Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 13 M A R C H 2 0 , 2 0 1 7 Houlton rolls out 'cannabiz' welcome mat Although Gov. Paul LePage signed into law emergency legislation passed by the 128th Legislature delaying the effective date for most provisions related to retail sales of marijuana until Feb. 1, 2018, Houlton officials are making sure their Aroostook community will be ready to capital- ize on business opportunities aris- ing from legalized marijuana when that moratorium has ended. e Houlton Pioneer Times reported that Houlton town councilors unanimously approved an ordinance regulating the location of commer- cial and retail marijuana establish- ments and facilities. "is town has been struggling for years," Councilor Sue Waite-York told the newspaper. "We're not in a position to let this opportunity slip by." Aroostook vegetable processor suspends operations Northern Girl, a vegetable processor and packer in Van Buren, Aroostook County, suspended operations and is looking for a buyer. In a letter to the public dated Feb. 28, principals Leah Cook, Marada Cook and Chris Hallweaver said "we have decided to suspend our operations." e com- pany will "pursue all viable options to sell our business." Reached by phone, Leah Cook told Mainebiz that as a small processor Northern Girl could not compete on scale. It is look- ing for a buyer that might be able to incorporate the processing operation into a larger business — possibly a distributor or a large-scale food processing or farming operation. e decision to suspend operations came after a discussion with board mem- bers, she said. In six years, Northern Girl processed more than 400,000 pounds of Maine crops and paid $155,000 to local farmers and sup- pliers, the company said. It paid out $386,000 in wages. Fed budget could eliminate Sea Grant jobs Maine Sea Grant, a program based at the University of Maine in Orono that has about 18 employees, including administrative, support and extension personnel, faces an almost 67% reduction in its budget under the Trump administration's What's your vision? Drummond Woodsum attorneys David Backer, John Kaminski, Jessica Scherb, David Sherman and Julia Pitney have the skills to help sharpen and secure your vision for yourself and your loved ones. Our team excels at creative, efficient estate planning and administration, and effective resolution of trust and estate disputes. We practice law differently. Since 1965. dwmlaw.com | 800.727.1941 ALLEGIANT • AMERICAN • DELTA • UNITED Has winter lost its charm? If you're ready to leave winter in your wake, enjoy the convenience of an airport closer to home. Fly nonstop to warm and sunny destinations, or to hub cities with easy connections to the world. Our new and improved airport check-in center makes saying goodbye to winter easier than ever. Plan your winter escape at FlyBangor.com Dear Winter, Lately you have been so cold to me. I long for more warmth and light in my life. A break would do us both good. So I'm leaving you. Goodbye. Me Starting April 1, new Delta nonstops to JFK. Plus, new American nonstops to Charlotte start June 3. BGR_Winter17_MEBiz_030817.indd 1 3/8/17 4:27 PM N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N

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