Recycling Department shows special tree
For the fourth year in a row, the Westbrook Recycling Department created a 100 percent recyclable Christmas tree for the Festival of Trees, at the Westbrook-Warren Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, 810 Main St.
Lynn Leavitt is the recycling and storm water coordinator for the city of Westbrook. Leavitt became involved with the recyclable Christmas tree for Festival of Trees when she started with the department three years ago. She said they have often chosen a reuse theme for the tree.
Leavitt said past tree ornaments were made from Christmas and holiday cards or puzzle pieces. This year 100 percent compostable materials were used in making all the ornaments. All the materials were organic, including oranges, cinnamon sticks, cranberries and natural burlap twine. She made all the ornaments for this year’s tree on her own time.
It was very inexpensive, she said, costing a total of $20-$25 to make ornaments for the whole tree. Overall it took six or seven hours to make all the ornaments. “Pinterest was a great source for design ideas for the compostable ornaments,” Leavitt said.
– Emily Elliott
Church carols sing-along
Prides Corner Church, 235 Pride St., will feature the singing of favorite Christmas carols and hymnal songs during the worship service at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 29.
Legion post meeting change
Post 62 of the American Legion will meet on Wednesday, Jan. 8, at its headquarters, 17 Dunn St. A supper will be served at 6 p.m., followed by a meeting. The post generally holds its monthly meeting on the first Wednesday but has moved the date because of New Year’s on Wednesday, Jan. 1.
Triad to meet
Gorham-Westbrook Triad will meet at 9 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 10, at 22 Foster St., Westbrook.
Patty Clark of Southern Agency on Aging will speak about “Money Minders.” The meeting is open to the public.
Triad provides buckets of sand for senior residents in the Gorham/Westbrook area by calling Capt. Tom Roth of the Westbrook Police Department at 854-2531 and Ted Hatch of the Gorham Police Department at 839-5581.
Triad is a collaborative of seniors, law enforcement agencies and community providers that promotes safety and wellbeing for senior citizens.
Austin re-appointed to community service commission
Appointed by Gov. Paul Lepage, Susan E. Austin of Westbrook is one of seven Maine residents recently sworn in to serve three-year terms on the Maine Commission for Community Service.
The Maine Commission for Community Service builds capacity and sustainability in Maine’s volunteer and service communities by funding programs, developing managers of volunteers and service-learning practitioners, raising awareness of sector issues, and promoting service as a strategy.
Austin is community relations specialist with Unum and, with the commission, serves on both the technical assistance committee and public information committee.
The commission was established in 1994 by executive order and under state statute in 1995. The 25 board members of the commission are appointed by the governor to three-year terms, and each represents a specific segment of Maine’s volunteer sector. The board is Maine government’s partner for the federal Corporation for National Service, which funds AmeriCorps, community volunteer center development, VISTA, and training as well as technical assistance for managers of volunteers.
Each person on the commission represents a specific segment of Maine’s volunteer sector, as outlined in both federal and state law.
For more information on the Maine Commission for Community Service and the current appointees, visit MaineServiceCommission.gov/about.
Westbrook School Department bus drivers Patty Harkins, left, and Susan Baillargeon? welcome pre-kindergarten students onto buses outside the Westbrook Community Center on Friday. Harkins and Baillargeon, dressed as elves, handed out holiday candy to students at each of their bus stops.
Westbrook’s Recycling Department showed a 100 percent recyclable Christmas tree with ornaments made entirely of compostable materials for the Festival of Trees.
Braving the snow and cold last week at a live nativity scene outside Trinity Lutheran Church are, from left, Hillary Knight offering bread to the seven-month old goat Bonnie; Carla Mitchell playing an angel; Ron Patten, as Joseph; and Shirley Patten, as Mary.
Westbrook’s Ron Usher, left, speaks with Joseph Tibbetts, treasurer of Wreaths Across America, at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 14. The national organization, which was founded in Maine, rallies support for thousands of wreaths to be placed on the graves of fallen U.S. service members. Usher, a former Westbrook state legislator, organized a bus trip to the capital, bringing 46 residents of Westbrook, Gorham and Buxton to assist in the initiative.
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