Senior housing awarded funds
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston has awarded Bath Savings Institution and Yarmouth Senior Housing $1.6 million to fund the construction of 28 affordable senior housing units in Yarmouth. The apartments will be located on Bartlett Circle in Yarmouth village on the site owned by Yarmouth Senior Housing. The new development will be called Bartlett Circle Two.
The project is a collaboration between Yarmouth Senior Housing and Avesta Housing of Portland. Yarmouth Senior Housing is an all-volunteer community organization that has been providing affordable senior housing to Yarmouth residents since 1975. Avesta Housing is a nonprofit organization that provides affordable homes for people in need.
According to a press release, Bath Savings Institution sponsored Yarmouth Senior Housing and Avesta for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston’s annual Affordable Housing Program grants. The winning Bartlett Circle application has been awarded a $500,000 grant for the construction of the new $4 million facility, and an interest subsidy grant of $1,123,647 that will subsidize the interest on a $1.3 million loan from Bath Savings Institution for 20 years at a low fixed rate. Long-term financing at a fixed rate of interest helps assure that rents remain low and stable to those on fixed incomes. Rents are based on income limits of $26,000 for a single person and $32,000 for a couple.
Public works hosts open house
The town’s Public Works Department has scheduled an open house Saturday, May 16, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., at the 56 North Road facility. Equipment from various departments, including marine patrol, highway, parks and recreation, recycling, police and water district, will be on display. A fill-the-bucket food drive to benefit the Yarmouth Food Pantry will also take place. There will also be door prizes and other activities. Residents can also learn about the Code RED citizen emergency notification system and CHIP,Comprehensive Child Identification Program. Refreshments will be provided by the Yarmouth Fire Association.
Bus service is meeting topic
Metro bus is seeking community input on how all bus routes can be improved, proposed locations for new bus stop shelters, and the recommended design of the new Portland-Falmouth-Yarmouth-Freeport Express Bus Service. Merrill Memorial Library, 215 Main St., will host a community session on Monday, May 18 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Seminars focus on info for seniors
Merrill Memorial Library, 215 Main St., is presenting a Senior Seminar Lecture Series, Thursdays from 10 a.m.-noon.
The May 14 focus is on legal and financial issues and computers. On hand will be attorney Kathryn Longley from Norman Hanson & DeTroy; Grey Terry, High Tower Advisors; and Judy Knaub, CPA, E-Connection.
On May 21, the topics are AARP and senior fraud protection, with Yarmouth Police Detective Paul Martin, Jane Margesson of AARP and Jane Carpenter of Maine I.D. Theft Services.
On May 28, the topics are medical equipment, hospice and reverse mortgage. Guests are Lindsay Robinson of Southern Maine Audiology, Mark and Kelly Hassett of MedCor Professionals, Steve Eastman of Security 1 Lending and Martha Blackburn of Hospice of Southern Maine.
The June 4 topic is care planning for future years, with Lynn Peel of Beach Glass Transitions, Mary Willson of Bay Square at Yarmouth and Rich Blumenthal of Advantage Home Care.
The free events are co-sponsored by MML and PACES, Portland Area Coalition for Elder Services. For more information, call 846-4763, or see
www.yarmouthlibrary.org or www.pacesseniors.com.
Document shredding offered
The Yarmouth Recycling Committee is letting the public know that there will be a free document shredding service, Saturday, May 16, from 8-11 a.m., rain or shine, at Ameriprise Financial, 45 Forest Falls Drive. Limit is three boxes per customer. For more information, call 846-1175, ext. 208.
Yarmouth company wins industry award
Peter Troast, founder and CEO of the Yarmouth-based digital marketing company Energy Circle, has been selected as the 2015 recipient of the national Tony Woods Award for Excellence in Advancing the Home Performance Industry. The award was presented at the ACI National Home Performance Conference’s awards ceremony May 5 in New Orleans and recognized Troast as “the person who has most advanced the home performance industry over the past year, demonstrating extraordinary dedication to and activism in the home performance industry.”
According to a press release, Energy Circle, which more than doubled in 2014, is seeing similar sustained growth in 2015, adding multiple new technology and marketing positions and expanding existing departments. The company currently employs or contracts 18 people in the Greater Portland area and is planning to hire two new positions for the Yarmouth office in the next month. At the end of 2014, the company estimated that its client network has performed over $560 million in home performance retrofit work of existing housing stock aimed at energy use and carbon reduction, comfort, health, durability and value. It covers the broad spectrum of HVAC, insulation, energy audit and healthy home contractors.
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