Greenwood, Maine – Saturday, May 18th, Western Maine Cash Mob, organized by W.J. Wheeler Insurance Agency, met at the Locke Mills Union Church along with all of the mobbers anxiously waiting to hear where they would be shopping.  They then prepared to head over to the chosen business, Maine Line products armed with their $20 bills.

The mobbers spent a total of $476 dollars at Maine Line Products, stimulating the local economy while having a blast with other community members.  Joshua Stoehner, a mobber said, “I had a great time and love my new gifts. I’m surprised how much we could purchase with only $20 and the quality is spot on. I look forward to another mobbing!”

Afterward, everyone gathered for the After Mob Party where they enjoyed wraps and cookies made by The Good Food Store, provided by Great Falls Insurance Company.  Door prizes were awarded including gift certificates from Maine C&C Farm, Colby’s Arctic Cat and Pats Pizza of Bethel.  Oxford Federal Credit Union gave several door prizes which included a Coolers, t-shirts and travel mugs.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the Western Maine Cash Mob such a hit:  W.J. Wheeler Insurance Agency, Great Falls Insurance Company, Advertiser Democrat, Maine Line Products and The Good Food Store.  Also, thank you to our season sponsors who helped provide the free reusable shopping bag to all of the mobbers, Café Nomad, Hannaford, Maine C&C Farm, Market Square Restaurant, Casco Candles, Bessey Motors, H&R Block in South Paris, Carter’s X-C Ski and  Pleasant Hill Property Services.

We hope you can join us for the next Cash Mob on June 22nd.  Like our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/westernmainecashmob to stay up to date with all of the Western Maine Cash Mobs!

Zoning Conversation on Tap for TOMORROW’s Conference in Portland; Municipal Officials Eligible for Free Admission
National expert to be joined by local panel for event entitled “The Retrofitting Movement: Repositioning Underutilized Commercial Real Estate”

PORTLAND, Maine (May 21, 2013) – The Maine Real Estate & Development Association (MEREDA) will host a conversation around the cutting-edge concept of retrofitting and creative re-use planning at their annual spring conference, scheduled for THIS Wednesday, May 22 in Portland. MEREDA will welcome to Maine a leading expert on the topic of retrofitting, Ellen Dunham-Jones, and will host a panel of local experts. Additionally, MEREDA will recognize the six most noteworthy and significant Maine commercial development projects from the previous year at the conference. Municipal employees and officials are eligible for free admission by contacting MEREDA at 207-874-0801.

Dunham-Jones is a leading authority on suburban redevelopment.  She has been featured in The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Harvard Design Magazine, Urban Land, Planning, Architectural Record, TEDx and other venues. Co-author of Retrofitting Suburbia, Dunham-Jones will share case studies of underperforming asphalt properties that have been redesigned and redeveloped into vital centers of community. Her presentation will focus on adaptive reuse of vacant buildings, environmental repair, revising zoning codes and public works standards and providing easements for future connectivity and adaptability.

Local experts who will participate on the panel include Sarah Schindler of the University of Maine School of Law, Denis Lachman of Lachman Architects & Planners, Tex Haeuser of the City of South Portland, Vanessa Farr of the Town of Yarmouth and Craig Gorris of The Maine Mall. Each have been involved in the retrofitting movement and will support Dunham-Jones’ presentation by addressing some of the practical challenges and opportunities with respect to retrofitting in Maine communities.

“Retrofitting is one of the important trends in play all around the country and MEREDA is pleased to host this discussion. Ellen is a true expert and it’s a real boon to have her in Maine,” said Drew Sigfridson, MEREDA President. “Attendees will explore how Maine communities, large and small, can reach their architectural, cultural, and economic potential by making best use of scarce community resources to enhance commerce, walkability and community heritage.”

