InTouchInTouchInTouch MONTHLY NEWSLETTER APRIL 2012

April 11, 2012 2:00-7:00 PM

Alfond Youth Center

126 North Street, Waterville

Seminars and Events

2:00 - 3:00 PM: Roundtables -

QR Codes: What are QR codes and how do I use them? Lisa Oakes will discuss how to use QR codes

effectively.

LinkedIn: “I have a LinkedIn and have connected with all these people, what do I do with it now?” This roundtable discussion, with Cathy Dumont,

will focus on tips to help you build and utilize a strong LinkedIn presence.

Facebook: Sara Todd, Pinncale IT, will cover the essential must-know information about Facebook pages for business, especially focusing on the new

Timeline format. We will cover questions like, “How can you effectively use your page’s new cover photo?” and “Is it possible to have a ‘welcome tab’

now?” We will also go over some great and simple ways to make your Facebook business page into a sales-driving machine, without too much effort.

Cloud Technology 101: Why Business is Better in the Cloud. Join Matt Jancovic, Oxford Networks Director of Marketing and Customer Service, for

an introductory discussion on Cloud Technology. What is it? How can it help your business? What are the pros and cons?

3:30 - 5:00 PM: College Internship Fair - Network with local college students that are looking for an internship. College stu-

dents from Colby, KVCC, Unity and Thomas will be present. If your business can offer a paid/unpaid internship with a minimum

of 10 hours per week, please join us. Contact Diane Anderson andersond@thomas.edu to reserve your space. Sponsored by the

Central Maine Growth Council.

5:30 - 7:00 PM: Business After Hours - sponsored by

Highlights in this Issue:

P. 2: From the President’s Chair

P. 2: Mid-Maine Chamber’s Centennial

P. 4: Member Events Calendar

P. 5: Good Health = Good Business

P. 8: Member Spotlight: Are You Ready

To Party??

50 ELM STREET, WATERVILLE, ME 04901 • TEL: (207) 873-3315 • FAX: (207) 877-0087

info@midmainechamber.com • www.midmainechamber.com

Nikki Desjardins, Chair of the Board • Kimberly N. Lindlof, President & CEO

Major Sponsors:

Measures of Growth in Focus 2012 By Maine State Chamber

On Tuesday, March 6, the Maine Economic

Growth Council released its 2012 Measures of

Growth in Focus annual economic report today.

Council Co-chairs, Sen. Chris Rector and Tim Hus-

sey, president and CEO of Hussey Seating Compa-

ny, presented the report to legislative leaders and

the Governor’s office. This year’s report highlights

25 indicators that measure Maine’s progress to-

wards long-term, sustainable economic growth.

The Growth Council awards Gold Stars to indi-

cators that demonstrate exceptional performance.

This year, the Council awarded two Gold Stars to

International Exports and Cost of Energy. Maine

exported nearly $3.6 billion in commodities in

2011. This was a 13% increase from 2010. The

export market continues to offer growth potential

for Maine businesses. The price of electricity for

both the retail and industrial markets fell. Retail

dropped by just over 5% and industrial dropped by

15% from 2008 to 2009. Maine made some pro-

gress in closing the gap with U.S. prices and contin-

ues to today.

The Growth Council also assigns Red Flags to

indicators that need attention. The Council gave

five Red Flags to Research and Development Ex-

penditures, Cost of Health Care, Transportation

Infrastructure, Fourth Grade Reading Scores, and

Wellness and Prevention.

“Maine and the country find itself in a period of

economic recovery following the recent recession,”

said Laurie Lachance, president and CEO of the

Maine Development Foundation which is charged

by the Legislature to administer the Council. “The

key to our future success lies with our people. We

need to ensure an environment where they reach

their highest potential and where they are produc-

tive. This means they need to educated – and we

must start at birth. They also need to be healthy;

they need to be entrepreneurial; and, they need to

be engaged in the economy and their communities.”

“The Measures of Growth report is a critical tool

that allows policy makers, like myself, to evaluate

where we have been and to make informed deci-

sions about how we will get where need to go,” said

Council co-chair Sen. Chris Rector. “A clear mes-

sage from this year’s report is that we need to focus

on improving the education and health of our peo-

ple. Doing this will not only improve the lives of

Maine people, but it will also save Maine taxpayers

money moving forward. It is crucial to growing

our economy.”

“The private sector values the Measures of

Growth report,” said Council co-chair Tim Hussey,

president and CEO of Hussey Seating Company.

“The information in this report keeps us focused on

the big forces driving our economy.

Continued on page 3

$1,000 Cash Prize Sponsor:

From the President’s Chair

27 Cool Street • Waterville, ME 04901 (207) 873-0721 • Fax (207) 877-2287

www.genesishcc.com Rehabilitation and Living Centers

www.centralmaine.com

- Kimberly

Business After Hours:

Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and a Cash Bar.

