LEWISTON, ME (February 13, 2023) — The City of Lewiston Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office is highlighting Black History Month with a special movie and discussion night on Tuesday, February 28th. This free, public program will take place from 4-7 in Callahan Hall at the Lewiston Public Library.

Ayat Hamza, a graduate from UNC Chapel Hill and an attorney at OgleTree, one of the nation’s top law firms, will introduce the film. The discussion to follow will be led by Marcelle Medford, Assistant Professor in the Sociology Department at Bates College and Melissa Hue, the DEI Director for the City of Lewiston. The movie presentation will be followed by interactive discussion with audience members. Professor Marcelle Medford will co-facilitate with Director Melissa Hue a collective debrief of the movie, its impact on the civil rights movement, and where we are now.

Attendees should note that the film has a rating of PG-13 and deals with sensitive content. More information about the film, including a synopsis, is available at the Library’s website: lplonline.org.

The Lewiston Public Library is located downtown at 200 Lisbon Street at the corner of Pine Street. More information on Tuesday’s lecture is available by contacting the Lewiston Public Library at 513-3135 or LPLReference@lewistonmaine.gov.

LEWISTON, ME (February 16, 2023) – The Girl Scouts of Maine (GSME) recently named Dirigo Service Unit Volunteer Support Coordinator from Lewiston, Brittany Blais, as their February Volunteer of the Month. As a veteran leader in her daughter’s troop, Blais is an integral team member, often traveling far outside of her service unit to provide support and guidance to girls around the state. 

“What comes to mind when I think about Brittany are the following: dedicated, passionate, and mission driven. Brittany has a love of Girl Scouts, and a strong devotion to leading by example,” said GSME Volunteer Support Specialist, Jeanie Duguay.

In the fall of 2021, Blais helped start a monthly outdoor troop for a group of Daisies and Brownies aimed at leading the girls in skill-building outdoor activities. In addition to her busy schedule, which is filled to the brim with work, volunteering for GSME, spending time with her family, and pursuing an MBA, Blais also volunteers for the Junior Achievement of Maine, helping students in local schools reach their academic goals.

Fellow volunteers describe Blais as someone who always brings meaningful energy and insightful experience to the table regardless of the activity. Within her service unit, Blais has carved out a passion for empowering girls to be the best they can be, whilst serving as a positive role model within her community. Volunteer of the Month is a highly honorable title to attain at GSME, and Blais could not be more deserving to receive it. 

“Brittany doesn’t only inspire the girls around her, but the adults she works with too. She is a reminder that exercising in the outdoors is not only great for lifting our hearts, but others’ hearts as well,” said Kayla Norster, an Outdoor Program & Training Specialist at GSME who co-nominated Brittany for the achievement.

LEWISTON, ME (February 17, 2023) — This March 3 – 12, The Public Theatre presents the Maine premiere of Pilgrims Musa and Sheri in the New World, a romantic, funny and heartfelt love story with a cultural twist. Anyone who has ever fallen in love knows the dilemma.  Do you make a safe and sensible match with someone, or risk everything on the unexpected great love of your life? Musa, a sweet-natured immigrant cab driver and semi-practicing Muslim, and Sheri, a sassy American waitress, must negotiate the twists and turns of love and cultural differences. Winner of the Steinberg New American Play Award, this honest, funny and thought-provoking romantic comedy looks at the things which draw people together as much as pull them apart.

This play follows the story of three Muslim immigrants – an Egyptian cab driver and his Somali and Sudanese friends, who make a new life for themselves in an American city. This charming play asks, how much of who we are is where we have come from and the expectations that are placed on us? Must we represent the customs and culture we were raised in, or can we explore a new way of life in a new land? The playwright Yussef El Guindi, an Egyptian immigrant himself, calls this play, “A love letter to the immigrant experience”.

Whether you are a New Mainer or a person whose distant relative came over on the Mayflower, at one point someone in your family found the courage and hope to travel to a new world in search of a better way of life.

Seattle based Playwright Yussef El Guindi will also be traveling to Lewiston to see the production and participate in the free Sunday Post-show discussion.

