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.

Brunswick, Maine: Cornerstones of Science, the national science literacy initiative based in Brunswick, is the recipient of a $5,000 grant to recognize the 50 th anniversary of the publication of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, heralded as one of the most significant books of the 20th century and the beginning of the environmental movement.

To mark the occasion, Cornerstones of Science is partnering with the Marine Environmental Research Institute (MERI) in Blue Hill to sponsor MERI’s 2012 Rachel Carson Lectures, a monthly series that increases public awareness and understanding of critical ocean issues. In addition to Dr. Susan Shaw, director of MERI and leading marine toxicologist, the series will bring other national and international scientists to speak on current topics from aquaculture to climate change to science communication and microplastics. The lectures will be recorded for online viewing and will be part of Cornerstone of Science’s year-long program, Silent Spring Revisited: Rachel Carson’s Legacy and Ocean Health Today.

MERI’s first 2012 Rachel Carson Lecture is on January 26, 2012, with University of Maine professor Dr. Stephen Coghlan. He will speak on:
The Penobscot Undammed: Restoring the River: A thousand square miles of river habitat will open up when the Veazie and Great Works dams on the Penobscot River come down. With the construction of a fish bypass on a third dam, 11 species of sea-run fish will be able to return to their historic spawning grounds. This is a significant step in addressing more than 100 years of damage to the river’s fragile ecosystem. Dr. Steve Coghlan from the University of Maine’s Department of Wildlife Ecology will discuss the impacts of dam removal and answer the question: Can we restore the Penobscot to its historic natural state?

Location: MERI Center for Marine Studies, 55 Main Street, Blue Hill, Maine from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. A reception honoring the speaker begins at 6:00 p.m. Seating is limited, so please arrive early. For information, call (207) 374-2135 or email info@meriresearch.org . For directions and more information, please visit MERI’s website: www.meriresearch.org

Funding for this program is in part from the New England Ocean Science Education Collaborative (NEOSEC) and the Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence – Ocean Systems (COSEE-OS).

In addition to MERI’s 2012 Rachel Carson lecture series, the statewide celebration will include the following:
• Cornerstones of Science will host book clubs, and science café-style book discussions at local libraries throughout the state. Upcoming lectures and activities throughout 2012 can be found at the Cornerstone of Science website, www.cornerstonesofscience.org .
• Marine Environmental Research Institute (MERI) Director Dr. Susan Shaw will be a featured speaker at World Ocean Day, a Rachel Carson celebration on June 8 at the Portland Art Museum, sponsored by the Maine Coastal Program. The event features three women leaders in ocean sciences: Dr. Shaw, marine toxicologist, explorer and doctor of Public Health; Nancy Knowlton, world-renowned coral reef scientist; and Anne Doubilet, hall-of-fame diver, oceanographer and explorer.
• Portland Public Library and Cornerstones of Science will host an end-of year celebration featuring a panel discussion and film screening of A Sense of Wonder, the award-winning play based on Rachel Carson’s final months at her home in Maine, performed by Kaiulani Lee (Details TBA).

Other events and activities will be announced throughout the year.

Contact: Cynthia Randall, Director, cynthia.randall @ cornerstonesofscience.com
Susan Ryan, Associate Director, susan.ryan @ cornerstonesofscience.com
Rebecca Carino, Marine Environmental Research Institute, communications @ meriresearch.org

Cornerstones of Science, 14 Maine Street, Brunswick, Maine 04011,
207-208-8975
MERI Center for Marine Studies, 55 Main Street, Blue Hill, Maine 04614,
207-374-2135

January 16, 2012
GrowSmart Maine
309 Cumberland Avenue
Suite 202
Portland, ME 04101
207.699.4330

CONTACT: Mary H. Mayo

GrowSmart Maine Receives $46,000 Grant

PORTLAND – GrowSmart Maine has received a $46,000 grant from the Quality of Place Fund of the Maine Community Foundation for its work to promote Maine’s quality of place by integrating working and natural landscape conservation, economic growth, and community revitalization. $10,000 of this award is intended to support GrowSmart Maine’s Summit 2012.

GrowSmart Maine will use these funds to undertake a formal review of the issues raised in the landmark report Charting Maine’s Future, analyzing progress, risks and opportunities since 2006. By including specific recommendations, suggestions and case studies, Charting Maine’s Future 2020 will serve as Maine’s strategic plan for sustainable growth for years to come. The project will culminate in a statewide summit in the fall of 2012.

