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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 7 O C T O B E R 3 0 , 2 0 2 3 consecutive months, the third-longest period of such low rates. N O T E W O R T H Y S T A T E W I D E U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Maine Department of Public Safety was awarded $760,000 through the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services' Anti-Heroin Task Force program to help combat the opioid crisis in Maine. Maine Community College System in Augusta said that enrollment at the state's seven community colleges reached a historic high of 19,477 stu- dents this fall, surpassing the enroll- ment record set in 2011 and up 16% from last year. USM will build arts center e University of Southern Maine broke ground on a $63 million perform- ing and visual arts center in Portland slated for completion in 2025. e 40,000-square-foot Crewe Center for the Arts will include state-of-the-art facilities for music teaching, learn- ing and performance, and establish a Portland presence for theater, dance and visual arts programming. It will have a 200-seat performance hall and outdoor spaces are planned for concerts, a sculp- ture garden and visual arts terrace. MEREDA 'leaps' into 2024 forecast e Maine Real Estate & Development Association's annual Forecast Conference and Member Showcase has a new Leap Year date: Feb. 29, 2024. After a stop at the Cross Insurance Center, the all-day MEREDA event will be back at the refreshed Holiday Inn By the Bay in Portland to provide an economic over- view and outlook on the industry's key economic indicators. Along with the new date, the 2024 conference will have a new afternoon format that will allow attendees to choose between various pre- sentations from leading industry insiders. N O T E W O R T H Y S O U T H E R N New England Cancer Specialists opened a High-Risk Cancer Genetics S O U T H E R N C R E D I T S & D E B I T S We'll be there. More than forty years ago, we were there as Wilbur's of Maine laid their foundation in Freeport. Their search for a community-focused bank, one in harmony with their needs and dreams, led them to Bath Savings. Today, Wilbur's is still creating confections that spread joy throughout Maine, while we stand proudly as their financial partner. And our dedication to family-owned businesses assures we'll be there to celebrate all of their sweet successes. 1-800-447-4559 | bathsavings.bank MEMBER FDIC EQUAL HOUSING LENDER Andy Wilbur and Kristin Frazier Andy Wilbur and Kristin Frazier Owners of Wilbur's of Maine Owners of Wilbur's of Maine Mainebiz readers weigh in on Maine's cruise ship visits — Can your business cash in on all these cruise ship visitors? Regulators not ready to call time on Maine's iconic 207 area code — Maine's status as a one-area code state will continue for another decade Maine unemployment rate edges up in September — The caveat is there's more labor participation, which is a good sign Friday Food Insider: Halloween is more of a trick than a treat for local candy sellers — Hey, trick-or-treaters like the classics (Snickers, Kit Kat and Reese's) In latest labor organizing, baristas at Portland's Coffee By Design vote to unionize — With three coffee shops, it's a bit different from Starbucks F I L E P H O T O / L A U R I E S C H R E I B E R

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