Westbrook’s Got Talent auditions Sunday

A talent show at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center will benefit the Westbrook High School class of 2015 and Project Graduation. Called “Westbrook’s Got Talent,” auditions will be hosted Sunday, March 8 at the WPAC from 9 a.m.-3 p.m, and are open to contestants 11 and up. The show will take place Thursday, March 12 from 6-9 p.m., with the winner taking home a trophy and cash prizes. For more information, see the Westbrook’s Got Talent page on Facebook.

Bone marrow registry drive

Hayley Desjardins, the niece of Westbrook police Sgt. John Desjardins, was diagnosed with a rare blood disease when she was just 6 years old, and after several years in remission, relapsed in October of last year. Now, she requires a bone marrow transplant to recover.

Next Friday, a bone marrow registry drive hosted by Cintas in Westbrook and organized by Delete Blood Cancer, a national bone marrow donor center, will hope to raise the chance of Desjardins and others with the blood disease in finding a match for a transplant. The event will take place Friday, March 13 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Cintas Corp., 88 Spiller Drive, Westbrook.

Girl Scouts cookie sale

Girl Scout Troop 2019 in Westbrook is holding a cookie sale 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, March 7, at 11 Mechanic St., in front of the old fire station.

Gattine re-named to child abuse board

Rep. Drew Gattine, D-Westbrook, has been reappointed to serve as a member of the Maine Children’s Trust, a group whose mission is to address child abuse and neglect throughout the state.

The 17-member board evaluates child abuse and neglect prevention needs throughout Maine and takes necessary steps to help meet those needs. The trust raises and distributes money to community-based programs throughout Maine that work to prevent child abuse and advocates for increased services for Maine families as well as increasing public awareness.

Gattine is House chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee. He is serving his second term in the Maine Legislature and represents part of Westbrook.

Food train gearing up

Trinity Lutheran Church in Westbrook is sponsoring its fourth annual “Climb Aboard the Food Train,” a city-wide food drive for the Westbrook Food Pantry.

Many of Westbrook’s elderly, children, disabled, unemployed and underemployed people in the community go to the pantry on a regular basis in order to have enough to eat.

“The pantry does a wonderful job, but their resources are limited and their shelves are often sparse,” said Hazel Maloney, church spokeswoman. “For those of us who are blessed with abundance, giving to those in need can make a huge difference in the lives of the poor.”

Church members have placed money jars and food boxes in business establishments and churches all over Westbrook. Special collection sites for food have been designated at Mister Bagel, Walker Memorial Library, and the office at the Westbrook Community Center.

Money and food will be collected until the first weekend of May when a “food train” will pick up all the donations, which will be taken to the food pantry at the Westbrook Community Center. On Saturday, May 2, the train will also be parked at the bicentennial skateboard park by Hannaford and in the parking lot by Shaw’s.

For more information, call 854-5653 or email office@trinitywestbrook.com.

Library friends on Facebook

Kelly Day, vice president of Friends of Walker Memorial Library, has announced that it has a Facebook page with pictures and information about the group.

“We are involved in many fundraising projects, and other exciting events that we participate in, and create to support our city library,” Day said. “Please like us. And thank you to those of you who have already joined our page over the past year, and who have also joined in the fun at previous events.”

In the coming months, the group looks forward to a spring raffle, which raises funds for our Bucks for Books scholarship to a deserving graduating Westbrook High School senior, a Pampered Chef fundraiser, annual meeting in May, Westbrook Together Days, a summer boat ride on the Songo Queen (Long Lake/Sebago Lake area), and many more ways to form friendships, and to support the library. The friends’ meetings are the fourth Thursday monthly at the library from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to join – only $5. a year.

The link is https://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-the-Walker-Memorial-Library/1489773244575978

The library’s Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/WalkerMemorialLibrary

Those who don’t have a Facebook page can visit the library and talk to Chris Dorman, library technology expert. Tech Time with Chris is every Wednesday at the library from 10 a.m.-noon. The library can be reached at 854-0630.

Rank choice voting headquarters in mill

The Committee for Ranked Choice Voting recently opened its statewide headquarters in the Dana Warp Mill, 90 Bridge St.,Westbrook.

“We’re excited to join the downtown Westbrook community,” Kyle Bailey, campaign manager, said. “This is an important community for our campaign, as we talk with voters one-on-one about the benefits of ranked choice voting for use in federal and state elections.”

For more information or to volunteer, call 887-9261 or email info@rcymaine.com.

Vassell named to dean’s list

Ackelia Nerine Vassell of Westbrook has been named to the dean’s list for the fall semester at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina.

Vassell is majoring in communication studies.

A water main break on Stroudwater Street caused slow traffic Monday as crews from Portland Water District worked to repair the break. Roughly 30 customers were affected from Sunday into Monday, but the main was repaired by 5 p.m. Staff photo by Andrew Rice

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