GrowSmart Maine will also continue in its work to identify regulatory redundancies and other impediments to smart growth; build toward the completion of “ReEnvisioning the Highway Strip” to follow on the success of the Maine Model Town project in Standish; and advocate for sustainable prosperity in Maine.

GrowSmart Maine promotes quality of place by convening and engaging in public conversations about Maine’s future, contributing common sense policy analysis, educating the public, advocating for state and local change, and supporting model practices.

In 2009, the Environmental Funders Network (EFN), a joint project of the Maine Community Foundation and the Maine Philanthropy Center, launched a collaborative funding initiative, “From Vision to Action: A Commitment to Maine’s Quality of Place.”

The Quality of Place Initiative supports projects that strengthen the link between the natural and built environments, emphasize public engagement, and take seriously the process and action elements required to build and sustain collaborations.

The Environmental Funders Network has awarded over $1.5 million over three years for 15 projects. “These organizations are committed to enhancing quality of place across Maine by strengthening the link between the natural and built environments through public engagement and collaboration,” said Bo Norris, current chair of the EFN steering committee.

This is the third year the EFN has supported GrowSmart Maine.

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PORTLAND, Maine — The fourth annual statewide Maine Restaurant Week is March 1-10, 2012. A list of participating restaurants is available at www.mainerestaurantweek.com. The list will continue to expand through March 1, 2012. Restaurants interested in participating in Maine Restaurant Week can signup online at www.mainerestaurantweek.com or by calling (207) 775-2126.
Nearly 50 restaurants throughout the state are already confirmed for this year with restaurants in towns from Lewiston, Auburn, Kennebunk, Portland, Camden, Brunswick, Bangor and more. As in years past, the three-course dinners range in price from $20-$40 per person and some restaurants will be offering three-course lunches for $15. Restaurants also have the ability to identify vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options on their menus.
In addition to the ten days of dining, The Signature Event will launch Maine Restaurant Week on Wednesday evening, February 29 from 5:30-8:30 pm at the Portland Harbor Hotel, 468 Fore St., in Portland. This event will once again feature a People’s Choice competition for best cocktail and a People’s Choice competition for best dessert. New this year is the introduction of a professionally judged cocktail and a People’s Choice award for best table display. Tickets to The Signature Event start at $35.
The Incredible Breakfast Cook-off will take place Friday morning, March 9 at the Seadog Brewing Company, 125 Western Ave in South Portland, 7 am – 9 am. The Good Table, Cape Elizabeth, will return for the third year to defend its two-year title of People’s Choice winner with its Crème Brulee French Toast.
For more information go to www.mainerestaurantweek.com. Event tickets are available through www.mainerestaurantweek.com/events or www.brownpapertickets.com. Customers can stay informed through www.facebook.com/mainerestaurantweek and www.twitter.com/dineme.
Maine Restaurant Week is sponsored by the Swan Agency-Sotheby’s International, US Cellular, L.L. Bean, Down East Magazine, Shipyard Brewing Company, Native Maine Produce, Maine Today Media and Cumulus Radio.
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Gray, MAINE (December 27, 2011) – With the addition of clients located in new areas of the country, Patient Advocates has expanded its Centers of Medical Excellence designations into Texas, Florida, North Carolina and New York/New Jersey. Relationships with these Centers of Excellence are designed to give patients access to the latest medical advances and state of the art technology. These facilities are world class and represent excellent options for patients.

“Each of these facilities are world-class in their treatment of specific medical conditions and are the places any of us at Patient Advocates would look to for care of ourselves or a loved one.” says Jim Ward, President of Patient Advocates, LLC.

Expanded Centers of Medical Excellence comprise the following states and facilities:

• Maryland

John Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore)
University of Maryland Medical Center (Baltimore)

• New York/New Jersey

New York Presbyterian (Manhattan)
Cornell Weill Medical Center (Manhattan)
Morristown Memorial Hospital (Morristown, NJ)

• North Carolina

Duke University Medical Center (Durham)
Carolinas Medical Center-Mercy (Charlotte)

• Texas

Baylor University Medical Center (Dallas)
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas)
M.D. Anderson (Houston

About Patient Advocates
Patient Advocates LLC has been helping clients navigate the health care system since 1995. Patient Advocates offers innovative patient advocacy and disease management services, award-winning wellness programs, and creative benefit plan designs with third-party administration. For information, go to www.patientadvocatesllc.com or call (207) 657-7733.

