UNE President’s Forum takes
place Thursday, Feb. 13

The University of New England hosts the next installment of its signature President’s Forum series, “Are Colleges and Universities Too Liberal?” on Thursday, Feb. 13.

The event will take place at 6 p.m. in Room 283 of the Harold Alfond Forum on UNE’s Biddeford Campus. It is free and open to the public.

As America grapples with questions about political influence in college classrooms, the conversation is set to address the contentious issue of ideological imbalance in higher education, asking whether it impacts research, teaching, learning, and students’ political views.

Panelists include: Samuel J. Abrams, Ph.D., professor of politics at Sarah Lawrence College and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute; Emma Camp, B.A., assistant editor at Reason magazine; Brandon Jett, Ph.D., history professor from Florida; and Lynn Pasquerella, Ph.D., president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities; former president of Mount Holyoke College.

The panel will examine whether a shift in faculty perspectives poses a challenge to universities’ ability to foster diverse viewpoints, as well as identify ways for higher education to rehabilitate its image and ensure more families feel comfortable sending their young people to college.

The event will include ample opportunity for audience participation following the initial discussion.

This event will also be livestreamed at une.edu/live.

Age Friendly Saco
is connecting the dots

Age Friendly Saco,in collaboration with the University of Maine Center on Aging, and through funding provided by the University of New England’s Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program will be able to offer a limited number of echo dots and smart plugs for older residents who live in Saco.

An Echo Dot can function as a virtual personal assistant in the home. Echo Dots are voice-activated devices that allow people to control various devices in their home using voice commands, such as turning lights on and off, making a phone call, setting a timer, playing music, reminding people to take their medications and more. Match an Echo Dot with a smart plug and control whatever is plugged into the smart plug.

For some great examples to see how an Echo Dot can help with day-to-day activities, watch Age Friendly Saco’s video that shows the day in a life of a women using her Echo Dot at the website: youtube.com/watch?v=pCKQuvBcWTE&list=PL_7B0lp3nc-F-AndAkUyGB-OwRcbso9Nd.

For more information or to get your name on the list for an Amazon Echo Dot, call Age Friendly Saco at 207-710-5029 or email agefriendlysaco@gmail.com and mention that you are interested in signing up for this new program.

United Way of Southern Maine
hires new president/CEO

After an extensive national search conducted by ProSearch with a committee of board and community members, the Board of Directors of United Way of Southern Maine announced Dan Coyne’s appointment as the new president and CEO, effective March 3.

Coyne, who joined United Way of Southern Maine in 2012, currently is serving as the Chief Impact and Governance officer. Coyne has led the evolution of United Way’s collective impact work, taking an innovative and responsive approach to address our community’s most pressing issues.

Before joining United Way, Coyne held a variety of leadership roles in the public and nonprofit sectors, including working for former Congressman Tom Allen, with state and federal judges, and to advance economic prosperity for families we now know by name as ALICE, an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.

Under Coyne’s leadership, United Way of Southern Maine will continue to focus on driving relevant and responsive solutions to address our community’s most pressing challenges, fostering cross-sector collaboration and maximizing impact across Southern Maine.

“I am humbled and thrilled to continue building on the 96-year legacy of addressing our community’s most urgent needs, with a clear vision of future growth,” Coyne says. “With deep partnerships and our incredible team of staff and volunteers, we are well positioned to continue to innovate and build a stronger, more thriving future for Southern Maine.”

A native of South Portland, Coyne is a graduate of Bowdoin College and the University of Maine School of Law.

Coyne will succeed Liz Cotter Schlax who announced her resignation last June and will remain with United Way of Southern Maine until Feb. 28 to ensure a smooth transition.

Saco Hosting I-195/Ocean Park
Road public info session

The Maine Department of Transportation, the city of Saco, and town of Old Orchard Beach have completed a feasibility study for improvements to the Interstate 195 and Ocean Park Road corridor. This travel area is located in both Saco and Old Orchard Beach and includes identified high crash locations, according to MDOT.

Saco City Council will host a Public Information Session focused on the feasibility study on Feb. 24, at 6 p.m. in the Saco City Hall Auditorium at 300 Main St. The public is invited to attend the presentation and participate in a public comment period or send comments by e-mailing publicworksadmin@sacomaine.org. The meeting will be recorded and posted on the city of Saco’s website and YouTube channel following the event.

At the info session, study consultants will provide details on the study results and hear public feedback. The study included traffic operations, corridor safety, reducing speeds, improving confusing geometry, reviewing access management, pedestrian and bicycle accommodations, and gateway opportunities. Reviewed high crash locations included the Saco Exit 2A offramp at Main Street, the Exit 2B offramp at Main Street, and the Old Orchard Beach Halfway Intersection.

There were 52 crashes at the Exit 2A offramp at Main Street from 2019 through 2021.

The feasibility study details final concepts, costs, an evaluation matrix, and final recommendations from the study. View the Interstate 195/Ocean Park Road Feasibility Study, the presentation PDF in the Jan. 13, City Council Meeting packet, or a recording of the Jan. 13, City Council presentation on YouTube.

UNE Art Gallery presents
‘As Above, So Below’

The University of New England Art Gallery in Biddeford will exhibit “As Above, So Below,” a two-person show featuring works by Liz Awalt and the late C. Michael Lewis, from Feb. 20 to May 4.

This collection offers a study of contrasting perspectives on the planet, starting from a point of opticality and encompassing both the scientific and the sublime. The exhibit allows viewers to imagine alternate sensory environments, opening up a range of emotional and intellectual responses to inhabiting our world.

Awalt’s practice is based on her observations of the ocean, often from beneath the surface. Awalt dives with waterproof paper to create observational drawings from her experience with the underwater world. Her work, which is direct and physical, reflects a keen understanding of environmental changes and the challenges faced by marine ecosystems.

Lewis, a Portland-based artist, passed away in November of last year.

The exhibit is presented in collaboration with the UNE School of Marine and Environmental Programs, with guidance from Charles Tilburg, Ph.D., the director of the school and a professor of marine sciences.

A reception, which is free and open to the public, will be held at the gallery, located in the Jack S. Ketchum Library on UNE’s oceanfront campus, from 4 to 6 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 20. The artwork is viewable from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. The Jack S. Ketchum Library is located at 11 Hills Beach Road, Biddeford.

Emergency preparedness
sessions for older adults

Age Friendly Saco has partnered with the Dyer Library, the Saco Fire and Police Departments and Saco Parks and Recreation to present not only three educational sessions on Emergency Preparedness for Older Adults but also provide materials needed to help plan for an emergency and/or evacuation.

The programs are being funded through a Community Connections Mini-Grant to help with Emergency Preparedness awarded to Age Friendly Saco. The Community Connections mini-grants are part of the Community Connections project, an initiative of the Governor’s Cabinet on Aging, partnering with the University of Maine Center on Aging, Lifelong Maine’s Age-Friendly Communities, and Maine’s Area Agencies on Aging.

The sessions take place: Wednesday, March 3 from 1 to 3 p.m.; Monday, March 17, 10 a.m. to noon; and Monday, March 31, 1 to 3 p.m. They will take place at the Dyer Library, 371 Main St., Saco. Space is limited to 25 participants per session so sign up now by calling the Age Friendly office at 207-710-5029.

Bar Mills church
holds food drive

The February mission of the Bar Mills Community Church is a food drive to benefit the Buxton Community Cupboard. The church is collecting non-perishable food items. The items can be dropped off at the Bar Mills Community Church on 13 Hermit Thrush Drive in Buxton across from the Town Hall. Items can be dropped of at a box in front of the church.