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Curious how much your antique vase is worth? Think your family heirloom is priceless? Bring your treasured items to the Community Meeting Room for valuation by expert appraisers from the Thomaston Place Auction Galleries on Thursday, May 2nd from 1:00 – 4:00pm.  A donation to the Friends of Lithgow Library is required for each appraisal. We ask that you bring no more than 5 items, and no glass or china unless it is Tiffany.

Lithgow Library is located at 45 Winthrop Street, Augusta, ME 04330

On Sunday, April 28th, 2024 at FirstPark in Oakland at 9:00 am, people will be running or walking in solidarity against the harsh reality of the impact of sexual violence in our Maine communities. Inspired by the current Maine statistic of an estimated ONE in FIVE people in Maine have been affected by sexual violence (Muskie School of Public Policy, Maine Crime Victimizations Rates, 2011), the Sexual Assault Crisis & Support Center is hosting the 13th annual One in Five 5k race. You can choose to sign up for the virtual race which we have extended to May 12th, or you can join us at FirstPark on April 28th. This event is taking place in the month of April to honor Sexual Assault Awareness Month!

Registration is open now: https://runsignup.com/Race/Info/ME/Oakland/OneinFive5K

 

  • Do you want to build your team and leadership effectiveness?
  • Do you want a healthy team?  
  • Do you want to learn from a new perspective in a non-traditional setting?

Well trying something new & different –

EQUINE ASSISTED CORPORATE TEAM BUILDING RETREATS

 

Our Program:

Our program offers a unique and non-traditional opportunity for organizations to build a stronger team in an outdoor natural setting through our customized Equine Assisted Programs.  Our programs will help develop leaders and improve communication, collaboration and cooperations between all staff members.

What’s not traditional – is team building with horses.  Each session becomes an experiential learning with opportunities to teach grounding skills, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, improve confidence, and improve communications skills.

Our horses will do most of the teaching in the specific activities we have designed to develop problem-solving skills while encouraging participants to work as teams to achieve positive results.

Why Horses:

Horses are 100% honest, 100% of them time.  No matter who you are, the horse will be an authentic team member who will let you know if things are working – or not.  And most often they will give you plenty of chances to get it right.

Without judgement they teach us to be present, honest, clear and committed.  Like people, horses come with a wide range of personalities, moods, and unique quirks.  They react differently to each person and each situation.

The horse’s herd mentality offers powerful leadership lessons. A horse will respect a herd leader who demonstrates awareness, fairness, consistency, and respect when guiding towards a goal.  Horses will challenge a leader who is vague, confusing or lacking commitment to the good of the group.  As a tool of survival – horses are highly sensitive to nonverbal stimuli, they are experts at reading the most subtle behaviors such as body language, posture, expressions, determination, and emotional charge of people.  They seem to sense personal level of trust, confidence, awareness and interpersonal skill providing us with valuable, visible, and uncensored feedback immediately.  With all of this information we learn if, when, or how we need to do something differently to meet their particular needs at that moment.

Effectively Lead & Manage

Our skilled facilitators know how to define the teachable moments in this unique style of the horse/human interaction that makes for an effective approach to building team leaders’ strong team dynamics.

In a very real sense, the horses do most of the teaching – event facilitators are there to provide explanations and guidance through each experience.

Horses have a great deal to t ach us, largely because they have so much in common with humans.  They are also surprisingly good at revealing the hidden dynamics within any team.  These sensitive creatures can actually hear our heartbeat and will react to even the slightest changes within a group.

For many this experience proves to be absolutely life-changing.  It builds trust and communication in a fun, engaging and full collaborative atmosphere.  Because these events make such a lasting impression, participants tend to retain the lessons far longer than in a typical classroom experience.

Programs are offered with certified professionals in both the equine industry and in corporate team building sessions.   Each session is limited to 10 participants.  No horse experience is necessary.  All work is unmounted (no riding required). 

