MECA names
new college dean

PORTLAND — Maine College of Art has named Christopher Whittey as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college.

As dean of the college, he will oversee program faculty, the directors of the Institute for Contemporary Art and the Joanne Waxman Library.

Whittey, a practicing artist, was previously the dean for academic services and faculty member at the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Fekety receives women’s
health, midwifery award

FALMOUTH — Susan Fekety, RN, MSN, CNM, received the Maine Association of Certified Nurse Midwives Excellence in Midwifery and Women’s Health Award at the annual allied professional societies recognition luncheon at the Maine Hospital Association’s summer forum.

The award was given in recognition of her professionalism and accomplishments in health care services.

Fekety, a Yale-educated and trained nurse midwife, is one of the founding practitioners at True North: Maine’s Center for Functional Medicine and the Healing Arts in Falmouth.

Her current practice includes lifestyle and nutrition counseling and women’s health services.

Peaks Island museum
receives IMLS Bookshelf 

PEAKS ISLAND — The Fifth Maine Regiment Museum received the Institute of Museum and Library Services Connecting to Collections Bookshelf donation.

The Bookshelf materials includes a donation of a set of conservation books and online resources that will enable staff to better care for its collections by addressing topics as the philosophy and ethics of collecting, collections management and planning, emergency preparedness, and culturally specific conservation issues.

The IMLS Bookshelf donation is part of a conservation initiative launched by the Institute in 2006 to improve the state of nationwide collections.

Yarmouth Arts awards
community grants

YARMOUTH — Yarmouth Arts has awarded a total of $1,500 through three community grants as part of its annual Community Grant program.

A mural project, “Our Community is Safe, Kind, Helpful, and Polite,” to be painted at Rowe School in Yarmouth by artists Page O’Rourke and Mary Rehak, received $1000. The grant also received a match by the Yarmouth School Department.

A knitting project designed by Yarmouth elementary school teacher Renee Rhoads received $250. “Knitting with Fourth Graders,” With the help of parent volunteers, Rhoads will teach the art and craft of knitting, resulting in a community service project and a knitting show.

“Our Town: Poetry at the Library” was awarded $250 to help fund poetry readings by published poets and workshops on writing poetry. The activities, organized by Mary Webber and Mary Dowd, both of Yarmouth, will celebrate National Poetry Month in April, 2010.

Awards

Dr. David H. Howes, president and CEO of Martin’s Point Health Care, was selected as the 2009 Humanitarian of the Year by nonprofit Spurwink Services. 

The Cromwell Center for Disabilities Awareness presented Leslie B. “Les” Otten with its inaugural Person of the Year Award in recognition of his contributions as chairman of the board for the past five years.

Portland insurance agency Clark Insurance was recognized as a Best Practices Agency for 2009 by the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America, Inc. for the 11th consecutive year. 

Dr. Andrew Tenenbaum of Portland, a pediatrician at University Health Care for Kids in Portland, was presented with The Maine Osteopathic Association Young Physician of the Year Award. 

Bill Tomsa of Topsham was awarded the Marilyn Dwelley Award for Best Acrylic Landscape Painting in the 40th Annual Waterville Intown Art Festival juried competition for his painting “Autumn Glory.” 

At the Second Annual Blue Point Chowder Challenge held in Scarborough, the Judge’s Choice winner was Eric Greenleaf of the Scarborough Police Dept. with his Seafood Chowder and the People’s choice winner was Mary Rollo of Project G.R.A.C.E. with her Seven Fish Chowder. 

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute received the Poland Spring Natural Leader Award in recognition of the accomplishments of GMRI that make Maine a better place to live and work with its LabVenture! project provide access to marine science education for fifth and six graders in Maine. 

The Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership has named Scarborough-based Binax, Inc., a division of Inverness Medical Innovations, as the Maine Manufacturer of the Year. 

Maine Optometry’s Dr. Blaine A. Littlefield of Brunswick was one of 147 optometrists throughout the country to receive the American Optometric Association 2009 Continuing Recognition Award. 

Rod McGarry, L.L.Bean fly-fishing instructor, was given the Harger Memorial Life Award by the Federation of Fly Fishers for his lifelong contributions to fly-fishing and fly-fishing instruction.  

Fred Greenhalgh, volunteer producer of the program, “Radio Drama Revival,” on USM’s community radio station, WMPG, won a Gold Ogle Award, an international audio drama award, for best fantasy audio drama at the CONvergence festival, a convention devoted to science fiction and fantasy in media held in Minneapolis, Minn.  

The Associated General Contractors of Maine awarded James “Jim” Langford of Langford & Low Construction the Major Achievements in Construction Award. 

Good Deeds

Steve Chaisson of Scarborough donated a total of $5,200 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine. Chaisson raised the money with help from his employer, Tyler Technologies in Falmouth, coworkers, and family, with the goal of becoming a “Wish Maker” by July 26, 2009, the date he was participating in the Ironman Lake Placid Competition.  

Portland Shellfish donated $850 to the Maine Breast Cancer Coalition to support services provided for under-served Mainers with breast health or breast cancer needs. The money was raised by selling crab and lobster rolls at Shaun McCarthy’s Dock Fore during the Old Port Festival.  

Maine Bank & Trust employees donated $500 from money raised during a “Dress Down Day” to benefit the American Heart Association. 

The People’s United Community Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Maine Bank & Trust, awarded $20,000 to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute to support its “LabVenture!” initiative, a marine science education program for fifth and sixth graders in Maine.

Tenenbaum
Fekety
Howes
Littlefield
McGarry

Chaisson

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Eldred H. Harmon of Scarborough, pictured above with his wife, Patricia, was presented with the Boston Post Cane at a ceremony commemorating his life and achievements on his 99th birthday on Sunday, Aug. 30. Harmon, a life-long resident of Scarborough, received the cane and a plaque in recognition as the town’s oldest resident.