The central role of Musa will be played by AHMAD MAHER. Ahmad is an Egyptian born, NYC based actor who has performed in a variety of countries including Egypt, Sweden and the United States. He is a recent recipient of the Berkshire Theatre Critics Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance. His American love interest Sheri will be played by New York actress LAURA KING-OTAZO. ITHAMAR FRANCOIS will play Musa’s Somali friend Tayyib and IAN EATON will be portraying his Sudanese friend Abdallah. ALINE SALLOUM will play Gamila, an American raised Egyptian.

The New York City set is designed by Michael Reidy, lights by Matthew Cost, costumes by Kathleen P. Brown and sound by composer/designer Scott O’Brien.

We believed this honest, entertaining and heartfelt play explores situations and cultural realities many younger New Mainers are facing and talking about amongst themselves.  Having the chance to see a play that is relevant and resonant to their lives at The Public Theatre, portrayed by professional actors, some of whom are immigrants themselves will be a unique opportunity in Maine.

Pilgrims Musa and Sheri in the New World is playing at The Public Theatre, Lewiston/Auburn’s Professional Theatre, March 3 – 12, Thurs-Sat at 7:30pm, Sun at 2pm with a Sat matinee on March 11 at 3pm.  Tickets: $25 Adults, $22 groups. Tickets can be purchased online at thepublictheatre.org or by calling 782-3200. The Theatre is located at 31 Maple St. Lewiston. 

Pilgrims Musa and Sheri in the New World is sponsored by Androscoggin Bank, Butler Bros and Cross Insurance.

The Cast of ‘Pilgrims Musa & Sheri in the New World.’ (Clockwise from Bottom Left) Aline Salloum, Ithamar Francois, Ahmad Maher, Laura King-Otazo and Ian Eaton.

LEWISTON, ME (February 14, 2023) — What is “La Francophonie in Maine?” Come find out! The Franco-American Collection at the University of Southern Maine and l’Alliance Française du Maine invite you to an in-person event on Friday, March 3rd, at 7pm, for a community panel discussion of the French experience in Maine.? The event will take place?at USM’s Lewiston-Auburn College, 51 Westminster St., Lewiston, in room 170. Guest speakers, originating from?the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, France, Québec and Rwanda, will discuss, in English, the role of the French language in their lives in Maine.?  

The panel presentation will be followed by a Q&A?session and a brief reception, where audience members will be invited to interact with the panelists, dignitaries, and each other. 

 This program is made available, at no cost to the public, by the coordinated efforts of the Franco-American Collection at USM/LAC and? l’Alliance Française du Maine, along with the support of the University of Southern Maine, la Délégation de Québec in Boston, and Androscoggin Home Health.  

For more information or to register for this free event, contact the FAC archivist, Anna Faherty at anna.faherty@maine.edu or by phone (207) 753-6545. If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact Anna. Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

LEWISTON, ME (February 5, 2023) – Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice is delighted to announce that plans are under way for the 2023 Autumn Night Out benefit auction to be held at the picturesque Poland Spring Resort on September 8, 2023. This year’s event will celebrate its 20th anniversary in support of the organization’s hospice services. Since its inception, Androscoggin’s signature Autumn Night Out Event has raised more than $750,000 benefiting hospice patients and families throughout 9 counties in Maine.

Lead by Co-Chairs Cyndi Robbins of Poland Spring Resort and Heather Printup of Blue Triton Brands, this year’s Autumn Night Out Committee has begun its planning of another spectacular event guided by this year’s theme of ‘Viva Las Vegas’. According to Cyndi Robbins, “In consideration of our 20th anniversary, the committee and I are setting our sights on making this year’s gala the largest and most successful in its two decades of benefitting patients and families at Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice.”

In addition to supporting end-of-life care for hospice patients and their families, Autumn Night Out also features a special fundraising ‘Paddle Raise’ that directly benefits a specific program within the organization. Autumn Night Out’s ‘Paddle Raise’ is an opportunity for guests to make a meaningful gift to the organization while fulfilling a real and significant need for our patients and families. Over the year’s beneficiaries have included Androscoggin’s Life Happens Fund, Bereavement Program, and most recently the organization’s Pediatric Program.

