Humanitarian of the Year

BANGOR – Spurwink announced that Jim Conlon has been selected as the 2008 Humanitarian of the Year. He will be honored at the annual dinner and award ceremony on Nov. 15 in Portland.

Since 2005, Conlon has served as president and CEO of Bangor Savings Bank, Maine’s largest independent bank. A 30-year veteran of banking, he has been actively involved with a variety of nonprofit organizations throughout his career.

Conlon serves as a director of Maine Economic Research Institute and member of the executive committee of Maine Association of Community Banks, the ABA Mutual Institutions Council and the Maine State Chamber of Commerce board of directors. He is treasurer of the Eastern Maine Musical Association board and a corporator of the Phillips-Strickland House.

Conlon has been vice chairman of the Finance Authority of Maine, chairman of Acadia Hospital Corp. and Acadia Healthcare, board president and director of Community Health and Counseling Services Inc., treasurer and director for Maine Technology Institute, vice chairman and director for John Bapst Memorial High School, director of Eastern Maine Healthcare, and director of Bangor Target Area Development.

“Jim Conlon is truly deserving of this recognition,” said Dawn Stiles, president of Spurwink Services. “Since 1987, Spurwink has been celebrating organizations and individuals throughout the state of Maine who are committed to improving the lives of others. Jim Conlon certainly is one of those individuals. Bangor Savings Bank has been a generous supporter of Spurwink, and countless other Maine nonprofits, and we are thrilled to honor him as the 2008 Humanitarian of the Year.”

Under Conlon’s leadership, Bangor Savings Bank has continued its longstanding commitment to giving back to the communities it serves.

The bank and its foundation invest more than $1 million a year in nonprofit sponsorships, grants and partnerships, including its Community Matters More initiative.

Cruising into Bangor

BANGOR – For the fourth year in a row, the Greater Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau will welcome American Cruise Line passengers.

With Bangor’s Waterfront the American Star’s homeport, this will be the second year the bureau has serviced the ship and the fourth year of servicing the cruise line’s American Glory, which will make six stops at Bangor this year.

The American Star passengers start and end their Maine Coast and Harbors cruise in Bangor. During the eight-day cruise, the ship will visit ports in Bucksport, Bar Harbor, Rockland, Castine, Camden, Belfast and Bangor.

Once the ship has docked at the waterfront, bureau staff and community representatives go aboard to answer passengers’ questions on topics such as transportation or where to find sewing shops or salons.

Eight to 10 business members of the bureau donate time and materials to help bake Original Bangor Brownies. The Sea Dog Restaurant has donated thousands of bottles of Captain Eli’s Root Beer for the passengers during four years of greeting ships.

The bureau also provides shore excursions for cruise ship passengers, such as a historic walking tour of the downtown Bangor area and shuttles to Hollywood Slots. An excursion also takes passengers to Winterport Winery for a tour of the production facility and an afternoon wine tasting.

“The Port of Bangor has earned an outstanding reputation for providing entertainment and hospitality to the passengers of American Cruise Lines,” said Jessica Donahue, marketing coordinator for the bureau and the Maine Highlands region.

For more information, call the bureau at 947-5205 or www.VisitBangorMaine.com.

Opening at credit union

HERMON – Seaboard Federal Credit Union, headquartered in Bucksport, has opened a new branch in Hermon. Lisa Fogg, a longtime Hermon resident, will manage the branch in the Danforth Market Shopping Plaza across from Hermon High School, 2410 Route 2.

The branch employs five people and offers full financial services to members. Membership is open to those who live, work, worship or attend school in Penobscot, Hancock, Waldo or Washington counties.

“Since our field of membership expanded last year to include all of Penobscot County, the branch in Hermon will be centrally located for our growing membership,” said Kyle W. Casburn, president and CEO.

The new branch will have lobby and drive-up services, along with a SurF network ATM, which provides surcharge-free transactions to credit union members. Seaboard FCU is a member of the CUSC Shared Branching network, which allows members to conduct transactions at 80 participating credit unions in Maine and 3,000 nationwide.