Contact us for more information and to for customized programs and packages.

       207-370-1150

Kennebec Behavioral Health is hosting its annual community fundraiser, a Night Out, in Augusta on November 4th. The event will feature a Maine Horror-themed murder mystery show with Mystery 207, a three-course meal, cash bar and basket raffle (ages 21+). 

Mystery 207 will stage the crime, give clues and interact with attendees as they try to solve who the murderer is. Costumes are encouraged! Attendees can dress up as their favorite horror character with extra points going to Stephen King characters. 

Tickets start at $55/person and are available at www.kbhmaine.org/anightout. All proceeds benefit KBH's College Scholarship fund which supports Maine students pursuing a college education in behavioral health. 

HeartSaver CPR/AED and First Aid Course Date: 9/11/2023 Time: 8am - 1pm Location: Augusta Natural Gas 21 Meadow Road Augusta, ME 04330 Who should take this course? The AHA’s Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED Course is designed for anyone with little or no medical training who needs a course completion card for their job, regulatory (e.g., OSHA), or other requirements, or anyone who wants to be prepared for an emergency in any setting. What does this course teach? * First aid basics * Medical emergencies * Injury emergencies * Environmental emergencies * Preventing illness and injury * Adult CPR and AED use * Opioid-associated life-threatening emergencies * Adult, Child and Infant CPR/AED Contact: CPR of MAINE David Mejia 207-592-9181
BLS CPR Renewal Course
 
Monday, October 02, 2023, 09:00am - 12:00pm
  
Location: Kennebec Valley Chamber

                269 Western Ave 

                Augusta, ME 04330

Time: 0900 - 1200pm

What does this course teach?

  • High-quality CPR for adults, children, and infants
  • The AHA Chain of Survival, specifically the BLS components
  • Important early use of an AED
  • Effective ventilations using a barrier device
  • Importance of teams in multirescuer resuscitation and performance as an effective team member during multirescuer CPR
  • Relief of foreign-body airway obstruction (choking) for adults and infant

Who should take this course?

The AHA’s BLS Course is designed for healthcare professionals and other personnel who need to know how to perform CPR and other basic cardiovascular life support skills in a wide variety of in-facility and prehospital settings.

Contact: David Mejia at 207-592-9181 or 

Space is limited Sign up today.

8 of the 10 Run Amok meads that competed at the recent Orpheus Mead Fest came home with medals.  These are them!  Come and try some!   (Medals are in the mail.)

Summer Hours at FairWeather, our Tasting Bar(n) are:  Fri 4-7, Sat 2-7, Sun 12-5. 

Come and Run Amok with us!  (What could possibly go wrong?  😉)

Run Amok Mead is located at 1043 High Street in West Gardiner, Maine and we CANNOT WAIT to see you!

 

RunAmokMead OrpheusMeadFest 8Winners

Would your business benefit from a Free IT Evaluation ? From Data Backups, Cloud Solutions, Phone Systems, Cyber Security, Remote Access and More. We can provide the solutions you need. You can email  or call 207-544-5510 for more information and scheduling! Find out your how your current Network is doing.

Secondly, as a fellow Member of chamber you will also be entitled to 1 month of complimentary Anti-Virus protection, should you choose to work with us for your IT Needs. 

 

207tech

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Did you know that all of our non-profit members are eligible to use the energy procurement services of Maine PowerOptions?

Maine PowerOptions (MPO) is an energy-purchasing consortium that serves as an energy aggregator and educational service for Maine's public, governmental and non-profit organizations.

Their group-purchasing programs are designed to increase the buying power of member organizations for the purchase of fuel oil, electricity supply and related services.

The result is lower energy costs for Maine's non-profit organizations, higher education institutions, health care organizations, water, sewer, and school districts, and municipalities.

Membership and participation are voluntary and come at little or no cost to the members.

MPO hosts monthly, educational webinars on timely energy topics and produces an e-newsletter for members that includes grant and other funding opportunities available to its members.

