[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] When I transferred high schools, one of the first kids I met introduced himself and said “I want to be a cop.” His interest never waned and sure enough, he became a police officer and has served for more than 35 years. Some...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Think about this. If accidents caused by distracted driving are making travel somewhat more hazardous, doesn’t it make sense to buy safer cars to protect yourself from potential perpetrators? Who hasn’t seen the driver ahead of you or one coming the other way...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] When the sleigh touches down on your roof and the jolly old soul alights on your property, is it the joy of the holidays that spring to mind or your liability and family safety? Seriously, there are eight animals parked on your roof...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] “Shoulda, woulda, coulda” are the laments of so many who don’t have a vision or conversation about their financial future. At some point we die and leave behind a spouse or heirs. Evermore, a surviving spouse can expect to live anywhere from a...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] The recent tragedies of lost lives in Portland and destroyed property in Biddeford due to fires have landlords and tenants talking about safety. The Southern Maine Landlord Association (SMLA) recently met in Portland to take a deeper dive into both building code standards...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Every year, residents of snow-prone states get an early reminder of winter when a place like Buffalo gets clobbered. Who could have imagined five to seven feet? Well, there might have been some; the folks who noted bushy squirrel tails, extra logs on...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text]We are proud to sponsor the Main Entrance of the newly refurbished civic center for Cumberland County. This is a major attraction for the region and, with substantial improvements, all the more enjoyable for world-class entertainment. Our sponsorship is part of our larger commitment...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] In the past year, the University of Southern Maine has been in the news as it navigates the white water of restructuring. It closed a $14 million deficit last year but now grapples with a current $16 million structural budget gap. Sadly, the...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Here are three common scenarios we all have done at some point in time: 1) pulled the battery or the wire from the smoke alarm when something set it off – and we didn’t reactivate it. 2) Pulled the battery from the alarm...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Imagine getting this email: Your company has retained our firm to identify security risks. Specifically, your computer has been identified as a possible security problem. Before we meet with your management team, please click this link to review our findings based on your...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Somewhere between 35 and 40, many adults find themselves donning their first pair of glasses. It’s nature’s way of saying “This is not a dress rehearsal.” So, what might you do to advance your career, support your family and be poised for the...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Here’s a dilemma. You’re both working, raising kids and saving or paying for college. Saving for retirement. You’re active in your community. Dad died and mom needs help getting around, being fed, getting dressed and bathing. You’re the adults on-deck. Welcome to the...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Your parents may have said “never ride with strangers” but Uber, the new cashless ride sharing app, has taken urban regions by storm. Though there are many virtues of the on-demand travel service, liability insurance coverage remains a question mark. What should you...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Ticks are nasty little buggers. They are raising havoc on both animals and people in Maine and New Hampshire. The moose population in both states is dying off due to winter ticks. Humans and pets are being sickened by the hard-to-see deer tick....
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Rub your hands in lotion, sprinkle them with glitter and then go about your work day. It’s a kids’ game to demonstrate how quickly germs spread through our places of work, schools and at home. With flu season upon us, there are a...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] This is not a call to retain your employment but a chance to improve your health. Most office workers spend nearly six hours a day sitting and about seven hours a day in bed according to the British Psychological Society. That does not...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] My mother’s life was like a drop of water on a hot skillet. She never stood still – always looking for the next great adventure to engage her time, energy and creativity. When our father died unexpectedly, “Ma” was sixty years old with...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Businesses large and small that accept credit cards in the United States are facing a harsh reality when it comes to fraud liability. In October 2015, most all major credit card companies will shift liability for data breaches and fraudulent purchasing onto businesses...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] The leading cause of death among young drivers in the United States is traffic accidents. Though people between ages 15 and 24 are about 14 percent of the total population, they are involved in more than 28 percent of accidents involving injuries. Those...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Hackers can guess 76 percent of the passwords in a data breach according to Agent & Broker magazine. As noted in recent local and national news stories, people always are scratching at your online door to obtain your data either directly or through...