Officials said they look forward to offering residents of the Hermon area a range of financial products including checking and savings accounts, IRAs, certificates, mortgages, loans, debit and credit cards, home banking, bill pay and business lending and deposit services.

The grand opening is set for 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, June 21, with a live radio remote with 92.9 WEZQ.

For information about membership and services, call 848-9995 or visit www.seaboardfcu.com.

Information tools for small businesses

Stephen Fadel, University of Maine Fogler Library business librarian, will offer a free workshop for owners of small businesses.

The 90-minute session will highlight resources used to develop and maintain business and marketing plans. Participants will learn where to locate sample business plans, demographic data, industry overviews and more.

Information about free Internet sites, library business databases such as Business and Company Resource Center, and print resources are included.

Information Tools for Small Businesses will be offered 10-11:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 24, and 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 16, at Fogler Library. To register or to obtain information, call 581-3610 or e-mail stephen.fadel@umit.maine.edu.

Engineering companies

HALLOWELL – The American Council of Engineering Companies of Maine elected officers during its annual meeting in Augusta: John Nelson of Wright-Pierce in Topsham and Portland, president; Scott Graham of James Sewall Co. in Old Town, president-elect; Brett Hart also of James Sewall Co., treasurer; Brian Ames of Ames A/E in Bangor, secretary.

These state directors were elected to the board: Randy Bragg of Carpenter Associates, Old Town; Rip Patten of Credere Associates, Portland; Gene Shephard of MACTEC Engineering & Consulting, Portland; Dale Mitchell of HNTB Corp., Westbrook; and James Wilson of Woodard & Curran, Bangor, Portland and Presque Isle.

Jack Palmer of Kleinschmidt Associates in Pittsfield is immediate past president and Bruce Ward of Stantec in Scarborough was elected national director.

Chet Rock, associate dean of the UM College of Engineering, was appointed an advisory member. Paul Lariviere of Maine Tomorrow in Hallowell was appointed the organization’s executive director.

For information about ACEC of Maine or member firms, call Paul Lariviere at 622-5714.

Digital mapping

BANGOR – KAPPA Mapping Inc of Bangor announced that it has completed a contract with the city of Gardiner to update its existing paper tax parcel maps and convert the paper maps to digital data to be used by city staff with GIS software.

The city’s existing maps had not been updated for several years and no digital data was available for city staff to use in assessing, planning, code enforcement and infrastructure management.

In addition to new tax parcel maps, KAPPA provided the city stereo-compiled base mapping of planimetric features such as building footprints, road edges and shorelines. This data was integrated into the tax maps to enrich their use as a comprehensive tool for the city.

Residents will still be able to use traditional paper maps as a reference, but the integration of digital map data will allow the city to use the data in a multitude of ways not possible with traditional paper maps.

KAPPA partnered with Dirigo Spatial Systems of Hampden to provide the digital data and GIS software, and to train city staff in its use.

For more information, call 866-836-8834, e-mail info@kappamap.com or visit www.kappamap.com.

Technology funding

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins announced June 5 that the Maine Technology Institute has awarded more than $128,000 in seed grants to 12 Maine companies. The recipients will match the MTI funding with more than $178,000 in research and development investments.

“The MTI funding benefits a wide array of companies from across Maine,” Collins and Snowe said in a joint statement. “From shipbuilding to biological engineering to agriculture, these companies represent the future of Maine’s unique and promising economy. These MTI seed grants will boost technological innovation and job creation and help bring Maine to the forefront of national and global commerce.”

The funds allocated to area businesses are:

. $12,500 to Biologically Applied Engineering of Orono. Funds will be used for the project Thermal Analysis of Equine Surfaces, which will research and develop materials used in synthetic horse racing surfaces.

. $12,500 to Forever Green Laminates LLC of Orono for pilot testing of structural insulated panels.

MTI is a state-funded, private nonprofit that is dedicated to the commercialization of new products and services in Maine’s technology-based industrial sector. It helps small businesses grow capital and ensures that Maine’s strong support of industrial research and development will fuel economic growth and job creation.