Business After Hours is open to members and non-members to encourage everyone from the business community to participate.

The event is complimentary to Chamber members and $10 per person for non-members.

Spring 2014

Dear Valued Members,

As we usher in spring officially with temperatures finally getting into the 60's, it is a time to celebrate the new season and new growth for the chamber and our members.

We have 7 new Board members; 12 new Chamber members, a new website coming on line and a new logo! In recognition of National Volunteer Week, we'd also like to thank our 136 volunteers who helped us throughout the past year. And we welcome more!

This week we kick off our Business After Hours series with the Boothbay Sea & Science Center on April 16^th at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. On Friday, April 25^th, just in time to usher in Fisherman's Festival , we'll have a Chamber Cheer bus sponsored by the Boothbay Region YMCA. Board members, members and staff will be shooting down the peninsula delivering region guides and smiles as we kick off the season.

On May 30^th, we'll be holding our Annual Awards Night with the theme "Let's Go Green Together!" and then we're headed into the 52^nd Annual Windjammer Days Festival. On July 4^th we start a new trolley shuttle service from the Newcastle/Damariscotta Region down to the chamber twice a day on weekends which will coincide with the Maine Eastern Railway's connection to Amtrak's Downeaster. For the first time in a long time, travelers will be able to go from Boston to Boothbay without a car and vice versa. In August, we'll be celebrating the town of Boothbay's 250^th Anniversary on the Boothbay Common and then we head into Harborfest and more!

We've had a busy winter and I've got a jam packed report. I hope you enjoy reading about what we've been working on including all the advertising, promotions and a new initiative to bring more groups to the region.

Thank you to all our members for supporting the chamber and helping us spread the word about why the Boothbay Harbor Region is perfectly Maine!

Best wishes,

Catherine Wygant Fossett

Executive Director

Catherine@boothbayharbor.com

Office & Board News

Board Update:

The Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce (BBHRCC) announced its new Board of Directors and officers in January 2014. BOD 2014

James D. Chaousis II (Boothbay Town Manager) - President

Dorothy E. Freeman, PhD (Director of Philanthropy, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens) - Vice President

Lorna Weber (Branch Manager/AVP, The First, N.A.)- Secretary

Sue Wood (Professional Volunteer, Barter's Island) - Treasurer

Alan P. Baldwin (General Manager, Fisherman's Wharf Inn/Lafayette Hotels), Steven Goold (Administrative and Marketing Manager, St. Andrews Village), Meagan G. Hamblett (Membership and Marketing Director, Boothbay Region YMCA), Michael Maxim (Manager, Abacus Gallery), Sarah B. Morley (Advertising Sales, The Boothbay Register), Timothy R. O'Donnell (O'Donnell, Lee, McCowan & Phillips, LLC), Peter J. Robison (Senior Sales Rep for On Premise Sales, Central Distributors), Ralph C. Smith II (Owner, McSeagull's, Mine Oyster and the Boat House Bistro), and Ben Teel (General Manager, Inns at Greenleaf Lane) round out the roster.

Click here for a contact list.

Chamber president, James Chaousis says that the "Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce members expect new programs, events, and energy this year. This team of directors has the right mix of talents, occupations and enthusiasm to get the job done. I am personally excited to take a leadership role and plan to work hard to bring more economic activity to the region."

2014 Strategic Plan

The Board has been busy working on plans for 2014 and has announced a new strategic plan.

Our Mission:

To promote a positive business climate by focusing on advocacy, access and leadership.

Our Vision:

To empower the region's business community to collaboratively advance a proactive agenda for economic growth and prosperity.

Our Goals:

We have listed our goals alphabetically below as they are all equally weighted in importance.

Advocacy - To serve as a unified voice on behalf of the business community

Business Viability - To bolster local businesses and the communities we serve

Community Service & Public Relations - To serve as guardian of the community's economic well-being

Dynamic Chamber of Commerce - To lead Best Business Practices with a professional staff and fiscal responsibility

Events & Networking - To provide access for the public and businesses to meet and celebrate our community

Tourism Development - To promote avenues of tourism and economic development

Our Values:

Integrity, Accountability, Diversity, Sustainability, Innovation

Staffing Update

Rimar has accepted a new position and will be leaving the Chamber. Her last day will be Friday, April 25th when she will be driving the Chamber Cheer bus. We thank Rimar for ALL her hard work and wish her great success in her new endeavor!

We have been interviewing for the position and look forward to bringing on a new Visitor & Member Relations Coordinator soon.

Volunteer & Visitor Relations Internship Available for local high school seniors / college students

Duration: June 2nd - August 31st, 2014, with a stipend

Job Description / Internship Mission: Provide hands-on experience in the field of volunteer management by providing: an understanding of the critical role of volunteers in non-profit and for-profit organizations and an opportunity to learn and apply relevant human resource management skills. Click here to learn more. How to Apply: Send resume to: Catherine Wygant Fossett, Executive Director, Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce, P. O. Box 356, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538 or email Catherine at catherine@boothbayharbor.com

Downtown Information Center:

We will be opening the Downtown Information Center on Friday, May 23^rdand the Chamber will be open 7 days a week starting on Saturday, May 31st until Columbus Day, October 13^th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please make sure to bring us you updated rack cards and brochures for our Visitor Centers. There is an additional $45 for the Downtown Information Center to display your rack cards. We also have wall display spaces available. If you'd like to be in the Downtown Information Center, please contact Brooke at 633.2353 or via email brooke@boothbayharbor.com.

