Girl Scouts to host new member sign-up events
Girl Scouts of Maine announced that it will host new member sign-up events for potential members and volunteers at locations throughout the state every month.
The events will bring together girls from kindergarten through third grade and their caregivers, and allow them to discover why Girl Scouting is important to the development of girls, how it relates to the success of young women today, and the important role that adults play.
“Girl Scouts helps girls develop their full potential,” said Joanne Crepeau, CEO of Girl Scouts of Maine. “When a girl becomes a Girl Scout, she grows into a young woman who is self-confident, strong and compassionate. She learns how to build and maintain healthy relationships. She becomes more aware of the world around her and uses her skills and talents to make her world a better place.”
The new member sign-up events are just some of the many events that GSME will be holding this year. List of sign-up:
Nov. 18, Congin School, Westbrook, 6 p.m.
Nov. 20, Narragansett Elementary School, Gorham, 6 p.m.
For more information about Girl Scouts or to see a full list of sign-up events, visit www.girlscoutsofmaine.org or call 888-922-4763.
Credit union seeks new members
Cassandra Mooers Courtesy photo
Thriving quietly inside and near your local Hannaford and CMP offices dwells the credit union responsible for the financial needs of the Maine supermarket staple, as well as those of Central Maine Power, and it is getting ready to turn up the volume on
membership.
Originally conceived as the Hannaford Associates FCU and Cumberland County Power and
Light, these institutions represented places for employees to store and borrow funds during the Great Depression. Over the next 80 years, the two separate credit unions evolved, eventually merging in 2010 as Trademark Federal Credit Union. Though the brand name and logo have evolved significantly since the 1930s, the identity of Trademark Federal Credit Union as a responsible financial ally has never wavered.
Trademark has been serving the employees of Hannaford and Central Maine Power through depressions, recessions, and recoveries to individual prosperity. For folks in Cumberland, Kennebec, and
Sagadahoc counties, Trademark has expanded beyond its employment stipulations for membership, opening its charter earlier this year to welcome people who live, work, worship, attend school, and own businesses or other legal entities located in Cumberland,
Sagadahoc and Kennebec counties.
Julia Leighton Courtesy photo
The expansion of the charter includes an expansion of physical presence with the first stand-alone branch in Cumberland county. Trademark will break ground at 340 Main St. in South Portland’s Cash Corner in November. To introduce themselves to its new neighbors, Trademark hosted a Fall Festival community event at the site of their future location.
For more information, call Melissa Goode, brand manager, at 510-2450.
Evergreen adds to mortgage, business development
Portland-based Evergreen Credit Union announced the hiring of Cassandra Mooers as mortgage loan originator, and Julia Leighton as membership development associate. Mooers offers many years in financial services as both a mortgage originator and title processor. With over 10 year’s experience in sales and customer service, Leighton will help to grow ECU@Work, the credit union’s financial wellness platform for local businesses and their employees.
Evergreen Credit Union is one of Maine’s largest credit unions, with branches in Portland, South Portland, Windham and Naples.
Sand buckets available for seniors
Winter is coming and that means snow, ice, and invariably an increased risk of falling. Age Friendly South Portland and South Portland Public Works have created a new program in the hopes of making winter a little safer. Seniors age 65 and up can receive a 5-gallon bucket of sand/salt mix delivered to your home to help maintain walkways and steps. The program also covers any South Portland resident with mobility challenges.
As in previous years, any resident is welcome to help themselves to two 5-gallon buckets of sand/salt mix from the self-service pile located at the end of the Transfer Facility access road at 929 Highland Road. This year, South Portland seniors and residents with mobility challenges can order a sand bucket to be delivered to their home by calling 767-7635 or emailing publicworks@southportland.org.
Sand Buckets for Seniors is a free service. The costs are underwritten by Age Friendly South Portland, a member of AARP’s Age Friendly Community Network, and by South Portland Public Works and South Portland Professional Firefighters Local 1476. By working together, the initiative hopes to reduce the risk of falls and injury and make winter a bit safer.