MEREDA will also recognize the six most notable 2012 commercial development projects in Maine, all of which embody MEREDA’s belief in responsible development; projects include: 

• West Street Hotel in Bar Harbor by Ocean Properties, Ltd.
• The Lofts at Bates Mill in Lewiston by The Szanton Company
• Harold Alfond Forum in Biddeford by the University of New England
• Oak Street Lofts in Portland by Avesta Housing
• Park Street School in Kennebunk by Avesta Housing
• Emery School in Biddeford by Avesta Housing

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Sigfridson notes that MEREDA hosts a spring conference annually, and that while everyone is welcome, the intended audience is real estate developers and their allies, such as attorneys, architects, engineers, bankers, realtors, planners, municipal officials and/or “anyone interested in a creative and useful tool that creates value while enhancing community.”

MEREDA’s “The Retrofitting Movement: Repositioning Underutilized Commercial Real Estate” will take place on Wednesday, May 22 at the Holiday Inn By the Bay in Portland from 1 to 5 pm, with a social hour to follow. Admission is $95 and pre-registration is required. MEREDA members are offered a $20 discount and, this year, students and municipal officials and employees are offered free admission with pre-registration.

The conference is sponsored by Blais Civil Engineers, Libby Hill, Mainebiz, Pierce Atwood, EnviroVantage, Building Envelope Specialists, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, SMRT and Sevee & Maher Engineers.

For more information and to register, visit www.mereda.org .

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(Portland, ME) The Maine Center for Entrepreneurial Development (MCED), Target Technology Incubator and the Foster Center for Student Innovation announced today that they are accepting registrations for the next Top Gun Prep class.

The 9-week online course, beginning June 4, will be open to any Maine entrepreneur. The course is well suited for entrepreneurs building scalable innovation-based companies, but 75% of the Top Gun Prep curriculum is also helpful to entrepreneurs building small or micro-enterprises. The content will combine important basics with advanced concepts. College students contemplating entrepreneurship will get a great start, while more experienced entrepreneurs will be connected with some of the leading edge thinking on how to build large, successful, groundbreaking companies. The cost for the course is $300.  For more information, please visit the Top Gun Maine registration page or www.topgunmaine.biz.

The Northern Maine Development Commission (NMDC) is offering scholarships to entrepreneurs in Aroostook and Washington counties to cover tuition, books and materials for the Top Gun Prep course.  Funding for the program was secured from USDA Rural Development and the Northern Border Regional Commission.

“Sound business planning and financing options are extremely important to startup businesses,” said Jennifer Peters, Sunrise County Economic Council (SCEC) assistant director. “SCEC is happy to help make this opportunity available for Washington County entrepreneurs.”

There is a $25 application fee, which will be refunded at the successful completion of the course.  Applications can be found on the NMDC website, http://www.nmdc.org or by contacting Duane Walton at 498-8736 or dwalton@nmdc.org. Applications are also available from Peters at SCEC, 255-0983 or scec@sunrisecounty.org. Acceptance into the program will be determined after a review of the applications.

The application deadline is May 24 and the start day for the Top Gun Prep is June 4.

A limited number of other scholarships may be available to entrepreneurs outside of Washington and Aroostook counties by contacting MCED directly.

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About MCED and Top Gun Maine

The Top Gun Maine program is made possible by the Blackstone Accelerates Growth initiative, the Maine Technology Institute, the Department of Economic and Community Development as well as many local business sponsors, program advisors and mentors.

MCED is a business incubator in Portland, Maine that provides high-quality information, mentorship, world-class training, and expertise to encourage sustainable, Maine-based entrepreneurship in a global economy. MCED increases the success rate of scalable, innovative companies by leveraging the collective resources of Maine’s three technology centers and eliminating geographic barriers statewide.

