This week the Buzz tastes like blueberries, hot dogs and … Subarus.

On Tuesday, Oakhurst offered newsrooms around Maine a sneak sip of its new Wild Blueberry Milk that will hit shelves at Northern New England retailers including Hannaford, Walmart and Big Apple on Friday.

According to a news release, Wild Blueberry Milk’s roots go back to April Fool’s Day last year when the company jokingly proposed a jelly-bean-flavored milk.

Customers weighed in on the actual new flavor, as well as package design, and the rest is short-lived history: It’s only planned to be available on store shelves from May to October.

The wild blueberries are sourced from Wyman’s of Maine. Local farms that supply Oakhurst: Miller Farm in Leeds, R.E. Hemond and Hemond Hill Farm in Minot and Fisher Farm in Sabattus.

Rezoning times two

Auburn city councilors gave early support Monday night to a request by Evergreen Subaru to rezone two adjacent lots and discontinue Niskayuna Street, as part of a hoped-for expansion.

“We’re bursting at the seams,” Evergreen owner Doug Weisz told the council. “Through serendipity, we’ve been able to acquire some surrounding properties.”

He said the dealership has been on Center Street for 12 years and is feeling pressure from customers and manufacturers to upgrade, update and modernize.

Weisz said he’d been contacting nearby property owners about the road discontinuance and rezoning. The two properties, 20 Niskayuna St., which the dealership has bought, and 1079 Turner St., which the dealership has an option on, are zoned Suburban Residential and would have to be zoned General Business for the expansion.

Mayor Jason Levesque told Weisz, “We appreciate you investing in the city, and being a thoughtful neighbor.”

Councilors also took a straw vote in favor of a zoning change at 33 Dunn St. from Multi-Family Urban to Neighborhood Business to make way for new office space and a coffee and muffin/doughnut shop.

Both proposed changes will come back to the council for a first reading soon.

Up, up

There’s a new private hangar going up at the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport.

The city of Auburn last month issued a permit for a new 70- by 80-foot airplane hangar shell, a $450,000 project, for pilot Jim Platz. It’s being built on airport land leased to Platz.

“It is a private development for currently based aircraft,” Airport Director Rick Lanman said. “The developer already has hangars on the airport (and) this will be an addition to those. It is something we need more of and are working toward.”

Enjoy the chill

Just in time for summer, Auburn issued a permit to BJ’s Wholesale Club for nine rooftop HVAC units, a $277,159 project.

Raise a dog …

Simones’ Hot Dog Stand in Lewiston is featured this week in People magazine, in a story on the best hot dog stands in each state.

Cook Rochelle Williams joked Tuesday afternoon that they hadn’t quite believed it at first when the magazine called a few weeks ago asking questions and asking for pictures.

“It was for real, very real, very exciting,” Williams said. The reaction this week: “Very surprised and flattered, altogether.”

The stand turns 110 in August. You may have to beat the People readers to the counter to grab lunch Wednesday.

Staff writer Andrew Rice contributed to this Buzz. 

Quick hits about business comings, goings and happenings. Have a Buzzable tip? Contact staff writer Kathryn Skelton at 689-2844 or kskelton@sunjournal.com.

 

Copy the Story Link