KENNEBUNK

New library board members

Additional Images

Rotary Club of Saco Bay president Chris Jacques with Students of the Month for October: Amanda Kimball of Biddeford High School; Daniel Picard of Thornton Academy in Saco; and Craig Finley of Old Orchard Beach High School. Photo courtesy Dennis Robillard

Wells-Ogunquit Community School District students McKaela Schiller, left, and Lily Heyland harvest carrots at Spiller Farm in Wells, as part of the district’s Farm to School initiative to introduce students to eating locally grown food. Reg Bennett photo

The Kennebunk Free Library Board of Trustees has elected Paul Dest and Linda Lucas as new board members.

The board also announced the following slate of officers for 2014-15: Deborah Redding-Sampson, president; Karen Plattes, vice president; Molly Hoadley, treasurer; and Lise Dewar, recorder.

Dest is the director of the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve and has a long history of volunteerism. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the National Estuarine Research Reserve Association in Washington, D.C.

Lucas, now retired, has spent 35 years in higher education as a teacher, department chair, dean and chief academic officer at technical, baccalaureate and graduate levels. During her career, her focus was on adult learning, nontraditional learning, developing new courses and programs and faculty development.

SCARBOROUGH

Coats for Seniors program

The Southern Maine Agency on Aging has begun a campaign to keep seniors warm this winter by collecting gently used winter coats.

The SMAA and the Maine Association of Area Agencies on Aging are coordinating efforts across the state for their Coats for Seniors program.

For each coat collected, Goodwill Industries of Northern New England will provide a voucher to Southern Maine Agency on Aging to give to older adults who need a winter coat.

Also, L.L. Bean will donate $5 per coat donated to the association’s fuel assistance program.

Last year, nearly 1,000 coats were collected and $5,000 donated.

To donate coats or financial contributions, call 800-427-7411 or visit maine4a.org.

OLD ORCHARD BEACH

Thanksgiving help needed

The Old Orchard Beach United Methodist Church is seeking volunteers and donations to help with its 10th annual Thanksgiving Day dinner and delivery service.

The church plans to serve and deliver about 300 meals throughout the Saco Bay area on the holiday, with a traditional Thanksgiving meal served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 27 at the church.

Volunteers are needed to help cook, clean, drive, deliver, pack, serve or prepare the meal.

The church also offers rides to and from the meal venue for people living in Old Orchard Beach, Saco or Biddeford, as well as delivery of meals to individuals and families within that same area. Sign-ups for either of those services can be made by leaving a message on the church phone or by sending an email to info@oobumchurch.org.

Volunteers should call the church at 934-5553 and leave a message or email info@oobumchurch.org.

Financial donations are also being accepted and can be mailed to: Old Orchard Beach UMC, c/o Thanksgiving Day Dinner, P.O. Box K, Old Orchard Beach, ME 04064.

WELLS

Farm to School Week event

The Wells-Ogunquit Community School District recently observed its 10th annual Farm to School Week event at which cafeterias in the district featured a large variety of locally grown fresh fruit, vegetables and beef.

Introduced to the school system by nutritional services director Tyler Goodwin in 2005, the nutrition awareness event serves to reinforce eating more nutritious food and highlights the “farm to school” trend of mixing locally grown food into school lunch menus. Currently, the district purchases locally grown food from Chase Farm, Spiller Farm and Maine Family Farms.

Wells and Ogunquit students volunteer to help harvest the produce during after-school hours, thereby cutting costs and giving them experience on a working farm.

Each year, Spiller Farm in Wells plants several acres of vegetables exclusively for the school district.

On several occasions in September and early October, grade 4 and 7 students traveled by bus to Spiller Farm and Laudholm Farm to pick potatoes, green beans, carrots and apples.

Corn comes to the district from Chase Farm and is shucked by the fifth-graders.

This year alone, some 900 pounds of potatoes, 500 pounds of carrots and 400 pounds of green beans were harvested and processed by students.

CAPE ELIZABETH

Turkey donation deadline

Nov. 17 marks the deadline for frozen turkey donations for the Wayside Food Program’s annual community Thanksgiving Day meal.

Turkeys may be dropped off at Wayside’s warehouse at 135 Walton St. in Portland, during business hours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday or 8 a.m. to noon Friday.

To learn more, email Don Morrison at dmorrison@waysidemaine.org.

Saco

Rotary Club honors students

The Rotary Club of Saco Bay recently honored student volunteers Craig Finley of Old Orchard Beach High School, Daniel Picard of Thornton Academy and Amanda Kimball of Biddeford High School as students of the month for October.

Those students were recognized for exemplifying high ethical standards; making noteworthy community or civic contributions; demonstrating outstanding academic achievement and/or significant effort; and engaging in other noteworthy accomplishments.

SCARBOROUGH

Teacher gets Kiwanis award

The Kiwanis Club of Scarborough presented its first “Hero of the Quarter” Award to Scarborough Middle School social studies teacher Douglas Bennett.

Bennett was selected for excellence in public service by espousing the Kiwanis’ primary focus to improve the lives of children in our community and the world.

Honorees are individuals who do extraordinary work for the children and families of Scarborough.

According to Scarborough Middle School Principal Barbara Hathorn, who nominated Bennett for the award, Bennett is a passionate educator, lifelong learner and consummate professional who has motivated his students and the entire school community to become involved in community service.

Bennett started the popular Red Storm Strikes out Cancer Club, which educates students, staff and the community about cancer. The club annually raises money for Mary’s Walk.

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