Snow Pond Center gets $250,000 construction grant

Snow Pond Center for the Arts has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the Northern Regional Borders Commission.

The competitive grant was awarded through Maine’s Department of Economic Development to support job creation, stimulate population growth and increase tourism in Central Maine. Snow Pond is one of the few nonprofits to have received this award.

The commission is a federal-state partnership that was created by Congress in 2008 to help alleviate economic distress and encourage investment and job creation throughout central and northern Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and northern New York. All of the money raised as part of the match will be designated for infrastructure improvements to the historic Bowl in the Pines, and for the construction of an 5,400-square-foot expanded Learning Center on the Snow Pond campus.

The Bowl in the Pines was built in 1930 and is still one of the nation’s largest outdoor stages. The additional infrastructure — power and structure for needed lights and sound equipment — will allow Snow Pond to accommodate larger-scale events similar to the Bangor waterfront concerts. The upgrade of this historic venue is expected to increase tourism and area visibility, drawing audiences from across Maine, the Northeast and beyond. The arts center anticipates an influx of visitors that will benefit area restaurants, hotels, businesses and more.

Construction of the center also will provide additional classroom and rehearsal spaces needed to support the growth of many of the Snow Pond programs. Those programs include the Community Music School, the After School Program and the Snow Pond Arts Academy, Maine’s first performing arts public high school, that opened this September.

Eye center to reopen at new site in Farifield

MaineGeneral Eye Center has tripled its medical staff and added new state-of-the-art equipment, according to a news release from the hospital.

As a result of the growth of the practice, the center is moving from its current space at FirstPark in Oakland to 4 Sheridan Drive in Fairfield, sharing the building that now houses Four Seasons Family Practice.

Dr. C. William Lavin, who has practiced eye care in the Waterville area for 24 years, has been joined by Dr. Erin Lichtenstein and Dr. Michael Nolan. Lavin and Nolan specialize in pediatric ophthalmology care and also treat general adult eye problems. Lavin and Nolan treat children and adults, while Lichtenstein treats only adults. The three physicians will see patients at their new Fairfield location at 4 Sheridan Drive and will perform surgical services at the Thayer Center for Health in Waterville.

Lichtenstein comes to MaineGeneral Eye Center from a practice in Portland. She is a board-certified, comprehensive eye surgeon who diagnoses and manages all adult medical eye conditions, including diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. She focuses on the surgical management of cataracts and glaucoma.

Lichtenstein graduated from Georgetown University Medical School, where she was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. She completed her ophthalmology residency at the University of Virginia Medical Center.

Nolan joined MaineGeneral in August after completing a fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus at the University of Minnesota. He specializes in pediatric and adult ophthalmology including eye surgery.

Nolan received his medical degree from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. He completed an ophthalmology residency at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois.

The new clinic will boast the most up-to-date equipment available for diagnosing and treating cataracts, glaucoma, macular diseases and corneal conditions.

Franklin Savings to be honored for helping children

Franklin Savings Bank and others will be honored for their efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect in Maine on Oct. 27 at a ceremony organized by the Maine Children’s Trust, according to a news release from the trust.

The Maine Children’s Trust Recognition Event will feature guest speaker Richard Blanco, award-winning 2013 inaugural poet, and music by Jim Ciampi.

Recognition will be given to business collaborator Franklin Savings Bank, state partner James Martin, professional advocate Renee Whitley and statewide advocate Marjorie Withers.

Maine Children’s Trust, based in Augusta, leads a statewide effort to prevent the abuse and neglect of Maine’s children. This event celebrates the work of those who contribute to this effort.

The event will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 27 at the DoubleTree hotel at 363 Maine Mall Road in Portland.

The cost is $50 per ticket and dinner is provided.

To learn more, visit www.mechildrenstrust.org.

Redington Memorial Home worker receives statewide service award

Denise Rich, at Redington Memorial Home in Skowhegan, recently received the Maine Health Care Association 2016 Celebrating Excellence in Caregiving Award during a recognition ceremony held at the Augusta Civic Center.

The awards, which were presented by Maine first lady Ann LePage, are given annually to long-term care employees statewide who have consistently exemplified a commendable level of caregiving, dedication and professionalism in caring for the state’s elderly and disabled citizens living in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.

Rich was one of 13 caregivers statewide who received the honor this year. She has worked with Redington Memorial Home for 22 years.

Nominations for the award were submitted by long-term care facilities statewide and winners were selected by an independent panel of judges with long-term care expertise.

2 Augusta water utility workers complete management training

Greater Augusta Utility District operators Ben Barry and Dave Williams recently graduated from the Management Candidate School, an 11-month training program designed to prepare mid-level personnel at drinking water and wastewater treatment plants for career advancement in utility management. They were honored at a graduation ceremony held Sept. 15 during the Maine Water Environment Association annual convention at the Sugarloaf resort in Carrabassett Valley.

Developed in September 2009, the school provides mid-level operators a chance to participate in management and technical courses, such as construction planning and engineering basics, while developing skills such as personnel management, labor relations, and budgeting. Participants attend classes one day per month at the Augusta utility’s wastewater treatment plant from November through September, earning more than 70 training hours before graduation. Barry and Williams were among 24 graduates from the program in September.

Gardiner company honored for boosting young professionals

Everett J. Prescott, Inc., received the 2016 Young Professional Employer Support Award from the New England Water Works Association, the region’s largest and oldest not-for-profit organization of water works professionals, according to a news release from the association.

This past year was the ninth consecutive year in which EJP was the pre-event sponsor of the association’s annual Young Professionals Red Sox event. The company also is a NEWWA Gold Sponsor and for many years has hosted members at a formal reception during the association’s annual conference, alongside DN Tanks. EJP has been an organizational member of the association, as well as the American Water Works Association, since 1958.

NEWWA also recognized EJP for its company training program, University of Prescott, an accredited apprenticeship program, which demonstrates its interest in the development of younger members’ careers and succession planning for the water profession.

Dan Burdin accepted the award Sept. 18 at the association’s 135th annual conference in Providence, Rhode Island.

KSB announces program awarding grants to nonprofits

Kennebec Savings Bank has announced the launch of a grant program designed to benefit communities and organizations in and around Kennebec County. Called the Catalyst Capacity Building Grant, it will award grants to two nonprofit organizations in order to broaden their capacity and impact on the communities they serve, according to a news release from the bank.

The Catalyst Capacity Building Grant was created to support organizations in achieving new initiatives they have not been able to pursue because of the financial effect.

The bank will provide up to $18,000 over the course of three years to each recipient for projects such as minor construction, the purchase of capacity-building equipment, the hiring of staff or the purchase of a specific service that will support the organization’s mission. The program is designed to award several applicants per year in an ongoing effort.

Applications for the Catalyst Capacity Building Grant will be accepted immediately. Application forms and grant criteria can be found on the homepage of the bank’s website: www.KennebecSavings.Bank.

The application process will close Nov. 30. Applications will be reviewed during December and awards announced early in January 2017. For more information about the grants, contact the Kennebec Savings Bank Communications Office at 622-5801 or visit the bank’s website.

Compiled from contributed releases