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V I E W P O I N T S W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 3 JA N UA R Y 8 , 2 0 1 8 For a daily digest of Maine's top business news, sign up for the Mainebiz Daily Report at mainebiz.biz/enews Get Maine's business news daily at mainebiz.biz and on Twitter (@Mainebiz). Below is some of the best from our online-only offerings: Featured @ Mainebiz.biz 'Kid appeal' to the rescue? Thanks to an initiative through the USDA's National School Lunch Program, Maine wild blueberries are now available in 22 states, up from 13 in 2016. But with nearly 15 million breakfasts and 30 million lunches served in over 100,000 public and private schools, Nancy McBrady, executive director of the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine, says there's lots of room for expanding the program. Find out more about the initiative's potential to increase the market for Maine wild blueberries at mainebiz.biz/blueberry The Laredo Project Students from the University of Maine School of Law are getting hands-on immigration law experi- ence at a federal detention center in Laredo, Texas, where they are providing volunteer assistance to immigrant and refugee women. The Laredo Project reflects MaineLaw's Refugee and Human Rights Clinic's dual mission of training "future lawyers while engaging in public service." mainebiz.biz/laredoproject Nurturing local artists Dinah Minot, executive director of Creative Portland, has lots of ideas about how to boost the city's potential as an arts destination, includ- ing finding ways provide affordable studio spaces for local artists. She's working with the Maine Office of Tourism, the Maine Arts Commission and communities from Biddeford to Lewiston- Auburn to Rockland to build on Portland's strong national reputation as a foodie city. Find out more at mainebiz.biz/creativeportland From the Editor F or this year, I've asked the Mainebiz editorial staff to expand its horizons. While Mainebiz has always made an eff ort to cover the entire state and every year visits six "On the Road" destinations, from Kittery to Fort Kent, we felt like there was room for improvement. Southern Maine's economy is strong and it's easy to get caught up in only covering that. But, as we've been reminded in the past year, there are other parts of the state where things are happening. As a result, I've asked each reporter to take respon- sibility for a specifi c municipality or region. Laurie Schreiber, who lives on Mount Desert Island, volunteered to cover Ellsworth. Renee Cordes, who is based in our Portland offi ce, will cover Biddeford-Saco and York County in general. Maureen Milliken (more on her in a minute) will cover Augusta, including the State House; Waterville and Millinocket. Jim McCarthy, our Digital Editor, will cover Bath and Brunswick, as well as the Moosehead Lake Region and western Maine. I am also planning to take part in this, working from Bangor two days a month. I've asked everyone to reach out to public offi cials, economic development people and of course local business leaders. More important, we're looking to staff ers to be the eyes and ears in those areas. A new addition to the Mainebiz staff We are happy to share the news that Maureen Milliken, a longtime correspondent for Mainebiz, joined the staff on Jan. 2. As a staff writer, she will help lead our expanded real estate coverage, including the new Real Estate Insider/Development email, which launched Jan. 4, and the Building Business column, which will launch in the Jan. 22 print edition. Adding Maureen to the staff will also help us increase our manufacturing coverage. She will con- tinue work she has been doing for the past several months as a freelancer, writing the Maine Food Insider and contributing to the Daily Report email. She will also serve as backup to Digital Editor Jim McCarthy when he's on vacation. Maureen is a seasoned journalist, com- ing to us from the Morning Sentinel/Maine Today Media in Waterville, where she was city edi- tor. She was also news editor at the Sentinel and Kennebec Journal and worked for many years as a reporter and editor at the New Hampshire Union Leader. Maureen is also a published mystery writer. Maureen's dad, Jim Milliken, who is a longtime Maine journalist, contributes the "Ask ACE" column to Mainebiz. In nearly as year as a freelancer for Mainebiz, Maureen has demonstrated she's a dedicated journal- ist with a strong institutional knowledge and level of commitment to her work. She will bring a toolbox of skills to an already talented Mainebiz team. Say hello to Maureen at mmilliken@mainebiz.biz. Peter Van Allen pvanallen@mainebiz.biz Where ya headed in 2018? bernsteinshur.com Be smart. BE SHUR. When you need a lawyer who thinks like an executive and speaks like a human. While Mainebiz has While Mainebiz has While Mainebiz has While Mainebiz has While Mainebiz has While Mainebiz has While Mainebiz has While Mainebiz has While Mainebiz has always made an effort to always made an effort to always made an effort to always made an effort to always made an effort to always made an effort to always made an effort to always made an effort to always made an effort to always made an effort to always made an effort to always made an effort to always made an effort to cover the entire state and every year visits six 'On the Road' destinations, from Kittery to Fort Kent, we felt like there was room for improvement.

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