CONTACT:

Susan Ruhlin

774-8111

sruhlin@mced.biz

Contact
Gillian Britt
gBritt PR, (207) 775-2126

PORTLAND, Maine – PORTopera will hold its annual gala auction on June 14 at 6:30 p.m. to benefit the 19^th season production of Puccini’s La Bohème. This year’s theme, inspired by the mainstage production, is Paris, and the evening will take the form of a Parisian Cabaret. The gala will be held at Marriott Sable Oaks in South Portland and guests will be treated to a night of entertainment and gourmet treats at the “Cafe Momus.”

Internationally recognized singers Suzanne Nance and John McVeigh will headline the entertainment portion of the evening, which will also feature dancers from the Portland Ballet Company and other entertainers performing in true cabaret style. Guests may join in the fun and dance to the Bob Charest Band; Kaja Veilleux will act as auctioneer for the live auction.

Highlights of the auction include sold out premium seats to the opening night performance of La Bohème, a weekend Metropolitan Opera getaway to see the Met’s presentation of Bellini’s Norma starring Maine’s own Kate Aldrich, a week-long stay in a Paris apartment complete with a tour of the Palais Garnier Opera House, and walk on roles in PORTopera’s La Bohème.

Tickets for the gala are $125 per person and tables are available to seat parties of 10, 8, and 4. For further information or to request an invitation, call (207) 879-7678.

PORTopera is Maine’s only opera company performing fully staged operas with nationally and internationally acclaimed artists.  This summer, La Bohème is scheduled for three performances at Merrill Auditorium: Wednesday, July 24; Friday, July 26, and Sunday, July 28 (matinee). Tickets are available through PortTIX, porttix.com. For more information, visit www.portopera.org.

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Contact:
Gillian Britt, (207) 775-2126
gBritt PR

PORTLAND, Maine –Portland Symphony Orchestra Music Director Robert Moody announced yesterday that Norman Huynh (pronounced “When”) has been named Assistant Conductor and Community Liaison for the PSO.  Huynh is the first to hold this newly-created position.  He will conduct on various concerts cycles for the symphony, most notably on “Discovery,” “Pops,” and Education/Outreach concerts, and will provide leadership for the PSO in broadening community involvement and engagement.

Chosen from a field of nearly ninety applicants, Huynh will be an advocate for educational and community engagement vision and initiatives, specifically assisting the Music Director in planning, programming, and executing the Discovery andYouth Concerts, and offering creative input for Discovery Concert activities and PSO education program development. In addition, he will participate in the planning of PSO community events including the PSO Music Lovers’ Luncheons and Conductor’s Circle Onstage Events.

“I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to have Norman join our team,” said Music Director Robert Moody.  “We were looking for a person with energy, expertise, and potential for just the right chemistry with both the orchestra and community, and we found him!  I think that in no time at all, Norman will become an invaluable asset for the arts in Portland.”

PSO Executive Director Lisa Dixon said, “It is fitting that we share this news first with the attendees of our Discovery Concert because this is exactly the kind of program that he will be involved in going forward. The Discovery Concerts were generated from our desire to connect more with the community and provide affordable access to symphony performances. We look forward to continuing to work to fulfill that part of our mission with Norman’s help.”

Prior to joining PSO, Huynh was a cover conductor for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra where he had the opportunity to work with renowned conductors Marin Alsop, Juanjo Mena, Vasily Petrenko, and Christoph König. He co-founded the Occasional Symphony in Baltimore to expose orchestral music to the community by performing in non-traditional venues across the city.

A native of Alabama, Huynh earned his bachelors degree from the University of Alabama, where he was a euphonium player and member of the Alabama marching “Million Dollar Band.” He completed his master’s degree in orchestral conducting at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University where he was the assistant conductor for the Peabody Symphony Orchestra, Peabody Concert Orchestra, Peabody Singers, and the Peabody-Hopkins Chorus.