Chamber Cheer Bus! -Friday, April 25^thfrom 10am - finish
To kick off the 2014 season (just in time for Fisherman's Festival which starts Friday, April 25^ththrough to Sunday, April 27^th) the Boothbay Region YMCA is sponsoring the bus and Board members, the staff and other members will be joining us as we swing down the peninsula and deliver smiles and region guides to businesses in the region. We can't promise we'll hit everyone but we'll try! We'll be rolling down the streets and dropping off the guides so you can welcome visitors with the new guide. For more information please email Rimar@boothbayharbor.com

or call us at 633.2353.

New Logo & Website Update:

In coordination with our new website we have updated our logo and are very close to launching our new website. This week we should be seeing the website internally with an anticipated roll out later this month to the members and the public. For those who have paid for advertising, your ad date will be from when it goes live and will be for one full year from that date. We will be informing members as we get closer to the launch date. The new website is a specifically designed software database management system that manages all of the Chamber business. We appreciate in advance everyone's patience as we work through this new system for us and for you.

Other Websites & Photos Given Out to Promote the Region:

As a resource for the region, the Chamber has been busy this winter assisting the following organizations with photos of our region to help promote our region on their websites:

1. Maine Eastern Railroad

2. Maine Tourism Association

3. MC3 / Maine's Midcoast

4. Experience Maritime Maine - under development

5. Moving to Maine - new book

6. Maine Innkeepers Association

7. BikeMaine

8. Discover New England

9. Inn at Cuckolds Lighthouse

We are happy to work with writers, tour operators, associations and more to promote our region.

New Members

Boothbay Region Historical Society

The mission of the Boothbay Region Historical Society is to promote interest in the history of the Boothbay region and to preserve the region's history. Founded in 1967 and located at the 1874 Elizabeth F. Reed house and its grounds, Fullerton Park. The Society's main function is as a local history research facility. The museum has seven rooms which have public displays of local artifacts. We have a wide array of books, maps, and various items for sale in the museum's gift shop. Open year-round Thursday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-2:00 p.m. free of charge.

Contact: Kathleen Duffy; Phone: 207.633.0820

Website: www.boothbayhistorical.org; Email: brhs@gwi.net

Corecreative

Corecreative is a specialist at finding the perfect branded promotional product that makes a moment memorable, enhances your image and keeps your name up front. Whether it is motivation, attention, recognition, loyalty, sales or relationship building, our branded promotional products will help you meet your goals. Corecreative offers strategic expertise and delivers a wide product selection. Our promotional items will help you transform your relationships - with clients, prospects, employees and volunteers. A branded promotional is the most cost effective way to send the right message and increase awareness. Our promotional items support your ongoing marketing efforts creatively and cost effectively.

Contact: Tim Poosikian; Phone: 888.797.7812 ext. 1

Website: www.corecreative.biz; Email: tim@corecreative.biz

Davison Construction, Inc.

We at Davison Construction build quality, code compliant homes to meet all of your needs. We pride ourselves on excellent material selection and proper building practices, all at exceptional value. Let us help you with your next project. Davison Construction, Inc. has been in the home building business on the coast of Maine since 1993. Having experienced the great coastal home building traditions makes Davison Construction, Inc. a great choice for your next project. We also have a super selection for energy efficient, green building materials, processes and homes. Let Davison Construction, Inc. serve you on your next project.

Contact: Howard (Chip) Davison; Phone: 207.592.6399

Website: www.davisonconstruction.com; Email: chip@davisonconstruction.com

Down East Gallery

The gallery features maritime paintings and local scenes by award-winning artist Brad Betts, ASMA. Located on East Boothbay's beautiful Ocean Point loop, call for an appointment or stop in on your way around Ocean Point to visit our new gallery space and see work in progress in the open studio.

Contact: Brad Betts; Phone: 207.318.3282

Website: www.downeastgallery.com; Email: bbetts@maine.rr.com

The Hutch

Your one stop shop for all your gifts, souvenirs, and clothing needs, and don't forget the fudge! Keeping the tradition alive, one trinket at a time. Day after day, year after year we hear these same words: "I remember when I was a kid..." So many times and for so many years that those kids are now saying the same words to their kids! Knowing you're part of a long standing tradition passed on from one generation to the next is a really special thing. What are you waiting for? Start your family tradition today, at the Hutch.

Contact: Sheri Manzi; Phone: 207.633.3581; Email: thehutch@hotmail.com

Kickstart Stables

Kickstart Stables will be the first equine facility in the region that will offer state of the art therapeutic riding services to children and adults with emotional, mental and physical disabilities. Executive Director Becky Abbott purchased the 10 acre property between the Land Trust and the Boothbay Harbor Country Club over 6 years ago. Her dream was to build an equine facility that offers hippo- therapy, boarding, horse rescue, day camps and a venue for events. Kickstart Stables is now more than a dream. With their nonprofit 501(c)(3) status in hand, missions, goals and curriculum in place, the next step is fundraising and events to assist in the construction of the facility and the purchase of state of the art equipment. So jump on the saddle and grab the reins by visiting our website to learn more about Kickstart Stables and our mission to add to this community.

