DOVER-FOXCROFT – The Thompson Free Library will present the next event in the annual James Brown Lecture Series on Thursday, May 6. Maryanne C. Ward, retired Chair of the Humanities programs at both Kenyon College in Ohio and Centre College in Kentucky, will give a free public talk, “Jane Austen and Gardens,” at 6:30 p.m. in the library’s new addition.            
The lecture series has been endowed with memorial funds donated to the Thompson Free Library in memory of Brown, who lost his life in a boating accident in 2008. The series presents lectures on topics related to history and literature, both areas of the humanities of great interest to Brown.  
As the longtime chair of the English Department at Foxcroft Academy, Brown helped two generations of students explore the world of books. He was president of the Thompson Free Library Association and chaired its Executive Committee during the capital campaign that resulted in construction of the library addition in 2006. Brown was also active in the Dover-Foxcroft Historical Society.  
Prof. Ward retired in 2006 after more than 40 years in small college education. She taught Russian and Humanities at Kenyon, where she chaired the Humanities Department and served as Academic Dean, before moving to Centre College to become Professor of English and Chair of the Humanities program there until her retirement.     
Her area of special interest and scholarship is 19th-century British literature. Among other topics, her publications examined the relationship between literature, landscape and painting.  
“So many people have read her novels and now have seen the film versions, I want to provide yet another view of Jane Austen, one informed by study of her novels and the history of landscape gardening,” said Ward. “I have walked through and studied the gardens of many of the great estates in England. Landscape gardening is now and was a very hot topic in England in the late-18th and early-19th century.”  Ward said Jane Austen had a keen interest in landscape gardening styles of her day. “Her opinions on the correct way to arrange and care for a great estate are evident in her novels. She frequently uses those great gardens as a subtle form of characterization. However, her depiction of those estates changes over the course of her career as the agricultural economy declined, leading her to find other physical manifestations of the basic values that underlie her novels.” 
Prof. Ward’s abiding interest in landscape and gardening has found a new outlet in Maine, where she is the Master Gardener in charge of maintaining the New England Garden at the Blaine House in Augusta.  
A member of the Board of Directors for the Maine Humanities Council, Prof. Ward has degrees from Marymount Manhattan (AB), the University of Virginia (MA English, MA Russian), and Ohio State (Ph.D. in English).
Maryanne Ward and her husband, John, live in Pittston, where they raise vegetables for themselves and their grown children and grandchildren.

Portland, ME – Looking for a treasure? Goodwill is the place to find it!  Goodwill Industries of Northern New England invites shoppers and donors to the Grand Opening celebration of their new Belfast store and donation center on Saturday, May 24 at 9 a.m. Grand Opening celebrations include a ribbon cutting ceremony at 9am, door prizes every half hour from 9am-2pm, and drawings for gift baskets and a $100 gas card.

Located near the intersection of Routes 1 and 3, behind Pizza Hut and the Camden National Bank, this brand new, modern 12,000 square-foot Goodwill store will provide the community with a valuable shopping experience–and an easy way to drop off donated goods.  A convenient drive-through area will allow staff members to assist with all donations. 

The store will carry a combination of new and donated goods, from clothing, books, and household items to furniture and jewelry.  The store and donation center hours will be Monday through Saturday 9am – 8pm and Sunday 9am – 6pm. 

“We are very excited to be opening a brand-new store in Belfast,” says Michael Coughlin, Executive Director at Goodwill Industries. “In this, our 75^th year, we continue to expand our retail operations to further our mission.” 

The Belfast Goodwill store will employ 13 full- and part-time employees.  Revenue generated through the network of 25 retail stores in northern New England enables Goodwill to fund its human services programs which assist individuals with disabilities and those who face other barriers achieve social and economic independence.  Visit Goodwill online at www.goodwillnne.org for more information.

