Events

CAPE ELIZABETH
SpringFest kicks off with fireworks
The South Portland-Cape Elizabeth Rotary will kickoff SpringFest 2023 with a “Light Up The Sky” fireworks show at 5:45 p.m. Saturday at Fort Williams Park, 1000 Shore Road.
This 2nd annual fireworks display is presented by the club thanks to a generous donation by Port Harbor Marine in South Portland. The event is tied to the complete the gnome-themed SpringFest ’23, presented by the City of South Portland and Rotary May 20.
The Town of Cape Elizabeth is graciously providing Ft. William’s Park, along with staff, to safely hold the event. Attendance is free. Please consider bringing a gnome-based article for a collection that is being held to distribute throughout the Greater Portland area to those who can best use a cheerful item.

PORTLAND
Play chess with Alzheimer’s, dementia patients
The Alzheimer’s Association Maine Chapter is partnering with the University of New England Center for Excellence in Aging and Health to pilot a new early-stage social engagement program focused on enjoying chess. The club will meet six times, beginning Saturday, and is intended for those in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia and their care partners. This early-stage engagement program is intended to provide a unique opportunity for those who are experiencing changes in memory to comfortably engage with others on a similar journey.
“Playing chess is not only a way to stay cognitively active but also provides social interaction which can improve quality of life for those living with dementia,” said Alzheimer’s Association Maine Chapter executive director Drew Wyman.
The early-stage social engagement chess club will be inter-generational, including a group of students from the University of New England and area high schools who will play against and alongside program participants living with early-stage dementia. The idea for the club was introduced by Zoe Dinnerstein, a local high school chess champion, who played chess with her grandfather who had Alzhiemer’s.
The club will meet from 10 to 11 a.m. March 4 and 18, April 8 and 22, and May 6 and 20 at UNE, located at 1075 Forest Ave.
For more details or to register to participate, visit alzchessclub.org.

CUMBERLAND
Church holding recycling event
The Tuttle Road Community Church will host a recycle event from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at 52 Tuttle Road.
The church is asking for used COVID-19 masks made of paper, such as surgical masks, N95 masks, and paper dust masks; used sneakers with the exception or running shoes and cleats, and working lamps and winter coats.
For more information, call 829-3766.

GORHAM
USM putting on ‘Into the Woods’
The USM Department of Theatre, in collaboration with the Osher School of Music, will bring Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s modern classic “Into the Woods” to the stage of the USM Gorham campus at Russell Hall at 24 University Way.
Directed by Elizabeth Carlson, with musical direction by Ed Reichert and presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International, performances are at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday, with a 2 p.m. show Sunday. Additional performances will be held at 7 p.m. March 8, 9, and 10, with a 10 a.m. matinee also on March 10.
This production will feature the talents of more than 20 musical performance and theatre majors on stage. Behind the scenes, the props, costumes, lighting, and set are all constructed by students and recent alumni under the direction of skilled faculty.
Tickets are $22 for adults, $16 for seniors, USM employees and alumni, and $10 for students and youth. Special group pricing is available.
To purchase tickets, or for more details, go to usm.maine.edu/department-theatre/, or call the USM Theatre Box Office at 780-5151.
Those needing special accommodations, contact Janice Gardner at 780-5289 or janice.gardner@maine.edu. Hearing impaired: call USM’s telex / TDD number 780-5646.

KENNEBUNK
History professor to lead presentation on grief
The Brick Store Museum will host a free virtual discussion, entitled “Great Grief: Mourning & Remembrance in New England,” led by USM professor of history Libby Bischof at 1:30 p.m. Saturday via Zoom. The talk is being presented in partnership with the Maine Humanities Council’s Maine Speaks programming.
The lecture will use examples from the museum’s own archives, full of personal grieving stories, to illustrate the changing experience of public and private grief in society over the past 200 years. Complemented by audio recordings of archival letters, Bischof will lead an engaging discussion of the history of grief and mourning and what it means to each one of us over time. Participants will have the opportunity to consider the importance of making room for grief in our communities.
Tickets can be reserved at brickstoremuseum.org/calendar.
The program will be recorded and those who register for the program will receive a recorded version of the presentation the next day. Visit brickstoremuseum.org/calendar to sign up and receive the access link.

