Round Top Farm at The Damariscotta River Association will be the new idyllic setting for WOOFSTOCK ‘09, this year taking place on Saturday, September 12th. WOOFSTOCK, now in its fifth year, is a joint venture between The Animal House and the Damariscotta-Newcastle Rotary Club, and features pet-related seminars and demonstrations, a Family Fun Dog Show, a Parade of Breeds, pet-related vendors, activities, services and games, free samples, food, and raffles throughout the day.

Some of the activities and services planned include a Rabies Clinic, Canine Good Citizen Testing,  Therapy Dog training information, a story time for children, Tarot card and Paw Readings, face painting, nail clipping, microchipping, games for people and pets and much more.  Plus, the Evanger’s “Taste Test” booth will be back by popular demand!

Schedule of Events:

10:00am: Parade of Breeds

10:30am:  Flyball MAINEiacs, Demonstration: Flyball

11:00am: Medomak Veterinary Services, Abigail Strobbe, DVM, Seminar: The Benefits of Acupuncture in Companion Animals

11:00am-1pm: Registration for Family Fun Dog Show

11:30am: Canine Connection, Demonstration: Agility

12:00pm: GoodDogz Training, Demonstration: Canine Freestyle

1:00: Family Fun Dog Show

The following shelters and rescues will be participating at WOOFSTOCK 2008: Lincoln County Animal Shelter, Humane Society of Knox County, Second Chance Boxer Rescue, Life’s Little Paws Cocker Spaniel Rescue, Australian Shepherd Rescue and Placement Helpline, Maine Greyhound Placement Service, Leos in Need, New England Border Collie Rescue, North East Rottweiler Rescue & Referral, Coastal Great Dane Rescue, Lucky Pup Rescue, Kennebec Valley Shetland Sheepdog Club & Rescue and New England Brittany Spaniel Rescue.

Over 30 pet-related vendors will be joining WOOFSTOCK this year from throughout New England.

There is a “pay-what-you-can” entrance fee.  All proceeds from WOOFSTOCK ‘09 will be donated to the participating shelters and rescues and to Rotary charities. Well-behaved, leashed pets welcome. Rain or shine. For more information, please visit: www.woofstockmaine.com or email: info@theanimalhouse.net

The Round Top Farm at the Damariscotta River Association is located on Main Street/ Business Route 1 in Damariscotta.

Sponsored by: The First, N.A, Newcastle Publick House, Down East Magazine, Downeast Dog News, David A. Chapman Insurance and Damariscotta Chiropractic.

In every category, the rosy predictions and forecasts by gambling promoters that casinos are “engines of economic growth” have not come true. Figures for the Bangor area show that since Hollywood Slots began operation in 2005, unemployment is up, crime is up, addiction is up and retail sales are down. Furthermore, evidence of the “substitution effect” – the claims by opponents that casinos only move money from one segment of the economy to another rather than create new opportunities – is clear.

“Any objective analysis of the data would be hard pressed to show any meaningful economic or social benefit from Hollywood Slots,” said Dennis Bailey, executive director of CasinosNO! “I can’t really say ‘we told you so’ because the truth is the evidence is worse than we even thought it would be.”
An examination of the data in several categories shows the following:

Harness Racing: The most significant justification to voters for allowing a gambling casino in Maine was that it would revive a dying industry – harness racing. While it’s certainly true that the owners of race tracks and horse breeders have received a healthy subsidy from the slots revenue – allowing them to continue their way of life – Hollywood Slots has done nothing to revive interest in the sport. Fewer and fewer people are attending or betting on harness racing events. According to the Maine Harness Racing Commission, the “live handle” – the amount of money wagered on live harness racing in Maine – has fallen consistently year after year – from $7.7 million in 2003 to $4.7 million last year. “Saying that Hollywood Slots has revived the harness racing industry would be like saying we’ve revived the shoe industry because we’ve put all the shoe-shop employees on welfare,” Bailey said.

