Oxford Networks of Lewiston has promoted John Dougherty of Brewer to the position of corporate project manager. Dougherty is responsible for oversight and management of Oxford Networks’ network expansion projects, including coordinating staff resources and tracking and reporting project details to senior management. Dougherty, who previously was sales engineer at Oxford Networks, has more than 25 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. He holds an associate degree in electrical engineering technology from the University of Maine in Orono. A resident of Brewer for 45 years, Dougherty coaches Brewer youth football and is involved with the St. Joseph Catholic Youth Ministry for the Brewer area. Founded in Oxford County in 1900, Oxford Networks serves a territory from Bangor through Portsmouth, N.H., with a high-speed fiber-optic network.

The newspaper USA Today and the National Automobile Dealers Association have named auto dealer Jack Quirk a finalist for the 2007 Dealer Innovation Award. Quirk, owner of Quirk Auto Park in Bangor, was one of four finalists selected in the U.S. The national award recognizes auto dealers who have implemented initiatives to save energy, reduce utility costs and help protect the environment. Quirk, who sells Chevrolet, Cadillac and Saab vehicles and operates Motor City, which sells used cars, has reduced the dealership’s electricity use and lowered heating costs and fuel consumption. The installation of a natural gas turbine generator has reduced the dealership’s demand for peak electricity and heating by about 15 percent. The sales, service and parts departments at Quirk Chevrolet Cadillac and Saab use recycled waste oil boilers as a source of radiant heat. Installation of motion sensors on all refrigerated vending machines has reduced run time by about 50 percent. Quirk also upgraded the dealership’s lighting control module. Ambient light sensors detect when to turn lights on and off based on the amount of sunlight.