Series spotlights Cape Porpoise, archeology
The Cape Porpoise Archaeological Alliance (CPAA) is hosting a free winter series exploring visual anthropology and archaeology. CPAA is a partnership between the Brick Store Museum and Kennebunkport Conservation Trust supporting archaeological research in Cape Porpoise and the surrounding areas. This weekly series will be held at 6 p.m. each Thursday through March 23 at the Brick Store Museum’s Program Center at 117 Main St., and is led by CPAA’s professional archaeologist Tim Spahr, with guest speakers.
The goal of the series is to highlight current trends in the field that incorporate science and art into the practice of archaeology. The partnership with the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust and the museum supports documentation and contextualizing the archaeology of the islands and intertidal zone threatened by global sea level rise.
This Thursday’s meeting will feature an anthropological film viewing and discussion. The March 9 theme will be visual Studies Presentation and Student Exhibit Preview with presenter Anelli Allard; the March 16 session will be “Introduction to Archaeological Field Note Taking and Sketching for Scientific documentation,” by Tim Spahr and Elizabeth Kelley; and the final session on March 23 will be “Archaeological Field Note Taking and Sketching, Viewing of Lithic Artifacts recovered by the Cape Porpoise Archeological Team,” where students can produce field drawings from artifact models, with materials provided. This program will be led by Elizabeth Kelley.
Parking is available on Main Street, Dane Street and in the Town Hall parking lot. Admission by donation is suggested to help support session speakers. Registration is optional but encouraged at brickstoremuseum.org/calendar or calling 985-4802.

FREEPORT
Duane Edwards Trio at Meetinghouse Arts
The Duane Edwards Trio will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday part of the Meetinghouse Arts Jazz Series at the Meetinghouse Arts Gallery & Stage, located at 40 Main St.
Edwards, an accomplished bassist and musician, has performed throughout the United States and Canada, and notably at Lincoln Center. His musical repertoire includes a variety of styles ranging from jazz to rock to Cuban. He has shared the stage with many talents musicians, including Chuchito Valdes, Emilio Valdes, Jon Langford, Ben Taylor, Otis Redding III, The Hot Sardines, Jonathan Edwards, Trombone Shorty, and Philadelphia Poet Laureate Yolanda Wisher. Edwards is the jazz bass professor at UMaine Augusta, Bowdoin, and Colby.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students, and are available at eventbrite.com/e/duane-edwards-trio-tickets-523902736187?aff=ebdssbdestsearch.

YARMOUTH
Auction benefits support new Mainers
Tuttle Road Community Church of Cumberland will sponsor a silent and live auction from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the Amvets Hall, located 148 North Road.
Enjoy an eventing of music, food and auction items such as an African safari, dinner for two at GRAZE, collectable Patriots ornaments, stained glass and paintings. A portion of profits will go to a local organization supporting immigrants.

ROCKPORT
‘Hanging Out in Burma’ with Charlie Costello
Rockport Public Library will feature a show of photography by author and photographer Charlie Costello, exhibiting from March 2-30, during library hours at 1 Limerick St.
Costello has lived and worked in Japan and Thailand and has traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia. His new book, “Hanging out in Burma: Laundry Lines and Democracy Hanging in the Balance,” is the culmination Costello’s travels.
Costello will offer two supporting programs for this exhibit. He will host a meet-and-greet from noon to 2 p.m. March 18 at the library and he will offer a narrated slide show there at 6:30 p.m. March 22.
For more details, call the library at 236-3642.

NEW GLOUCESTER
History barn hosts open house
The New Gloucester History Barn will host an open house from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, located behind the Town Hall on Route 231.
The featured exhibit will be “Celebrations.”
Free and open to the public.
For more details, call Leonard Brooks at 926-3188.

STATEWIDE
New Ventures Maine’s free classes for March
New Ventures Maine will offer tuition-free online and in-person workshops and classes this March in three program areas: career, business and financial education. Workshops and classes are designed to help people in Maine gain the skills, knowledge, and confidence to start a business, build a career, and manage money.
Online and in-person classes in the three program areas include:
• My Money Works – meeting from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays, March 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29, online. Offering skill strategies to stretch money, pay bills, reduce debt, find money for savings, plan for retirement, and set personal financial goals with a plan to achieve greater financial stability.
• Managing Your Money – 10 to 11 a.m. Thursdays, March 16, 23 and 30, online. Learn to budget, repair credit, and create a savings plan.
• Connecting Women to Construction Careers – 10 to 11:30 a.m. or 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday online. This virtual session is designed for women and underrepresented workers to explore high-wage careers within the construction trades as well as low-cost or no-cost training programs and job opportunities.
• Building Confidence – 10 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, online. Whether you are navigating recent changes, looking for a job, starting a business, or simply want to be more confident, join this class to assess your confidence and learn concrete tools to help you build your confidence and keep it strong.
• Making Career Choices, meeting from 10 to 11 a.m. or 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on March 7, online. Ready for a career change but don’t know where to start? This workshop will point you in the right direction. We will cover what to consider when making a career choice and resources to help you succeed. (Also offered from 10 to 11 a.m. March 21.)
• Job Search Workshops – 10 to 11 a.m. March 14, 21 and 28, online.
• Changing Jobs: Finding Work That Fits – 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, March 22 through April 5.
• Tax Readiness for the Self-Employed – noon to 1 p.m. March 9, online. Learn how to organize financial records, understand tax responsibilities, become familiar with tax forms, and file your taxes with confidence. This workshop is designed for sole-proprietors.
To learn more or sign up, visit newventuresmaine.org and “choose a class” or call 621-3440.

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