About the Portland Symphony Orchestra:
Founded in 1923, the Portland Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is the largest performing arts organization in Maine and is widely regarded as one of the top symphony orchestras of its size in the country. Made up of more than 80 professional musicians, the PSO is renowned for its critically acclaimed performances and broad community engagement.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Maine’s Most Notable Commercial Development Projects to be Recognized on Wednesday
Bar Harbor, Lewiston, Portland, Kennebunk and Biddeford projects to receive awards from Maine Real Estate & Development Association

PORTLAND, Maine (May 17, 2013) – The Maine Real Estate & Development Association (MEREDA) will recognize the six most notable 2012 commercial development projects in Maine at its annual spring conference on Wednesday, May 22.

All of the projects being recognized embody MEREDA’s belief in responsible development; each was completed in 2012 and all are fully tenanted. Projects were selected based upon the following additional criteria:

• Environmentally sustainability
• Economic impact
• Energy efficiency
• Social impact
• Job creation
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Projects include:

• Bar Harbor: West Street Hotel by Ocean Properties, Ltd.
• Lewiston: The Lofts at Bates Mill by The Szanton Company
• Biddeford: Harold Alfond Forum by the University of New England
• Portland: Oak Street Lofts by Avesta Housing
• Kennebunk: Park Street School by Avesta Housing
• Biddeford: Emery School by Avesta Housing

Representatives from each of the above projects will be at the event to receive an award.

A backgrounder on each of the projects is available by contacting MEREDA.

For more information about the conference and to register, visit www.mereda.org.

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Bernstein Shur Attorney Honored by Business & Industry Association of NH
Karen S. Aframe Receives “Above and Beyond” Award for Work on Human Resources Committee

Manchester, NH and Portland and Augusta, ME (May 17, 2013) – Karen S. Aframe, leader of Bernstein Shur’s Manchester, New Hampshire Labor and Employment Practice Group, was honored with the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire’s Above and Beyond Award, at an event held in Manchester.

The Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire serves as the statewide chamber of commerce. Working alongside the governor, legislators and state regulators, BIA develops and shapes pro-business public policy that fosters a strong state economy. The Above and Beyond Award was created to honor individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service and commitment to BIA’s mission and goals.

“The Above and Beyond Awards recognize those individuals who have gone the extra mile and demonstrated an extraordinary willingness and commitment to helping the organization be successful,” said Jim Roche, president of the Business and Industry Association.

Aframe, a labor and employment attorney, currently sits on the HR, Health Care and Workforce Development Committee and has been instrumental in revising the BIA employee handbook to ensure compliance with current law and best employment practices.

“Karen is a talented labor and employment attorney,” said Charles E. Miller, Bernstein Shur’s CEO. “We are proud to see her committing her time and expertise to improving the New Hampshire business climate.”

In addition to her service with BIA, Aframe represents the interests of management in all aspects of labor and employment law, including compliance with state and federal wage and hour laws and non-discrimination laws; she also represents clients before state and federal agencies. Aframe assists employers with best practices concerning the Affordable Care Act, social media, and other developing areas of the law. She is chair of the New Hampshire Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Section.

A resident of Hopkinton, New Hampshire, Aframe received her BA from Stanford University and her JD from Northeastern School of Law. Prior to attending law school, she worked at the United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, and was awarded the Civil Rights Division Special Achievement Award.

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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UNE and Apothecary by Design’s partnership furthers success of school, students and community

Portland, Maine – (May 16, 2013) Apothecary by Design Pharmacy is proud to announce it has hired Frank Jamison, a member of the University of New England’s College of Pharmacy inaugural class, as a full-time pharmacist.

Bringing Jamison onto the Apothecary by Design team is also an example of how UNE’s new pharmacy program and Apothecary by Design have partnered to expand the region’s educational and economic opportunities.

A Colorado native, Jamison came to UNE because of the exciting opportunities this new program offered.

“The appealing part of UNE was that it was a new program that focuses on research and community outreach,” said Jamison. “It really allowed us to be involved in shaping what UNE’s College of Pharmacy will be going forward.”

Apothecary by Design Principal Catherine Cloudman said they are looking forward to having Jamison join the company.