Maine PowerOptions is a program co-sponsored by the Maine Health and Higher Educational Facilities Authority and the Maine Municipal Bond Bank.

Please contact Kay Mann, Program Officer at 620-1469 for membership information, or visit the MPO website.

 

 

We are already almost to the halfway point of 2023! The Keller Agency wants to express a huge thank you to all of you for your support and understanding as we navigated the waters of this new agency. We are thankful that State Farm gave Paul the opportunity to be an agent in Augusta and we are thankful to the community for their support. Collectively, our team has 46 years of service in State Farm and though our agency is new, our team is not, and we have lots of experience to help you with what is important to you. In this agency, we pledge to treat every customer as we would our own family and provide you with choices and appropriate products and services to meets your individual needs. Thank you again for your support through our transition in the new agency, and we look forward to many years of service to you!!

Keller Insurance Agency Inc
Paul A Keller, Agent
38 Bangor St, Augusta
207.623.3344
kellersf.com

We are pleased to announce that Katherine Higgins, Relationship Manager has successfully completed the requirements for her Series 7 investment securities license. The exam focuses on stocks and bonds, investment risk and interactions with clients. Katherine is now preparing for the Series 66 Uniform Combined State Law exam.

Securities and Advisory Services offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC. Katherine Higgins holds her Series 7 license with LPL Financial.

WATERVILLE, MAINE - April 20, 2023  - Golden Pond Wealth Management’s founder and managing director,    Brian Bernatchez, CFP®, was recently named to Forbes' Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list for the fourth consecutive year.

“According to Forbes, the annual list spotlights the nation’s top performing advisors, who are nominated by their affiliated firm and evaluated based on a methodology developed by SHOOK Research. Advisors are also evaluated based on personal interviews, industry experience, revenue trends, a review of compliance records and a focus on those that encompass best practices in service to their clients.

“Although Forbes recognizes the individual advisor, being included in the Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list with a top 4 ranking for Maine is a reflection of our entire team, our clients, and their continued confidence in and support of our efforts to grow and protect their wealth,” said Brian Bernatchez, CFP®.

Golden Pond Wealth Management is based in Waterville, Maine. They provide retirement planning and comprehensive wealth management to individuals and families, and investment & endowment management to non-profit institutions.

Brian Bernatchez is an independent financial advisor affiliated with LPL financial, the nation's largest independent broker-dealer* and a leader in the retail finance market, providing resources, tools and technology that support advisors in their work to enrich their client's financial lives.

Securities and Advisory Services offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC

*Based on total revenues, Financial Planning magazine, June 1996-2022

LPL Financial, Forbes magazine and Golden Pond Wealth Management are all separate entities. The Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisor ranking, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on in-person and telephone due diligence meetings and a ranking algorithm that includes: client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Portfolio performance is not a criterion due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK Research receives a fee in exchange for rankings.

Local Businesses: We need your help!
 
We are halfway through our Bellringing season, and we are still looking for volunteers to help us! A person could come and volunteer alone, or a kettle location could be sponsored by a local business!
 
We have a variety of locations within both Augusta & Waterville, and we will be running our kettle season through Saturday December 24th, Christmas Eve.
 
Standing at a Kettle location provides some wonderful opportunities for you:
  1. You'd be helping raise money for a community focused organization, where the money stays right here to do work in our community.
  2. It can be a wonderful opportunity to be present in the community.
  3. You have the opportunity to advertise while standing at the kettle location through apparel, signage, and word-of-mouth advertisement.
Volunteers can be a group, or a single person, you can even make it an internal competition to see who makes the most money in the kettle! We will also create signs saying "Our Bells are ringing today with..." for your business as well. If you are looking to sponsor a kettle location for a whole day or part of a day, please call Capt. Keith Davis at (207) 248-6008.
 

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The Augusta Civic Center is celebrating their 50th Anniversary in 2023! To commemorate this milestone, they plan to publish a special 50th Anniversary section scheduled to run in the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel on Thursday, December 29, 2022.

