Adia Wezowicz looks closely at a butterfly that landed on her hand at the Butterfly Release.

More than 800 people of all ages gathered in an open field at Geiger Elementary School recently to remember a loved one at Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice’s annual Butterfly Release Remembrance Ceremony. More than 700 butterflies were purchased in memory of a loved one to benefit patient care at the Hospice House. Nearly $23,000 was raised, with all proceeds going directly to patient care at the Hospice House.

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Dr. Mary Dycio was honored on her 95th birthday at a luncheon recently at Rolandeau’s Restaurant in Auburn. Friends and former co-workers attending included Dr. and Mrs. Behzad Fakhery, Dr. and Mrs. Paul Mailhot, Dr. and Mrs. Yasuo Kanda, Connie Begin, Pauline Grenier, Dianne Massey, Janine Lauze, Jeannine Johansen, Carlene Boucher, Tonia Simard, Nancy Sequin, Pauline Castonguay, Georgette Whittier, Helen Incze, Robert and Pierrette Lamontagne, Denise Lamontagne, and Pat Morton. Dr. Dycio was formerly an anesthesiogist at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center and Central Maine Medical Center. After her retirement, she studied art at USM-LA, focusing on watercolors. Her beautiful floral scenes are displayed at Rolandeau’s and in the homes of many friends. (Photo by Denise Lamontagne)

The Taffetas are (l. to r.) Rebecca Rene Kelley, Tracy Sokat, Natalie Bellamy, and Sara Sargent. (Photo by Roger S. Duncan)

Maine State Music Theatre will present “The Taffetas” for one day only at the Pickard Theater in Brunswick on Monday, August 14 at 2 and 7:30 p.m., with a special additional performance at the Gendron Franco Center in Lewiston on Monday, August 25 at 7:30 p.m. This will be the first time that Maine State Music Theatre stages a performance in Lewiston, and tickets for the Lewiston performance will be offered at a special price of $10 to $15.

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Taking part in the press conference announcing the agreement were (l. to r.) St. Dom’s sophomore Robbie Dick, Lisbon H.S. senior Noah Buiniskas, Head Football Coach Chris Kates, Lisbon H.S. Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Eric Hall, and St. Dom’s Dean of Students and Athletics J.P. Yorkey.

Saint Dominic Academy announced at a press conference recently that it is has reached a cooperative agreement with Lisbon High School and the Maine Principals’ Association to allow St. Dom’s students to play football on the Lisbon High School team. The cooperative agreement begins this fall and is open to new and returning students.

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U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King this week released the following statement on health care reform:

“During the course of the past year, we met with thousands of people across our state to discuss ways to improve our health care system.

“We held forums with consumers, health care providers, and employers; hosted large and small group meetings; met with rural nursing home and hospital executives; and consulted with insurance regulators, actuaries, and other experts. We spoke with Mainers everywhere from parades, to grocery store aisles, to airports, to workplaces, to our Maine and D.C. offices about the challenges they faced under the current system and what impact the Senate health care bill would have on their access to affordable health care.

“After months of conversations and research, we both reached the same inescapable conclusion that the Senate health care bill would have been extremely harmful to our state, particularly to our most vulnerable populations, including children with disabilities and low-income seniors.

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If Washington insiders were forced to use the failing ObamaCare system, they would think twice about the gridlock they are causing right now.

Dear Maine Taxpayer,

U.S. Senators like Senators Susan Collins and Angus King are enjoying Cadillac health insurance plans while they are mandating Americans ride a moped. They are so busy seeking the national limelight, they are ignoring the people in their own state.

Quite simply, ObamaCare is collapsing because it is unaffordable. Premiums and deductibles have skyrocketed, and private insurers are fleeing states, leaving fewer options for the individual marketplace.

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By Robert E. Macdonald

Mayor of Lewiston

I began this week’s column with tears in my eyes. I write with both sadness and raging hate within my heart. Big Brother has won.

Little 11-month-old Charlie Gard had been removed from his government’s life-support system. He died on Friday, a day after he was transferred to a hospice facility.

I write this while gazing at a picture of little Charlie, peacefully asleep in his government hospital bed, tubes up his little nose and a little stuffed monkey resting on the chest of his little body. This little angel has been deemed by a bunch of government bureaucrats, many who have never laid eyes on this child, as not worth the expense of taxpayers’ dollars to save him.

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Participating in the Achieving the Dream conferences earlier this year were (l. to r.) mathematics instructor John Wallace, Dean of Student Services Nick Hamel, nursing program chair Kathy McManus, Director of Institutional Research Ron Bolstridge, Dean of Academic Affairs Betsy Libby, Humanities Department chair Ethel Bowden, Assoc. Dean of Academic Affairs Anne St. Pierre, and business instructor Mike Henry.

Central Maine Community College has joined Achieving the Dream. a network of more than 220 colleges in 39 states dedicated to improving student success. As an ATD Network institution, CMCC will work closely with national experts over the next three years to implement evidence-based approaches for improving student outcomes.

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This high-speed race that runs circuits around Kennedy Park will benefit Meals on Wheels at SeniorsPlus. 

The second annual Auburn-Lewiston Rotary Club Criterium will take place on Sunday, August 6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Kennedy Park in Lewiston. Proceeds from the bike race will benefit Meals on Wheels at SeniorsPlus. There is no charge to watch the race, and parking in the downtown area is free of charge on Sundays.

Bicycle racers from across New England will test themselves on a fast, technical .6-mile loop around the streets bordering Kennedy Park. There will be eight distinct races throughout the day, ranging from 20 to 60 minutes long. Top speeds will approach 40 mph on sections of the course. 

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The third annual Summer Block Party to benefit Make-a-Wish Maine, co-hosted by Uncle Andy’s Digest, the City of Auburn, and Mac’s Grill, will take place outdoors at Mac’s Grill in Auburn on Saturday, August 12, from 1 to 9:30 p.m. This fun-filled, family-friendly event will feature Mac’s renowned food, music and dancing, and a Kids’ Zone that will include a 95-foot inflatable obstacle course, Mr. Drew and His Animals Too, face painting, a magician, and more. The evening will end with fireworks at 9 p.m. Local Make-a-Wish families are invited to attend as guests of honor.

What started two years ago as an Anniversary Bash commemorating 20 years in print for Uncle Andy’s Digest has turned into the largest fundraising event for Make-A-Wish Maine. Due to the success of the Summer Block Party, seven wishes were granted in those two years to local kids battling life-threatening illnesses. Thanks to the support of local businesses and other agencies, the event is here to stay.

“Every aspect of last year’s event exceeded our expectations,” said event founder Jim Marston of Uncle Andy’s Digest and the Make-a-Wish Maine board of directors. “The L/A community always steps up when asked to help, and we are so proud to be a part of that.”

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