Alice Elizabeth Wadsworth Receives the Boston Post Cane and Pin
HIRAM
Town’s oldest resident honored at 97
Alice Elizabeth Wadsworth, 97, of Hiram received the Boston Post Cane and Pin at her home April 20, honoring her with the distinction of being the town’s oldest resident.
Hiram Historical Society President Sally Williams presented the cane, which will be kept in the town office, along with the pin, which is Wadsworth’s to wear and keep. Also attending the ceremony were her son Lee Allen Wadsworth, his wife, Sue, and Hiram Town Clerk Marylou Stacey.
The Boston Post Cane award began in 1909 when the publisher of The Boston Post newspaper, Edwin A. Grozier, forwarded to 700 select boards in towns (no cities) in New England a gold-headed ebony cane with the request that it be bestowed to the oldest male citizen of the town. Towns today recognize the oldest resident, male or female.
BIDDEFORD
Walmart gives museum $2,000 to digitize films
The Biddeford Mills Museum has been awarded a $2,000 Walmart Community Grant from the Biddeford Walmart Supercenter. The funds will be used to digitize two large reel films that are held in the museum’s archives.
The museum presumes the films were used by the mill sales agents to show 1947-48 production of Lady Pepperell sheets and blankets to prospective buyers from major retail chains.
The electronic version of the film will be available for viewing in the museum at 2 Main Street when completed.
CARRABASSETT VALLEY
Public library announces change in hours
Carrabassett Valley Public Library announced a change in hours at 3209 Carrabassett Drive No. 3 through 2022.
Effective immediately, the library is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.
For more details, call 237-3535.
AUGUSTA
Community colleges offering free tuition
Maine’s community colleges are now offering up to two years of free tuition to all high school graduates from 2020-23 under the new Free College initiative funded in the supplemental budget signed Wednesday by Gov. Janet Mills.
“This is a historic moment for Maine,” said Maine Community College System President David Daigler. “There is nothing more important that giving someone the tools and education they need to pursue their dreams and build a better life. Free college will help those people most in need, and boost our communities and state economy with more skilled workers earning good paychecks.”
The supplemental budget includes a one-time $20 million allocation for free college. To qualify for the Free College Scholarship, students must have a high school diploma or equivalent from 2020-23, enroll full-time in an associate degree program or one-year credential, live in Maine while enrolled and accept all federal and state grants, scholarships and other funding sources.
Students already enrolled in colleges also qualify for the program, as do home-schooled students and adult learners who earned a GED or HI-SET.
The average annual cost of tuition and fees at Maine’s community colleges is $3,700.
SANFORD/LIMERICK
Parishes announce change in Mass times
St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish in Sanford and St. Matthew Parish in Limerick announced new Mass times, effective this weekend.
At St. Thérèse, all parish services will be held at Holy Family Church at 66 North Ave. The weekend Mass schedule will be 4 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on the second and fourth Sunday of each month, with the 5 p.m. Sunday Mass celebrated in Spanish. Weekday Masses will be held at 7:30 a.m. Mondays, at 9 a.m. Wednesdays during the school year and at 7:30 a.m. during summer months; at 6 p.m. Thursdays and at 7:30 a.m. Fridays. Masses at Holy Family Church also are livestreamed at www.stthereseparishmaine.org/livestream. Confessions will be offered from 3 to 3:45 p.m. Saturdays, 5 to 5:45 p.m. Thursdays or by appointment by calling 324-2420.
At St. Matthew Parish, all parish services will be held at 19 Dora Lane. The Mass schedule is 6 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday. Weekday Masses will be at 6 p.m. Monday and at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Masses also will be livestreamed at www.stmatthewlimerick.org/livestream-1. Confessions will be offered from 5 to 5:45 p.m. Mondays or by appointment by calling 793-2244.
PORTLAND
City bus stop named America’s best
One of the city’s bus stops has won Streetsblog USA’s award for America’s Best Bus Stop.
Local artist Ebenezer Akakpo, an immigrant from Ghana, applied a “Hope and Friendship” public art installation at 519 Congress.
