2012 december intouch newsletter

22
InTouch InTouch InTouch MONTHLY NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2012 50 ELM STREET, WATERVILLE, ME 04901 • TEL: (207) 873-3315 • FAX: (207) 877-0087 [email protected]www.midmainechamber.com Nikki Desjardins, Chair of the Board • Kimberly N. Lindlof, President & CEO Highlights in this Issue: P. 2: From the President’s Chair P. 2: Mid-Maine Chamber’s Centennial P. 4: Member Events’ Calendar P. 5: Wellness & the Holiday Season P. 8: Eastern Maine HomeCare Exciting Changes to the 2013 Business to Business Showcase By Bruce Harrington The holidays are right around the cor- ner, and the Mid-Maine Chamber has the perfect gift for every person on your list! Mid-Maine Chamber Gift Certificates are redeemable at over 175 local businesses in the greater Waterville area! Not only can they be used at a variety of locations, the Chamber Gift Certificates help keep our money local. Please consider purchasing Chamber Gift Certificates for family, friends, and business clients this season. You can stop in at the Chamber office anytime Monday through Friday, 9AM to 5PM to purchase them. Cash, checks, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express are ac- cepted. Is your business interested in being included on the list of local merchants now accepting Chamber Gift Certificates? If so, visit http://www.midmainechamber.com/cham ber/about/gift_certificates.html for the list and download the “Gift Certificate Agreement Form” at the bottom of the page. Fill it out and mail, email or fax it back to the chamber office, and the staff will get your business included on the list. A special thank you to Kennebec Sav- ings Bank for its in-kind sponsorship of the program. Chamber Gift Certificates The annual Mid Maine Chamber of Commerce Business to Business Showcase is right around the corner, and oh, what changes there have been! The event has grown every year since its inception, outgrowing the spaces where it has been held. This is true once again, so the 2013 Showcase will be held in the field house at Colby College. The 2012 event was able to accommodate 120 booths at the Alfond Youth Center. We will increase that number to 150 booths in 2013 at Colby College – so, if you were not able to get a booth last year, you should be able to get one this year! In addition to a venue change, we have also changed the schedule. We have typically held this event during the first week of April; however, we will be moving event to the last Wednes- day in March – March 27. The Annual Awards Dinner is typically held near the end of March, and has been moved to April 11. The event has historically ended with a Business After Hours. Instead, Colby College has graciously agreed to host a business reception from 5-7 and will feature an amazing menu and cash bar to provide a supportive environment for business net- working. The format for the day has also changed. We will not feature a speaker, roundtables, or in- ternship fair this year. Instead, we will use the showcase as an opportunity for students to meet interested employers in a networking atmosphere. Businesses who are interested in hiring an intern will have an opportunity to meet the local talented college students right at their booth. If you have interest in hiring an intern, please be sure to indicate that when registering for your booth. Finally, the most significant change is that the event will be marketed state-wide, with a fo- cus on bringing out-of-town business people to the event. Our vendors will have an opportunity to not only network with the local business community, but also to meet business people from around the state who could use the products and services of our members. This will make this event a truly business to business event and will help support our chamber members. One thing will not change this year, and that is the price. Booths will be available for the low price of $195 once again this year, making this the most affordable and widely attended event in the area. Emails will be going out to last years’ vendors in December for first option to register for booths. Registration forms for all others will be available in the January InTouch. Sponsorship opportunities are available for the 2013 Business to Business Showcase, contact Robyn Loubier at [email protected] or 873-3315 for more information. We look forward to seeing you there! Thank you to all of our Directors who attended the 2012 Board of Directors Retreat! At the re- treat, at the Waterville Opera House, we discussed the Mid-Maine Chamber’s focus for 2013.