Door prizes, 50/50 raffle & other fabulous prizes!

$100’s in Chamber Gift Certificates will be given away

to one lucky winner in celebration of 100 years!

Thank you to our

50/50 Sponsor:

Legislation Tracker Concerned about the workings of state

government? Want to keep track of legisla-

tion during the 125th Legislature’s Second

Regular session? Maine.Gov let’s you do just

that.

Track the progress and scheduling online at

maine.gov/legis/lio/publications.htm

Mid-Maine Chamber’s Centennial

Continued on page 6

Charlie Haberstock is 8 years old and has a

business card collection of over 1,400 cards. He

likes to know about each business and asks many

questions so he decided to help us by interview-

ing some area businesses. Below are excerpts

from his 2nd interview. Charlie received a little

help from his mom, Carrie Haberstock.

On March 9, 2012, my Mom and I met with

the three men, ALL Veterans by the way, who

run the company BUG BUSTERZZZ. They take

care of any wild animals or bugs that have be-

come a nuisance. Matt Allen, the president, does

the inspections, office work and the bidding for

the prices of jobs. Dave King, CEO, and KC

Merry, Commercial/Construction Supervisor ,

do the day-to-day operations--for the most part,

Dave the residential homes, and KC the com-

mercial office buildings. They started with the

company four years ago with help from the Mid

Maine Chamber of Commerce. "40% of our

business comes from the members of the Cham-

ber," says Mr. Matt Allen, "The Chamber is how

we built our business from the ground up, the

biggest help coming from mingling with every-

body at the Business After Hours. We are forev-

er grateful for the Chamber and will continue to

be a member for as long as we are a business!

The Chamber has also contributed in teaching us

how to run and grow our business most effec-

tively. Thanks in large part to the Chamber, our

business has doubled since this time last year."

"I like bugs," says KC, "They give us our

business!" "Yes," says Dave, who fought in Af-

ghanistan, "We've switched our target and down-

sized our weapons, and we love helping people!"

The guys specialize in exterminating carpen-

ter and sugar ants--their most common pest re-

moval requests. However, they have had many

run ins with subjects a little ickier, like bed bug

infestations, bat poop removal, dead skunks

below floor boards and squirrels in washing

machines. I will spare you the details the guys

shared with me except that bed bugs are so easy

to get you can get them anywhere you go--at the

movie theater, restaurant, plane seat and school!

People often confuse them with ticks. They are

hard to get rid of but THANKFULLY we have

these pros right in our area with reasonable pric-

es compared to the bigger companies!

The bed bug epidemic is still going strong in

central Maine. Bug Busterzzz gets 3 to 4 calls a

month. A bed bug does not need a meal--of

blood!--for over a year. Once a female is preg-

nant, she will lay 3 to 8 eggs a day until she

Page 2

Oxford Networks Wednesday, April 11

5:30-7:00 PM at the Alfond Youth Center 126 North Street, Waterville

Sponsored by:

We need your help. Mid-Maine Chamber’s

Information Services committee is seeking your

input on how to best enhance our communication

with you. We need to find out what you value in

our newsletter, and what’s not enhancing your

membership. You will receive the survey via

email. If you don’t have email and would like a

printed copy, please contact Robyn at our of-

fice. It is brief and should take no longer than 5 to

10 minutes to complete. As an added incentive,

we will pick one lucky winner from the completed

surveys and award a $100 chamber gift certificate.

Also, please note that in this newsletter is our uni-

versal waste drop off sheet. Please complete and

return to us at your earliest convenience. Alt-

hough we don’t insist that you pre-register, it is

preferred so that we are staffed adequately and

don’t have long lines. Please be aware that there

is an expense associated with recycling your old

equipment. As always, thank you for your partic-

ipation; it’s important to get this material out of

the waste stream so that it doesn’t pollute our en-

vironment.

Happy Spring.

Bowdoin Photography

Page

Full Service Office Supplies Retail Store and Furniture Showroom

in Downtown, Skowhegan

The Paper Klip

New & Used Furniture

A Local, Independent, Family- Owned & Operated Company

www.WarrensOfficeSuppplies.com 800.924.9006

3

Governor visits Meet the Reps

Financial Advisor of Sullivan Wealth Manage-

ment, Kevin Sullivan published a book,

“Managing Income in Retirement: Planning With

Purpose.” Sullivan provides readers strategies on

how to set up their retirement income, manage

their investments and enter retirement realistically. FMI: 660-6637.

The Maine Heritage Policy Center has hired

Peter A. Steele of Auburn to serve as communica-

tions director. Steele has worked in the newspaper

industry for more than 25 years. He is a member of

Androscoggin County Conservative Coalition,

Androscoggin County Fish & Game Association

and National Rifle Association. He also serves on

the Board of Directors of Androscoggin Chamber

of Commerce.

