All Newsletters
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News Items
09/01/10
Sugarloaf's general manager, John Diller, has announced that 200 acres of new glades would be ready for the upcoming ski season as phase one of a 600-acre expansion. The entire project will nearly double the terrain now available for snowboarders and skiers.
08/09/10
Mary Howes, President of Howie's Welding & Fabrication and managing principal of Otis Mill Ventures, has been selected by Mainebiz as one of the five "Women to Watch" in Maine. Mary Howes' passion for her community has her led to the redevelopment project of the Otis Falls Mill.
08/04/10
Touch of Class Too, a boutique-style thrift store, opened in Jay at the Hannaford plaza. This is the third Touch of Class store, with two in Farmington. Touch of Class is run by Work First, a non-profit which provides employment opportunities for people with developmental disabilities.
07/28/10
OTIS Federal Credit Union of Jay was ranked number 1 as the top-performing credit union in the state of Maine based on "Credit Union Strategy and Performance" magazine's Return to Member (ROM) Index. Of the 7,710 credit unions nationwide, OTIS Federal Credit Union was ranked number 24.
07/19/10
The Corner Side, a new restaurant in Rangeley opened to an enthusiastic crowd on June 25. Featuring locally sourced, seasonal, and organic ingredients, the Corner Side has also used local contractors, suppliers, and artists for the project.
07/13/10
Rangeley was named one of the 8 "Best Summer Lake Towns" of 2010 by Arthur Frommer's online Budget Travel Magazine. Highlighted in the article are the Samoset Four Seasons, Threads Galore, Maine Mountain Maple Plantation, and the North Country Inn Bed & Breakfast.
06/17/10
The Baker's Market held its grand opening during Wilton's first Third Thursday festival of the year. The Baker's Market features baked goods made by professional area bakers with locally-produced ingredients.
06/23/10
Wicked Gelato has opened in historic downtown Farmington. Their selection will rotate through the 400 flavors made in Maine by Gelato Fiasco of Brunswick. Open daily from 11am to 10pm, Wicked Gelato is the perfect addition to Farmington's downtown.
06/10/10
Saddleback Ski Resort announced that Christopher Farmer, Saddleback Director of Real Estate, Planning & Development, and Legal Counsel since 2008, will become their General Manager. Warren Cook, who's contract was up for renewal, has decided to pursue his own interests, but will remain on hand in an advisory capacity.
06/04/10
The Verso Paper Company has hired 78 temporary and 32 permanent employees at their Jay facility. This is the first time in several years that Verso has advertised for job openings, and reflects a need to hire and train the next generation of Verso employees.
04/10/10
The Emery Community Arts Center broke ground Saturday, where Rep. Janet Mills and our very own Alison Hagerstrom gave enlivening speeches about both our historical past and our economic future. The $5 million facility will open one year from now.
04/09/10
The groundbreaking for the new W.G. Mallett elementary school was held on Friday with school and town officials, contractors, architects, building committee members, and hundreds of current Mallett School students on hand to celebrate the beginning of construction of the nearly $19 million project.
03/08/10
The Comfort Inn & Suites hotel of Farmington/Wilton was recently named a recipient of a prestigious 2010 Platinum Hospitality Award from world lodging leader Choice Hotels International, Inc. Their dedication to guest service and satisfaction helped the Comfort Inn rank in the top 3% of more than 4,800 Choice Hotels nationwide.
02/16/10
Seth Wescott took home the gold in his second consecutive Olympic Games! The Farmington native and Carrabassett Valley resident performed a come-from-behind victory in the snowboard-cross final at the Vancouver Olympics Monday afternoon. Congratulations Seth!
02/05/10
Over 100 people attended a debate at Dirigo High School on industrial wind energy. Topics discussed were the health effects of wind turbines, energy usage, climate change, and job creation. Greater Franklin Development Corporation hosted the event in collaboration with the Western Mountains Alliance, the Western Maine Economic Development Council, and the River Valley Growth Council.
01/29/10
The Tractor Supply Co. store on Route 2 in Wilton, across from the Comfort Inn, is planning its grand opening in March! The business will bring about 15 new jobs to the area.
01/28/10
UMF President Theodora Kalikow and the Sustainable Campus Coalition were recognized by US Representative Mike Michaud and in the Congressional Record for their efforts to achieve a clean-energy campus. In the past five years, the University has increased building space by 11%, while cutting energy costs by 5%. Earlier this month, Kalikow announced a planned "roadmap to carbon neutrality" by 2035.
