LEWISTON, ME — The Public Theatre presents the anticipated U.S. premiere of Lunenburg, a delightful mix of mystery, comedy, and romance, playing at Lewiston/Auburn’s professional theatre, May 3 – 12.

When Iris’ husband is unexpectedly killed in a plane crash, her lawyer reveals she has inherited a beautiful home in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia – that she never knew existed! With her best friend by her side, she sets out from her home in Brunswick, Maine and begins a laugh-filled and poignant road trip North to unravel the mystery of her husband’s secret life. What follows is a series of surprises, funny romantic adventures, and heart-warming personal transformations.

Director Janet Mitchko says, “This play really checks all the boxes for a satisfying experience because it’s the perfect combination of surprises, comedy and romance. Playwright Norm Foster, (Canada’s most produced playwright), is often called the Canadian Neil Simon as he has the most wonderful way of using humor not only to entertain audiences, but to leave them with something to think about. There’s also something magical about spending a summer weekend at a beautiful home overlooking the water that I think people from Maine will understand. And to top it off, two of the three characters live in Brunswick!”

Norm Foster’s previous play, The Ladies Foursome, broke box-office records at The Public Theatre, and Lunenburg is predicted to be an equal hit.

The cast of fully professional Equity actors includes Beth Hylton, Heather Dilly and Torsten Hillhouse. The Lunenburg home the play takes place at is designed by Kit Mayer, lights by Florence Cooley, and costumes by Frederica Jepson Johnson.

Also happening during this production will be The Public Theatre’s beloved fundraising event, The Silent Auction. Over 200 items and gift certificates from local vendors and supporters will be available in the lobby and on-line during the run of the show at thepublictheatre.org

Lunenburg will be performed at The Public Theatre, Lewiston’s Professional Theatre May 3 – 12. Show times are Thursday and Friday at 7:30pm, Saturday at 3pm, Sunday at 2pm with a  Saturday  May 11 at 3pm & 7:30pm.  Tickets are $30 Adults, $25 Groups 10+, $20 Student 19+ with ID. For tickets call 782-3200 or visit thepublictheatre.org.  The Public Theatre is located at 31 Maple St., Lewiston.

Sponsored by Bangor Savings Bank, Austin Associates and Auburn Manufacturing

Season Underwriters: Sun Journal, Platz Associates, and Bennett Radio Group

LEWISTON, ME — Scientist, Gail Wippelhauser will be the featured speaker at the May 6th meeting of the Stanton Bird Club. Entitled “The Secret Life of Sturgeon”, her remarks will focus on the two species of sturgeon found in Maine. Atlantic and Shortnose Sturgeon are often called living fossils as they are among the oldest bony fish with fossils going back 65 million years. 

After receiving a Masters and Ph.D. at the University of Maine, Wippelhauser taught for several years at the University and the College of the Atlantic. She worked for the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) from 1996 until her retirement in January 2022. During her tenure at DMR she represented the department during the relicensing of hydropower facilities; served on the Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission technical committees for American Eel, Striped Bass, and Atlantic Sturgeon; and conducted research on American Eel, Striped Bass, Alewife, Blueback Herring, Shortnose Sturgeon, and Atlantic Sturgeon. 

The talk will be held on Monday, May 6th from 4-6pm at the Auburn Public Library. The public is welcome. This lecture is free of charge. The Stanton Bird Club, a leader in environmental awareness, owns and manages the Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary in Lewiston as well as the Woodbury Nature Sanctuary in Monmouth and Litchfield. 

More information about other activities of the Club can be found at www.StantonBirdClub.org and on its Facebook page. 

Gail Wippelhauser with Shortnose Sturgeon – photograph provider by speaker

LEWISTON, ME — Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) has been awarded $2.1 million in federal funding to upgrade some of its surgical equipment. The majority of the funding will be used to replace surgical video towers. 

“These towers contain cameras, video screens and other equipment critical to performing minimally invasive surgery,” said Timothy Counihan, MD, chief of surgery at CMMC. “This equipment allows surgeons to perform procedures through small incisions, reducing the patient’s recovery time, and realize better outcomes. 

CMMC provides multispecialty surgical care to patients throughout Androscoggin, Oxford and Franklin Counties. The hospital, which is part of Central Maine Healthcare, uses the towers in orthopedics, general surgery, colorectal surgery, surgical oncology, gynecological surgery, urology, otolaryngology and thoracic surgery.

 “I would like to thank Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) for helping secure this critical funding,” said Steve Littleson, president and CEO of Central Maine Healthcare. “By investing in these new video towers and the associated equipment, surgeons at CMMC will be able to provide the most reliable and timely care to patients, as well as provide precise localization of the anatomy to minimize patient risk.  The new, state of the art equipment will ensure CMMC continues to serve as a referral specialty center for the more than 400,000 residents of central Maine.” 

The funding for the equipment upgrades at CMMC are part of the congressionally directed spending which is part of the recently passed federal budget.

