Brunswick downtown group holds annual meeting, awards

“The Brunswick Town Mall – The Pride of Our Community” was the theme of the Brunswick Downtown Association’s annual meeting Jan. 23 at Bowdoin College, where annual recognition awards were presented.

The theme was reflected through the BDA Business of the Year, Morning Glory Natural Foods, which celebrated 38 years on Maine Street this year. “A family-owned, independent natural food store that specializes in local and organically grown foods, Morning Glory has a strong record of community service by supporting many local charitable organizations and projects,” said Patti Spencer-Yost, marketing & communications coordinator, in a prepared release. 

David Knight, a BDA board member since 2010, was named Volunteer of the Year. “He has a let’s-get-it-done type of personality who exudes enthusiasm and brings wisdom and expertise to all of his roles,” according to Spencer-Yost, who said Knight has served as BDA secretary and Speaking Events Committee chairman.

BDA Member of the Year is Pathway Vineyard Church, members of which set up their bounce house during BDA’s Community BBQ and Rolling Slumber Bed Races events, among other efforts.

News from the pews

An Illinois man was tapped to lead First Lutheran Church in Portland. Pastor Brad Eidson has moved to the City by the Sea from a small rural farm town called Golden in Illinois, where he served as pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church from 2014-18.

“We are thrilled to have Pastor Brad as our new Pastor. He brings a lot of enthusiasm and energy,” First Lutheran Council President Steve Barmore said. “We look forward to his leadership in our congregation. After three years with a part-time interim pastor, we are excited to have new leadership to focus on spiritual development and community service.”

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“I come by being a pastor rather honestly,” said Eidson. “My father has been an ordained minister since 1997 and my grandfather was a U.S. Navy chaplain and has been an ordained minister since 1962.”

Eidson graduated from the University of West Florida in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in 2014. 

St. Augustine Anglican Church in Scarborough welcomed Fr. Robert Menas as its vicar beginning this month.

“Father Robert Menas is a gifted priest and pastor,” said Bishop Brian Marsh of the Diocese of the Northeast/Anglican Church in America. “We are very pleased he has accepted the call to serve St. Augustine’s Anglican Church. Under his pastoral care, we expect the parish will grow and thrive as a center for traditional Anglican worship in Scarborough.”

Menas, 50, was born and raised in Baltimore, and was educated at the Reformed Episcopal Seminary.

Giving Back

On Jan. 18, representatives from O’Reilly Auto Parts dropped by Region 10 Technical High School in Brunswick to donate a check for $600. Bill Goldstein, O’Reilly’s Topsham store manager, said he wanted to “give something back to Region 10 for all of the great employees they’ve sent our way.”

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Hires, promotions, appointments

Apprentice pairs selected for the 2019 Craft Apprentice Program of the Maine Crafts Association, in partnership with the Maine Arts Commission, include Portland printmaker David Wolfe, who is mentoring David Connor, also of Portland.

Dr. Jeffrey Aalberg is the new medical director of South Portland-based Day One, a nonprofit that provides substance use, mental health and wellness services to youth and families. Aalbert trained at University of Massachusetts Medical School and worked in the MaineHealth system for 25 years.

Stroudwater Associates announced executive leadership changes that include several local residents. Jeffrey Sommer of Yarmouth is the firm’s new managing director. Eric Shell of Falmouth is now chairman of the board of directors, while Heidi Larson, MD, was promoted to senior consultant. 

Chris Bernard of Scarborough has joined Portland-based William Raveis Real Estate in Northern New England as a sales associate.  

Verrill Dana announced that six of the firm’s attorneys have been elected to partner: Seth Coburn, Eugene Ho, Brian O’Rourke, John Powell, Sarah Trautz and Geoffrey Why.

Preti Flaherty attorney Dan Walker was recently appointed to Maine’s new Marijuana Advisory Commission, a 15-member panel created to conduct a continuing study of state laws relating to cannabis.

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Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland announces new officers and members of its board of directors: Julie Ray of Perkins Thompson, vice president; Lex Meagher of Kennebunk Savings Bank, secretary; John Shumadine of Murray, Plumb & Murray remains as president and Jeremy Handlon of Marcum LLP continues to serve as treasurer. Joining the board are Dava Davin, who founded Portside Real Estate Group, and Sam LeGeyt, a broker with The Dunham Group.

