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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 7 S E P T E M B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 9 as chairman of the Securities Investor Protection Corp., which insures con- sumers against stock brokerage failures. If confirmed by the Senate, Poliquin will serve the remainder of a three-year volunteer term expiring Dec. 31, 2021. Poliquin, 65, served two terms as U.S. representative for the state's 2nd District. Home prices continue to rise Aroostook and Washington counties are seeing steep increases in the number of homes sold over the past year. e number of homes sold in Aroostook County rose by 16.39% in August versus a year ago, according to the latest statis- tics released by the Maine Association of Realtors. e median sales price rose by 7.53%. e number of homes sold in Washington County rose by 13.89%. e median sales price was up by 15.22%. Cumberland and York counties still dominate the market, with Cumberland recording 1,388 units sold in August, up from 1,355 a year ago. In York County 973 homes were sold in August, down from 1,046 in August 2018. e highest median sales price was in Cumberland County, at $337,500, up from $315,000 in August 2018. e lowest median sales price of $100,000 is in Aroostook County, although that's an increase from $93,000 a year ago. N O T E W O R T H Y S T A T E W I D E Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands said it received $1.6 million in Land and Water Conservation Funding for Maine from the U.S. Department of Interior. PR Management Corp., the leading franchisee of Panera Bread in New England, announced that it pre- sented $13,000 to Good Shepherd Food Bank as part of its Feeding America initiative. Record fundraising campaign for orchestra Portland Symphony Orchestra said that it has raised nearly $5.9 mil- lion in a capital campaign, a record. It pushes the orchestra closer to its goal of raising $6.5 million by December 2020. e campaign, known as Crescendo, was launched privately in January 2016. e PSO has operated in the black for the past 11 seasons. S O U T H E R N A different time on Washington Avenue We take for granted the recent changes on Washington Avenue in Portland. A distillery, an award-winning res- taurant, a specialty cheese shop. But the recent deal by Goodwill of Northern New England to sell its share of the old Nissen Bakery on Washington Avenue gives us a benchmark. A cover story in the Mainebiz issue of March 19, 2001, talks about the daunting task of repurposing the 150,000-square-foot building for offices, retail and other uses. The story reports that, after Nissen closed the bakery site, the building sold for $300,000 in 1997. Some 22 years later, in May, Goodwill Northern New England sold 30,000 square feet, owned as a condominium in the Nissen building, for $4.6 million. SP ONSORED BY FUN FACT A list of the "Top 10 fastest growing jobs in Maine," published in the Mainebiz Fact Book of 2001, was led by computer support specialists, a field that was expected to grow by 85% by 2008. At the time, the job paid $14.70 an hour. Runner up: desktop publishing specialist, a field expected to grow by 73% over seven years; it paid $12.63 an hour. LEAD THE SEA CHANGE IN FOOD PRODUCTION WITH THE PROFESSIONAL SCIENCE MASTER'S IN OCEAN FOOD SYSTEMS. This low-residency, interdisciplinary, hands-on program puts you at the nexus of ocean food science, business, and policy in the North Atlan c. Pursue meaningful solu ons to real world industry-iden fied challenges in fisheries and aquaculture, seafood trade and produc on, and marine governance and policy. Work with industry and academic partners to complete a customized master's project in ocean food systems. • 12-month degree program • Low-residency — perfect for working professionals • Two intensives in Nordic na ons and Maine • Collaborate closely with industry partners Explore your love of the oceans while gaining up-to-the-minute skills and knowledge to advance your career. You'll emerge with an entrep- reneurial mindset, ready to make a professional impact. Learn more and apply at www.une.edu/oceanfoodsystems

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