SACO
Volunteers needed for Festival of Trees prep
The Saco Museum is getting ready for its 17th annual Festival of Trees event, this year themed “A Little Holiday Music.”
Volunteers are needed through Nov. 15 to help with general prepping, including fluffing of the trees, decoration help for the designers, picking up raffle items from local businesses, etc. This is a fun experience, an opportunity to meet others while helping to support the Dyer Library and Saco Museum, and a chance to be a part of the volunteer party in December.
Contact Elsa Geskus at elsa.geskus@live.kutztown.edu to join the team.
JAY/LIVERMORE/LIVERMORE FALLS
Deadline soon for Thanksgiving basket sign-ups
Tri-Town Ministerial Food Cupboard will offer a full Thanksgiving meal baskets, including a turkey or a chicken (for smaller families) for residents of the Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls area, who are in need this holiday. The deadline to request a baskets is Oct. 31.
People requesting a basket do not need to be clients of the food cupboard. The pick up date is Nov. 22, the Monday before Thanksgiving. Volunteers will be there to assist with loading baskets into cars.
Hours for sign-up are from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, and from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays. The food cupboard is located off Horan Street in Jay, behind the old St. Rose school building.
Those wishing to donate to this project may do so by sending a contribution to Tri-Town Ministerial Food Cupboard. Write “TTMFC” Thanksgiving baskets in check memo and mail to Tri-Town Ministerial Food Cupboard, P.O. Box 314, Livermore Falls, ME 04254. Tax deductible receipts are available.
For more details, call the Food cupboard at 897-2441. Basket reservations cannot be taken by phone.
FALMOUTH
Leaf bag collection dates announced
Leaf bag curbside collection dates for Falmouth residents have been announced, with a limit of 12 bags per address and while supplies last.
The bags are for leaves only and must be left curbside by 7 a.m. this Friday, and again Nov. 5, 12 and 19. Brush will not be collected but is accepted at the transfer station.
Bags can be obtained at the Public Works Office at 101 Woods Road.
Due to ongoing safety concerns with COVID-19, face masks are required in the building. Transfer station hours are from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.
For more details, call the Public Works office at 781-3919.
Don’t forget to license your dog
Dog licensing for 2022 has begun, with the State of Maine requiring that all dogs over six months old must be licensed by Jan. 1, 2022.
Dog licenses are valid for the calendar year ending Dec. 31. Updated rabies information must be presented at time of registration in order to receive a license.
Late fees of $25, in addition to the dog license fee, begins Feb. 1, 2022. Those licenses also are available on-line at apps1.web.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/dog_license/index.pl until Jan. 31 or visit the Clerks Department at Falmouth Town Hall at 271 Falmouth Road.
For more details, call 781-5253.
AUBURN
Library gets grant for upgrades and to buy supplies
Auburn Public Library has been awarded a $2,500 grant from International Paper’s Auburn Plant and the International Paper Foundation to support the purchase of supplies and materials for the library and for renovations to its TeenSpace area.
Teen librarian Kayla Chase said the library’s TeenSpace offers a welcoming space for students in grades 6-12. “Our hope is that with a fresh look the area will have more appeal for the teens of our community, said Chase. “In addition to offering teen programs and access to the media lab, our goal is to create an environment that is their own.”
City’s futsal court complete
The city’s first futsal court, located in Chestnut “Gully” Park, has been completed. Futsal is a popular version of soccer that is played on a court (indoor or outdoor) with fewer players and a smaller, weighted ball. The court will help serve the growing demand of soccer related programs in the area, along with supplying a familiar activity to our growing new Mainer population.
The City of Auburn partnered with MUSCO Sports Lighting and the U.S. Soccer Foundation on their Mini-Pitch System Program to install a 104-foot-by-96-foot surface that offers a double court playing area. The court surface is similar to an outdoor basketball court, with an asphalt base and acrylic surface that will include lines and logos of partners (to be painted in spring 2022). The courts come as a modular system, complete with lighting, fencing, goals, benches, ADA-compliant access, and lockable storage.
“It was important for us to find additional support to secure two courts due to the city’s high demand for space to play soccer,” said Recreation Director Sabrina Best. “In the few days the court has been completed, the space has already seen a high level of play with the neighborhood kids coming out to enjoy the new structure.”
The project was funded by a variety of sources including a $20,000 grant from MUSCO Sports Lighting and U.S. Soccer Foundation. Soccer Maine contributed another $47,000, which helped fund a double court system instead of a single court. The rest of the funding was provided by City of Auburn CIP funds.
“With this new playing area available to our community, securing local support for soccer programming became essential,” said Best.
Auburn teacher Todd Whitcomb, also from Soccer Maine, has been organizing a soccer “skills and drills program” at the Auburn PAL Center for several years. Whitcomb was able to partner with the Yarmouth Colts girls’ travel soccer program to secure a $10,000 grant from Dick’s Sporting Goods to help cover equipment costs for programming for local kids, including for needed equipment such as cleats, shin guards, sports bras, sport hijabs, etc.
The new futsal court also can be used as an outdoor ice rink this winter for kids and adults. The city will host an official grand opening ceremony in spring of 2022, once the court’s acrylic surface and logos are painted. Soccer clinics and games will follow.
For more details, contact Sabrina Best at sbest@auburnmaine.gov or call 333-6611.
PORTLAND
Diocese raises thousands to help Haiti
Diocese of Portland has donated more than $78,000 to provide assistance and rebuilding costs to Haiti bishops following the 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti in mid-August. The funds, raised through special collections at Catholic churches in Maine in September will directly benefit Catholic Relief Services and the Pontifical Mission Societies.
STATEWIDE
Sign-ups announced for academic science competitions
Registration are being accepted for the 32nd National Science Bowl (NSB), hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. Thousands of students compete in this annual contest, that has grown into one of the largest academic math and science competitions in the country.
Teams of students – that include four or five students and a teacher who serves as a coach – can sign up for the NSB by registering with the coordinator for their regional competition. Details can be found on the NSB registration page. The competition is divided into two categories: high school and middle school. Regional competitions typically last one or two days and take place throughout the country between January and March.
During the competitions, students participate in a fast-paced verbal forum to solve technical problems and answer questions in all branches of science and math. To help prepare, teams can use sample questions from the NSB website.
The winning team from each qualifying regional competition will be eligible to compete in the National Finals held in Washington, D.C., from April 28 to May 2, 2022, with all expenses paid. The national event consists of several days of science activities and sightseeing, along with the competitions. Depending upon guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state of Maryland, and the District of Columbia, the National Finals may be changed to a virtual event.
The top two high school teams nationwide win educational adventure trips. The top middle and high school teams also win funds for their schools’ science departments.
The top 16 high school and middle school teams in the National Finals also will win $1,000 for their schools’ science departments.
More information is available at science.osti.gov/wdts/nsb.
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