PORTLAND
A recipe challenge, sponsored by Catholic Charities Maine’s Parish Social Ministry, will provide an opportunity for all Mainers to put their recipes and cooking knowledge to the test while helping local parish food ministries in the process.
The St. Hildegard Food Pantry Recipe Challenge will be held through Aug. 15 and is themed for Maine’s staple: the potato.
Submitted recipes can be for any main dish or side dish, but all of the ingredients must be items that you can find on a regular basis at a local community food pantry, and all recipes must contain the potato as one of the ingredients. Recipes will be judged on nutritional value and ease of cooking.
The winning recipe entries will receive a cash donation to the entrants’ parishes to support the food pantry, soup kitchen or other food-based ministry connected to the parish. Winners will be announced Sept. 17, which is the Feast Day of St. Hildegard, who is known for developing a nutritional philosophy centered on the healing properties of food.
To enter, email your recipes to psm@ccmaine.org with “Recipe Contest” in the subject line or mail your recipes to: Recipe Contest, Catholic Charities Maine, P.O. Box 10660, Portland, ME 04104.
For more details, call 523-1161 or go to ccmaine.org/parish-social-ministry.
OGUNQUIT
Great Works Regional Land Trust (GWRLT) Board of Directors and staff have welcomed new executive director Danielle Olsen.
Olsen comes to GWRLT from Pennsylvania, where she served as the statewide director of Watershed Planning for a small nonprofit, and brings experience in land protection, conservation planning and community engagement.
Born and raised in forested north-central Pennsylvania, Olsen moved to Washington State for graduate school to pursue environmental land use planning and worked as a conservation planner across Washington and in northern Idaho before returning east. Her past experiences have given her a deep understanding of the need to protect land for the health of a watershed and the well-being of communities and future generations. She is eager to continue her conservation work here in Maine where she has settled with her partner, Max, and their son, Leo.
The board also welcomed two new members this year: Sandy Agrafiotis and Leigh Peake. Agrafiotis helped found the land trust in 1987, served previously on its board, and has played a significant role in land protection in the Tatnic region. Peake brings expertise in environmental education as the chief education officer for Gulf of Maine Research Institute. Both live in South Berwick.
YARMOUTH
Summit Natural Gas of Maine (Summit) will donate $2,000 to Southern Maine Area on Aging as part of the company’s COVID-19 relief efforts. The organization will use the donation to provide homebound elderly meal delivery to community members in the York and Cumberland counties.
“Before the pandemic, Southern Maine Agency on Aging was delivering an average of 2,800 meals per week to 750 clients,” said, Kate Putnam, Chief Advancement Officer, Southern Maine Agency on Aging. “Since the crisis began, we are delivering nearly 5,000 meals per week to an average of 1,060 clients who are unable to shop or prepare adequate meals on their own.”
“Summit is proud to present this grant to Southern Maine Area on Aging,” said Kurt Adams, Chief Executive Officer, Summit Utilities. “We understand that we are all in this together. During this challenging time, we want to help ensure that our more vulnerable neighbors have access to essential items.
“Southern Maine Area on Aging plays a critical role in the York and Cumberland area responding to the needs of vulnerable older adults, adults with disabilities and family caregivers, through measurably effective programs and services. Providing these resources is one way that we can support our customers and community members who are immediately impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.”
The company has committed $20,000 overall to COVID-19 relief efforts in Maine. In addition to donating to the Southern Maine Area on Aging, the company is also contributing to Kennebec Valley Community Action Program, Augusta Food Bank, Falmouth Food Pantry and Waterville Food Bank.
For more information, go to summitnaturalgasmaine.com.
FALMOUTH
The town’s annual roadway paving has begun in the following locations:
Mast Road (from Blackstrap Road to McDermott Way), Susan Lane, Hardy Road, Lunt Road (from Hat Trick Drive to the I-295 Bridge) and Foreside Road (from Orchard Lane to Madokawando Road).
Motorists can expect delays, with one-lane of traffic open, during paving activities.
For more details, call the Falmouth Public Works Department at 781-3919.
DENMARK
Denmark Arts Center will partner with a variety of businesses to offer COVID-19 safe kids camp classes this summer.
Rocket Rampage-Kids Zoom Camp classes will run from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursdays July 2, 9 and 16.