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TOWNSHIP 1 RANGE 8, Maine — In a blow to opponents, the owner of the two Katahdin-region paper mills told a north woods forum he doesn’t think the proposed Maine Woods National Park would threaten his industry’s wood supply.

Speaking before about 75 Katahdin Area Chamber of Commerce members Dec. 13 at River Driver’s Restaurant just outside Millinocket, Great Northern Paper Co. LLC President Peter Hanson said he felt a national park and his industry could co-exist well. He added he would “have a concern” about answering to federal air-quality standards.

“It’s not something that would affect the area’s wood supply in any major fashion,” Hanson said Tuesday during a question-and-answer session that followed the Chamber’s quarterly dinner, “unless a large [additional] amount of additional land suddenly came under” federal control.

The comments deal a serious blow to one of opponents’ key claims against a proposal to use 70,000 acres plus a $40 million maintenance endowment to form the nation’s 59th national park. Opponents have often said a new park would idle the area’s paper mills by tying up land used to supply wood mills. The 70,000-care proposal amounts to less than 1% of the state’s forested area.

Regarding Hanson’s concerns about air-quality standards, Friends of the Maine Woods founder Cynthia Dill said it’s well known that a new national park in Maine would not trigger new standards for existing mills.

“Any national park formed after 1977 is what’s known as a Class II park, which does not trigger new air standards,” she said.

“What Mr. Hanson’s enlightened comments show is that the way forward for the North Woods includes industry and conservation, hand in hand, and that opponents who claim timber mills would suffer are merely reciting ideological talking points.

“We’re glad to see people of diverse opinion joining the 60 percent of people statewide who merely want to see a full economic study of the proposal.”

Independent polling firm finds wide interest
from Mainers in probing economic benefits|
of Maine Woods National Park

An October 2011 poll by the independent polling firm Critical Insights shows 60 percent of Maine residents support the Friends of the Maine Woods’ call to study the economic benefits of the proposed Maine Woods National Park.

The proposal by local philanthopist Roxanne Quimby would create a national park in Maine’s north woods using a 70,000-acre gift of land plus a $40 million endowment for its continued maintenance and upkeep. The park would protect irreplaceable biological resources in the East Branch of the Penobscot River and potentially create hundreds of needed jobs.

The poll makes clear the call for a study enjoys broad support from Mainers, with 88 percent of poll respondents having lived in Maine 10 years or more. Friends of the Maine Woods, which continues to lead the effort to collect petitions requesting a study, has forwarded the poll results to U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.

Salazar has stressed the importance of tourism, leisure and outdoor recreation, which he said makes up the fifth largest part of the American economy. Speaking in Bar Harbor in August, Salazar said Acadia National Park is “directly responsible for more than 3,100 jobs here in Maine” — an economic boost Friends says can be closely duplicated in northern Maine.

Studies indicate Acadia National Park brings over $166 million per year to Maine’s midcoast and supports more than 3,300 private sector jobs. Nationwide, every dollar invested in national parks generates at least $4 in economic value. Overall, America’s national parks create $13.3 billion in local economic activity and support 267,000 private sector jobs.

“Polling data from every corner of our state makes clear that, in a new economy, a solid majority of Maine residents want to explore new options,” said Cynthia Dill, founder and president of the Friends of the Maine Woods board of directors. “A study of a national park in the north woods would be a cost-free way for the state to investigate a viable way to create jobs and economic diversity in an area of our great state that needs it.”

Groups urging U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to conduct a study of the proposal include the Millinocket Downtown Revitalization Committee, the Town of Medway, Sierra Club, NRCM, Environment Maine, the National Park Citizens Committee, the Katahdin Area Chamber of Commerce, the Katahdin Area Rotary Club, RESTORE the North Woods and Friends of Baxter State Park.

To view the Critical Insights polling data, open this link and go to page 42: http://www.criticalinsights.com/assets/CriticalInsightsTrackingSurveyFall2011.pdf

Contact:
gBritt PR
207-775-2126

Coffee By Design’s New Coffee Lover’s Club is the Gift that Keeps on Giving

PORTLAND, Maine – Coffee lovers who want first access to the world’s finest coffees can now get what they want delivered straight to their door thanks to Coffee By Design’s Alanzo’s Coffee Lover’s Club. Available in three-month and six-month memberships, the Coffee Lover’s Club will provide members with three pounds each month of handcrafted coffees selected for their quality and rarity.

