Sun Journal Women's Journal June 2010

Advertising Supplement to the Sun Journal, Saturday, June 19, 2010

Inside: Be inspired by these stories of local “women to watch� featuring Laura Davis, Jill Hurd, Julie Shackley and more.

Laura Davis: Creativity is packed into each day

By Dan Marois Freelance Writer

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pend some time with Laura Davis and you’ll discover a woman who packs an hour into every minute of her day. Arriving to interview her at Rinck Advertising in Auburn, which she owns and operates with husband, Peter Rinck, she was standing front and center speaking to about eight staffers of the agency intently describing a recent experience. “I was just talking (to staff) about a client phone call that turned out really well,� said Davis. She excuses herself quickly from the impromptu meeting and heads toward a conference room where she sits down to be interviewed.

First impressions say that Davis is a creative woman who works hard and has fun. (One agency staffer affirms that she has a great sense of humor.)

But there’s also an urgency in her eyes that says, perhaps, she’s a woman on a mission racing against time. The latter is no surprise as she introduces herself as a cancer survivor. Not once, not twice, but five times over. “I was first diagnosed at the age of 25 about three weeks after my daughter was born,� said Davis. “My most recent diagnosis was three months ago.�

Her first bout of cancer was Hodgkin’s Lymphoma followed by thyroid cancer. The other three cancers have been basal cell carcinoma, a skin cancer that may have developed because of years of radiation therapy. In the 25 years since the first diagnosis, she’s had 13 surgeries and radiation treatment exposure equivalent to 46,000 x-rays. “ I c all mys e lf the ‘m ob ile Chernobyl’,� she said, comparing her exposure to that of the power plant meltdown of 1986 in the Ukraine.

Davis grew up in Turner, Maine and was a teacher at Montello School and Hebron Academy. After teaching for eight years, she decided “it was time to do something else.�

Always having a flair for creativity, she contacted a local advertising

Laura Davis

page 3 ‰

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WOMEN’S JOURNAL

Advertising Supplement to the Sun Journal, Lewiston, Maine, Saturday, June 19, 2010

Laura Davis from page 2

agency to see if she could do an unpaid internship to learn the business.

“I was the oldest intern in history,” she admitted, noting that it was during this time that she met her future husband who was also working at the ad agency.

Perhaps inevitably, her life struggle with cancer blends into her personal and professional life.

She’s been an active volunteer and board member with the Maine Cancer Foundation, a grant-making organization that raises funds for cancer research, education and patient support programs in Maine.

She’s completed the Tri for a Cure triathlon, a fundraising event that has participants swimming one-third mile, biking for 15 miles and running for three miles — with all proceeds benefitting cancer research.

Her business, Rinck Advertising, is also a sponsor and marketing partner for the Dempsey Challenge, a non competitive bicycle ride, which

Submitted photo

Family time is very important to Amy, Jacob, Laura, Isabella, Calvin, Peter, and Sarah.

supports the Dempsey Center for Cancer, Hope, and Healing at Central Maine Medical Center.

“The first year of the fundraiser was a phenomenal success,” said Davis. There’s excitement in her eyes as she anticipates a bigger and better event in 2010.

Davis proudly switches the discussion to her family life. “Peter and I have been married for five years and we were together six years before that,” noted Davis.

“We are a blended family of

Advertising Supplement to the Sun Journal, Lewiston, Maine, Saturday, June 19, 2010

Peter’s son, Calvin (age 26), and my own children, Sarah (age 21) and Jacob (age 16).” After taking a short breath, Davis continued “and then we have two adopted children, Amy (age 29) and Isabella (age 8) who are biological sisters.”

It seems that amidst the turmoil of health problems and building an advertising business, Davis and her family found time to develop a special bond with a former high school student, Amy, who moved in with them as a teenager.

“We later discovered that Amy had a younger sister, who we met and provided foster care to. They both became a part of our family.”

In what some might consider an unusual move, Davis and her husband offered to adopt then24-year-old Amy into their family.

A year after that adoption was completed, they adopted Amy’s younger sister.

In spite of the many challenges she’s experienced, Davis looks about a decade younger than her chronological age of 46 ... and her optimism is inspirational.

“Treat every day as if it were your last ... do what you love,” she said. As for her drive to volunteer and help others, she said, “I feel responsibility ... the ability to respond to something. I also have a low tolerance for boredom.”

While hoping to keep ahead of her health challenges, Davis has a short list of goals for the future.

“I want to grow the agency by importing more dollars into Maine.

I want to successfully register 7,500 people in the Dempsey Challenge and I want, simply, happiness.”