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2012 December Newsletter

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Page 1: 2012 December InTouch Newsletter

InTouchInTouchInTouch MONTHLY NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2012

50 ELM STREET, WATERVILLE, ME 04901 • TEL: (207) 873-3315 • FAX: (207) 877-0087

[email protected] • www.midmainechamber.com

Nikki Desjardins, Chair of the Board • Kimberly N. Lindlof, President & CEO

Highlights in this Issue:

P. 2: From the President’s Chair

P. 2: Mid-Maine Chamber’s Centennial

P. 4: Member Events’ Calendar

P. 5: Wellness & the Holiday Season

P. 8: Eastern Maine HomeCare

Exciting Changes to the

2013 Business to Business

Showcase By Bruce Harrington

The holidays are right around the cor-

ner, and the Mid-Maine Chamber has the

perfect gift for every person on your list!

Mid-Maine Chamber Gift Certificates are

redeemable at over 175 local businesses

in the greater Waterville area! Not only

can they be used at a variety of locations,

the Chamber Gift Certificates help keep

our money local.

Please consider purchasing Chamber

Gift Certificates for family, friends, and

business clients this season. You can stop

in at the Chamber office anytime Monday

through Friday, 9AM to 5PM to purchase

them. Cash, checks, Visa, MasterCard,

Discover and American Express are ac-

cepted.

Is your business interested in being

included on the list of local merchants

now accepting Chamber Gift Certificates?

If so, visit

http://www.midmainechamber.com/cham

ber/about/gift_certificates.html for the list

and download the “Gift Certificate

Agreement Form” at the bottom of the

page.

Fill it out and mail, email or fax it

back to the chamber office, and the staff

will get your business included on the list.

A special thank you to Kennebec Sav-

ings Bank for its in-kind sponsorship of

the program.

Chamber Gift

Certificates

The annual Mid Maine Chamber of Commerce Business to

Business Showcase is right around the corner, and oh, what changes there have been! The event

has grown every year since its inception, outgrowing the spaces where it has been held. This is

true once again, so the 2013 Showcase will be held in the field house at Colby College. The

2012 event was able to accommodate 120 booths at the Alfond Youth Center. We will increase

that number to 150 booths in 2013 at Colby College – so, if you were not able to get a booth last

year, you should be able to get one this year!

In addition to a venue change, we have also changed the schedule. We have typically held

this event during the first week of April; however, we will be moving event to the last Wednes-

day in March – March 27. The Annual Awards Dinner is typically held near the end of March,

and has been moved to April 11. The event has historically ended with a Business After Hours.

Instead, Colby College has graciously agreed to host a business reception from 5-7 and will

feature an amazing menu and cash bar to provide a supportive environment for business net-

working.

The format for the day has also changed. We will not feature a speaker, roundtables, or in-

ternship fair this year. Instead, we will use the showcase as an opportunity for students to meet

interested employers in a networking atmosphere. Businesses who are interested in hiring an

intern will have an opportunity to meet the local talented college students right at their booth. If

you have interest in hiring an intern, please be sure to indicate that when registering for your

booth.

Finally, the most significant change is that the event will be marketed state-wide, with a fo-

cus on bringing out-of-town business people to the event. Our vendors will have an opportunity

to not only network with the local business community, but also to meet business people from

around the state who could use the products and services of our members. This will make this

event a truly business to business event and will help support our chamber members.

One thing will not change this year, and that is the price. Booths will be available for the low

price of $195 once again this year, making this the most affordable and widely attended event in

the area.

Emails will be going out to last years’ vendors in December for first option to register for

booths. Registration forms for all others will be available in the January InTouch.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for the 2013 Business to Business Showcase, contact

Robyn Loubier at [email protected] or 873-3315 for more information.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Thank you to all of our Directors who attended the 2012 Board of Directors Retreat! At the re-

treat, at the Waterville Opera House, we discussed the Mid-Maine Chamber’s focus for 2013.

Page 2: 2012 December InTouch Newsletter

- Kimberly

Business After Hours:

Mid-Maine Chamber’s Centennial

Continued on page 6

Charlie on Eagle Rental’s equipment.

Charlie Haberstock is 9 years old and has a

business card collection of over 1,400

cards. He likes to know about each business

and asks many questions so he decided to

help us by interviewing some area business-

es. Below are excerpts from his interview.