Unemployment: The unemployment rate in both Bangor and the Bangor Labor Market began creeping up even before the recent economic downturn and continued to rise after the opening of Hollywood Slots, from 4.6% in July 2005 to a high of 8% in March 2009, according to the Maine Department of Labor. (It now stands at 7.4%) It should be remembered that while Penn National, the owner of Hollywood Slots, brags of creating 500 jobs in Bangor, it purchased and closed the former Miller’s Restaurant, putting close to 100 people out of work, before converting it to a temporary slots parlor. It then purchased and tore down the Holiday Inn (100+ employees) and the Penobscot Inn (75 employees) before constructing its new facility. While Bangor’s unemployment rate is slightly below the state average, there is no indication that Hollywood Slots has had a measurable impact on employment in the Bangor area.

Retail Sales: In 2007 – two years after Hollywood Slots opened its temporary facility – retail sales declined in Bangor by $13 million after several consecutive years of steady growth, according to figures compiled by the State Planning Office. While this would seem to confirm studies that show that the introduction of casinos cause a reduction of spending in other retail areas, more analysis is needed. The collapse of the housing and construction markets in Maine and the nation has slowed retail sales in numerous markets. “But it’s safe to say that Hollywood Slots has had little or no discernable impact on retail sales in Bangor and has failed to make the area immune from the economic downturn that is affecting areas of the state that don’t have a gambling casino,” Bailey said.

Meanwhile, downtown Bangor restaurants are not seeing any benefit from Hollywood Slots. In fact, a February 2009 article in the Bangor Daily News chronicled the fate of eight restaurants that had recently closed their doors or reduced their services. (See Eatery Signs Bad Omen for Bangor, by Renee Ordway, Feb. 27, 2009)

Substitution Effect: The best evidence of the so-called “substitution effect” or cannibalization of other businesses due to the advent of slot machines is to examine how other gambling operations have fared since the introduction of Hollywood Slots. According to several accounts, charity bingo games and other games of chance have suffered as more gamblers are drawn to the lure of slot machines. Michael Hurley, who runs a company in Bangor that provides bingo hall supplies to nonprofit organizations in eastern and northern Maine, told the Ellsworth American, “This racino is killing me.” Hurley said his business declined 20% shortly after Hollywood Slots opened in November 2005.

Similarly, the Penobscot Indians have suffered losses of up to $200,000 a year in its high stakes bingo game since the opening of Hollywood Slots, reducing the state’s share of revenue from $150,000 to just $3,800. And sales of Lottery tickets in the Bangor region have dropped nearly 20% – even when they’ve increased everywhere else in Maine – since Hollywood Slots came to the area. “These revenue losses to the state are never deducted from the rosy figures presented by Hollywood Slots to show their contribution to Maine,” Bailey said.

Crime: In 2006, the first full year of operations at Hollywood Slots, the crime rate in Bangor increased 22% - the biggest increase of any city in Maine, according to figures compiled by the Maine Department of Public Safety. The increase in Bangor’s crime rate came at a time when the city’s population actually declined and followed two years of steady decreases in the city’s crime rate. Part of the increase was due to a sharp rise of larceny, which includes embezzlement, from 1,304 cases in 2005 to 1,633 in 2006 – an additional larceny almost every day. Penobscot County as a whole saw only a slight increase in crime, from 29.7 offenses per 1,000 residents to 32.3 offenses; however nearby Brewer saw its crime rate rise more than 15%. Bangor’s crime rate increased again in 2007 (although not by much) while the crime rate in Brewer showed another sharp increase (figures for 2008 are not yet available). By comparison, the crime rates in Maine’s two largest cities, Portland and Lewiston, declined.

Bangor officials were quick to say that the increase in crime had no connection to Hollywood Slots and blamed the increase on drugs (even though numerous Maine communities have problems with drugs but saw their crime rates go down in the same period). The increased crime rate also ran counter to predictions by the general manager of Hollywood Slots who told the Bangor Daily News in 2006 that the casino would likely cause a decrease in crime. “I have never seen gambling lead to an increase in crime,” said John Johnson. “Unemployment creates crime. When you bring in economic development to an area, crime goes down. The slots facility is part of that.”

“Johnson was wrong on two counts,” Bailey said. “Unemployment has gone up along with crime since Hollywood Slots opened in 2005.”