Contact: Becky Abbott; Phone: 207.633.2013

Website: www.kickstartstables.com; Email: kickstartstables@gmail.com

Lincoln Theater

Damariscotta's historic Lincoln Theater is one of the premiere year-round entertainment destinations in the state. ADA compliant, air conditioned, and with one of the largest screens in Maine, the theater offers feature films on its state of the art digital system; live broadcasts from the MET in HD, the National Theatre, and the Royal Shakespeare Company; free sports programming and special events; and live on stage concerts by guest artists as well as theatrical productions by its resident theater company. Theater members receive $2 discount on all tickets at all times.

Contact; Andrew Fenniman; Phone: 207.563.3424

Website: www.atthelincoln.org; Email: info@lcct.org

Restoration Resources

Les Fossel operates Restoration Resources. He has been featured in Down East Magazine, Architectural Digest, and Early American Homes. He's taught over 2,000 Realtors. He's received Honor Awards for preservation education and for excellence in building preservation. Les is DaPonte String Quartet President, Deck House School Treasurer, W&Q Railroad Treasurer and serves on many other area boards. In the Maine Legislature he served on Judiciary, Government Oversight and Health & Human Services.

Contact: Les Fossel; Phone: 207.586.5680

Website: www.oldhouserestoration.com; Email: fossel@oldhouserestoration.com

Superior Cleaning, Inc.

Superior Cleaning, Inc. is a MidCoast Maine based company that serves the MidCoast of Maine.

Our goal is to provide the best possible customer experience delivering a superior cleaning service.

Our return customer base is growing each year as a result of our superb customer care. Our technicians undergo training in new techniques and new equipment operations to ensure that our customers receive the latest in carpet and home cleaning processes.

Your safety and peace of mind is our main concern, and we are committed to achieving that goal. Along with our efficient work, we are committed to courteous service that will leave you completely satisfied.

Contact: Jason and Jennifer LeFort; Phone: 207. 522.1419

Email: superiorcleaning@roadrunner.com; Website: http://www.superiorcleaning.us/

Wannawaf

Wannawaf has been serving up delicious food experiences in Boothbay Harbor since 2003. Our hot Belgian Waffles topped with creamy Shain's of Maine ice cream, fresh fruit and homemade sauces and our mind blowing gourmet hot dogs are sure to keep you coming back year after year. Quality flows into everything we do. We attribute Wannawaf's growing success to the care we give to our products, our people, our customers, and the Boothbay Harbor community. Help spread the love online at http://wannawaf.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/wannawaf or follow us on twitter http://www.twitter.com/wannawaf

Contact: Anya Arsenault; Phone: 207.615.4602

Website: www.wannawaf.com; Email: wannawafinc@gmail.com

Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts

The Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts provides residencies for clay artists and educational programs about ceramic arts for the general public. During the summer, we welcome visitors for weekly tours of our beautiful campus and artist studios (10 am on Fridays, no reservations required) and at special events throughout the year. Our most popular summer event, Salad Days, will be held on July 12, 2014; select a handmade ceramic plate and enjoy a delicious all-you-can-eat picnic buffet of locally grown and prepared salads, live music, pottery demonstrations, tours of the Watershed campus, artist talks, and a pottery sale.

Contact: Fran Rudoff; Phone: 207.882.7500

Website: www.watershedceramics.org; Email: info@watershedceramics.org

Friends of the Chamber

Mark Warren

Business News:

Seasonal Business Hours / "Open/Close" Lists

Rimar has compiled a list of business hours for the following: Please click on each link to learn more.

PFBF Gives some Marketing tips

The Swear Word for Accountants: Marketing.

We've all heard of marketing, but do we know exactly what it is and how to do it? For accountants, some would like to erase the word from their memory bank. Most accountants are not "marketers" and why would they be or learn how? That isn't what they went to school for and most would like to stick to the "old-fashion" way of building their client base by referrals. Click here to learn more.

Health Insurance Coverage - What Small Businesses Need to Know

Ray Hurd, Regional Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) New England Regional Office, has prepared a short informational article that describes how Maine small business owners can purchase health insurance. Click here to read the article.

MC3

I continue to serve on the Board of the MidCoast Chamber Council (MC3) which is a regional alliance of seven Chambers of Commerce of the MidCoast Region of Maine (Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber, Damariscotta Region Chamber of Commerce, Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce, Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce, Union Area Chamber of Commerce, Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce, Wiscasset Area Chamber of Commerce) and Searport's Economic Development Committee.

The chambers cooperate to market the MidCoast as a region, lending power and breadth to their individual efforts. The Council produces materials for tourism kiosks, educates the Maine Office of Tourism and Governor of Maine's Office on major goings on in the region, oversees an informational phone line for the region, and administers the MidCoast's website and social media on behalf of members of each of the eight organizations. Click here to see how MC3 works to market our region.

Governor's Conference on Tourism

Many of our members and all of the staff attended the conference on March 18-19, 2014. We learned about the Office's Five Year Strategic Plan, their marketing plan and had a chance to network with our colleagues. Click on each of the items below to learn more!

Maine Office of Tourism Five-Year Strategic Plan

2013 Tourism Highlights including statistics on visitors, expenditures and more!

2014 Marketing Plan

Seasonal Water Turn On

Jonathan E. Ziegra, Manager of Boothbay Region Water District, reported to the board of trustees of the Boothbay Region Water District that due to the abnormal cold and duration of this winter that their seasonal customers should not expect seasonal water as early as usual. They will not be able to provide seasonal water service to seasonal water customers until May 1, 2014.

