Looking back at the top business stories
for July-Dec. 2011
Editor’s Note: The following is the second of a two-part series that looks back on some of the more memorable business stories of 2011. This article covers July through December.
July
• The United Way of Aroostook’s fund-raising goal was reached thanks in part to the generosity of a St. John Valley family. The Paradis Shop ‘N Save United Way Benefit Scramble raised $6,000 to bring the year’s total just a bit shy of the $520,000 campaign goal set by the UWA. The Paradis family got together and agreed to kick in the difference.
• The Crow’s Nest added catering, as well as live entertainment, to its list of services. Since opening the previous fall, business has continued to grow at the Presque Isle restaurant.
• Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop announced it was exclusively testing six new panini sandwiches in all 29 Maine area restaurants — including Presque Isle — evaluating the new menu item for a nationwide launch. Maine was chosen as one of the few test markets because of strong customer loyalty and how successfully the company has grown throughout the state.
• The Aroostook Medical Center was honored for exceeding patient expectations by Avatar International, a company that assists hospitals with measuring and improving the care they provide. The award is based on patients’ responses to surveys they receive after receiving care at A.R. Gould Memorial Hospital, TAMC’s physician offices and Crown Ambulance.
August
• Employees at Ray’s Corner Variety in Presque Isle were kept busy thanks to the addition of a dairy bar. Located at 70 Academy St., the dairy bar provides hard ice cream, milkshakes, banana splits, sundaes, cones and even brownies a la modes. A grand opening to celebrate the new dairy bar was held at the store. The event included free hot dogs, chips, sodas and ice cream. Several children’s prizes were given away as was a family camping package. More than 200 people attended the celebration.
• The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Foundation received a generous $30,000 gift for two scholarships to be established in Dr. Kenneth Petress’ name. Petress was a professor emeritus of communication with the University. He served as a professor of communication at UMPI from 1988 to 2002. During his time at the University, he served in many capacities, including as coordinator of the communication, literature and science departments. He dedicated his life to learning and teaching others. Petress passed away May 21, 2010.
• Naturally Potatoes was recognized by the Maine Department of Labor for the business’s continued efforts to offer a safe workplace for employees. The Safety Works! program of the Maine Department of Labor honored the Mars Hill potato processing facility for its efforts in providing a safe and healthy work environment. During a ceremony hosted at the company’s facility on Route 1, DOL officials presented company officials with a Safety and Health Award Recognition Program (SHARP) certificate of achievement.
• Crews from Northern Electric Inc. of Ashland installed an 80-foot tall residential wind turbine at the site of NMCC’s Northern Maine Center for Excellence in Alternative Energy Training and Education. The 10-kilowatt unit is used by students in the wind power technology and other academic programs that incorporate alternative energy into the curriculum.
• The Maine State Council of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) announced that 40 companies, including MMG Insurance of Presque Isle, had been named in the sixth annual Best Places to Work in Maine program. The 2011 Best Places to Work in Maine program recognizes companies that have established and consistently fostered outstanding workplace environments.
• The North Street Healthcare facility in Presque Isle anticipated become much busier as it was announced that the Clinic at Walmart in Presque Isle was going to close. The clinic was owned and operated by The Aroostook Medical Center. Hospital officials found that most of their customers preferred to use the Walk-In Care service at North Street Healthcare, which opened a few months before the Clinic at Walmart.
September
• A collective 260 years of service to higher education in Aroostook County was recognized as Northern Maine Community College honored 19 employees who have reached milestones of service to the campus in this the golden anniversary year of the founding of the institution. Three NMCC employees were each honored for 30 years of service to the campus. Daniel Boyd, automotive technology instructor; William Egeler, dean of students; and Ron Fitzgerald, interim academic dean, all of Presque Isle, were presented with a special plaque featuring a hand-turned wooden apple and inscription that indicated that an apple tree had been planted in their honor on the college grounds. Three retirees, who announced their retirement since the end of the most recently completed academic year, were also recognized at the luncheon. Guy Jackson, residential construction instructor, and John Price, social science instructor, both of Presque Isle, along with Fitzgerald, were presented rocking chairs with an engraved NMCC seal.
• Lajoie Farms, of Cyr Plantation, was named the 2010-11 McCain Foods Champion Potato Grower for Maine. They, along with the other McCain top 10 potato growers, were honored at the annual McCain Grower Barbecue held at the Aroostook County Shiners’ Club in Presque Isle.
• A picnic was held to honor Fraser Timber Ltd. employees for their continued efforts to ensure a safe workplace. Employees were presented with awards in the form of company jackets, company watches and cash.
• A significant in-kind donation from Dead River Co. which was given to The Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges will enhance the hands-on learning opportunities at three of the state’s community colleges. Officials with Dead River Co. joined representatives from Northern Maine Community College, the NMCC Foundation and The Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges to receive the first three of 11 trucks to be given to the community colleges in Presque Isle, Bangor and Calais. Robert Moore, president of Dead River Co., announced the gift in the diesel hydraulics technology lab at NMCC before members of the freshman class enrolled in the associate degree program.
• ACAP’s Children and Family Services program, based in Presque Isle, was the recipient of a $500 grant from the York Children’s Foundation, which will be used toward the installation of an elevator at the Parsons Street facility.