Charlie received a little help from his mom,

Carrie Haberstock.

For our last interview for the Chamber's

2012, "100th Anniversary Year of Celebra-

tion" articles, we visited Eagle Rental, an

equipment rental company in the Waterville

Industrial Park. Jane and Dan Bickford

founded their business in 1989 on a vacant

lot owned by the Waterville Industrial Park.

They began with 3 employees and small

equipment like mini-excavators and skid

steers along with homeowner tools. Today,

they have grown to 15 employees, a wide

selection of rental equipment and over a

dozen trucks delivering and servicing the

equipment all over the northeast, primarily

northern New England.

The company specializes, for the most

part, in supplying equipment for construc

tion sites, although they do carry a wide

array of smaller homeowner items like

wallpaper steamers, wood splitters, and rug

extractors. The large construction equip-

ment includes excavators, bulldozers, boom

and scissor lifts, rollers, pumps, loaders and

more.

The excavators range in weight from

3,500 lbs. to 78,000 lbs.! As you can imag-

ine, a lot of earth can be moved and

prepped with these!

Page 2

Delta Ambulance 29 Chase Avenue, Waterville

December 12 5:30-7:00 PM

Complimentary hors d’oeuvres.

Door prizes, 50/50 raffle & other fabulous prizes!

$100’s in Chamber Gift Certificates will be given away

to one lucky winner in celebration of 100 years!

Serving Kennebec & Somerset Counties With Products and Services For Your

Entire Family

www.taconnet.com

Winslow

207-872-7909

Skowhegan

207-474-2254

166 College Ave., PO Box 215 Waterville, ME 04903-0215

www.az-cpa.com

166 College Ave., PO Box 215 Waterville, ME 04903-0215

www.az-cpa.com

Full Service Office Supplies Retail Store and Furniture Showroom

in Downtown, Skowhegan

The Paper Klip

New & Used Furniture

A Local, Independent, Family- Owned & Operated Company

www.WarrensOfficeSuppplies.com 800.924.9006

Thank you to our

50/50 Sponsor:

Sponsored by:

From the

President’s Chair

Bowdoin Photography

The term “shop locally” is thrown around a

lot, but it seems to mean different things to

different people. For many consumers, it

means shopping in one’s own backyard – any

type of store just as long as it’s in the general

proximity of one’s home. For others, it means

shopping locally owned and operated, one-or-

two-of-a-kind mom & pop stores. Both are

relevant to a vibrant local economy. Larger,

local stores employ local people although are

often criticized that profits are sent away. I

don’t know how much of that is true or if it is

the same with every chain store – I doubt it

is. Small businesses are said to be the back-

bone of a vibrant economy, so I encourage all

of you to “shop locally” as best you can, and

keep our neighbors and friends employed,

growing and thriving.

And, during this season of cheer and thankful-

ness, I’d like to extend our gratitude to Charlie

Haberstock and his mom, Carrie, for the fun

and informative series of testimonial business

profiles that they’ve written for our

InTouch. We’ve had lots of positive feedback,

and have enjoyed working with them as we

engage youth in various ways at the Mid-

Maine Chamber.

Thank you for the support that you’ve shown

us and your neighbors in 2013. Here’s to a

profitable 2013.

Safe and Happy Holidays to you all,

Page 3: 2012 December InTouch Newsletter

Page

O

3

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Seven outstanding individuals were honored at

the Kennebec Valley Community Action

Program Board of Directors' Annual Meeting

on November 14th. The Community Team-

work Award was presented to the following

individuals for their commitment to the Work

Ready Program:

James Baumer, formerly of the Central-

Western Maine Workforce Investment

Board; Patricia Theriault, Program Director,

Lawrence Adult Education; Susan Tuthill,

Program Director, Mid-Maine Regional

Community Adult Education; Tina Chap-

man, President/CPO, United Way of Mid-

Maine; Kimberly Lindlof, President/CEO,

Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce;

The Individual Achievement Awards were

presented to Lori Williams and Victoria Mann

for their commitment and personal success in

overcoming barriers and strengthening their

families.

