Bangor

Douglas H. Brown Building

The board of directors of Affiliated Healthcare Systems will break ground at 2:30 p.m. Monday, June 13, on the Douglas H. Brown Building. It will be a 28,000-square-foot office and operations facility on Union Street, which will house Affiliated Healthcare Systems and Meridian Mobile Health-Capital Ambulance.

Doug Brown served for three decades as a member of the Eastern Maine Medical Center, Eastern Maine Healthcare and Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems boards of directors. He is a founding member of Affiliated Healthcare Systems, a for-profit health care support services arm of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems.

“Doug’s incredible business acumen, entrepreneurial spirit, marketing savvy and refreshing candor have been invaluable in helping AHS grow to a company with 10 operating divisions and almost $80 million in annual revenues serving clients throughout the Northeast,” said Mike Theeman, executive vice president and chief operating officer of AHS.

The new building will be constructed on the lot formerly occupied by the Slager Army Reserve Center, adjacent to the Eastern Maine Healthcare Mall on Union Street in Bangor.

Forest industry award

The Northeastern Loggers’ Association recently honored Herbert Haynes of H.C. Haynes Inc. of Winn as the recipient of its 2005 Outstanding Service to the Forest Industry Award.

Association president Jack Frost Sr. presented the award at the annual Loggers’ Banquet in Bangor at a ceremony attended by more than 300 members of the forest products industry.

Fund for pets

The PETCO Foundation’s fund-raiser in March yielded $1.83 million nationwide. The Bangor PETCO store, 777 Stillwater Ave., contributed $6,402.36 to that amount, which will be used to support local animal welfare groups such as Animal Orphanage in Old Town.

County committees

William Moirs announced that farmers, ranchers and others across Penobscot County may nominate eligible candidates to serve on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency Penobscot County committee.

“County committees play an integral role in the local implementation of Farm Service Agency programs,” said Moirs. “I encourage all producers, community-based groups and others who care about American agriculture to participate in the county committee election process by nominating eligible candidates.”

Farmers who serve on county committees help ensure FSA agricultural programs adequately serve the needs of local producers. Committees make decisions on county commodity price support loan eligibility, establishment of allotments and yields, conservation programs, disaster programs, employment and other issues. As in the past, USDA is implementing an extensive outreach program to encourage greater participation of minority and women producers in the county committee election process.

Those eligible must participate or cooperate in and FSA program, be of legal voting age and live in the county or area where the election is being held. The last day to file nominations is Aug. 1.

For more information about FSA county committees or to obtain a nomination form, visit the local USDA Service Center at 28 Gilman Plaza, Suite 1, Bangor; or online at www.fsa.usa.gov/pas/publications/elections.

Dog behavior seminars

BANGOR – Eight members of the Green Acres Kennel Shop staff attended seminars in Debert, Nova Scotia, presented by Norwegian dog behaviorist Turid Rugaas and Green Acres co-owner and director of behavior counseling and training, Don Hanson.

Green Acres co-owner Paula Hanson, pet behavior counselor Kate Dutra and training instructor Becky Robinson attended an “Advanced Calming Signals” workshop Rugaas presented on May 7. The next day, they attended a seminar titled “Using the Bach Flower Remedies with Pets” taught by Don Hanson.

Kennel manager Adam Morrison, pet care technicians Brenda Merrill and Rachael MacLeod and training instructors Christie and Joel Mahaffey attended a two-day introductory seminar on “Recognizing and Using Calming Signals” taught by Rugaas May 14-15.

In her seminar, Rugaas discussed strategies for minimizing the stress in dogs’ lives. As human lives have become more stressful, so have the lives of dogs. Rugaas said that dogs are by nature laid-back. She said that too much activity may be just as harmful and stressful to dogs as inadequate exercise. Rugaas reviewed activities to share with dogs that provide mental stimulation without causing undue stress.

Turid Rugaas has worked with people and their dogs for many years and has studied canine body language for more than a decade. She lives in Norway and owns and runs Hagen Hundeskole, a dog training school. The author of “On Talking Terms With Dogs.” Rugaas is one of the world’s experts on canine behavior.