A reception to congratulate Akakpo was held April 22 at his pop-up store in the Indigo Arts Alliance at 60 Cove St..
“Portland was an early favorite to win this competition, thanks in no small part to this small town’s big enthusiasm for the marriage of public transit and public art – and this stop’s unique message of hope, friendship and celebration of the local immigrant community to which artist Ebenezer Akakpo belongs. Maine’s media was quick to get on board, and we couldn’t be happier to see bus stops get such a bright spotlight in the conversation about what makes a city great,” wrote Kea Wilson of Streetsblog.
PORTLAND
Greater Portland Landmarks awarded $25,000
The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Telling the Full History Preservation Fund has awarded $25,000 to Greater Portland Landmarks. The grant is one of 80 given to select organizations nationwide.
This grant will be used to help the organization identify the historic resources of underrepresented communities in Portland, focusing on Black, Chinese and Armenian populations.
“Historic buildings and landscapes are impossible to understand without the stories of residents that have and continue to inhabit these places. These stories are sometimes uplifting and celebratory, but may also be painful and force us to reckon with uncomfortable and discriminatory histories,” said Sarah Hansen, executive director. “There is a critical need to broaden the stories we share and to include diverse and missing voices. We are honored to be able to continue and broaden our work to tell the full story here in Portland.”
The grant was made possible through a one-time $2.5 million grant program funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
To see the full list of grantees, go to savingplaces.org/neh-telling-full-history.
WATERVILLE
Chamber welcomes customer service specialist
Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce welcomed Katelyn Hood of Pittsfield as its new customer service specialist. She replaces Patricia Michaud, who retired after nearly eight years with the chamber.
Hood has served in accounting, payroll, banking and human resources positions in the area. Her most recent position was payroll administrator for Kleinschmidt Associates Inc.
A graduate of Nokomis Regional High School, Hood graduated from Kennebec Valley Community College with an associate degree in business administration, with a concentration in accounting.
SOUTH PORTLAND
Police department gets national accreditation
The South Portland Police Department was awarded national accreditation on March 26 by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc.
This is the department’s first reaccreditation; it was first accredited in 2018. Only a handful of Maine police departments have this distinction. The award is good for four years with an annual review to ensure continued compliance.
LEWISTON
New Beginnings receives $10,000 grant
Avangrid Foundation in partnership with Central Maine Power has gifted $10,000 in grant funding to New Beginnings Inc., a Lewiston-based nonprofit serving homeless and at-risk youth.
New Beginnings operates Marian’s Place – the only youth shelter in Maine licensed for 24-hour care – along with a full spectrum of supportive housing, counseling, educational support, prevention and outreach services for teens and young adults in Androscoggin, Franklin, and Kennebec counties.
For more details, visit www.avangridfoundation.org.
BRUNSWICK
Astronomers holding open house Saturday
Southern Maine Astronomers will hold an open house from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at its new facilities at 179 Neptune Drive.
SMA President Robert Burgess said, “There’s been a tremendous growth in interest in astronomy since COVID but many folks get lost in how to advance that interest. We have the expertise to help people along that learning curve.”
According to him, SMA is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that was established in 2004. More information is available at www.southernmaineastronomers.org.
WATERVILLE
Rotary club donates $500 to each of 4 high schools
The Waterville Rotary Club recently donated $500 each to four local high schools to provide support to youth who are experiencing homelessness or other challenges. They are MSAD 49 in Fairfield, Winslow High School, Messalonskee High School in Oakland and Waterville High School.
For more details, go to www.watervillerotary.com.
WATERVILLE
Spectrum Generations picks Volunteer of the Year
Spectrum Generations recognized Mary Fernandes of Washington as its 2021 Volunteer of the Year at the annual meeting recently.
A volunteer with Spectrum Generations’ Money Minders Program, she was assigned to help a consumer manage finances. After discovering the client lacked heat and hot water, she found resources to replace the furnace.
Gerard Queally, president and CEO of Spectrum Generations said, “Because of (Fernandes’) advocacy, this consumer received a whole lot more than help with her finances. She … was also connected with the Meals on Wheels program.”
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