Several incidents that were connected to Hollywood Slots are noteworthy. A convenience store manager from Trenton was arrested and charged with stealing $23,000 from his employer and losing it all at Hollywood Slots. A 41-year old woman was sentenced to three years in prison for stealing $43,000 from elderly patients at a Bangor facility where she worked and gambling it away at Hollywood Slots. A Portland apartment manager was charged with stealing $260,000 from tenants and gambling it away at Hollywood Slots and other gambling venues.

In addition, the story of a woman in her mid-50s who lost more than $100,000 at Hollywood Slots, drained her pension fund and jeopardized her marriage after becoming addicted to the slot machines found its way into Legislative debates over expanded gambling. A decorated soldier committed suicide following a gambling binge at Hollywood Slots, an incident that led to the introduction of legislation in Congress to ban slot machines at US military installations.

Addiction: More than 100 people have voluntarily placed their names on a “self-exclusion list,” giving the management of Hollywood Slots permission to kick them out if their addiction compels them to show up to gamble. And while the state continues to maintain that few people are calling its gambling hotline, calls from Maine to the National Gambling Addiction Hotline have soared – from just 118 in 2004 to over 1,000 last year.

“If Hollywood Slots has helped the economy, where’s the evidence,” Bailey asked. “There’s no question that some people are getting rich, but it’s not players at the casino, residents of Bangor or the state of Maine.”

Follow us on Twitter @casinosno

Contact: Elizabeth Sutherland, APR  207-945-9999

esutherland@sutherlandweston.com

New Contract Brings Additional Jobs to Northern and Eastern Maine

David Whitney, president and owner of Whitney Wreath in Machias, announced today that Whitney Wreath has been selected as the provider of balsam products for the 2009 L.L. Bean holiday catalog. Winning this competitive selection process establishes Whitney Wreath as the largest mail-order Christmas wreath company in the United States.

“This is great news for our successful business in Washington County,” said David Whitney today. “Since 1988 we have worked hard to establish Whitney Wreath as the premier wreath company of Maine and this contract with L.L.Bean validates all that we have worked for. We have loyal, hard working employees year round that have helped this happen, and I cannot say enough about our seasonal employees who are committed to producing the finest wreaths and other balsam products for the company.”

“We are pleased to be working with Whitney Wreath to provide quality balsam products to our customers this Christmas  season. We are doubly pleased to be supporting the Maine balsam business in Washington County.” Mark Fasold, Sr VP & Chief Financial Officer.

Whitney Wreath estimates that several full time employees, approximately 20 eight month positions and an additional 250 seasonal workers will be required for the increased production demand throughout the company’s seasonal décor and wreath producing facilities. Whitney Wreath has four facilities in Maine: Machias, Crawford, Indian Township and Presque Isle.

“Adding another 250 jobs this fall is a great boost to the region’s economy,” added Whitney. “I am pleased Whitney Wreath was selected by L.L. Bean to be part of its national sales effort, but most significant to me is the positive economic impact these jobs will have on our rural communities in Washington and Aroostook counties.”

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About L.L.Bean, Inc.

L.L.Bean, Inc. is a leading multi-channel merchant of quality outdoor gear and apparel.  Founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean, the company began as a one-room operation selling a single product, the Maine Hunting Shoe.  While its business has grown substantially, the company remains committed to the same honest principles upon which it was built - a focus on the customer, continuous product improvement and innovation, respect for people, preservation of the natural environment and a 100% satisfaction guarantee.  The 220,000 sq. ft. flagship campus of stores in Freeport, Maine is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and welcomes more than three million visitors each year. L.L.Bean can be found worldwide on www.llbean.com

About Whitney Wreath

Whitney Wreath is one of the largest producers of fresh holiday wreaths and home decorations in the nation. Started in 1984 on the back of owner’s, David Whitney, pick-up truck; Whitney’s has been providing fresh, full balsam wreaths to families throughout the United States for more than 25 years. In 2007 Whitney was awarded the U.S. Small Business Administration Jeffrey H. Butland Family-Owned Business of the Year in Maine. More about Whitney Wreath can be found at www.whitneywreath.com.

