‘Heat!’ benefit CD
warms Maine homes
PORTLAND — “Heat!,” a benefit CD was created by local artists with the intention to warm Maine homes in more ways than one.
The music is a compilation of the best live music performed at the Maple Room in Lewiston during 2007-2008. The resulting two CDs feature over 140 minutes of original music from legendary international musicians and favorite local Maine artists.
“The CD is very dynamic. We wanted it to be a blend of genres, including singer/songwriters, blues, jazz, folk and classical,” said executive producer and musician Gil Hemlick of Portland.
The inspiration for the music to serve as a benefit CD came from a desire Hemlick and fellow musican and collaborator Taylor Mesple had to leave a “positive footprint” and give back to the community. With the rise in gas and oil prices, they decided to share their wealth of recorded music to help Mainers in need of fuel assistance.
All proceeds from the sales of “Heat!” will go to the Maine Community
Action Association, which administers PROP fuel assistance funds.
The CD set costs $15 and can be purchased at heat4all.com and at all Bull Moose Records locations.

USM names new provost
and VP of academic affairs
PORTLAND — The University of Maine System has hired Dr. Kate Langdon Forhan of Chicago as the next provost and vice president for academic affairs.
She will serve as USM’s chief academic officer, responsible for overseeing the University’s eight schools and colleges.
Forhan, currently dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Northeastern Illinois University, will begin April 1.

Avesta Housing wins
green building award
PORTLAND — Avesta Housing’s Pearl Place in Portland’s Bayside neighborhood earned the Outstanding Multi-family Project Award at the U.S. Green Building Council Greenbuild International Conference.
Pearl Place was selected from thousands of building projects throughout the country, and was one of seven award winners.
The project is also Maine’s first LEED for Homes Gold certified multi-family in Maine.

New Hires/Promotions
Verrill Dana has hired Kelly B. Boden and Brett D. Witham, both of Portland, as partners; Matthew L. Caras of Cape Elizabeth, as part-time counsel; and former Maine Attorney General Steve Rowe of Portland, as counsel.
Attorney James Schwellenbach of Portland was elected as a shareholder at Drummond Woodsum.
Frank Strout of Cape Elizabeth was hired as an associate broker with ReMax Oceanside in Cape Elizabeth.
Bernstein Shur hired Edward C. Lawrence of Tophsam as Of Counsel and named Dana A. Lukens of Cumberland and Peter J. Van Hemel as shareholders at its Portland office.
Shalom House in Portland has hired Mary Haynes-Rodgers of Topsham as the new executive director.

Awards
Wine Enthusiast magazine has named Freeport based Cold River Vodka one of the “Top 50 Spirits,” giving Cold River its highest recommendation rating for vodka in 2008.
Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada awarded the certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the County of Cumberland and presented an award of Financial Reporting Achievement to Cumberland County Finance Director Vic Labreque.
Elissa Charbonneau, D.O., of Portland, medical director at New England Rehabilitation Hospital of Portland, was awarded the Medical Leadership Award at HealthSouth’s annual medical director’s conference.
The American Council of Engineering Companies of Maine presented engineering firm Wright-Pierce with an Honor Award for its upgrade project at the Falmouth Water Pollution Control Facility.
Susan Russell of ReMax by the Bay in Portland was awarded the Graduate Realtor Institute designation.

Appointments
Lisa Meyer of Saco, marketing director at Preti Flaherty in Portland, was elected president of The Legal Marketing Association’s New England Chapter.
Peter Van Alstine of Yarmouth, vice president of sales and marketing for Elmet Technologies in Lewiston, was elected to the board of directors of Friends of Casco Bay/Casco Baykeeper.
Jamie Kaplan of Brunswick, executive director of The Cromwell Center for Disabilities Awareness in Portland, has been named an advanced leadership initiative fellow at Harvard University for 2009.
Felicia Garant of Falmouth, assistant vice president at Spinnaker Trust, was appointed by the Treasury Department to serve on the national Taxpayer Advocacy Panel.

New Ventures
Meredith Purdue of Cape Elizabeth has opened a new dog photography business called & unlimited dogs.
Five County Credit Union opened a new retail banking center at 3 Hamilton Court in Topsham.
Portland based McClain Marketing Group was selected to direct a comprehensive marketing initiative for Clark Associates, Portland’s largest privately owned insurance agency.
Tilson Technology Management is a founding partner in a new venture, Construction Change Partners to expand services to large construction companies.
Falmouth Internal Medicine has relocated to Tidewater Village II on Clearwater Drive and added family nurse practitioner Ann Thomas of Portland, and promoted Deb LeMons of Scarborough to office manager.
Edward Jones financial advisor Jim O’Clair of Windham has opened a new office at 94 Auburn St., suite 209 in Portland.

 

Students from Scarborough Middle School, shown above, from left, Alex Lacognata, Dexter Niles and Nick Quiram, display their awards as the top three fundraisers for the 22nd annual Ed Wimert Bike/Walk-a-thon for the Frannie Peabody Center AIDS support programs.Van AlstineForhan