Jill Hurd: Taking care of the children

By Dan Marois Freelance Writer

T

he recent news reports of the earthquake in Haiti are all too close for Jill Hurd, a registered nurse and single mother from Lewiston. She first traveled to Haiti on a work retreat from St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, where she witnessed first-hand the poverty and struggles encountered by the Haitian people.

And while the experience left her spiritually and emotionally drained, she could never have predicted that two years later she, and her two natural born children, would adopt three children from Haiti to become part of their lives here in Maine.

Jill Hurd

page 4 ‰

WOMEN’S JOURNAL

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Jill Hurd from page 3

“I went to Haiti in January of 1999; I prepared for an entire year for this trip. I attended meetings where we talked about the culture and the people of Haiti. We were going to experience life from a Haitian peasant’s perspective,� said Hurd, knowing that the comforts of daily life would be minimal, if there were any at all. “What surprised me the most about Haiti was the sparkle and joy in the people. They stepped out of these one room shacks impeccably dressed even if it was their only outfit; their clothing clean and brilliantly white against their darkened skin,� said Hurd. “They smiled, held hands, sang and went about their business with pride and hope.�

Hurd could not understand how these people could be so happy as they lived among garbage-strewn streets. “I started to realize that living in Haiti makes you present to each and every moment. What the Haitian people exemplified was an ability to be truly grateful for what they had,� she said.

After returning to Maine, the memories of Haiti continued to stir for Hurd. She was haunted

Submitted photo

Left to right, front: Chris, Calvin, and Jamie Mercier; Back: Zacharie, Jean David, Jill, Ruthie Hurd, Jon Mercier, and Melissa Doucette.

and thought, “What do I do about Haiti? I decided that my life as a single parent, living in an apartment, with a stable income and a loving extended family was more than enough,� said Hurd. “I had room in my heart and my life to help, even if it was just a small part of Haiti.�

It was then, at 39 years of age, Hurd decided to adopt a Haitian child. “I started searching for one child, but I was matched with a six-month-old baby girl named Ruthie and her twoyear-old brother, Jean David. I had yet to see their picture, but my heart

was ecstatic,� she recalled.

It was a follow-up phone call from the Haitian orphanage that would test Hurd’s faith to move forward. The birth mother to the other two children returned to the orphanage with another child, a four-year-old named Zacharie. “My dossier was for two children, and now there were three,� she said. “The orphanage said I could do whatever I wanted, but I did not want to be the one to separate them.� Through the grace of God and some quick rearranging of paperwork, Hurd brought all

three children to Maine within three months’ time. “I am so unbelievably blessed to have been chosen to have these beautiful, amazing children in my life.�

Hurd admits that the first days back in Maine were not easy. The children could not speak English and Hurd could not speak French or Creole. “Slowly we settled into a routine,� said Hurd, believing that mothers somehow have a universal language to communicate with their children.

The recent tragedy from Haiti has been difficult for Hurd’s family. “My children were the three youngest of seven children so we have extended family living there,� said Hurd. “Someday I plan to return with them to the village where they were born and to inquire about their older siblings and birth mother.�

Hurd’s family is very involved in raising money for Haitian relief efforts. She knows that their need continues to be great. “I think of my children’s birth mother of ten and all of the mothers in Haiti who cannot feed their starving children, who watch them suffer and die because there is no other option,� said Hurd. “We cannot forget about Haiti nor turn our back on the human suffering that continues there today.�

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Julie Shackley: VISIONARY LEADERSHIP

Vein hopes? You bet!

By Lynette J. Weeman, D.O., F.A.C.C.

H

ere in Maine, summer’s just around the corner. But for some of us, the season is a mixed blessing. Along with rising temperatures come rising hemlines—on women’s shorts, skirts, bathing suits, and more. And these are hard to carry off if you’re not feeling good about the appearance of your legs – especially if you have spider veins, swelling, or varicose veins.

Did you know that “venous� (i.e., vein) diseases like these afflict more than 25 million Americans?

Women have a higher incidence than men and are more likely to develop symptoms sooner.

By Rich Livingston Freelance Writer / Photographer “I cer tainly never saw myself in this role,� said Julie Shackley, president and CEO of Androscoggin Home Care and Hospice. “I didn’t aspire to it. The opportunity came along at just the right time.�

As leader of the agency which is the largest provider of home healthcare and of hospice services in Maine, Shackley oversees a staff of 425 – about half of whom are professionals including doctors, nurses, social workers; speech, occupational and physical therapists; chaplains; and a budget in the range of $28 million.