 The Maine Center for Enterprise Development (MCED) is recruiting dynamic technology entrepreneurs to participate in its Applied Entrepreneurship Program aka ‘Top Gun’.  With the support of the Maine Technology Institute, MCED will test a new model for identifying and developing Maine’s future technology business leaders through a network of experienced mentors who will provide continuous learning opportunities.

“Top Gun is the first of its kind in Maine,” states Steve Bazinet, MCED President. “This program will be visionary, just as Idea Lab and other technology incubators helped create the foundation of the information economy, Top Gun will support entrepreneurs seeking to establish and build their business here in Maine.”

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Top Gun’s mission is to identify and nurture talented and entrepreneurial Mainers, match them with targeted training and mentors, and provide the resources to succeed as innovative/technology entrepreneurs in Maine. With generous support of sponsors, MCED is able to offer the program at an affordable fee of $275.

The three-month long program trains entrepreneurs in areas vital to the management and profitability of their growth-oriented businesses.  Each week, 1-2 hour long evening presentations led by top professionals and serial entrepreneurs, will provide valuable tools to the participants.  In addition to the weekly presentations, participants will spend time working side-by-side with their mentor(s) at their mutual discretion. A team of seasoned entrepreneurs and respected business professionals with “real-world” experience will be instructors in the program — combining street smarts with academic/business intellect to deliver accelerated learning to early-stage entrepreneurs.

Top Gun is highly selective with a simple criteria:  Find the technology business leaders of the future who are willing to establish their business in Maine. Top Gun aims to differentiate its offering to business talent by investing in developing future business leaders.

Apply Now

Applications for the Top Gun Program are now being accepted online at Top Gun Application. An advisory board made up of private sector professionals and leading technology entrepreneurs will carefully consider each application looking to indentify the state’s “best of the best” technology entrepreneurs and partner them with Maine’s most seasoned professionals. The application deadline is July 31, 2009; acceptance notices will be sent on a rolling basis.

We welcome your involvement with Top Gun as an entrepreneur, presenter, mentor, service provider or sponsor. Additional information about The Applied Entrepreneurship Program, including a complete list of guidelines and online application is available at Top Gun . For additional information contact Steve Bazinet sbazinet@mced.biz or 207.228.8525.

625 Congress St.

Portland,Me.

July 9th

www.riteasreign.com

The 2009 entreverge Award Winners

Atayne Inc:

Atayne designs and sells high performance athletic apparel that is made from trash and other recycled materials. The company is distinctly committed to inspiring environmental and social change by creating sustainable products that promote sports and active lifestyles. As a registered B Corporation, their ‘triple bottom line’ approach to business and high quality products has garnered them national recognition in several major publications and positioned them to emerge as a major player in the sustainable apparel industry. Their products are currently sold 39 states and 6 countries. www.atayne.com

Emilie Inc.

Emilie Inc. is a multifaceted wedding photography business founded and operated by Emilie Sommer. Emilie is a graduate of the prestigious Newhouse School of Photography at Syracuse University. Before moving to Maine to start here business in 2004 she worked as a photographer for USA Today in Washington DC. Since then the company has grown to team of six photography professionals and has served customers locally, nationally and internationally. Emilie Ink, a subsidiary company, designs and sells photo card templates. Emilie is an active contributor to a national wedding planning blog (www.weddingbeepro.com), created and manages an online forum for wedding photographers (www.newsweddingphotographers.com), is hosting a national workshop for wedding photographers in July 2009 and recently formed the Pink Initiative, a non-profit to support breast cancer research (www.pinkinitative.org). www.emilieinc.com

Pemaquid Communications

Pemaquid Communications is a web design studio based in Portland, Maine. The core business of the company is to provide web design, programming, search engine marketing and strategic consulting services to their clients. Rob Laundry, Pemaquid’s founder, is at the forefront the progressive ‘co-working’ movement in Southern Maine. Co-working is a work environment concept that brings together independent contractors on a project by project basis and leverages each participant’s particular skills and insight to complete a project. Rob has recently created a workspace in Portland that is solely dedicated to this concept. The result is a highly creative, fluid and productive work environment that has allowed Pemaquid to emerge as a distinctive company is the highly competitive web design marketplace. The high quality work produced by Pemaquid has landed several major customers including Camden National Corporation and Qakhurst Dairy. www.pemaquid.com

