Lambert touted many of the program’s strengths during a presentation to the SAD 17 Board of Directors.

The enrollment rate is triple the statewide average.

“If you look at all the students who are eligible to attend a technical school, [and see] what percentage actually do, the state average is 15 percent,” he said. “Our average is 45 percent. That’s just an incredible number.”

Lambert said that he didn’t deserve the credit for the staggering statistic.

“That’s nothing that I’ve done,” he said. “That’s me just inheriting something. The reason is the comprehensive model.”

OHTS is seamlessly integrated into the Oxford Hills High School, said Lambert, which allows a broad range of students to take advantage of a wide array of programs.

Other technical schools might have very limited offerings, such as truck driving and forestry.

OHTS does have programs geared toward similar blue-collar and service industry vocations, including not only forestry, but automotive collision repair, diversified occupations, automotive technology, culinary arts and building construction.

However, it also includes a variety of more white-collar and public service industries, such as business education, law enforcement, pre-engineering, banking, early childhood education, communications, computer-aided drafting design, graphic arts, and health care.

“The school has a very wide range of offerings,” said Lambert.

With classrooms that occupy space in the high school, and the sheer volume of careers on offer, it’s no wonder that OHTS draws in many students. Many students don’t even realize that they’re enrolled in OHTS.

“We try to blur the lines whenever possible,” said Lambert.

The approach seems to be attracting students like flies to honey.

This year, 82.5 percent of the school’s 992 slots were filled. The program boasts 437 students in programs that occupy two or three class periods.

With large numbers of mainstream students participating in OHTS, the school has also become a state leader in academic performance.

“On average, we perform much higher than most technical schools in the state,” reported Lambert. “In fact, we score 10 points higher than the AYP [Adequate Yearly Progress] goals that are required of us.”

The program is to the advantage of many students, who can, in many cases, earn college credits without paying for them.

Last year, 50 students picked up 189 college credits by participating in OHTS programs.

OHTS has developed a series of relationships with college institutions that help transition students into higher learning opportunities. The school’s relationship with Central Maine Community College has been a vital part of its success.

“OHTS has more … agreements with CMCC than any other secondary school in the country,” said Lambert. In turn, he said, “CMCC has more … agreements than any other college in New England. They’re a very big player in this, and we have more with them than anyone else.”

Another indicator of the program’s success, said Lambert, can be seen in the school’s annual Skills Challenge competition, which recently saw 300 students come together to demonstrate their skills in everything from fashion design to computer technology.

“Historically, we’ve always had students go to nationals,” said Lambert.

They don’t only go to nationals, said Tom Moore, a member of the board.

“When these youngsters go to nationals, invariably they come back placing in honors,” he said.

Last year, the Oxford Hills team took home eight medals from the SkillsUSA State Championship, including three gold medals.

One student, Melissa Lebel won fourth place in the nation in the Welding Sculpture competition.

Lambert said that in the future, he will try to build upon the program’s many successes.

“I’m smart enough to know when something’s good.”

Reprinted with permission from The Advertiser-Democrat.

Morton brought a large monitor and his laptop to Monday’s selectmen’s meeting to show the board the value of GIS technology in planning.

But before his presentation even began, he unexpectedly had an opportunity to use it to aid in a code enforcement discussion.

Selectmen had learned that a contractor recently drove an excavator across town property, knocking down several trees in the process, to get to an adjacent private property. As they tried to understand the layout of the two properties, Morton came to the rescue.

He called up an aerial photo on the big screen and zoomed in, helping the board and Code Enforcement Officer Dave Bonney to understand the route taken by the piece of equipment.

Bonney was expected to look into the matter.

Returning to the original purpose of his presentation, Morton said he had talked with developers about the possibility of using the monitor in their application presentations to planners, and received a favorable response.

Currently applicants provide maps for each planner.

“If we had the screen mounted on the wall, the applicant could plug in his computer, rather than all us of looking through our [paper] files to get the same map,” said Morton. “It would keep everyone focused, and we’d move through it faster.”

The aerial photos could serve the same purpose as site walks, in which planners schedule on-site inspections.

Morton also demonstrated how the digital maps can be overlaid with other features, such as wetlands.

But, he said, hard copy maps would still be required for records, and would be used with applicants who do not have the technology.

Morton and the selectmen agreed there was also potential for the equipment and technology to be used by town officials, including the Fire Department, for other uses, such as online training.

