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Events
APD Leadercast to feature Tim Tebow, Soledad O’Brien
The Auburn Police Department looked at four years of crime data and found that 23% of all crimes committed by youth offenders in Auburn took place within an area of less than half a square mile.
They found that 25% of all police calls for service and 28% of all youth victims were victimized in this same area.
In an effort to transform these statistics and provide positive and horizon-broadening experiences for at-risk youth, the APD established the Auburn Police Activities League.
Auburn PAL is in the process of creating a PAL Center in the Chestnut Street neighborhood, at the heart of the half-square-mile area identified by crime data.
Trail trainers hit Spruce Mountain Conservation Area
The Maine Conservation Corps and trail-building consulting firm Off the Beaten Path, led by Jed Talbot of Turner, are beginning their second week of training and service work at the Spruce Mountain Conservation Area of the Androscoggin Land Trust.
Located in Jay, along the Androscoggin River opposite the Otis Mill complex, the area includes 126 acres of land managed by ALT that is also adjacent to the Spruce Mountain Ski Area owned by the communities of Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls.
“This project, a combination of training and service work, has provided an excellent opportunity for our Trail Trainers,” says Bryan Kalleberg, program coordinator for the Maine Conservation Corps.
Great Falls Balloon Festival offers individual sponsorships
This year, the communities of Lewiston and Auburn will celebrate the 20th Annual Great Falls Balloon Festival. For the first time in the history of the festival, individual donors can become sponsors as a “Fan of the Festival.”
As a “thank you” for their support, Fan of the Festival sponsors will receive exclusive merchandise. This merchandise is only available to sponsors and will not be sold at the festival.
For a donation of $20, sponsors will receive a T-shirt with the Fan of the Festival logo on the front and the theme logo from each of the 20 annual festivals on the back.
LePage to speak at Tax Day Rally in Lewiston
April 15—the deadline for our federal income tax returns—has become an occasion to remind all taxpayers that Maine carries one of the heaviest tax burdens in the country.
“Presently, Maine is number six in terms of taxes paid. At the same time, Maine ranks near the bottom at 48th in personal income,” said Jack Wibby of Maine Taxpayers United. “This is the worst of both worlds and is a result of many decades of overspending by politicians in Augusta.
The present administration, headed by Governor Paul LePage, is hard at work to correct this situation, Wibby said.
“Maine Taxpayers United wishes to remind all who work for a living that something can be done to lighten our burden and thus stimulate the Maine economy, creating jobs and encouraging our youth to stay in Maine—instead of fleeing to states where the opportunities are better,” he said.
Lewiston to provide “Clean-up Assistance Week”
Lewiston’s Clean-up Assistance Week will occur from April 21 to 28 at the city’s Solid Waste Facility at 424 River Road. During this week only, the city will waive tip fees and use of the Punch Pass.
In addition to its regular hours of operation (7:15 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., Monday through Friday), the Solid Waste Facility will be open on two Saturdays, April 21 and 28, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The facility will not be open on Sundays.
This assistance is for Lewiston residents only; proof of residency (driver’s license, tax receipt and/or utility bill) will be required. Failure to provide proof of residency may require the customer to pay for disposal of their waste material.
3rd Annual ChocoLArt fundraiser
SeniorsPlus 3rd Annual ChocoLArt Fundraiser will take place Sunday, April 1 from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn in Auburn. Tickets are $35 and are available at www.seniorsplus.org, by phone at 1-800-427-1241, or in the SeniorsPlus office at 8 Falcon Road in Lewiston.
The event promises a delightful afternoon tasting chocolate creations from area restaurants and bakeries while enjoying the blissful sounds of the Three Point Trio jazz band. An auction will feature something for everyone: art, photography, jewelry, hand-crafted wood products, hand-knit and crocheted items, quilts, blankets, rugs, pottery and more. There will be door prizes, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, and a cash bar will be available.
All proceeds will benefit Meals on Wheels and other SeniorsPlus programs in Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties, helping maintain independence, dignity, and quality of life for older adults and adults with disabilities. For more information, visit www.seniorsplus.org or call 795-4010 or 1-800-427-1241.
Out and About with Rachel Morin: Pearl Tibbetts Sawyer, 90, publishes poetry collection
Pearl Tibbetts Sawyer and Rich Livingston
At February’s end, I joined friends, colleagues and family members in Auburn Public Library’s Androscoggin Community Room to hear poet Pearl Tibbetts Sawyer read from her latest book, “A Long String of Pearls.”
The appearance of this, her ninth published collection, coincided with her 90th birthday. Her first book, “Driftwood Chips,” came out in 2002, her 80th year, and she has been writing steadily ever since. “When I write about my life, my memories, my experiences, it is real, honest, and genuine,” she says of her work.
“A Long String of Pearls” includes 100 poems that are fresh, personal and deeply appreciative of the natural world. She has also included a few favorites from her previous publications, which are now out of print. Sawyer explains that her poems are not hers, but become the reader’s once they are read, based upon the reader’s feelings and interpretation.
Jewish Merchants of Lewiston
Morris Silverman will be among the Jewish merchants Phyllis Graber Jensen will discuss at the March 27 meeting of the Androscoggin Historical Society. She will speak at 7 p.m. on the third floor of the County Courthouse Building, on the corner of Court and Turner Streets in Auburn. Still in business on Center Street, Silverman holds a photograph of his late father, Louis, who started the business on Lisbon Street in 1930. See story on Page 10 of the Digital Edition.
Salute to Dinny Sullivan and Hats Off to Neighborhood Businesses!
Come salute Dinny Sullivan on Saturday, March 17 with a “Hats Off” to neighborhood businesses throughout the City of Auburn!
Dennis J. “Dinny” Sullivan was born in 1873 at Schull, Co. Cork, Ireland, and immigrated to Auburn with his parents, Jeremiah and Margaret Sullivan. The family lived on First Street in New Auburn and, like many Irishmen of his time, Dinny worked in the Lewiston bleachery and on the railroad.
But Dinny inspired to more. In 1919 he purchased a lot and with his wife, Nellie, operated a small neighborhood grocery store. Immigrants themselves, the apartment at the rear of the store often served as home for recent Irish immigrants, as they became oriented to American life and made their starts.
“Salute to Dinny Sullivan: Hat’s off to Neighborhood Businesses” day is dedicated too the unselfish hospitality of Dinny and Nellie Sullivan and their humble contribution to construction of this city in America—an example for all generations to emulate.
The Central Maine Medical Center Woman’s Hospital Association is featuring the work of two photographers, Cathy Case and Anne Huston, at its Rotating Art Gallery through April 21. Pictured above is “Emery” by Cathy Case. See page 11.
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