Turtle Love Committee

Turtle Love Committee is a forward thinking internet based wedding jewelry company that sells unconventional wedding and engagement rings. The company believes the value of a wedding or engagement ring should be based on the love and commitment it symbolizes, not the financial expense its represents. Turtle Love markets and sell wedding jewelry from local and national artisans that support their mission. Their willingness to defy the conventional has enabled them to achieve explosive growth since the company was founded in mid-2008. They are one of the first wedding jewelry retailers to exclusively focus on this market niche. Turtle Love’s foresight and the rapid market acceptance leaves the company well positioned for future growth. www.turtlelovecommittee.com

Topline Marketing

Topline Marketing is South Portland based marketing company that exclusively markets natural food and life products. They currently represent 20 different brands and product lines which are sold to retailers throughout the East Coast. Topline is distinctly committed to expanding the natural products industry in the North East and works promote the ideal to keep natural stores “natural”. The company is passionate about the products they market and believe the can effect positive change through their commitment to this rapidly growing niche. www.toplinemarketinginc.com

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Contact:

entreverge Communications Director Will Thomas

Phone (207) 523-0519

Email: will@tri-maine.com

www.entreverge.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

entreverge Director Johann Sabbath

Contact: entreverge Communications Director Will Thomas

Phone (207) 523-0519

Email: will@tri-maine.com

entreverge Awards Local Entrepreneurs at a Packed Port City Music Hall Celebration

Five local entrepreneurs receive the first-ever entreverge Awards in a packed celebration at the Port City Music Hall

PORTLAND, ME – June 25, 2009 – Five Portland-area entrepreneurs were honored with the inaugural entreverge Awards at a packed ceremony at the Port City Music Hall on Thursday evening, June 25. Over 300 local business leaders, notable entrepreneurs, and community supporters came together to celebrate emerging innovators’ contributions to the Maine business community.

Director Johann Sabbath announced the winning business leaders to an enthusiastic crowd. The Award Winners were: Emilie Inc. – a multifaceted wedding photography business; Topline Marketing – a leading natural foods and products marketing company; Atayne LLC – a high performance sportswear company whose clothes are made exclusively from recycled materials; Pemaquid Communications – a web design studio and local leader in the growing co-working movement; and Turtle Love Committee - an alternative wedding jewelry business focused on the growing niche of financially conscious consumers seeking alternative wedding jewelry options. (A detailed summary of winning companies is attached, and profiles of the winners can be also found on www.entreverge.com.)

Each of the five winning companies will receive a comprehensive package of in-kind business services and face-time with several Portland-based business leaders to support current successes and propel each business to the next level. Packages include pro-bono consultation, business services, and products volunteered by local artistic, finance, IT, legal, marketing, web experts.

Winners were selected from among 52 nominees based on a number of criteria, including coachability, impact, and scalable vision for their business and their commitment to a triple bottom line—the people, place, and prosperity of Maine.

Notable attendee and Portland City Councilor Dory Waxman said: “It is wonderful to see so much support for such an important initiative taking place in Portland. The winning entrepreneurs are very deserving, and entreverge’s vision to bring the business community of Maine together in such a unique way is remarkable.”

“Tonight’s event was a huge success,” said Sabbath. “From the turnout and the enthusiasm of the community, it is clear that there is great support for the upcoming entrepreneurial leaders of Portland.”

Live performances by The Jason Spooner Trio and Adam and the Waxmen closed out the evening’s celebration.

The entreverge Awards Party event was produced and direct by PROPEL, a group of young business leaders associated with the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce, and sponsored by University of Maine Farmington, Swardlick Marking Group, Bangor Savings Bank, MaineBiz and WYCC.

For more information visit www.entreverge.com or contact Will Thomas at 207-523-0519.