Lee and Kathleen Bushey, owners of Helping

Hands and Helping Hands Trade School were

recently honored as the 2012 King and Queen of

the Mardi Gras celebrations in Playa Flamingo

Costa Rica. Since its inception in 2004, the Mys-

tics of Flamingo have donated over $125,000.00

for local schools, student tuitions for advanced

educational opportunities, medical clinics, the Red

Cross, road repairs, trash removal and many other

projects in the area. The 2012 funds, at the discre-

tion of the King and Queen, will be dedicated to

purchasing needed school equipment, a construc-

tion project at a local medical clinic and for contin-

uing educational scholarships for exceptional stu-

dents.

G. Richard Polkinghorn, MD, a medical oncologist

for 23 years, has joined the Harold Alfond Center

for Cancer Care in Augusta and is a member of the

MaineGeneral Medical Center’s active medical

staff. Polkinghorn joins MaineGeneral from the

Maine Center for Cancer Medicine in Brunswick,

ME where he worked since 1998.

Laura J. Hudson of Kennebec Savings Bank was

promoted to Vice President and Chief Experience

officer. Laura will oversee marketing communica-

tions, community relations, and employee rela-

tions. The Bank’s current marketing, human re-

sources and executive staff will all report to Laura

as part of her expanded role.

Nicole Desjardins, Director of Sales at the Hamp-

ton Inn, was recently awarded with the 2011 Sales

Revolution Champion, which is awarded to one

sales person out of 1,850 Hampton Inn’s. Nikki

was chosen based on usage of Hampton Sales &

Marketing toolkit, use of sales tools, demonstration

of everyone sells philosophy and continued reve-

nue growth. Nikki received a trophy, $500 gift card

and recognition in Hampton Highlights.

Brian Bernatchez, CFP an independent financial

advisor at Golden Pond Wealth Management

was recognized as a top financial advisor and

named to LPL Financial Chairman’s Council in

2011. This distinction is based on a ranking of all

registered advisors supported by LPL Financial

LLC, the nation’s largest independent broker-

dealer and is awarded to less than two percent of

the firm’s more than 12,8000 advisors nationwide.

Governor Paul LePage stopped by the Mid

Maine Chamber of Commerce on February

29th for the final round of this season’s Meet

the Reps. Meet the Reps is a Chamber event

designed to be a more casual, non-

confrontational opportunity for Chamber

members to meet and talk one-on-one with

their elected officials from their local, state,

and national delegations about issues of con-

cern to their business. The Chamber’s Public

Policy committee, in partnership with KV

Connect, hosts three sessions of Meet the

Reps annually. While it is common to have

representatives from the Governor’s office

attend, it was grati-

fying to have the

Governor himself

there to talk with

Chamber members.

The Governor

spoke freely on

some of today’s hot

topics and fielded

questions; in addi-

tion, the Governor

also spent about an hour talking individually

with those in attendance.

Nicole Desjardins from KV Connect (and

the Chamber) took this opportunity to pre-

sent the Governor with a T-Shirt of behalf of

Rotary (of which she is also a member) for

the Governors outspoken support in ending

domestic violence.

There were also numerous State Senators

and Representatives, local town counci-

lors/managers, as well as a couple candidates

running for local and state offices in attend-

ance interacting with attendees. Meet the

Reps is open to the public and sessions for

next year will be announced late summer on

the Chamber’s website,

www.midmainechamber.com in addition to

being published in the Chambers publica-

tions. As an educator and advocate for busi-

ness, the Chamber encourages participation,

engagement, and communication between all

business leaders, professionals and young

professionals with their local, state and na-

tional government officials. Meet the Reps is

one venue that offers the opportunity to do

so…

Continued from page 1

This is important to me as a manufacturer and as an employ-

er. In our business, we need to innovate and be productive

in order to compete in a global market. Managing cost driv-

ers, like energy and health care, while making investments

in the Maine workforce and our state’s innovative capacity,

will keep us competitive and successful into the future.”

The Maine Economic Growth Council is comprised of 19

members, each appointed by the Governor, Senate Presi-

dent, and Speaker of the House. The Council represents a

diversity of interests including government, business, educa-

tion, labor, and environment. The Council was established

by state statute in 1993 to develop a plan for the state’s eco-

nomic growth and create specific measures and benchmarks

to assess Maine’s progress.

The Maine Development Foundation (MDF) empowers

leaders, strengthens communities, and guides public policy.

MDF was created by the Governor and Legislature in 1978

as a private, non-profit corporation with a broad mandate to

promote Maine’s economy. For a complete copy of the

report, please visit www.mdf.org.

