Honored loan specialist

BANGOR – Dean R. Churchill, business and cooperative loan specialist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development, will receive the 2006 U.S. Small Business Administration Financial Services Champion Award for Maine. Michael Aube, state director, USDA-RD, nominated Churchill for the award.

Churchill has assisted more than 500 businesses in his career. His work helped create or save 1,600 jobs in rural Maine. Churchill provides guidance to organizations that enable them to secure funding. The federal funds are used to support community and economic development efforts throughout Maine.

Aube said, “The exemplary attitude and devotion to improving the quality of life of Maine’s rural population is a quality I am pleased to recognize in Dean Churchill. He is an asset to our staff and to the future rural Maine businesses and has truly earned this award.”

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Dean for more than three years,” said Telford Allen III, chairman of the board at Telford Aviation in Bangor. “His professional attitude and responsive nature has been extremely valuable as our industry has seen various changes, some of which necessitated a government guaranteed loan.”

Churchill will be honored at an SBA celebration dinner May 24 at Spectacular Event Center in Bangor. For more information, call Bonnie Erickson at 622-8275, or e-mail bonnie.erickson@sba.gov.

Business recognition

BREWER – Whitten’s 2-Way Service Inc. has been awarded Motostar recognition by Motorola, which reflects the company’s efforts to manage its business in ways that maximize the value of Motorola solutions to its customers.

Whitten’s 2-Way Service Inc. received the honor because it focused on tracking and understanding customer needs and because it is committed to serving the local market.

Whitten’s 2-Way Service Inc. has gained the distinction by participating in Motorola Excellence, an initiative designed to help dealers focus on developing their ability to deliver the highest value to customers.

Kennel shop news

BANGOR – Katrina Dutra, pet behavior counselor and dog training instructor, and Don Hanson, co-owner and director of behavior counseling and training at Green Acres Kennel Shop, attended a two-day seminar on small animal behavior instructed by Dr. Karen Overall at the Upper Valley Humane Society, Enfield, N.H.

Overall is the former director of the Veterinary Behavioral Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania. She covered a wide variety of topics, including the importance of understanding normal signaling and development in dog and cat behavior problems, the truth about dog bites, breeds and risks, feline aggression, treating canine anxieties, and intervention strategies for canine aggression.

Forage conference

ORONO – University of Maine Cooperative Extension will offer a forage conference designed to help dairy and livestock producers improve profitability on their farms. The conference will be held Thursday, April 6, at the Besse Building, the town office, in Albion, and will feature Jack Lazor from Butterworks Farm in Vermont.

Lazor and his wife manage an integrated dairy farm, growing quality forages and grains for their organic herd.

Also on the agenda are presentations by Extension educator Rick Kersbergen and dairy specialist Gary Anderson. Kersbergen will discuss new ideas about how and when to cut grass and legume forages this summer. Anderson will lead a discussion on feeding small grain silages and how best to manage rations with these types of feed.

The conference is co-sponsored by the Maine Organic Milk Producers and the Unity Barn Raisers through an NRCS Conservation Partnership Initiative grant. Registration will begin at 10 a.m.

Marketing on the Internet

BANGOR – Marketing on the Internet for small and home-based business owners will be featured in a workshop 6-9 p.m. Thursday, April 6, at the Cooperative Extension Office, 307 Maine Ave. Donna Beck, co-owner of Junkyard Cat Inc., will be the presenter. The workshop fee is $5.

Marketing is the primary reason that most small businesses are embracing the Internet. The workshop will highlight key steps on how to get started. Ethical and security issues will be covered. Selected business Web sites will be showcased for class discussion and critiquing.

To register for the workshop, call 942-7396, or (800) 287-1485.

Computer protection

BANGOR – Protecting Your Business Computer, for the small and home-based business owner, will be featured at a workshop 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, April 5, at the Cooperative Extension Office, 307 Maine Ave. David Winslow, owner of PC Help, will be the presenter. The cost to attend is $5.

The business owner will learn how to protect his computer against viruses, worms, Trojan horses, hacker attacks, key loggers, phishing attacks and Spyware.

To register for the workshop, call 942-7396, or (800) 287-1485.

New business

STETSON – Debbie Norton has opened A Straight Stitch, a quilt shop in her home, 154 Lakins Road, Route 143. The shop sells cotton fabric and offers lessons in quilting, clothing construction and silk ribbon embroidery. Classes are open to children and adults. The shop is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. For more information, call 296-3506.

Master floral designer

BANGOR – Mark Pellon of Chapel Hill Floral recently earned the designation of Maine Master Floral Designer. He completed Maine Master Floral Designer School, offered by the Maine State Florist and Growers Association. Students who gain the designation have demonstrated understanding of the art of floral composition and the ability to design with creative flair.

Pellon has worked in the floral industry in the Bangor area for 20 years. He also works at the Bangor Y.

Honor for preschool program

BANGOR – Judith D’Agostino-Nabozny, licensed owner and teacher of Ms. Judith’s Home Preschool, has received her Certificate of Quality Family Child Care and Preschool.

A quality assessment team from the Office of Child Care and Headstart in Augusta performed a site observation and completed a child care environment checklist of 57 items for the preschool program, which serves ages 21/2 to 5. D’Agostino-Nabozny also is a registered member of Maine Roads to Quality.

For information, call 990-2429.

Independent distributor

WINTERPORT – Teresa Barnett had advanced to the position of area coordinator as an independent distributor for Market America, a product brokerage and Internet marketing company.

Barnett became eligible for the coordinator level after developing two sales and distribution organizations and selling an established amount of product. To learn more about Market America, call Barnett at 223-2236, or e-mail tlbar99@aol.com.