GORHAM, ME — GHS Theater Presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare on the following dates:

Friday, November 10th at 7:30

Saturday, November 11th at 2:00 and 7:30

Sunday, November 12th at 2:00

Tickets sold at the door. $5 for students, $10 for adults.

AUGUSTA, ME–The Maine Department of Education (DOE) opened applications for the 2023/2024 Student Cabinet, a group of students that meet regularly with the Maine DOE and each other to use their voices to strengthen education in Maine.

Facilitated by student representatives from the?Maine State Board of Education, the purpose of the Student Cabinet is to provide a forum for Maine students’ voices to be heard. This is the fourth year the Maine DOE has appointed students to a Student Cabinet with the goal of integrating student voices into decision-making on education issues that impact their journey through Maine’s education system.

“Involving student voices in policymaking is more important than ever,” said Ryan Hafener, Co-Chair and Facilitator of the Maine DOE Student Cabinet. Hafener is a student member of the Maine State Board of Education and a senior at Hampden Academy. “The Student Cabinet is a space where young people from across the state can have their voices heard on issues they care about.”

In past years, students have helped in identifying mental health needs at school, raised issues of racial equity, and helped brainstorm ways to individualize learning. Last year,?the Student Cabinet presented their mental health concerns and ideas to Maine’s Legislative Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs.

The Maine DOE encourages students with diverse experiences, interests, cultures, and backgrounds to apply to be represented on the Student Cabinet. 

There are 12-24 seats that are open for students in?grades 4 – 12 and the first year of college.?The newly appointed members will serve for a term of?two years?starting this November.?All 16 counties in Maine will be represented on the Student Cabinet.

Selected Cabinet members will be expected to attend scheduled meetings, prepare for each meeting as needed, work in a collaborative manner with?one another?and with Maine DOE  staff as needed, and express views and opinions openly, constructively, and respectfully.

Scheduled meetings:

There will be two in-person, all-day meetings scheduled in Augusta in December 2023 and Spring 2024, accompanied by monthly virtual meetings held on the fourth Thursday of the month from December 2023 through the spring of 2024 from 3:00 – 4:00 pm via Zoom. For in-person meetings, travel reimbursement will be provided and travel arrangements can also be made for students if needed.

Instructions for applying:

Students interested in serving on the Maine DOE Student Cabinet will need to submit the electronic application by November 15, 2023.?Applications can be submitted electronically at the DOE website.

For more information contact?Rachel Paling, Communications & Outreach Manager, Maine Department of Education at?rachel.paling@maine.gov.

GORHAM, ME — Congratulations to Jon Smith, founder and president of Great Falls Construction on being selected as the 2023 A Light on the Point Alumnus of the Year Award recipient.

Jon’s commitment to family and community is a truly inspirational story. After graduating from SMCC in 1988, he co-founded Great Falls Builders with his future wife, Cindy. Over the years, the company has grown to become a leading construction firm in Maine, managing commercial and residential projects and employing 65 team members. Jon has served the community on school, church and business boards.

Join us on November 2 at 5:30 to celebrate Jon and all the other award winners at our A Light on the Point event. Visit www.smccME.edu/lotp for ticket information.

All proceeds of LOTP go to SMCC Foundation’s Annual fund, which helps to remove barriers and provide wrap-around services for students to assist them in reaching their educational goals.

GORHAM, ME — The Robie Park Master Plan Steering Committee is seeking input from residents on their preferred option for the Robie Park Master Plan design from three concept plan alternatives, as well as input on a brief survey. 

To view the three concept plan alternatives, please see the flyer attached below and vote using the QR code.

Citizens that would like to share their input on the Robie Park Master Plan are encouraged to attend a public meeting on Thursday, November 2nd.

GORHAM, ME — Somewhere between Sicilia and Bohemia, wild jealousy and unfounded accusations are driving Leontes, the King of Sicily, to set a tragedy in motion that will cost everyone in his world dearly. Juggling drama, comedy, suspense, and romance, The Winter’s Tale explores the destructive force of the aristocracy and the healing power of the natural world to restore broken families and lost love. An eclectic cast of characters weaves a story that shows what love, faith, and a little bit of magic can do to heal old wounds. 

Director Tess Van Horn, working with a cast of over 20 USM students, calls this later work of Shakespeare, “grand, exciting, elaborate, and incredibly entertaining.” She continues, “ It has also been argued that it is one of his more feminist works since the female characters are complex, interesting and intellectual. It also pushes the boundaries of magical realism which became more and more of a common theme in Shakespeare’s later work.”

