AUGUSTA
Dedham resident gets scholarship through Maine Air National Guard
Airman 1st Class Madison Drake of Dedham is the recipient of the Master Sgt. Nunzio Biondello Scholarship Award. Drake, a 2019 graduate of Bangor High School, is a member of the Maine Air National Guard’s 101st Air Refueling Wing in Bangor, where she is a materials management specialist in the Logistics Readiness Squadron.
Drake, daughter of Kelly and Brent Drake, is a student at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. She enlisted in the Maine Air National Guard in 2018 as a high school senior. She is pursuing her degree in aeronautical science and hopes to fly KC-135 refueling aircraft for the Wing.
There were 12 applicants for this year’s scholarship. Applicants were required to provide proof of enrollment at an accredited institute of higher learning, be a member or dependent of a member of the Maine Air National Guard, and provide an essay on what the word “veteran” means to the applicant.
Scholarship recipients are selected by the Chiefs Council Scholarship Committee, composed of the senior enlisted leaders within the Maine Air National Guard. It is made available through the Master Sgt. Nunzio Biondello Trust. Biondello, a World War II and Korean War veteran and retiree of the Maine Air National Guard, was a radio operator on a Navy landing craft transport on D-Day at Omaha Beach. He retired from the Wing in Bangor in 1984.

Lewiston fire station named historical place
The Lincoln Street Fire Station in Lewiston has been entered in the National Register of Historic Places, a designation indicating that the property has been documented, evaluated, and considered worthy of preservation and protection as part of the nation’s cultural heritage.
The Lincoln Street Fire Station possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. Completed in 1964, the fire station is significant on the local level and meets Criterion A for listing in the national register in the area of politics/government for its association with the federal Public Works Acceleration Act (PWAA) of 1962. It is one of only two fire stations built in Maine under the PWAA and also is the largest of four stations built by the city in the mid-20th century (between 1940 and 1965). It is the only remaining historic fire station in the downtown area.
The station also meets Criterion C for listing in the national register in the area of architecture. Designed by local architect George E. Head, the station is an example of an International Style municipal building from the mid-20th century and embodies distinctive characteristics of the style in its form, proportions, detailing, and materials. It is also an early example of a fire station with vehicle entrances at both the front and rear of the station. The period of significance for the listing is 1963-1964. Construction of the building largely took place in 1963 and was completed and ready for occupancy in 1964. According to the Lewiston annual reports, the federal funding through the PWAA was received in 1963.

BRUNSWICK
Disability services organization receives fundraising challenge 
Independence Association has received a matching gift challenge of up to $50,000 for its Campaign for Independence & Growth, being held through June 30. Those funds will directly benefit Mainers with disabilities.
Each year, more than 400 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities or autism receive Independence Association services in seven Maine counties. Individuals learn skills and receive tailored personal supports. Families benefit from the supports that help both them and their relatives live most effectively in their communities.
The $250,000 Campaign for Independence & Growth is the first Major Gifts campaign in the 54-year-old organization’s history. It aims to build capacity for Independence Association to continue meeting needs beyond what services reimbursements provide. Agency growth goals include expanding housing opportunities for people with disabilities who are aging in place, extending arts programming to additional communities, expanding wellness programming, maintaining a well-trained and quality staff, and expanding the ability to provide specialized treatments.
Campaign donations may be made online at independenceassociation.org/donate or mail a check to: Independence Association, 3 Industrial Pkwy, Brunswick, ME 04011.
For gifts of stock or other securities, call Carlene Hill Byron at 504-5822.

CUMBERLAND CENTER
Greely High School juniors are eager to see a class project, set in motion last fall, finally come to fruition. Last year, the Class of 2022 began the Tulips to Bloom Project, planting more the 4,000 tulip bulbs in four gardens that are located in the center islands of the driveways on school grounds.
Each garden has a theme: yellow tulips for mental health awareness, pink tulips for Breast Cancer Awareness, white and black tulips for Black Lives Matter and rainbow colored tulips for the LGBTQ+ community.
Those bulbs were secured in partnership with Skillins Greenhouses staffers, who worked with the students to work on the actual design of the gardens. The bulbs were planted by students with help from their families.
The bulbs are expected to be in full display by May 1.

FALMOUTH
Public Works compost available
The Falmouth Public Works Department has a supply of screened organic compost for sale to Falmouth residents at a cost of $20 per cubic yard.
Orders under three yards may be purchased and picked up by Falmouth residents with their own vehicle or trailer at the Public Works Office between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Larger orders can be delivered to residents. To place an order for delivery, call 699-5370 and leave a message. Order processing may take a few days depending on call volume and demand.

OLD ORCHARD BEACH
Library offering free cards to town employees
Libby Memorial Library has announced that individuals who are full-time, year-round employees of Old Orchard Beach businesses are eligible for a free library card.
To take advantage of this opportunity, bring a driver’s license and pay stub showing that you work for a business within the town.
For more details, call the library at 934-4351 email info@ooblibrary.org.

WISCASSET
Maine Art Gallery names new manager
Maine Art Gallery Board of Trustees recently welcomed Kerry Hadley, of Owls Head, as its new gallery manager. Hadley comes to role with experience in strategic and organizational management experience that is well suited to a nonprofit gallery. As manager of the Camden Opera House for 16 years, and before that, the executive director of the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce, Hadley’s goal has always been to enrich and cultivate community, while helping grow the nonprofits.
Hadley comes to the Maine Art Gallery in time to help launch a new season of exhibits, beginning with the Members Show that runs from May 15 to June 5. Five more shows fill out a season that runs until October 17. In addition to the regular show schedule, the gallery also is holding an online auction of art from May 1 to June 15.
Hadley and husband Craig began their careers in New York City and made their way north over the years. They have two grown sons.
The Maine Art Gallery is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement and preservation of painting, sculpture and graphic arts through exhibitions, lectures, demonstrations, and educational programs for children and adults.
For more details, go to maineartgallerywiscasset.org and on Facebook at Maine Art Gallery Wiscasset. The gallery is located at 15 Warren St.

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