WELLS

Eighth-grader headed to state geography bee

Wells Junior High eighth-grader Natalie Hanagan celebrates her National Geographic Bee win with teacher Bonnie Dill. Hanagan has been invited to the state contest in March in Farmington, for a chance to advance to the 29th Annual National Geographic Bee sponsored by the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C. Photo courtesy of Reg Bennett

Wells Junior High School eighth-grader Natalie Hanagan won her school’s competition in the National Geographic Bee.

Hanagan matched wits with nine competitors to win the competition at the WJHS Ward Gymnasium.

Eighth-grader Jaiden Greaves was the runner-up and will compete should Hanagan not be able to attend the state competition, set for March at the University of Maine at Farmington.

State winners will compete in the national championship at the National Geographic Society in Washington D.C., in May. Prizes include a $50,000 scholarship.

School honors students for following core values

Wells Elementary School recently held a Breakfast of Champions to honor 30 students who showed the school’s core values in interacting with their fellow students and staff.

Student honorees Grady Manning, Addison Greene, Luke Boucher, Mason Gatcomb, Joshua Corbett, Breanna Hill, Camron Chaloux, Ava Wheeler, Evan Suitter, Tanner Tufts, Francesca MacEwen, Hailey Worthing, Drew McLaughlin, Payton Fazzina, Hunter Sturmer, Norah Donnell, Aiden Duell, Nate DeMauro, Isabella Leslie, Chase Lunetta, Scarlet Arbelo, Reese Murphy, Claudio Watson, Evan Peterson, Bella Smith, Kendall Ball, Camille Decato, Honey Conley, Jonathan Martinez and Christopher Buckley were recognized for displaying values including respect, responsibility, honesty, trustworthiness and compassion toward others and their school.

ROCKLAND

Pies on Parade Pie Tour raises $25,768 for pantry

The 13th annual Pies on Parade Pie Tour has raised $25,768 for the Area Interfaith Outreach Food Pantry and Fuel Assistance Program.

Twenty-five inns, restaurants and businesses from Rockland and Camden collectively donated more than 600 hours of time and thousands of dollars in products and services to ensure a sizable donation could be made to the food pantry this year. Gift certificates, gifts, artworks and other items were donated to the silent auction and raffle from businesses throughout the midcoast, raising $2,220 of the total donation. Maritime Energy matched the $2,000 raised from cash donations.

This brings the total donations to AIO’s food and fuel assistance programs to more than $160,052 since the Pies on Parade began.

BIDDEFORD

Teacher wins Golden Apple for her dedication to kids

Biddeford Intermediate School teacher Lori Flynn was recently named a Golden Apple Award recipient.

Hosted by 99.9 The Wolf, the award was created to recognize individuals dedicated to the intellectual and emotional growth of Maine’s children and young adults. Flynn was nominated by France Pelletier, a parent. Flynn will be recognized at a special banquet in August.

KENNEBUNK

Habitat group helps build 32 homes in Guatemala

Over the past several years, Habitat for Humanity York County has helped fund construction of more than 32 homes for families in need in Guatemala. This project supports Habitat for Humanity’s mission of “A world in which every person has a decent place to live.”

Habitat for Humanity York County will send a team of volunteers to Guatemala in March on a nine-day trip to work on home constructions. The 12 volunteers are all York County residents.

The housing deficit in Guatemala is estimated at 1.2 million homes, and many families live in poorly constructed houses made of unstable materials such as adobe, corrugated metal, wood planks or palm thatching. Others, who lack even such basic structures, pay over half their monthly incomes on rent or crowd into homes where several families occupy the same small house or room.

The team will travel to the Guastatoya District and work on construction of homes for two families. Donations can be made at habitatyorkcounty.org.

Museum admission is free during February

The Brick Store Museum is showing its love for the Kennebunks by presenting a “Free February” program, to coincide with the Kennebunk-Kennebunkport-Arundel Chamber of Commerce’s Paint the Town Red initiative. The program opens the museum to regional residents and guests alike, with free admission for the entire month of February.

The museum has two new exhibitions: “Aweigh We Go: Sailing Ships of the Kennebunks,” and “The Weapons Collection,” along with current exhibitions “Design & Function: Furniture, Portraits and Art, 1685-1840,” “Local Scenes/Local Artists,” and “What’s in a Game?”

For more details, go to www.brickstoremuseum.org or call 985-4802.

ELLSWORTH, PORTLAND

Fund awards $79,000 in grants to 16 groups

The Edward H. Daveis Benevolent Fund of the Maine Community Foundation has awarded grants totaling more than $79,000 to nonprofit programs in Greater Portland that support children. Grants of up to $10,000 were awarded to 16 organizations, including:

• $10,000 to YMCA of Southern Maine to support early learning readiness for underserved families;

• $8,000 to the Multilingual and Multicultural Center of Portland Public Schools for the Make It Happen program to help multicultural students build strong academic profiles through extended learning;

• $3,500 to Maine Boys to Men to support Boot Camp for New Dads and Fatherhood and True Strength workshops.

The fund was established in 1943 to benefit nonprofit organizations serving Greater Portland.

The fund advisers recognize the critical roles parents and early childhood education providers play to ensure a child’s readiness to enter school on a path to success and the importance of youth leadership programs that help develop aspirations and abilities of our youth.

The next proposal deadline is Oct. 15. Applications, guidelines and a list of 2016 grants can be found at www.mainecf.org. For more details, call Stephanie Eglinton, MaineCF senior program officer, at 761-2440 or email seglinton@mainecf.org.

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