AUBURN, ME – In recent months, Androscoggin County has been impacted by several extreme weather events. These declared state & federal emergencies have led to significant tree damage. In Auburn, city leaders have decided to implement a one-time Curbside Brush Collection event to help residents properly dispose of broken tree limbs, branches, and brush. 

“If you drive through the city, the damage is still quite evident,” said City Manager Phil Crowell. “There are trees and limbs down everywhere. This is bigger than your usual spring yard work, and we feel it’s important to help residents clean up.” 

“Our crews will begin the curbside collection on Monday, April 29, so residents should know that brush must be curbside no later than Sunday, April 28,” said Scott Holland, Director of Auburn Public Works. “We will not collect brush placed curbside after that date.” 

Auburn’s curbside collection is for residential properties only and is strictly limited to tree waste and brush – no stumps, and no bags or piles of leaves. It’s important to note that no household bulky waste will be collected. All brush & limbs must be in neat piles, “butt-ends” toward the roadway. The piles must be easily reachable from the road, and due to the equipment that will be used to collect it, brush must NOT be placed near, under, or beside power lines or poles. 

“If they prefer not to wait for our crews to arrive, residents can use the brush pile on Gracelawn Road, near Auburn Public Works,” added Holland. Residents are also welcome to deliver their brush directly to Jolly Gardener at 481 Spring Water Road (Route 122) in Poland (free). 

Visit auburnmaine.gov for details on Auburn’s Curbside Brush Collection event.

AUBURN, ME — Container Gardening Workshop

3:30-4:30 p.m.

Join the St. Mary’s Nutrition Center garden team on Earth Day to plant mini-greenhouse containers from recycled materials. Containers, soil, and seeds will be provided.

This is a free session for all ages, preceding the 5:00 p.m. program, “Creating Climate Resilient Gardens and Backyards,” presentation by Androscoggin Valley Water & Soil Conservation District.

Paper applications for 2024 community garden plots will also be available at both programs, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Visit http://linktr.ee/communitygardens for more information.

Reservations are requested but not required.

Climate Resilient Gardens and Backyards

5:00-7:00 p.m.

Learn how to make your backyard more resilient to a changing climate! There’s been a lot of scary conversations as we recognize stronger storms, warmer winters, and changing ecosystems; but we want to equip you with solutions you can implement TODAY! We’ll talk about ways to reduce your lawn (and associated maintenance) by swapping it for pollinator gardens, edible landscapes, rain gardens, vegetative buffers, groundcovers, wildflower meadows, and more. We’ll also highlight specific species to plant to support pollinators and other wildlife, prepare for a warming climate, and help with soil erosion. Create wildlife habitat, grow food for your family, and protect your local waterways while improving the appearance and functionality of your yard!

Presented by the Androscoggin Valley Water & Soil Conservation District, they will also highlight their new program – the Conservation Landscape Certification program– a free checklist available to help landowners improve their properties for wildlife habitat, water and soil quality, and overall ecosystem support.

After the workshop, stick around to ask questions, talk with staff, peruse helpful resources, and grab some free garden goodies! We’ll have seeds, gardening books, seed kits, garden tools, and an opportunity to win a free rain barrel! Snacks and refreshments will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there!

Reservations are requested but not required. This event is funded by the Androscoggin Valley Stormwater Working Group and the Davis Foundation

For more information on other upcoming programs offered at the Auburn Public Library, visit our website at auburnpubliclibrary.org.

LEWISTON, ME — The Woman’s Hospital Association (WHA) Rotating Art Gallery at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston is proud to display the paintings of Jennifer Gammon during the month of April.

Raised on a small family farm in Sumner, Maine, Gammon found her passion for art while a student at Buckfield High School. She attended the University of Southern Maine receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Painting and Ceramics studio concentrations. For the past twenty years she has made Lewiston her home with studio space where she creates her paintings and drawings. She also owns a small pottery business featuring handmade functional vessels, Liane Pottery. Nature, life, and death all are themes that consistently appear in all of her work

The “Fauna and Flora” series of drawings on display came from her intense love of local animals and her garden. “Even in the middle of a small city there is so much nature and wildlife possible. I wanted the viewer to see the fauna (animals) first then once you get in close observe the flora (plants). I used abstracted green backgrounds to help blend the plants in and make the animals stand out. I prefer to draw on an acrylic surface, which seems strange as most drawings are directly on paper. I set up the backgrounds as abstract paintings, I use a very thick paper called bristol and the acrylic paint is applied with a pallet knife. Once these are dry I draw on them using conté which is like a very densely compressed dry pastel”.

The works on display may be purchased through the WHA Gift Shop located adjacent to the main lobby at Central Maine Medical Center. A percentage of sale proceeds benefits patients of CMMC.

Painting by Jennifer Gammon – photo provided by Gammon.

