Briefs

AUBURN
Facility reopens in time for summer programming
The Auburn Senior Community Center is re-opening for in-person programming at 48 Pettengill Park Road.
A monthly calendar of events – along with a full list of summer programs, such as take-home craft kits, movies, lawn games, trips, chair yoga, tech talks and much more – is available on the Auburn Recreation page at auburnmaine.gov.
The facility and staff are welcoming larger local senior groups and clubs this summer.
First Auburn Seniors will meet at 11 a.m. Wednesday with bingo will follow the meeting.
For more information about this facility or to register for a program, please visit the recreation site, call the Auburn Recreation Department at 333-6611, or email auburnrec@auburnmaine.gov.

AUGUSTA
UMA students participate in biomedical research course
This past spring, six University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) students participated in a three-week course called “Bridging Disciplines: Impacts of exposure to toxic substances on health, regenerative capacity, and aging” through the MDI Biological Laboratory (MDIBL) in Bar Harbor. The online and in-person research course focused on interdisciplinary approaches to biomedical research.
The students participating in the program were Hillary Nash of Portland and Jade Rego of Alna, both nursing majors; Leslie Tibbetts, a veterinary technology major of Bar Harbor; Kyia Bryant of Augusta; Minjoo Kim of Busan, South Korea, and Jieun Yun of South Korea, all biology majors. UMA Professor Juyoung Shim, University of Southern Maine Professor Douglas Currie, and MDIBL Education Director, Jane Disney co-directed the course.
As part of this course, the UMA students performed in-class/hands-on experiments at the UMA Bangor Campus laboratory using Planaria, a flatworm, as an animal model system to study the effects of various chemicals (ranging from alcohol, nicotine, aspirin, dimethyl sulfoxide, lithium chloride, and arsenic contaminated well-water). They examined how these chemicals affect behavior and mobility changes. They also conducted regeneration biology by using a microscope to observe Planaria’s ability to regenerate under the exposure to these chemicals.
“In addition to the hands-on research experiments, students received lectures and training from experts in various areas of biomedical research, including molecular biology, microscopy, aging biology, CRISPR techniques, bioethics, environmental advocacy and toxicology and regeneration biology,” stated Dr. Shim.
This course sought to create a community of “learners who are interested in toxicology and impacts of chemical contaminants on human health, regenerative capacity, and aging.”

BERWICK
Hackmatack Playhouse shows, day camp returns
The lights will be back on at Hackmatack Playhouse in Berwick this summer. Thanks to new state guidelines for staying healthy, Hackmatack will not only hold its day camp, but for its 49th anniversary season will run the musical, “The Spitfire Grill,” during the month of August.
”The Spitfire Grill,” an uplifting musical set in a diner in Maine, will open Aug. 6 at 8 p.m. Hackmatack will also be offering matinee shows at 2 p.m. on Aug. 12, 19 and 26.
The musical will be directed by Danielle Howard, Hackmatack’s new artistic director. Howard discovered a love for musical theater as well as for Hackmatack when she was a voice major at the University of New Hampshire. She has since earned her master’s degree in directing and worked in theaters around the country. She has directed several shows at Hackmatack and was hired as artistic director in 2020 before the season was canceled due to the pandemic.
Hackmatack’s day camp, now in its 42nd year, will run three weeks beginning on June 28 and ending with a performance of “Peter Pan.” The camp is targeted to children 7 to 13.
Reservations for “The Spitfire Grill” can be made by phone at 698-1807 or email at hackmatackplayhouse@gmail.org.

BATH
Morse High School hosts Special Olympics event
McMann Field was a flurry of activity on May 27 as RSU 1 athletes took to the field to compete in the Maine Track and Field Special Olympics. Morse High School (MHS) decided to host the event for the district when Special Olympics Maine announced their annual Summer Games would be held virtually this year.
MHS physical education teacher and coach Charles “Charlie” Bingham organized the event with support from teacher and coach Rebecca Roak, RSU 1 staff, teachers, and a squad of dedicated Morse students.
“I’m grateful that Larry Dyer and Linda Levesque (former RSU 1 coaches) could volunteer their time to serve as head officials,” said Bingham. “They’ve dedicated their lives to RSU 1.”
Nina Ryan, a junior at MHS, lead off the games with the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Athletes then broke off by grade and school to participate in the day’s events: standing and running long jumps, shot put, and 50-, 100-, 200-, 400-, and 800-meter dashes. The day rounded out with an award ceremony in the early afternoon.
“I think the highlight of the day was when we had the photo in the middle of the field with Bath Police Department, Fire & Rescue Department, Sagadahoc Sheriff’s Department, athletes, and volunteers,” said Bingham. “It gave a sense of normalcy during such a strange year, and also created a sense of community pride: all of these people donated their time for such a great cause and a great group of students.”
The RSU 1 Track and Field Special Olympics were made possible thanks to community support and sponsorship from Access Health in Brunswick. Results from the games were submitted to the 2021 Special Olympics Maine State Summer Games.
For results or to learn more, go to somaine.org.