Measures of Growth

Govenor LePage

Page

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Chamber Tip of the Month Did you know you can rent the Chamber

Board room (which holds about 26 people seated) for $45 for 4 hours or $75 for the

day? This includes coffee/TV/VCR/Projector services. For non-members, it’s $75 for 4

hours or $125 for the day.

April 2, 4, 11: Spectrum Generations and the Maine Senior Medicare Patrol Program are offering a 3 day volunteer training introduction to the Medi-care and MaineCare systems to help reduce fraud, waste and abuse. This 3 day introduction to the Medicare and MaineCare systems will be held at the Prince of Peace Church on Eastern Avenue, Route 17, Augusta. FMI & to register: Pat Greenleaf, Spectrum Generations Senior Medicare Patrol Co-ordinator at 623-0764 ext. 102. April 3: Through a partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Maine De-partment of Labor, the Maine State Chamber is hosting a conference 8 AM - 1:30 PM at Hilton Garden Inn, Freeport to help employers explore the possibilities of diversity and inclusion in the work-place and learn how hiring people with disabilities makes good business sense. April 10: Join Hardy Girls Healthy Women for an upcoming webinar, Sparking Girls’ Activism and Social Change with Lyn Mikel Brown, EdD from 3 - 4:30 PM. Dr. Brown will critically examine popu-lar ad campaigns and describe marketing strategies as she explores the cooptation of girl power and the sexualization of girls in media. Participants will learn the importance of engaging girls in creative, forceful reactions to such media messages, and get tools and strategies to scaffold girls' activism. Cost $29.95. FMI: http://hghw.org/content/webinar-sparking April 10: Maine Development Foundation invites you to attend the 3rd Session - Maine: A Destination for World-Class Talent. The conversation will be with Auro Nair, Ph.D., General Manager Scientific Research Services at The Jackson Laboratory. Auro will talk about how they attract talent and offer some insight as to what Maine should consider as we work to attract talented individuals from around the world. FMI: Cheryl Miller 626-3116 or cmil-ler@mdf.org. April 12: Bring your lunch and join Amber Desrosiers, LIVE HEALTHY Program Coordina-tor for some great tips and free materials to help you make choices that are good for you and your family – and your budget. At noon in the Medical Arts Conference Room, Inland Hospital. FMI or to register: @emh.org or 861-3392. April 12, 13, 14: 4th Annual Alfond Youth Center Kids with Cameras student photography exhibit at

REM Center, 93 Main St., Waterville. Any child up to 18 years of age may submit photo’s until April 4, 2012! FMI: Steve Aucoin, 873-5686. April 14: United Way of Mid-Maine is hosting their 3rd Annual Dodge ball Tournament 10 AM - 2 PM at Kennebec Valley Community College. Proceeds from team registrations, business sponsor-ships, and sales of lunches and t-shirts are added to the United Way of Mid-Maine’s 2011 campaign funds and benefit the community. April 14: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kennebec Valley is hosting Bowl for Kids Sake at Sparetime Recreation in Waterville at noon, 1:30 PM and 3 PM. All proceeds benfit kids who participate in the Big Brothers Big Sisters one-to-one–community-based mentoring program and the after school site-based mentoring program. FMI & to register: 626- 3408 or www.heroeswanted.org. April 19: Thomas College Student Internship Ex-position is being held on from 3:30 - 5:00 PM in the Student Commons Function Room. This is a regu-lar event each semester, at which time current Thomas interns showcase the work they have done for their employers. We invite all students and any employers who might be interested in learning more about internships at Thomas College. This is a won-derful event that recognizes student success and the support of employers. Please RSVP to intern-ships@thomas.edu. April 19: Uhl-Melanson Investor Services, LLC will be co-hosting an educational dinner presenta-tion “LEGAL ESSENTIALS” by local attorney Waldemar G. Buschmann of Weeks & Hutchins at 5:30 p.m. at Eric’s Restaurant, College Ave, Waterville. A discussion on the probate process, wills, powers of attorney and when trusts make sense. FMI & to register: 859-8877. April 21: MaineGeneral’s HealthReach Retired & Senior Volunteer Program is having their 15th annual Spring Auction at Winslow Elementary School. Dinner, from 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM, is spon-sored by Spectrum Generations Meals on Wheels program and the auction begins at 5:30 PM. This auction is RSVP's biggest fund raiser, with proceeds supporting direct volunteer expenses such as train-ing, insurance coverage, mileage reimbursement

