SMCC receives aerospace funds

Southern Maine Community College is one of only two institutions in Maine to be awarded funds from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, to pilot a model program.

The program is designed to increase the number of community college students that complete their degrees on time and pursue aerospace science and technology careers.

The college, based in South Portland, will receive a total of $231,045 during the next two years and must commit to introducing students to a wide range of science, technology, engineering and math topics, as well as finding ways to ease the transition to four-year colleges.

The college must also find ways to introduce NASA content into its oceanography instrumentation and capstone research courses. One of the reasons the college was chosen for the NASA grant is that it is the only institution in the Maine Community College System with a robust science program.

“The NASA grant is an important (way) to increase the awareness of and participation in aerospace-related research and education opportunities in the region,” said said Dr. Janet Sortor, vice president and dean of academic affairs at Southern Maine Community College.

Hathaway completes rigorous outdoor leadership training

Nathaniel Hathaway, 22, of Scarborough, recently completed a wilderness expedition in the Pacific Northwest with the National Outdoor Leadership School.

During the North Cascades Mountaineering course, the students were challenged to step outside their comfort zone and work on their technical skills, learn about how to safely hike a glacier and learn how to work as a team.

Hathaway spent at total of 30 days exploring the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest and North Cascades National Park in Washington state. The North Cascades are a steep mountain range with the most glaciers in the lower 48 states.

Once on the glacier, students learned climbing skills, including knots, rope handling, rope team travel, self-arrest and belaying. As the course progressed, students took on more leadership roles and were given various responsibilities.

In all, the group climbed five peaks and traveled through a variety of technical terrain while enjoying the beauty of the Cascades and traveling 55 miles both on and off trail on snowy glaciers.

Legendary mountaineer Paul Petzoldt founded the National Outdoor Leadership School in 1965. Since then more than 200,000 students have graduated from the school. The outdoor leadership program offers field-based courses in some of the most awe-inspiring locations in the world, along with a classroom-based curriculum. Its graduates emerge as active leaders with lifelong environmental ethics and outdoor skills.

– Kate Irish Collins

Bank holds video contest

Norway Savings Bank, with branches in Scarborough and South Portland, is once again participating in the national video contest entitled, “Lights, Camera, Save!”

The contest is designed to engage youth in educating themselves and their peers about the value of saving and using money wisely. Now in its fourth year, the contest has produced unique savings edutainment infused with the vision and creativity of youth.

“Lights, Camera, Save! empowers young adults to use video in communicating the value of saving and inspiring others to become smart money managers,” said Karen Hakala, senior vice president of marketing at Norway Savings. “The contest is a great way for teens to showcase their creativity and get them thinking about how saving money impacts their lives.”

To participate, students 13-18 can stop by any Norway Savings Bank branch or see www.norwaysavingsbank.com for an entry form and contest details. All videos must be 90 seconds or less, focus on saving, using money responsibly or saving to pay for college and must be submitted to the bank by Dec. 1.

Norway Savings Bank will select one winning video to receive a $250 scholarship. The local video will also be submitted to compete at the national level, where the top three winners will receive awards of $5,000, $2,500 or $1,000.

Library holds fall book, bake sale

On Friday and Saturday, Oct. 17 and 18, the Friends of Thomas Memorial Library in Cape Elizabeth will hold its annual book and bake sale to raise money for library programs and services.

A special preview night for donors to the Thomas Memorial Library Foundation will be held on Thursday, Oct. 16, from 5-8 p.m. A $10 donation is suggested at the door.

The book and bake sale is scheduled for 9 a.m.-7 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday. Those interested in signing up to donate baked goods should visit the front desk.

See www.thomasmemoriallibrary.org for more information.

Annual Senior Health Fair set

Cape Elizabeth Community Services will hold its annual Senior Health Fair on Friday, Oct. 24, from 9 a.m.-noon, at the high school located at 345 Ocean House Road.

This event, which is free and open to the public, includes health screenings, door prizes, refreshments and a variety of vendors and local social service agencies. Call 799-2868 for more information.

Local nonprofits win foundation grants

The John T. Gorman Foundation has awarded $960,650 to 62 nonprofit organizations all across Maine to help provide low-income residents with food, clothing, heating assistance, furniture, prescription drugs, transportation, medical care and counseling.

Locally, the foundation has given $20,000 to Day One in South Portland to provide funding for mental health and case management services to immigrant and refugee street and homeless youth; $10,000 to the South Portland Food Cupboard to provide food to low-income seniors with physical limitations; $20,000 to the Southern Maine Agency on Aging in Scarborough to help reduce the re-hospitalization rates of high-risk Medicare patients by providing home-delivered meals; $15,000 to the Cancer Community Center in South Portland to provide support for its cancer survivorship program; and $15,000 to Hospice of Southern Maine in Scarborough to provide operating support for medical, emotional and spiritual services for cancer patients who have a terminal diagnosis.

The direct service grants were started by John T. Gorman, a grandson of L.L. Bean, and are designed to meet the immediate needs of the state’s most vulnerable residents.

Library holds shredding day

Those with sensitive documents they no longer need and who wish to dispose of them properly should attend the community shredding day at the South Portland Public Library’s main branch on Saturday, Oct. 25, 9 a.m. to noon. Free safe, confidential shredding will provided by Without a Trace Mobile Shredding.

Call 767-7660 for more information.