Congratulations to the newest inductees into

the Thomas College Athletic Hall of Fame:

Chad Boyd '00, Kristen Nielsen Mollison '91,

Sherri Sawyer O'Donnell '92, and Jimmy Car-

daci '03.

Paul Stein has been named the chief operating

officer at MaineGeneral Medical Center,

effective January 1, 2013. In making the an-

nouncement, Chuck Hays, the medical cen-

ter’s president and chief executive officer,

called Stein’s leadership and proven track rec-

ord a great fit for the organization.

Kennebec Savings Bank recently announced

Katie Coughlin Vickers has been hired as vice

president and commercial banking officer.

Bangor Savings Bank recently promoted

Susan Lewis Hodgkins to senior VP.

PFBF CPAs recently hired Melissa Sawyer as

marketing manager.

U.S. Cellular promoted Mathew Kasper to

director of sales for New England.

n November 14, students from Winslow

High School and Jobs for Maine Graduates

(JMG) toured 13 area businesses. Students

were assessed to determine their interest areas

and were then paired with businesses. The

purpose is for students to learn about careers

available in our region and show them about

level of education, hours, income, etc. about

specific fields of work.

Mid-Maine Chamber has partnered with

JMG and Winslow High School in order to

close the skill gap and to keep young profes-

sionals in our region. Kimberly Lindlof, presi-

dent and CEO of the Mid-Maine Chamber

stated, “We want the students to understand

what jobs and careers are available in our re-

gion so they can plan where they will go to

college, or what skill set they need to get into

the workforce right after high school or once

they return from college to enter the work-

force.”

The businesses provide students with infor-

mation about occupations in their field of

work so that a person who knows nothing

about it will get a fairly clear picture of it. The

importance of the field is outlined along with

what kind of education and requirements are

needed in order to work in that specific field.

The business leader also goes over income,

favorable and unfa-

vorable features and opportunities that are

available in central Maine in that field.

Thank you to all of the businesses that par-

ticipated: Flo’s Flower Cart, Berry’s Station-

ers, Day’s Jewelers, MaineGeneral, Joseph’s

Fireside Restaurant, T-Mobile, Inland Hospi-

tal, Central Maine Motors, Mid-State Ma-

chine, Taconnet Credit Union, Waterville City

Hall, Lohmann Animal Health International

and Johnny’s Selected Seeds.

Pictured below from left to right, Students

visiting: Waterville City Hall, Johnny’s Se-

lected Seeds, Joseph’s Fireside Restaurant and

Berry’s Stationers.

Students Visit Area Businesses

Page 4: 2012 December InTouch Newsletter

Page

4

December 4: Manpower is offering a free

webinar at 11AM that will take a look at how

the 2012 election may affect provisions of the

Health Care Reform bill and how those pro-

visions may translate into changes for your

workforce strategies. To register: http://

www.brighttalk.com/webcast/7337/53701.

December 5: Healthy People of

the Kennebec Valley invites you

to: An Expert Panel on Work-

place Wellbeing from 8-10AM at

the Harold Alfond Center for

Cancer Care, 361 Old Belgrade Road, Augus-

ta. FMI: [email protected].

December 6: Hospice Volunteers of Water-

ville is hosting their Annual Lights for Life

open house and garden lighting ceremony

from 5-7PM to celebrate the memory of

loved ones who have died and to honor spe-

cial people in their lives. FMI: 873-3615.

December 7: Colby College, Lorimer Chap-

el at 7:30PM will be its 43rd annual Service

of Carols and Lights. FMI:

[email protected].

December 8: In a mission that is in-keeping

with the environmental and community ser-

vice focus of the student body, 1st year stu-

dents at Unity College have organized a re-

lief effort for victims of Hurricane Sandy. A

fundraiser will be held at

7PM at the Unity College

Center for the Performing

Arts, 42 Depot St., Unity.

The event will feature a

concert by recording artists The Coloradas, a

Maine-based bluegrass band, information

about hurricane relief, and presentations by

Unity College students.

