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Bangor

Dottie Hill of Bangor has been appointed chief executive officer of Acadia Hospital. She had served as interim CEO since June.

Hill, a registered psychiatric nurse for more than 30 years, had been part of the leadership team at Acadia since before the hospital opened in 1992. She is past president of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, and previously served as vice president of patient care services at Acadia.

Recently, Hill led the hospital’s effort to become the first free-standing psychiatric hospital in the country to apply for status as a magnet hospital, an accreditation process that recognizes excellence in nursing care.

Bangor lawyer N. Laurence Willey Jr. has written an article on the constitutionality of police roadblocks in criminal cases for the Maine Bar Journal, a statewide publication for lawyers.

Willey, who is certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, is a former mayor of Bangor and a past president of the Penobscot County Bar Association. He has written numerous articles on legal topics for journals and is a frequent speaker at legal seminars.

In observance of National Make a Difference Day on Oct. 27, Altrusa International Inc. of Bangor collected 425 books for families served by Literacy Volunteers of America-Bangor Family Learning Center at Park Woods.

According to Rachael Heath, program director at the Learning Center, some 59 families are served by programs for children, teens and adults. Altrusa donated the books to the center in order to encourage and support family literacy and love of reading.

Sgt. Steward G. Jacobs of Bangor, a fire investigations supervisor with the Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office, completed a three-week program in command training at the New England Institute of Law Enforcement Management in Brockton, Mass.

The Maine Chapter of the National Association of Tax Professionals held its sixth annual meeting recently. Those elected to the board of directors include: Calvin Cousins, Deer Isle and Bangor; George Berry, Searsport; and Janet Capponi, Bangor.

The NATP has more than 15,000 members nationally, and is dedicated to the professional education and service requirements of tax preparers and taxpayers. For information, check the Web site at www.natptax.com.

The Eastern Maine Diecast Association is promoting the Cars for Kids campaign. Anyone interested in donating new or used die-cast toys for less fortunate children may contact Herb at 234-2985, or drop them off at the Salvation Army, Center Street, Bangor.

Ripley Knickerbocker of Hampden, a certified financial planner with R.T. Ziegler Financial Services Corp. in Bangor, attended a Renaissance training workshop Oct. 9-10 in Indianapolis.

Attendees learned how to integrate charitable planning programs and concepts into their practices.

Brewer

Stephanie C. Parlee has opened Altus Financial Services Inc., a “fee only” financial planning and asset management firm, at Suite 202, 141 North Main St., Brewer.

Parlee began the company after five years in the business. She passed the board exam for certified financial planning in July, and will finish the requirements in January. She can be contacted at 989-7676 or www.altusfs.com.

Hampden

Stephen J. Mockler of Hampden has been named a business development specialist for Penobscot and Piscataquis counties as part of a partnership between the Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments.

He joined the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development and Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership as a business development specialist for northern Penobscot and Piscataquis counties.

Mockler said his goal was to be a resource for businesses and communities in the two counties. In the private sector, he was operations manager for Hancock Lumber’s Pittsfield facility, and previously worked with Smith & Wesson in Houlton.

Mockler is a graduate of the University of Maine, with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering technology. He also has a master’s degree in business administration from Husson College.

Orono

The Kindred Spirits program at Orono Public Library has more than doubled in size this year, with a total of 40 participants.

Every other month, girls in grades four through six meet with mothers or other mentors to share a catered meal, a book-related activity and book discussion.

Each girl receives a free paperback copy of the book, which she and her mother or mentor are responsible for reading.

The goals of the program are keeping connections open between girls and women; providing positive, realistic female role models; and encouraging the love of books and reading.

Funding is provided by the Rose and Samuel Rudman Grant, the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation and the Old Town-Orono Kiwanis Club.

The next meeting of Kindred Spirits will be held at 5:30

p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, at the library.

Information is available from Laurie Rose, youth services librarian, at 866-5060.