Mainebiz

V O L . X X V I N O. I X M AY 5 , 2 0 2 0 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 N O T E W O R T H Y C E N T R A L & W E S T E R N The University of Maine at Farmington announced it will be offering a master of arts in counsel- ing psychology with an emphasis in creative arts program for fall 2020. University of Maine at Augusta's Mental Health and Human Services program said it is now offering an advanced graduate certificate in substance-use disorders as part of an expansion of the substance use disorder concentration. The program will admit its first cohort in fall 2020. The New England Clean Energy Connect in Augusta announced it awarded $7 million in matting contracts to four Maine compa- nies. The work will be divided between Eastern Forest Products in Casco, Maine Mats in Bingham, Dimensional Timber in Palermo and Sunset Development Inc. in Milford. The contracts will ensure the production of 17,000 mats for the corridor project. MaineHousing in Augusta provided a total of $834,104 in Wellness Center grants to Preble Street in Portland and the Aroostook County Action Program in Presque Isle to help support social distanc- ing and contain the spread of COVID-19 among people who are homeless. Additionally, the agency, in partnership with the John T. Gorman Foundation and the Maine Community Foundation, launched a grant program for homeless shel- ters to cover operating expenses due to COVID-19 and has dis- bursed, or plan to disburse, funds to 15 shelters totaling $309,000. ArtsEngageME announced grants totaling $24,000 in support of 48 Maine artists who have been af- fected by the economic impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus. MaineGeneral Health in Augusta received a total of $350,000 from the Harold Alfond Foundation and the Bill & Joan Alfond Foundation to cover costs of providing child care for its employees during the pandemic. Acadia NP March numbers up Acadia National Park, which has stopped operation of tour buses and put limits on access, nonetheless saw a dramatic increase in visitors in March. e park reported 24,539 visitors in March, up from 16,161 a year ago. Last year, Acadia hosted 3.4 million visitors, ranking it No. 7 among national parks. In 2018, 3.5 million visits to Acadia generated $387.7 million in spend- ing. Still, with restrictions on visita- tion, Friends of Acadia encourages people to pursue outdoor recreation and exercise close to home and to follow physical distancing guidelines. e nonprofit established a web page to help people maintain a connection with Acadia National Park during the pandemic. Various links provide photos, videos, virtual hikes, children's activities and visitor advisories about the country's seventh most visited national park. "e items on this page and the linked content are intended to help people maintain a connection with Acadia National Park," the non- profit said on its website. 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 Maine Community Foundation in Ellsworth said it's People of Color Fund awarded $201,774 in grants to 23 organizations that help people of color in Maine achieve greater equity through support for health care, leadership development, civic engagement and youth. Midcoast Community Alliance in Bath announced that it received a $10,000 grant from the Building Stronger Nonprofits Fund of the Maine Community Foundation to expand its youth leadership program, increasing protective factors around local youth by developing long-term supports, op- portunities and relationships. Caribou wants to use surplus for economic stimulus Caribou City Council took up a proposal to pay as much as $40,000 Member FDIC Now More Than Ever BANKING IS BELIEVING Through good times and bad, GSB has been supporting Maine businesses and communities for more than 150 years. We believe in the resiliency of Maine people and Maine businesses. Together, we can and will overcome this challenge. That's what 'Banking is Believing' is all about. Learn about our response to COVID-19. Visit GorhamSavings.Bank M I D C O A S T & D O W N E A S T N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N

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