The Augusta Civic Center has hosted thousands of events over the 50 years from concerts to sporting events, conventions to corporate meetings, expositions to trade shows, and more! They have delivered space and support services for all groups-both large and small with great service and a professional and friendly staff for over half a century.

They truly value their business partnerships and friendships they have gained along the way and hope you will support their 50th Anniversary celebration by being part of this special publication. We look forward to working with you in helping to celebrate this milestone with the Augusta Civic Center.

If you would like to be part of this special commemorative section, please contact Bridget Campbell, Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel Advertising Operations Manager at or call 207-861-9155.

Central Maine Newspapers logos

Riverview Psychiatric Center (RPC) is seeking volunteers to fill two (2) vacant positions on our Advisory Board. The Advisory Board meets every other month, on the third Thursday from 10:30am-12:00pm and is currently meeting via Zoom/Teams.

If interested, please submit a letter of interest to Amanda Esler in RPC's Superintendent's Office (). Candidates will be reviewed by the Superintendent and presented to the Board to be considered for appointment. Additional details about the Advisory Board are provided below.

Riverview Psychiatric Center (RPC), located in Augusta, Maine, is a hospital for the mentally ill established under the laws of the State of Maine, owned by the State of Maine, and operated by its Department of Health and Human Services.

The mission of RPC is to provide state-of-the-art care to persons with serious and persistent mental illness in collaboration with the community and to be a center for best practice, treatment, education and research for such individuals.

Riverview offers medically directed inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services for the diagnosis, treatment, care, protection, and rehabilitation as indicated of individuals admitted with psychiatric disorders.

Riverview’s Advisory Board helps achieve its mission and vision, ensure compliance with applicable mandates, and ultimately improve the quality of client care. Inclusion of members of the community on the Advisory Board will result in valuable input and involvement from the community and more collaborative dealings between the two.

The collaborative and cooperative efforts of the Advisory Board, the Medical Staff, the administrative staff, and others are necessary to achieve the mission and vision of Riverview Psychiatric Center.

Happy fall!

Please come and join Right at Home for our GRAND OPENING happening Monday, October 17th from 12:00-2:00. We are located at 2540 US-202, Winthrop, ME 04364.

We will be serving a light lunch and beverages for everyone who joins us in celebrating our new business. 

Everyone who joins us will be entered for a chance to win a door prize. 

Hope to see you all soon! 

Mindy Maheu and Martha Wentworth,  personal insurance account executives with GHM Insurance, have been honored with the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence, an honor recognizing superior underwriting skill.  

This recognition is achieved only by a select group of agents across the country who sell Safeco Insurance. This is the Maheu’s third year and Wentworth’s sixth year earning this recognition.

Excellence in underwriting means bringing exceptional customer service together with a deep understanding of the complexities of insurance coverage to create great outcomes for GHM customers. Mindy, Martha and the GHM  personal insurance team do that daily by ensuring customers get the insurance coverage that works best for them. This recognition is well deserved and GHM is especially proud of the number of consecutive awards they have earned.

Both Maheu and Wentworth are long-time GHM Insurance employees, joining the company in 2002 and 2000 respectively. Maheu holds the Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR), and Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designations.

Wentworth holds the CIC, Certified Risk Manager (CRM)  and  Certified Personal Risk Manager (CPRM) designations.

The Safeco Award of Excellence recognizes outstanding agents who have developed a solid underwriting relationship with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award, the company's top recognition program. Fewer than 10 percent of agencies who sell Safeco have agents who receive this award.

GHM Insurance of Waterville is a division of Allen Insurance and Financial, an employee-owned insurance, employee benefits, and financial services company with offices in Rockland, Camden, Belfast, Southwest Harbor (L.S. Robinson Co.) and Waterville (GHM Insurance). Call 800-439-4311. GHMAgency.com and on Facebook  

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