Shackley was named interim president of AHCH in March 2005, and promoted into the permanent title in December of that year. A registerd nurse since 1980, Shackley acquired more than 15 years of clinical experience in both hospital and home care environments, gradually adding supervisory responsibilities to her resume, including five years as a nursing s u p e r v i s o r a t A H CH . S h e eventually transitioned into full time management. “I found I really enjoy the opportunity to think strategically, to participate in community outreach, and to work closely with healthcare partners,� Shackley said.

Leading AHCH places Shackley among the foremost healthcare administrators in Maine, but Shackley explained that “there are lots of women nurses who have become CEOs or directors of nonprofit home and hospice care agencies around the country.�

Balancing the differing patient needs among those receiving home-based acute nursing care and those who require palliative or hospice care, and among the different staff who deliver those services, requires a special combination of skills, empathy and compassion, attributes immediately evident when Shackley speaks passionately

Advertising Supplement to the Sun Journal, Lewiston, Maine, Saturday, June 19, 2010

Julie Shackley ‘s visionary leadership serves AHCH well.

The risk factors include: about the unique mission AHCH serves in its communities. “I love my organization,� she said. “I’m surrounded by really good people.�

In addition to its prominent headquarters building on the corner of Strawberry Ave. and Main St. in Lewiston, AHCH provides service throughout Andros co ggin, O x ford and Franklin counties that “spills over,� in Shackley’s words, to portions of northern Cumberland County, Kennebec, Somerset and Sagadahoc. Perhaps its most distinctive venue is the Hospice House, situated on an idyllic campus on Stetson Ave. in Auburn, the first in-patient hospice facility in Maine. “We helped create new standards for hospice care in Maine,� Shackley explained. “There had never been anything like this before.

We helped educate the state, the city, EMS, the hospitals; we helped the state evolve regulations and licensing requirements.�

The husband of a Hospice House patient said recently, “I really don’t know how any of us could have managed without this incredible facility. It’s a really unique combination of people, place, and philosophy of care.

It was a wonderful gift to my wife. There was nothing ‘clinical’ about it, and it was the most lifeaffirming experience anyone could imagine.� “We put a lot of effort into professional staff development,�

Shackley says, “and we’re the last in the state to provide true s t af f development as part of the in-house quality management program.� AHCH is independent and not affiliated

• H eredity. Seventy percent of patients with varicose veins have parents with varicose veins. • Pregnancy. Eighty percent of women develop varicose veins in their first trimester. • O besity. Being significantly overweight is hard on your veins (and everything else). • Standing. People who are on their feet a lot— such as teachers, law enforcement officers, cashiers, and bank tellers—are at greater risk.

with any hospital system. As such, Shackley explained, “we are at the nexus of inter-hospital projects.

We’ll be a big part of healthcare reform implementation because we can engage all levels of practitioners and help build relationships between different hospitals and physician practices.�

What she doesn’t mention is that the innovative success of the organization is to such a large extent the product of the visionary leadership of a dedicated, knowledgeable, compassionate and versatile woman.

How do these syndromes develop? Venous diseases typically affect the veins of the lower legs.

In health, the calf muscles help keep blood from pooling in the legs by pumping it upward toward the head. If these muscles aren’t used enough (or cannot work because of a neuromuscular disease), the veins alone won’t be able to return blood

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efficiently. This can cause leg swelling.

Over time, the veins can stretch (causing the unattractive worm-like structures we associate with varicose veins). When this happens, the valves in the veins that are designed to keep blood from pooling can stretch as well, with the result that blood flows backward (downward) rather than upward. Venous diseases can also result from direct injury to the veins or an obstruction such a clot.

What symptoms should you look for? Vein disease can show up as leg pain, achiness, leg fatigue, swelling, and heaviness (not to mention the results you see on the surface). What can be done? Here’s the good news. Vein diseases are nothing new.

Physicians were trying to remove varicose veins as long ago as 30 BC. For many years, veins were cut, pulled out, or “stripped� in prolonged surgical procedures. Fortunately, those days are over, thanks to the development of what are known as “endovenous� (meaning “within the vein�) procedures. Today’s endovenous procedures are outpatient treatments that require no surgery. This results in a much shorter recovery time. Radiofrequency endovenous ablation was the first such procedure, approved by the FDA in 1999. In 2002, endovenous laser treatment came on the scene.

Both are done with local anesthesia. The older procedure has a slightly higher risk of blood clots.

The newer one, according to a recent study, provides more complete and lasting results. Want to get more out of summer?

For more information, contact Maine Cardiology Associates, 777-5300.

