Thorncrag and YPLAA will be partnering together for a clean-up/wildflower project. This project will entail the removal of weeds/unwanted plants (which will be well marked) and installing a low growing ground cover of sustainable wildflower seeds that are wildlife friendly and low-maintenance. This is a family friendly event! Guides will be available for nature walks and activities that are appropriate for all ages. Kids can participate in the clean-up/planting and/or guided activities. Thorncrag will provide all the necessary equipment/supplies and education on the value of this project. This event will be broken out into two sessions with the tailgate in between! Pick your session and join us for lunch either after or before! 

Session I: 10-12

Tailgate Lunch: 12-1

Session II: 1-3

Please register for this event by clicking here!

Wednesday, April 25
6pm
At The Chamber, 415 Lisbon Street, Lewiston
You Must Register! Space is limited!
Click here to register!

Mary co-created a speed networking program for the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber called “More Than Just Small Talk.” It’s an amazing way of speed networking, and was so popular with the local chamber there was a waiting list for sessions! Mary is bringing “More Than Just Small Talk”! It is hands-on and interactive. You will come away with a new appreciation for networking!

Mary Bumiller, a member of the Midcoast Chapter of the Maine Women’s Network, is actively involved in the community as a member of the Rockland Kiwanis Club and a board member of Midcoast Magnet. Mary is the Associate Vice President and Branch Manager of the Rockland Bangor Savings Bank.

An initiative of the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce Regional Image Committee 

Contest Rules:  Videos of all types will be accepted into the contest (stills, silent, interviews, scripted, etc.).  Videos must contain a positive message relating in some way to Androscoggin County.  Videos may be no longer than 6 minutes in length.  There is no age limit or minimum to enter the contest.  An individual may enter up to 3 videos.  The title or description of each video should include one of the following words: Lewiston, Auburn, LA Maine, Lewiston-Auburn, Androscoggin, LA

Videos must be submitted between May 1, 2012 and May 30, 2012. Click here to submit your video!

 To enter the contest, videos must be uploaded through the PUP portal at: www.androscoggincounty.com or www.yplaa.com.  (not available until May 1, 2012). Community voting will be open from June 1, 2012 through June 31, 2012.

All entries will become the property of the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce and will potentially be uploaded to YouTube.  The Regional Image Committee reserves the right to remove any video from the PUP Portal they feel does not meet the contest rules or is inappropriate.  Credit will be given to the creator for every video the Chamber uploads to YouTube. 

PRIZES:
1st Prize: $250 CASH     
2nd Prize: Gift Certificates to local businesses valuing $200
3rd Prize: Gift Certificates to local businesses valuing $100

Prizes will be awarded at the Chamber breakfast on July 12, 2012.

The First place winner will have their video premiered at the first Annual Luna Fest, October 14th and 15th, sponsored by LA Arts. 

GOAL:  It is the intent of The Chamber’s Regional Image Committee to flood YouTube with positive videos representing Androscoggin County.  We have a home to be proud of and want the rest of the world to see it through our eyes.

SPONSORS:  A special thanks to our sponsors for helping to bring this project to life.
L/A Arts & The Bonetti Group, CRPS

For more information, please call Deborah Conway at the Chamber at 783-2249, or Hillary Dow at Austin Associates at 783-9111.  Let’s get creative, let’s get positive!!

Download more information here!

We will be meeting at Festival Plaza, Auburn at 9am.

Click here to download the poster

Join us for our 4th Annual Wii Bowling Tournament! Create your own teams of 4 or register as an individual! The cost is $5 per person. DaVinci’s will be providing appetizers and there will be a cash bar. 

Agren Appliance will award the top bowler with a 32″ TV! Community Credit Union has donated a $25 Visa Gift Card to every member of the winning team!

Sponsored by: DaVinci’s and Agren Appliance.

To register, click here!

The Vault
84 Lisbon Street, Lewiston
Thursday, January 26
5-8pm

No registration required, just come and join us anytime between 5-8pm!

Pre-Valentine’s Celebration
Half dozen wines ranging from light and bubbly to sweet desert wines
Photography on display from Daniel Marquis
Unique woodwork for the kitchen by Eric Flanagan

The cost will be $89 per person.
To register click here!

