$10,000 grant supports Midcoast Hospitality House : The Camden Rotary Club has awarded a $10,000 grant to Knox County Homeless Coalition in support of Midcoast Hospitality House on Old County Road. The grant is helping the coalition provide housing and rehabilitation to homeless individuals and families in Knox County. (Photo by Peter Palermo)

Dream Local Digital of Rockland expands nationally

CALIFORNIA —­ The Light Digital, a subsidiary of Baybridge Communications, owner of KDIA and KDYA radio stations, has joined Rockland's Dream Local Digital's expanding Media Partners Program.

With the launch of their new digital agency, The Light Digital, Baybridge Communications will broaden market share, drive new revenue through digital media, and provide advertisers with a new suite of online marketing products.

This partnership will help build and strengthen relationships with local business owners interested in marketing with KDIA or KDYA, providing solutions ranging from website development, content strategy and social media, to search engine optimization, reputation management and email marketing.

Dream Local Digital expects The Light Digital to become local business owners' primary resource for advice in marketing, while diversifying the stations' revenue streams to succeed in the new media environment.

"We are thrilled to be working with the Baybridge Communications team to help them serve local businesses that are looking for support and solutions in online marketing. We've been lucky enough to meet with many of those businesses and are confident we'll be able to offer strong solutions in their market" ­ Shannon Kinney of Dream Local Digital.

Dream Local Digital is holding seminars to launch the new digital agency and enable local businesses to learn more about the new products. Dream Local Digital will work closely with the The Light Digital sales team, and will continue to provide sales training and social media management and development services to drive greater revenue through online media.

Complementing traditional media strategies with online offerings will enable the sales staff to provide a more broad set of tools to better serve their local advertisers and clients.

The Light Digital is a part of Baybridge Communications, a family-oriented media company, that owns KDIA and KDYA AM radio stations. The Light Digital is a digital media agency that works with local businesses to provide social media and online marketing, with product offerings ranging from reputation management and search engine optimization, to social media and email marketing.

Dream Local Digital is a digital marketing agency specializing in interactive media, marketing, SEO and social media. Dream Local Digital works with newspapers, media companies, ad agencies, and directly with small to medium-­sized businesses on all aspects of their online marketing plans, from website development, content strategy and social media to search engine optimization, reputation management and e­mail marketing. Subscribe to the Dream Local Digital blog for the latest trends and insights from their team of experts.­­­

For more information about Dream Local Digital, visit their website, send an e­mail, or contact the main office at 207.593.7665. To stay in touch, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

Rockland chocolate maker in the running for national recognition

Kate McAleer; Owner of Bixby & Co., maker of unique organic and certified sustainable chocolate bars, which recently opened a shop in Rockland, has been nominated to the Top 200 Young Entrepreneurs in the United States by Empact Showcase. Public on-line voting will narrow the list down to the top 100 by October 3.

"We are still in the public voting and we have to get as many 'likes' next to our company name as possible. We are currently number 11 with 126 votes, quite a ways from 1838 (the company in the lead)," says McAleer.

John Holden, Rockland Community Economic Development Director, added that, "Kate is a model young entrepreneur and one of a small handful who have made Rockland their home for business. We want to encourage her success and attract other entrepreneurs to our community."

According to its website, www.empactshowcase.com, the Empact Showcase highlights the power of America's top young entrepreneurs (35 and under) and the important role that they play in society. The Showcase celebrates the impact entrepreneurs make on the global economy, dispels myths about who entrepreneurs are & entrepreneurship as a career option, and motivates aspiring entrepreneurs by connecting them to role models.

The Showcase is sponsored, in part, by Entrepreneur Magazine.

The top entrepreneurs will be narrowed down by public on-line voting. The Top Empact 100 List is determined by the Empact Academy. The Academy includes Kay Koplovitz, Founder of USA Network and Sci-Fi Channel and Chairman of Springboard Enterprises; Mike DeLazzer, Founder of RedBox; Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos; and others.

To vote for McAleer and Bixby & Company, visit www.empactshowcase.com/company/5439-bixby--co-/2014.