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Advertising Supplement to the Sun Journal, Lewiston, Maine, Saturday, June 19, 2010

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Seven strategies for saving

By Lisa Laliberte State Farm® Agent

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re you doing your best to save for your future? It can be very challenging to begin a savings program. After necessities such as food, clothing and housing, there can be little left to put aside for future goals.

Unfortunately, failing to save could mean the difference between enjoying a comfortable retirement and giving up some basic needs.

Often it is a matter of making the decision to begin saving now in order to buy a new home or car later. The goals you set are important to you.

Making changes to prepare for those goals can make a difference.

For that reason, State Farm has taken a look at various ways to get a person’s savings plan on track. We’ve come up with seven strategies that you can use today.

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1. Don’t splurge with your tax refund. Instead of spending your refund, use it wisely by paying down debt, funding an individual retirement account, or saving it for future financial goals.

2. Take full advantage of your employer’s retirement contributions. Your employer may match a percentage of the contributions you make to your retirement savings plan. It’s a good idea to do what it takes to get the matching limit.

It’s free money that can really help your bottom line during retirement.

3. Start small and stay steady. The first word is the most important – start. You should begin as early as

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“We love having the opportunity to own a home. But beyond that, what I learned from WWC is still with me. I took so much from the

possible to get the most out of your savings plan.

4. Pay yourself first. Think of your savings or investments as a bill you must pay on a regular basis, much the same as a car or mortgage payment. Be disciplined and make the payments according to a set schedule. For better results, establish an automatic monthly deduction from your paycheck or checking account to fund an investment or savings account.

5. Create separate pots of savings for upcoming life stages. Retirement may be an important goal for which to begin saving, but other goals or events need as much or more preparation. Don’t short-change other goals while concentrating on one thing. Whether it’s a home, car or child’s education, it is important to give appropriate attention to each.

6. If you have children, find the right education plan. You have a number of choices when it comes to saving for a child’s education.

Finding the one that makes sense for your situation takes planning and information. This takes us to the seventh and, quite possibly, the most important point ...

7. Work with someone you know and trust.

Everyone’s needs and goals are unique. Just as you go through many changes during your lifetime, your financial goals may change. You should work with a professional who not only knows about various plans and strategies, but knows you and will stay with you through the long haul. Most people feel the best guidance they receive comes from a financial professional they know and trust.

In the end, it all boils down to making a plan, getting started and staying the course. When you make the decision to finally start, contact a financial professional who knows you and understands your needs.

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Advertising Supplement to the Sun Journal, Lewiston, Maine, Saturday, June 19, 2010

Jacqueline Katz and Patricia Weidler: Collaboration

By Rich Livingston Freelance Writer

J

acqueline Katz and Patricia Weidler are attorneys who, while deeply committed to the legal process, also believe that the best and most lasting solutions to conflict are based on prevention, mediation, problem solving and collaborative reconciliation in order to avoid need for sometimes onerous litigation or court proceedings.

Earlier this year, Kat z and Weidler became par tners in Common Ground Mediation & Services, LLP, a company whose mission is to help their clients achieve “creative and lasting resolutions” to a wide variety of personal disputes. Katz, a graduate of Quinnipiac Law School, also has an M.S. in physical therapy and has been a licensed physical therapist for more than 20 years. Weidler received an M.Ed. degree from the University of Maine before earning a J.D. degree at the Universit y of Maine Law School. Each had been providing Guardian Ad Litem ser vices, as well as a variety of mediation capabilities independently prior to forming their new venture.

Joining forces has enabled them to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. “The company lets us share responsibility, provide coverage for each other. It’s a vehicle for us to do professional work in ways that are ‘gentle’ to ourselves,” Katz asserted, and Weidler quipped that, “It’s amost an anti-business model!”

Katz added, “Working together enables us to broaden the population we serve. Our work is about building relationships and that includes participating in the community.”

Weidler said, “That’s difficult to do as an individual, because you can’t be everywhere at once.”

Kat z explained, “ We have different backgrounds and styles, but share a similar philosophy.”

Weidler’s background includes

experience in education and construction, as well as the practice of law, especially as it relates to families and kids. Katz’s background includes specialization in elder care and Social Security disability insurance, as well as her years as a physical therapist. They both were attracted to the field of mediation and alternative dispute resolution because, Weidler explained, “It involves problemsolving between parties, or parents, or siblings – people with some sort of relationship – instead of the traditional legal model of providing advocacy for one side or the other.”

Katz added, “We work equally and neutrally to help both sides come to a mutual, long-lasting resolution that they own.”

Their overarching goal is to h e lp cli e nt s m i ti g ate

disagreements in ways which are mutually satisfactory and to avoid escalation into what might become “high conflict.”