• A Mapleton man trained in emergency rescue procedures was honored by the Katahdin Elementary School in Stacyville for helping save the life of a school employee. United Parcel Service (UPS) driver Jeff Stephenson and school nurse Bev Cullins were recognized for their efforts on a fateful day last May at the school. The incident happened May 18 when Dickie McNally, the school’s maintenance man, had a heart attack and was unresponsive when he was found in the school building. Cullins had begun CPR and treatment with emergency apparatus when Stephenson entered the building while on his normal delivery rounds. McNally credited both Stephenson and Cullins as “saving his life.”
October
• Mastro Motors, a family-owned and -operated, pre-owned car dealership, opened at 641 Main St., Presque Isle, under the ownership of Tom Mastro and his son, Travis Mastro, and Travis’s wife, Tanya Mastro.
• Maine State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin paid a visit to the Presque Isle Rotary Club, outlining his road to economic recovery.
• Nathan Scott, a chef whose cooking tips are featured in television segments on WAGM-TV, released a new cookbook entitled “OpenKitchen: Annual Recipes 2011.”
• Presque Isle High School FFA members raised funds for a trip to the national convention in Indianapolis by hosting a 10-course dinner at the Crow’s Nest Restaurant and Event Center, LLC, in Presque Isle.
• The Aroostook County Fund of the Maine Community Foundation marked its 25th anniversary by honoring past grant participants, including: 10th Mountain Ski Club, Aroostook Agency on Aging, Aroostook Mental Health Services, Association Culturelle et Historique du Mont-Carmel, Catholic Charities of Maine, Friends of Aroostook, Nordic Heritage Sport Club, Southern Aroostook Cultural Arts Project, University of Maine at Presque Isle and Wintergreen Arts Center.
• Deryle E. Sponberg of Washburn was named the winner of a new Kindle, after taking part in a promotional event at NorState Federal Credit Union in Presque Isle.
• Dr. Linda Graves, medical laboratory technology professor at UMPI, had her textbook “Clinical Laboratory Chemistry” published in Korean, with students in Korea using it as part of their coursework.
• Several new employees joined the NMCC campus community, including: Frank Pytlak, Shelli Cronkhite, Sandy Pelletier, Lynne Nelson-Manion and Johna Lovely.
• Matt Bell, owner of Northeast Pellets LLC in Ashland, was named vice president of the Maine Pellet Fuels Association.
• Northern Maine Community College: Rural Partnership to Build a Green Economy was the “Colleges in Action” story highlighted on the website and in the October newsletter of the Washington, D.C.-based Sustainability Education and Economic Development (SEED) Center.
• Fiberphilia North, owned by Michelle Goldman, and Garden Gate Fabrics, owned by Sylvia Buob, joined to share space at 733 Main Street at Presque Isle, selling knitting supplies and sewing notions under one roof.
• Glen Nielson was hired as assistant manager by Maine Potato Growers Inc. in Presque Isle.
• UMPI welcomed several new employees, including: Hyrum Benson, Dr. Melissa Crowe, Dr. Rachael Hannah, Chris Rolon, Heather Sincavage, Nola Belanger, Sheila Blair, Frank Higgins, Alyre Levesque, Nancy Nichols, Vanessa Pearson, Mike Sullivan and JoAnne Wallingford.
November
• Maine State Chamber of Commerce President Dana Connors attended a business breakfast at UMPI, speaking with community and business leaders about issues of interest and ways he might be able to help with their concerns.
• Cook’s Florist in Presque Isle donated $482 to the Central Aroostook Humane Society — funds raised through a vase recycling project.
• Aroostook Beverage Company and its owner, Peter Briggs, were recognized for 50 years in business, during a special banquet with company employees at the Northeastland Hotel.
• UMPI, BalanceBPO and TxVia entered an agreement with international possibilities, launching the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Certification Course.
• NMCC Foundation celebrated a banner year, with a growing number of contributions benefiting more and more students. The Foundation presented the 2011 Outstanding Benefactor Recognition Award to Mary Smith, who donated $1.2 million this past year to support alternative energy efforts at NMCC, during the organization’s annual dinner.
• UMPI and the Caribou Regional Technology Center signed an articulation agreement, which will allow CRTC students to earn college credit for the high school-level criminal justice classes they take, providing a head start on a criminal justice degree from the University.
• GrafTech, a publicly-traded company headquartered in Parma, Ohio, a business specializing in graphite material science technology, manufacturing synthetic and natural graphite-based products, acquired Fiber Materials, Inc., located in Presque Isle, to be a part of its global team.
• Jason Rogers, who was born in Presque Isle but now lives in Tennessee, was among those named to the first ballot of the 2012 Grammy Awards in two categories: Best New Artist and Best Country Song.
• “The Zombies Are Coming To Town,” a film directed by Nathan Oliver and filmed in Westfield and Caribou, was named Best Made in Maine Film during the second annual Portland Maine Film Festival.
• UMPI held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion of energy-saving renovations to Pullen Hall.
December
• The Bridgewater General Store, owned by Gerald and Wendy Parenteau, opened for business at 402 Main Street in Bridgewater.
• Carl Allen was named NMCC safety/security manager.
• Destini Bates was promoted to branch manager of the Care and Comfort office in Presque Isle.
• The welding lab in the Mailman Trades Building at Northern Maine Community College, which is utilized by students in several of the trade and technical occupation programs, was officially reopened Dec. 2 at an event that featured Maine Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner George Gervais.
• The spirit of giving unified volunteers from the Grant Memorial United Methodist Church, who donated their time and services to restore three apartments in transitional housing for Homeless Services of Aroostook in Presque Isle.
– Compiled by Scott Mitchell Johnson and Kathy McCarty