December 8: Let’s Go!

Pool Party brought to you

by Inland Hospital at the

Alfond Youth Center

2:30-3:30PM. Save the date and join them for

some good healthy fun! Sign up for

the Let’s Go! Family Fun Series and

register to win a $500 LLBean gift

card. FMI: inlandhospital.org or

861-3292.

December 10-14: It's a holiday

spectacular not to be missed! Good

Will-Hinckley’s historic Prescott Hall

decked out in splendid holiday regalia. View

the beautifully decorated trees, each sporting

its own unique theme and style. Make the

annual Festival of Trees at Good Will-

Hinckley part of your holiday tradition. FMI:

http://www.gwh.org/fot/Welcome.aspx.

December 11: MSBA Labor & Employment

Law Section Luncheon Meeting at the Gover-

nor Hill Mansion 12-2PM. It will be a panel

discussion on the practical effects of the law

on employees and employers in Maine, in-

cluding discussion on how to handle issues

surrounding accommodation of transgender

persons and gender identity. FMI:

www.mainebar.org.

December 12: Understanding Your Business

Numbers session 10:30AM-Noon at Water-

ville Public Library. This workshop will

review the most common financial state-

ments, where the numbers come from, what

they mean and how they can help you man-

age your business. Instructor: Janet Roderick,

Maine SBDC Certified Business Counselor.

To register:

http://watervillelibrarybus1.eventbrite.com.

December 12: Help Support

Goodwill-Hinckley program,

Down Home Dinner, by joining

in for a delicious homemade din-

ner that features turkey and all

the "fixins" prepared by its very

own campus chefs. Tickets are limited &

must be purchased in advance by calling 238-

4280 or email: [email protected]. Tickets

may also be purchased during normal busi-

ness hours at Winslow Community Credit

Union or at GWH’s Prescott building.

December 12: Maine Development Foun-

dation is hosting its 4th breakfast in the Lead-

ership Unplugged series with Anna Elanor

Roosevelt, president/CEO of Goodwill In-

dustries of Northern New England 7:30-

9AM at the Hannaford Corporate Office in

Scarborough. FMI: www.mdf.org.

December 13: Amici’s Cucina is celebrating

its 2-Year Anniversary! Go celebrate with

them! Check them out on Facebook for more

details of the night. 10% of sales will be do-

nated to a great organization. There will be

prizes and much more!

December 14: Maine Development Foun-

dation’s 6th Annual Holiday Open House

noon-2PM at the Olde Federal Building, 295

Water Street, Suite 5, Augusta. FMI &

RSVP: [email protected].

December 15: Chop To It! Hardy Girls

Healthy Women Meet Cassidy Dangler, who

became at 10 years old the youngest person

to receive a black belt in Waterville. Now a

Junior at Waterville High

School, Cassidy is a 2nd

Degree Black Belt, sensei

(teacher in Japanese) at

Club Naha and much

more! Learn about wom-

en in martial arts and self-defense! Location:

Club Naha at the Alfond Youth Center, 126

North St., Waterville.

December 22: Sam’s Club, Augusta,

Open House 8AM-4PM for all Chamber

members. Goody Bags & Raffles. Sign

up for a membership & receive $10 gift

card.

Page 5: 2012 December InTouch Newsletter

Page 5

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Dorval Consulting LLC

Alan Dorval

207-692-2433

28 Cook Hill Road

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www.dorvalconsulting.com

[email protected]

S.A. Swift, LTD.

Tina Swift

207-872-2078

33A Elm Street

Waterville, ME 04901

www.takobia.com

[email protected]

VacationHomeRentals.com

Thomas Gilmore

978-228-1018

40R Merrimac Street

Newburyport, MA 01950

http://www.vacationhomerentals.com/vacation

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[email protected]

Wellness and the Holiday Season By Bill McPeck

I am finding it hard to believe that the holiday season is here and

2012 is winding down. 2012 has certainly been a significant year for

me. How about you?

