Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 9 D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 2 3 students as part of its 2023 Higher Education Assistance Foundation scholarship program. Southern Maine Community College in South Portland re- ceived a $50,000 donation from Philanthropist Caron Chess to bol- ster the educational opportunities for certified nursing assistants pur- suing higher education in the health science pathway. Ferry upgrades planned in Lincolnville U.S. Sen. Susan Collins announced that the Maine Department of Transportation will receive a $7.1 million grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Ferry Service for Rural Communities Grant Program. e grant will go toward upgrading and modernizing the ferry terminal in Lincolnville. 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 $120,000 to 24 organizations that work to ad- vance gender equity in Maine through its Maine Women's Fund. FAME hits milestone Finance Authority of Maine, the quasi-governmental agency that is marking its 40th anniversary, said it has helped nearly 10,000 Maine com- panies with approximately $2.5 billion in financing, resulting in the creation and preservation of over 200,000 Maine jobs throughout the state. In addition, Augusta-based FAME has awarded $470 million in grants to over 285,000 Maine students. 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 town of Rumford signed an agreement with Ubicquia, a creator of intelligent streetlight platforms that are simple to deploy and monitor, that will allow UScellular to deploy the Ericsson Street Radio, designed to turn a street- light into a low or mid-band 5G site in 15 minutes without affecting the light- ing functionality of the streetlight. Franklin Savings Bank in Farmington donated a total of $106,650 to 63 pantries and youth food programs that serve food-insecure populations within Franklin, Somerset, Hancock and Oxford counties. The Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, in collabo- ration with BlueTriton Brands Inc., owner of the Poland Spring brand, announced the establishment of the Small Business Relief Fund and a commitment of $500,000 to match corporate and community donations. Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield launched a four-month business entrepreneurship program that is no-cost to participants. The program will focus on the basics of starting a business, including developing a business plan, figuring out a target market, projecting finances and designing a business pitch. Bangor aviation firm to cut workforce C&L Aviation Group, an aircraft parts supplier and aviation service provider with Australian roots, will eliminate 30 jobs in order to focus on the parts repair business. e jobs to be cut are in Bangor and make up 15% of C&L's workforce in Bangor, leaving the company with 170 employees at the facility, includ- ing 110 in the maintenance division. Another 20 employees are based around the U.S. and abroad. e decision will help the company bet- ter meet global market conditions, the firm said. 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 LC Small Town Creations, an arts and crafts and consignment store, opened at 31A Main St. in Ashland. M I D C O A S T & D O W N E A S T C E N T R A L & W E S T E R N N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N

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