ST. LOUIS - Three area corn growers were recently named state winners in the 2002 National Corn Yield Contest (NCYC), sponsored by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA).

Brenda V. York of Farmington placed first in the state in the A No Till/Strip Till Non-Irrigated class with a yield of 203.4236 bushels per acre. The hybrid planted in the winning field was Pioneer 3893.

L. Herbert York of Farmington placed second in the state in the A No Till/Strip Till Non-Irrigated class with a yield of 168.0172 bushels per acre.

As if rehearsing for a play, "Donald" sometimes practices his lines before he goes to the bank.

A few times a year, the Auburn resident prepares questions about closing an account or he pretends that he's leaving town and his address is about to change.

Donald, who doesn't give his full name so as not to blow his cover, is a "mystery shopper." After a "mystery shop," as they all call it, he sits in his car outside the bank and scribbles down the conversations he's just had with the tellers.

RUMFORD - Financial representative Ronald J. Theriault of Rumford has passed the Series No.

A popular song of a few years past defied both conventional wisdom and the rules of English grammar by asserting, "Age ain't nothing but a number."

Now comes generational marketing expert Maddy Dychtwald supporting the view expressed by the ungrammatical lyric.

POLAND - Poland resident Riki Pierce recently joined The Longaberger Co. as an independent sales associate.

More than 70,000 independent sales associates, including Pierce, market and sell the following line of Longaberger products in all 50 states through home shows: Longaberger Baskets, fabric liners, plastic protectors, hardwood dividers and lids, an exclusive line of pottery, home accessories and wrought iron products.

All Longaberger products are American made.

The Longaberger Co. is based in Newark, Ohio, and has more than 7,100 employees.

There are a number of reasons for not filing your tax return by April 15. Some people have financial transactions or joint ventures which may be difficult to summarize by April 15.

Others simply don't get organized in time to file by the deadline. If you can't file your 2002 tax return by April 15, you need to file an extension by that date.

Many people are still unclear about what an extension really means. A valid extension simply means that your tax return will not be subject to a penalty for late filing.

NEW YORK - The drive to create more U.S. homeowners, a policy position embraced by the Bush administration, real estate trade groups and mortgage lenders, may be about to have its gears stripped.

The desire to own one's own home, a big part of the fabled American dream, is a strong one, and a record number of households have bought in: More than 68 percent of Americans own their homes today, up from 64 percent in 1990.

AUBURN - Gates Formed-Fibre Products Inc. has attained a significant international certification for its environmental management. International Organization for Standardization 14001 is a globally-recognized standard that specifies requirements for a comprehensive environmental management system.

An independent auditor recently conducted a thorough assessment of Gates' system and determined that it meets ISO 14001 specifications.

The International Standardization Organization is a collaborative network of standards institutes worldwide.

RUMFORD - The Rumford CareerCenter has announced that it is seeking area employers and job seekers to participate in an upcoming job fair, according to Ray Potvin, co-manager of the Rumford location.

The fair will be held from 9 a.m. to noon April 29 at the American Legion at 58 Congress St. The public is welcome to attend, and the event is free of charge.

Free recruiter space is available for companies wishing to participate.

AUBURN - The Auburn Business Association will host its next dinner meeting on Thursday, April 3, in Gipper's conference room. There will be a social time, starting at 5:30 p.m., followed by a buffet dinner and presentation.

Auburn city officials will give a PowerPoint presentation about the latest economic developments in the area. Anyone interested in attending should contact association President Ray Dube at 939-0459.

LEWISTON - Don White, associate broker with Century 21 Advantage, was named the office's top producing sales associate for 2002.

White has been with the Century 21 Advantage since 1999 and has been awarded with such awards as the Masters Club Ruby Award, the Outstanding Sales and Performance Award, and the Rookie of the Year Award. He was invited by the Century 21 Real Estate Corp. to attend the Top Agent Retreat being held at the San Francisco Marriott from July 30 to Aug. 1 or the Marriott Copley Square in Boston from Aug.

LEWISTON - Meredith Grover, RN, has joined the staff of WorkMed Occupational Health Services in Lewiston.

Grover studied at the University of Maine at Augusta, earning her associate's degree in nursing. Before joining WorkMed, she provided nursing care in the Medical/Surgical unit at St. Mary's Regional Medical Center.

Grover resides in Turner with her husband, Jon, and their golden retriever, Maple.

At 17, most kids don't explore the corporate world much beyond the classic summer jobs, the fast-food grills or blue-jeans racks.

But these students have bigger plans.

One wants to start up a regional airline, with low fares to put pressure on larger competitors.

Another envisions a sophisticated, elegant restaurant.

"Some of them are really serious about getting a business going at some point in their lives," said Wendy Russell, a second-year teacher at the Lewiston Regional Technical Center.

The Androscoggin Chapter of the Maine Women's Network will host A Trio of Marketing Mavens from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Norway, Rumford and Lisbon Falls - previously isolated from broadband Internet access offered by the state's largest telecommunications firm - are among several towns recently added to the high-speed list.

Verizon Online has announced an expansion of the company's digital subscriber line (DSL) service to 22 more communities statewide.

LEWISTON - Chris Hall, vice president of the Maine State Chamber, will be the guest speaker this Thursday at the Androscoggin Chamber breakfast, hosted by the Ramada Inn and Conference Center.

LEWISTON - She began her career in the 1960s, organizing activity programs for seniors through the Lewiston Recreation Department.

Eloise M. O'Neill went on to become executive director of SeniorsPlus, a tri-county agency that helps older adults maintain independence, dignity and quality of life.

She saw the agency through 25 years of success and now she's ready for a personal change. O'Neill resigned earlier this month with plans to complete her education.

"It is time for me to reinvent myself," said O'Neill.

FARMINGTON - Registered nurse Taffy Davis has been appointed outpatient and oncology manager at Franklin Memorial Hospital, according to Jill Berry Bowen, FMH chief operating officer.

Davis will uphold a leadership and management role, yet continue to work clinically with patients.