and recognition. FMI: Ruth Saint Amand, RSVP director, 861-3428 or 800-427-1127. April 24-25: Maine Partners in Emergency Prepar-edness Conference hosted by Maine Emergency Management Agency, International Association of Emergency Managers Region 1, State Emergency Response Commission and Maine Association for Local Emergency Managers. This is a two day learning and networking experience with prepared-ness partners and exhibitors. FMI: www.maine.gov/mema/prepare/conference/ April 25: U.S. SBA is hosting a free Meet the Lenders program from 1 - 5 PM at the Augusta Civic Center. Meet one-on-one with lenders, bring your business plan and financial statements, learn about borrowing and lending for small business growth and hear the SBA small business finance update. FMI: Marilyn Geroux , Marilyn.Geroux@ SBA.Gov 622-8382. April 27: Opening night of the Waterville Opera House at 7:30 PM. All tickets are $20. There will be a selection of songs from Opera House musicals past and future performed by local favorites; Circus, a short piece by Bossov Ballet Theatre; and a film representing the Maine International Film Festi-val. The performance will recognize the rich history of the theater, assert the Opera House as a modern and efficient performance venue, and celebrate the performing arts in our community. FMI: 873-7000 or operainfo@operahouse.org. April 28: The "wicked funny" Bob Marley makes his long-awaited return to the Waterville Opera House stage 8 PM. His show will have the audience laughing from the floor all the way to the improved balcony! All tickets $25. FMI: 873-7000 or operain-fo@operahouse.org. April 28: American Red Cross Blood Drive from 9 AM - 2 PM in the Medical Arts Conference Room, Inland Hospital. Give the gift of life! Call 1-800-GIVE LIFE or visit americanredcross.org to sign up today. Bring a photo ID; walk-ins welcome.

4

Page

WorkReady: A strategic workforce development program

5

by Bill McPeck

A

Alcohol Awareness for your Workplace

Good Health = Good Business

This is the first of a two part series.

pril is Alcohol Awareness Month. As an employ-

er, why should you care? Alcohol is Maine’s most

used and abused drug.

According to a 2010 national survey, over 64%

of employed adults age 18 or older use alcohol;

over 29% of those who use alcohol are binge drink-

ers and 8.5% are heavy drinkers. Maine is listed

among states with the highest percentage of adults

who binge drink, estimated at 18.7% – 25.6%.

Binge drinkers and heavy drinkers are considered

to be high risk drinkers. “High risk” refers to binge

drinkers (those who drink 5 or more drinks on any

one occasion) and heavy drinkers (on average,

women who drink more than 1 drink daily and men

who drink more than 2 drinks daily). According to

the 2010 national survey, almost three quarters of

binge and heavy drinkers were employed full or

part time.

While most people drink responsibly, high risk

drinking not only has societal social and economic

costs, high risk drinking also has both direct and

indirect costs to employers. These costs include

impacting work performance and productivity,

health, workplace safety, healthcare costs, and

workplace relationships. Family members with

alcohol problems also impact an employee’s attend-

ance and performance at work.

While high risk drinking should be of concern to

employers, employee use of alcohol can create

other problems as well:

Approximately 1.83% of workers drink before

coming to work and over 9% of workers work

with a hangover, while about 15% of the U.S.

workforce uses or is impaired by alcohol on the

job.

Job stress and job alienation are two ways work

influences off-the-job employee drinking behav-

ior.

Alcoholics and problem drinkers are more likely

to have had three or more employers in the last

year, missed more than two days worked in the

past month due to illness or injury, and skipped

more than two days of work in the past month.

Alcohol and drug abuse cost employers money. In today’s economic climate, many Maine busi-

nesses struggle to stay afloat. Employee and family

alcohol abuse decreases profits and effects morale

in the workplace.

Healthcare costs for employees with alcohol

problems are about twice as high as for the aver-

age employee.

Each untreated substance abusing employee costs

their employer an estimated $640 annually.

Problem drinkers spend four times as many days

in the hospital as the national average.

Employees with alcoholism use twice as much

sick leave as other employees, are five times

more likely to file a workers’ compensation

claim, and are more likely to cause injury to

themselves or others while on the job.

What is alcohol misuse and abuse costing you?

Find out by using the alcohol cost calculator at:

http://www.alcoholcostcalculator.org.

Bill McPeck is a licensed social worker and a Certified

Worksite Wellness Program Consultant. He is currently Director of Employee Health and Safety for Maine State

Government. Substance use and abuse is one of Bill’s

specialties. Contact Bill with your questions and com-ments at 287-6783 or william.c.mcpeck@maine.gov.

By Jim Baumer

It’s rare to find a program that meets the needs of

such a wide worker demographic. Whether target-

ing a single mom re-entering the workforce, a laid

off manufacturing worker, or a recently down-sized

professional, a WorkReady “makeover” helps in-

crease your odds in getting a new job.

