240 Strings:
“They Persisted”

240 Strings continues their community concert season on Dec. 14 at 3 p.m. at 28 Neal St. in Portland. The Portland Piano Trio will play the Mozart C Major Trio, written in the midst of excruciating hardship, and the G Minor Piano Trio, which the young Chopin wrote while still in Poland under the thumb of Russian rule.

The Portland Piano Trio, recognized as “among the city’s must-hear groups” by critic Allan Kozinn, has played public performances and house concerts throughout New England. Musicians Tracey Jasas-Hardel (violin), Jing Li (cello), and Anastasia Antonacos (piano) are committed to bringing “energy, understanding, technique, insight, great beauty, humor, impressive ensemble, and shared musical values” to the music they play. Their varied programs feature traditional repertoire alongside newer works.

The Portland Piano Trio is the resident ensemble of 240 Strings, which builds community among Portland youth through subsidized music lessons and affordable chamber music concerts. There will be performances by 240 Strings students following the trio program.

Affordable homeownership
opportunities in Sanford

Habitat’s deadline to apply for two affordable homeownership opportunities has been extended to Dec. 6. The homes will begin construction next year.

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These homes will be in a community that is a small subdivision with four homes on Beaver Hill Road, Sanford. The first two homebuyers have been selected and Habitat is actively seeking applicants for the third and fourth homes. Four to five additional homes are planned for construction following this subdivision.

This year three families purchased new homes in Sanford through Habitat for Humanity. A recent homebuyer in Sanford said, “We are enjoying our new home. We have walked all over town enjoying parks and the girls are adjusting well to their new school. Everything is starting to feel like ours.”

Habitat’s program is designed to support local individuals and families who reside in York County. Habitat homebuyers purchase their homes through an affordable mortgage that will be no more than 30% of the household’s income and pay a $1,500 down payment at closing.

Eligibility requirements:

• Applicants must fall within the income guidelines and have a minimum income of $44,000. The income minimum is dependent on household size.

• Applicants must be willing to partner with Habitat and contribute sweat equity hours – time spent volunteering on the build site and at the Kennebunk ReStore

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• Applicants must either live or work in York County for at least one year.

Interested applicants can visit habitatyorkcounty.org/homeownership to download an application, or a physical application can be picked up at the Kennebunk ReStore located at 123 York St. in Kennebunk. Applications must be returned to the Kennebunk ReStore or received via mail by Dec. 6 at 5 p.m.

For questions about Habitat for Humanity’s homeownership program, contact Habitat at program@habitatyorkcounty.org.

UNE offers free
tuition for some

In an effort to attract top talent to New England, the University of New England has announced it will begin covering tuition costs for high-achieving students whose families earn less than $100,000.

Starting in fall 2025, the university will provide free tuition to eligible high-performing graduating high school students from all states across the country. The announcement underscores UNE’s strong financial commitment to its students; currently, 98% of UNE students receive financial aid from the university.

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UNE President James Herbert said the university’s decision comes as Maine and New England need to enhance their workforce to fulfill jobs in their growing business, bioscience, and life sciences industries and as the region continues to face workforce shortages in the health care and hospitality sectors.

“UNE is committed to attracting high-achieving students from across the country to New England, and to Maine in particular, and to guaranteeing that they are poised for success in the workforce when they graduate,” Herbert said, noting that UNE is Maine’s No. 1 provider of health care professionals and the No. 1 college or university in the state for job placement following graduation. “By removing financial barriers to a quality UNE education, we hope to bolster the workforce pipeline in this region and ensure the long-term vitality of Maine and New England’s new economy.”

Herbert added that the tuition initiative reflects UNE’s commitment to ensuring the academic success of all students, including first-generation college students. At UNE, 30% of undergraduates admitted every year are the first in their family to attend college.

In addition to a qualifying high school GPA requirement, eligible students must be enrolled at UNE full-time, demonstrate high financial need based on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) during each year of their undergraduate degree program, and live on campus for all four years.

For more information, visit une.edu/sfs/undergraduate/financing-your-education.

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