Engaging a 100-mile seasonal water system with nearly 1,800 service connections takes some time to accomplish. They have to make normal winter repairs, flush, pressure test, disinfect to Maine Department of Health, Center for Disease Control and United States Environmental Protection Agency requirements, test for the absence of biological contaminants, flush again, and then install services. They make daily posts on their webpage www.bbrwd.org listing all of the roads in the district and the progress made, please refer to that matrix for up-to-date information once the start-up process begins.

Maine Eastern Railroad, new connection with Amtrak's Downeaster and a trolley to Boothbay!

Maine Eastern Railroad (MERR) has confirmed Friday through Sunday train service from Brunswick to Newcastle starting July 4th will coordinate with the Amtrak Downeaster' s service into Brunswick from Boston. Local planning continues for "Train and Trolley" services to connect train customers to downtown Newcastle - Damariscotta and the Boothbay peninsula via trolley service on the weekends from July 4th to October 5th, 2014.

When the train arrives in Newcastle a free trolley awaits, ready to take passengers on the 3-minute ride to the heart of historic Damariscotta village. Twice a day, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., the trolley departs from Newcastle to the Boothbay Harbor Region and returns from Boothbay to Newcastle at 11:10 a.m. and 3:10 p.m. The Newcastle - Damariscotta local trolley service is free; the Boothbay portion is $5 round-trip and $3 when it is included in your rail ticket. A traveler can come or go from Newcastle to Brunswick on the MERR and then take the Amtrak Downeaster from Brunswick all the way to Boston. Plus, anyone is welcome to ride the trolley regardless of whether they are going on or off the train.

The Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce is working in collaboration with the Damariscotta Region Chamber of Commerce to provide local businesses the chance to showcase their business to this audience through promotional advertising packages for this service for as little as $25! The premier sponsorship includes Naming Rights for $1,000; the next level is a Trolley Stop for $250; a sponsor at $175; Advertiser at $100 and a Supporter at $25.

The Chambers will answer any questions. The checks and artwork for ads and signs go to the Twin Village Alliance (TVA) which is the fiscal agent for this collaboration with the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce, Damariscotta Region Chamber of Commerce, and local municipalities including: Newcastle, Damariscotta, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission, Lincoln County Commissioners, businesses and individuals.

The Twin Villages Alliance is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization made up of a network of businesses, non-profits and individuals who put collaboration first. They help to address some of the challenges facing local businesses and communities.

The Damariscotta Region Chamber of Commerce is committed to promoting, informing and supporting its nearly 250 members from more than 20 communities in order to enhance the business environment of the Damariscotta Region.

Since being founded fifty-two years ago in 1962, the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce has grown into a first-rate, multi-service membership organization that currently serves over 380 members in the Boothbay Harbor region. Click here for the marketing options to sign up!

Boothbay Region Community Trail Partnership Rt. 27 Sidewalk & Beautification Project:

Today, when anyone wants to walk anywhere along Rt. 27, whether going to school, the YMCA or the fields of the Harold Clifford Playground, they must walk along a narrow and busy highway. The Maine Department of Transportation has recently approved their plans to provide a 4,905 foot long, five foot wide paved sidewalk on the east side of Route 27 running from the flashing light near the regional schools and the YMCA ending at the Clifford Playground. The MDOT has earmarked $498,565 to build the sidewalk in 2015. The towns of Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor have pledged $35,759. That is more than 85 % of the $623,206 needed to fund the project. They need help to raise the last $88,000 and the Chamber is assisting with this project. Click here for their case statement.

Alongside with this project, the Chamber Board has voted to look into planting trees from Hammond Lumber to the light at Hannaford to make the entry to Boothbay Harbor to enhance the look as you drive down into the region. The Chamber hopes to coordinate this project with the sidewalk project, the Boothbay Harbor Country Club and the proposed changes to the old tennis courts on Townsend Avenue. We plan to coordinate this with the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and local landscaping and greenhouse businesses.

Boothbay Peninsula Regional Values and Branding Project

The Boothbay peninsula is working to build consensus around community values in order to help us develop a solid regional brand, which is essential to attracting and retaining people and jobs. The brand will be used to create and develop a new regional logo, and identify a potential tagline or core message, based on the community responses received and the talent of a professional design team.

The goal is to create a regional brand useful to a myriad of sectors to attract, connect and retain talented people to the region. Community input has focused the region's uniqueness into three broad categories: quality of place, cultural heritage and economic development. The next step is to hire a marketing company. While most of the funds have been raised to fund this project including a donation from the Chamber, donations will help to make that possible. If you are interested in making a donation to help cover the cost of the design firm, please contact Michael Tomko, Create Estates 207-350-5600 or michael@createestates.net.

#Giving Tuesday

Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2014 is the day of the year designated for philanthropic giving, around the same time of year as the shopping holidays of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In this time of economic recession, diversifying and expanding our donor base and online presence is critical for non-profits to continue serving the community. It was founded by 92nd St. YMCA, NYC in 2012 and currently big cities like New York, Chicago, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh have created city-wide efforts... and we'd like the Boothbay Region to join them! Though it focuses on social media and online charitable giving, #GivingTuesday is not just for Facebook & Twitter - NPOs can also run promotions in print and in action. The day has become Blackbaud's biggest day for online giving in the U.S.

You can find more info on #GivingTuesday at their website: http://www.givingtuesday.org/. The project is being spearheaded by Valerie Young at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. All non-profits are encouraged to participate. Click here for the latest meeting notes from April 1, 2014 and please feel free to contact Valerie at Tel: (207) 315-2567, ext.107; vyoung@bigelow.org for more information.

