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V O L . X X V N O. X I X S E P T E M B E R 2 , 2 0 1 9 6 Median sales prices surge for Maine homes e median sales price for homes in Cumberland County hit $343,950 in the most recent quarter. According to the Maine Association of Realtors, the price in the county that includes Portland rose 7.48% in the three months ended July 31 from a year ago. In the three months from May 1 to July 31, 1,258 homes were sold in Cumberland County, nearly the same as a year ago, 1,259. Piscataquis County that saw the greatest increase in median sale price, surging 44.44%, from $99,000 to $143,000, though with roughly the same volume, 99 homes sold versus 100 a year ago. In all, five Maine counties saw double- digit gains in median sales price — Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset and Washington counties. Only Knox County saw a decline, of 7.63%. Two campuses receive building funds Bowdoin College and the University of Maine are among 10 U.S. institu- tions that received $100,000 each from the U.S. Forest Service to research and construct mass timber buildings on college campuses. In Brunswick, Bowdoin will use the money to help with the construction of Barry Mills Hall and the Center for Arctic Studies, while in Orono UMaine will put the grant toward a laboratory addition that will host the world's largest 3D printer. Mass timber development and commercialization were key recom- mendations in a 2017 Economic Development Assessment Team report requested by U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, who were instrumental in securing the recent funding. N O T E W O R T H Y S T A T E W I D E In 2017, the Maine Apprenticeship Program served 1,056 apprentices with employer-paid wages of $36.3 million, at a cost to taxpayers of $388,991, according to the state. People's United Community Foundation, the philanthropic arm of People's United Bank, awarded a total of $78,500 to eight Maine nonprofits during its most recent grant cycle. U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the University of Maine at Augusta and Maine Humanities Council in Portland each received $100,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities to enhance humani- ties discussion programs. The Maine State Council of the Society for Human Resources Management in Augusta announced that 100 companies met its criteria to be named to the "Best Places to Work in Maine" list. It's the most since the program's inception in 2006. Winners, categorized by num- ber of U.S. employees, will be re- vealed in ranked order at an awards celebration on Oct. 2. B U S I N E S S M A I N E Business news from around the state S T A T E W I D E Portland's restaurant scene continues to evolve — with closings B y M a i n e b i z S t a f f PORTLAND — While new entries continue to pop up in Portland's hot restaurant market, a few older spots are closing down. Two longtime fixtures in the city's dining scene, Silly's restaurant at 40 Washington Ave. and Brian Boru Public House at 57 Center St., have shut their doors permanently. Brian Boru's owner, Daniel Steele, closed the pub for good after last call on Aug. 25, according to a Facebook post, after 26 years in business. Silly's, which opened in 1988, closed Sept. 1, according to a post by Colleen Kelley, who runs the restaurant and owns its buildings with her sister Shelley. In mid-August, a few doors away at 68 Washington Ave., Kelley closed her other small eatery, Simply Vegan by Silly's. In her post, Kelley said she was "exhausted" by work at Silly's and the chal- lenges of dealing with the city of Portland. "Another huge factor in my decision is, it is that I am smart enough to know my business model won't work in a city destined to be Seattle," she also wrote. She said her post wasn't meant to be a "slam," but that she refuses to charge $24 "for 4 oz. of dip and some pita bread." Kelley's businesses are located near a growing number of dining destinations, including Drifters Wife, which ranked No. 9 last year on Bon Appétit magazine's list of the best new restaurants in the U.S. Silly's and Simply Vegan are also neighbors with Terlingua, a Mexican-food restaurant that opened several years ago and has received its own attention from national press. In downtown Portland, Brian Boru didn't say much about the decision to close. The Facebook post expressed gratitude to the pub's "loyal patrons, vendors, and the city of Portland for their decades of support." In early August, another Portland culinary business, Scattoloni Bakery in Monument Square, shut down. In a letter to customers posted at the store, owner Andrea Swanson said the closure was due to rising operational expenses, landlord difficulties and the high cost of living and doing business in Portland. Swanson said she is relocating her business to the former Pepperell Mill in Biddeford. B R I E F 100 businesses make Maine 'Best Places to Work' list — A much-needed recruiting tool Maine is No. 1 for women's equality in workplace, politics — Two positive steps GO Lab closes deal for Madison paper mill — A company that's on the 'go' Augusta's downtown makes the shift to 2-way traffic — A smart move for the future of the downtown Suddenly, several Portland eateries shut their doors — A reality of Portland's ever-changing culinary scene Portland working to streamline tax billing — Let's take a wait- and-see approach on this $105 million transportation bond goes to voters; three others fail — The first big defeat of Gov. Mills' tenure Bar Harbor council: Affordable housing is in crisis — When will the message be heard? C R E D I T S & D E B I T S P H O T O / W I L L I A M H A L L I am smart enough to know my business model won't work in a city destined to be Seattle. — Colleen Kelley Silly's restaurant Two longtime fixtures in the city's dining scene, Silly's restaurant at 40 Washington Ave. (pictured) and Brian Boru Public House at 57 Center St., shut their doors this summer.

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