Working with young actors new to Shakespeare has been an important part of this process. Van Horn says, “It can feel so daunting to tackle his unique language but the opportunity to dig into the play and examine it through the lens of a detective can be so fun and satisfying. There is also a beautiful natural rhythm to the language and once a performer is able to find it there is tremendous reward.”

For Emma Graffam, USM Theatre major from Lebanon, ME who plays Hermione, the challenges of comprehending and interpreting Shakespeare’s work have been worth it. “It’s honestly such a fun and beautiful show. The characters are so real, this cast has done a wonderful job of breathing life into them. And, even though Shakespeare lived hundreds of years before me, I can still connect with his play. And audience members deserve to experience that too.”

Ultimately, The Winter’s Tale lives between several genres – it is a tragedy and comedy, a love story and a courtroom drama, a tale about palace intrigue as well as a romp through the pastoral imaginary land of Bohemia. For Director Van Horn, she hopes the audience will enjoy the rollercoaster of genre and emotions. “At the end of the day, it’s Shakespeare’s version of an elaborate fairy tale and I hope that the audience can step into this universe with joy and curiosity and walk away feeling like they’ve been part of something magical and otherworldly.”

The Winter’s Tale opens October 27th and runs through November 5th. All performances take place on the USM Gorham campus in historic Russell Hall. 

FMI & Tickets: https://usm.maine.edu/department-theatre/ or call the USM Theatre Box Office at (207) 780-5151.

A Winter’s Tale By William Shakespeare, Directed by Tess Van Horn

October 27-November 5

Friday, October 27, 7pm

Saturday, October 28, 7pm

Sunday, October 29, 2pm

Wednesday, November 1, 10am – All tickets $8

Thursday, November 2, 7pm – All tickets pay-what-you-can

Friday, November 3, 10am – All tickets $8

Friday, November 3, 7pm 

Saturday, November 4, 7pm

Sunday, November 5, 2pm

Special performances for schools and community groups are scheduled for Wednesday, November 1, and Friday, November 3, at 10am. The show is appropriate for grades 9 and up. 

To bring your school or community group, contact Audiences Services & Outreach Coordinator, Janice Gardner at janice.gardner@maine.edu.  

Ticket Prices: $18 for Adults; $14 for USM Faculty, Staff & Alumni; $12 for Seniors 65+; $8 for Students/Youth; Pay What You Can: 11/2 at 7pm All tickets $8: 11/1 & 11/3 10am performances

Those needing special accommodations to participate fully in this program, contact Janice Gardner at (207)780-5289 or janice.gardner@maine.edu. Hearing impaired: call USM’s telex / TDD number (207)780-5646

Photo by French Photography @frenchsfotos.

MAINE — WinterKids, the non-profit organization dedicated to helping children develop healthy lifelong habits through education and fun outdoor winter activities, is excited to announce the opening of the application window for the 2024 WinterKids Winter Games. WinterKids will select 16 schools (one per Maine county) to compete in the 4-week competition taking place from January 8-February 2, 2024.

The Winter Games is a fun, academic challenge promoting outdoor physical activity, teamwork, and a love of all things winter for children in grades Preschool through 8. Each of the four weeks has a different focus-outdoor physical activity, nutrition, family engagement, and winter celebration, with schools earning points to win cash prizes.

Participating schools will receive a free, comprehensive toolkit, complete with PLAYBooks, 4 weekly incentives, Winter Games wristbands, and more! The theme for this year’s Winter Games is The Little Things. Throughout The Games, children and adult participants alike will see that little things can make a big difference in how we look at, and are seen in, the world. 

“We have a great program lined up for January,” says Executive Director Julie Mulkern, “and we encourage all elementary schools to apply to be a part of it! The Winter Games program encourages healthy outdoor activity and will make the month of January fly by for students and teachers alike!”

Cash prizes will be awarded to all competing schools, with the top school earning $5,000! In all, WinterKids will share over $20,000 in cash and prizes to these schools.

The application is open until October 23, 2023. Interested schools and teachers can find more information and access the Winter Games 2024 application by visiting WinterKids.org

The 2024 WinterKids Winter Games are presented by Hannaford Snack Pals. Weekly sponsors are Aroma Joe’s, Backyard Farms, and Wyman’s. Contributing sponsors are Kittery Trading Post, Stockhouse Restaurant & Sports Pub, and MMG Insurance.

PORTLAND, ME — Portland Downtown is seeking vendors to participate in the Downtown Winter Market, an outdoor artisan market coinciding with the annual Monument Square Tree Lighting – Presented by Hood Eggnog.

