Old Orchard Beach school officials rededicate Freedom Fields on Sept. 11. Contributed / RSU 23

Freedom Fields rededicated in OOB

On Sept. 11, the athletic fields at Loranger Memorial School in Old Orchard Beach which serve grades 3-8 were rededicated. The fields were initially named “Freedom Fields” on Sept 11, 2002, a year after the terrorist attack on the twin towers in New York City, during a ceremony involving students and community members.

School Board member Donna Moutsatsos, who spoke at the original ceremony in 2002 when she was a faculty member in Old Orchard Beach, notified Superintendent John Suttie last spring that the naming of the fields was never identified through a sign designating the name.

A plan was then put together to hold a ceremony this year on Sept. 11 and to unveil a sign that identified the playing spaces. Superintendent Suttie led off with an introduction that described what occurred on 9/11. Old Orchard Beach High school students then played the National Anthem while a flag was raised to half staff in honor of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attack. High school students then played TAPS which was followed by a moment of silence.

Moutsatsos at the microphone and acknowledged the first ceremony and said, “Remember that these fields are named Freedom Fields, and this space will be the place where we show our appreciation for those who died and all those that risks their lives every day to assure us that we will wake up every morning safe and free. Always appreciate the freedom we have and the reason for the name of these fields.”

The superintendent joined Moutsatsos unveiling the new sign to the applause of the students and attendees.

Representatives from the Thornton Academy Best Buddies team, from left, are: Sami Woodcock, Brooke Helgesen (president), chapter advisor Sarah Helgesen, Best Buddies founder Anthony Kennedy Shriver, Jillian Kurkul (secretary), Stella Foy, and Kiley Willette (vice president). Contributed / Thornton Academy

Thornton Best Buddies program honored

Thornton Academy was recognized as an Outstanding Chapter by the Best Buddies program at the organization’s Annual Leadership Conference, held in Bloomington, Indiana, according to a TA press release.

Best Buddies is dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, inclusive living, and family support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, according to the release.

“We are so proud of the students involved in Best Buddies programs at your school and are extremely impressed by their dedication to our mission,” said David Quilleon, senior vice president at Best Buddies. “Award winners were chosen based on the quality of one-to-one friendships, group outings, chapter involvement, community awareness, and chapter communication. The Thornton Academy chapter went above and beyond in each of these areas, truly living the mission of Best Buddies.”

The first chapter of Best Buddies was established in 1987 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver. Since then, the programs have expanded to over 3,500 elementary school, middle school, high school and college chapters around the world.

These chapters create the foundation for friendships between individuals with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities.

I Heart Biddeford 5K returns Oct. 26

Heart of Biddeford invites the public to join the I Heart Biddeford 5K on Saturday, Oct.26. Starting at 8 a.m. at the Biddeford Primary School parking lot, at 320 Hill St., this family-friendly event serves as a key fundraiser for Heart of Biddeford’s downtown revitalization efforts, helping to create a vibrant, thriving community.

This event is perfect for all ages and fitness levels. Runners, walkers, and teams are all welcome, according to Heart of Biddeford. Costumes are highly encouraged, and there will be prizes for the best dressed.

In addition to the main 5K event, there will be a free “Spooky Sprint” for children ages 2-12. The dash promises to be a fun and exciting way for kids to join in the Halloween festivities. The Spooky Sprint will kick off at 9:15 a.m., and participants will also be encouraged to dress in costume.

All proceeds from the I Heart Biddeford 5K will go toward supporting Heart of Biddeford’s mission to revitalize the downtown area, creating an inclusive and welcoming space for residents, businesses, and visitors alike. Your participation helps sustain important programs, events, and beautification projects that make downtown Biddeford a great place to live and work.

Registration is $30 and it is open to individuals and teams. To sign up, visit runsignup.com/Race/ME/Biddeford/ILoveBiddeford5K.