Portland-The Neurorehabilitation Internship Program offered through Goodwill Industries of Northern New England was recently approved for membership in the Association of Postdoctoral and Psychology Internship Centers (APPIC). APPIC is an educational, non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance internship and postdoctoral training programs in professional psychology. Members are independent agencies conducting or sponsoring internships or postdoctoral training programs, with over 700 programs represented. As an APPIC member, the Goodwill Industries Neurorehabilitation Internship Program has earned the ability to participate in APPIC`s computer match program, designed to match the training interests of an intern with the experiences provided by the member program. Goodwill Industries of Northern New England offers two Neurorehabilitation programs, BaySide in Portland, Maine and WestSide in Lewiston, Maine. Both programs serve individuals with acquired brain injuries and other neurological impairments. In becoming an APPIC member, Goodwill’s desirable learning environment has become available to pre-doctoral interns throughout the country. Selected interns will gain the opportunity to get hands-on experience working with a multi-disciplinary team made up of occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech therapists, counselors, nurses, recreational therapists, physiatrists, and neuropsychologists. Working as a member of this multidisciplinary team provides a unique learning experience that is not often available to interns looking for training opportunities. Goodwill`s NeuroRehabilitation Services also maintain an extensive database which allows for excellent research opportunities for the interns. Leading this internship program for Goodwill is Robert Perna, Ph.D., ABPN. Dr. Perna is the Clinical Director at WestSide NeuroRehabilitation Services, and is board certified in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. He is an adjunct associate professor teaching neuroscience at the University of Southern Maine and has published and presented on numerous brain injury and neurorehabilitation issues. Dr. Perna’s research interests include brain injury treatment outcomes, psychological adjustment after brain injury, cognitive rehabilitation, and pharmacological interventions for treatment of brain injury.

Portland-Goodwill Industries of Northern New England warns the public of a scam using their name. The scam targets individuals by sending them a letter via mail, email, or fax indicating they’ve won the “Goodwill Lotto” or the “Goodwill International Lotto”.

In some reported cases, a check for a smaller amount is sent, with instructions to cash it and mail part of the money back for transaction fees. Your bank account information is also required. After the checks are cashed, scammers use the information to empty your account.

Goodwill is not affiliated with this scam. Please disregard any notifications with the “Goodwill Lotto” name. If you believe you’ve been scammed please contact your local police.

Goodwill Industries International is a network of 186 Goodwill agencies in United States and Canada, and fifteen other countries. For more information visit www.goodwillnne.org

Portland-The Board of Directors of Goodwill Industries of Northern New England announces their selection of Michael Coughlin as the next Executive Director of their organization.

“From the many highly qualified candidates who sought the position, Mike has a unique combination of skills that made him our clear choice,” said Matt Hunter, Director and Chair of the Search Committee.

Coughlin previously was National Director of Client Services and Vice President for Research and Development for CHC- Working Well, a Canadian behavioral health provider ranked as one of the 50 best managed, private companies in the country. He also served as Vice President of Operations for Warren Shepell consultants of Canada, where he oversaw 28 offices spread across Canada and led a professional staff of 1,200 which served some 70,000 clients each year.

For the last four years, Coughlin has served as the Executive Director of Genesis Behavioral Health, a Comprehensive Community Mental Health Center that serves the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Under his leadership, Genesis has grown its revenues by a third, markedly expanded its partnerships with other organizations, and improved its quality of care.

Coughlin holds a Masters degree in Social Work from Columbia University and began his career as a child care worker and counselor. Coughlin will succeed Dr. Kevin Baack, who is retiring in early May having served as Goodwill’s Executive Director for three decades.

“In so many ways Dr. Baack has shaped Goodwill into the dynamic organization that it is today,” says Judith Stone, President of Goodwill Board of Directors. “Whoever succeeded him would have a tremendous challenge before them,” Stone continues, “We are confident, that based on both Mike’s past accomplishments and his deep interest in the mission and future of Goodwill, that he will be able to build upon the work Dr. Baack has done.”

“I am privileged to be joining a tremendous Board and staff at Goodwill Industries of Northern New England, to continue the work started by Dr. Helms 105 years ago,” says Coughlin. “It is an honor – and a little daunting – to be following in the footsteps of Dr. Kevin Baack, who has led Goodwill for so long, and who has helped it become one of the strongest nonprofit agencies in New England. I promise to dedicate myself to honoring the work of those who came before, by maintaining the values and traditions that have made Goodwill so successful, by always remembering the clients we serve, and by looking for innovations that will shape our next 100 years.”

Goodwill Industries of Northern New England has been a community resource since 1933. Its programs are offered for people who live with disabilities or other disadvantages with a mission of promoting independence and community inclusion. Goodwill’s four major program areas are Employment Services, Brain Injury Services, Deaf Services, and Developmental Disability Services providing support for over 4,000 people throughout Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. These programs are funded in part by the revenues from Goodwill’s 23 retail stores.

Goodwill Industries International is a network of 185 local, autonomous Goodwill Industries organizations in the United States and Canada, and 45 international associate members in 34 countries. For more information visit www.goodwillnne.org