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Bangor

Merrill Bank directors

Edwin N. Clift, chairman and chief executive officer of Merrill Bank, announced recently that Royce M. Cross, Herbert R. Sargent and Elizabeth C. Warren have been elected directors of the bank.

“We are very fortunate to add these outstanding individuals to our board,” Clift said. “Their experience, business acumen and understanding of our community and the Maine economy will be invaluable.”

Royce Cross is the president of Cross Insurance, Maine’s largest insurance agency serving people and businesses in northern New England. He oversees operations of the company’s 19 locations in Maine and New Hampshire. Cross is active in his church, which he serves as a trustee. He and his wife are the parents of an adult son who also works for the company.

Herbert Sargent is the president of Sargent Corp., the state’s largest earthwork and civil engineering contractor. Sargent Corp. was formed in 2005 when Sargent & Sargent, a company owned by Sargent, purchased the assets of H. E. Sargent Inc. The new entity has operations in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maryland and Virginia. Sargent and his wife reside in Hampden with their two children.

Elizabeth Warren is a prominent civic leader whose community involvement has included serving as a trustee of the Bangor Theological Seminary, director of Eastern Maine Medical Center, and longtime supporter of the Maine Center for the Arts. She and her husband, Richard J. Warren, were honored recently as recipients of the Norbert X. Dowd Community Service Award given by the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce. They reside in Bangor and are the parents of two adult children.

For further information, call Edwin N. Clift at 942-4800.

Bangor Savings Bank trustee

Bangor Savings Bank has announced the election of Geraldine “Gena” R. Canning as a trustee of the bank.

Canning is a partner and director of Trade Relations of Pine State Trading Co., a marketing and distribution company headquartered in Augusta, serving 3,000 convenience stores throughout New England.

She previously held the position of director of key accounts and business development, and director of customer service at Pine State.

Active in her community, Canning serves as a member of the YMCA Augusta Capital Campaign Cabinet. She is on the board of directors of the Finance Authority of Maine, is chairwoman of the Maine Chapter of New England Wholesale Association, and is vice chairwoman of the Maine Chapter of New England Convenience Store Association. She is a member on numerous other associations, including American Wholesale Marketers Association and Maine Grocers Association. She holds a bachelor’s degree from American University.

Canning lives in South Portland. She also will also serve as a director of the Bangor Savings Bank Foundation.

Hot wings and more

The Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce took part in a grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony Jan. 23 at Bubba Jack’s at 213 Ohio St.

Jack Bailey, proprietor, said that the new business sells sandwiches, pizza, salad and five varieties of flavored wings, from sweet and tangy to “the hottest wings in town.”

To learn more about Bubba Jack’s, call 942-3412.

Product pricing workshop

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension in Penobscot County will hold a business workshop, “Pricing Your Products,” 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, at 307 Maine Ave., Bangor.

The workshop will help attendees find new ways to improve the bottom line. Topics include the basics of good pricing, knowing your costs, pricing methods, and tips on record keeping. Examples of product pricing will be shared.

The cost of the workshop is $5. To register or to obtain more information, call the Extension office at 942-7396, or (800) 287-1485.

Grand opening

Representatives from the city of Bangor and the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce were present for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and Chocolate Extravaganza at GrammeeJ’s Unique Boutique on Feb. 7.

The business has relocated to 159 State St. and specializes in home interiors, gifts and gifts-to-go. The store owner is Judy L. Hager. To learn more about the business, call 992-2556.

Open house

You won’t find people doing the waltz or tango at Norumbega Hall anymore. One of Bangor’s most historic buildings has a new function. It is the home of Eastern Maine Development Corp.’s new downtown offices. An open house will be held 10 a.m.-1p.m. Friday, Feb. 10.

In past incarnations, Norumbega Hall, also known as the Morse Building, located at 40 Harlow St., has housed a bowling alley, livery stable, retail space for Sears Roebuck Co., a banquet room, and a senior citizens workout facility.

Funding assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Bar Harbor Bank and Trust allowed EMDC, a nonprofit economic and community development organization, to renovate the space for offices and meeting rooms.

The University of Maine maintains its gallery space on the first floor.

Business workshop

The Penobscot County Transition Team will sponsor a three-hour workshop 1-3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14, at the Bangor Career Center, 45 Oak St., Bangor. Participants will learn what information and tools are necessary to complete a business plan, discuss the pros and cons of being an entrepreneur and what programs and services are available to assist in operating a successful business. Attendees will hear presenters from the Penquis Community Action Program, the Maine Centers for Women, Work and Community, and the Maine Department of Labor.

Registration is recommended by calling 561-4050.