Good Deeds

The Maine Red Claws and Unum joined with the Center for Grieving Children recently to announce a new program called Hoops for Hope. Through the Hoops for Hope program, individuals and corporations will be able to pledge a dollar amount for every free throw the Maine Red Claws make at home during the 2012-13 season. Through General Dynamics Bath Iron Works’ sponsorship of the team, the Red Claws will pledge $20 for every successful free throw this season with an expected donation of approximately $12,500.

The last payment of $30,000 on the Mid Coast Hospital Auxiliary’s $150,000 pledge, to help equip and furnish the walk-in clinic in downtown Brunswick, was made in early January. Carolyn Gibson, auxiliary president, presented the check to Mid Coast Hospital CEO Lois Skillings, thanking mid-coast communities for making this possible.

The Youth Ministry of All Saints Parish is raising money for its mission trip to Puerto Rico in June. The teens will participate in a project sponsored by YouthWorks, an ecumenical mission group that enables teenagers to serve the poor in more than 80 sites in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. The YouthWorks mission is to build faith and change the hearts of teenagers by building relationships with the poor. YouthWorks partners with local social service agencies and also offers their own programs engaging in service such as home repair, care of the homeless, soup kitchens and children’s programs. While in Puerto Rico, teens from All Saints will primarily be working with children, but will also engage in other types of work as needed by the local community.

Grants

The American Bar Association has awarded Maine Justice Action Group with $20,000 to enhance a statewide network of libraries, pro bono attorneys and legal aid providers. Through this grant, the network will offer law-related programming and resources to the public through local libraries. The first initiative of this grant will be the May 1 “Lawyers in Libraries” event where volunteer attorneys across the state will provide information, general advice and referrals without cost to individuals at libraries across Maine. The grant is part of the American Bar Association Access to Justice Commission Expansion Project which is funded by the Public Welfare Foundation, the Bauman Foundation, and the Kresge Foundation.

Appointments

Frank H. Goodyear III and Anne Collins Goodyear have been named co-directors of the Bowdoin College Museum of Art. Frank Goodyear currently serves as curator of photographs at the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Anne Collins Goodyear serves as associate curator of prints and drawings at the National Portrait Gallery. She is also president of the College Art Association. At Bowdoin, the Goodyears will oversee the more than 20,000 items in the museum’s collections as well as the staff, programs, strategic planning and budget. They will be responsible for the museum’s exhibition program and publications, its educational activities within and beyond the college, and the development of its collections. 

Greg Schultz, formerly a strategic accounts agent at Euler Hermes North America has been appointed vice president of Falmouth-based One Source Risk Management and Funding Inc.

Expansions

Rising Tide Brewing Company, a small family-owned brewery in Portland, has begun shipping its beer to Vermont through its new distribution partner, G. Housen. Founded in 2010 with a tiny one-barrel brewing system, Rising Tide completed an expansion in the summer of 2012 with the installation of a custom-built15-barrel brewhouse in a 5,000-square-foot facility on Fox Street in Portland’s East Bayside neighborhood. The expansion increased the brewery’s production capacity from about 15 barrels a month to about 120 barrels a month.

Sales

Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty, with offices in Portland, Kennebunk, Brunswick and Camden, announced that its total sales volume ranks it first in Maine for property sales with prices exceeding $1 million. The company reported its sales of properties valued at $1 million or more in 2012 ranked it significantly ahead of any other Maine-based property company. While there is no official release of Maine real estate company rankings, the statistical analysis revealed that Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty is the dominant market leader in terms of both unit volume and dollar volume of sales.

Recognition

Drew Sigfridson, president of the Maine Real Estate & Development Association, announced the 2013 winners of awards presented at MEREDA’s Annual Real Estate Forecast Conference. The conference was held on Jan. 24 in Portland in front of a nearly 650 attendees. The Robert B. Patterson Jr. Founders’ Award, which recognizes a member who has contributed to the industry or to MEREDA on a significant level over many years, was presented to Dana Totman, of Brunswick; the Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Jessica Estes, of Yarmouth; the Public Policy Award went to Rick Licht, of Gray; and the President’s Award went to Paul Peck, of North Yarmouth.

Stephen J. Schwartz, of Schwartz & Schwartz PA in Portland, has been named by his peers to Best Lawyers in America for 2013. It is the third consecutive year he has been voted the honor. Schwartz practices criminal and traffic defense, personal injury, and wills and probate law. He was also appointed by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court to a second, three-year term on the Board of Overseers of the Bar.

Events

Maine Community Health Options recently co-hosted a program featuring two nationally known and highly-regarded speakers who discussed value based insurance design and Choosing Wisely initiatives. The program featured Dr. A. Mark Fendrick, director of University of Michigan Center for Value-Based Insurance Design and Dr. Barbara Crowley, the executive vice president of MaineGeneral Health.