PORTLAND

THE SALVATION ARMY Women’s Auxiliary is holding its 16th annual Fabric Fair in May. Starting Thursday, the group will be accepting donations of fabric, buttons, notions, yarn, knitting and craft supplies, sewing and quilting books, patterns and all other related items. These items will then be sold at the fair to raise money to help children, teenagers and families in need throughout the year. For details, call 773-6910 or 883-9780. Donations will be accepted through April 30 for the fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 7 at the Portland Elks Club.

Additional Photos

Deering graduate Tori Cash, right, poses with Cynthia Moniz, Plymouth State University social work department chair, after Cash won the New Hampshire Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers Student of the Year award. Courtesy photo

THE WOMAN’S LITERARY UNION recently presented awards in the creative writing contest held annually for local high school juniors. Winners included first place, Monica St. Clair of Scarborough High School; second place, Anna Jay Berks of Catherine McAuley High School; third place, Sarah Abramson of Falmouth High School; and five honorable mentions: Emma Alden of Gorham High School, Caitlin Lowell of Deering High School, Stephanie Karwacki of Scarborough High School, Jessica Murphy of Catherine McAuley High School and Emily Strout of Greater Portland Christian School. The topic for the contest was windows and mirrors.

TORI CASH, a Portland native and student at Plymouth State University, was named New Hampshire’s Student Social Worker of the Year for her participation in a “Hunger, Housing and Homelessness Weekend” event in Boston. The award recognizes her commitment to the profession, student leadership and participation in the Social Work Student Club at the university. Cash, a 2006 graduate of Deering High School, will receive her bachelor’s in social work from Plymouth State University in May.

SOUTH PORTLAND

FRIENDS OF CASCO BAY volunteers recently went to the Alumni Center at Bowdoin College to refresh their water quality monitoring skills. Quality Assurance is part of an EPA-approved process that guarantees that the data these citizen stewards collect on Casco Bay is of the highest quality. In addition, Friends of Casco Bay staff recertified about a dozen members of Friends of Merrymeeting Bay. An upcoming training of new water quality monitors is scheduled for April 10 at Southern Maine Community College. For more information about the training, contact Peter Milholland at 799-8574.

CAPE ELIZABETH

MATTHEW FISHBEIN, a sixth-grade Cape Elizabeth Middle School student, won the Maine State Scholastic High School Chess Championship, making him the youngest student to hold the title. Fishbein won with a perfect score of 4 by winning all four games he played. Several high school students tied for second with 3 points. According to the U.S. Chess Federation, Fishbein is the highest-rated scholastic chess player in Maine. He is nationally ranked, consistently making the top-100 list for his age.

NEW GLOUCESTER

OPEN GATES Equine Rescue, Inc., reports that as a result of donations, it has been able to buy enough hay to feed the horses through the winter.

YARMOUTH

THE 23 FOURTH-GRADE students in Renee Rhoads’ class at Yarmouth Elementary School have created a hand-knit afghan will help spread the word that too many Maine families have difficulty staying warm. Yarmouth ARTS donated money for $250 worth of wool and other knitting supplies. The finished quilt will be shown in various area locations to promote awareness of people in homeless situations. It then will be donated to an organization that supports these people.

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