For those unfamiliar, WorkReady is a 60-hour

foundational skills training program developed to

meet the requirements set forth by key Maine em-

ployers, providing businesses with workers pos-

sessing basic skills—skills like showing up for

work, on time, as scheduled, ready for work; able to

work as a team; understanding the appropriate way

to handle and react to workplace conflict; knowl-

edgeable about basic business practices—all identi-

fied by employers as baseline skills required in new

employees.

WorkReady, began as a localized pilot in Lewis-

ton, back in 2006. It is now a statewide initiative—

mainly because it provides employers with the

kinds of candidates they are looking to hire.

Efforts initiated by the Mid-Maine Chamber of

Commerce, in concert with KVCOG and the Cen-

tral Maine Growth Council, helped bring the pro-

gram to the region. Additionally, the Central/

Western Maine Workforce Investment Board,

which helped launch the initial pilot of the program

in the state, brought the necessary coordination and

facilitation to that first pilot program in Waterville

back in the fall of 2008, and each subsequent pro-

gram since.

“I think WorkReady meets the employment

needs of this community,” said Susan Tuthill, direc-

tor for Mid-Maine Regional Adult Community

Education. “WorkReady provides candidates with

the essential skills they need to access and acquire a

job.”

WorkReady is now firmly rooted in Waterville,

as well as Fairfield, where a unique partnership

exists between Mid-Maine Regional Adult Commu-

nity Education and Lawrence Adult Education, with

these neighboring programs working in tandem to

offer WorkReady. Other key current partners, in

addition to the initial group that helped bring the

program to the area are Waterville Public Library

and KVCAP. Generous funding from United Way

of Mid-Maine for the past two years has allowed the

program to progress beyond the pilot stage to where

it has become integrated in the community’s ongo-

ing workforce development strategy. Over 30 area

employers have participated and offered in-kind

support, like participating in the WorkReady mock

interview days.

FMI information about WorkReady in the area

and upcoming programs, contact Director Susan

Tuthill, Mid-Maine Regional Adult Community

Education, 873-5754, or Director Pat Theriault,

Lawrence Adult Education, 453-4200, X 315.

Jim Baumer is the Director of Business Services for

the Central/Western Maine Workforce Investment

Board. He's also an entrepreneur, a writer, as well

as an independent publisher with two books in print

and a new one on the way.

Page

Upcoming Events

April 3 Tue. 8:00 AM Bus. Attraction & Retention

Chamber Boardroom

April 12 Thur. 7:30 AM Executive Board

Chamber Boardroom

April 17 Fri. 7:30 AM Public Policy

Chamber Boardroom

April 25 Wed. 8:00 AM Membership

Chamber Boardroom

April 27 Fri. 7:30 AM Board of Directors

Chamber Boardroom

By Tammy L. Rabideau, MLS

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has

developed a number of online tax centers

(http://www.irs.gov/businesses/index.html) to

facilitate finding tax information for small

businesses and the self-employed.

The Small Business and Self-Employed

Tax Center

(http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/index.ht

ml) provides links to small business forms and

publications, employment tax information, an

A-Z index of business topics and more. There

is a link to “Filing Season Central”, an assis-

tance center for filing business returns which

includes a link to tax tips. There is a section

on deducting business expenses and another

with information specific to businesses with

employees. The Self-Employed Individuals

Tax Center

(http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/selfempl

oyed/index.html) provides links to infor-

mation for individuals who are self-employed

independent contractors.

The IRS provides tax centers for certain

industries/professions

(http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/industrie

s/index.html) such as agriculture, automotive,

child care, construction, e-business & e-

commerce, entertainment, fishing, payroll

professionals, real estate, restaurants, trucking

and more.

The IRS Video Portal

(http://www.irsvideos.gov/) contains video

and audio presentations on topics of interest to

small businesses, individuals and tax profes-

sionals. There are video clips of tax topics,

archived versions of live panel discussions

and webinars. The Virtual Small Business Tax

Workshop

(http://www.irsvideos.gov/virtualworkshop/)

helps business owners understand federal tax

obligations.

The IRS web site provides printable and

online tax calendar tools to manage tax due

dates and actions. In addition, the IRS pro-

vides information about and tools for filing

and paying business taxes. For more infor-

mation and/or assistance with business taxes,

contact your local IRS Office

(http://www.irs.gov/localcontacts/index.html).

You can also contact the Taxpayer Advocate

Service: call 622-8528 in Augusta or 1-877-

777-4778 elsewhere. Tammy Rabideau is Business & Career Center

Coordinator at the Waterville Public Library. FMI:

207.680.2611 or business@watervillelibrary.org, http://www.watervillelibrary.org/departments/ness/,

http://www.facebook.com/wplbcc

April 5: Business Breakfast Series

7:30-9 a.m. Thomas College

Customer Service

LL Bean’s Jill Bruce, Assistant Manager of Perfor-

mance: Customer Satisfaction, gives us a look at what

makes Maine’s top outdoor retailer succeed.