The board decided to buy the equipment, and chose a desktop for the computer.

Energy savings

In other business, selectmen discussed steps to take to improve energy efficiency for the town.

Town Administrator Loretta Powers said the town could save money on its electrical bills by enrolling online at Electricity Maine. The company’s website says it can sell electricity supplies directly to residential and small business customers at rates below the standard charged by Central Maine Power Co. The board decided to sign up.

The board also discussed an Efficiency Maine evaluation of the 50-year-old town office building.

Bonney listed a number of recommendations, including replacing the furnace and adding insulation.

The furnace, original to the building, had an expected life of 25 to 30 years. “We’re living on borrowed time with the furnace,” said Chairman Jim Largess. “My thinking is we start with the furnace.”

Bonney said the furnace was a priority recommendation from Efficiency Maine.

The board asked Bonney to get estimates for the furnace and duct work insulation.

Implementing all the recommendations would cost about $30,000, he said.

Selectmen also began a preliminary discussion of the 2012 municipal budget, which they will continue at a special meeting Jan. 31 at 5 p.m. at the town office.

Reprinted with the permission of The Bethel Citizen

“I have accepted the position of Director of the Western Maine Economic Development Council [WMEDC],” he wrote.

The WMEDC director position became available after Linda Walbridge resigned from that position. Walbridge’s last day was December 8.

The Buckfield Board of Selectmen held an executive session to discuss the details of Holmes’ departure; his last day with the town is currently slated for February 3.  The town will advertise to hire an interim town manager, and Holmes said that his final day might change based on that process.

Holmes was the town manager in Buckfield for seven years, and he said that he had 18 months remaining on his current contract.

Holmes said that he is looking forward to the challenges that his new job will bring.

“I think what I bring to the table is I’m a native to Oxford County,” he said. “Growing up here, I’ve seen the trials and tribulations of the economy. The number of years I’ve spent in the private and public sector gives me a view of both sides.”

In Buckfield, Holmes has been the target of a group of citizens who have expressed dissatisfaction with his performance.  During the town meeting in June, citizens attempted to remove an amount equal to Holmes’ $46,800 salary from the budget; instead, an amount that included his salary was approved by a vote of 36-22.

Holmes said that criticism had nothing to do with his departure.

“It had nothing to do with job dissatisfaction, or anyone in the town or anything like that,” he said. “It was just that there was this great opportunity and I felt I had something to offer.”

He said that the biggest issue facing Buckfield’s next town manager will be whether the town should purchase the old Oxford Networks building and move town services into that location.

Holmes had warm words for the town’s staff and volunteer citizens in his letter of resignation.

“I want to express my highest level of respect and admiration for the employees that I have worked with,” he wrote. “I have had the pleasure of meeting hundreds of other employees from towns all across this great state and can say without reservation: Buckfield has by far the best group of people I could ever hope to be a part of.”

He expressed his hope that the board will “continue to support and cherish the employees that we have. The volunteers in this community give so much more than the average resident knows.”

Looking ahead

Holmes said that he supports a major existing initiative within the WMEDC to map the region’s access to broadband and cellphone service as a means to bolster business.

He also said that he favors standardizing rules and regulations throughout Oxford County.

“It’s important to help our current business owners as much as to invite new businesses in,” he said. “The people who have put in the time deserve the help.”

Holmes also said that he felt Oxford County has received a bad reputation because of media reports that focus on the negatives.

“The negative press Oxford County has received is something we need to get beyond,” he said. “Let people know how vital and wonderful this county really is. We have so much to offer. When there are a few negative statistics and they get publicized it leaves the wrong impression.”

Holmes has been the town manager in Buckfield since October 2004. Before that, he spent five years as the director of media sales for MediaPower, a Portland-based firm.

In the ’90s, he worked in the asbestos removal industry, and also had a four-year stint as a sales manager for Lifetouch.

He was a Non-Commissioned Officer in the United States Air Force from 1982 to 1987.

Reprinted with the permission of The Advertiser-Democrat.

Photo:Glen Holmes

The Club has hosted numerous world class and national Nordic skiing events, including International Ski Federation World Championships (1950), NCAA National championships ( 1976, 1999 and 2009),USCSA National Championships ( 2008 and 2010), National cross country Championship (1958 and 1993), National Biathlon Championship (1991), Junior Olympics Cross Country Championships (1992 and 1996), Chevy Truck U. S. Cross Country Championships (1999, 2003 and 2004), U. S. Cross Country Championships (2011 and 2012).