BRUNSWICK
Bowdoin honors students’ achievements
Bowdoin College’s 25th annual Honors Day, acknowledging the exceptional academic accomplishments of students and faculty, was held May 14.
Mohamed Kilani of Portland, Bowdoin College Class of 2021, received the Education Department Award for Interdisciplinary Scholarship. Kilani is majoring in education – Hispanic studies.
Bridget H. Hoke of South Portland, Bowdoin College Class of 2020, received the Bowdoin Teacher Scholars. Hoke is majoring in Africana studies and minoring in English.
Lily Elizabeth Tedford of South Portland, Bowdoin College Class of 2022, received the Hawthorne Prize. Tedford is majoring in education – English and minoring in urban studies.

KENNEBUNK
Brick Store Museum wins Award of Excellence
The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), of Nashville, Tenn., has recognized the Brick Store Museum with an Award of Excellence for its Century Saturdays Program series. The AASLH Leadership in History Awards, now in its 76th year, is the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history.
Originally planned as an in-person program but converted to digital during the pandemic, the Brick Store Museum’s created the Century Saturdays Program series, that premiered monthly from May through October 2020. Each program featured one century per month of local history. Although online, the museum produced an immersive experience for visitors to get the chance to see, smell, taste, hear and touch the different centuries that led to the present. The Century Portals – still accessible on the Museum’s Digital Learning Center at brickstoremuseum.org – included video lecturers, at-home activities, historic recipes, and related social histories like music, gardening, and even included special “take-out” historic meals to share at home.
Overall, the portals welcomed nearly 13,000 virtual visitors between May and December 2020 – more than its average in-person visitation of about 8,500 a year. The project was funded by grants from the Maine Humanities Council and the Maine Bicentennial Committee.
For more details, go to the museum’s website.

NORTH BERWICK
Noble students win at National History Day competition
Noble Middle School students had another successful year competing in this year’s Maine state National History Day competition.
This year’s theme was “Communication in History” with students choosing to study any topic in history, connect it to the theme, and then create a project in one of the five categories: website, performance, documentary, paper, or exhibit. First, second and some third place winners will now advance to the national competition this month.
Lucas Petter won first place in Junior Individual Exhibit for “Code Unbroken: The Impact of Navajo Code Talkers on World War II.”
Lila Fiel won the Women’s History Award for “Inside the Mind of an Innocent Witch: The Miscommunication and Hanging of Bridget Bishop.” She received a Margaret Chase Smith biography and commemorative bobblehead.
Third place winners include Kyla Creighton and Lauren Jordan in Junior Group Website for “Women’s Suffrage Movement: Communicating Their Demand for Voting Equality Through Protests” and Jacob Lawrence in the Junior Paper category for his “The Battle of the Coral Sea: The Cost of Miscommunication.”
Other third place winners included Bryce Upton in Junior Individual Website for “The Over-the-Horizon Backscatter Radar: Communicating Friend from Foe in a Time of Great Unease”; Cassidy O’Dee in Junior Individual Exhibit for “How the AIDS Quilt Communicated the Urgency of the AIDS Pandemic”; and to Maren Robinson in Junior Individual Documentary for “The March on Washington: Communicating the Need for Civil Rights Through a New Form of Protest.”

RUMFORD
Horseshoe club looking for new members
An adult Horse Shoe Club is seeking new members for games that are played at 6:30 p.m. each Monday at Hosmer Field through Labor Day.
Players must be age 18 years or older to participate.
For additional details, call Art at 507-1213.

SANFORD
Social services organization gets $12,000 donation
Williams Realty Partners, of Keller Williams Coastal Realty, donated $12,000 to York County Community Action Corporation (YCCAC), to provide assistance to residents in need in communities in southern Maine. Those funds are targeted to assist families in Kennebunk, Eliot, York and South Berwick (KEYS) communities.
“Emergency financial assistance programs play a pivotal role in the stabilization of households in distress, and are often the first step in building financial stability and promoting economic independence,” said Mesha Quinn, YCCAC ‘s Director of Economic Opportunity.
“YCCAC Outreach Workers are experienced in assessing need, connecting individuals to other resources and services, and working cooperatively with a wide network of other providers to ensure that limited resources are used effectively. These funds allow us to help clients recover from a financial crisis and move forward with their lives.”

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