This intro camp sparks the interest in rockets and is ideal for children in grades 3 to 6. Rocket Rampage is a camp the whole family can participate in. Classes will build on knowledge learned from the prior classes and will include a weekly experiment and opportunities to interact with other campers to test your creations. Each Kids Zoom Camp includes a camp kit with all materials needed for that week’s class.
These sessions will be taught by award-winning STEM outreach instructor, Tim Dominick.
Kids Camp KITS will be available for curbside pickup at the center on Monday before each camp: June 29, July 6 and July 13 between noon and 4 p.m.
Sign-up before June 28 and the Zoom registration code will be sent via email. Classes are limited to just 20 youth.
• On July 4, there will be a Reverse Parade, where stationary floats will be set up from Bicentennial park in Denmark to the Public Library.
Cars will line up on the Denmark Road and drive by floats to view the Reverse Parade.
• On July 9, a Sip n’ Paint online workshop will be offered from 6 to 8 p.m. for ages 14 and older and themed “Splash of Color.” This workshop features a step-by-step instructed, locally inspired, landscape painting under the direction of local artist, Olivia Benish. You will have the opportunity to unwind in the relaxed setting of your home while unleashing your inner creativity and learning acrylic painting basics. No experience required and all the supplies are provided for this Zoom workshop.
Art Supply KITS will be available for pickup from noon to 4 p.m. on July 5 at Denmark Arts Center. Sign-up by July 5 and Zoom registration code will be sent to you via email.
• On July 11, a Virtual Art Opening BugShow, showcasing work by Melanie Angevine, Susan Sidwell and Stephen Pullan IV, will be held, featuring media ranging from paper cutting and photography to mixed media. The purpose of the art exhibition is to recognize the art and artistry of bugs. Visit online or schedule an appointment for in-person viewing and artwork purchases by calling 256-2510.
Then, a Dinner Time Kids Zoom Camp Class will be offered at 4 p.m. July 15, 22 and 29 . Kids Camp KITS available for curbside pickup July 13, 20 and 27 from noon to 4 p.m. Sign-up before June 29 for Zoom registration code.
Visit Denmark Arts Center calendar at www.DenmarkArts.org/events, email info@denmarkarts.org, or call the box office at 452-2412 for more details.
WATERVILLE
Maine Technology Institute (MTI) has awarded software development grants to two Waterville startups, Easy Eats and Sklaza, to support their respective expansions across Maine’s college campuses. Both start-ups are founded by current Colby College students and address pain points in students’ experiences with food delivery and the sale of furniture, books and other college necessities.
Easy Eats, founded by Christian Krohg and Katharine Dougherty, is an app-based food delivery service platform that delivers college students’ orders to their dorm doors. By employing college students who have access to campus dormitories as delivery drivers, Easy Eats offers a more convenient option to traditional delivery services. Relaunched in early 2020, the app has logged over 1,000 orders and 5,000 app downloads.
“Not only does Easy Eats fulfill a demand for an easier delivery experience, but it also represents an opportunity to improve the connection between Colby students and Waterville-area restaurants,” explains co-founder Katharine Dougherty. “With the MTI funding, we look forward to making technical improvements based on customer feedback, scaling our efforts and bringing these benefits to students and restaurateurs all across Maine.”
Sklaza, a name derived from “school plaza”, is an online marketplace devoted exclusively to college students and the inexpensive sale of IONS, Items Only Needed by Students. Founded by Josh Kim, the marketplace tackles overconsumption, encourages recycling and environmental sustainability, and avoids the pitfalls of public marketplaces that, while marketed to college students, allow nonstudent sellers to post items unrelated to student needs. Launched in February 2020 on the Colby College campus, Sklaza has logged over $10,000 in transactions and over 800 student users.
“I’m really excited to use the MTI funding to bring Sklaza to my next college campuses in the fall,” explains founder Josh Kim. “After the resoundingly positive response I received from the Colby community, I knew that college students everywhere need to have an online marketplace just for them.”
For both start-ups, the MTI funding coincides with financial and promotional success within Maine’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. Easy Eats is a current finalist in Greenlight Maine’s Collegiate Challenge pitch competition and a recent winner of the February Little Gig competition, a preliminary round to the Big Gig at Orono’s UpStart Center for Entrepreneurship. Sklaza was a semifinalist in Greenlight Maine’s Collegiate Challenge, and founder Josh Kim has made additional TV appearances.
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