Local organization
earns Benefactor Award

SOUTH PORTLAND — A group of 20 Maine fishing enthusiasts, led by Phil Grondin of R.J. Grondin & Sons, will receive the 2010 Benefactors Award in recognition of their support for Maine community colleges through their annual Sturdivant Island Tuna Tournament.

Each year, the Sturdivant Island Tuna Tournament hosts 40 fishing vessels in a competition for catching the prize winning blue-fin tuna in the Gulf of Maine.

The tournament has raised a total of nearly $200,000 to support programs and fund scholarships at Southern Maine Community College and affiliates, as well as to support the construction of a $1 million pier at SMCC for its Applied Marine Biology and Oceanography program.

The SITT is one of ten community college donors in the country to receive the 2010 Benefactor Award from the Council for Resource Development.

On behalf of Sturdivant Island Tuna Tournament, Phil Grondin, president of SITT, and Dr. Charles Gregory, secretary of SITT and SMCC faculty member, will accept the award at the November 5 CRD Benefactors Gala Award Banquet to be held in Washington D.C.

Portland baking, arts
collaborative opens

PORTLAND — The Bomb Diggity Baking & Arts Program recently held their grand opening at its new facility at 649 Congress St. in Portland.

The innovative program is an extension of the community support program, Momentum, a nonprofit that serves adults with intellectual disabilities.

The Local Sprouts Cooperative and the Bomb Diggity Bakery will share kitchen space and also serve as a community-based day program for Momentum clients. Local Sprouts Cooperative is a local catering company with a cafe, community-supported kitchen, and a food and learning program.

The Bomb Diggity Bakery will provide daily baking sessions, art sessions and studio time, host live performances and workshops. Its goal is to be an integrated workplace, hiring bakers of all abilities.

Another feature of the program is to serve as a venue for collaborative art shows celebrating artists of all abilities. The program will host art openings during Portland’s First Friday Art Walks, where art will be on view from artists of of Momentum, Spindleworks, YES Art Works, Creative Trails, among others.

Bath Savings supports
local non-profits

BATH — Bath Savings Institution is now offering an additional benefit to customers who open a new eChecking NOW Account.

The bank will contribute $25 to a local non-profit of choice. New eChecking customers can choose from a list of 50 participating non-profits in the greater Portland community.

New Ventures

Tony Vine of Cumberland has recently opened IndieDriver Educational Services, LLC, in the Falmouth Shopping Center on U.S. Route 1. Vine, a licensed driving instructor, also holds a Commercial Class A School Bus Driver’s License and has prior experience preparing young adults for their Class B Commercial License. Enrollment is now being accepted for classes offered before school, after school, and Saturdays. For more information, please visit indiedriver.com.

Casco Bay Achievement, a Portland-based SAT preparation and tutoring company, has recently been opened by local high school teachers Brandon Parise and Geoffrey Slack. The program offers individual tutoring packages focusing on SAT preparation and academic support throughout the summer and school year. The next full-length SAT preparation course will begin in early September for the fall SAT. For more information, please call 712-6534, 408-5392 or visit cascobayachievement.com.

Nicholas Saunders of Scarborough-based NCS Logistics, has launched an eco-friendly courier service, Evergreen Courier. The company provides eco-friendly options for messenger, courier expedited delivery services, primarily through the use of hybrid vehicles for transportation. Also, the company offers a web-based account management tool at evergreencourier.com.

Lavalley Lumber and Poole Brothers, with locations throughout Maine, has been renamed New England Building Materials. NEBM. The company has been doing business as NEBM in New Hampshire for two years and Massachusetts since 2009. The name change does not impact ownership or operations. NEBM has also added a new business component, Kitchen Destination. Available at all locations, Kitchen Destination will provide quality kitchen and bath cabinets, and will offer design services.

Ceramic surface and tile artist, Laurie Spugnardi, and jeweler/painter, Maggie Bokor, have launched SoPo Art Studios. The studio, located at 855 Sawyer St., South Portland, serves as the new home of the artists’ workshops, classroom and retail space.

Kate Boak has created a free, online bulletin board for the greater Bath community to serve as a gathering place and information exchange for parents, teachers and other community members called The Bath Family Network. The network can be used to post information about local events, to sell or trade items, give or get parenting advice and more. To sign up, please visit groups.yahoo.com/group/bathfamilynetwork/ or email bathfamilynetwork-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Midcoast artists Nan Kilborn-Tara, Monty Smith, and Natasha Kempers-Cullen have joined with Yarmouth jewelry designer Judith Barker and Nanne Kennedy to open Markings Gallery at 50 Front St., Bath. The gallery will showcase the owners work, as well as other Maine artists. Workshops will also be held on site.

Kamasouptra, a locally-owned soup business specializing in seafood, vegetarian and vegan soups, has opened its doors at The Public Market House in Monument Square, Portland. Prior to the opening of Kamasouptra, executive chef Drew Kinney has been creating soups for local businesses, Novare Res, Bard Coffee, Portland Pie Company and Purpoodock Country Club.

Tracy’s Karate Ju-jitsu has relocated to a larger space at the American Veterans Hall in Yarmouth at 148 North Road. The karate studio had formerly been housed at the Music Together office in Yarmouth.

Downeast Energy has opened the doors of a new energy store in downtown Bath. The new 1000-square-foot energy store is located at 94 Front St., next to Reny’s Department Store. Energy advisors and customer service representatives will be onsite, as well as many energy efficient items will be available for purchase.

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Richard Meserve, center, a special education teacher at The REAL School in Falmouth, received $25,000 from Milken Family Foundation at the 2010 Milken Family Foundation National Educator Forum held in Los Angeles, Calif. The annual award is presented to 54 teachers across the country who are furthering excellence in education.

The Portland Rotary Club has donated $7,200 to sending a container of medical supplies to the Justinain Hospital in Cap Haitean, Haiti. The supplies were provided by Partners for World Health in Portland. The Justinian Hospital has partnered for Falmouth nonprofit, Konbit Sante, for the past 10 years. Pictured here, from left, are Philip Rhinelander, Rotary member, Bill Blount, Club president and Nate Nickerson, executive director of Konbit Sante.

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