I will remember 2012 as the year I left employment in the public sec-

tor after nearly 35 years of service and joined the leadership team of a

national employee health management company, Viridian Health

Management, as its Information Integration Manager. My first four

months have been an incredible ride as I have been involved in multi-

ple stimulating, challenging and cutting edge projects, right from the

start.

From a wellness perspective, the holiday season brings with it many

challenges. The season can be both the best of times and the worst of

times. My thinking is I can best serve you this holiday season by of-

fering a range of thoughts related to employee health management.

Weight Management – Focus not on losing weight, but maintaining

your current weight over the holiday season filled with good food and

drink. Maintain, Don’t Gain. But Remember: Everything in modera-

tion. Check out this resource: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/wellness/

resource/maintain.pdf

Alcohol – With parties galore, there will be no shortage of alcohol. At

each event you attend, make a conscious decision to drink or not. But

Remember: Drinking has risks. Check out this resource: http://

rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/

Stress – Stress abounds during the holidays. We always try adding

more “To Dos” to our already full schedules. Pay attention to your

stress level and triggers. But Remember: Leave some time for your

relaxation and coping strategies. Check out this resource:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-management/MY00435

Gratitude – Enhance your attitude and outlook by recognizing things

to be grateful for, no matter how small or simple they might be. Re-

member To: At the end of each day, make a list of up to three things

you are grateful for that day. Check out this resource:

http://www.wikwpedia.org/wiki/Gratitude_journal

Depression – During the holiday season it is easy to get overwhelmed

and become discouraged. For people prone to depression, the holiday

season can be particularly difficult. Pay attention to how you are act-

ing and feeling. Also pay attention to how others are acting and what

they are saying. Reach out to others. It will be good for you and them.

Remember To: Regularly check in with yourself about how you are

feeling. What is your mood? How are your emotions? Check out this

resource: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression/DS00175

My best wishes to you this holiday season.

Bill McPeck is a Certified Wellness Culture Coach and Worksite Well-

ness Program Consultant. He is currently Information Integration

Manager at Viridian Health Management. Contact Bill with your

questions and comments at 355-1203 or [email protected]

Good Health = Good Business

Page 6: 2012 December InTouch Newsletter

Page

Upcoming Events

December 11: Leading Women’s Luncheon

11:30-1PM Best Western Plus

375 Main Street, Waterville

Laurie Lachance, president of

Thomas College, will present on

her path to success and struggles

along the way.

December 12: Business After

Hours

5:30-7 PM Delta Ambulance

29 Chase Avenue, Waterville

December 13: Business Breakfast Series

7:15-9 AM Thomas College

Unbind Your Mind. Ted Hel-

berg’s presentation will focus on

developing accountability through employee

engagement, a touch of humor, and asking the

right questions to get needed results. He will also

present information regarding innovative and

creative approaches to problem solving by in-

volving others in the process.

6

27 Cool Street • Waterville, ME 04901 (207) 873-0721 • Fax (207) 877-2287

www.genesishcc.com Rehabilitation and Living Centers

Dec 4 Tue. 8:00 AM Bus. Attraction & Retention

Chamber Boardroom

Dec 5 Wed. 7:30 AM Public Policy

Chamber Boardroom

Dec 14 Fri. 7:30 AM Executive Board

Chamber Boardroom

Dec 19 Wed. 8:00 AM Membership

Chamber Boardroom

Dec 21 Fri. 7:30 AM Board of Directors

Retreat

Chamber Tips of the Month Did you know you can be a part of any of our Committees? Information Services, Business

Expansion & Retention, Public Policy, Member-ship, or any of our Event Committees.

The Maine State Chamber Purchasing Alliance,

together with Anthem, has launched a brand NEW

Chamber BlueOptions micro site!

This micro site has been completely revamped to not

only look better but to offer many more resources

than before. To enter the new Chamber BlueOptions

micro site go to:

http://www.anthem.com/mainechamberblueoptions/i

ndex.html

Red Tape Hotline

Any Maine business in need of assistance with licensing, permit-

ting, and/or regulatory matters should call the Red Tape Hotline,

624-7486. This resource was one of many tools created and policy

changes made by the 125th Legislature and the administration to

help improve the State’s business friendliness.