“He has been an energetic, competent, motivated and fun team member and has gotten exposure in all areas of our pharmacy from retail to compounding to specialty,” Cloudman said. “We are very excited about him joining the ABD team on a full-time basis.”

Jamison started at Apothecary by Design after he was selected to complete his internship rotation at the company. He later took a part-time position in 2010. Jamison said he was eager to work at Apothecary by Design not only because of the variety of services it offers, including nutraceuticals, compounding and specialty pharmacy services, but because of the level of care the pharmacy gives.

“They really focus on the patient’s specific care,” said Jamison. “It’s a very unique place to work. The people who work there gave me an idea of how pharmacy care should be done and how people should be practicing.”

Apothecary by Design has been a partner of the UNE College of Pharmacy program since its inception. The company has hosted more than 20 interns and Apothecary by Design pharmacists have lectured at the school. The pharmacy also has three to five UNE pharmacy students working part time with the company at any given time.

“We are offering a rich opportunity for pharmacy students that is an alternative to the chain pharmacy experience,” said Cloudman. “We provide tremendous exposure to a broad array of pharmacy services in an entrepreneurial environment.”

Apothecary by Design’s close relationship with UNE also benefits the community because it attracts top students to the community and keeps them in Maine past graduation, said Cloudman.

“These are good paying jobs at a local business in Portland and in Bayside, an area of economic development,” said Cloudman. “These types of collaboration between business and education are good for the overall economic development of Portland.”

Apothecary by Design is a locally-owned full-service pharmacy that offers retail prescription services, pharmaceutical compounding, specialty pharmacy services, quality nutraceuticals and information about disease management and nutritional health and well-being.

Located in the Bayside neighborhood of Portland, Apothecary By Design opened its doors during a tough economy in 2008. Since then, it has grown to two locations and today has about 50 full-time employees.

Learn more: www.apothecarybydesign.com

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Email: david@homeandaway.biz                                      Web:  www.homeandaway.biz

Kennebunkport, Maine; May 16, 2013

Home & Away Gallery in Kennebunkport will host Jeremy Frey on Saturday, May 18, 11 AM to 5 PM. Basket making demonstrations throughout the day; slideshow at 1:30 PM

Sometimes a tradition that is hundreds of years old is shaken up by one newcomer. Such is the case with Passamaquoddy basket maker Jeremy Frey. His ancestors, along with people from the Penobscot, Micmac and Maliseet tribes, have been making baskets for hundreds of years. Frey’s baskets have elevated this craft to an art form that has been recognized by his peers as well as by judges at the Santa Fe Indian Market as the best in the Native American art world.

Frey’s baskets exhibit an exceptional mastery of weaving skills. More importantly, though, they exude an exceptional aesthetic sense. People are drawn to his baskets because they are breathtakingly beautiful. Frey combines form, pattern, and color into exquisite vessels are worthy of any museum collection. Seeing his baskets in person  is a moving experience, not only for basket collectors, but for anyone who likes being in the presence of masterful objects of art.

In 2011, Jeremy Frey was the first basket maker to win Best of Show at the Santa Fe Indian Market, the most prestigious gathering of Native American artists in the U.S. He was also awarded Best of Show at the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market, making him the second artist to win both awards in the same year. His work has been in a traveling exhibit with New York’s Museum of Arts & Design, and has continued to win awards through 2013.

For much of their history, baskets made by Maine Indians were utilitarian: heavy and durable. Once tourists began traveling to Maine’s seaside resorts, astute weavers, primarily women, began making fancy baskets with a lighter, more graceful aesthetic. Fancy baskets were designed to hold handkerchiefs and sewing kits, rather than potatoes and camping gear.

Fancy basket makers kept the tradition alive long after the heyday of rail and horse travel to Bar Harbor, Kennebunkport, and similar towns. Beginning in the 1990′s, the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance  began the important work of matching master basket makers with younger folks in their community who was willing to learn how to weave ash and sweetgrass into baskets.

