WELLS
School areas dedicated to former teachers
A large group of teachers, administrators, and guests – including former administrators and teachers – gathered in the Wells Elementary School cafeteria recently to celebrate the official naming of two main areas at the school in honor of two former WES teachers: Kathy Calo and Karen Taylor.
The gym has officially been named the “Kathy Calo Gymnasium,” in honor of Calo, who has taught physical education to students since 1986. Calo was key in helping to raise close to $300,000 with her students by participating in the annual American Heart Association’s “Jump Rope for Heart.”
The school’s performance stage will now officially be called “Karen Taylor Stage” in honor of Taylor, who has taught music and directed musical productions since 1989. Over the years, Taylor has delighted parents, students, and many others featuring her students at annual December holiday concerts. She also directed fourth-grade students in musical productions of “Stars 4 Broadway.”

KENNEBUNKPORT
Art guild announces exhibit winners
The Art Guild of the Kennebunks announced the winners of its “Awards Art Exhibit,” held Oct. 1-2 at the Community House.
First prize ribbons were awarded to the following artists and their categories: “Best of Show” was awarded to Susan Hanna for her painting “Over the River”; the Acrylic Award went to Dee Burdick for her painting “Sandy Path”; the Watercolor Award went to Peter Hoff for his painting “The Beach at Night Alone”; the Oil Award went to Richard Winslow for his painting “Harbor Reflections”; the Pastel Award went to Ellen Pelletier for her painting “Ocean Frolic”; the Photography Award went to Michael Fillyaw for his photograph “Water Lilies”; and the Multimedia Award went to Steve Hrehovcik for his painting “Portland Head Light.”
Also on display was “Spring Surprise” a watercolor by Hoff, which is the prize of the guild’s annual scholarship raffle. The raffle benefits a talented, deserving art student at Kennebunk High School with a $500 scholarship.
Raffle tickets can be purchased at any of the Guild exhibits throughout the year. The winning raffle ticket will be drawn at the end of the Guild’s Prelude exhibit in December.
Plein air landscape and marine painter David Perry Fouts served as judge for the exhibit.
For more details, go to artguildofthekennebunks.com or call 324-0527.

STATEWIDE
British publisher seeks American writers
Little-known writers and poets from across the United States are being invited to submit their poetry and short story fiction to a British publisher.
In 2023, Tim Saunders Publications in England will publish an anthology of poetry and short stories celebrating America.
The book is intended to celebrate all things America from the people, the range of accents, to the landscape and the cuisine. Saunders is particularly keen to receive work from unpublished writers.
Interested writers are invited to submit poetry of up to 30 lines and short stories of up to 1,000 words for The America Collection.
Submissions should be emailed to tsaunderspubs@gmail.com by Dec. 28. Contributors retain their copyright.
For more details, visit tsaunderspubs.weebly.com or tsaunderspubs.weebly.com.

CAMDEN
Bank donates 2,000 care items to shelters
Camden National Bank has made a community donation of more than 2,000 personal care items to local homeless shelters. Employees across the region collected toiletries at its 58 banking center locations, and made personal contributions at the bank’s annual employee appreciation night.
Additionally, 650 bath towels were donated to homeless shelters in local communities on behalf of each Camden National Bank employee. The donation represents the bank’s commitment to supporting the work of homeless shelters through their Hope@Home program, established in 2015 to provide critical assistance to those in need. Every time a customer finances a new home through Camden National Bank, the bank donates $100 to a local homeless shelter. To date, more than $670,000 in unrestricted funds have been donated to over 50 homeless shelters across northern New England.
To learn more, please visit camdennational.bank.

WATERVILLE
Speaker series to talk shellfish and sustainability 
The DiriGO Speaker Series will host the talk “Ocean Farm Supply: Empowering Companies to Harvest Shellfish Sustainably,” with Ocean Farm Supply co-founder and CEO Erin Adams from 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Hathaway Creative Center, 10 Water St.
Hear how the business is dedicated to sustainable, regenerative forestry practices and carbon-neutral production processes, helping shellfish distributors reduce the need for single-use plastic mesh bags. Food and refreshments will be provided.
The event is free. To learn more, go to dirigolabs.org/community-stories-dirigo-speaker-series.

TOPSHAM
Tickets on sale for U.S. Marine band performance
For the first time in five years, “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band returns to the Northeast, with a free performance on Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at The Orion Performing Arts Center. Advance tickets are available online, with a limit of four per request. Seating is general admission and ticket holders must be seated by 7:15 p.m.; remaining seats will be released to the standby line.
Organizers from Brunswick High School and Mt. Ararat High School has helped bring the ensemble from the nation’s capital to Topsham for this community event.
For full details, please visit marineband.marines.mil/tour.

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