Centennial Continued from page 2

Lifts range from 12' scissor lifts that take you straight up to 120' boom lifts that can

take you up and over to reach your project. A regular customer of Eagle Rental is

the Colby College TV crew that rents scissor lifts to record football games. One of

the more noteworthy renters of the 120' boom lifts was the film crew for the

Skowhegan based movie, Empire Falls.

Most of the employees at Eagle Rental are men. "This is a great business for

men," says Jane, "Men love running toys!" When asked about the Chamber, Jane

also said, "Community is very important. Sharing information and resources with

our fellow Chamber members is essential for the area to stay strong and connected.

If the Chamber is strong, the community is strong!"

Thanks to the Mid-Maine Chamber for this fun and educational year of visiting

and learning about businesses!! We will take with us a greater understanding of

how businesses are run, why people choose the careers that they do, what causes

success and how important each one is for our community to grow, prosper and

serve its citizens.

Page 7: 2012 December InTouch Newsletter

Selah Tea Café has changed its

hours to 8AM-8PM and it has a

whole new menu! It’s the per-

fect place for lunch in down-

town Waterville.

Happy Birthday! The China Dine-ah is 5

Years Old!

KVCC has been awarded a $1 million federal

grant from the U.S. Department of Energy that

will allow the college to transition its North-

east Solar Heating and Cooling Instructor

Training Project to a new focus on photovolta-

ic (pv), or solar electric, training. The new

grant will allow the college to hire a solar pv

instructor, purchase new

training equipment, and

build a mobile training lab.

Inland Hospital has broken

ground on a $5.4 million dollar modernization

of its medical-surgical unit. The renovation

will involve consolidating the medical-surgical

and ICU units, converting semi-

private rooms into private rooms,

and giving the unit a new layout.

The project is expected to be

complete late next summer.

Walk Warm This Winter! Local schools and

community centers throughout Kennebec and

Somerset counties are open to the public for

walking through the winter months. Don’t let

the cold weather keep you from staying active

- walk warm this winter! To find a location

near you, visit movemore.org or call 458-

6664.

As financial exploitation targeting older adults

continues to become more prevalent in the

United States, Spectrum Generations joined

a nationwide campaign to encourage

older adults and their families to ad-

dress the issue and to get informed

about the warning signs and resources

available to help prevent abuse.

MaineGeneral Health is one of 20 organi-

zations nationwide chosen to receive the Ad-

visory Board Employee Engagement Initia-

tive’s 2012 Excellence in Engagement

Award. The award honors U.S. hospitals and

health systems that exhibit extraordinary

levels of workforce engagement. Winners

were recognized at the EEI National Summit

in Chicago on Oct. 17.

New Commercial Customers of Irving Ener-

gy can save up to $750 off propane, heating oil

or diesel. FMI: http://www.irvingenergy.com/

new-commercial-customers/.

BONNEY Staffing Center was named as one

of the 2012 Best Places to wWork in Maine.

The awards program was created in 2006 and

is a project of the Society for Human Resource

Management(SHRM)- Maine State Council

and Best Companies Group. This statewide

survey and awards program was designed to

identify, recognize and honor the best places

of employment in Maine, benefiting the state's

economy, its workforce and businesses.

The Banfield Charitable Trust has awarded

$3,700.00 to Spectrum Generations Cohen

Center in Hallowell, Muskie Center in Water-

ville and the Southern Midcoast Center in

Topsham for its AniMeals program, an exten-

sion of its Meals on Wheels

program for pets. This grant

will be used to buy pet food or

cover direct expenses for pet

food distribution efforts.

Waterville Area Warming Center, 9 Water St.,

Waterville, will be opening on Saturday, Dec.

1, 2012. The Center, which is coordinated by

United Way of Mid-Maine, will be open 7

days a week, 7:30 am-5:00 pm until the end of

March.