Toy drive seeks
assistance,
donations
The 2019 South Portland Christmas Toy Drive is seeking assistance so that it can can help children from within the community that are less fortunate and could use a little help during the Christmas season.
Last year, the drive helped more than 220 South Portland children with toys, boots and warm coats.
This is the eighth year for the drive and involves a partnership with the South Portland Police Department, South Portland Policemen’s Association, South Portland school system, Maine Roofing Inc., Evelyn’s Tavern, Port Harbor Marine and Peoples United Millcreek.
Each year the group collects hundreds of toys, boots and coats which are distributed to the identified families with the help of local police officers.
The toy drive is looking for businesses, groups or individuals to “adopt families” for the drive. All volunteers need to do is specify how many children in a family hat they would like to buy a coat, boots and some toys for.
The drive is also looking for donations of new, unwrapped toys, art supplies and gift cards which can be dropped off at the businesses listed. The deadline for donations is Friday, Dec. 6.
To make a donation, checks can be made out to the SPPP Community Needs Fund (South Portland Policemen’s Association) and mailed to Maine Roofing- 24 Bishop Ave., South Portland, ME 04106.
The eighth annual annual toy drive party is scheduled for 6 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7 at Evelyn’s Tavern. Please bring new unwrapped toys and join attend a night of fun and cocktails.
For more information, call Liz Darling at 767-4243 or by email lad@maineroofinginc.com.
Author shares latest in Elder Darrow jazz mystery series
Richard Cass, author of the Elder Darrow jazz mystery series, will be talking about the latest book in the series, “Last Call At The Esposito,” as part of South Portland Public Library’s Author Talk series. His visit will be at the Main Library on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 2 p.m.
Cass holds a graduate degree in writing from the University of New Hampshire, where he studied with Thomas Williams, Jr. and Joseph Monninger. He has also studied with Ernest Hebert, Ursula K. LeGuin, and Molly Gloss. He has been an Individual Artist’s Fellow for the state of New Hampshire and a Fellow at the Fishtrap Writers’ Conference in Oregon.
His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in Playboy, Gray’s Sporting Journal, ZZYZVA, and Best Short Stories of the American West. Cass serves on the board of Mystery Writers of America’s New England Chapter and blogs with the Maine Crime Writers. Cass lives in Cape Elizabeth.
“Last Call at the Esposito,” is the fourth installment in Cass’ Elder Darrow mystery series. The Olympic Games are coming to Boston. Or are they? When a burial detail to the paupers’ grave on Boston’s Rinker Island comes up with one extra coffin, Dan Burton is called in to take the case. The murdered man is one Constantine Boustaloudis, a neighborhood activist against the effort of rich and powerful interests to bring the Olympic Games to Boston. The confusion turns the world around Mercy Street into an uproar.
For more information about Cass, and for reviews of his book, visit his website, www.rjcassbooks.com. For more information about this Author Talk, call Circulation at 767-7660, ext. 2, or stop by the Main Library.
Pop-up Shop supports Camp Sunshine
Jewelry artist Chaya Caron, owner of Chaya Studio Jewelry, will host the seventh annual holiday pop-up shop to spotlight local artists, support the buy-local movement, and raise funds for Camp Sunshine.
As always, holiday shoppers will find a wide range of affordable handcrafted items from $2 including pottery, jewelry, scarves, art and more. Participating artists, more than 25, include Shannon Wong, Ember Grove, Sue Vittner, James McLaughlin and Melanie West.
Be sure to enter the annual holiday raffle for a chance to win a $200 gift certificate for Chaya Studio Jewelry.
Register at the the shop and online.
New this year are two Happy Hour events and two silent auctions:
Happy Hour at Chaya’s on Nov. 29, 5 to 7 p.m., features refreshments and kicks off a three-day silent auction (Nov 29, 30, 31.
Happy Hour at Chaya’s on Dec. 13, 5 to 7 p.m. features refreshments and kicks off a three-day silent auction (Dec. 13, 14, 15).
A portion of proceeds from the month-long sale, silent auctions and raffle will benefit Camp Sunshine, a retreat for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.
Chaya Studio Jewelry is located at 22 Cottage Road in South Portland. For more information, call 221-6552.
