Mainebiz

V O L . X X I X N O. X X V I I N OV E M B E R 2 7 , 2 0 2 3 12 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 Central Maine Growth Council in Waterville awarded a total of $325,000 to 14 businesses in Kennebec and Somerset counties as part of its Economic Recovery Implementation Hub grant program. The grants are for COVID-19 revival through a program funded by the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development. VIP Tires & Service in Auburn do- nated $12,180 to the City of Lewiston Support Fund, supporting the families impacted by the recent mass shoot- ings in Lewiston. Bar Harbor to enforce cruise ship limits in '24 With no more than 1,000 cruise ship passengers now allowed to touch shore at Bar Harbor each day, the town is working on ways to enforce that limit. For the 2024 season, 105 cruise ships so far have scheduled stops in the Hancock County town — Maine's largest cruise ship port of call. ere will be about 10 days that have more than one ship sailing in. e ships range from 215 feet long to 1,100 feet long and carry from 100 to 4,375 passengers. On some days, two or three ships arrived in port, many carrying several thou- sand passengers. A town referendum a year ago voted in the 1,000-pas- senger per-day allowance. e limit says that, on days when the visiting cruise ship capacity will total 1,000 or more people, the harbormaster or a designee will count passengers as they come to shore at the munici- pal tender dock, but details are still being worked out. Island air carrier sold Penobscot Island Air and Katahdin Air, which had long been run by the Waters family, have been sold to a tech entrepreneur and product director at audio streaming com- pany Spotify. Sean Creeley, who has a seasonal residence on Matinicus Island, acquired the air services Nov. 1 from their employees, who had owned the businesses for two years through an employee stock-ownership plan. Previously, they were owned by Terry Waters, the widow of pilot Kevin Waters, who founded Penobscot Island Air in 2004. Kevin Waters died in July 2020. News of the sale was first reported by the Bangor Daily News. In a phone call, Terry Waters confirmed information about the deal to Mainebiz. She will stay on until a general manager can be hired. 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 The Maine Community Foundation in Ellsworth awarded a total of $408,980 to 29 nonprofit organizations that advance animal welfare in the state through its Animal Welfare Fund. Camden National Bank announced it donated $50,000 to provide both immediate aid and long-term support to the Lewiston-Auburn community in response to the recent tragic event. Bar Harbor Bank & Trust said its employees donated $18,000 collected through the bank's employee-driven charitable giving program, Casual for a Cause, to eight nonprofit organizations serving Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont residents. Campus Compact, a national nonprofit dedicated to the public purposes of higher education, announced that College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor will serve as one of the nine inaugu- ral host sites for its Campus Climate Action Corps program. The program focuses on building the capacity of campuses and their community partners to affect behavioral and technical change, leading to energy ef- ficiency and improved at-risk ecosys- tems by implementing local solutions for underserved households and communities. Aroostook introduces art 'star' A new work of art adorns a new land port of entry in Madawaska — and the giant sculpture has a vibe that befits both the location and the holiday season. e work is a 35-foot-tall, lighted, five-pointed star, fabricated by Massachusetts artist Ralph Helmick and com- missioned by the U.S. General You need a legal team that can keep up, whether you're taking on Maine's next big construction project, or you're part of a tech startup looking for guidance. Whatever your industry, our attorneys have the expertise to represent you when it matters most. (207) 774-2635 | perkinsthompson.com One Firm, All Your Legal Needs 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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