The research farm of Johnny’s Selected seeds

in Albion was visited by Sen.

Susan Collins in recognition

of the company’s nearly four

decades of being a world-

renowned resource for vege-

table, herb and flower seeds

as well as high-quality tools.

Congratulations to recent WorkReady gradu-

ates who graduated on November 2nd. The

chamber worked with Adult Ed to organized

the mock interviews held at the Fairfield Com-

munity Center. Thank you to all of the cham-

ber volunteers who conducted the interviews.

Bangor International Airport launched a

passenger loyalty program to reward passen-

gers with frequent flier miles when they spend

money at the airport or other participating

businesses. Thanks Again rewards program

has more than 170 member airports in the U.S.

and plans to spread into Canadian airports next

year. Participants register their debit/credit

cards with Thanks Again, & whenever they

use those cards to purchase food, magazines or

souvenirs at one of Thanks Again’s partner

airports the money they spend earns rewards

points. Paying for parking earns miles, too. To

join: text “FLYBGR” to 82257; or

www.thanksagain.com/BGR. No registration

fee & sign-up takes less than 3 minutes. Those

who enroll in the 1st week get 250 miles free

for signing up.

Page 7

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Page 8

50 Elm Street

Waterville, ME 04901

PRE-SORTED STANDARD

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT #146

Waterville, ME 04901

Have some news you would like to share? Submit a short announcement to the Chamber office by the 3rd Friday of the prior month. Inserts are also available for $125 per month. Call 873-3315 or email [email protected]. Disclaimer: The Mid-Maine Chamber’s InTouch newsletter is published monthly as a benefit to members and affili-

ates. All member news is compiled and submitted solely by our members; therefore, we reserve the right to omit and/or edit as appropriate, and cannot guarantee complete accu-

racy of all announcements. Sponsorship inserts do not necessarily reflect the position of the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce.

Eastern Maine HomeCare E astern Maine HomeCare (EMHC) proudly serves the Waterville and

central Maine area. In recognition of National Home Care & Hospice

Month, EMHC wishes to extend a heartfelt thank you to the healthcare

professionals that dedicate their lives to helping their central Maine

neighbors and friends remain at home. “Whether it’s a clinician work-

ing directly with our patients and families, or our office staff working

behind the scenes, we are grateful for the critical role each one of our

staff members performs,” explains Carol Carew, chief nursing officer.

“Every day I see the commitment our staff has to the patients and fam-

ilies we serve and it’s truly inspiring.” In ad-

dition, EMHC wishes to thank the hospitals,

physicians and skilled nursing facilities that

refer their patients and the donors that contribute to our

organization to help the underinsured and uninsured

members of our community receive our services.

In an effort to keep patients in their homes and help prevent re-

hospitalizations, EMHC has extended its telehealth program. Did you

know that patients or loved ones may be eligible to have their vital

signs easily monitored daily from the comfort of home? This allows

for better disease management, better patient care and more patient

engagement.

Telehealth, which measures daily vital signs, is used in conjunction

with EMHC’s clinical staff and is a useful tool in educating patients

about their disease process. Early recognition that a patients clinical

situation may be changing can help facilitate adjustments in medica-

tion and therapies early, and many times avoid a trip to the emergency

room or a re-hospitalization.

Eastern Maine HomeCare's central Maine staff members live in the

greater Waterville area. They are local healthcare professionals that

help patients stay at home. We believe our patients deserve care with

the utmost dignity, compassion and respect.

Last year EMHC traveled more than 1.35 mil-

lion miles to provide a complete medley of

home health services, from skilled nursing and therapy ser-

vices to hospice care that includes a focus on comfort and

pain management, companionship with our trained volun-

teers and personal care with our home health aides. A member of

EMHS, Eastern Maine HomeCare works to ensure the highest quality

home care and hospice services are available to all who need them. To

learn more about the Eastern Maine HomeCare family, visit our web-

site www.easternmainehomecare.org or call our Patient Referral Line

toll-free at 1.866.591.8843.

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