Local communities sign on to energy-savings challenge
KeySpan Energy has teamed up with two federal agencies to encourage businesses, residents, and local governments to cut energy use and give a boost to the environment.
"The Community Energy Challenge," run by the Environmental Protection Agency, asks local residents and municipalities to increase energy efficiency by 10 percent and reduce their output of carbon dioxide and other contributors to air pollution.
Participants are asked to determine how much energy they use, then take steps to button down their homes, businesses, or municipal buildings. Across New England, 30 local governments have signed on, including Haverhill, Melrose, and Salem.
KeySpan, the region's largest provider of energy, has linked its own promotion, "Be Green, Win Green," which aims to reduce greenhouse gases, to the EPA effort.
KeySpan will conduct free energy audits for the Community Energy Challenge.
On average, about 1 percent of KeySpan customers agree to take the "Be Green" challenge.
But in Haverhill, the response rate is four times the average, and in Melrose and Salem, three times the average, since local officials launched citywide challenges last month, according to KeySpan.
"The response has surpassed KeySpan's expectations," said Carmen Fields, a spokeswoman for the utility.
Separately, KeySpan has teamed up with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to encourage residents of public housing to take similar conservation steps.
The company will offer advice to tenants and public housing authorities to cut energy costs, which account for 10 percent of HUD's $4 billion annual budget, the agency said.
Lynn chamber chief takes Beverly job
Kevin Donahue, longtime executive director of the Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce, will leave his post Sept. 7 for a new venture in Beverly.
Donahue has been named managing director at Sandler Sales Institute, a local franchise of a national business development company, based at the Cummings Center. In his new job, he hopes to help businesses boost sales and identify new market opportunities.
"I've gained a lot of insight into many different businesses, working at the chamber," said Donahue, 44, who worked for the organization for 17 years. "It's the right time for me to make a career move."
John Olson, president of the Lynn chamber, credited Donahue with helping it grow. The nonprofit business alliance has about 600 members from Lynn, Lynnfield, Nahant, and Swampscott.
"He really reached out to the communities, and that's made us a much stronger voice for business," said Olson, president of Columbia Insurance in downtown Lynn.
He credited Donahue with opening lines of communication with Lynn officials. "He was able to articulate the needs of the business community at City Hall, and at the same time, convey to us what City Hall expected from the business community," Olson said. "He will be sorely missed."
The chamber soon will look for a new leader. Before that, it will hold its annual golf outing and auction on Aug. 13 at Gannon Municipal Golf Course in Lynn. All 144 spots are sold out, but the chamber still is seeking businesses to sponsor holes, and hopes particularly for an auto dealership to offer a free car for a hole-in-one. The chamber also is seeking donations of sports, theater, and concert tickets for the auction. Call the chamber at 781-592-2900.
Kia of Danvers to close doors
Kia of Danvers has hit the end of the road on Route 1, where the dealership will close on Aug. 17, the company that has owned it announced last week.
"We have decided not to continue our franchise agreement with Kia Motors," Marshall Jespersen, president of International Cars Ltd., said in a statement.
The employee-owned company has no immediate plans to reuse the site, the statement said.
The company is working with the dealership's 18 employees to help them find new jobs, a spokeswoman said.
International Cars also owns seven other dealerships, including Honda North, off Route 1, near the Danvers/Topsfield line, where the company's headquarters are located.
Datebook
After a summer break, the Homebased Businesswomen's Network on Thursday will resume its monthly luncheon meetings at the Village Green restaurant on Route 1 in Danvers. New officers and board members are president, Elaine Abramo, head of Abramo's Business Consulting of Salem; vice president, Dyan deNapoli, the Penguin Lady of Georgetown; treasurer, Wendy Markiewicz, Markiewicz Accounting & Bookkeeping Services in Haverhill; secretary, Miriam Klamkin, Night Vision Astrology, Beverly; visitor host, Lisa Kawski, LMK Interiors Ltd., Wenham; newsletter editor: Kate Victory Hannisian, Blue Pencil Consulting, Danvers; and historian, Elizabeth Benson, Dove Haven Studio, Groveland.
At Thursday's meeting, the guest speaker will be Kate Ritter, owner of PC9Lives, a Gloucester-based computer repair/training company. She will speak about maintaining personal computers. The program is free for members, $10 for guests. To register, visit h-b-n.org.
Kathy McCabe can be reached at kmccabe@globe.com 