April 11: Business to Business Showcase/Business

After Hours

2-7 p.m. Alfond Youth Center

126 North Street, Waterville

Adams Speech Therapy

Tara Adams

155 Kennedy Memorial Drive

Waterville, ME 04901

Phone: 872-5775

adamstherapy@roadrunner.com

Raymond James - SWM, LLC

David & Doris Smith

180 Main Street

Waterville, ME 04901

Phone: 660-4508

doris.smith@raymondjames.com

6

Centennial Continued from Page 2

dies--for up to 10 months to a year! Heat

treatments and chemicals at least three times

is how to exterminate bed bugs. Any time

you take in something used, like roadside

furniture or secondhand books, videos,

clothes, you increase your odds of getting

bedbugs. So, BE CAREFUL!! "This job is so

fulfilling," says Matt, "because people are so

relieved and thankful. They are supposed to

relax and rest in bed instead of worrying if

they are going to get bitten!"

Bug Busterzzz likes to follow this princi-

ple: "Prevention before Intervention. With

the warmer climate, we see an increase in

household pests," says Mr. Allen, "Thank

you for considering calling us!"

From Left to Right: KC Merry, Matt Allen,

Charlie Haberstock & Dave King

IRS Tax Center Tools

Gifford’s Ice Cream offers flavors such as Moose Tracks, Deer Tracks & Lobster Tracks and now they also offer people tracks by teaming up with L.L. Bean to offer a new flavor, “Muddy Bean Boots.” Muddy Bean Boots is made with Gifford’s “Old-Fashioned Vanilla” ice cream, crisscrossed with sweet caramel ripple and tossed with rich chocolate brownie bites. The caramel signifies the dark-brown leather Bean boots, and the brownie bits represent the mud. The UPS Store has a copy and print center! They do digital printing, full or self-service color/B&W copies, Faxing, laminating, and binding. Located at 8 Waterville Commons Drive. FMI: www.theupsstorelocal.com/5559/. Attention outdoor photography enthusiasts! Enter your work in the Downeast Energy Calendar Chal-lenge for a chance at fame, glory, a coveted spot in the 2013 Downeast Energy calendar and a free tee shirt! Photos should be of wildlife or landscapes, and taken in ME or NH. Please provide the name of the location where the photo was taken with your submission. Submit photos to the Challenge by posting them on Downeast’s Facebook page, face-book.com/downeastenergy. The United Way of Mid-Maine Waterville Area Warming Center has had nearly 70 individuals spend time at the Warming Center since it opened in mid-January. The Warming Center team has reviewed the feedback to date and they are already discussing how they will approach next year. FMI: 207-873-0686 or tchapman@unitedwaymidme.org. Representatives from the SCORE office in Augusta recently awarded Thomas College $2,000 in sup-port of the Capital Campaign to construct a new academic center and library. SCORE’s gift of $2,000 will be matched by the Harold Alfond Foun-dation, as part of their $5 million challenge grant awarded to Thomas in March of 2011. Silver Street Tavern announces that the MUG CLUB is coming in April featuring 20 oz. glass mugs and great Beer Specials with membership. Prizes will be awarded every month to members only. Check it out! Color Graphics LLC can produce Banners (Indoor/Outdoor and Pop Displays) in ONE day! With over 50 different media on the shelf, they can produce a custom banner from 64" to 50' in just one day. Using a 6-color process, they digitally print

your banner for rich, photo-quality results and fea-ture in-house finishing for hems and grommets. Color Graphics offers a 3-year colorfast warranty against fade and peel. The Waterville Opera House presents their new website www.operahouse.org. Among the improve-ments, there is now a “Buy Tickets” button next to all events and upcoming events listed on the page. St. John School is currently accepting registrations for the 2012-2013 academic school year for our pre-k through sixth grade programs. Students in the school typically fall into the 90th percentile in standardized testing. If you would like to visit the school, sit in on a class and have a tour contact them today. FMI: www.stjohnschoolwinslow.org or 872-7115. Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) is partnering with Northern Essex Community Col-lege (NECC) in Massachusetts to offer a Sleep Technologist Certificate program to students in Maine. The intensive 9 month, 28-credit program will be offered in the fall of 2012. It will combine online classes, an 8-hour lab session at a sleep lab located in Maine, and 1 night per week of clinical work at a hospital or clinic located near a student’s residence. Waterville Country Club has kicked off its 2012 season and is offering a great Spring Special: pay $100 deposit per person and play as often as you like for the month of April! If at the end of the month you choose to join, your deposit will be cred-ited towards your membership dues. They also offer corporate memberships which are designed to keep rates reasonable for businesses as well as to enter-tain their clients. There’s a full service restaurant with delicious food that’s open to the public along with clothing and equipment in the Pro Shop that can be purchased at a member discount. The course is pristine and one of central Maine’s best kept secrets. Individual and family memberships are available at some of the best rates for the area. FMI: www.watervillecountryclub.com or Lee Spaulding at 465-2838 or at the Pro Shop at 465-9861. Planning a trip abroad? You need to know about the exotic diseases and other health risks you may en-counter. Workplace Health at MaineGeneral can

