Middle school student honored

Marissa Bates, 10, of Westbrook was recently recognized as Maine’s top youth volunteer in the middle school level by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a national program honoring middle level and high school students for outstanding volunteer service.

As an honoree, Bates, a fifth-grade student at Westbrook Middle School, will receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip in early May to Washington, D.C. Girl Scouts of Maine in South Portland nominated Bates for the award.

Bates came up with the idea of a mitten tree to distribute mittens and warm hats to students who need them. “I noticed that a lot of kids at school had no hat or mittens,” Bates was quoted in a prepared statement released by Prudential Financial that sponsors the award with the National Association of Secondary School Principals. “I wanted to help my classmates stay warm.”

So, she took the idea to her Girl Scout troop, which agreed to work with her on the project. After collecting donations of mittens and hats from friends and family members, the scouts set up a tree at an elementary school. “It was a great success,” she said,

The following winter she and her fellow volunteers put trees in three more schools and at a community center.

She and other honorees from each state and the District of Columbia will have four days of national recognition events including tours of landmarks. During the trip, 10 students will be named America’s top youth volunteers of 2013.

Ledoux to speak

Arty Ledoux, deputy director of Westbrook Public Services Department, will speak when Westbrook Woman’s Club meets at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 19, at Westbrook-Warren Congregational Church, 810 Main St.

Ledoux’s topic will be recycling. Light refreshments will be served.

Seniors to dine

Westbrook Senior Citizens will be served a chicken potpie meal when it meets at noon on Monday, Feb. 18, in Westbrook Community Center, 426 Bridge St.

The menu will include veggies, potato, cranberry sauce and lemon meringue pie.

Pianist John O’Hara will entertain.

The seniors are planning two spring trips. They will cruise from Boston, Mass., to Bermuda from Friday, May 31, to Friday, June 7. A New England band, Straight Lace, will play golden oldies. A $400 deposit is required to register for the trip.

Then, on Tuesday, June 11, the seniors will travel to Danvers Yacht Club in Danvers, Mass., to see Charlie Thomas and the Drifters.

For more information about the trips, call 854-2705 or 883-5046.

Bisson moving against hunger

Bisson Moving & Storage, 85 Eisenhower Drive, is joining one of the nation’s leading moving companies, Atlas Van Lines, in a partnership with nonprofit Move for Hunger, which fights against nationwide hunger.

Bisson Moving & Storage is one of about 75 Atlas agents and also one of more than 398 moving companies nationwide that help create one of the nation’s largest, year-round service programs with Move For Hunger. As part of the partnership, Atlas and its agents are building awareness on nationwide hunger and encouraging household move customers to donate unused food items to local food banks.

Atlas and its agents have contributed more than 32,273 pounds of non-perishable food to local food banks across the United States.

For more information, call Bisson at 591-1000.

Recognize anyone? The Westbrook Historical Society would like to identify the men in this photo, donated by William Currier. It shows Westbrook soldiers in the Yankee Division, taken in front of Walker Memorial Library in 1920, after World War 1. Currier’s uncle, Eugene Currier, is in the sixth row, third from right. Those who recognize anyone can email westhistorical@myfairpoint.net.
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