The Club also has hosted local, state and regional Alpine and Nordic races creating a full schedule of events throughout the winter season arranged to accommodate the family recreational program. Annual events include the Sassi and Junior Sassi cross country races for high school and middle school skiers to raise scholarship funds. The Club also holds an annual meeting and a member/volunteer banquet following the close of the winter program.

Maine’s Collegiate Nordic Championship is named after Wendall “Chummy” Broomhall, two-time Nordic Olympian, Olympic cross country trail designer, the honorary leader of the Chisholm Ski Club and a 91 year old Rumford native.

Club members are skiers, parents, former club skiers and others who are interested in the club’s mission to promote healthy outdoor skiing and support Black Mountain of Maine’s mission to promote healthy affordable outdoor family fun. Several generations of families continue to ski the slopes in Rumford and enjoy watching their children participate in competitions through the school systems’ ski teams. Young skiers who qualify are supported financially by the club for some of the costs of participating in regional and national competitions and clinics, provided the family volunteers in club events.

Chisholm Ski Club
Post Office Box 616
Rumford, ME 04276
(207) 449-3450
Email: rarsenault3@gmail.com
Website: www.chisholmskiclub.org

SAUNDERS BROS. AT LOCKE MILLS LLC
256 Main St., Locke Mills
Founded: 1900; purchased by Jonaitis in 2010
Products: Customized wood components
Employees: 24
Annual revenue: $1 million
Contact: 875-2025
www.saundersbros.com

“People have stored knowledge based on their life experiences,” she says, an observation she tested over nearly two decades in social work. “I understand the intrinsic value of wood, something that’s often not valued by a lot of outsiders.”

That philosophy gave her an edge when her $450,000 bid bought the former Saunders Bros. dowel mill in Locke Mills, a 111-year-old manufacturer of wood products that went on the auction block last year. The only woman bidding in a room filled with more than 250 men, Jonaitis wanted the whole mill — building, land, equipment, inventory — to restart the operation. Most of the other bidders were only interested in capturing the customized milling machines or the real estate. “This is a gem of a mill. I knew I could make it work,” she says. “And I really wanted to put people back to work.”

Ten months later, the 24 employees she rehired are producing dowels, rolling pins, drum sticks, paintbrush handles, croquet mallets, furniture and other customized wood components. They’ve also accomplished another of Jonaitis’ goals: breaking $1 million in sales in her first year of ownership. “I think maybe next year we can double that,” she says.

Jonaitis made the transition from social work to business to fulfill a lifelong entrepreneurial urge. A fortuitous meeting with George Denney, former CEO of Cole Haan and Jonaitis’ angel investor, provided the financial support. The operation in Locke Mills, a village within the Oxford County town of Greenwood, is the latest in a series of business ventures that began with her 2005 purchase of Plumbago Mountain in Newry, where she successfully restarted a tourmaline mine that now provides gems to Cross Jewelers. From there, she expanded into mills, buying the Saunders Bros. sister operation in Fryeburg and a wood mill in Andover that was supplying furniture to Ethan Allen.

She intended to buy the troubled Moosehead Furniture plant in Monson, but abandoned her $1.05 million bid when environmental issues surrounding the property came to light, and instead purchased the company name and its assets. The results are stacked neatly in the 126,000-square-foot Locke Mills plant where Moosehead bookcases, beds, hutches and more await final assembly before heading to retailers. “I love these pieces, and I paid dearly to save them,” says Jonaitis as she runs her hand over a handsome maple bookcase on the factory floor. “I’m thinking of starting a new line in pine.”

Conjuring new approaches to traditional products has been a recurring theme in the success of the mill. Soon after purchasing it, Jonaitis reached out to IKEA and landed a contract making wood components, mostly dowels, for the mega home furnishings retailer. She’s talking to Wal-Mart now, hoping to capitalize on its recent campaign to offer products made in America.

Although most of her employees were happy to simply have their jobs back, Jonaitis knew she would be taking the company in a new direction and needed their buy-in. She offered many a $3 to $4 per-hour bump to come back to work and immediately began a cross-training program to gain efficiencies at the plant.

While she’s proud of the success she’s had with her enterprises, they are a means to an end that takes Jonaitis back to her social work roots. Once she has enough profit, she intends to finance a program to end homelessness in Maine through a sustainable model she developed from her work with shelter programs as a social worker. “I grew up poor, but happy, because I had the essentials,” she says. “Others don’t. In my mind, there just shouldn’t be hunger or homelessness in Maine.”

