WINDHAM

Riding to the Top recognizes volunteers

This week is National Volunteer Week and Riding to the Top kicked off the celebration by recognizing a record number of its volunteers who served in excess of 100 hours in 2018.

Nick Doria, RTT volunteer coordinator, said, “In 2018, 164 volunteers contributed nearly 11,000 hours of service in support of lessons, horse care, barn chores, office help and special events. Also in 2018, RTT surpassed the 100,000 hour mark for volunteer hours since we began tracking these hours in 2000. RTT would not be where we are today without the generous support of our volunteers!”

RTT volunteers Lina Jordan, Dan Morabito, Pat Niboli, Clayton Peters and Patty Shaw were named to the Maine Volunteer Roll of Honor for their service of 50 hours or more for youths and 500 or more hours for adults in 2018.

The President’s Volunteer Service Award, recognizing role models who make a positive impact as engaged and deeply committed volunteers, were given to 24 individuals. Receiving Gold Level awards in this category, for serving 250 to 500 or more hours, were Julia Hamilton, Lina Jordan, Sarah Miller, Dan Morabito, Pat Niboli, Clayton Peters and Patty Shaw. Silver Level, who served 250 to 499 hours, were Janis Childs, Barbara Foster, Mark Fuller, Jodi Peasley, Bryony Urquhart and Trish Vaughan, and Bronze Level volunteers, who served 100 to 249 hours, were Christine Blackadar, Jo Blinick, Earle Bonney, Cindy Elder, Emma Evans, Trish Friant, Tony Girlando, Fran Maxwell, Nancy Robinson, Stacie Hamilton Waldron and Elizabeth Wood.

Honorees will certificates and pins of recognition during the riding center’s annual volunteer appreciation event in June.

STANDISH

St. Joseph’s awarded $34,995 humanities grant

The National Endowment for the Humanities has named St. Joseph’s College of Maine as the recipient of a $34,995 grant to support the college’s Education for Sustainability Through the Humanities project to develop and implement educational programming that helps formulate how to build sustainable human communities and solve global problems.

The ESTH project will create a humanities-based curriculum, professional development workshops,and partnerships. An interdisciplinary team of faculty, staff and community partners will collaborate to implement the project.

PORTLAND

Easterseals gets $5,000 grant to help veterans

The TD Charitable Foundation has awarded a $5,000 grant to Easterseals to support the care coordination and access to emergency assistance and benefits for veterans in Maine veterans.

Easterseals Military & Veterans Services works to meet the emergency needs of veterans who are facing hardships, often a direct result of their military service, by pairing emergency financial assistance to resolve immediate crises with longer-term, individualized care coordination services.

In order to carry out these services, MVS care coordinators meet program participants in a location of their choosing – including in-home meetings – to develop an individualized care plan and establish goals. Care coordinators also teach participants how to access services/benefits to support their well-being and independence in the future.

To learn more, visit easterseals.com/maine or call 828.0754.

Portland Harbor Hotel gives $9,000 to 3 nonprofits

Portland Harbor Hotel donated a total of $9,000 to three local nonprofit organizations: Rippleffect, Trauma Intervention Program and The Root Cellar. Gerard Kiladjian, General Manager at Portland Harbor Hotel, presented the $3,000 checks to each recipient.

Proceeds were generated from the hotel’s 14th annual Ice Bar event in January. Each year, the hotel donates a percentage of funds from this event to local nonprofits that support families and youth in the community.

WELLS

High school senior named Student-Athlete of Month

Wells High School senior Matt Sherburne was recognized as Student-Athlete of the Month for January.

Sherburne received the award for his academics, sportsmanship and performance as point guard on the Warriors basketball team. He is a two-time recipient of the award.

Sherburne was cited as a strong leader with the team. He finished the season averaging 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and 2.49 steals per game. Sherburne was named 1st Team Western Maine Conference All-Star and was selected to the McDonald’s Class AA/A/B All-State team.

 

Elementary school marks Celebration of Reading Day

 

 

 

Wells Elementary School held its annual Celebration of Reading Day recently, as part of the NEA’s Read Across America Day, in conjunction with the March 2 birthday of  the late Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Seuss Geisel, author of many children’s books including “The Cat in the Hat.”

Thirty-nine community members were assigned classrooms to visit and share their love of reading with students by reading aloud one or two of their favorite children’s books. Guest readers included teachers, former teachers, parents, students and representatives from the Wells Fire Department, Wells Police Department, People’s United Bank, York Hospital, Ogunquit Rotary Club, and the Wells Public Library, which hosted a Dr. Seuss Party for all first- and second-grade students in the school’s library.

 

LIMERICK

Library hosts children’s author for event

The Limerick Public Library recently hosted children’s book author Susan Lubner for a book and blanket event with the library’s sewing club.

Members of the youth sewing club, led by Noli Lyle, were inspired by Lubner’s book “Lizzy and the Good Luck Girl” to create and donate cat blankets benefiting the Kennebunk Animal Welfare Society.

Lubner read from her book and autographed copies. The children presented their blankets to AWS volunteer Carol Carey and her therapy dog Nellie.

Attendees also enjoyed baked goods and some  conversation.

WEST KENNEBUNK

Animal Welfare Society taking applications for class

The Animal Welfare Society is accepting applications for a weeklong Animal Care Intensive series of STEM-focused workshops for high school students interested in working in an animal care field that will run Aug. 19-22.

The workshops are intended as a hands-on experience in the field of veterinary sciences as participants work with small and companion animal veterinarians, animal care and veterinary technicians, engineers and veterinary lab technicians and large animal and equine veterinarians.

Students spend a day at the AWS Community Veterinary Clinic and a day in the AWS Adoption Center. The week also will include daylong field trips to Idexx Laboratories in Westbrook, and the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals in Windham.

ACI will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Tuition is $300. There is no fee to apply.  To apply, students must submit a one- to two-page essay along with their application.

Apply online at https://animalwelfaresociety.org/youth/animal-care-intensive.

CARRABASSETT VALLEY

Library announces change in hours for spring months

Carrabassett Valley Public Library has announced a change in hours for the spring months. Effective immediately, the facility will be closed on Sundays and Mondays and will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.

For more details, call 237-3535.