Between May 1 and May 24, Southern Maine Agency on Aging will lead an in-person A Matter of Balance workshop at the South Portland Public Library designed to improve the quality of life of adults 60 and older by improving their balance and increasing their physical strength.

A Matter of Balance is an eight-session in-person workshop with two-hour meetings. The workshop is from May 1-24, at South Portland Public Library. The meetings will be on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon. To register, call 207 396-6578 or visit smaaa.org/events. Courtesy photo

As bodies change with age, balance and strength change, people are less confident or even fearful during everyday activities that were once taken for granted like shopping, cooking, driving, doing household chores, and even playing weekly pickleball games. The fear of falling can put a damper not only on what a person likes to do but also on social connections, leading to a sense of loneliness and social isolation.

A Matter of Balance workshop is designed to help participants increase physical activity, make important home safety improvements, and even learn how to respond if a fall does happen. The workshop empowers participants to take charge of managing their health. Each meeting invites attendees to share their own experiences and concerns about falls and together they create strategies for flourishing and living independently. Trained volunteers lead gentle exercises to build strength and improve balance and range of motion.

In a news release, a participant said, “I got my entire group of friends at our housing facility to continue with our exercises after we took A Matter of Balance two years ago. I’m taking it again for a refresher.”

A Matter of Balance is an eight-session in-person workshop with two-hour meetings. Participants benefit the most when they attend all eight meetings. The workshop is from May 1-24, at the South Portland Public Library. The meetings will be on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon.

To register, call 207 396-6578 or visit smaaa.org/events. Preregistration for the class is required, and class size is limited. Those interested are asked to sign up by April 28.

Southern Maine Agency on Aging is the focal point in Cumberland and York counties for resources, services and information to empower older adults, adults with disabilities, and their caregivers to live to their fullest potential. For more information about SMAA’s services, visit smaaa.org or call 207-396-6500.

ecomaine announces finalists for 2023 Upcycle Challenge

The three finalists for ecomaine’s school-based Upcycle Challenge were announced last week. The company will award $500 to a participating student’s school. Finalists include overall challenge winners from 2022 and 2021 facing off with a newcomer in 2023.

Aurora, of Cape Elizabeth High School designed a jumper made from reused clothing and fabric scraps. Courtesy photo

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. The company’s Outreach and Recycling Committee selected the 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.

The finalists are:

Aurora, Cape Elizabeth High School: an all-new jumper made from old clothing (an old dress, old pants, with a touch from an old homecoming dress; 2022 winner).

Emma, Ruby, Christine & Scarlett, Fiddlehead Center for the Arts, Scarborough: a doll house from an old wreath box, with furniture, curtains, and accessories made from old straws, cardboard, paper, paper and toilet paper tubes, left over flooring tiles, sharpie caps etc. (Fiddlehead Center for the Arts was 2021’s winner).

The Intercultural Community Center, Westbrook: a wind chime to replace the center’s old one, made from an upcycled bike wheel, glass bottles, and pages from old books (also includes natural materials: seashells, pine cones, and leaves).

Finalists will be voted on by the public’s selections online through 8 p.m. on April 30, and the grand prize will be awarded to the winner’s school, school club, or activity of choice.

Emma, Ruby, Christine and Scarlett, of Fiddlehead Center for the Arts in Scarborough, designed a dollhouse made from cardboard, sharpie caps, scrap materials. Courtesy photo

Intercultural Community Center of Westbrook designed a wind chime made from a bike wheel, glass bottles, and found natural items. Courtesy photo

“It’s incredible to see the ingenuity of Maine’s students,” said Matt Grondin, ecomaine’s director of communications and public affairs in an April 13 news release. “We find that, year after year, we’re so impressed to see how young Mainers are looking at waste as a resource, keeping it out of landfills, and putting it to better, more creative uses. We’re looking forward to seeing the results of the final voting.”

According to the news release, ecomaine’s Outreach and Recycling Committee made special note of an entry by Sydney Doyle of Mt. Ararat Middle School, who crafts reusable tote bags from old pet feed bags; however, Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Harpswell, and Topsham are not ecomaine member communities, which unfortunately makes her designs ineligible for the grand prize – but Sydney will receive an ecomaine prize pack for her terrific work.