Indie Biz Awards
announced in Portland

PORTLAND — Portland Buy Local, an independent business support organization, held its second annual Indie Biz Awards.

Nearly 1,800 people voted in this year’s awards competition to recognize a favorite independently owned businesses in nine different categories.

The winners include Portland Farmers Market, Soul of Portland; Fore Street, Flavor of Portland; Portland Trails, Environmental Hero; Micucci’s Grocery Store, Portland’s Best Kept Secret; Coffee By Design, Community Hero; Becky’s Diner, Portland Totem; Emilie Inc. Photography, Business With No Front; Portland Museum of Art, Global Hero; Longfellow Books, Wild Card.

Local residents nominated
to state councils, board

AUGUSTA —Governor John E. Baldacci recently announced his nominations to two state health advisory councils, Advisory Council on Health Systems Development and The Maine Quality Forum Advisory Council. The health councils make recommendations to the Governor’s Office and the Legislature on the State Health Plan.

Baldacci also announced his nominations to the Board of Environmental Protection, which has regulatory authority over state environmental laws.

Nominations for reappointment to the Advisory Council on Health Systems Development include Andrew Coburn of Yarmouth, director of the Institute for Health Policy at the Muskie School of Public Service, USM; and Anne Graham of North Yarmouth, pediatric nurse practitioner at Maine Neurology. A new appointment to the advisory council is James Highland of Yarmouth, president of Compass Health Analytics.

The Maine Quality Forum Advisory Council reappointment nominations include James Case of Yarmouth, vice president at McTeague, Higbee, Case, Cohen, Whitney & Toker, P.A.; Dr. W. Steven Gefvert of Cumberland Foreside, University Health Care of the University of New England; Dr. Jeffrey Holstrom of South Portland, medical director of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Maine and University Health Care, University of New England; Dr. Janice Wnek of Brunswick, physician at Midcoast Pediatrics. Nominated for a new appointment to the council is Susan Henderson of South Portland, associate professor, department of nursing, Saint Joseph’s College and president of the American Nurses Association of Maine.

The Governor nominated two local residents to the Board of Environmental Protection. Nominated for reappointment is Elizabeth Ehrenfeld of Falmouth, adjunct professor at Southern Maine Community College. New appointee Franklin E. Woodard of Falmouth, former president of Woodard & Curran, was also nominated to the board.

Awards

At Rotary Internationals’ World Understanding and Peace Dinner, Yarmouth Rotarian Carolyn Johnson was awarded Rotary’s highest honor, the Service Above Self Award, for her work improving the culture of reading and literacy rates in Guatemala. 

Brenda Lapoint, a Greely Middle School occupational therapist, was awarded the 2008 Outstanding Practitioner Award by the Maine Occupational Therapy Association.

Portland-based ARCADIA designworks, an architecture and industrial design firm, received a Design Award of Honor from the Society of American Registered Architects, Pennsylvania Council for its work on the Millinocket Municipal Pool and Bath House; and “The Original Ulimate Spinner” a children’s toy designed by ARCADIA, was awarded Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products of 2008. 

At the 30th anniversary celebration of Women, Work and Community, two local residents received the WWC “Midcoast Champions” awards. Recipients include Marnee Robinson of Marnee’s Cookies in Bath and Dennis Unger, director of the University College Bath/Brunswick. 

Christina Bechstein of Maine College of Art was awarded the Donald Harward Faculty Award For Service Learning Excellence by the Maine Campus Compact. 

Deb Smith of South Portland was presented with the William V. Haskell Distinguished Professional of the Year Award by the Maine Recreation and Park Association at its annual spring conference. 

Physical therapist Joanne Murphy of Cape Elizabeth was awarded the VNA Home Health & Hospice “Home Care Hero Award for the month of March. 

Portland restaurant Cinque Terre was named one of the top four recommended restaurants in the country for “Soil to Table Inspiration” by GQ magazine.

The Maine Alzheimer’s Association recognized its top volunteers at a recent ceremony attended by Governor John Baldacci. The governor presented Toni Butterfield of Falmouth with the Marilyn Paige Award for Volunteerism for her dedicated volunteer efforts. Harriet Currie of Yarmouth earned the President’s Award in recognition of over 2,000 hours of volunteer service. Dr. James Donahue of Freeport was awarded the Collaborative Spirit Award.

At Maine College of Art’s annual Art Honors Celebration, Alice Spencer, artist and public art advocate with the MECA, was presented with the Leadership in the Arts Award and Andy Graham, founder and owner of Portland Color, earned the MECA Entrepreneurship in the Arts Award. 

South Portland-based Higgins Corporation, a distributor of secure photo identification solutions and a Datacard Group dealer, received the Perseverance Award at the national ISG Spring Dealer Meeting. 

Laura Sosnowski and the Maine Home Connection team at RE/MAX By The Bay in Portland received the RE/MAX Hall of Fame Award for earning more than $1 million in commissions while with RE/MAX.