Jeremy Frey was one of many beneficiaries of this effort. While some of his training was provided by his mother, Frances (Gal) Frey, he also got a boost from a training program sponsored by the Alliance. Jeremy is grateful for this opportunity. He gives back to the community by helping others to learn the intricacies of weaving, so they, too, can keep their people’s traditions evolving well into the 21st century.

Frey will be at Home & Away Gallery from 11 AM to 5 PM on Saturday, May 18. He will be demonstrating basket weaving throughout the day, and will give a slide show at 1:30 PM. Seating is limited for the slide show; RSVP is required. Contact David Shultz at 207 967-2122, or david@homeandaway.biz.

About Home &Away Gallery:

Home & Away Gallery, located in Kennebunkport, Maine offers an uncommon and exceptional selection of Inuit art from Canada; Eskimo and other native arts and jewelry from Alaska and the Northwest; and Indian art and jewelry from Maine and the Southwest. Owners Ann and David Shultz represent living artists who honor their cultural traditions.  They delight in the work of artists whose vision allows them to step beyond tradition into unexplored territory, continuing the evolution of their culture’s artwork that has taken place over hundreds or even thousands of years.

Media Contact: Connie Pacillo
Tel: 207.712.6543
Email: connie.pacillo@creativecontentpartners.com

                        
Westbrook, Maine, May 16, 2013 – Mission Possible Teen Center, an after-school drop in space for youth, 10-18, located in Westbrook, Maine today announced it is celebrating its 15-year anniversary with a refreshed logo and a new name: My Place Teen Center (MPTC). The logo and name are designed to work together to communicate the organization’s mission to teens, while establishing an easily identifiable visual element for current and future supporters.

“Throughout our last 15 years, we, as a community, achieved the goal of establishing a safe, after-school space with great programing for our teens,” said Donna Dwyer, MPTC executive director, “Moving forward, we needed a name and strong visual identity that made it clear to everyone: our teens and to our supporters, who MPTC is and the fantastic future we have in front of us.”

For consistency, the center’s new name has the same acronym as its former moniker and includes input from the teens. “We chose My Place Teen Center in part because our teens often refer to the center as my place to chill, my place to be safe, my place to hang out with friends,” Dwyer said. “This truly is their place and it also helps set us apart from the variety of other mission possible entities across the country with which we have no affiliation.”

The new logo references the center’s well-established entrance. “Everyone at MPTC: staff, volunteers and teens mention our red doors whenever we talk about the center,” Dwyer said. “The doors are a beacon, a sort of harbinger of hope and the kids know that we offer a safe and supportive community on the other side.”

The new logo will include a celebratory anniversary banner from May 16, 2013 to May 16, 2014.

“It is an honor to do the work that we do,” said Dwyer, “We are driven to respond to the urgent need to get kids to stay in school, yearn for something beyond their present moment, and to laud social responsibility as tantamount to our mission.

MPTC opened its doors May 16, 1998 in Westbrook’s Dana Warp Mill. In 2004, due to a lack of space, the center relocated to 755 Main Street, Westbrook and resides in that space today.

My Place Teen Center (MPTC) is an after-school program for youth ages 10-18. MPTC offers multi-purpose, academically enriching, life-skills enhancing programs and has been the focal point of Westbrook’s teen activities since its inception in 1998.

A safe and fun haven, MPTC provides complete, healthy nightly dinners and sustains youth with comfort, resources and hope. MPTC’s goal is to help youths develop the academic, job readiness and life skills necessary to lead independent adult lives filled with stewardship, courage, passion and joy.

MPTC offers a structured, supervised curriculum and provides daily programming that includes service learning, mentoring, homework assistance, physical fitness, arts and crafts, cooking, nutrition and also has an onsite Technology Learning Lab.

Stats: For 2012-2013: MPTC serves 40-70 kids/day and prepares more than 14,000 meals.

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