Tips for Self-Employed Taxpayers

IRS Tax Tip 2014-34

If you are an independent contractor or run your own business, there are a few basic things to know when it comes to your federal tax return. Click here for six tips you should know about income from self-employment.

Corporate Fraud Monitoring

The Maine Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions, a division of the Secretary of State's office, becomes just the second state agency in the nation to introduce an online Corporate Fraud Monitoring service. Maine business owners and registered agents now have the ability to automatically be notified of any filing completed against their business entities. Users who sign up for the service will create an online profile that will keep track of the business entities they choose to monitor. The service is intended to prevent fraudulent filings by bogus entities. Each entity listed will cost $35 annually. Click here to learn more.

National Take Back Day

We will be doing our medication collection on Saturday April 26th from 10-2 at the five locations listed below. Click here for a poster:

Boothbay Harbor Town Hall, 11 Howard Street Boothbay Harbor

Lincoln County Communication 911 Center, Bath Road Wiscasset

Miles Hospital, 35 Miles Road Damariscotta

Please help us spread the word about the National Take Back Day and tell your family and friends to check there meds and bring them to one of the location closest to them. The Lincoln County Law Enforcement community will work with volunteers from the Lincoln County Triad to assist our residents to safely discard of their old or out-dated and over the counter but potentially dangerous, medications. For more information, please call your local police department or the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office.

Seminars & Workshops

Us Cellular-Video Loft - This workshop comes to you! You pick the time and date!

"Down here at Us Cellular-Video Loft we have some great new offers. Some of these offers include Home Solutions, Vehicle Monitoring, New Pricing Structures and great New Devices. Let us come over and give you brief demonstration of some of the new products. We believe between our Office Supplies, Photo Lab, Radio Shack, and Cellular Services we can find a way to assist you. Call 207- 633-6509 and ask for Tom or Nick if you would like for us to make a visit to your business. We are excited to show you what we have to offer."

Broadband and Small Business Forums Set for the Midcoast

A Broadband and Small Business Forum to help business owners leverage the power of Internet marketing and social media to grow their business will take place Tuesday, April 15, from 5 to 7 pm in three Midcoast locations: the Midcoast School of Technology, Wiscasset High School, and Mt. Ararat High School.

This is part of a series of forums being held around the state.

The forum will include an interactive presentation and question and answer session by marketing and communications expert Nancy Marshall, an introduction to the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development Governor's Account Executives business development experts, networking with attendees, and take-home resources.

Space is limited and pre-registration is preferred. Please RSVP to the phone numbers listed below for each location. April 15, 5-7 p.m., Mid-Coast School of Technology, 1 South Main Street in Rockland, Wiscasset High School, 272 Gardiner Road in Wiscasset, and Mt. Ararat High School, 73 Eagles Way in Topsham. For more information call 596-7752 in Rockland, 882-9710 in Wiscasset, or 729-7323 in Topsham.

The forums are sponsored by the ConnectME Authority, the Maine Department of Education, and local Adult Education programs, and funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Maine International Trade Center Trade Day 2014 - What does "The New North" mean for Maine?

Thursday, May 15, 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Cross Insurance Center, Bangor

For the first time since the 1970s, Maine exporters have increased access to Europe and Nordic countries. At the same time, major economic development projects from Canada to Greenland and on to Scandinavia are opening new markets for the state's products and services in unusual and often uncharted territories.

The 34th annual Maine International Trade Day program examines these developments within a Maine-based context and explores what it could mean for the state's businesses, service providers, and research institutions.

MITC Members: $75, Non-Members: $95 Group Registration Discounts available. Click below to learn more.

http://www.mitc.com/programs/trade_day.asp

Maine Family Business Awards

On Monday, May 19, at the Marriott at Sable Oaks, WGME-TV's Gregg Lagerquist will host the Awards, presented by the Institute for Family-Owned Business and the law firm Verrill Dana.

Things get underway with the 5:30 p.m. reception, where, of course, you can expect lots of networking.

Click here to learn more.

Are you one of the Best Places to Work in Maine?

This Employee Engagement program will help you find out! Sign up today for the 9th annual "Best Places to Work in Maine" program! This employee engagement program will assess what your employees really think about your company culture and benefits. Any company with at least 15 employees in the state of Maine is encouraged to participate. Companies selected as a "Best Place to Work in Maine" will get a chance to celebrate their success and be announced at a gala event in the fall of 2014. A complete list of top companies will be featured in a statewide publication put out by Mainebiz.

Interested companies can apply to participate in the program online at www.bestplacestoworkme.com. The deadline for registration is May 23rd, 2014, and all registered companies will be surveyed simultaneously following the deadline date. There is a fee to participate in the "Best Places to Work in Maine" program that helps cover the costs of producing the comprehensive Employee Feedback Report so you can analyze how you did in the employee survey.

52nd Annual Business Awards Night

Let's Go Green Together! 52^nd Annual Business Awards Night at Fisherman's Wharf Inn

Friday, May 30, 2014, 5:30-9:00 p.m., Fisherman's Wharf Inn

Click here to register to attend the dinner

Join us for this special evening, which will feature:

Key Note Speakers GridSolar and Green & Healthy Maine

Presentation of Awards to Local Businesses, including: Business Improvement, Community Improvement, Community Service, Volunteer of the Year Award, Chamber Service Award, and the new Green Award! We will be sending a call out to you to give us your thoughts on who you think should be nominated for these awards.