For more information about Androscoggin’s 2023 Autumn Night Out benefit auction, please contact Elif Mogensen at elif.mogensen@androscoggin.org or by phone at (207) 795-9410.

(Left to right): Elif Mogensen, Emily Rinchich, Tom Fogarty, Erica Bosse, Chrissy Kimball, Mary MacMahon, Erin Bolduc, Kelly Jacobson, Dana Pinkham. (Seated): Cyndi Robbins and Heather Printup. The committee also includes Jenn Lever and Dawn Youland, who are not pictured.

LEWISTON, ME (February 6, 2023) — SeniorsPlus, the designated Area Agency on Aging serving Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford counties, will give an in-person presentation of “Medicare Made Simple” on Thursday, March 16th from 3-5pm at the Wilton office of SeniorsPlus at 284 Main Street, Suite 10.  The class is free. Registration is required by calling 207-795-4010 by March 9. 

In this introductory course, attendees will learn about insurance options with Medicare, when to enroll or change plans, and how state law may affect their choices. This presentation is aimed at people who are new to Medicare, or anyone who currently has Medicare and would like to learn more. 

Since 1972, SeniorsPlus has been improving the lives of older adults and adults with disabilities. As the designated Area Agency on Aging for Western Maine, SeniorsPlus provides statewide services with an emphasis on Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties for core services (ie nutrition and information and assistance) that support independent living, healthy aging, and fight isolation. The overall program goal of SeniorsPlus is to assist older people and adults with disabilities in its tri-county area to remain safely at home for as long as possible.  The mission of SeniorsPlus is to enrich the lives of older people and adults with disabilities, their families and communities, and to support them to make informed choices. SeniorsPlus envisions a future where all older adults and individuals with disabilities are engaged and respected while living quality, independent lives in the communities of their choice. Annually, SeniorsPlus serves 10,000 individuals and fields 185,000 phone inquiries. 

SeniorsPlus offers a network of support, including information and assistance, short-term care management, Medicare counseling, caregiver support and respite, health and wellness education, benefits counseling, and Meals on Wheels and congregate dining.  

LEWISTON, ME (February 1, 2023) — The Lewiston Public Library will host its first Blockbuster Movie Event in February. This event will showcase a movie that, when introduced to theaters, drew large crowds to come see it. This event will be free and open to the public.

Our event is Wednesday, February 22, 2023 from 3 to 5:30pm in Callahan Hall and will feature a pg-13 movie set in a fictional-African nation with advanced technology whose leader has to juggle the responsibilities of being royalty with being a superhero.

To inquire about which movie will be featured this February please reach out the Lewiston Public Library at 513-3135 or LPLReference@lewistonmaine.gov.

LEWISTON, ME (February 10, 2023) – The Maine Museum of Innovation, Learning and Labor today opened a new exhibit focused on immigration and identity. The show shines a light on the varied groups of people from around the world who have chosen to come to Maine, and specifically Lewiston-Auburn, why they have stayed (or left), and the stories and identities that shape our area. 

Rachel Ferrante, Maine MILL’s executive director shared, “We are a museum focused on community history and culture, preserving the stories of our region. The new exhibit aims to relate previously told and untold narratives in equal measure, through historical research, artifacts, and numerous oral histories. There are several interactive components in the show, and we hope the community will contribute to our growing knowledge base by sharing more stories and keepsakes.” 

For more information about Maine MILL (formerly Museum L-A) and its events and exhibits, visit mainemill.org or call 207-333-3881. The museum is located at 35 Canal Street in Lewiston. Current visitor hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10am – 4pm. 

The exhibition is made possible in part by the Maine Humanities Council. Lewiston Threads is sponsored by Berman & Simmons. Select school field trips are made possible thanks to United Insurance.  

AUGUSTA, ME (February 1, 2023) ­­— On Tuesday, January 31, Sen. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, welcomed Lewiston High School’s Mock Trial team to the State House and presented the team with a legislative sentiment for winning the State championship on December 5, 2022, defeating the team from Brewer High School in the state finals. The team was recognized in the House and Senate and met with Gov. Janet Mills.