LEWISTON, ME – – Mathew completed a bachelor’s in biology from the University of Maine at Augusta, graduating Magna Cum Laude. He was a presidential scholarship recipient, science tutor, student ambassador, and commencement speaker. While at the University of Maine, Mat became a nationally certified EMT basic. After a brief period in Medical School at UNE-COM, Mat was called to a path of service as an administrative healthcare leader. He changed paths to focus efforts on fixing the broken healthcare delivery system. Mat earned an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University graduating with a 3.96 GPA. Additionally, Mat received clinical process improvement leadership training at Mass General Brigham’s Lawrence Center for Quality and currently serves on the National Association of Home Care & Hospice Education Committee.

Mat has additional certifications and training in Business Analytics, Robotic Process Automation, Strategic planning, and Change Management.

After working as an EMT, Mat worked as a Provider Relations Liaison for Northern Light Home Care and Hospice for four years, responsible for driving the growth of home health, hospice, and home care services and supporting the integration of a recently merged agency. During this time, Mat also served on the Board of Directors for the Maine Council on Aging. Mat then took on a new role as Director of Provider Relations

at Central Maine Healthcare, a three-hospital clinically integrated healthcare system where he was responsible for leading growth and transformation of assigned service lines, including Cardiovascular, Orthopedics, Surgical Services, and Cancer Care. Mat’s work focused on building trust, improving retention, and driving growth to help rehabilitate the distressed health system.

Most recently, Mat co-led the Palliative Care Service line at Northern Light Health, an 11-hospital clinically integrated delivery system throughout Maine. Under Mat’s leadership, the Palliative Care Service line expanded by 66%, expanding access points to include four inpatient programs, six physician practices, statewide virtual inpatient and outpatient programs, a Robotic process automation identification/alert/ coordination system, and a community palliative care program that collectively served the state of Maine. While at Northern Light, Mat served as a leadership coach for Northern Light’s Clinical Process Improvement Program. Mat was recently accepted into a Masters in Industrial and Organizational Psychology program. Mat is led by his values (integrity, kindness, and service to others).

“For many years, I have observed the team at Androscoggin serving Maine communities with distinction. It is clear to me that healthcare at home will serve to help transform our healthcare delivery system in ways that better serve patients and families while also providing a wonderful environment for healthcare providers to optimize well-being in their chosen professions. I am honored to join a team with such a wonderful reputation throughout Maine, and I am excited to invest my energy to expand Androscoggin’s mission in service to more Mainers and beyond.”

LEWISTON/AUBURN, ME — The L/A Community Little Theatre has announced its 2024 summer musical theater programs for children and teens. These “summer camps” will start with mandatory orientations on June 22 and culminate with performances the weekend of July 19-21.

These intensive and performance-based programs will run for four weeks. Campers will be responsible for mastering the material (lines, staging, choreography, and singing), and will participate in individual auditions and group rehearsals. All campers will participate in a full-scale musical and receive a DVD of the show, a t-shirt, and a personalized show poster.

The Youth Camp production will be James and the Giant Peach, Jr. and the Teen Camp production will be Beauty and the Beast, Jr.  Maddy DuBois and Maria Groover will direct the Youth Camp and Linda Vaillancourt will lead the Teen Camp. Jackie McDonald is the producer for both shows.

The Youth Camp is for children who will have completed third grade up to those who will have completed sixth grade. The Teen Camp is open for those who will have completed seventh grade up to those who will be entering twelfth grade in the fall. Enrollment for each camp will be capped at thirty, so early registration is strongly encouraged. 

A mandatory orientation for all campers and parents is scheduled for Saturday, June 22, from 10:00-11:30 a.m. for youth campers and parents and 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. for teen campers and parents.

The Youth Camp will usually run from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday and the Teen Camp will run from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The camp dates are June 24-28, July 1-3, July 8-12, and July 15-19. The performances of James and the Giant Peach, Jr. and Beauty and the Beast, Jr. will be held during the weekend of July 19-21.

The cost is $400.00 for one child and $200.00 for each subsequent child. Some scholarship assistance is available. Early online registration is encouraged as the camps are likely to fill up. All information on registration and payment is available at www.laclt.com/camp. Anyone with questions is asked to email kids@laclt.com.

The CLT 2022 summer camp cast of “Newsies Jr.” is pictured here. The theater is offering camps again this summer for children and teens. 

LEWISTON, ME – The Maine Center for Palliative Medicine proudly announces it has achieved distinction through the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) for the services of Palliative Medicine.

This distinction is awarded through a process in which healthcare organizations demonstrate compliance with national standards. Distinctions by ACHC (Accreditation Commission for Health Care) reflect an organization’s dedication and commitment to meeting standards that facilitate a higher level of performance and patient care.

ACHC is a nonprofit organization that has stood as a symbol of quality and excellence since 1986. ACHC is ISO 9001:2015 certified and has CMS deeming authority for Home Health, Hospice, and DMEPOS.

The Maine Center for Palliative Medicine works to reframe the language of illness and determine goals for care based on what matters most to you and your family. We’re here to support and guide you and your loved ones in navigating the complex dynamics of serious illness.

Through partnerships with patients, families, caregivers, and healthcare providers, we honor your lived experience.

For more information, please visit Androscoggin.org or contact us at (207) 777-7740