In a normal year, ecomaine’s eco-Excellence Award winners are announced at a luncheon event in March with dozens of people in attendance. The 2020 event to showcase Mainers who go above and beyond in their work to promote sustainability was one of the very last events ecomaine held before the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown occurred. But with so much uncertainty over the last year, ecomaine instead honored this year’s class via a video tribute, unveiled to nearly 100 guests at ecomaine’s 2021 annual meeting in Portland on June 17. Eight recipients from around southern Maine were honored at ecomaine’s annual meeting.

“On behalf of ecomaine, I want to say a huge ‘thank you’ to all these leaders in sustainability. We are fortunate to have you in Maine, and helping our communities,” said Kevin Roche, CEO of ecomaine, in a news release.

The honorees include people, businesses, and nonprofits from various industries around southern Maine:

The Rev. Priscilla Dreyman, Cape Elizabeth United Methodist Church (whose inclusion of recycling into their ministry and education is inspirational and provides leadership by example for what we can all do in our own corner of the world).

Arnold Vickery, Hollis (a trash and recycling collection worker in Hollis who went the extra mile to educate residents about recycling contamination while on his route).

David Love & Maine Beer Company, Freeport (for their commitment to leading the Company’s “Blue Crew” in efforts to recover more waste and save it from landfills).

Curtis Dimock & the staff from the Yarmouth Transfer Station (for their dedication and hard work for town residents during this particularly challenging year).

The Ecology School, Saco (for its leadership in education about sustainability, from its curriculum to its new campus buildings and solar arrays).

Mary Vertz & The Casco Bay Cleanup Project, Portland (who has started a movement to keep litter out of Maine’s beautiful waterways and make sure trash ends up where it belongs).

Kelly Meslin, Gorham Public Works (for her service on the front lines of major shifts in the way Gorham does its recycling and trash business, making sure that residents are informed and connected).

Scarborough Land Trust (for its commitment to preserving natural spaces and – critically in the past year – access to land as a way of escaping some pandemic-induced stress).

SMCC to host Family and Friends Weekend in October

Southern Maine Community College will hold a Family and Friends Weekend in October to bring together students, their families, friends and SMCC alumni.

The pilot event is aimed at providing parents an opportunity to see SMCC and experience student life first-hand, while also allowing alumni to visit, meet with old friends and see how the college has changed through the years. The event takes place from Friday, Oct. 1, through Sunday, Oct. 3.

“We are proud to host this inaugural Family and Friends Weekend to celebrate our students, their families and friends, and our alumni,” said SMCC President Joe Cassidy in a news release. “We are pleased to be able to open up our campuses like this as college life gradually returns to normal, and it is particularly fitting to hold this event during our year-long celebration of SMCC’s 75th anniversary.”

The Family and Friends Weekend will kick off with a Casco Bay cruise featuring food and music that will depart from the SMCC pier on the South Portland Campus. Other highlights include an alumni soccer game and a lobster bake.

People who are interested in attending can register through an online form that has been set up.

For more information about SMCC’s 75th anniversary, visit the SMCC anniversary celebration webpage.

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