Maine Children’s Home Christmas Program Director Amanda Simmons accepts a $100,000 donation from Marden’s. Contributed / Maine Children’s Home

Giving back

Marden’s Surplus and Salvage raised and donated $100,000 to Maine Children’s Home’s Christmas Program. The donation is a combination of $84,000 from Marden’s customers through the company’s Red Stocking Program and a $16,000 gift from the Marden family. Marden’s has been running the Red Stocking Program for MCH since 2006. MCH provides new clothes, winter essentials, toys, books and games to Maine families who are facing financial hardship.

Norway Savings Bank of Maine donated over $1 million to nonprofit organizations in 2022, including Tedford Housing and Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program in Brunswick, and the following Portland organizations: Wayside Food Programs, Ruth’s Reusable Resources, Preble Street Resource Center and Food Pantry, Maine Works, and Furniture Friends.

Mary Beth Ranger started a bottle drive at First Tracks Cumberland and raised $3,000, donating to Futures For Standardbreds. Ranger’s husband, Bruce Ranger, is a New England horse racer.

Hire, promotions, appointments

Beck

Jay Beck of Brunswick has been promoted to commercial loan officer at Finance Authority of Maine. He formerly held an accountant position at the agency and previously worked as an analyst at a Portland-based expense management company.

Andrew Lynch was promoted to chief financial officer for Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty in Portland. Lynch joined the company in 2018 as a financial controller and before that, he worked in the financial risk management department for General Electric (GE) Capital Aviation Services.

Lynch

Sadie Bliss was hired by Hay Runner as a director of special projects. Greg Clarke was hired as a director of marketing and strategy. Bliss has over 15 years of Maine arts non-profit experience. Clark has 15 years of broad experience and he worked as a director of marketing with Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty in Boston. Hay Runner is a women-run business in Portland designed to assist with home ownership and maintenance.

Advertisement

Curran

Melissa Curran was hired as a client associate at Broadreach Public Relations in Portland. Previously, Curran worked as a marketing and communications coordinator at Girl Scouts of Maine.

Recognition

Maine Craft Portland won best overall in Portland Downtown’s 2022 Holiday Window Display Contest with the display created by artist Lisa Pixley.

The other winners include Lisa-Marie’s Made in Maine for community choice; Still A Good Cause for best theme; The Frying Dutchman for most original; David Wood Clothiers for best use of product; The Blue Lobster for most likely to spread joy; and Gus and Ruby Letterpress for best use of color.

The window display of Tatebanko scenes, or paper dioramas, inside giant festive woolen hats created by Lisa Pixley for Maine Craft Portland. Contributed / Portland Downtown

Open for business

Sea Dog Brewing Co. opened a new location in Scarborough, the sixth in Maine. It’s located at 3 Cabela Boulevard and open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

To submit an item to The Forecaster’s People and Business column, email barnold-fuchs@theforecaster.net.

Comments are not available on this story.