01/20/10
The Poland Spring bottling plant in Kingfield is officially recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council as Maine's first manufacturing facility with Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. Poland Spring Kingfield recycled and diverted 91% (1,478 tons) of construction waste away from landfill disposal. It now saves 70.4 million BTU's of energy and 140,000 gallons of water each year.
01/12/10
The National Parks Service will assist with the planning of a recreational trail system that will connect the schools in Jay and Livermore Falls through the riverfront land conserved by the Androscoggin Land Trust's efforts. The trail will also connect to downtown area and the Otis Falls Mill complex, and may serve as an historical Heritage Walk.
12/23/09
A $25.4 million grant in federal stimulus money has been approved to fund the "Three Ring Binder" project. A collaboration between GWI and the UMaine System will help to create 1,100 miles of three fiber optic rings in Northern, Mid-Coast and Downeast, and Western Maine, encompassing over 110,000 households.
12/03/09
The Environmental Defense Fund released a study highlighting Poland Spring's efforts to cut carbon emissions. Poland Spring has met its goal of reducing truck fleet idling time by 70 percent from February 2007 to February 2009. New technologies, along with individual driver responsibility, have dropped their carbon output by 77 tons annually.
11/04/09
Verso Paper Corp. has been awarded a $9.3 million federal grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to implement waste energy recovery technologies at three mills in Maine and Minnesota to reduce energy by 33% overall. There will be 3 projects done at the Androscoggin Mill in Jay.
10/16/09
The Kibby Wind Power Project is up and running! On top of Kibby Mountain, 250 people, including governor John Baldacci, gathered to watch the 22 installed turbines as they generated power to the New England grid for Central Maine Power.
10/15/09
The Wausau Paper Mill in Jay has been sold to local business owners of Otis Ventures, LLC, who plan to develop the mill property into a multi-use business and industrial warehouse complex. Owners Mary Howes and Tim Demillo also own Howie's Welding in Jay.
09/15/09
Renovations to the Mt. Blue Regional School District Learning Campus were overwhelmingly approved by district voters. The $63.5 million project will include new athletic fields, on-site alternative energy fixtures, community business incubator spaces, and room for new educational programs.
08/24/09
Barclays has been named one of the best places to work in Maine for 2009. Now called the Best in Business Program and sponsored by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, this recognition was created by the Maine State Council - Society for Human Resources Management.
08/18/09
Pine Tree Orthopedics in Livermore Falls receives three-year accreditation from the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics, & Pedorthics, Inc. for achievements in organizational management, patient care, quality assurance, and facility and safety management.
08/05/09
The University of Maine at Farmington and the UMaine College of Engineering have come together to offer a combined degree program. Students will complete the program in 5 years, graduating with a liberal arts BA from UMF and a BS in engineering from UMaine.
07/28/09
Sugarloaf Mountain is undergoing $1.8 million in upgrades. Construction on snowmaking pipelines and fan guns is now at full speed. Other projects include hotel renovations, lift and lift building improvements, and trail signage.
07/09/09
The state legislature has officially recognized Poland Springs for surpassing environmental sustainability goals. Poland Springs has reduced fuel usage by 46% and now recycles 96% of its waste stream.
07/07/09
Franklin Memorial Hospital receives two national awards: The Exceeding Patient Expectations award from Avatar International and named as one of the nation's "2009 Most Wired" hospitals in the Most Improved category in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine.
06/05/09
TransCanada celebrated the arrival of their wind turbines to Franklin County. The first Franklin County stop was in Farmington at noon, and then the next stop was in Stratton before arriving to the final destination in Kibby Township.
06/03/09
Mount Blue High School has revealed plans for a $63 million dollar renovation.
05/21/09
Wilton received its marigold makeover today! Thousands of marigolds were planted in Bass Park by local students.
05/15/09
A new pharmacy opens in Jay! Spruce Mountain Pharmacy opened Monday and the opening was a dream come true for owner Steve Maki who has been a local area pharmacist for over 10 years.
03/17/09
TransCanada began construction on the Kibby Wind Farm in August but the sheer size of the project was put into prospective today as machinery necessary for the construction traveled through downtown Farmington on its way to the Kibby Site.