Maine State Music Theatre has elected five new members to the board of trustees: Karen Geraghty of Portland, Andrew T. Masland of Topsham, Brandon Mazer of Portland, Marge H. Healing of Brunswick and Diane O. Eberle of Phippsburg.

Atlantic Federal Credit Union has hired Chris Perry of Scarborough as vice president, commercial lending.  

Sebago Technics engineering and surveying consulting firm has appointed Kylie S. Mason, vice president of project delivery, to the company’s board of directors.

Jonathan James Cagney of South Portland has rejoined the staff at Hobbs Funeral Homes as a licensed funeral director. He previously worked at Hobbs as a funeral director from 2010-14.

Bill Harwood of Verrill Dana was elected board president of the Maine Justice Foundation, the state’s leading funder of civil legal aid for poor and vulnerable Mainers. New board members include Jerroll Crouter, a partner at Drummond Woodsum; Gerald F. Petruccelli, a partner at Martin & Haddow; Grady Burns, teaching fellow at the University of Maine School of Law; and Thaddeus Day, principal, Law Offices of Thaddeus V. Day.

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State Sen. Ben Chipman, D-Portland, welcomed Dr. Jeff Barkin, also of Portland, to the Maine Senate as the Doctor of the Day for Jan. 29. Barkin practices psychiatry and specializes in geriatric psychiatry in Portland. Launched in 1997, Doctor of the Day is a volunteer program that provides medical assistance at the State House in the event of a medical emergency. The program is operated with the cooperation and support of a number of organizations, including the Maine Medical Association and the Maine Osteopathic Association.

Fontaine Family – The Real Estate Leader has added Alle Gildart of South Portland to the Scarborough team. 

Workers’ compensation specialist The MEMIC Group has announced the promotions of Ben Delcourt to underwriting manager and Shae-Li Fendler to underwriting analyst manager.

Dr. Ann Tuddenham has joined Kevin Kenerson’s medical practice, Be Well My Friend, located on South Freeport Road in Freeport.

Coffee By Design recently hired Jeremy Behne of Portland as its director of coffee and wholesale operations. Most recently he was director of coffee for Larry’s Coffee Company in Raleigh, N.C.

Maine Conservation Voters and Maine Conservation Alliance announced that Kathleen Meil is the new director of policy & partnerships, and will be managing the Environmental Priorities Coalition and the Clean Energy for All program.

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Recognition

David Brenerman, former Portland mayor, city councilor and state legislator, was named the 2018-29 award recipient for Leadership in the Public Sector by the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Attorney Peter R. Guarino of Falmouth has been accepted to the board of directors for the New England Broker Dealer Investment Adviser Association.

Coastal Enterprises in Brunswick announced that its entire housing counseling staff is now individually certified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

For the eighth time in five years, the federal Environmental Protection Agency has honored the University of Southern Maine’s efforts to reduce and reuse waste at its campuses in Portland, Gorham and Lewiston. From 2017-18, USM increased the amount of food waste it recovered from 77.4 tons to 92.5 tons, for which the university was awarded a 2018 Food Recovery Challenge Achievement Certificate from the EPA’s New England regional office in Boston.

The duo LaColombe will perform at the Maine Academy of Modern Music stage at the 2019 Old Port Festival in June after winning the 2019 MAMM SLAM: Adults Rock contest Feb. 2. 

New England Cancer Specialists is the newest member of the Dana-Farber Cancer Care Collaborative in Boston. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute clinicians and specialists conducted an extensive review of New England Cancer Specialists’ adult medical oncology practices and procedures at three locations in Maine – Kennebunk, Scarborough and Topsham.

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Open for Business

The Brunswick Downtown Association marked the opening of Stripez Fashion at 64 Maine St., inside Starz Hair Studio, with a ribbon-cutting on Jan. 17.

Milestones

Geary’s Brewing Co. celebrated two milestones at the end of 2018: Pale Ale’s 32nd anniversary and its 10,000th brew. 

Portland Police Department’s newly promoted Sgt. Joseph Jaynes and his wife and two sons, one of whom is pinning his father’s badge during a promotion ceremony Feb. 2. Each year, Portland Downtown partners with the PPD to host an awards breakfast to honor residents and law enforcement for acts of heroism.

EidsonGuarinoBernardDavinAalberg


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