Weidler explained that “it’s about protecting kids and families.”

Katz had apprenticed with June Zellers, who retired from the Common Ground practice in 2009. The availability of the Common Ground office space, centrally located on Lisbon Street in downtown Lewiston, along with a built-in referral network, enabled Katz and Weidler, who had known each other professionally for just a few years, to transition from their independent solo practices into the more formalized business structure.

B o t h wo m e n a r e “a l w ay s looking for professional growth [opportunities] that will enable us to be more effective, more

comprehensive,” one said (they have developed a slight tendenc y to complete each other’s sentences). Establishing themselves as par tners was intended to provide more visibility and to enable the pair to reach out to a wider circle of people, with a wider range of issues in need of resolution.

The two are involved separately and jointly in a variet y of professional associations, and ac tive ly p ur sue Continuing Legal Education credits and enhancement of other professional skills. But they have added an array of business organization memberships, too, in addition to the volunteer work and professional development in which they have been engaged. They recently joined the Androscoggin County

Chamber of Commerce, for instance, and Weidler said that, “When we join these organizations, it is our intention to get really involved with them.”

Being able to share an expanding list of responsibilities makes life easier for each. “Jackie gives me courage,” Weidler explained. “It is very grounding to have another professional, warm-hearted person to process things with.”

The collaboration allows them to “be ourselves,” and, said Katz, “to do more work that is both m eaning f ul and enjoy ab le.”

Clearly, a model that works for the women, their clients, the network of law yers, families, therapists and past clients who serve as their source of referrals.

It is, after all, about collaboration.

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Advertising Supplement to the Sun Journal, Lewiston, Maine, Saturday, June 19, 2010

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Eva Degen: Getting to home ownership

E

va Degen grew up in Auburn; her husband of 19 years grew up in Lewiston. They wanted to raise their two children (ages 9 and 15) in this area. They assumed they would be life long renters; for their family, homeownership was not necessarily in their plans. “It was something that we didn’t think was achievable; it was something that would be nice, but we didn’t plan on it,” said Degen.

Those plans changed and the idea of homeownership began to take shape when the city of

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WOMEN’S JOURNAL

Auburn recommended Degen and her husband consider a Family Development Account through the Maine Centers for Women, Work, and Community. The FDA Program enables low-income families to establish savings accounts that will be used to buy a home, pay for education, or start or expand a small business.

Participating families establish a savings account to be used toward their identified goal. These savings will be matched when withdrawn to purchase an approved asset.

Degen and her family were able to finance their home with the help of the city of Auburn’s Homeownership program. To assist with the down payment, Degen received a 4-to-1 match

– everything they saved was matched four times. To participate in the program, one of the requirements was that she had to attend “Financing Your Future” classes through Women, Work and Community.

The Financing Your Future class helps participants gain skills and confidence needed to make the most of their money, pay bills, reduce debt, find money for savings, and set personal financial goals.

“We met five different times. The classes were very informative, with guest presenters from different backgrounds to motivate us,” said Degen. “They helped me to look to the future, prepare for the unexpected, how to budget, look at what we really do spend.” Degen

and her family kept a very detailed diary of their spending; they realized where they could cut back and saved more than they expected.

Laurie McDonnell from Women, Work, and Community says the FDA program was a perfect match for Degen and her family. “There are income guidelines and specific actions that the participants have to take. They fit the income guidelines, they had the drive and could benefit personally from the knowledge they gained.”

Degen was so engaged in the process and provided important feedback, so the city of Auburn invited her to be on their Community Development Loan Committee. The committee rev i ews ap p lic ant s f o r th e

Auburn Home Ownership and Rehabilitation Programs. They consider a family’s cash flow, credit, use of matching funds, and collateral, as well as the public benefit of the project.

According to Gail Phoenix from the city of Auburn, Degen was asked to serve because she is familiar with the programs. “She understands the discipline and work required to be a homeowner on limited resources.

As a family they have shown a commitment to being a positive influence on their community. “ Two years later, Degen and her family are still thankful for the help of Women, Work, and Community.

Eva Degen page 6 ‰

Advertising Supplement to the Sun Journal, Lewiston, Maine, Saturday, June 19, 2010

Hybrid cars are hot, but what are they?

E

ven if you drive a hybrid car, you probably don’t know some basic facts about your car and what makes it work. Hybrid cars use two separate engines for propulsion, usually an electric motor and a gasoline-powered engine. And while auto companies usually act as if hybrids are all the same, they come in three main forms: series hybrids, plug-ins and parallel hybrids.

