Recognition

The Trauma Intervention Program of greater Portland held its annual Heroes with Heart celebration April 4 at the Holiday Inn by the Bay to honor police officers, firefighters, first responders, hospital personnel and volunteers who went above the call of duty to help in a crisis. This year’s Heroes with Heart honorees are: Detective Kelly Gorham of the Portland Police Department; Lt. Ryan Walsh of the Portland Fire Department; Officer Erin Curry of South Portland Police Department; Firefighter/Advanced EMT Mike Norton of South Portland Fire Department, Officer Rachel Horning of the Westbrook Police Department; Jonathan Keenan of the Westbrook Fire Department; Officer Benjamin Burnes of the Cumberland Police Department; Deputy Chief Anthony Attardo of the Scarborough Fire Department; the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Nursing Staff at Maine Medical Center; Deb Akerley, RN, of the Maine Medical Center Special Care Unit; and Allix Rashid, RN, of MMC’s Emergency Department.

The board at ecomaine recognized outstanding efforts in sustainability, waste management, and green living through its 2019 eco-Excellence Awards on March 26. Among the awardees were: Gary Glick of Falmouth High School, Individual Lifetime Achievement eco-Excellence, and Tania Ferrante, South Portland High School, Overall Individual eco-Excellence. Local individuals recognized were Gene Pierotti, Riverside Golf Course, Portland; Meredith Banker, Scarborough; Michael Caudle, South Portland and Tom Pitman and students; Yarmouth High School. Nonprofit award winners were Friends of Scarborough and Friends School of Portland of Cumberland. Business award winners were Chase Street Soap Company, Scarborough and OutsideIn Maine, Cape Elizabeth.

Hires, promotions, appointments

Stacy Perez is the new youth and community liaison and co-facilitator in community programs with Maine Inside Out. She previously worked as an advocate in the Parent Partner Program at Opportunity Alliance.

Recently Dr. Phil Caper, Maine All Care board member, was selected to be part of the National Academy of Social Insurance Study Panel: “Changing Medicare Eligibility: Key Program Design Features, Challenges and Options.”

“This appointment is significant and a national honor for Dr. Caper and Maine AllCare,” said Phil Bailey, MAC’s executive director. “These discussions are relevant to policymakers as they consider important legislation.” 

The city of Portland has hired Sara Fleurant to be its next director of the Oxford Street Shelter. She will be responsible for managing the administrative operations as well as managing programs that work to end homelessness. She will also play a key role in the eity’s effort to create a new and modern homeless services center.

Certified

Portland’s Sophia Rosendo, of Tranzon Auction Properties, recently completed her training at the Certified Auctioneers Institute, the industry’s premier training program for auction professionals.

Granted

USM’s Muskie School of Public Service has been awarded a $116,000 grant from OSHA to develop free workplace violence prevention training for small retail and food service businesses; online lessons that will be available later this spring.

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, announced the National Endowment for the Humanities offered grants to two local organizations. Maine Humanities Council was awarded just less than $99,000 for “Dialogues on the Experience of War” literature programs for veterans. The Portland Museum of Art was awarded $100,000 to support a traveling exhibition, an audio tour, and a catalog documenting the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts at its height from 1950 to 1969.

News in the news

Amjambo Africa, a free monthly newspaper that covers stories about the immigrant experience in Maine, added an online site, www.amjamboafrica.com.

A “12 pack” of Maine’s top craft brewers joined the Natural Resources Council of Maine on March 27 at the Maine Beer Company’s new tasting room at 525 U.S. Route 1, Freeport, to launch the Maine Brewshed Alliance — an environmental collaboration focused on protecting Maine’s clean water.

Fleurant