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Designation earned
FITCHBURG -- Margaret M. Kidder of Ayer, vice president of the construction lending office at Fidelity Bank, has earned the Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist designation.

The designation was created by the National Association of Home Builders, several of its specialized centers and AARP.

The CAPS program offers training to help professionals assist clients with issues of housing, aging and retirement.

Ms. Kidder is based in Fidelity Bank’s Shirley office.

Local

Foreclosures rise
WORCESTER — Foreclosures in Worcester County were up 31.5 percent through August, according to data that will be released today by ForeclosuresMass.com of Framingham, which tracks such information.

Through August, 1,083 homes have been foreclosed on, according to the company, up from 823 during the same period last year.

Statewide, foreclosures are up 32.7 percent, as more homeowners rely upon creative financing to take on more and more mortgage debt amid record high home prices, the company found.

Jobs First Day
WORCESTER — Romney administration officials today will tour One-Stop Career Centers, including those in Worcester, Leominster, Dudley, Marlboro, Gardner and Milford, as part of the Third Annual Jobs First Day, a statewide job fair event.

In Worcester, Ranch Kimball, secretary of economic development, will kick off the job fair at 9:30 a.m. at Workforce Central Career Center, 44 Front St., where companies with nearly 200 job openings will participate.

He will also visit the job fair at the ETR Career Center, 201 Boston Post Road, Marlboro, at 12:30 p.m.

Peter Torkildsen, executive director of the Massachusetts Workforce Investment Board, will be at the Career Center of North Central Massachusetts, 100 Erdman Way, Leominster, at 7 a.m., and at the 25 Main St., Gardner, office at 10 a.m.; John Ziemba, director of labor, will be at Workforce Central, 6 Airport Road, Dudley, at 10 a.m.; while Beth Lindstrom, director of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, will be at Workforce Central, 14 Beach St., Milford, at 9 a.m.

$20,000 donation
WORCESTER — The Bank of America Foundation has donated $20,000 to Oak Hill Community Development Corp. in support of the organization’s affordable housing development, job training and placement programs and provision of resources and training for youth and adult leadership development.

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