Mad Horse Theatre
presents ‘Mary Jane’
Mad Horse Theatre presents Mary Jane by Amy Herzog, directed by company member, Stacey Koloski, through Nov. 24 at Mad Horse Theatre, 24 Mosher St., South Portland.
As Mary Jane navigates both the mundane and the unfathomable realities of caring for Alex, her chronically ill young son, she finds herself building a community of women from many walks of life. Mary Jane is Amy Herzog’s remarkably powerful and compassionate portrait of a contemporary American woman striving for grace.
There’s no denying the central, wrenching focus of Mary Jane, but it’s also a story about a small group of women who commit themselves to the tough project of caring for this child and his mother with grace and humor.
The cast includes company member Reba Askari (Mary Jane) and four other actors that play dual roles, Emily Grotz, Gusta Johnson, Elise Voigt and company member, Tootie Van Reenen.
The crew includes company members, Mark Rubin (production manager), Jennifer Halm- Perazone (Stage Manager), Corey Anderson (lighting design), Jake Cote (sound design) and guest artists, Anna Halloran (costume design), Johnny Speckman (props) and Amber White (set design).
”It’s a gift to be working with so many female-identifying artists on Amy Herzog’s beautiful play. This production arrives at a time when the world would benefit from the examples set by the strong, empathetic, intelligent and resilient women of “Mary Jane,”, said Stacey Koloski, director, in a written statement.
Author Amy Herzog received a masters in fine arts from the Yale School of Drama. Her teachers included Richard Nelson and John Guare. Jim Nicola, producer of Belleville at the New York Theatre Workshop, said that “the distinction of Herzog’s work is her belief ‘that private, individual experience is always inseparable from public, historical processes, when she explores human lives.’”
She has received numerous awards including the Helen Merrill Award for Aspiring Playwrights, the Whiting Award, the Lily Award and the 2012 Obie Award in the category Best New American Play for 4000 Miles.
“Mary Jane” won the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play for Mary Jane in 2018. Herzog was also awarded the 2019 Horton Foote Playwriting Award (along with Heidi Schreck) by the Dramatists Guild of America. Herzog teaches at Yale as a lecturer in Playwriting. She learned about caregiving the hard way: Her oldest daughter suffers from a congenital neuromuscular disease.
“A wrenching tale of everyday heroism that is all the more touching for its total lack of sentimentality. I’ve never seen a more honest portrayal of the day-to-day demands of caregiving, or a more moving tribute to a mother’s love. It might just be Ms. Herzog’s best play to date.”
– Terry Teachout, Wall Street Journal
“Amy Herzog’s beautiful new play, ‘Mary Jane” is about family and illness, and how the difficulties inherent in caring for the infirm can strengthen familial bonds—or erode them.”
– Hilton Als, The New Yorker
“Mary Jane is not the kind to offer solution or resolution….But still, it’s a play with unexpected grace and optimism, and one that offers faith in the power of communion.”
– Chloe Schama, Vogue
Mary Jane runs Nov. 7-24 at Mad Horse Theatre in the historic Hutchins School, 24 Mosher St., South Portland.
Performance times are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m. There will be an opening night reception immediately following the Friday, Nov. 8 performance.
Patrons are invited to stay after the show, enjoy light snacks, and mingle with the cast, crew, and fellow theater lovers.
A talk-back is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 17 immediately following the 2 p.m. matinee. This is an opportunity to discuss the play with the director and actors.
Tickets are $23 for adults and $20 for seniors. For patrons younger than 25, tickets are pay-what-you-can for all performances.
Pay-what-you-can dates for “Mary Jane” are Thursdays, Nov. 7 and 14 and Sunday, Nov. 10. Pay-what-you-can tickets are only available at the door on a first come, first served basis.
Reservations are strongly recommended. Purchase tickets online at www.madhorse.com or call 747-4148 for more information. Please call for group rates.
Pastor Zachary Stephenson and family. Courtesy photo
First Baptist Church in South Portland installed Pastor Zachary Stephenson, to be their full-time pastor on Oct. 27.
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