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BIZNorth Briefcase

Andover resident Robert Laramie was recently named chief information officer at Beverly and Addison Gilbert hospitals.

As chief information officer, Laramie will work closely with all facets of Northeast Health System, which includes Beverly and Addison Gilbert hospitals, as well as a full continuum of inpatient, outpatient and behavioral health services throughout the North Shore, to foster electronic interconnectivity and develop the use of cutting-edge technology to deliver the best care possible to members of the community.

Laramie joins the organization from Lahey Clinic, where he was director of information systems and a leader in the development and implementation of their enterprise-wide electronic health record system. Prior to that position, Laramie owned a management and systems consulting firm specializing in financial, clinical and decision support systems within the healthcare industry.

He is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire and holds a Master of Science in computer information systems from Bentley College.

The Hampstead, N.H., BeanTowne Coffee House and Cafe was recently awarded the Golden Cup Award by the Specialty Coffee Association of America, the largest coffee trade association in the country.

In conjunction with the award, BeanTowne owner Ed Goyette was nationally certified as one of only two coffee brewmasters in the state of New Hampshire. To gain certification, he completed an extensive training program focused on the science of coffee, and demonstrated his ability to achieve the golden cup standard in his caf….

BeanTowne's gold cup is the first in Southern New Hampshire, and one of only two that has ever been won in the state.

The award, based on the science of coffee, evaluates a caf…'s coffee program, taking into consideration every variable in the brewing process, including proper grind size, water quality, temperature, PH levels, coffee-to-water ratio, contact time and roast level. While holding times, staff training, and coffee knowledge all play into the end result, the majority of the judging is done with the brew water and end product in a laboratory.

To achieve the award, BeanTowne submitted samples of its water and brewed coffee for analysis. The caf… also underwent an in-depth inspection of their entire coffee program from a leading coffee industry expert.

Ground was recently broken at a commercial property adjacent to the Tarshi Law Offices, 510 Essex Street, Lawrence, by the Tarshi family. The ground-breaking and ribbon-cutting ceremony was the fourth in a series of commercial property investments by the family in downtown Lawrence.

So far, one tenant - a national clothing company - has tentatively signed on to lease 6,000 square feet of the new building, with the remaining space available for two more tenants, said Michael Tarshi Jr., who is spearheading the project for the Tarshi family. He said the building should be done by early next year.

Local figures at the ceremony included Lawrence City Planner Michael Sweeney, property developer Michael Tarshi Jr., Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce President Joe Bevilacqua, Lawrence Mayor Michael Sullivan, attorney Michael Tarshi, City Councillor Nick Kolofoles and Lawrence Inspectional Services Director Myles Burke.

Jana Oettinger, an internal medicine physician, will return to Pentucket Medical Associates in Haverhill and re-establish her private practice there in September. For the past three years, Oettinger has been serving as a hospitalist at Merrimack Valley Hospital.

Oettinger earned her medical degree at Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest University. She served her internship and residency in internal medicine at Boston Medical Center, and was named assistant chief resident in 1998. She was awarded the R. Knight Steele Award in Geriatric Care by Boston Medical Center and has a special clinical interest in women's health issues. She is board certified in internal medicine.

New England Investment & Retirement Group, Inc., an independent financial services firm located in North Andover, recently announced the hiring of Haverhill residents Paula Bergeron and Jaclyn Callison.

Bergeron is a recent graduate of the University of Massachusetts and has a bachelor's degree in sociology. She also has prior experience in customer service and sales.

Callison brings with her more than nine years experience in the financial services industry, including custody operations, client services and trading. She is presently studying for her series 6 & 63 licensure.

Founded in 1995, NEINV is a registered investment adviser providing wealth management, retirement and investment planning services to families, professionals and business owners in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Century 21 Bridge Realty recently announced that Southern N.H. residents Carol Cachion and Janet Lambert joined the firm as sales associates. They will specialize in residential property sales in Southern New Hampshire.

An experienced sales associate, Cachion will work in the company's Plaistow office; Lambert will be a GRI broker associate and will work out of the Epping office.

Century 21 Bridge Realty is a full service real estate brokerage company with offices in Epping, Exeter, Hampstead and Plaistow, N.H.

Christine Burke of Andover was recently given membership in the Million Dollar Round Table, a premier association of financial professionals based in Park Ridge, Ill. The association provides continuing education and skills improvement for its members, helping them improve client service, serve their community and maintain strong personal values.

MDRT membership is given to less than one percent of the world's life insurance and financial services professionals. As a member, Burke will have to adhere to a strict code of ethics, focusing on providing top-notch client service and continue to grow professionally through involvement in at least one other industry association.

Founded in 1927, the MDRT is an international, independent association of more than 35,000 of the world's life insurance and financial service professionals, with membership from 75 nations and territories.