IN HER OWN WORDS

What was the biggest challenge of your career? To not second-guess myself.

When did you know you’d made it? When people thanked me for a job here at Saunders.

What advice do you wish you’d gotten early in your career? I got plenty of advice, I just didn’t listen.

“I’ll relax when … real estate values go back up in Maine. It’s an indication of what we value here.”

What was your “Haven’t we moved beyond this” moment? When I hear people say Maine’s too expensive to do business in. I don’t believe that.

Operating out of a 46,000 sqft mill with 30 skilledcraftsmen from the Oxford Hills region, the company boasts customers such as LL Bean, T. Moser Cabinetmakers, Zoo York Skateboards, Vew-Do Balance Boards, American Eagle Outfitters, Cedar Works, and Vic Firth. Its products have won national awards and have received international recognition. The company was FAME’s 2006 Small Business of the Year and Oxford Hills Outstanding Employer for 2007.

Main Street / Route 26
Oxford, ME 04270
(207) 539-4462
Email: info@memfc.com
Website: www.nwpmaine.com

NORWAY — Along with 39 other companies across the state, the New Balance (NB) shoe company recently earned a spot in the Sixth Annual “Best Places to Work in Maine” program for having established an outstanding work environment for the second year in a row, based on an assessment administered by the Best Companies Group.

The specific ranking order of the top 40 companies will be announced in October.

The program, which began in 2006, chooses the companies based on employee policies and responses from the employees themselves.

“We were pleased to hear that we were named to the program for the second time,” said Chris Arsenault, a human resources executive and NB employee for 17 years.

Arsenault explained that New Balance Domestic Manufacturing operates five factories in New England: three in Maine, two in Massachusetts, and “there’s even one in the UK,” he said.

“Many people within the state and even the U.S. don’t realize that [New Balance] makes shoes here in the U.S.,” he said. “It’s our own best-kept secret.”

“It’s really a testament to the culture of the company.”

According to Arsenault, Maine employs 860 New Balance associates – 25 percent have been with the company for 15-plus years and 13 percent of that population, for more than 20 years.

He says that what makes New Balance one of the best places to work is that “the associates are very ingrained in the communities they support.”

Manufacturing Associate Tracie Stevens said that she takes pride in the company’s various volunteering opportunities, like taking part in after-school programs for children.

“I like working with kids. It’s also personal time that I can take to spend with my own children [volunteering] for eight hours,” said Stevens.

Stevens said that every New Balance associate is given eight hours of personal time a year, and she chooses to use it as her volunteer time.

“New Balance pays us to volunteer,” she said. “And we go to many different places.”

According to Arsenault, the company has partnered with a number of volunteer programs, including after-school programs, community walks, and “The Home for Little Wanderers,” a nationally renowned, private, non-profit child and family service agency.

“We allow our associates to get engaged in the business,” he said. “We are always coming up with ideas to make improvements, and have done so for many years.”

Stevens said that her favorite part of the job is being a team leader.

According to Stevens, the team leader is responsible for making sure the team is doing its job safely and efficiently. Each of 18 teams have a goal to produce 540 pairs of shoes per day, which Stevens said is partially dependent on the team leader’s ability to direct and encourage.

“I work in a bunch of different departments,” said Stevens, “But I really like being the team leader.”

Along with great pay, great benefits, and rewarding job duties, Stevens said she really enjoys the people she works with and the fact that the company allows her to keep growing.

“It almost feels like family here,” she said. “I have a lot of opportunities.”

Because New Balance is continually striving to succeed in all departments, Arsenault said that the company has definitely earned its place.

“We are a company that continually gives to the associates and the community,” he said, “and at the same time our associates have a great amount of pride.”

According to Arsenault, the 2011 program looks for companies that “exceed the typical norms.”

“We are always looking to improve ourselves and our business,” he said, “and I believe this mindset has really allowed us to succeed.”

Each of the 40 companies will find out how it ranked at an awards banquet on October 11 at the Ramada Conference Center in Lewiston.

 Photo: Kayla Collins

INSPECTING SHOES —Tracie Stevens, a Manufacturing Associate at New Balance in Norway holds up a shoe. She sorts through boxes to inspect the quality of each shoe before it can be placed on shelves for sale.