Series hybrids use an electric motor to power a car’s movement -- the gas engine just recharges the electric battery. In plugin hybrids, the electric engine’s battery can be charged directly through an electric outlet. The car is propelled by the electric motor alone, and most plug-ins also include a combustion engine for battery regeneration.

In parallel hybrids, the electric motor and the internal combustion engine can work both individually or in unison, powering the vehicle for peak performance. For example, Porsche, a company known for building high-performance cars, has developed two completely different hybrid systems -one for the racetrack and one for the road.

The road-going vehicle, the Cayenne S Hybrid, uses an advanced full parallel hybrid design with the electric motor between the combustion engine and the transmission.

The Cayenne S Hybrid, a high-performance SUV, is as fast as the V8-powered Cayenne, but is the most fuel-efficient version in the model line-up. The 47 horsepower electric motor is an ideal partner for the 333 horsepower supercharged engine, providing a considerable amount of high torque at low speeds. When working in unison, the two units deliver a maximum system output of 380 brake horsepower and a peak torque of 427 pounds per foot at just 1,000 revolutions per minute.

Given a reserved, moderate style of motoring, for example, in a residential area, the Hybrid Manager allows the driver to cover short distances on electric power alone and therefore absolutely free of emissions, driving at speeds of up to nearly 40 mph. The combustion engine may be completely switched off at speeds of up to 97 mph, being fully disengaged from the drivetrain when no further power is required. In this so-called “sailing mode,” the drag forces exerted by the combustion engine are eliminated in the interest of lower drive resistance and fuel consumption. The Cayenne S Hybrid is the only hybrid capable of this driving mode. (NewsUSA).

Women and beer: A match made in history

By H. Luke Livingston Freelance Writer

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omen’s role in beer and brewing is as ancient as civilization itself. The Sumerians worshiped the goddess brewer Ninkasi, a woman who they believed created the first beer, a porridge-like substance called Kash. In pharaonic Egypt, the goddess Hathor was called the “queen of drunkenness and dance, the inventress of beer.” The ancient Finns believed three women first created ale for a wedding feast and Cerevisia, the Ancient Romans’ version of beer, was named for Ceres, the harvest goddess.

Though many civilizations believed that mythical women first created beer, for centuries actual women also did the household brewing. In medieval England, ale was a dietary staple for adults and children alike as water and milk were filled with bacteria and were harmful to drink.

But, beer which had been boiled down, was free of such contaminants.

It has been recorded that men and women consumed up to a gallon of beer each day. During the 14th century, virtually all English ale-brewers were women, a trend which continued for centuries and one which traveled across the pond to the New World.

In Colonial America, brewing was done in nearly ever y homestead throughout the colonies and the brewing process was almost always performed by women, a chore they seemed to enjoy. In her 1785-1812 diary, Maine midwife Martha Ballard complains at some length about laundering, but sounds quite pleased with her chores on brewing day.

Unfor tunately, with the rise of industrial brewing in the U.S., women’s role in brewing was greatly diminished, almost disappearing all together for generations. However, with the resurgence of smaller-batch, handcrafted microbrews in the last 20 years, women are again finding their place in the industry. Both across the country – the CEO of New Belgian Brewing Co., the country’s third largest craft brewery, is a woman named Kim Jordan – and right here in Maine, women play an increasingly important and public role in

Advertising Supplement to the Sun Journal, Lewiston, Maine, Saturday, June 19, 2010

the industry.

Dee Dee Germain moved to Maine from Virginia in 2001 and went to work at Allagash Brewing Company in Portland seven years ago. “I went to Flatbread Pizza one night and the server recommended an Allagash White. It was instant love. A year later when I was looking for work, I decided that Allagash should give me a job. So I called and asked them to hire me and teach me to brew. They said no that day and yes a week later,” explained Germain.

“I have been at Allagash for about seven years. I have never had a job for that long in my life. Needless to say, if I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t still be there.

We have a good group of people. It is a fun environment to work in and Rob [Todd], the owner, has always been very receptive to my need for new challenges. I went from being an assistant brewer to a brewer to plant and equipment maintenance and now I am communications and marketing. It helps to have a boss who sympathizes with your ADD.” As for what it is like being a woman in the brewing industry, Germain said, “I have never worked in an industry where people are so engaged, obsessed almost, with what they do. In some ways, that shared obsession makes being a woman less of an issue because the focus is so singular. Having said that, sometimes it is hard to be the only woman at a brewer’s event. That, fortunately, is happening less and less. This year at the Craft Brewer’s Conference in Chicago, I think there were as many women as men at certain events.”

