Bangor

Outstanding young leader

Stuart R. Benton, a 1983 graduate of Bangor High School and vice president of finance at MAC Systems in Canton, Mass., has been named a recipient of the Boston Junior Chamber of Commerce Ten Outstanding Young Leader Awards. The award recognizes those between 21 and 40 for their community service, professional accomplishments and personal development.

Benton, who lives in North Easton, Mass., is responsible for managing the financial operations of MAC Systems, an independent security systems company. A certified public accountant, he is the chairman of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants business and industry executive committee, and serves on the board of directors of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants.

In 1995, U.S. Rep. John Moakley appointed Benton a Massachusetts delegate to the 1995 White House Conference on Small Business. As a result, Benton was asked to be a member of the Massachusetts Advisory Council for the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Benton has served on the board of directors of the Metro South Chamber of Commerce and received the Fuller Memorial Service Award. Benton became active in town government in 2001 with the town of Easton finance committee. He volunteers at his children’s school and coaches their baseball, soccer and basketball teams.

Benton earned a bachelor’s degree at Bentley College and graduated first in his executive MBA class at Suffolk University. He is the son of Olive Benton of Bangor.

Culinary institute training

As part of the fifth anniversary of Olive Garden’s Culinary Institute of Tuscany, Bangor Olive Garden service manager Renee Ireland was among 65 of more than 400 institute graduates selected to attend a series of culinary seminars and demonstrations, designed to further inspire and educate managers who had been to Italy, and provide them with new ways to share Italian food with restaurant teams and guests. The event was held at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, Calif.

Sylvan Learning Center

Gov. John Baldacci and Mayor Frank Farrington helped celebrate the June 13 grand opening of Sylvan Learning Center, 753 Stillwater Ave. Mary Whited is the owner of the facility, which provides supplemental education services to students of all ages and skills.

Feel the Beat Award

Bangor Center Corp. recognized Merrill Bank with the Feel the Beat Award for June. The bank is the sponsor of the flowers planted along the Kenduskeag Stream Canal during the 2005 growing season.