By now most everyone has heard something about GridSolar who has been working in our peninsula to reduce the amount of power imported into the region at periods of peak use, such as hot summer afternoons. The Maine Public Utilities Commission designated the Boothbay peninsula as the location for a three-year pilot project to test whether we can improve the stability of the electric grid by making it smarter, instead of larger according to managing member of GridSolar and smart grid pilot project operator Rich Silkman. By reducing net loads in the project area by to 2,000 kW at periods of peak use, the pilot project would help Central Maine Power avoid the need for an $18 million rebuild of the 34.5 kV powerline from Newcastle to Boothbay.

The Smart Grid Reliability Pilot Project is designed to enable the Boothbay area to avoid the expense and problems created by new power line construction, while lowering energy costs and reducing pollution thereby making our peninsula more "green". Participating companies include but are not limited to the following: Ice Energy, Efficiency Maine and Heliotropic Technologies.

At "Let's Go Green Together!" Annual Awards Night you'll learn:

� What has GridSolar done?

� What does it mean?

� How can you get involved?

� Why is green important for our region including the tourism impact?

� How do we keep going and growing green?

In addition, right now we still have opportunities for our members...

Ice Bear - We have four host locations left to fill for new FREE AC units!

Ice Energy is a leading provider of advanced energy storage and smart grid solutions to the electric utility industry and is a Key Note Sponsor of our Awards Night.

The Ice Bear units make ice at night with the utilities surplus electric power and the following day they shut off the building AC units for 6 hours and provide cooling using the ice made the night before. Their units work in conjunction with 4- 20 ton air conditioners. In addition to the Ice providing cooling, they will add a demand response component to further reduce electric use on non-essential areas during the day. For participation in this program building owners receive one or more new energy efficient air conditioners. All of this, the Ice Bear, new AC unit , engineering, permitting installation and maintenance are completely FREE to the building owner. We have installed one here at the Chamber. Here is a link to a 3 minute video that explains the unit and operation. http://www.ice-energy.com/product-overview-video. If you are interested, contact Kimball L. Kenway: 207-831-3239.

Benefit to the building owner/ tenant are:

*Reduce the cost of electricity to cool building by 5-25 %.

*Improved cooling to their business.

*Superior dehumidification.

*Reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

*New energy efficient air conditioning system.

*No cost of maintenance for 3 years

Efficiency Maine - Get your FREE LEDs as replacements to incandescent lighting!

Starting May 1, for a limited time, Boothbay Harbor area businesses can, once again, take advantage of Efficiency Maine's Boothbay Harbor Transmission Alternative Pilot Program to get screw-in LEDs as replacements to incandescent lighting at no cost to participating businesses. Businesses can also get increased incentives on other lighting measures through Efficiency Maine's incentive program. Last year, more than 80 local businesses took advantage of the program. Don't miss out on this last chance to upgrade your business's lighting at little to no cost. Efficiency Maine is offering this promotion because reducing peak demand helps avoid the need for an expensive transmission line replacement. Efficiency Maine must meet an end of June deadline to lower electric demand and energy usage, so lighting upgrades will need to be completed before June 30. Call Efficiency Maine at 866-376-2463 for more information.

So what does this all mean?

The Green & Healthy Maine visitor's guide publisher Heather Chandler will be one of our key note speakers for our Awards Night. She is a voice of innovation when it comes to environmental responsibility. Heather has more than 15 years of experience in marketing and promoting eco-friendly and socially responsible businesses-and founded The SunriseGuide in the summer of 2006 and the Green & Healthy Maine visitor's guide in the summer of 2012. She is passionate about helping Maine's small sustainable businesses thrive and succeed. Ms. Chandler plans to educate our membership on how to incorporate sustainable and green practices into their respective business models and is a Signature Sponsor for the event.

Events like the Annual Awards Dinner are only made possible through the support of our generous sponsors. If you would like to sponsor this event, please click here or contact the Chamber office at (207) 633-2353.

Thank you to our Keynote Sponsors:

Fisherman's Wharf Inn, Tugboat Inn, Boothbay Harbor Inn members of the Lafayette Group
Ice Energy
Green & Healthy Maine

52 Annual Windjammer Days / 250th Celebration & Bike Maine

The Friends of Windjammer Days have been busy working on fundraising and planning efforts for another wonderful Windjammer Days Festival. The Festival will take place June 22 - 28, with nine windjammers scheduled to arrive in Linekin Bay on Tuesday, June 24th and then under full sail during the parade of sail on Wednesday, June 25th. Windjammer Days was recently recognized as a top 100 event in the country by the American Bus Association for 2014.

For more than 50 years, the Chamber had taken the lead on organizing the event working with volunteers, including solicitation of sponsors. With the new 501c3 status, The Friends of Windjammer Days, will be able to take advantage of grant opportunities and tax deductible contributions. The organization hopes to engage even more citizens and businesses in sponsoring, planning and running this year's events. The Chamber is working closely with Friends of Windjammer Days this year and is a lead sponsor of the festival. Click here for their latest news release.

