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V O L . X X V N O. I V F E B R UA R Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 9 8 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 Augusta. The funding will support a variety of activities within the program, including obtaining guest speakers, providing special programing, defray- ing student conference costs, student scholarships and faculty initiatives. Colby College in Waterville established the Pulver Science Scholars Program, designed to create a pipeline for the most ambitious and talented stu- dents from all backgrounds to pursue research at the nation's top biomedical laboratories. Trustee David Pulver and his wife Carol made the $5-million com- mitment to help ensure future discov- ery, leading to treatments and cures in critical areas of human health. Madlyn's New & Used Consignment Shop opened at 61 Water St. in Skowhegan. United Way of Kennebec Valley in Augusta announced a 2018 fundrais- ing total of $1,745,277, the most ever collected in the 64-year history of the organization. VIP Tires & Service in Auburn said it is donating $78,124 to Make-A-Wish. The funds were raised during the com- pany's annual holiday Season of Wishes Campaign at its 58 store locations. Off-season visits bolster botanical gardens Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay said it had a record number of visitors last year, both for its regular season and for its wintertime "Gardens Aglow" event. Its growth in visita- tion was fueled by its holiday-season attraction, "Gardens Aglow." Visitation between April and late October was flat last year, with 113,000, versus 112,000 in 2017. But the holiday attraction brought in 112,000 visitors in 2018, a 44% increase from 78,000 visitors the year before. e attraction said it improved the visitor experience by adding a new visitor center and creating a separate group entrance with dedicated bus parking. 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 College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor announced plans for the Center for Covetrus makes its debut on Nas- daq exchange — Poised to become Maine's largest publicly traded company Hancock Lumber's Saco expansion is first new lumber yard since 2004 — Growing along- side Maine's real estate industry Thanks to 'Gar- dens Aglow,' Coastal Maine Botanical Gar- dens' numbers continue to grow — Holiday season visitors boost attendance Standish was Maine's 2018 'Hottest Town' for home sales — Cumberland County's west coast gets its due UNE partners with Saint Joseph's to create pharmacy career pathway — Smart partner- ship by two private institutions C R E D I T S & D E B I T S Cold weather doesn't keep Portland from making 'Top 10 of best places to retire' list B Y M A I N E B I Z S T A F F Portland is among the 10 best places for retiring baby boom- ers, according to a retirement website. This year's list, compiled by Topretirements.com, is domi- nated by towns and cities in the Southwest and Southeast regions of the United States, which claim seven of the top 10 retirement spots. Portland is joined by Pittsburgh and Bellingham, Wash., as the only cold-weather communities to make this year's list of best places for retirement. Portland is No. 9 on the list. To arrive at the best retirement communities, Topretirements. com combed through its user logs to identify the 20 favorite towns and cities in four U.S. regions. Those 80 communities were winnowed down to the Top 10 based on cultural and recreational opportunities, climate, expense, taxes, the quality of the downtowns and scenic beauty. Here is the Topretirements' "10 Best of the Best list for 2019," with brief descriptions of the qualities its reviewers found to be significant: 1. Asheville, N.C.: Asheville is a bustling city in the Blue Ridge mountains of western North Carolina. The downtown is filled with cafes, restaurants, and art deco buildings. 2. Sarasota, Fla.: This cultural center on Florida's Gulf Coast has a great downtown with many interesting neighborhoods. 3. Tucson, Ariz.: The area is blessed with sunshine almost 300 days a year, and boasts 233 performing arts dates per year. 4. Green Valley, Ariz.: Near the hiking and birding areas of the Santa Rita Mountains in extreme southern Arizona. 5. Charleston, S.C.: "The Holy City" is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in the U.S. 6. St. George, Utah: St. George has spectacular red rock bluffs, a mild winter climate, and amazing recreation. 7. St. Petersburg, Fla.: St. Petersburg has been a classic retirement and tourist destination since the 1920s. 8. Bellingham, Wash.: Named one of the top retirement towns, this city on Puget Sound boasts unbelievable natural scenery. 9. Portland: Maine's largest city is one of America's most livable small cities and is also a foodie center. 10. Pittsburgh.: Pittsburgh is a livable and affordable city with colleges and cultural opportunities. Here's the complete description for Portland: "Portland: Maine's largest city is an ideal retirement com- munity — in fact it is often mentioned as one of America's most livable small cities. It combines New England history (founded in 1632) with a vital downtown centered on the Old Port District, pristine beaches and a friendly, small town feel. Portland has many attractions for active adults, and is bursting with good restaurants and interesting stores. It is certainly cold in Portland, but for people who want to be snowbirds its summers are ideal." B R I E F Maine Lobster Marketing Collab- orative executive director to step down — Leaves a void at a time when the industry needs leadership 121-year-old Springvale yarn- manufacturing factory to close — Maine loses another small manufacturer Portland arena football team pulls plug on 2019 season — Short-lived stay for the Maine Mammoths New report: Drug overdoses decrease in 2018; more than 80% involved opioids — Little comfort to be taken from the decrease CMH to citizens' group: 'Bridgton Hospital is not for sale' — Will the hospital group's new CEO sort through this mess? Portland combines New England history with a vital downtown centered on the Old Port district, pristine beaches and a friendly, small town feel. — Topretirements.com M I D C O A S T & D O W N E A S T

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