Money workshop to be held

LEWISTON — Women, Work, and Community will be offering a free workshop from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, at USM Lewiston/Auburn College LearningWorks aimed at helping participants reach their financial goals.

Called Budgeting Basics, the workshop will teach participants how to build a budget that will pay their bills with money left at the end of the month. Preregistration is required. Call 753-6612 for more information or to register.

Ready to open

Daryn Slover/Sun Journal
Aaron Martel of Auburn stops by to see when the Tractor Supply Co. store will open on Lisbon Street in Lewiston on Friday. According to a sign on the front door, Maine's newest retail farm and ranch supply store will be open for business Saturday.

Cummings joins real estate firm

AUBURN — Harriet Cummings has recently joined the Fontaine Family The Real Estate Leader, 336 Center St.

Cummings earned a bachelor's degree in secondary education at the University of Maine and brings 13 years of real estate experience, having been associated with ERA Dawson in Bangor from 1996-2004 and, for the past five years, at ERA Worden Realty in Auburn. She holds an associate broker's license and is an accredited buyer agent. She is president-elect of the Androscoggin Board of Realtors and also the secretary of the board of directors at Edgewood Condominium Association.

Dr. Lydon joins Franklin Health Surgery

FARMINGTON — Franklin Memorial Hospital President Rebecca Ryder announces that Shane Lydon, a general surgeon, joined the staff of Franklin Health Surgery on Sept. 1. Other providers in the practice include Dr. Eric Gunther and Dr. Thomas Marshall.

Before joining Franklin Health Surgery, Lydon was a small business owner in Lincolnville. He has been practicing medicine since 1994, most recently at Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport. He has a professional interest in laparoscopy.

Chamber breakfast set for Sept. 10

LEWISTON — The Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce breakfast program will be held at 7:15 p.m. Sept. 10 at the Martindale Country Club, Beech Hill Road in Auburn.

Cummings joins Fontaine realty firm

AUBURN — Harriet Cummings has recently joined the Fontaine Family Team at 336 Center St.

Weight Watchers moves up Center Street

AUBURN — CRE Management, a Boston-based Asset Management firm, has leased 1,500 square feet at the Auburn Plaza, 730 Center St., to Weight Watchers of Maine. Weight Watchers is at 120 Center St.

According to a Weight Watchers official, the new meeting space at the Auburn Plaza will open Oct. 1.

Job seekers

Jose Leiva/Sun Journal

Althea Kennedy, left, of Lewiston and Charles Baker of Lisbon Falls fill out job applications at Affiliated Computer Services on East Ave in Lewiston on Wednesday. The ACS call center is trying to fill 90 jobs for customer care agents, managers, supervisors and trainers by Friday.

Fusco joins Premier Properties

RAYMOND — Carrie Colby, owner of Premier Properties, 1288 Roosevelt Trail in Raymond, announces that Lynn Fusco has joined the agency. Fusco has a broker's license and has been a REALTOR® for more than 10 years. She has experience in listing, selling and assisting buyers in their search for waterfront or residential homes.

Fusco and her husband live in Naples and are members of St. Joseph's of Bridgton. They enjoy being active at work, playing tennis, bicycling, traveling and spending time with friends, family and their grandchildren.

ACS hiring 90 by Friday

LEWISTON — Ninety of 130 new jobs Affiliated Computer Services expected to create starting in June will be filled in the next three days, according to a statement from the company.

The company will hire the 90 to fill positions as customer care agents, managers, supervisors and trainers, to "accommodate increased business activity," the release stated.

Osborne joins St. Mary's Surgical Associates

LEWISTON — St. Mary's Surgical Associates welcomes Eric Osborne, DO. He will join general surgeons Maria Ikossi, MD, and Justin Clark, MD, at their Lewiston practice.

Dr. Osborne earned his doctor of osteopathy at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford. He completed his residency in general surgery at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, Mass., and earned a master of science, bachelor of science and bachelor of arts at the University of Maine in Orono.

Veterinary Hospital adds two doctors

NORWAY — Norway Veterinary Hospital welcomes Dr. Jill Hebert Ellis, DVM, and Dr. Menolly Beittenmiller, DVM. They join Drs. Binette, Harker and Warrington.

Maine picks possible sites for wind power testing

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - State officials say they have identified seven sites off the Maine coast that could be suitable for testing new offshore wind power technology.

The seven sites identified Tuesday stretch from southern waters off York County to far eastern Maine off the town of Cutler.

The Portland Press Herald says that state officials by law must select between one and five of the spots by Dec. 15 to be used as demonstration sites to test components to develop deep-water wind farms, ones that would operate on floating platforms in waters hundreds of feet deep.