The sessions being presented will be as follows:
January 5 – Introduction to CDI and Getting Things Done
Explore the breadth of career development and how do you make it happen.  In “Getting Things Done” you’ll learn how to get focused and move your career to the next level. We’ll explore the fundamentals of time management and focus on your workday and your workweek. (Please bring your work calendar with you to this session).Whether your issues concern Time, Teams, or Treasure, working with a mentor can be the very thing that gets you moving.

January 19 – Providing Feedback & Asking For What You Want
Providing Feedback:  Feedback can be helpful or unhelpful. By using a few simple rules and a couple of communication scripts, you can provide effective feedback to anyone in your organization.

Asking for What You Want: Have you ever asked for something to be done and gotten either a poor performance or something different from what you intended? Making a clear request is easy when everyone is on the same page but a true challenge when things are moving rapidly, when there is stress in the environment or when there are employees with different goals. Learn how to make a request for action that is unmistakable. Learn how to ask for a correction of poor performance. Learn how to get what you want with straight forward language and integrity.

February 2 – Keeping a Difficult Conversation on Track
This session was developed by Kurk in 1999 for use in work settings where “getting the run around” was to be expected. Refined for the last ten years this communications model will give you a huge edge when dealing with difficult people.

February 16 – Preparing for and Presenting to a Small Group
This session has been applauded as one of the most exciting adult teaching/training skills ever delivered. First you will learn how to use a “cognitive map” to organize a 3-minute up to a 60-minute chunk of material into it’s logical sequence. Next learn how to deliver the “item map” detailing and specific term, definition or concept. Your next presentation could be 100% stronger using these skills.

March 1 – Asking and Answering Questions
This skill can make you stand out. Ever hear a politician respond to a question? Sometimes they are evasive and sometimes they are simply incoherent. Learn how to listen carefully to a question to distill its essence. Then learn to answer, clearly and succinctly. We will also focus on asking powerful questions; questions that will get you the information you need and get you noticed as thoughtful, engaged and assertive.

March 15 – No Excuses Management
The final session of this year’s career development institute will center on you as a manager. We will combine the learning from the first five sessions, add a bit of no-nonsense scripting that focuses on accountability and you will be a better manager the next day at work. Worth the wait, session six will teach you how to avoid the excuses that often get in the way of effective operations and get people refocused and back on track!

Thursday, November 3
5:30-7pm

Museum of Art, Olin Arts Center

Parking available on Bardwell Street, off Russell

December 3, 9am-2pm

We are looking for volunteers to help at the festival and to bake cakes for the cake walk!

Friday, December 2nd, from 2:30pm to 3:30pm, two volunteers are needed to help the Kiwanis pick up, deliver and set up heavy wooden tables.

Saturday, December 3rd, volunteers are needed to do a variety of tasks:

• such as to “man” the bounce house
• sell tickets
• help with crafts
• sell popcorn or cotton candy
• help the Mason’s with their Child ID Program
• help with lunch
• Clean up

The hours are flexible, just specify the hours you can help, and they will assign a task that fits that timeframe
or choose a task you prefer to do, and they will suggest the hours that would be most helpful!

Email Jenny@androscoggincounty.com if you’d like to volunteer!

 The festival runs from 9 to 2:00, with clean-up lasting until about 3:30.

Would you consider baking or donating small cakes for the festivalCAKE WALK?
Bake two cakes from one cake mix, decorate it and bring them in on a disposable plate…
OR ~ for the non-bakers amongst us! ~ stop by your favorite bakery and pick up some 6” or 8” cakes!
The more cakes they have, the more winners there are in this musical chairs-type event.
Ask your family and friends to help us out.
The CAKE WALK is an important part of the festival, and all assistance is greatly appreciated.
If you are willing and able to bake and/or purchase cakes, please email me at:
jenny@androscoggincounty.com
so we can keep track of how many cakes we will be donating.

Click here to download the CAKE WALK poster

Wednesday, November 16
5-6pm Social, 6-6:25pm Presentation
Marche, 40 Lisbon Street, Lewiston

The presentation will highlight all that Lewiston/Auburn has to offer young professionals.
Appetizers & a cash bar will be available

Please let us know you’ll be attending, email Jenny@androscoggincounty.com.