02/09/09
Darryl Brown, owner of Main-Land Development Consultants in Livermore Falls has been elected to chair the board of the University of Maine Foundation! Read More
02/03/09
Poland Spring held a ribbon cutting at their newest bottling plant in Kingfield, with the Governor in attendance. The state-of-the-art facility already has 40 local people working there, with plans to expand in the future.Read More
01/08/09
Maine's 55th attorney general, Janet Mills noted that she is "the first attorney general from Franklin County" Read More
07/11/08
Franklin Memorial Hospital has opened it's new 58,000 square foot Medical Arts Center. The Center will have pediatrics, women's care, orthopaedics, general surgery, urology medical practices, and the Martha B. Webber Breast Care Center.
12/30/08
You can now take a historic walking tour of downtown Farmington. Signs have been posted around Farmington which illustrate Farmington's rich heritage. Read More and See Pictures
12/16/08
Verso Paper Corp. in Jay has been certified to the world's largest forest certification system. Verso's four paper mills have been independently audited and certified to the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) chain of custody standard.
10/15/08
Congratulations to Ranor Inc, in Jay for being selected as a recipient for the 2008 Maine School Board Association Business Friend of Educations Award.
11/24/08
Nancy Marshall Communications has created a new division called Marshall Interactive. The new division will have two partnerships in Franklin County: North Wind Media of Farmington and Ross Lasley of West Freeman. Marshall and North Wind have already created their first website together.
11/22/08
New Restaurant in Wilton! The Marcellino's of New Sharon will be opening The Calzolaio Pasta Co. which will be located in the former G.H. Bass building. They intend to serve a wider variety of food including handmade pasta. Visit Their Website
11/18/08
Barclays in Wilton announces an expansion plan! They will expand from 44 to 112 workstations and create 25 new jobs in early 2009.
11/05/08
Coastal Enterprises Inc. has received a $50,000 grant to develop a senior housing complex in Farmington, which is seeking Gold level LEED certification. This certification is the highest green building and performance certification given by the LEED organization.
11/01/08
A new grocery store is coming to downtown Farmington! The Tranten family will be moving into Howard's Rexall former space and will offer full service meat and deli case, produce, beer wine and a line of groceries.
09/29/08
Congratulations Foster Applied Technology Center on receiving an MTI Grant! The $30,000 award to the Foster Applied Technology Center will be matched by $48,000 in-kind donation of time and materials to develop a model high school composites facility and curriculum. The grant will also be used to develop a mobile composites learning lab and "mold bank" to demonstrate the closed-mold, non-toxic manufacturing process to other secondary schools and community colleges.
09/19/08
Congratulations Poland Spring for being awarded as a 2008 Champion of Economic Development by Maine Development Foundation!
09/17/08
Label Shopper plans to open a store in the Jay Plaza this fall. The New York-based company buys brand-name clothing and other items and sells them at discount prices, the Jay store is expected to hire about 20 employees.
07/28/08
The nations largest $1 discount store, Dollar Tree, plans to open a store in early fall in the Jay Plaza.
08/29/08
Work on TransCanada's $320 million Kibby Wind Power project has started on Kibby Mountain in northern Franklin County. The Kibby Wind Power Project will be the largest wind power development in New England with an estimated 22 turbines by December of 2009. TransCanada has estimated that about 250 people will be employed during the construction phase of the wind farm, and 10 to 12 permanent jobs once the project is operational.
08/11/08
Senator Olympia Snowe did more than just shop during her a two-and-a-half hour stroll through downtown Farmington. She had some lengthy conversations with merchants and other passersby about current issues, especially energy costs. Senator Snowe was guided through the town by local Senator Walter Gooley and Executive Director of Greater Franklin Development Alison Hagerstrom.
07/23/08
Lafrance Hospitality hosted over 100 people at the Grand Opening of their new Comfort Inn & Suites in Wilton. This $6 million dollar facility is Lafrance Hosipitality's first Maine hotel and were happy to give back to Franklin County by donating the ribbon that was cut at the ceremony.
07/01/08
L.L. Bean and Barclay's announced Monday they are launching a new L.L. Bean Visa card that will provide improved customer service and a newly revamped rewards program. L.L. Bean was looking to partner with a bank that had a Maine call center and by partnering with Barclay's, L.L. Bean credit card holders can now expect to have their calls answered by someone in Wilton.
06/06/08
The Comfort Inn is now open in Wilton! The 85 room Comfort Inn and Suites welcomed its first official guest, Executive Director of Greater Franklin Development Corporation, on June 6th. Reservations can currently be made online at
www.comfortinn.com