As everyone knows, the majority of Windjammer Days events are free to the public, unlike other festivals that have tickets or fee-based activities, so it is critical that we have cash donations to cover the cost of entertainment, free shuttles, parades and more. The Friends of Windjammer Days also rely on dozens of volunteers to make these events possible. If you are interested in sponsoring or volunteering please call the Friends of Windjammer Days at 207-504-0242 or contact them through their Facebook page. "Friends of Windjammer Days 2014 is presented by the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce and Friends of Windjammer Days and includes the following sponsors: Maine Magazine and the Brand Company; 94.9 WHOM; WMTW News Channel 8; BDN Maine, Bangor Daily News; Marshall Tent and Event Rental; Fisherman's Wharf Inn, Tugboat Inn, Boothbay Harbor Inn members of the Lafayette Group; Pepsi; Pine State Trading Company; J. Edward Knight; Knickerbocker Group; Giles Family; McSeagull's; Midcoast Clock & Music Box Company; Performance Group (PFG); Rocktide Inn & Restaurant; Paul E. Luke Boatyard, Southport Island Marine, LLC., Ocean Point Marina, Edgecomb Boat Works, Inc., Boothbay Region Boatyard & Boothbay Harbor Shipyard; Fidelity; Federal Distributors; Nat Wilson; Gimbels of Maine; Atomic Studios; Maine State Aquarium; Harbor Theatre and

Boothbay Region Community, TV Ch. 7. Click here for a sponsorship package.

Click here for our Thank You to these sponsors. The annual Windjammer Days Festival will feature several new events and attractions, click here for the latest schedule of activities for the week.

Boothbay Civic Association plans Town of Boothbay's 250^th Anniversary Celebration

August 22, 23 & 24th 2014

Themes include: History, Fishing, Farming & Boat Building

Tentative Schedule of Events

Friday, Aug. 22 - Seafood Festival on the Common

Join the fun on the Boothbay Common as you feast on lobsters, clams, mussels, oysters, fish and more! Dance to the music playing from the band in the gazebo!

Saturday, Aug. 23 - Full Day of Celebrations including a 250th Celebratory Parade,Kid's Tent on the Common, Pork & Bean Hole Beans on the Common, music and more!

Sunday, Aug. 24 - Boothbay Region Land Trust Hike, party at Ocean Point Marina, East Boothbayto watch the fireworks!

Contact Dawn Gilbert, BCA Chairman for the 250th Celebration at 633.4500. We are looking for volunteers and donations that will be greatly appreciated and sent to BCA, P.O. Box 81, Boothbay, ME 04537.

BikeMaine 2014 - Sept. 10-12, 2014

As many of you know, Boothbay Harbor has been selected for the two night stay host region for this year's BikeMaine ride from September 6-13 as they pedal along rushing rivers, tranquil lakes and the Coast of Maine. Their 348 mile loop ride takes them to the host communities of Westbrook, Norway, Winthrop, Gardiner, Boothbay Harbor (where they stay for 2 nights) and Bath.

Bikers will arrive mid-morning on Wednesday, September 10th, they have a "free day" on Thursday, September 11th to explore the region with a lobster bake provided by BikeMaine at the footbridge parking lot that evening and on Friday, September 12th they will leave the region.

If you are interested in providing special incentives to this group, please contact Tom Woodin, BikeMaine Town Coordinator. Please note BikeMaine reserves the right to approve all communications with their riders. Thomas Woodin, Town Manager, 11 Howard St., Boothbay Harbor, Maine 04538

Ph. 207-633-3671; Fx. 207-633-7712; twoodin@boothbayharbor.org

BikeMaine, a project of the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, is a mass bicycle ride that explores the people, places, culture and food of Maine in order to promote bicycle tourism and support bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects throughout the state. We look forward to welcoming them to the region and showcasing our amazing peninsula!

Marketing Opportunities To Date & Still Available!

Marketing Opportunities:

We've been busy gearing up for the upcoming season and we'd like to thank all the members who have joined together to market the region. Below is a list of what we've done to date. Please click on the title to see the advertisement.

2014 Boothbay Harbor Region Visitor & Resource Guide

In 2013, nearly 100,000 guides were distributed to over 11 AAA offices ( CT, KY, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI and VT); the AAA Boston Travel Show; Chambers statewide; local Chamber members and the downtown information center; the Maine Tourism Association, visitor centers; train stations; airports and several other public locations statewide and beyond. Guide distribution to AAA locations in general saw a 185 % increase since 2012.

So far we've distributed 38,306 guides to date and for the second consecutive year the Guide will be dropped off at the Maine Turnpike. This distribution number does not include over 13,000 online impressions of our guide for 2013 that has more than tripled from the 4,000 impressions in 2012. As of Feb, 5 2014 we had over 4287 impressions. Click here to see the guide.

Click on the underlined links below to see copies of all the ads we've done so far!

Maine Invites You

- the Maine Tourism Association's publication that is the fulfillment piece for the Maine Office of Tourism. Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is on the cover and the region has five pages of advertising!

Portland Jetport Airport Display

�Yankee Magazine May/June

- Travel Issue

� Down East Magazine - May and June issues

� Maine Eastern Railroad Regional Tourist Guide

New magazine

� TravelMaine - Statewide tourist publication

. PetMaine - Statwide tourist publication

. abOUT-MAINE - State's newest LGBT Magazine with a six page cover story on the Boothbay Region

� Maine Motor Coach Network Profile form. The chamber is working to promote more groups in the region and has developed this profile form and will be featuring this on our new website.

�American Bus Association - 2014 May/June issue of Destinations featuring Maine and the Windjammer Days Festival are part of some of the editorial - 6,926 tour planner/travel agent/ receptive operators, tour operators/Motorcoach operators and ABA members will receive a mailed copy of the May/June Destinations print.