 “I am so proud of these students. They worked so hard to prepare for this tournament, and they executed flawlessly,” said Sen. Rotundo. “This team has made me and the entire Lewiston community very proud. I wish them the best of luck in the national competition.”

 The mock trial competition is essentially a hypothetical criminal trial in which students play the roles of attorneys and witnesses. Trials take place in front of Maine judges and attorneys who evaluate the students on their preparation, mastery of the facts, and demeanor and poise. Maine Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Valerie Stanfill supervised the finals competition. 

The team consists of Head Coach Michelle Crowley and students Ava Golder, Ben Cloutier, Sarah Mack, Gabby Thomas, Taylor Jean, Hayden LeCompte, Olivia Crowley, Ethan Rinko, Gabby Gladu, Kim McLaughlin, Adry Viles, Victoria Mpaka and Hayley Aloegnikou. Additional coaches include attorneys Paul Dionne of the Dionne and Couturier law firm, Amy Dietrich of the Skelton, Taintor, and Abbott law firm, and retired attorney Ron Lebel, formerly of Skelton, Taintor and Abbott. Recent LHS graduate and mock trial alum Dominic Pelletier also helped coach the team. 

The team will next represent the State of Maine at the national competition, which will take place in Little Rock, Arkansas from May 18 to 20, 2023. 

A legislative sentiment acknowledges and recognizes academic, athletic, civic, professional or service-related accomplishments.

The Lewiston High School Mock Trial team with Rep. Michael Lajoie, Rep. Margaret Craven, Sen. Peggy Rotundo, Gov. Janet Mills and Rep. Kristen Cloutier

LEWISTON, ME (January 30, 2023) – Safe Voices Executive Director Elise Johansen and Director of Shelter and Housing Noelle Coyne recently appeared on “Oh Behave! with Arden Moore” – the longest running pet podcast in America.

In their January episode, along with Red Rover President & CEO Nicole Forsyth, Johansen and Coyne discussed the importance of pet-friendly shelter options and organizational policies for survivors of domestic abuse and sex trafficking. Safe Voices, which has been serving survivors in Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford Counties since 1977, partners with Red Rover and Rescue Rebuild to equip each of its emergency shelters to welcome survivors and their pets.

Pets play an important role in the healing process for survivors and in the organizational mission for Safe Voices. Johansen and Coyne shared with Moore that, in addition to pet-friendly policies at their shelters, Safe Voices is a pet-friendly employer, as well. In addition to many staff bringing their pets with them to work, Safe Voices even added two therapy dogs to the organization in 2022.

The first, a golden retriever named Ollie, joined Safe Voices in the summer of 2022 and began his therapy certification training in the fall alongside his owner/handler, Katrina White, who is Safe Voices’ sex trafficking and sexual exploitation outreach coordinator.

Even though he’s still a few months away from completing his training, Johansen said, “He has already made a profound impact on survivors and staff.”

The effects that pets have on survivors is profound, said Johansen, and it is too often exploited by abusers. “Abusers are going to use anything and everything in front of them, whether it’s a child, a job, or a pet. They’re going to use it to assert power and control.”

This, Moore said, leads to over 70% of survivors reporting that their abuser injured, killed, or threatened family pets in an effort to exert control, a fact that all three guests confirmed and cited as one of many reasons it is vital to create more pet friendly shelter options.

As the first shelter in the state to become pet-friendly, Safe Voices has led the way for other domestic violence resource centers to do the same, and Safe Voices staff have become experts in the field of how to integrate pet-friendly policies with survivor needs and sheltering practices. Theirs are no longer the only pet-friendly shelters in Maine, and for Coyne, that is the next big goal.

“We’re really looking forward to making Maine the first state in which every domestic abuse shelter is pet-friendly,” she said.

The full podcast episode is about thirty minutes long and can be heard at bit.ly/SV_Pets.

Safe Voices therapy dog, Ollie, poses at their office at 100 Lisbon St. in Lewiston. Credit: Grace Kendall/Safe Voices