About entreverge

entreverge is a new model of business organizing that leverages the leadership of greater Portland’s business community to build supportive relationships around local businesses–with a scalable vision and a long-term commitment to the people, place, and prosperity of Maine. It culminates in an exciting celebration and awards ceremony that recognizes and honors the spirit of entrepreneurship. www.entreverge.com

About PROPEL

PROPEL is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing opportunities for greater Portland’s young leaders, entrepreneurs, artists and professionals. Inspired by the REALIZE!Maine network, PROPEL was formed in 2006 as an affiliate of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce to promote and cultivate the next generation of business and community leaders. PROPEL is Portland’s premier young professionals networking group.

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Entreverge Public Relations:

Warehouse Creative

Portland, Maine

Contact: Amy VanHaren

651.303.8777

amy@urban-epic.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

entreverge Director Johann Sabbath

Contact: entreverge Communications Director Will Thomas

Phone (207) 523-0519

Email: will@tri-maine.com

Inaugural entreverge Awards Party to Recognize and Celebrate Portland Entrepreneurs

New entreverge Awards to recognize and celebrate entrepreneurship and innovation in the greater Portland-area business community

PORTLAND, ME – June 23, 2009 – On Thursday, June 25, the inaugural entreverge Awards Party will honor local entrepreneurs for their innovation and contributions to the Maine business community. Five award winners will be selected from the 52 local nominees and recognized at the evening celebration at the Port City Music Hall.

The entreverge Awards were created as a collaborative project to honor emerging entrepreneurs. entreverge is a nonprofit event that connects high-potential, emerging entrepreneurs in greater Portland with resources, relationships, and publicity to help grow their businesses. The Awards are an extension of PROPEL (Portland’s premier young professionals networking group), in partnership with the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce and numerous local businesses, business groups, nonprofits, and social networks.

The 52 entrepreneur nominees were obtained through outreach from PROPEL, the Chamber, and over 20 local organizations. They are diverse, and range from a web designer to a health care consulting firm, from a mead maker to a recycled clothing designer, and from a bakery to a sports social club. (A complete list of nominees is available at www.entreverge.com.)

Winners selected for the entreverge Awards were considered by PROPEL on a number of criteria, including coachability, impact, and scalable vision for their business and their commitment to a triple bottom line—the people, place, and prosperity of Maine. The five winners will receive face-time with Portland’s leading business figures and a package of pro-bono consultation, services, and products volunteered by local artistic, finance, IT, legal, marketing, web experts, and other business service providers.

“The unique design of entreverge has provided a vehicle for bringing together an exciting group of motivated individuals that otherwise might never have the opportunity to interact,” says entreverge director <!–[if supportFields]> CONTACT _Con-39D61BE42 \c \s \l <![endif]–>Johann Sabbath<!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. “We see this event as a means of developing strong business communities, by transcending generational/economic gaps and creating a shared sense of investment in the success of our emerging entrepreneurs and leaders.”

Doors at the Awards Party will open for a reception at 5:30 p.m. with catered hors d’oeuvres by Ian Hayward and a cash bar. The entreverge awards will be presented at 7:00 p.m., followed by live music performances by the Jason Spooner Band and Adam and the Waxmen. The party is open to the public, and tickets can be purchased in advance at www.entreverge.com or by calling the Portland Regional Chamber at 207-772-2811.

entreverge is made possible by sponsorship from Bangor Savings Bank, Swardlick Marketing Group, the University of Maine Farmington, Mainebiz, and WCYY.

For more information visit www.entreverge.com or contact Will Thomas at 207-523-0519.

About entreverge

entreverge is a new model of business organizing that leverages the leadership of greater Portland’s business community to build supportive relationships around local businesses–with a scalable vision and a long-term commitment to the people, place, and prosperity of Maine. It culminates in an exciting celebration and awards ceremony that recognizes and honors the spirit of entrepreneurship. www.entreverge.com

About PROPEL

PROPEL is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing opportunities for greater Portland’s young leaders, entrepreneurs, artists and professionals. Inspired by the REALIZE!Maine network, PROPEL was formed in 2006 as an affiliate of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce to promote and cultivate the next generation of business and community leaders. PROPEL is Portland’s premier young professionals networking group.

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Entreverge Public Relations:

Warehouse Creative

Portland, Maine

Contact: Amy VanHaren

651.303.8777

amy@urban-epic.com