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V O L . X X I V N O. X X S E P T E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 8 10 B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S N E W S F RO M A RO U N D T H E S TAT E Gorham Savings Bank granted 20 wishes in July and August totaling $20,000 as part of its 150th anniver- sary Wish Tree program. The New England Made Giftware & Specialty Food Show, produced by Giraffe Events in Saco, acquired the Girls with Great Lines wholesale gift- ware show. The show is scheduled for March 10-12, 2019, at the Sea Crest Beach Hotel in North Falmouth, Mass. Thomas College offers professional development omas College's Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation is offering a variety of highly topical pro- fessional development subjects in three- and six-week sessions that are taught by the college's faculty in their respective areas of expertise. One of the objectives of the institute is to assist businesses in central Maine develop their workforce by helping them advance their employ- ees' professional skills and thereby address one of the largest challenges faced by Maine businesses — namely, a skilled workforce. e Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation's fall 2018 Professional Development Series is now open for enrollment. Courses begin as soon as Sept. 26, with most starting the second week of October. N O T E W O R T H Y C E N T R A L & W E S T E R N Brewers Ben Low and Matt Johannes announced that they plan to open Side By Each Brewing Co. at 1110 Minot Ave. in Auburn this winter. The 26th annual GHM Insurance Golf Classic at Belgrade Lakes Golf Club raised $41,500, which was matched by The Harold Alfond Foundation, result- ing in an $83,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCA of Greater Waterville at the Alfond Youth Center. Blueberry growers squeezed by price drop Maine's blueberry industry continues to deal with price drops, unaccommodating weather, diseases, foreign competition and reduced crop size. According to an Associated Press report published in the Bangor Daily News, this year's harvest at Beech Hill Blueberry Farm in Rockport was off by about 50%. "For years, the health message and the taste message of wild blueberries has been successful," Nancy McBrady, executive director of the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine, told the AP. "But it's frustrating when we find ourselves in periods of oversupply and competition." e harvest of Maine's wild blueberry crop began in July. Maine is the world's top producer of wild blueberries, at up to 100 million pounds a year, which brings $250 million into the state. Lobster Institute at UMaine has a new director Richard Wahle has been named director of the University of Maine's Lobster Institute, effective Sept.1. He succeeds Robert Bayer, who has directed the institute since 1995 and is retiring from UMaine this year. Wahle, a marine sci- ences research professor, joined UMaine's School of Marine Sciences in 2009. He is based at the University's Darling Marine Center, where he will continue to teach and conduct research. In 1989, Wahle founded the American Lobster Settlement Index, a program that now monitors the number of juvenile lob- sters that settle to the seafloor at over 80 sampling sites from Rhode Island to Atlantic Canada. e index sheds light on the ocean processes that deliver lob- ster larvae to their rocky coastal nurser- ies, and serves as a predictor of trends in recruitment to the fishery. N O T E W O R T H Y M I D C O A S T & D O W N E A S T Bar Harbor Trust Services said the Cough Family Trust recently gifted $1.2 million to Bat Harbor nonprofit or- ganizations including Jesup Memorial Library, Mt. Desert Island YMCA, Bar Harbor Food Pantry and YWCA of Mount Desert Island. Bangor will tackle affordable housing challenge e city of Bangor has organized a committee to come up with solutions to the city's lack of affordable hous- ing. "A lot of our housing challenges October 17 and 18, 2018 Portland Maine We provide consulting, sales and technical support to mid-size and large U.S. and overseas companies working to sell products and services to the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy. We also conduct international business in the marine and related sectors. We help with tailored engagement strategies, focused presentations and personal introductions to key decision makers to ma to make your marketing efforts more effective. Is presenting a Cyber Security Seminar designed for C-Suite Executives, Division Level Managers, and individuals who have responsibility for both financial decisions and who are impacted by the serious issues relating to Cyber and its impact on business. Help us impact the lives of our neighbors by becoming a host site or referral partner Together we can create a healthier Maine. •• Healthy Living for ME I m p r ov i ng t he li ves o f M a i ne rs •• M I D C O A S T & D O W N E A S T C E N T R A L & W E S T E R N N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N

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