GORHAM, ME — Holiday Closure Notice

The Gorham Municipal Center, Administrative Offices, Recreation Office, Baxter Memorial Library and Public Works will be closed on Thursday, November 28th and Friday, November 29th in observance of Thanksgiving.

Weekend Events Hosted by Gorham Recreation

On Saturday, November 30th, Gorham Recreation invites everyone to get outside for their annual Burn Off the Turkey 5k Run/Walk around Robie Park starting at 9am. To register or learn more, visit Gorham Recreation’s website.

Join Gorham Recreation again on Sunday, December 1st for their annual Light Parade and Tree Lighting at Robie Park, with festivities starting at 2:30pm. Folks can watch the parade along Route 25 and South Street, and enjoy festivities at the Gazebo on the Municipal Center Lawn (adjacent to Baxter Memorial Library at 71 South Street), including reindeer games and holiday treats! To register for the parade, please email Community Recreation & Events Manager Zachary Lambert at zlambert@gorham.me.us with your name, company name (if applicable), and vehicle type that will be in the parade. Be sure to tune your radio to the University of Southern Maine’s station WMPG 90.9 for Christmas music!

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

BUXTON, ME — Try our delicious Haddock Supper Buffet – Saturday, November 30, 2024 – 5:00 pm at Living Waters Church, Parker Farm Road, Buxton. Suggested donation: $10 Adult, $5 Child, $20 Family.

Please note: We will offer the option of takeout containers for those who do not want to come inside for seating.

Wearing of face masks for those who wish is optional.

Hand sanitizer is available for those who wish to use it.

GORHAM, ME — Join us on December 1st for our annual Light Parade & Tree Lighting!

Watch the parade along route Rt.25 & South St and/or enjoy our festivities at the Gazebo at the Municipal Center including reindeer games and holiday treats! Fun and games start at 2:30pm!

Line up for parade begins at Noonan’s at 3:30pm

Parade Leaves at approximately 4:30 pm from Noonan’s and arrives Robie Park at approximately 5:00pm

Light parade route: Main Street/Rt 25 to South St. to Morrill Ave. to Ball Park Road around Robie Park and High School.

Ball Park Road will be closed to traffic from 4:15 until 6:00pm. Please use Access Rd.

To Register for the Parade please send an email to Zachary Lambert at zlambert@gorham.me.us with you name, company name, and what vehicle type you will have in the parade

GORHAM, ME — Looking to stay active and connected with nature as the year winds down? Join us for a walk on December 11^th | 10-11:30am at Little River Preserve in Gorham. Little River Preserve consists of over 28 acres of wooded wildlife area bordering the Little River. Paths and bridges allow a scenic walk through the woods and along the river. Each of the trails wind through hemlock and aspen forests, complete with a wide variety of wildflowers in the springtime. The trail is mostly flat with some hilly sections at the beginning.

PORTLAND, ME — It’s been 30 years since the iconic show FRIENDS first aired, and this November, the American Red Cross is asking donors to gather their friends and be there for patients by making a blood or platelet donation.

Festive activities and busy calendars this time of year can disrupt normal routines, leading to a drop in blood donation appointments. Eligible individuals are encouraged to make donating blood a priority, especially those with type O blood and those giving platelets.

To celebrate 30 years of FRIENDS, all who come to give Nov. 18-Dec. 8 will receive two pairs of custom FRIENDS + Red Cross socks, while supplies last, in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products. Donors can keep a pair and gift a pair! For more details, visit RedCrossBlood.org/Friends.

In the spirit of FRIENDSgiving, donors can give with meaning. Those wishing to help patients make memories this holiday season can book a blood or platelet donation appointment by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Upcoming blood donation opportunities Nov. 21-30:

Cumberland

Brunswick

11/27/2024: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Elks Lodge, 179 Park Row

11/29/2024: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., American Legion Post 20, 1 Columbus Drive

Falmouth

11/29/2024: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., The Episcopal Church of St. Mary, 43 Foreside Rd

Freeport

11/25/2024: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Hilton Garden Inn Freeport – Old Town Hall Building, 5 Park Street

Gorham

11/21/2024: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Cressey Road Christian Church, 81 Cressey Road

Harrison

11/30/2024: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., United Parish Congregational Church of Harrison and N. Bridgton, 77 Main Street

North Yarmouth

11/22/2024: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Wescustogo Hall and Community Center, 120 Memorial Hwy

Portland

11/22/2024: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine, 1342 Congress St

11/26/2024: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Maine Medical Dana Center, 22 Bramhall Street

Scarborough

11/26/2024: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Saint Maximilian Church, 150 Black Point Rd

South Portland

11/26/2024: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., South Portland Community Center, 21 Nelson Road

Westbrook

11/22/2024: 12 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Westbrook Community Center, 426 Bridge Street

Yarmouth

11/29/2024: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Saint Bartholomews Episcopal Church, 396 Gilman Road

GORHAM, ME — The University of Southern Maine Department of Theatre, in collaboration with the Osher Opera Theatre and the Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra, present the first opera on the Russell Hall mainstage in over five years, Puccini’s beloved Gianna Schicchi, November 21st-24th.

Gianni Schicchi tells the story of a beloved family mourning the loss of Buoso Donati. That is, until they learn the contents of his last will and testament.  When it is revealed that Donati has left his fortune to the local monastery, the family employs Gianni Schicchi to help them update the document – post-mortem. Based on Dante’s Divine Comedy, the opera boasts one of the most beloved arias of all time, O mio babbino caro. Sung in Italian, with English supertitles, the one-act opera is sure to delight.