help you with: Education, written materials, food and water precautions, mosquito avoidance, motion sickness, altitude sickness, and traveling with chronic illness. Schedule an appointment 4 - 8 weeks prior to departure, when possible. Some vaccine series require several days or weeks to ad-minister and take full effect. FMI: MaineGeneral Travel Medicine or 621-7550. Congratulations to Oakhurst Dairy. Company President Bill Bennett accepted an award recently for Honorable Mention for Outstanding Dairy Pro-cessing & Manufacturing. It came from the 1st U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards from the Innovation Center for U. S. Dairy. Recently, 40 JMG students from Belfast Area High School, Brewer High School, Mt. View High School, Nokomis Regional High School, Old Town High School, Maine Central Institute, and Water-ville Senior High School had the opportunity to attend the 3rd Annual Bank of America Leadership Day in Belfast. This trip provided students with the opportunity to interact with a variety of leaders from Bank of America during interactive learning modules. They split into groups for a tour of the facility, learning about the life cycle of a credit card. They then participated in a mock interview session. They learned how to properly prepare for interviews and practical examples of interview dos and don’ts. The information will be relevant to roles they may be seeking in the future in various indus-tries or higher educational opportunities. Jobs for Maine’s Grads need approximately 25 volunteers to act as event judges for its upcoming Career Development Conference (CDC), which will be held on Friday, April 27 at the Augusta Civic Center. Volunteers will receive training, as well as free breakfast and lunch that day. If you are available on April 27 and would like to volun-teer at CDC, please contact Cyndi Fortier at 620-7180 x203 or cfortier@jmg.org.

Page 7

We have recently learned that

Patricia Aho, commissioner of the

department of environmental

protection, is seeking invitations to

specific site visits. If you are

interested, please contact

Commissioner Aho at 287-7688 or

800-492-0859.

Page 8

50 Elm Street

Waterville, ME 04901

PRE-SORTED STANDARD

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT #146

Waterville, ME 04901

Have some news you would like to share? Submit a short announcement to the Chamber office by the 3rd Friday of the prior month. Inserts are also available for $125 per month. Call 873-3315 or email info@midmainechamber.com. Disclaimer: The Mid-Maine Chamber’s InTouch newsletter is published monthly as a benefit to members and affili-

ates. All member news is compiled and submitted solely by our members; therefore, we reserve the right to omit and/or edit as appropriate, and cannot guarantee complete accu-

racy of all announcements. Sponsorship inserts do not necessarily reflect the position of the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce.

166 College Ave., PO Box 215 Waterville, ME 04903-0215

www.az-cpa.com

12 Monument St Winslow, Me 04901

207-872-2636 www.wcfcu.com

COMMUNITY PEOPLE YOU KNOW

Are you Ready To Party?? Are You Ready To Party on 4 Sanger Ave in

Waterville is a full service party retail and rental

store. This spring, we have joined forces with

our Formalwear supplier and have a free App. It

is currently only available for Apple products

and can be downloaded to your iPhone or iPad

by going to the Apple Store and downloading

“Tuxedo Builder”. What will the App do?

The App, “Tuxedo Builder” will allow you

to pick out the tux you want to wear by choosing

the style, color, vest, tie, shoes and, best of all,

once all is selected you can take a photo of your-

self and it will show you how smashing you will

look! Keep in mind we have been renting tuxe-

dos for over eleven years reaching the “Elite”

status numerous times, which means we rent a

lot of tuxedos.

Are You Ready To Party is also booking

tents, tables, chairs and bounce games for the

upcoming summer. Of course you all know this.

But did you know we have a huge line of paper

goods for your parties? We carry professional

stage make up year round and some of us can

even give you a black eye….strictly with make

up!

Are You Ready To Party also rents table-

ware. Yes, you rent the dishes; you use them and

we wash them. It’s a pretty good deal, and gives

you more time to schmooze with your guests,

knowing that the dreaded dishes will be done by

someone else. Many calls ask if we have enough

tables, chairs or dinnerware for their event; the

funny thing is they then need 6 tables. Any

guesses on how many tables, chairs, or place

settings we have? We have about 600 tables,

5,500 chairs, and enough place settings to feed

1,700. I am just happy we do not have to cook

all that food.

Be sure to stop in at 4 Sanger Ave, Water-

ville, or online at www.areyoureadytoparty.net.