Alanzo is the traveling alter ego of Coffee By Design’s co-owner Alan Spear who spends months out of each year traveling the globe to find the best coffee grown in responsibly managed and sustainable farms.

“We are very excited to share some of our extra special coffees with people who will truly appreciate them through our new Coffee Lover’s Club,” notes Spear. “I have come across so many outstanding coffees that are sometimes only available in very small hand-picked lots. We also have other special coffees in limited amounts, such as the winners of our staff blended coffee competition, which are amazing. This new club will let us share all of those great coffees with our most loyal customers.”

Memberships in Alanzo’s Coffee Lover’s Club are available for sale now at www.coffeebydesign.com and will begin shipping in January. A three-month membership costs $150 plus shipping and a six-month membership costs $300 plus shipping.

About Coffee By Design
Coffee By Design, a Maine owned and operated coffee company, opened its first Portland retail location in 1994. Today the company operates two coffeehouse locations in Portland plus an Origins Coffee Bar, a coffeehouse in Freeport inside the L.L. Bean Flagship store and a coffee micro roastery. Coffee By Design is committed to running a sustainable business dedicated to coffee excellence, the arts and the community. With over 450 select restaurant, cafes and gourmet stores and online retail sales, their coffee is enjoyed nationwide.

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]]> http://www.prmaine.com/2011/12/coffee-by-design%e2%80%99s-new-coffee-lover%e2%80%99s-club-is-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/feed/ 0 http://www.prmaine.com/2011/11/portland-ballet-december-performances-of-the-victorian-nutcracker/ http://www.prmaine.com/2011/11/portland-ballet-december-performances-of-the-victorian-nutcracker/#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:25:09 +0000 gBritt PR http://www.prmaine.com/?p=8781 November 21, 2011

CONTACT
Gillian Britt 207-775-2126
gBritt PR

PORTLAND, Maine – Christmas comes with its own set of family traditions and for many, the season isn’t considered complete without seeing the classic holiday ballet, the Nutcracker. Portland Ballet Company brings its own unique New England version of the Nutcracker to Merrill Auditorium with its beloved The Victorian Nutcracker.

The show, which takes the classic Nutcracker story and sets it in historical Portland, Maine with sets, costumes, and characters inspired by historical figures, will be performed twice at Merrill Auditorium on Friday December 23 at 2:00 p.m. and 7.30 p.m.

The cast of professional dancers from the Portland Ballet Company, accompanied by the Portland Ballet Orchestra, is known for its lively, entertaining and beautiful Nutcracker. The story unfolds as young Olivia follows her Nutcracker Prince to the enchanted Kingdom of the Sweets, where she is dazzled by dancers from around the world – from the Russian Trepak to the Sugarplum Fairy.

The Victorian Nutcracker features Portland Ballet Company’s professional dancers as well as Portland School of Ballet students selected by audition.

This year’s conductor is Sean Newhouse, assistant conductor at the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Newhouse made an acclaimed last-minute debut with the Boston Symphony in February 2011, conducting Mahler’s Ninth Symphony on two hours’ notice in place of James Levine. The Boston Globe wrote that “The BSO often played beautifully for him, the strings digging in deeply in the final movement to produce a glowing and expressive tone.” No stranger to eleventh-hour substitutions, he also stepped in for Mario Venzago on short notice to open the Indianapolis Symphony season in 2008, to rave reviews commending his “expert” conducting and hailing the performances as “electrifying.” He is the first American-born conductor in fifteen years to be appointed Assistant Conductor to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, a position he took up in 2010 at the invitation of Maestro Levine.

Tickets are available through PortTix at www.porttix.com or 207-842-0800. Ticket prices range from $17-$47. New this year, season subscriptions to Portland Ballet are available.

For more information, please contact Portland Ballet at 207-772-9671 or visit www.portlandballet.org.

About Portland Ballet:
Portland Ballet was founded in 1980 with a mission to enrich the community through classical ballet training, education, outreach, and performance. This small professional company performs throughout the year in southern Maine, presenting full-length classics as well as highly regarded contemporary choreography under the direction of Artistic Director Eugenia L. O’Brien. For more information about Portland Ballet, its school and programs, visit www.portlandballet.org or call 207-772-9671.
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