As part of the company’scommitment to giving back to local communities, Poland Spring is teachinghundreds of Maine school kids about water quality, conservation andenvironmental impact. The final trout release of the year will take place inKingfield, Maine on Friday, May 29th.Poland Spring Education Coordinator Heather McBean is the driving force behindthe program, which Poland Spring began funding in 2008. At today’s troutrelease McBean said, “Poland Spring is committed to protecting and preservingland near our spring sites to ensure the long-term sustainability of localwatersheds. Through this program, we can pass along the values of stewardshipand conservation and give these kids a direct connection to their local watersystem.”Poland Spring has expanded the program this year to reach 380 fifth gradestudents in four school districts, up from 180 students last year. The programserves students in communities where Poland Spring has invested in its threebottling plants and satellite spring sources: Poland, Minot and Mechanic Falls(Poland plant); Kingfield, Phillips, Stratton and Strong (Kingfield plant);Hollis and Buxton (Hollis plant); and Denmark and Fryeburg (Poland Springsatellite source and water station).Mary Semons, a teacher at the Hanson School in Buxton praised the program.”Having our classes participate this year in the Trout in the Classroomprogram has been a great learning experience for all. Through the monthlyinteractive lessons led by Poland Spring educators, our students havedeveloped an understanding of ecosystems and have learned to appreciate waterresources.
The day of release was a wonderful culminating activity.”Students begin by learning to raise baby trout in incubator tanks in theirclassroom. This hands-on activity is integrated into lessons about waterquality, ecosystems, habitat protection and data collection. The projectculminates when students release the fish that they have raised into a localstream. Poland Spring pays for all equipment and materials as well asvolunteering significant staff time to the project.Trout in the Classroom was originally developed by the Portland WaterDistrict, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Trout Unlimited and the AtlanticSalmon Federation. McBean became interested in the idea following aconversation with Lynne Richards of the Portland Water District.
According toMcBean, “It seemed like a perfect fit for Poland Spring, because we are alwayslooking for opportunities to give back to our communities in a meaningful way.With Trout in the Classroom, we can help raise a generation of kids who careabout the environment and understand their impact on water quality.”Poland Spring funds a range of educational and conservation activitiesthroughout Maine including the LabVenture program at the Gulf of MaineResearch Institute, a non-profit program that enables kids from everycommunity in the state to travel to Portland and learn about Maine’s waterresources. Since 2000, Poland Spring has given over $2.5 million dollars tolocal Maine communities and causes.ABOUT POLAND SPRING: Since 1845, Poland Spring has been using an abundant,renewable resource in Maine. Today, Poland Springoperates three bottlingplants in Poland Spring, Hollis and Kingfield. The Kingfield facility, openedin February of this year, represents a $60 million investment and 40+ new jobsin western Maine. Poland Spring also operates satellite spring sources locatedin Fryeburg, Poland, Dallas Plantation, Pierce Pond Township and St Albans. Today Poland Spring:–Employs 800 Maine people across the state–Has invested over $439 million in capital in Maine since 1992–Provides about $40 million to the economy in payroll–Spends over $65 million directly with Maine vendors–Has invested over $2.5 million in community giving since 2000 tosupportschools, fire and rescue, environmental conservation, and many localandstatewide causes.SOURCEPoland SpringHeather McBean, Poland Spring Education Coordinator, +1-207-240-0078,. * Q1 loss/shr $0.06 vs est loss/shr $0.08 Stocks * Sees Q2 loss/shr $0.17-$0.14 * To open 36 new stores in fiscal 2009 * Shares fall 10 pct May 21 (Reuters) – Zumiez Inc (ZUMZ.O) posted anarrower-than-expected quarterly loss, helped by strong productmargins, but shares fell 10 percent as the snowboarding gearretailer forecast a weak second quarter.
The company lost $1.7 million, or 6 cents a share, in thefirst quarter, compared with net income of $1.4 million, or 5cents a share, a year earlier. Analysts were expecting a loss of 8 cents a share, beforespecial items, according to Reuters Estimates. Net sales for the quarter ended May 2, fell 2.4 percent to$76.8 million.For the second quarter, the mall-based retailer, whichcaters to young men and women between ages 12 and 24 years,sees a loss of 14 cents to 17 cents a share. Analysts wereexpecting a loss of 7 cents a share for the period. Zumiez, whose rivals include Pacific Sunwear of CaliforniaInc (PSUN.O) and Hot Topic Inc (HOTT.O), said it expectscomparable-store sales to decline in low-to-mid twenty percentrange for the second quarter. Shares of the Everett, Washington-based company weretrading down 10 percent at $10.00 after the bell. They closedat $11.10 Thursday on Nasdaq.(Reporting by Amitha Rajan in Bangalore; Editing by AradhanaAravindan) Stocks.
As Congress Debates Clean Energy/Climate Legislation and World GovernmentsNegotiate Global Climate Agreement, American People Issue Clear Mandate forActionWASHINGTON–(Business Wire)–An estimated 80 million Americans participated in Earth Hour 2009 in anunprecedented global vote for action on climate change, World Wildlife Fundofficials announced today. Globally, nearly a billion people are estimated tohave participated in the March 28th event, in which more than 4,100 cities andiconic landmarks around the world went dark for one hour. According to polling conducted by Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates on behalfof WWF, nearly 30% of US adults surveyed reported taking part in Earth Hour,with 85% of those surveyed agreeing that climate change is an important globalissue that affects all of us and must be addressed before it becomes an evenbigger problem. “The American people have sent a clear mandate to our nation`s decision-makers:they want action on climate change,” said WWF President and CEO Carter Roberts.”From coast-to-coast, more than 300 cities went dark as citizens, businesses,communities, and state governments, turned out the lights to take a stand onthis defining issue of our time. As members of Congress debate a new cleanenergy jobs package that would dramatically reduce the pollution that is causingclimate change, they should take note of the clear call for action from theirconstituents.” Of those surveyed, 80 percent said they support the negotiation of aninternational agreement to address climate change.