Opportunities Still Available:

2014 Region Map: We are putting the final touches on the region map and still have a few spots available. We print 45,000 copies and they are distributed locally and at the Maine Tourism Association's Kittery and Yarmouth locations and the Bath Information Center. It will be printed by Memorial Day. We are honoring all Early Bird Pricing! Click here for a media kit.

Boston.com Digital Advertising Co-op Opportunity - NEW online opportunity for the Boston market!

We have negotiated a special online package with Boston.com and Bostonglobe.com based on 6 members participating. Users will click "Big Ads" promoting visiting our region which will bring them to a landing page of co-op participants. From that page users may mouse over any logo, see an expanded message of the participant or click into their actual website.

Based upon 6 partners:

500,000 Big Ads (300x250) on boston.com plus 100,000 Big Ad impressions on BostonGlobe.com for 2 months Mid May thru Mid-July will feature the region and will link to co-op landing page.

Each partner will have their own logo and link to their website. In ADDITION each partner will have their own (300x250) size ad all about your business which includes 70,000 Big Ads amongst the six. You may choose the most appropriate sections to run your Big Ad including the Travel, Lifestyle, Things To Do, Arts & Entertainment, Weather, and Homepage. The choices are yours!

Investment per partner: $995.

Includes ad on Landing page + 70,000 Big Ads.

Total campaign value = $12,060.

Each partner will receive their own individual clicks on the co-op landing page for their own ad which helps to measure your individual success. *Scarborough Research 2013 Release 2 Boston.

� Boston.com users are 18% more likely than market average to have visited a destination in New England overnight or longer during the past 12 months.

� BostonGlobe.com users are 16% more likely than market average to have visited a destination in New England overnight or longer during the past 12 months.*

� Boston.com and BostonGlobe.com users all spent more than the market average on their last vacation. The market average is $1442. Boston.com users spent $1761 and BostonGlobe.com users spent $1716.*

Click here to see the media kit. Click here to sign up! Deadline is April 30 for space and May 2 for your ad.

Maine Magazine - 48 Hours (in the July issue and as its own publication)

Themed Ads: June, July (48 hours features the Boothbay Region), August & September issues

Deadline: June issue deadline: April 18 space / April 25 for the ad

Cost: Per issue

Themed Ad: 1/4 page vertical $387.50

Your own Ad: 1/4 page v = $387.50; 1/2 page h = $750.00; 1 full page = $1,500.00

Maine Magazine has a distribution of 30,000 readers each month. We have two options for members to advertise in Maine Magazine: a "Themed" ad which groups members by shopping, lodging and dining or you can do your own independent ad.

Click here for a registration form.

MPBN - Maine Public Broadcasting Network: Experience magazine

MPBN has developed a special advertising offer designed to encourage its members to shop in the Boothbay Harbor Region. The offer provides Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce member businesses with significantly reduced rates to appear in a special Boothbay Harbor Region section in the July and August issues of MPBN's Experience magazine.

Experience is mailed monthly to more than 13,000 MPBN members, underwriters, legislators, and opinion leaders throughout Maine. Advertising in Experience is a distinctively effective approach for businesses wishing to target their message and brand to Mainers who value education, are engaged in or retired from professional occupations, are interested in quality of life issues and the condition of their communities - people who are not readily accessed through commercial media.

Each page will include eight full-color 1/8 page ads (measuring 3.375" x 2") available to chamber businesses at a special rate of $125. Advertisers are welcome to purchase more than one space to create a larger presence. The deadline to secure your participation in the July issue is

May 24th with camera-ready artwork due by May 28th. Click here for more information. Click here for the layout to see what size ad you'd like to do. Please email catherine@boothbayharbor.com

or call her at 633-2353 to sign up.

Bridal Guide Magazine Co-op: 5% off for Chamber members!

Real Maine Weddings will be partnering with the Chamber and Bridal Guide Magazine to produce a 4-6 page Destination "MAINE" wedding section in their next three issues: Sept/Oct, Nov/Dec and Jan/Feb. Pricing is from $522.50 for a 1/12^th page to $2,959.25 for 1/2page per insertion. The normal rate for a full page in this magazine is $35,000!

This section will include photos and a story about "Destination" Weddings in MAINE. Below outlines the benefits. Click here for pricing and to sign up. They are offering us "special" pricing to launch this campaign and will be distributed in the following areas at grocery stores, bridal salons and any wedding related venues.

New England: Connecticut; Maine; Massachusetts; New Hampshire; Rhode Island and Vermont

Mid-Atlantic states: Delaware; Maryland; New Jersey; New York; Pennsylvania; Virginia and DC

Total circulation: 34,413 Total audience: 929,151 readers, 27 readers per copy

The Chamber co-op pages will receive the following:

� Weekly lead lists (we will compile these and send them to anyone who participates)

� Web guide listing

� Reader response listing in the magazine

� Travel resource link

� Reader service link

� Slideshow on social media outlets

� Slideshow on BridalGuide.com honeymoon & destination wedding channels

� Real Maine Weddings will offer tracking with a special QR code and dedicated email for this publication

Point Lookout Resort

Jim LeClair from Smart DataMap Services (the location based division of the Maine Coast Welcome Center) in Belfast is working on new location based technology to send guests from Point Lookout Resort to the Boothbay Harbor Region. Point Lookout's in-room Compendium will feature both print ads and an online map of the area showing off area attractions and places to eat. The maps work on Smart devices and desktops and provide business information, with a link to your site, and navigation tools to your doorstep. Follow this link to the Map. To get information about getting your business on the map, follow this LINK.