Snow Stroll planned for Feb. 23

Kennebunk Land Trust and Boulangerie will host a Snow Stroll at 10 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 23.

Participants will explore the Mousam River Wildlife Sanctuary on a guided naturalist walk. Land trust board members Scott Gasperin, a forester, and Tony Liguori, a Master Maine Guide and Maine Master Naturalist, will highlight the flora and fauna in winter. Participants are asked to wear appropriate clothing and footwear.

The 38-acre preserve has over 2,400 feet of frontage along the Mousam River. The land trust established new crib steps at the preserve last summer, too. Following the walk, the group will visit Boulangerie for a treat and a hot drink. The cost is $10 per person (cash or check only). RSVP encouraged, but not required. For more information or to RSVP, call 207-985-8734 or email kennebunklandtrust@gmail.com. The Snow Stroll’s Principal Sponsor is Kennebunk Savings Bank.

Directions: From Route 1 in Kennebunk, turn onto Water Street. There is off street parking on the left next to the treatment plant administrative building.

Oldies Dance returns on March 21

York County’s Oldies Dance Group will present the 18th Rock n’ Roll Oldies Dance at the Eagles Hall in Biddeford on March 21. Now in its 12th year, proceeds from the Oldies Dances have raised a total of $66,200 for the Ronald McDonald House in Portland since its inception.

Oldies Dance Group founder Bruce Martin said the dances are staged twice a year in March and October.

“This dance has become the largest community fundraising effort for Ronald McDonald House of Portland, which provides comfort for the families of pediatric patients and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children,” Martin said. “Ronald McDonald House provides access to quality health care and enables family centered care ensuring families are fully supported and actively involved in their child’s care.”

Martin said that participants attend the dances to socialize and have fun with their friends, but it’s really all about enjoying the music of another day and age that has become the soundtrack of the lives of so many generations worldwide.

“Over the years, I’ve found that the slow songs really get people up on the dance floor,” Martin said. “Songs like ‘Unchained Melody’ by the Righteous Brothers, or ‘Oh Girl’ by the Chi-Lites or ‘Misty Blue’ by Dorothy Moore have such everlasting appeal. I can play ‘Unchained Melody’ and then see husbands who don’t normally dance at all out there with their wives on the dance floor swaying back and forth to that one.”

Music includes oldies favorites from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s with videos provided by “Oldies “R” Us.

“I have yet to find anyone who doesn’t love to dance to the Temptations,” Martin said. “We encourage those who want to attend to get their tickets early because of the limited seating available. People not only love to come out and dance, they appreciate that all of this is to help the Ronald McDonald House. It’s simply a fun event that is for a good cause.”

The next Oldies Dance will be from 7 p.m. to midnight Saturday, March 21 at the Eagles Hall, 57 Birch St., in Biddeford. Tickets cost $10 per person. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 284-4692.

Kennebunk Savings’ employees surpass 10,000 volunteer hours

Kennebunk Savings celebrated a milestone as employees volunteered more than 10,500 hours to charities in their communities in 2019 as part of its Community Promise program.

Longtime employee Mike Moloney says once people realized 10,000 hours was within reach, there was a lot of excitement. “From June on, you could feel the energy,” he said. “Whole departments were looking for ways to get out and volunteer.”

For many, 10,000 hours became a way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the bank’s Community Promise program that supports local community organizations and causes. The program focuses on meeting an array of community needs from health and wellness to community and economic advancement, arts and culture, education and innovation, the environment and animal welfare.

“Our employees work hard, have family obligations and still find time to support organizations they are passionate about,” said Bradford C. Paige, president and CEO of Kennebunk Savings. “They served meals at soup kitchens, took care of animals at local humane societies, read books to children, cleared walking paths, and volunteered at countless community events. The fact that 310 employees could reach 10,000 service hours is a testament to their commitment to our community. For that, I’m truly grateful.”

Liz Torrance, the senior social responsibility administrator in charge of the volunteer program, said, “We all live locally and want to be part of our communities – we want to walk the walk and give our time…It’s something that’s really celebrated at the company.”

For employees, the Community Promise program and commitment to volunteering sets Kennebunk Savings apart as a great place to work. When Samik Roy moved to Maine and began networking a few ago, he kept hearing about the bank’s commitment to community involvement. “It really drove me to want to work here.” Now he’s an employee and he’s Vice President of the Kittery Rotary Club. “The bank is very giving at allowing us time to do these things,” said Samik, “the Community Promise is one of the most fun parts of my job.”

It’s also one reason Moloney has stayed at Kennebunk Savings for 23 years.

“The bank attracts people who want to give back,” Moloney said. “You have people that come here for a job, but they stay here because the bank values are consistent with the way they want to live their lives, helping others and doing good.”

2019 saw the Community Promise program reach more than $1 million in giving to nonprofit organizations across York County and seacoast New Hampshire. Since it began a quarter of a century ago, the program has distributed more than $14 million and Kennebunk Savings employees have volunteered more than 135,428 hours in its name. They look forward to continuing the tradition of giving into the next decade.

Arundel referendum election is March 3

The town of Arundel will hold a referendum election on Tuesday, March 3 at the Arundel Fire Station on Limerick Road from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Registration of new voters, as well as changes of name or address, may be made with the registrar at the town office during regular business hours of Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or at the polls on Election Day.

Residents may request an absentee ballot or vote in person at the town clerk’s office without any specific reason until 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 27. After that date, an absentee ballot can only be obtained for special circumstances. Online absentee ballot request forms are available at http://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/AbsenteeBallot/index.pl

A phone request can be made by voters as well. For more information, call the town office at 985-4201.

Arundel Republicans announce caucus

Wayne Parry, chair of the Arundel Republican Town Committee, announced that Arundel Republicans will caucus at 2 p.m. Feb. 23 at his home, 851 Alfred Road, Arundel (across from Kate’s Butter). For more information, call Parry at 229-5195.

The purpose of the caucus is to elect delegates and alternates to the state convention, elect delegates to the York County Republican Committee, elect Republican town committee officers, and organize for the upcoming elections. All Arundel Republicans are urged to attend and participate in the caucus.

The town registrar will be available from 1 to 2 p.m. at the caucus location to register as a Republican anyone who is not registered, anyone who is registered as unenrolled, registered Republicans who have relocated, or anyone who will be 18 by the Nov. 3, 2020 election.

The state convention will be held at the Augusta Civic Center on May 1-2. It is an opportunity for Republicans from throughout Maine to meet and speak with with candidates.

Job fair set for Monday, March 9

The Kennebunk-Kennebunkport-Arundel Chamber of Commerce and the town of Kennebunk will hold the fifth annual Job Fair from 2 to 5 p.m. Monday, March 9, at St. Martha’s Church on Route 1. The job fair has been moved from Kennebunk Town Hall to accommodate more parking. Both employers and those seeking jobs are invited to attend.

Chamber members or not, all local businesses in Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel may have a table at the fair. Local businesses and organizations include those looking for full-time and part-time work, both season and year-round. Organizers have invited employment agencies and local businesses, as well as local high school students. Even small businesses with only one job to fill can tap into a larger pool of candidates.

The fair is free of charge for job seekers. Cost for a shared 8-foot table is $25 for member businesses and $50 for nonmembers.
To reserve a table, please email events@gokennebunks.com or call the Chamber at 967-0857.

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