Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I I N O. X I I I J U N E 1 2 , 2 0 1 7 10 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 Greene property going 'green' e former Town & Country Foods meat operation in Greene sold after three days on the market to a medi- cal marijuana grower. e Lewiston Sun Journal reported MECAP LLC bought the 8.2-acre property for $360,000 as an investment, then sold it again to Bangor-based Central Maine Flower Herbal Caregiving Services LLC, which describes itself online as specializing in growing hydroponic medicinal cannabis. Ryan Aubin, a consultant who was answering the phone for Central Maine Flower, told the BDN the facility's layout is ideal for growing medicinal cannabis, with a freezer building, fl oor drains and the ability to sterilize from the ceiling down. Aubin told the Sun Journal that Central Maine Flower owner Benny Carrasco, a licensed medical marijuana caregiver, plans to expand his operation for the recreational marijuana market once those rules are established. N O T E W O R T H Y C E N T R A L & W E S T E R N Main Street Skowhegan received a $10,000 grant from the Skowhegan Savings Charitable Foundation to help implement the Skowhegan Strategic Plan for Community Transformation. LA Metro Magazine in Auburn added Matt Leonard, a business- man and former president and CEO of the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, as a co-owner. Leonard will serve as chief visionary offi cer for the publication. The Avangrid Foundation, the philanthrop- ic organization of AVANGRID, a diversi- fi ed U.S. energy and utility company and global affi liate of Iberdrola SA, pledged donations totaling $100,000 to the Maine State Museum's plan to build an Education Center at its facility in Augusta. Kennebec Savings Bank in Augusta announced it will open an electronic banking and loan center at 181 Lower Main St. in Freeport. Deer Island port closure affects Eastport businesses e indefi nite closure of the port of entry on Deer Island, New Brunswick, is impacting businesses in Eastport that depend on ferry traffi c. e Quoddy Tides reported the ferry connection Q: I'm in charge of human resources at a growing company that wants to formalize recruiting procedures. The CEO and the board told me to write a proposal, but I'm no writer. Where do I start? ACE advises: If you know your fi eld, you've already got the content in hand, so don't fret. Just start with an empty screen or legal pad and write down what you know about the topic. Let it fl ow, with no concern for form or even grammar. This is called brainstorming, also "pre-writing" and exploratory writing. The next step is drafting, where you go through all that stuff and cull redun- dancies, correct contradictions and highlight what's important — never failing to lose sight of the fact that, in the fi nal version, brevity and clarity go hand-in-hand. Give this stage the time and attention it deserves, and organizing the proposal will fall into place neatly. The main point will emerge from brainstorming, fol- lowed by one topic per paragraph (or a list of bullets). That's what writing is all about: ideas supported by details. Then ask yourself if you've said everything you want to say and nothing more, remembering that too much length alienates the busy reader. Edit your- self carefully because, being human, you've made mistakes in the drafts. If the grammar and spelling are sloppy, the reader may wonder what's wrong with the content. Finally, have you taken proper AIM? Have you kept the Audience fi rmly in mind by trying to edify, not impress? Is your Intent (what you want the reader to think, say or do) clear? And does it add up to an effective Message? A S K AC E Answered by DAVE GRIFFITHS, DAVE GRIFFITHS COMMUNICATIONS The Association for Consulting Expertise (ACE) is a non-profit association of independent consultants who value "Success through Collaboration." The public is welcome to attend its regular meetings to share best practices and engage with industry experts. For more information go to www.consultexpertise.com. If you have a question for an ACE expert, contact Jim Milliken at jim@millikenproject.com. M I D C O A S T & D O W N E A S T

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