National Guard announces promotions

Brig. Gen. James D. Campbell, The Adjutant General for the Maine National Guard, announced the following promotions: Jacob Watson , SPC, South Portland, Company B, 3/172d Infantry (Mountain); Tyler Jordan, PFC, Scarborough, 262d Engineer Company; and Spencer Luke , PFC, Scarborough , Company B, 3/172d Infantry (Mountain).

Soldiers were promoted to rank in September 2012.

Play opening ?in Cape

Cape Elizabeth High School Theatre Department presents “How to succeed in business without really trying,” opening on Thursday, Nov. 15 and running through Nov. 21.

All shows are at 7 p.m., except Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets at the door – no reservations required (adults $9 and children/students/seniors $5) Doors open a half hour before curtain.

The musical stars Griffin Carpenter, Sam Barksdale, and Devin Maguire. The music director is Flash Allen, and the director is Richard Mullen.

Cape’s program is known for being student-driven. The band includes students Cliff Bauman, Seth Queeney, and Justin Cary.

The CEHS Auditorium is located at 345 Ocean House Road. For more information, contact Mullen at 799-3309 or rmullen@capeelizabethschools.org.

Bank named top place to work

Biddeford Savings was named one of the top places to work in Maine in the Maine State Council of the Society for Human Resources Management’s seventh annual ranking of the top places to work in the state.

The 2012 Best Places to Work in Maine program recognizes companies that establish and consistently foster outstanding workplace environments. The assessment process, administered by the Best Companies Group, evaluated each company’s employee policies and procedures as well as responses from the company’s employees. The program marks the most recent step in a long-term initiative to encourage growth and excellence throughout all Maine companies.

Biddeford Savings, an independent, mutual savings bank founded in 1867, has offices in Biddeford, Kennebunk, Scarborough and Waterboro. To learn more, visit biddefordsavings.com.

Donations sought for animal shelter

The Homeless Animal Rescue Team of Maine (HART), a no-kill adoption center and shelter for cats and kittens, is actively collecting item donations for the Litterbox Auction, a major fundraising event scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 10, at 6:30 p.m. at the Italian Heritage Center in Portland.

Tickets are now available for $25 per person in advance at www.hartofme.com or by sending a check to: HART, PO Box 351, Cumberland, ME 04021. Tickets will be available for $35 at the door.

The auction will have at least 300 items of all types for people to bid on. The silent and live auction will feature restaurant gift certificates, jewelry, spa services, a men’s section, and home and garden items from all over the Greater Portland area. There are also Maine cottage rentals on Frye Island and Highland Lake plus a vacation rental on Anna Maria Island in Florida. Coast 93.1’s Ethan Minton is the host for the evening. There will be appetizers, a cash bar, and special musical guests, the Sweet Adelines, will perform.

The Homeless Animal Rescue Team is located at 302 Range Road in Cumberland, Maine.

Real estate seminar especially ?for women

Real estate: Is now the right time to invest? For women who have asking themselves that question, a free informational seminar might give some answers. The session is Tuesday, Nov. 13, from 5:30-7 p.m., at the Pepper Club, 78 Middle St., Portland.

Experts including Bridget King, owner and investor, Maine Real Estate Network; and April Ylvisaker, a financial adviser with Merrill Lynch, will offer their advice. There will be time for questions and answers and networking, as well. To register, call 221-5000, ext. 370.

The event is presented by Balance Network for Women, and is sponsored by Evergreen Credit Union and Maine Women magazine.

Help available for veterans

Local veterans will be able to get free help with their V.A. disability benefit applications and appeals on Saturday, Oct. 27, at the Portland Public Library through a free clinic sponsored by the Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP).

Several volunteer attorneys and law students will provide free legal assistance to veterans applying for V.A. disability benefits from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Portland Public Library at 5 Monument Square, Portland. Veterans interested in making an appointment ahead of time should call Rob Liscord, AmeriCorps VISTA member at 400-3232, although no appointment is necessary.

Church names music director

The West Scarborough United Methodist Church has selected Amy Prosser as its new music director. A 1997 graduate of Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania, Prosser holds a bachelor’s degree with honors in religion and English. She earned a second degree in music from the University of Vermont in 2003. Most recently the organist at North Parish Congregational United Church of Christ in Sanford, Prosser has previously served a choir director apprenticeship and as a junior choir director at churches in Vermont. She has studied the organ for more than 10 years, most recently with Ray Cornils, Portland’s municipal organist, at Merrill Auditorium.

Fort Williams plan winner announced

In an Oct. 19 reception at the Cape Elizabeth home of Maria Gallace and Tim Soley, attended by more than 150 people, the Fort Williams Foundation announced Portland-based Mitchell and Associates as the winner of a design competition to build a children’s garden as one of 14 sites in the ongoing Fort Williams Arboretum project.

Mitchell employee Sashie Misner, described as a “specialist in natural play spaces for children,” will undertake the final design. Mitchell’s preliminary sketch was selected from among five local landscape architects invited to join the competition, including Peter Burke Landscape Architecture, Terrence J. DeWan & Associates, Regina S. Leonard Landscape Architecture & Design, and Richardson & Associates.

The competition and design of the garden is funded in large part by a $17,500 donation from the Rotary Club of South Portland – Cape Elizabeth. A $2.5 million capital campaign has been launched to fund upcoming arboretum sites, including the children’s garden, the Cliff Walk Promenade, the Cliff Walk Entrance, Lighthouse View and the Fort Williams Park Gateway Entrance.

Surfers took to Higgins Beach in Scarborough Monday morning to hit the huge waves arriving ahead superstorm Sandy. Scarborough police postponed Halloween trick-or-treating from Wednesday to Saturday due to the storm, but authorities reported little damage Tuesday morning. For other storm-related information, go to keepmecurrent.com.    
Wyatt Adams is the first person to negotiate the monkey bars following the opening of the new $86,062 playground, built by M.E. O’Brien & Sons Inc. of Medfield, Mass., at the Wainwright Farm Recreation Complex in South Portland on Oct. 12.