While such a change in the brewing industry is absolutely a positive one, and women are quickly finding their place among their previously maledominated counterparts, the change is still a slow one. Said Germain, “In general, when you walk into a room full of people in our industry, the men don’t usually have to explain what they are doing there.” But as women’s roles continue to expand within the industry and the craft beer industry itself continues to expand within the nation’s culture, it won’t be too long before women are as expected at industry events as men.

About the Author: Luke Livingston, 25, of South Portland is a graduate of Edward Little HS (’03) and Clark University (’07). Livingston is the founder and president of Lewiston’s own Baxter Brewing Co. and the author of www.

BlogAboutBeer.com.

Job hunting: The interview

By Jeanne Paquette Employment Times I landed an interview, now what?

The kids are grown, you’ve decided to go back into the workforce and it’s been a learning process on how to apply for jobs. After months of sending out resumes, attending networking events and letting everyone know that you’re looking for a job, finally, you’ve been called in for an interview. Where should you begin? In a tight economy, it’s considered an “employers market” so you’re well aware that competition is tough. It’s critical to put your best foot forward. As many have heard before, you only have one chance to make a first impression. How can you make a positive, lasting, unique impression?

Research the company. Even though you did some research before you applied, now it’s time to find out more. Educate yourself on the history, organizational structure, products and services offered, and the demographic of employees (Baby Boomers, Gen Y’s, X’s or Millenials). What is the culture like? A good way is try and connect with a current employee of the company.

Dress for success. After finding more out about the culture, you’ll want to know how to dress appropriately for the interview. Rule of thumb is to dress one step up from the norm. For example, if women tend to wear khakis with some type of blouse and clogs, try to find a classic jacket in a neutral color over slacks that coordinate well. Make sure the clothes fit well, not too tight or too baggy maybe use a scarf for accent color. Make sure your hair is well kempt, your jewelry is simple and makeup is light. For this particular example, leave the extra piercing jewelry and cover tattoos if possible.

Know what’s on your resume (and bring extra copies with you). Practice with someone and let the person use your resume to ask you questions.

Note the point you want to make that gives the interviewer a clear picture of the “fit” for the position in which you’re applying.

Locate the location. If possible, drive to the location where the interview is being held so you’ll know what time to leave your house. Knowing the way will reduce the stress.

Have references ready. I recommend contacting your references before the interview so you can give the interviewer the names and contact info for each.

Personalize your thank-you. After the interview, send the interviewer(s) a hand written thank-you note.

This is a lost art and will be sure to have you stand out from the others. However, if you do this, remember to ask for a business card so you have correct spellings and titles of all persons involved.

Interviews can be nerve wracking. The more prepared you are the more confident you’ll come across! Breathe, breathe, breathe ... and good luck.

About the author: Jeanne Paquette is the publisher for Employment Times LLC, producers of Employment Times, MyJobWave.com, HRTimes magazine and HRTimesOnline.com.

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Rachel Morin gets the word out Where the girls are: The facts about gender equity in education

By Dan Marois Freelance Writer When it comes to getting publicity, Rachel Morin of Auburn is an expert.

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he recently volunteered to do publicity for a mid-February production called “A Taste Of Broadway” at the Franco-American Heritage Center in Lewiston. She had a detailed publicity plan that included a series of press releases and photos that would be released to the media on schedule over a few weeks time before the show. Morin made it look easy, while implementing the plan with military precision.

And what were the results? “Every single seat at the Franco Center was filled,” said Denise Marois, the show’s director. “When it comes to getting the word out, Rachel is a whiz!”

A registered nurse by profession, retiring from General Electric in 1998 after 17 years as occupational health care manager, Morin has always had a knack for combining public relations with community service.

“My writing began very young when I would sit at the kitchen table and write to my aunts who lived out of state,” said Morin. “Then, when I was 11 years old in Girl Scout Troop 21 at St. Joseph’s Church, Lewiston, I was elected Scribe for the troop which involved sending a monthly article on what our troop was doing to the Lewiston Evening Journal. This piqued my interest in writing for a newspaper.”

It was later on at Lewiston High School that Morin really began to learn the craft of newspaper writing.

“In high school, I met Johnny Robinson who was the editor of the Journal School Page that came out every Friday in the Lewiston Evening Journal. This was for all the area schools (back) in the 1950s. This was so much fun and I learned a lot from Johnny Robinson,” said Morin, paying tribute to one of her mentors. “I think of him every so often to this day.

“When I married, I branched out and did public relation pieces f o r chu rch e s a n d n o n - p r o f i t organizations for their fund raising

10 WOMEN’S JOURNAL

Submitted photo Rachel Morin events and social activities, like the Knights of Columbus, American Red Cross events... ,” said Morin. “In later years, the list grew to include schools, libraries and Habitat for Humanity’s fund raising activities.”

