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V O L . X X I X N O. V I M A R C H 2 0 , 2 0 2 3 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 King bill would ban offshore drilling Offshore oil and gas drilling would be prohibited in Maine waters under federal legislation cospon- sored by U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine. e Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism Anti-Drilling (COAST) Act would permanently ban the U.S. Department of Interior from issuing leases for the exploration, development, or production of oil and gas in the North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of Florida Planning Areas of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. In Maine, the Atlantic commercial fishery produces nearly $1 billion annually, and, in 2021, tourists — many of whom come to visit the coast — brought $7.9 billion to the state. Offshore drilling would jeop- ardize these key industries, accord- ing to King. 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 Bank & Trust employees presented $21,000 in donations from its employee-driven charitable giving program, Casual for a Cause, to seven nonprofit organizations serving Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont residents. A Northern Light leader leaves post e president of Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Brewer is stepping down to accept a position in his home state of Michigan. Rand O'Leary, who joined the hospital when he moved to Maine in 2019, has been named president of Henry Ford Health Wyandotte Hospital, a general hos- pital in Wyandotte, about 11 miles south of Detroit. O'Leary's previ- ously served as a senior vice presi- dent and chief operating officer at Wyandotte from 2011-14. N O T E W O R T H Y N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N CourseStorm, an education technology company in Orono, announced that Miami Theater Center, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, Kirkland Performance Center in Washington, Oregon's Cottage Theatre, Mixxer Community Makerspace in North Carolina, Stitch Masters Sewing School in Minnesota, Asbury Woods nature cen- ter and preserve in Pennsylvania and Arizona-based aviation security training provider SSi Inc. were recipients of its inaugural SPARKed Grant Program. Each program received $10,000. Big Rock Mountain in Mars Hill said it signed a contract with Doppelmayr USA to purchase a new quad chairlift scheduled to be installed in the summer of 2024. The purchase of the equipment is part of a larger Federal Economic Development Administration Project that will install the chairlift to the top of the mountain and upgrade snowmaking. 207-294-2075 or www.browndogcarriers.com On Time — Every Time — Stress Free A S K AC E A n s w e r e d b y H o l l y S m e v o g o f H M S C a r e e r C o a c h i n g The Association for Consulting Expertise (ACE) is a non-profit association of independent consultants who value "Success through Collaboration." The public is welcome to attend its regular meetings to share best practices and engage with industry experts. For more information go to www.consultexpertise.com. Q: How can we encourage employees to stay with us longer? ACE Advises: Help them manage stress. Stress is not always bad. Sometimes stress enhances focus and helps employees meet deadlines. But prolonged stress takes a mental and physical toll. Over time, stress in the workplace will undermine morale, reduce productivity, and lead to high employee turnover. The COVID-19 pandemic wore down people's resilience in the face of difficult conditions. This is especially true at work and contin- ues to affect high level performance. Continuing stress leaves workers less tolerant of negative emotions, and more likely to disengage, or quit. Future causes of stress and chal- lenge are unpredictable. Over the long-term, increasing mental forti- tude across the team creates an environment where stress is met with greater resilience. Helping employees build skills to recognize stressors, remain emotionally calm, and choose how to handle stressful situ- ations transforms the workplace. Workplace mental fitness training programs share a basic premise: people who commit even small amounts of time each day to practice mental fitness exercises will have a more positive sense of how they feel, think, and act. Mental fitness strengthens neural pathways that lead to realistic and objective thoughts. Participants in mental fitness programs report much happier and more fulfilling days at work, better communication and interaction across the team and increased job performance. This translates to higher retention rates. When employers look at cost effectiveness, encourag- ing employees to develop mental fitness might be the best way to show support and encourage employees to stay on board. Holly Smevog, an ACE member and professional career and mental fitness coach, is principal of Portland-based HMS Career Coaching. She is on the board of the Maine Career Development Association and is also a member of the International Coaching Federation. She can be reached at holly@hmscareercoaching.com 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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