The market will take place from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on November 24, 2023, and will be an excellent opportunity for vendors to showcase their handmade items during the holiday season. Vendors will be set up along City Line Drive, just off of Monument Square, where the annual tree lighting ceremony will be happening that very same day.

“This year’s tree lighting ceremony won’t just be about lighting up the downtown, but also a chance for local vendors to shine. This event, which attracts thousands annually, is a perfect venue for our local vendors to showcase their goods and add to the cheerful atmosphere,” said Portland Downtown Marketing and Events Manager McKenzie Delisle.

Interested vendors can apply online at portlandmaine.com/winter-artisan-market. There is no vendor fee to apply or participate. The deadline for applications is November 1.

GORHAM, ME – Tonight, Thursday, October 19 at 6pm, head out to Baxter Memorial Library to learn more about the 8 questions on this year’s ballot. This year’s Maine Referendum Election Ballot has 8 questions for voters to weigh in on.  Don’t wait until you’re standing in the voting booth to understand the issues! What is the story behind all these questions, and what does a yes or no vote mean on each item?  

Join us to hear Ron Schmidt, chair of the USM Department of Political Science, give a brief non-partisan overview and context for each measure, with time for questions from the audience.

GORHAM, ME (October 6, 2023) — The Town of Gorham received notification on October 2, 2023 that its application for the State of Maine’s Community Action Grant, submitted to the Governor’s Office of Policy, Innovation and Future (GOPIF) for funding of eligible projects in the State’s Climate Action Plan, was awarded in the amount of $50,000.

The project that the Town will undertake to address effects of climate change will be to upgrade stormwater infrastructure at the Municipal Center parking lot to improve water quality, maintain building and parking infrastructure to key town services, ensure continued stormwater runoff control during future flooding events, and provide educational opportunities. The project will install a FocalPoint system, which is a high performance modular biofiltration system that fits as a low-impact design standard best management practice. This method utilizes natural systems to remove pollutants and provide water quality control in an urban environment to minimize impact to development.

Not only will this project upgrade essential municipal infrastructure, but it will also showcase new stormwater treatment technology in a highly visible location. Raising awareness of the potential for improved stormwater treatment systems will aid in promoting additional retrofits in other locations in Gorham. This will also raise awareness of the draft Low Impact Development (LID) ordinance, planned for adoption in July 2024.

The Town’s application was made possible through the hard work and efforts of Town staff and support by the Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG), who assisted the Town with information gathering and technical support for completing necessary steps to enroll in the State of Maine’s Community Resilience Partnership.

The Mills Administration awarded $2.4 million to 53 communities across Maine to address climate change effects through investments to improve energy efficiency, transition to clean energy, expand local and regional planning capacity, and protect infrastructure from damaging storms or rising sea levels.

These awards to Maine cities, towns and Tribal governments are through the state’s Community Resilience Partnership, which helps communities plan for climate change, reduce carbon emissions, and increase resilience to climate effects.

Since the program was first announced by Governor Mills in December 2021, some 174 cities, towns and Tribal governments in Maine have chosen to participate in the Partnership either as individual entities or in regional coalitions. Since inception, the program has awarded nearly $6.1 million to 103 communities.

“Maine’s work to address climate change is reducing costs for Maine people, creating new jobs and career opportunities, strengthening our communities, and protecting our precious environment,” said Governor Mills. “I am proud that Maine people have followed the bold vision we outlined in our climate action plan, Maine Won’t Wait, to transition to clean energy and to ensure that their communities can withstand the effects of climate change.”

“Through the Community Resilience Partnership, 174 communities across Maine are working to transition to clean energy, strengthen their critical infrastructure to withstand the impacts of climate change, and plan for future climate investments and actions based on local priorities,” said Hannah Pingree and Melanie Loyzim, co-chairs of the Maine Climate Council. “We are grateful for the efforts of our community and regional partners on this program and look forward to continuing to advance local and regional climate solutions with them into the future.”

“Governor Mills’ climate action plan is a blueprint for a better Maine future,” said Cathy Conlow, Executive Director of the Maine Municipal Association. “The Community Resilience Partnership is meeting communities where they are on the path to climate resiliency and supplies municipal leaders with the resources they need to be innovators, all to ensure that Maine towns and cities have the opportunity to create a sustainable tomorrow.”

Besides the Gorham award, other grantees during this round include:

Penobscot Nation to launch a Wabanaki workforce development initiative that will grow the community’s ability to offer residential energy efficiency services.