As if that didn’t keep her busy enough, Morin also ser ved as the editor of The Philippian, the newsletter for St. Philip’s Church and more recently, Back stage Whispers, Community Little Theatre’s newsletter.

Morin was married for 38 years to Gerard L. Morin who passed away in 1997. She and her husband raised three children including daughters Cathy and Liz of Portland and South Portland, and son Gerry of Turner.

She’s a proud grandmother to Cathy’s children, Sam, Emma and Adam.

Her personal time is often spent among her perennial flower beds; planting, transplanting, and visiting all the plant and flower sales. She’s also traveled extensively citing Ireland, Italy, France, Turkey, and Egypt among her favorite locations.

Now retired and in the seventh decade of life, Morin still maintains a hectic schedule, much of it centered on writing, theatre, and community service.

“I remain active in PR for Out of the Box Theater and Community Little Theatre where I appeared onstage in productions of ‘The Mouse Trap’ and ‘Inherit the Wind,’” said Morin. “I (also) attend every play I possibly can in Lewiston-Auburn and beyond.”

“I have always been service minded and oriented,” said Morin. “I feel volunteers are the backbone of America and without volunteers, non-profit organizations would fail.”

nalyses of results from national standardized tests such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress and the SAT and ACT college entrance examinations, as well as other measures of educational achievement, provide an overall picture of trends in gender equity from elementary school to college and beyond. Differences among girls and among boys by race/ethnicity and family income level are evaluated. Together these analyses support three overarching facts about gender equity in schools today:

1. Girls’ successes don’t come at boys’ expense.

Educational achievement is not a zero-sum game, in which a gain for one group results in a corresponding loss for the other. If girls’ success comes at the expense of boys, one would expect to see boys’ scores decline as girls’ scores rise, but this has not been the case. Geographical patterns further demonstrate the positive connection between girls’ and boys’ educational achievement. In states where girls do well on tests, boys also do well, and states with low test scores among boys tend to also have low scores among girls.

High school and college graduation rates present a similar story. Women are attending and graduating from high school and college at a higher rate than are their male peers, but these gains have not come at men’s expense. Indeed, the proportion of young men graduating from high school and earning college degrees today is at an all-time high. Women have made more rapid gains in earning college degrees, especially among older students, where women outnumber men by a ratio of almost 2-to-1. The gender gap in college attendance is almost absent among those entering college directly after graduating from high school, however, and both women and men are more likely to graduate from college today than ever before.

2. On average, girls’ and boys’ educational performance has improved.

From standardized tests in elementar y and secondary school to college entrance examinations, average test scores have risen or remained stable for both girls and boys in recent decades. Similarly, both women and men are more likely to graduate from high school and college today than ever before.

3. Understanding disparities by race/ethnicity and family income level is critical to understanding girls’ and boys’ achievement.

Family income level and race/ethnicity are closely associated with academic performance.

On standardized tests such as the NAEP, SAT, and ACT, children from the lowest-income families have the lowest average test scores, with an incremental rise in family income associated with a rise in test scores. Race/ethnicity is also strongly connected to test scores, with African American and Hispanic children—both girls and boys— scoring lower than white and Asian American children score.

Gender differences in educational achievement vary by race/ ethnicity and family income level.

For example, girls often have outperformed boys within each racial/ethnic group on the NAEP reading test. When broken down by race/ ethnicity, however, this gender gap is found to be most consistent among white students, less so among African American students, and least among Hispanic students. Similarly, boys overall have outperformed girls on both the math and verbal portions of the SAT. Disaggregated by family income level, however, the male advantage on the verbal portion of the SAT is consistently seen only among students from low-income families. Gender differences seen in one group are not always replicated within another group.

Drawing from educational indicators from fourth grade to college, this report examines gender equity trends since the 1970s. The results put to rest fears of a “boys’ crisis” in education, demonstrating that girls’ gains have not come at boys’ expense. Overall, educational outcomes for both girls and boys have generally improved or stayed the same. Girls have made especially rapid gains in many areas, but boys are also gaining ground on most indicators of educational achievement. Large discrepancies by race/ ethnicity and family income level remain. These long-standing inequalities could be considered a “crisis” in the sense that action is needed urgently.

But the crisis is not specific to boys; rather, it is a crisis for African American, Hispanic, and lowincome children.

Courtesy of AAUW, formerly known as the American Association of University Women. For the full report, visit aauw.org.

Advertising Supplement to the Sun Journal, Lewiston, Maine, Saturday, June 19, 2010