Salko joins Topsham practice

TOPSHAM — David L. Salko, M.D., a family medicine physician, has joined Topsham Family Medicine, 4 Horton Place. Other members of the staff are Cynthia J. Dechenes, M.D., Shannon Kenney, D.O., and nurse practitioner Nancy Porr.

Prior to joining the Topsham-based primary care practice, Salko was a member of the physician staff at Central Maine Family Practice in Lewiston. Topsham Family Medicine and Central Maine Family Practice are clinical departments of the Central Maine Medical Center.

SCORE, Chamber offering seminar

SOUTH PARIS — An e-commerce seminar, co-sponsored by the Oxford Hills chapter of SCORE and the Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce, will be offered Sept. 10, 9-11 a.m., at the University Center in South Paris. Emphasis will be on learning to use the Web to grow business and improve search engine visibility. Presenter is Rich Brooks, president and founder of flyte new media of Portland, a Web design and Internet marketing firm. He teaches a Web-marketing course at the USM Center for Continuing Education.

Maine blueberry crop looks solid

BANGOR, Maine (AP) - Maine, the nation's largest producer of wild blueberries, is boasting a healthy crop despite heavy rain through much of the summer that delayed the start of harvest by a week.

David Bell, executive director for the Maine Wild Blueberry Commission, says it'll be a solid, but not record-breaking, crop. It remains to be seen whether it'll reach early-season predictions of 100 million pounds.

Wild blueberries are a $250 million economic engine in Maine, most of it in Washington and Hancock counties.

MANP offers seminars

LEWISTON — The Maine Association of Nonprofits is offering diverse nonprofit management training in the Lewiston/Auburn region. The programs will focus on human resources, planning, and public policy and advocacy.

Career workshop offered

LEWISTON — Thinking of making a career change? Or are you looking to enter the work force?

Maine Centers for Women, Work and Community is offering free five-week Career Exploration training from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays Sept. 9, 16, 23 and 30 and Oct. 7 at Lewiston CareerCenter. Participants will review skills, interests and experiences, and relate them to career options, identify educational and training opportunities, and develop a step-by-step plan to achieve career goals.

Bernanke personal bank account struck by ID theft

WASHINGTON (AP) - No one is safe from identity theft, not even the chairman of the Federal Reserve.

Ben Bernanke's personal checking account became entangled in an elaborate identity-theft scheme after his wife Anna's purse was stolen last August. According to a District of Columbia police report, it contained her Social Security card, checkbook, credit cards and IDs.

Job fair at N.H. racetrack fuels speedy networking

 

 

LOUDON, N.H. (AP) - Job interviews as quick as a pit stop replaced the usual blur of race cars at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Thursday when thousands of people turned out for a job fair.

Garages on the track's infield were packed with representatives from more than 170 companies, agencies and organizations. Some job seekers hunched over mechanics' benches to fill out applications, while others used gas pumps outside as makeshift desks.

Millions face shrinking Social Security payments

 

 

WASHINGTON (AP) - Millions of older people face shrinking Social Security checks next year, the first time in a generation that payments would not rise.

The trustees who oversee Social Security are projecting there won't be a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for the next two years. That hasn't happened since automatic increases were adopted in 1975.

NNE states to hold joint session with FairPoint

DERRY, N.H. (AP) - A southern New Hampshire community will be the host of a joint hearing next month at which regulators from New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont are expected to question FairPoint executives about the troubled communication company's problems.

All three states have held hearings with FairPoint, but this will be the first time they have teamed up for questioning at a hearing scheduled on Sept. 9 at 1 p.m. at the Derry Municipal Center in Derry.

Economy's small drop in 2Q hints recession ending

 

 

WASHINGTON (AP) - Further evidence the recession is ending came in a report Thursday confirming that the economy shrank at an annual rate of just 1 percent in the spring.

Many analysts say growth likely returned in the current quarter. Smaller dips in consumer spending and other areas during the April-June period led some economists to raise their forecasts for the July-September quarter.

Eretzian promoted at Rinck

AUBURN — Karly J. Eretzian has been promoted to creative director at Rinck Advertising in Auburn. Skilled in the areas of graphic concept, design layout and campaign and identity development, Eretzian plays a lead role in project management and creative concept in print and digital media marketing.

Wilton CareerCenter lists September programs

WILTON — The following sessions are to be held at the Wilton CareerCenter, 865 US Route 2E in Wilton. These workshops are at no charge to the public. All workshops begin promptly at listed times. Registration  is required.

Telephone 645-5800, toll free 1-800-982-4311, TDD 888-697-2895, to set up an appointment. The Maine Department of Labor provides equal opportunity in employment and programs. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.