Long Island for a groundwater sustainability study to help the town understand the effects of climate change on its drinking water supply.

Camden for a sea level rise and storm surge resiliency project that will produce engineering and designs so the town can apply for construction funds to improve the public landing.

Fryeburg to initiate a composting pilot program to prevent GHG emissions from food waste as well as to conserve 74 acres of the Town Forest and build an outdoor learning pavilion to create environmental education opportunities for the town’s students.

“This grant will provide the Penobscot Nation the opportunity to generate workforce development and assist Tribal Citizen’s with improving the energy efficiency of their homes and reducing our carbon footprint on our traditional homelands,” said Gary Fearon, Director of Housing, Penobscot Nation.

“The Town of Camden is appreciative of Maine’s leadership on climate action and the Community Resilience Partnership’s support for our efforts to make the Camden Public Landing resilient to the impacts of sea level rise and storm surge,” said Jeremy Martin, Planning & Development Director, Town of Camden. “The Town has made significant, costly, and repeated repairs to our landing due to the impacts of intense storms and sea level rise. This funding will ensure the Public Landing is redesigned to be resilient and sustainable for the long-term.”

“The Town of Long Island is thrilled to be awarded a Community Resilience Partnership grant from the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future,” said Brian L. Dudley, Town Administrator, Town of Long Island. “Climate change and rising sea levels are impacting all of Maine, especially our unbridged islands. Water resource management is crucial to our island community, and this grant will allow us to examine the impacts on our water supply, both in terms of its quality and quantity.

“Fryeburg is very excited to be the recipient of a Community Action Grant,” said Katie Haley, Town Manager, Town of Fryeburg. “The projects that will transpire as a result of this grant are varied, but each is equally important to the Town and our residents as we work to support the Maine Won’t Wait climate plan.”

The full list of grant recipients and participating communities is available here (PDF).

This award announcement was made Friday during a meeting of the Maine Climate Council, a 39-member assembly of scientists, industry leaders, bipartisan local and state officials, and citizens created by Governor Janet Mills in 2019 and charged with developing and updating a comprehensive climate action plan for Maine.

Following an extensive public process, the Council delivered its first four-year plan to prepare for and mitigate effects of climate change on Maine, Maine Won’t Wait, to Governor Mills on December 1, 2020.

By law, the Council must deliver an updated four-year climate plan by Dec. 1, 2024. Work on this updated plan will be supported in part by a $3 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from the Inflation Reduction Act.

Since 2019, the Mills Administration has prioritized the fight against climate change in Maine through actions to reduce carbon emissions, transition to renewable energy, and make Maine communities more resilient to climate effects.

With bipartisan support of the Legislature, Maine in 2019 enacted laws setting ambitious targets for transitioning to renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These include reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Maine by 45 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050.

Governor Mills also pledged that Maine would become carbon-neutral by 2045, a commitment she signed into law in 2022. Earlier this year, the Governor committed to accelerating Maine’s transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2040.

In July, White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi joined Governor Mills to celebrate a historic climate milestone for Maine: the state surpassing its goal of installing 100,000 new heat pumps two years early.

Governor Mills then set an ambitious new target of installing another 175,000 heat pumps in Maine by 2027, thereby bringing the number of heat pumps installed in Maine homes, businesses, and public buildings during her time in office to 275,000.

Governor Mills also serves as Co-Chair of the U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of 25 governors committed to fighting climate change by reducing carbon emissions, advancing clean energy, and protecting people and the environment from the effects of the climate crisis.

GORHAM, ME (October 6, 2023) – Check out the fall book sale, sponsored by the Friends of Baxter Memorial Library, held Friday, October 13th 9am-6pm and Saturday, October 14th 9am-1pm in Shaw Gym (next door to the library in the Rec building).

The Friends of BML have thousands of books for all ages and interests.  All proceeds benefit the activities of the Friends of Baxter Memorial Library. Members advocate the importance of library services to the community and provide financial support through membership dues and fundraising events.

While you enjoy the book sale, make sure to check out the Maine 3-Railers train display!  They will be happening together at Shaw Gym.

The Maine 3-Railers, an O-Gauge model railroad club from all over Maine, will bring trains of all kinds. The Maine 3-Railers is Maine’s premier

O-gauge model railroad club. This group is currently the largest and oldest club in the state dedicated exclusively to the enjoyment and advancement of the O-gauge, 3-rail model railroad hobby.

Membership in the club is open to adults and children alike.

For more information about the club visit their website at www.maine3railers.org.