Sustainable waste management firm ecomaine, in a Jan. 31 news release, announced the launch of its school-based Upcycle Challenge, that will award $500 to a participating student’s school.

The Upcycle Challenge asks students in ecomaine’s communities to use items that ordinarily would have been disposed of, to make all-new, functional ones and submit them by Friday, March 18. From the submissions, ecomaine’s Outreach and Recycling Committee will select a group of finalists, based on the incorporation of post-consumer materials, the ingenuity and functionality of the new creation, inclusion of students in the process, as well as the approval from a teacher or advisor.

Following the determination of finalists, the designs will be voted on by the public through Earth Day.

In the past, the Upcycle Challenge has seen entries including:

A working chandelier made from old plastic bottles.
A bike rack made from old bicycles.
Clothing fashioned from plastic, old fabric, and other materials.
Old clothing turned into hair scrunchies.
Furniture from old tires.
Movie projectors made from all kinds of would-be-junk materials.

“We continue to be so impressed by the creativity of these students and their designs,” said Matt Grondin, ecomaine’s communications manager, in an email. “We’re excited to see what this round of sustainably-themed designs has in store.”

For contest guidelines, rules and entry form, visit ecomaine.org.

Southern Maine Community Colleges announces fall dean’s list

Southern Maine Community College released its 2021 fall semester dean’s list. Local residents named to the dean’s list includes:

Cape Elizabeth: Michael Bryan, Liv Cochran, Sean Collins, Katherine Dunham, Audra Gore, Hirruy Hagos, Isaac Hayes, Rosemary Hoover, Brooke Pidhajecky and Georgia Wood.

Old Orchard Beach: Burcin Erdem, Charles Katz, Ebenezer Kwarteng, Lexis Labonte, Jess Lavigne, Taylor Rancourt, Isabella Russo, Cailean Schecter, Katelyn Strout, Katelynn Trott, Ange Uwera Ndayisabye, Kaya Watkins, Jake Whitney and Sam Willsey.

Scarborough: Richardsky Adoux, Sean Arsenault, Sabrina Blackie, Molly Carter, Kayla Dagnese-Fairbrother, Joseph Daly, Joel Domas, Alicia Fournier, Kourtnie Fritscher, Meghan Gilchrist, Dee Hall, Rob Hansen, Mollie Harris, Meghan Henderson, Kathleen Hodge, Nicholas Hutchins, Charlotte Jacobs, Ben Joys, Nick Kennett, Nick Lewis, Ashton MacDonald, Madelyne Morgan, Nicky Ngombo, Duyen Nguyen, Quinn Olore, Sam Patch, Alyssa Siegel, Christine Small, Alison Smith, Rachel Smith, Alexandria Stocker, Brandon Stocker, Phebe Tice, Joseph Townsend, Alexandra Twomey and Liberty Vyas.

South Portland: Keziah Carmela Aberilla, Awo Ahmed, Peter Anastasoff, Antonio Arturo-Sotelo, Jenna Ball, Jonathan Bangs, Allison Botello, Julia Brahms, Liam Brown, Michelle Brown, Emma Campbell, Austin Cantara, Griffin Cardale, Taylor Clement, Miles Comparetto, Michala Cox, Rin Cox, Brian Determan, Brianna Drew, Timothy Dubois, Jacquelyn Farish, Jesse Feeney, Mackenzie Ferster, Sheala Foth, Miranda Gleason, Cassidy Gonneville, Robert Graff, Sara Groshens, Jenn Gross, Lydia Gwizimpundu, Kaia Hallett-Brown, Andi Hammond, Rory Hannon, Jordan Hansen, Mitchell Haverley, Rachel Haynes, Charles Hayward, Ariel Hood, Diego Howard, Qamer Hussein, Benjamin Ingalls, Gladys Irakoze, Sara Jawad, Tamara Jawad, Moise Kalonji, Phuc Le, Iza LoBue, Grace Mack, Grace Maronko, Manika Matungulu, Erin McCue, Sabryna Montminy, Sam Morrill, Becky Morse, Lillian Mosley, Laney Murray, Daniel Ndele, Coeur Ngabo, Hieu Nguyen, Naomi Padberg, Olivia Parker, Morgan Pasquali, Sarah Pearson, Anthony Perron, DeShawn Pheng-Bresette, Caroline Philbrook, Dillan Ray-Bolduc, Liam Robertson, Kyle Robinson, Jerome Ryan, Isabella Santeramo, Justin Saulle, Emily Savage, Sam Seidl, Hope Silver, Marygold Silver, Kelly Slechta, Ruby Stanton, Alexis Staten, Lindsay Steinberg, James Stockwell, Beth Stone-Grannell, Russelie Sueiro, Mohammed Suja, Nathaniel Taylor, Stephanie Taylor, Nhat Quang Tran, Sarah Trinward, Delphine Uwingabire, Mardoqueu Wembo, Tianna Wilcox, Matthew Wilkinson, Olivia Will, Jess Wolfe, Angelique Wooldridge, Michael Yattaw and John Young.

Travis Mills Foundation plans annual Miles for Mills

After being virtual for two years, the Travis Mills Foundation’s Miles for Mills Memorial Day 5K, presented by New Balance Foundation, returns to in-person status. The event is scheduled for 9 a.m. Sunday, May 29, at a new location, Brunswick Landing, the former Brunswick Naval Air Station. A virtual component will also be offered.

The location’s military history, coupled with the mission of the Travis Mills Foundation, makes for the “perfect setting to run and remember servicemembers who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” said the foundation in a Feb. 2 news release.

“The military roots run deep in our Bath-Brunswick region, and we know how much it will mean to our local veterans and families to have this race on the former Naval base property,” said Cory King, executive director of the Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber, in an email.

The foundation anticipates up to 1,500 walkers and runners of various levels for the 3.1-mile route through the campus. For more information or to register, visit www.milesformills.org.

“The course is great because it is very flat for the runners, there is lots of parking, and every step they take will be on the same property that military families have called home for decades,” King said.

The event will include division awards, children’s activities, food trucks, a beer tent, military presentations and a moving display that honors the 84 Maine men and women who died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. U.S. Army SSG (Ret.) Travis Mills, founder of the Travis Mills Foundation, will address the crowd and visit with race participants.

“It’s humbling to have Brunswick selected as a host site because of what the Travis Mills Foundation means to Maine military families, and for what military families mean to our communities,” King said.

 

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