WESTBROOK

Jared Conant Muscular Dystrophy ambassador

Let’s Go! York County program coordinator Van Beckman enjoys a healthy lunch with children at Foundations Early Learning Center in Hollis. The program recently received a $50,000 grant to help children to embrace healthy habits. Courtesy Leslie Roberts

Jared Conant, 11, of Yarmouth has been named Maine’s Goodwill Ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association for his second term.

In his role as ambassador, Conant will make public appearances throughout the community, representing individuals and families who are living with muscle disease.

Jared, the son of Barry Conant, was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy at age 8. A sixth grader, he plays on his local Little League team and was named “Yarmouth’s Little League Player of the Year” for 2015.

SCARBOROUGH

Comfort Keepers gives top honors to Porell, Stevens

Marilyn Porell of Biddeford and Joe Stevens of Old Orchard Beach, have been named “Caregiver of the Month” for January by Comfort Keepers of Scarborough and Kennebunk, a provider of in-home support services for older adults in southern Maine.

ROCKLAND

Loyal Biscuit raises $6,000 to benefit humane societies

Loyal Biscuit Co. has raised $6,000 to benefit the Pope Memorial Humane Society of Knox County and the Humane Society Waterville Area.

The funds were raised through the business’ annual “Fill Our Windows – Fill Their Bowls” campaign, held November through December.

Their partner in the fundraiser, Canidae Natural Pet Food Company, donated an additional 370 pounds of food, bringing the total amount delivered to 6,000 pounds of food.

Prince’s Furniture helped to distribute the food to the two humane societies.

SACO

Applications accepted for Sixth Citizen Police Academy

The Saco Police Department is accepting applications for its nine-week Sixth Citizen Police Academy, to begin Feb. 24.

Classes will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays at the police station, 20 Storer St.

Applications are available at the station. They are due by the Feb. 8 deadline.

For more details, call Deputy Chief Raynald Demers at 282-8214 or email rdemers@sacomaine.org

Connor Ames named geography bee winner

Saco Middle School eighth-grader Connor Ames has won the school’s geography bee.

Ames plans to continue to the state round of the competition in Augusta this spring.

DAMARISCOTTA

Secondhand Book Shop reopens for the season

The Skidompha Secondhand Book Shop reopens for the season Monday at 115 Elm St.

The shop was closed during the month of January as volunteers reorganized.

Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. All items are donated, all staff members are volunteers, and all proceeds go to Skidompha Public Library.

For more details, go to Skidompha.org or call 563-7807.

SANFORD

St. Thomas students to use Band-Aids for works of mercy

St. Thomas Catholic School students will celebrate Maine Catholic Schools Week by using Band-Aids to track works of mercy performed by students and families in the school community.

Students recently received a list identifying works of mercy. Each time they perform a work of mercy, it will be written down on a Band-Aid and placed on a large works-of-mercy cross.

In addition to the individual works of mercy, several schoolwide initiatives are planned for the week to offer hope, healing and kindness to many in need.

BOWDOINHAM

Ice and Smelt Festival set for Friday, Saturday

The fourth annual Ice and Smelt Festival takes place Friday and Saturday at the Merrymeeting Arts Center, 9 Main St.

Jazz Alchemy will provide the music from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, while the Merrymeeting Arts Center will host their new art show, “Winter Darkness/Winter Light.”

Local artists will display their interpretations of the visual delights of winter and the mysteries of Groundhog Day, Mardi Gras, the myth of Persephone and the lunar new year.

For specific details, go to www.merrymeetingartscenter.org.

BIDDEFORD

St. James students deliver bags of donated clothing

St. James School students recently delivered 230 bags of donated winter clothing to benches and fences at a park on the corner of South and Green streets for people in need.

The students also will deliver a shipment of socks, donated by members of the school community, to the Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center, at 35 South St., on Tuesday. Inside each pair of socks will be a picture or message of hope created by a student.

$50,000 grant to support health awareness campaign

Southern Maine Health Care recently received a $50,000 grant from MaineHealth to continue implementation of its community health awareness and prevention campaign Let’s Go! 5-2-1-0.

The program is intended to combat childhood obesity and its resulting chronic health issues.

These funds will support Let’s Go! York County’s prevention efforts in communities throughout York County. For more details, go to www.smhc.org.

Eisenhaur, Chard awarded Capt. Cash scholarships

College students Liam Eisenhaur and Emilie Chard have been presented with the Capt. Christopher S. Cash Memorial Scholarship Awards, according to Nancy and Bob Kelley, founders of the Run for Cash Memorial 5K Family Race Day.

Eisenhaur, Thornton Academy Class of 2015, is attending Stonehill College in Easton, Mass., where he is studying computer science.

Chard, the Old Orchard Beach High School Class of 2015 valedictorian, attends the University of New England, where she is studying athletic training for a career in physical therapy.

Both students received a $1,000 award and a personal gift in memory of Army Ranger Capt. Christopher S. Cash.

WELLS

Members of girls basketball programs raise $34,000

For the seventh year, members of Wells Junior High School and Wells High School girls basketball programs have joined efforts to raise money for breast cancer care and women’s heart health.

Recently, 68 girls participated in a day-long “Shootin’ for a Cure” free-throw competition, raising nearly $34,000 for the Breast Cancer Living Well and Heart Care for Women programs at York Hospital.

To date, the event, along with a partnership between the Wells Lady Warriors and the Wells Rotary Club, in the sponsorship of the Chuck Cumming Memorial Golf Tournament, have raised nearly $194,000 for York Hospital programs.

BETHEL-BANGOR

Brown, Maxim finalists for Intel Science Talent Search

Two Maine high school seniors are among 40 students from across the nation to be named finalists for Intel Science’s 75th Anniversary Talent Search. .

Paige Brown, of Bangor High School, and Demetri Maxim, of Gould Academy at Bethel, were selected to participate after becoming finalists at the 2015 Maine State Science Fair.

Brown earned recognition for a project that identifies and remediates sources of pollution in impaired Bangor streams.

Maxim was recognized for a project that developed a method to “grow” kidney tissue in the lab from a patient’s own cells, which could someday offer a new treatment to save the lives of patients suffering from kidney failure.

Paige and Demetri will join the other finalists on an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., in March.

ELLSWORTH-PORTLAND

Applications sought for nonprofit grant funding

Nonprofit and public organizations seeking funding for projects that draw on the strengths of the community and foster collaboration are encouraged to apply to the Cumberland County Fund, part of the Maine Community Foundation’s Community Building Grant Program.

A volunteer committee of Cumberland County residents and business leaders review grants and make recommendations for funding. The deadline for applying is Feb. 15.

Application and guidelines are available at www.mainecf.org.

ROCKLAND

Share the Love auction Saturday at St. Peter’s

The fifth annual Share the Love Community Auction will begin at 5 p.m. Saturday at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church at 11 White St.

Funds are being raised to benefit the work of four organizations: the Knox County Health Clinic, the Knox County Homeless Coalition, New Hope for Women and the Camden Christian Food Pantry.

A list of auction items can be found at www.stpetersrockland.org.

Refreshments will be available when the doors open for viewing auction items. A live auction will follow at 6:30 p.m.

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