Volunteers needed

The Meals on Wheels of York County is in serious need of volunteer drivers. It is only a commitment one to two hours once a week. Drivers are reimbursed for gas. It is a great way to serve your community,

If interested, contact, Southern Maine Agency on Agency at 207-396-6500.

UNE professor gets NIH grant for epilepsy research

Russ Ferland, Ph.D., took a job as a professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of New England in 2019 after 25 years of studying epilepsy. Now Ferland will return to his epilepsy research after receiving a National Institute of Health biomedical grant for $568,000 this summer, focusing on mechanisms of how epilepsy develops and why sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) occurs.

This fall Ferland plans to recruit UNE medical students and a few undergraduate research assistants to help in the four-year study that will examine how seizures change over time, leading to increased risk for SUDEP. Specifically, Ferland wants to look at the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH) to understand its role in epilepsy progression and its potential involvement in SUDEP.

“Scientists are looking at mechanisms of SUDEP in the brainstem, specifically those brain centers that you don’t want to have abnormal seizure discharge propagating through, like the respiratory centers and the cardiac centers. But how that seizure discharge gets to these areas to cause a problem is unknown, but maybe it’s through the VMH. So, we need to look there as that is where our data are pointing us,” said Ferland, who has studied epilepsy since 1994.

In past work, Ferland identified how, during seizures, the VMH seems to serve as a kind of gateway to the brainstem, propagating the kind of tonic seizures that can increase risk for SUDEP.

Preliminary data that Ferland hasn’t published suggests that deleting one gene in the VMH could prevent this brainstem seizure. The grant will fund the continuation of that work.

Seven BHS field hockey players named to 2024 NFHCA Watchlist

Biddeford High Schools seven field hockey players named to the prestigious 2024 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Watchlist are, from left: Ayla Lagasse (Sr. Captain), Mia Mariello (Fr.), Corinne Ramunno (Jr.), Cordelia Kane (So.), Eliza Doyon (Sr. Captain), Kayla Magnant (Jr.), Hannah Sonne-Loranger (Sr. Captain). Contributed / Biddeford High School

Seven Biddeford High School field hockey players have been named to the prestigious 2024 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Watchlist. This recognition places them among the 456 student-athletes from 171 high schools across the country who have been identified as “Players to Watch” in the upcoming season, according to a school press release. The players are students Eliza Doyon (Senior), Cordelia Kane (Sophomore), Ayla Lagasse (Senior), Hannah Loranger (Senior), Kayla Magnant (Junior), Mia Mariello (Freshman), and Corinne Ramunno (Junior).

“We couldn’t be more proud of these talented athletes,” said Dennis Walton, BHS athletic director. “Their dedication, teamwork, and relentless drive have truly set them apart. This recognition is a testament to their hard work and the outstanding leadership of their coaches. We’re excited to see what they’ll accomplish this season and beyond.”

The NFHCA Watchlist is designed to highlight those field hockey student-athletes with the strongest potential for consideration for this year’s NFHCA All-Region and All-American teams. To be nominated for the 2024 Watchlist, student-athletes must have been recognized for their exceptional field hockey abilities within the past two years through honors such as NFHCA All-Region, NFHCA All-American, All-Conference, Nexus Championship selection, AAU Junior Olympic Games selection, All-State or All-League, and/or U.S. National Team roster. Additionally, their head coach must be an active NFHCA member.

Head Coach Caitlin Tremberth said, “These girls have shown incredible commitment and passion for the game. They push each other to be better every day, and it’s inspiring to watch them grow as athletes and as a team. Being named to the NFHCA Watchlist is a well-deserved honor, and I know they’ll continue to excel.”

It is important to note that the Watchlist itself does not constitute a nomination or selection to the NFHCA All-Region or All-American teams. Student-athletes not listed on the Watchlist may still be nominated for these honors. The NFHCA High School All-Region and All-American teams will be announced on November 26, 2024, and December 10, 2024, respectively.