The Lewiston Auburn Film Festival will take place on April 13, 14 & 15.  Friday will open the festival weekend with a special concert with Don McLean at the Franco American Heritage Center in Lewiston.  Saturday’s movie goers will experience theater going in a whole new light as venues all across Lewiston Auburn turn their spaces into movie theaters for a day.  Saturday night will culminate with a Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony at the Hilton Garden Inn Auburn Riverwatch.  Sunday’s VIP ticket holders will enjoy a brunch at Fishbones before heading over to the Public Theater, where ticket holders will view a selection of the winning films from the previous night’s award show. Ticket prices and information are available at www.lafilmfestival.org.