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V O L . X X X I N O. I X M AY 5 , 2 0 2 5 6 Plan to close Social Security offices comes under fire U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, and 40 Democratic caucus members have written to acting Social Security Administration Commissioner Leland Dudek ask- ing for clarification on the potential shuttering of hundreds of field offices across the country. ere are eight Social Security offices in Maine. "Each day, approximately 17,000 people visit a SSA field office for assistance. Closing any of these field offices will make it harder for individuals to access their benefits," the lawmakers wrote in the April 25 letter. N O T E W O R T H Y S T A T E W I D E The Institute for Family-Owned Business will offer a new scholarship to high school seniors who plan to pursue a college degree at a Maine- based institution. The Maine Futures Scholarship will provide $2,500 per year for up to four years for students pursuing either a two-year or four-year B U S I N E S S M A I N E Business news from around the state S T A T E W I D E degree program or an equivalent certificate at any college in the state, including vocational schools. Business owners urge Portland to address downtown crime Shattered windows, car break-ins, drug use and harassment — Portland business owners and residents took the floor at an April 28 City Council meeting to voice concerns about a downtown crime wave they say is making it hazardous to live and do business. "Monument Square has become an unsafe place to work or visit, and it has become a hostile and expensive environment in which to operate a restaurant," David Turin, owner of David's Restaurant, wrote in a letter submitted to the council. e restaurant, at Monument Square since 1998, employs 45 people. Jessica Grondin, a spokeswoman for the city, said in an email to Mainebiz that the city "is evaluating opportunities to better manage activity in Monument Square using the tools at our disposal. ese tools include a more consistent law enforcement presence, enhanced cleaning and maintenance, and opportunities to make Monument Square more vibrant, inviting and useful for the general public." N O T E W O R T H Y S O U T H E R N Preble Street and Maine Needs, state- wide social service agencies based in Portland, announced a partnership to streamline the way clothing and hygiene items will reach people experiencing homelessness and economic insecurity. Waterstone Properties Group intro- duced Rock Row Health Campus, an integrative care campus in Westbrook featuring Rayus Radiology, Saco Bay Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy, Plastic + Hand Surgical Associates and LB Mini Mart. Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program in Brunswick announced that $69,427 was raised because of its partnership with Jersey Mike's Subs during the company's 15th Annual Month of Giving in March. A Harrison company's hand-cut, wooden jigsaw puzzles are an artisan luxury B y B r i d g e t R e e d M o r a w s k i C hris Danner can't remember the first time he completed an Elms Puzzle. But he easily recalls the ones that "really blew me away" as a child, like an over 800-piece set he remembers illustrated with a fish in aquamarine and tangerine tones with an irregular border. Now the owner of Harrison-based Elms Puzzles, he looks fondly back on his family's puzzling tradition, even if the com- plexity meant it "just took us forever" to do. Though the puzzles were often on the kitchen table, the Christmas season always led Danner and his father to rent puzzles designed by an artist known for their elaborate borders and elegant winter scenes. While many families have whiled away a sleepy evening over a puzzle, these aren't the type you'll find in just any toy store. Each of the hand-cut pieces are made of premium five- ply hardwood, providing a satisfying heft for the puzzler. (The puzzle itself is a quarter inch thick.) Unlike the handful of different shapes you might encounter in a standard retail set, And the company contracts with dozens of them; artistic themes vary as widely as the sweeping impressionist floral landscapes of fine artist Anisa Asakawa and a moodier set of Vasilisa Romanenko's animal portraits. Then there's the whimsy pieces. An artist can choose to make these special pieces any shape at all; a puzzle of a still life with pomegranates, oranges and lemons included smile-inducing pieces shaped like a cocktail, a tree, a pair of fish and a child with a basket. Danner noted that another puzzle, a 1,000-piece set of national parks and monuments, includes four whimsy pieces detailing the presidential faces of Mount Rushmore. "It really is the artwork and the artist having this dialogue, and then you as the puzzler experiencing that and letting it all unfold," says Danner. That exceptional experience, however, does come at a price. While a 500-piece puzzle at a retailer might cost just over $20, renting a similarly sized Elms Puzzle costs around $100. Looking to buy one outright? Several of their ready-to- ship puzzles start at around $1,000. Renting is what most people do, with some renting "for years and years" before deciding to purchase or commission a puzzle as a family heirloom, Danner noted. "What we have today is a lot of people who, like me, [have made these puzzles] part of their family traditions that they've now passed on, and the new generation of folks are doing them," says Danner, noting how many people are looking to reduce their screen time. "There's this yearning for non-digital entertainment, for time to just let your mind calm down, time to spend and connect with your loved ones and with your friends." While some costs are likely to go up for Elms Puzzles in the coming years — the company relies on wood and ink suppliers that have said they may be subject to threatened tariffs — some creative cost-cutting he says will allow rent- ers to save roughly 30%. Hearing customers seeking more flexible return options, Elms Puzzles peered over its customer data to find that most weren't keeping their puzzles for the full six-week rental period. Instead, they were returned closer to the four-week mark. That realization led the team to now offer more flexibility and cost-savings to customers through less-lengthy rental periods. It's a win-win for puzzlers and Elms Puzzles; the puzzler doesn't have to keep the puzzle or pay for more time than they need, while the company can receive and reoffer that same puzzle to other customers more quickly. "Without having to lower our prices, we're able to change things, where folks can get in at a more accessible level," Danner says. SP ONSORED BY P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Lisa von Hasseln, a cutter for Elms Puzzles, operates a scroll saw to cut out pieces at her home in Bridgton. S O U T H E R N

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