Zoidis Lifetime Achievement

Leith and Donna Wadleigh, founders of the Governor’s Restaurant and Bakery chain, are winners of the 2008 Maine Restaurant Association Bill Zoidis Lifetime Achievement Award. The honor was presented at the association’s annual award ceremony April 29 in Portland.

Governor’s began in 1960 as a small ice cream stand, but soon grew into a full-service restaurant to accommodate patrons year-round. The Wadleighs began serving customers dishes made from the freshest ingredients, not to mention serving up the best burgers in town.

The business has grown and today includes the original restaurant in Old Town as well as eateries in Bangor, Waterville, Presque Isle, Houlton, South Portland and Lewiston.

Referred to by their customers as the “King and Queen of Comfort Foods,” the Wadleighs have served made-from-scratch meals for more than four decades. Most menu items are homemade and based on Leith’s grandmother’s recipes, which include hearty Maine fare and classic American favorites.

The Wadleighs’ attitude toward their customers has been an important factor in the success of Governor’s.

“Wait on the customers the way you would want to be waited on when you go out,” said Leith. “Serve the food the way you’d like to have it.”

“After starting this business from scratch, Leith and Donna have been involved in the community for more than 40 years,” said Dick Grotton, president and CEO of Augusta-based Maine Restaurant Association. “They are a prime example of the spirit of the restaurant industry in Maine.”

The Wadleighs have kept a busy schedule. Besides running a restaurant chain, they have been longtime supporters of organizations such as Eastern Maine Medical Center, Maine Center for the Arts and Good Samaritan Agency. Community involvement and “giving back” is at the core of this husband-and-wife team.

According to Grotton, the Maine Restaurant Association’s Bill Zoidis Lifetime Achievement Award honors people in Maine’s restaurant industry who successfully combine hospitality, quality and generosity while setting a high standard for excellence.

“We are delighted to be able to present Leith and Donna with this year’s Bill Zoidis Lifetime Achievement Award,” Grotton said. “This couple epitomizes Maine hospitality, and we are honored to have them in the restaurant industry.”

New WBRC associates

BANGOR – WBRC Architects-Engineers has announced that Matthew G. Carter, Stephanie L. Laplant, Daniel C. Monroe, John P. Poulin and Malcolm L. Collins have been promoted to associates.

Matthew G. Carter, employed at WBRC since 2002, is a licensed architect with more than 16 years of experience. He serves the firm as a civic studio project architect and project manager specializing in project management, feasibility studies, construction administration and design on projects that include schools, office buildings, branch banks, multi- and single-family residences and historical preservation.

Stephanie J. Laplant, employed at WBRC since 1999, is a licensed professional engineer with more than 11 years of experience at WBRC, specializing in lighting, power, communications, fire alarm and security systems on projects that include residential, commercial, health care, educational, municipal and institutional facilities. She is responsible for electrical design, including systems selection, preparation of bid documents, specification writing, submittal review and construction administration of system installation.

Daniel C. Monroe, employed at WBRC since 2005, is a licensed professional engineer with 13 years of experience, specializing in mechanical building systems, engineering conceptual planning and HVAC systems. He is responsible for mechanical engineering of building systems for projects including laboratory, healt care and institutional facilities.

John P. Poulin is a licensed professional engineer employed at WBRC as the firm’s structural engineer department manager. With more than 10 years’ experience, he specializes in design and development of structural systems, including steel, reinforced cement, engineered wood and masonry. He is responsible for structural engineering of commercial, institutional and residential projects, including office buildings, schools, athletic facilities, banks, shopping centers, hotels, apartments and condominiums.

Malcolm L. Collins is a licensed architect employed at WBRC since 2007 as a senior architect, office manager and historical architect at the firm’s Portland branch. He has more than 30 years’ experience and his responsibilities include serving as designer, project manager, planner and preservation architect for educational, governmental, planning and historical preservation projects.

Champion for Children

TD Banknorth was honored as a Champion for Children by the Maine Children’s Alliance at its 14th annual celebration on May 22 in Freeport.

The financial services company, one of Maine’s largest employers, was being recognized for its commitment to children’s programs and many other charitable and community endeavors, according to MCA President Elinor Goldberg.

“TD Banknorth’s support for work on behalf of children has been extraordinary and invaluable,” Goldberg said. “This company is a model for what Maine employers can do to enhance community development and support better lives for all our children and families.”

Larry Wold, TD Banknorth’s Maine president, accepted the award, which was presented by David Martin, a longtime MCA board member and vice president for Webber Energy Fuels.

TD Banknorth provided a record $12.3 million in community support through its charitable foundation in 2007, including $3 million to organizations in Maine, from pre-school programs through college and university initiatives.

The company has supported a variety of endeavors at the Maine Children’s Alliance, including its regionalization project that will include two reports on the state of public education in Maine.

For information on the Champions for Children event, visit www.mekids.org.

Wireless Safety Week

In conjunction with CTIA-The Wireless Association’s annual Wireless Safety Week, U.S. Cellular will host a week of events to teach individuals about wireless phone safety: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. through Friday, June 6; 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, June 7; and noon-6 p.m. Sunday, June 8; at U.S. Cellular, 33 Mid Mall Boulevard in Bangor, and 403 Wilson St. in Brewer.

U.S. Cellular associates will offer instruction on how to access wireless AMBER Alerts, an initiative that allows wireless subscribers to receive the alerts as free text messages on their cell phones.

U.S. Cellular associates also will encourage individuals to adopt wireless rules of the road; show young children how to dial 911 on a cell phone with the company’s Cellular Stars program; and discuss with individuals how to keep lines of communication open during severe storms this summer.

For more information, call 942-5218 or 989-3291.

Forest stewardship

BUCKSPORT – EBS announced that after completing a systems audit by Scientific Certification Systems of Emeryville, Calif., it has been certified as a Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody supplier of lumber and building materials.

EBS has the authority to provide its customers, if required, with a chain of custody certificate ensuring that the products ordered are manufactured to the highest degree of environmental standards by the council, certified manufacturers and suppliers.

The council is an international organization that brings people together to find solutions to promote responsible stewardship of the world’s forests.

In the past 13 years, more than 90 million hectares in more than 70 countries have been certified according to council standards, while several thousand products are produced using council-certified wood and carrying the council trademark. The council has the most stringent requirements of any such governing body.