Metayer Family Eye Care - By Michelle Libby

Dr. Roxanne Metayer has been in business since 1985, giving vision care to all ages and members of the family as a doctor of optometry (eye doctor). From eye exams, contact lens services to detection of ocular diseases like Glaucoma and cataracts, Metayer treats most eye issues. She also does screenings for diabetic retinopathy. 
 

“Vision is the primary driving sense we use for most activities learning and earning. Sometimes glasses can make that more comfortable by correcting refractive conditions such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. 

The office, at 4B Commons Avenue in Windham, just off Route 302, offers a full service optical shop, which can be used by anyone in the community, not just patients of the office. “We have a wide selection of eyewear with all types of lenses, single vision to progressives and Transitions. 

Metayer has over 28 years of experience treating patients from ages 3 and up. Her oldest patient is in her nineties and drives herself to and from appointments, Metayer said. 

“Optometry is primary care, which includes prescription of topical antibiotics, but not include surgeries. We do remove foreign bodies from the surface of the eye,” she said. 

The office offers retinal photography and visual field examinations to detect vision issues, but does not treat Glaucoma, cataracts or diabetic eye disease. 

Metayer has four full-time employees and one intern, Carly Grondin. Melissa O’Brien is the office manager, Emily Wainwright is the receptionist, Kelly Latini is the optometric technician who does photo fields and contact lens fittings, and Karen Bartholomay is an optician. 

Each year Metayer is required to have 25 hours of training minimum and she attends at least one conference per year. 

She likes seeing children and recommends that “all children should have a routine vision exam before they start school. And, if you’re over 40 and you notice you’re pushing things away, it’s probably time to see your family eye doctor.”  

Metayer is married to Michael Metayer, who is also an optometrist who owns his own business at the Auburn Mall, and she has two sons.  

“I am truly a general optometrist,” Metayer said. 

For more information about Metayer Family Eye Care or to schedule an appointment, call 892-2273, visit www.metayerfamilyeyecare.com or visit them on Facebook.

Business spotlight - Coldwell Banker Team Real Estate - By Michelle Libby

A red chair shaped like a hand sits in the lobby of Coldwell Banker Team Real Estate, 778 Roosevelt Trail, a leftover memento from owner and broker Charlie Tufts time overseas. 
 

“It’s a happy chair, it makes people happy,” said owner and broker Karen Tufts. The bit of whimsy does not mean that the Tufts are not serious about real estate, because nothing could be further from the truth.

Coldwell Banker is the most recognizable name in the real estate business worldwide, Charlie said. He has worked with people from China, Vietnam, Spain, England and other countries, whether it’s for investment properties or a residential home. 

“We deal with the spectrum from a $15,000 mobile home in a trailer park to a $10.5 million estate on Big Sebago,” Charlie said. 

“We like the process. We like the hunt. Put that together with the human aspect, the things we hear and see, it’s just mindboggling,” said Charlie. He is adamant that being a real estate agent is not the same as being a salesperson. “You cannot make someone buy a house,” he said. “There’s too much money involved. We often get compared to used car salesmen. ‘What will it take to get you into this ranch?’” 

“We don’t focus on the paycheck, we focus on the client,” Charlie said. When clients come into the office, they want them to feel like they are coming into a home. 

The Tufts follow real estate trends closely. They watch the market and can see when things are going to be up or down. “We’ve been doing it for a lot of years. We’re constantly talking about the business,” Charlie said. “The only thing we know is it’s going to be unpredictable.” 

Right now there are 13 agents working in the Team Real Estate office and Charlie likes it to be between 15 and 18 agents, not all of them full-time. Due to some offices closing and others being sold, the team covers the area from Portland west to Fryeburg, south of Winthrop to Wells. 

They do a lot of vacation, second homes sales, but our backbone is residential stuff, Charlie said.

“Real estate is always very local,” he said. “What happens in Denver, Colorado has no bearing on what happens in Windham, Maine. What goes on in Windham has very little to do with what goes on in Sebago.”

Technology plays a big part in real estate now. “If you’re not tech savvy, you’re toast,” Charlie said, citing that they use many different online avenues to get their houses out there and to find houses for new clients.

To find more information about Coldwell Banker Team Real Estate and their listings, visit www.cbtre.com or call 892-1600.     

Dog-Gone Grooming and Emily's Place - By Michelle Libby

“We ain’t braggin’…but tails are waggin’”

Dog-Gone Grooming and Emily’s Place on Route 302 in Raymond is alive with the wriggling and barking of dogs in all shapes, sizes and colors looking for attention from anyone who enters the building. Owner Julie Chouinard is in her element with 12 dogs, most of them playing around her ankles, while a few of the older ones claim chairs and sleeping pillows for naps. 

“I love what I do. I love my clients fuzzy and human,” Chouinard said. 

 

Dog-Gone Grooming was Chouinard’s first business. After working at a veterinarian’s office, she remembers hearing from pet owners that they wished there was a good groomer in the area. Knowing there was a need, she put herself through grooming school. Now, she has expanded and has three full-time, certified groomers she employees (Liz Jackson, Valerie Campbell and Nancy Oringer). She is always taking on new clients for grooming although she admits that in the summer it can get nuts. 

She grooms one- to two-pound puppies to 185-pound Newfoundlands. She has a hydraulic table that is rated for 350 pounds for very large dogs or senior dogs with hip problems. Cleanliness is a priority for Chouinard and the building gets cleaned every night and sanitized many times a week, she said.

She also makes sure that the dogs don’t get too stressed out when being groomed. The dogs are not on the table the whole time, she said. 

 

Through the grooming she noticed the need for doggie daycare. Emily’s Place, named after her golden retriever, has been in operation for three years. She accepts small dogs and will soon expand to adolescent, mid-sized dogs and senior dogs of all sizes for which she is creating a senior lounge. 

Having the dogs in daycare can alleviate boredom, just by bringing them a couple of days a week, she said. “It’s important like play dates for little kids,” she added. 

Chouinard said she interviews every dog before they come to daycare to make sure that Emily’s Place is a good fit. 

The most challenging part of Chouinard’s job is managing the dogs. “I make sure that all of the dogs are happy, having fun and getting what they need.” 

There is also a small retail section of collars, leashes, jackets and shampoos. Appointments are necessary. For more information call 899-9315, visit www.doggonegrooming.net or visit Facebook. 

For six weeks, Emily’s Place will be a drop off center for pet food and treats to be distributed to food pantries in the lakes region.