Directed by Associate Professor and Artistic Director of the Osher Opera Theatre, Dr. Malinda Haslett, this production will mark the return of a fully-produced opera on the Russell Hall stage since before the pandemic. Dr. Robert Lehmann, Conductor and Artistic Coordinator of the Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra and Artist Faculty at the Osher School of Music, conducts.

For many of the student performers and musicians, this is the first time they’ve been a part of a mainstage opera production. Dr. Haslett says the students have met this challenge full-on with skill and determination, “Musically and professionally, they have learned a complicated score that some doubted they could learn. They have learned to problem-solve in the moment, to sing better every day, and to demand more of themselves. They have learned Italian geography, history, and language. They have learned that opera is alive and well, if you make it relevant and fun and these students are doing just that!”

For both opera lovers and the uninitiated, this production promises a delightful night of entertainment. Dr. Haslett says Gianni Schicchi is both timely and timeless, “Puccini wrote the opera in 1919 at the end of WWI, when the world’s spirit desperately needed a reason to laugh. He dared us to laugh in the face of death, all while creating one of the most beautiful melodies of all time, O mio babbino caro. Our production of Gianni Schicchi is eye and ear candy –  great singing, easy-to-read super titles, opulent 1920s-style costumes, and the full sound of the Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra.”

For info & tickets, visit USM Theatre online at https://usm.maine.edu/department-theatre/box-office-tickets/ or call the USM Theatre Box Office at (207) 780-5151. For more information on USM’s Department of Theatre events and programs, click here.

Gianni Schicchi

In collaboration with the Osher School of Music

By Giacomo Puccini

Presented by the Osher Opera Theatre & the Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra

November 21-24, 2024

Russell Hall, USM Gorham Campus

Performances:

Thursday, November 21 at 7pm (Pay-what-you-can)

Friday, November 22 at 7pm

Saturday, November 23 at 7pm

Sunday, November 24 at 2pm

Appropriate for ages 13 and up.

Content advisory: Brief depiction of a dead body at a funeral.

General Admission: $24

Senior 65+: $18

USM Faculty/Staff/Alumni: $20

USM Students & Non-USM Students: $10

Group rate: $8/person – for schools and community groups

Pay-What-You-Can: Thursday, November 21st, 7pm

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.

Cast: L-R, Back to Front: Jared Vigue (Rinuccio), Aberdeen Brickett (Zita), Karoline Brechter (Lauretta), Mary Fencer (Ciesca), Michael Mitchell (Gheradino). Photo courtesy of Kat Moraros Photography

GORHAM, ME — White Rock Grange has organized dozens of crafters for your Christmas shopping pleasure.  Jewelry, sewn & knitted items, soy candles, home decor and much more!

33 Wilson Rd, Gorham, ME 04038

Nov. 23, 2024, 9am-2pm

GORHAM, ME — The Town Council Appointments Committee is still seeking citizen volunteers for TWO seats on the Baxter Memorial Library – Board of Trustees.

If you are interested in applying to serve on the Baxter Memorial Library Board of Trustees, or for more information, please visit the Town Clerk’s office. To apply, complete and submit a Committee Volunteer Application available online. You may also contact the Town Clerk at 222-1670 or e­mail her at Inordfors@gorham.me.us.

Applications will be accepted until November 25, 2024.

GORHAM, ME — Getting to the polls on election day was a group activity at the University of Southern Maine’s Gorham Campus. The Office of Student Engagement and Leadership (SEAL) worked with Maine Students Vote to organize a series of walks from USM’s Gorham to the neighborhood polling place at the Gorham Municipal Center. The start times for the walks were 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 4 p.m.

University President Jacqueline Edmondson walked with the last group of the day. Although she had already voted in the morning, Edmondson accompanied the students to support them in exercising their right to vote. Edmondson’s dog, Elbow, also enjoyed the exercise.

Students arrive at the Gorham Municipal Center. Credit: University of Southern Maine Public Affairs

GORHAM, ME–It has become a labor of love and a beloved tradition at Great Falls Elementary School. A time in which the entire school, over 500 students spanning kindergarten to fifth grade as well as the staff, read the same book or author at the same time to build community and express a collective love for reading.

“Excitement builds every year for ‘One School, One Book’ as it’s become something the students really look forward to each winter,” said Anna Sedenka, a fourth-grade teacher at the school who initiated the program nearly a decade ago. “The author and book titles are kept secret from the students until right before winter break when they get a chance to guess who the author will be. After the holidays, each student receives a copy of their grade-level book and the classes read it together according to a shared, schoolwide schedule. Weekly trivia questions and prizes also add to the fun!”

For the third straight year, Norway Savings Bank is pleased to play a part in delivering the program and its impact to the students and staff at Great Falls Elementary, including its most recent donation of $500 this month.

“With support from NSB and all of our generous sponsors, we are able to purchase a book for every student in the building,” said Sedenka. “Last year, that meant over 530 books, and it wouldn’t have been possible without these donations.”

As part of the program, older and younger students pair up to complete projects related to the book.

“It’s such a fantastic way to celebrate reading while encouraging a shared experience,” said Dan Walsh, President and CEO of NSB. “School and district administrators even participate by visiting and reading with some of the classes. It warms your heart to see a school so dedicated to unity, involvement, and the importance of books.”

Getting kids to appreciate reading and the many benefits it provides is well worth the effort.

“Studies have shown that reading to children helps them to listen better and longer, build bigger vocabularies, understand concepts better, and feel more positive about learning,” said Sedenka. “When an entire school reads the same book, there is the added joy of growing a school family.”

For more information on how you can support “One School, One Book,” contact Anna at anna.sedenka@gorhamschools.org or call 207-222-1050.