Franklin health group announces January EPIC awards

The Franklin Community Health Network Spirit Committee has announced January recipients of the EPIC awards.

From left are June Hostetter, Laura Ward, Lenia Coates, Ashley Provencher, Leslie Adams and Darlene Dipompo, who recently received EPIC awards for excellence, pride, innovation and caring from the Franklin Community Health Network Spirit Committee. Contributed photo

The winners were the Androscoggin Valley Medical Arts Center Angels: Ashley Provencher, Lenia Coates, and Leslie Adams; June Hostetter, dietary; Darlene Dipompo, radiology; and Laura Ward, nursing.

The EPIC awards were developed as a way to recognize employees who demonstrate on a daily basis their commitment to the health network’s values of excellence, pride, innovation and caring.

Joel Chandler, representing the Spirit Committee, presented each recipient with a trophy and monetary gift at the health network’s Jan. 26 board meeting. Each also has a designated parking spot of his or her choice for three months.

Intake nurse Provencher, physician assistant Coates and registered nurse Adams received their nominations from Dr. Heidi Decker, who described a patient caring for his ill mother who lacked the basic necessities to take care of himself. The angels, working with the Livermore Falls Family Practice staff, collected enough food, clothing and personal hygiene products to fill four boxes for the family and delivered the items to the man.

June Hostetter’s nomination from Gearry Judkins and the information systems team said, “The quality of the food presented in the cafeteria recently has seen a marked improvement, and it did not take long to figure out that this was due to June’s contributions in the kitchen. The entrees she prepares are tasty, nutritious and affordable. It is an inspiration to see an employee who clearly pursues excellence beyond what might normally be expected.”

Darlene Dipompo’s nomination from coworker Mackenzie Dudley described an employee who nurtures pride and enthusiasm and displays excellence, innovation and caring. “She is a great mentor to her peers, as well as a student mentor. She is task oriented, reliable, flexible, and most of all kind compassionate and caring to everyone.”

Laura Ward’s nomination from Pat Magnusson described an exceptional, knowledgeable nurse who maintains a positive “can do” attitude. “She is always available to offer help and can anticipate when help is needed. She is genuinely caring and respectful and makes patients and staff feel special and cared for. As clinical coordinator, Laura uses her skills in whatever area she is needed,” Magnusson stated.

Nancy Marshall to headline February meeting

Nancy Marshall and Art Boulay will be the featured speakers Feb. 16 at the Central Maine Human Resources Association’s February meeting, which will focus on personal branding for managers and human resources administrators handling employee issues, according to a news release from the group.

The program is scheduled for 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Ramada Inn in Lewiston with registration starting at 7:45 a.m. The cost of the program, which includes a full breakfast, is included with CMHRA membership and is $25 for nonmembers.

Nancy Marshall, based in Augusta, has worked in public relations in Maine since 1991. Art Boulay, owner of Strategic Talent Management, has been coaching individuals and companies in Maine since 1991.

Membership in CMHRA is open to all for-profit, nonprofit, public and private organizations. Registration online is preferred and available at cmhra.shrm.org/events.

Winthrop chamber sponsors photo contest

The Winthrop Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a photo contest open to amateur and professional photographers starting at age 10, who live, work or play in the Winthrop Lakes Region, according to a news release from the chamber.

Winners will have their images included in the 2016-17 Visitors Guide, which is distributed to area businesses and Maine Visitor Centers statewide. Winners will receive a photo credit. There is no financial compensation or prize for winning or participating.

Photographs must be from Winthrop, Monmouth, Wayne, Manchester, Readfield, Mount Vernon, Fayette or Litchfield. The images also need to be high-resolution digital images and must have been taken within the past two years.

The pictures should represent places, events and businesses that reflect the region in a positive light and include permission from anyone included in the image.

Participants can submit up to three images for the contest. More than one image from each participant may be chosen. Entries should be submitted via email to info@winthropchamber.org by March 1. Winners will be notified by March 15.

Entries must include a description of the image, including name, place and one to two sentences about why the photograph or place depicted is special. Contact information of the participant also must be included.

Winthrop chamber breakfast to feature Alba-Technic co-owner

Winthrop business owner James Ferguson will speak to the Winthrop Lakes Region Chamber from 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. Thursday at the Winthrop Commerce Center, 149 Main St., according to a news release from the chamber.

Ferguson is co-owner of Alba-Technic, LLC, a Winthrop company that recently received a $250,000 grant to create protective head gear. The NFL, Under Armour and the federal government awarded a grant to Alba-Technic and four other companies across the country to help fund technology for safer sports equipment.

A native of Scotland, Ferguson will talk about how his interest in preventing concussions began years ago when his children played soccer and later evolved into patenting SMARTY, a product line of protective headgear that he hopes will revolutionize the prevention and treatment of traumatic brain injury.

The Chamber breakfast is $10 for the public and $7 for chamber members.

For more information contact the chamber at 377-8020 or info@winthropchamber.org.

Plum Creek awards grants to Oakland church, Caratunk

The Plum Creek Foundation recently awarded grants to help Oakland children get healthy meals and to help fund a water source for public safety use in the town of Caratunk.

A $500 grant to the Oakland United Baptist Church’s Blessings in a BackPack/SnackPack program will help provide healthy snacks to Williams Elementary School, a community school that recently lost its federally funded U.S. Department of Agriculture grant for fresh fruit and vegetables, according to a news release from the foundation.

According to Gary York, the pastor at Oakland United Baptist Church, Williams Elementary fell below the USDA 54 percent standard for free and/or reduced-price lunch students. This translates to a loss of $1,100 monthly that the school was spending on nutritious early morning snacks for its students.

The Blessings in a BackPack/SnackPack program was designed to provide nutritious meals to children in kindergarten through grade 12 in the Regional School Unit 18 school district and to provide homeless teenagers in the unit with food and personal hygiene items. The program also provides snacks for 280 Atwood and Williams Elementary School students for the weeklong February and April vacations.

The foundation awarded a $6,000 grant to Caratunk to help fund the installation of a source of water for public safety use.

According to Elizabeth Caruso, first selectwoman, the town has no fire hydrants. In 2014, several houses on Main Street were destroyed by fire. While fire departments from four towns responded, the houses could not be saved because of a lack of water. While the town does have a dry hydrant in the Kennebec River, it is a 4-mile trip for fire tankers to replenish their water supply, too far from downtown Caratunk to make a difference in an emergency. This project will enable the town to install three fire cisterns that will provide water for fire hydrants around downtown. The project will be completed in 2016.

“These fire cisterns will have available storage for 6,000 gallons of water for fire protection,” Caruso said in the release.

Compiled from contributed releases

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