AUBURN – About 50 students received diplomas at the Saint Dominic Academy graduation ceremony at the beginning of the Memorial Day weekend. 

 From Lewiston Schools

LEWISTON – High temperatures last week didn’t keep Lewiston Adult Ed­ucation students from their graduation at the Longley Multi-Purpose Building last Tuesday night.

Graduates, families, friends, and community members attended to celebrate both the class of 2020 and 2021.

Lewiston Superintendent Jake Lan­glais spoke to graduates about how they demonstrated resilience with their work and they now carry it with them. “Don’t you ever forget what you’ve achieved,” he said.

Lewiston School Committee Chairperson Megan Parks participated in the conferring of diplomas along with Langlais, Lewiston Adult Education Di­rector Bill Grant and Lewiston Adult Edu­cation Assistant Director Jennifer Tiner.

Students received their diploma, while the Adult Learning Center Coordinator Lau­rianne Champagne told of each one’s accomplish­ments. Student Kerigan Graham graduated despite a busy work schedule and COVID-19 restrictions in classes and testing.

Another student, Rebecca Berry, wrote an essay on how education is a lifelong process. “To support her conviction of this statement, she plans to continue her education by going to college to pursue a career in the field of med­icine. We wish her well,” Champagne said.

Guest Column

By Sen. Claxton

If you’ve read my previous columns, you probably know that one of the main reasons I chose to run for office was my desire to help fix our broken health care system. As a family physician practicing in the greater Auburn area, I had long been upset and frustrated by the ways in which folks struggled to get the care they needed solely because of cost. I’ve had patients skip taking their medication that I prescribed to them, use up their life savings for medical procedures and fear going to a doctor because of how much it might cost. As a health care professional doing the best I could for my patients, it was always painful that despite the best intentions of me and my patient, there were barriers that stood in the way of good care.

When I was first elected to the Senate, I was glad to see that I wasn’t alone in my desire to help make prescription medications more affordable and to increase access to health care. I found my new colleagues on both sides of the aisle were willing and eager to work together and address these issues that far too many Mainers experience on a daily basis. In 2019, we worked together and passed a suite of legislation with bipartisan support, that was aimed at making medications more affordable for Mainers and getting to the root causes of these out-of-control costs. While we were proud of our successes, we knew we had more work to do. Prior to the pandemic forcing us to adjourn in 2020, we passed additional bills to crack down on corporate greed with our “Patients First” plan. I sponsored a bill in the plan to prohibit unnecessary fees that folks are forced to pay in their medical bills, and it is now law.

We are coming out of a very trying time with the pandemic, and we are not letting the lessons learned from it go by the wayside.

From Lewiston Library

LEWISTON – The 2021 Summer Reading theme for Lewiston Public Library is “Tails and Tales,” and the program will run through Aug. 7, with reading programs for children, teens, and adults.

See the Lewiston Library website for more information and calendars:

KIDS programing features weekly themes, LIVE performers, staff virtual programs, take & make kits, and book & prize giveaways

TEEN programming features Discord gatherings, virtual book groups and games, and book and prize giveaways

ADULT programming features virtual Read ME discussions, author talks, and end-of-summer prizes

This year, children, teen, and adults are using a PASSPORT system to track reading and activities for prizes. Pick up a passport (Kids on the 3rd floor, Teen on the 2nd floor, Adult on the 1st floor — or print your own from our website using the links above), complete any 4 activities, and turn it in to be entered into prize drawings! Children and Teens also get to choose a free book for every passport completed. All ages can complete as many passports they want during the eight weeks of summer reading.

Questions? Please call 207-513-3134 or email us at lplreference@lewistonmaine.gov

Children/Family

Mr. Drew and His Animals Too LIVE in Kennedy Park. June 19 @ 10:30am–No reservations required. In case of rain, program will be streamed LIVE on Facebook from the library.

Fun Run LIVE in Kennedy Park. June 25 @ 5:00pm–No reservations required. In case of rain, program will be streamed LIVE on Facebook from the library.

Join Ms. Penny LIVE in Kennedy Park for a Hands-On Butterfly Activity! June 28 @ 10:30am–No reservations required.

Sparks’ Ark LIVE in Kennedy Park. July 16 @ 5:00pm–No reservations required. In case of rain, program will be streamed LIVE on Facebook from the library.

Judy Pancoast LIVE in Kennedy Park. July 31 @ 10:30am–No reservations required. In case of rain, program will be streamed LIVE on Facebook from the library.

Stargazing in Kennedy Park. August 6 @ 8:00pm–No reservations required. In case of rain, program will be streamed LIVE on Facebook from the library.

Every Tuesday 10:30-11:15—Lewiston Public Library – Virtual Preschool Babytime & Storytime. Children 0-5 are welcome to join the fun on Zoom as Ms. Jackie uses interactive songs and stories to introduce children to the world of books, learning, and the library. Call 207-513-3133 for details and registration.

Teen

All Summer Long: Visit the Virtual Teen Library on Discord. Join the LPL Teen Discord server to connect with other young adults online & participate in our virtual teen programming!

Are you looking for a gaming group? You’re in luck – it’s all fun and games at the Teen Library this summer! In partnership with Portland Public Library, LPL Teen presents All You Can Game, an ongoing, online game night. Try a little of everything as we test out a sampling of different games throughout the summer, including Among Us, Jackbox Games, and more. Hop on Discord for a new multiplayer game every other week, June through August.

Because of max player limits, we request that interested players give us a heads up in advance. Email us at lplreference@lewistonmaine.gov, send us a message on our @lplonline Instagram, or get in touch with Teen Library staff on our Discord server to reserve your seat.

Wednesday, June 23 @ 4:30pm – Kahoot (Trivia)

Wednesday, July 7 @ 4:30pm – Jackbox Games

Wednesday, July 21 @ 4:30pm – Scribbl.io (Pictionary)

Wednesday, August 4 @ 4:30pm – TBD

Wednesday, August 18 @ 4:30pm – TBD

Adult

Maine author Josh Gauthier will be speaking about his new book, “Land of Outcasts”, at an event hosted by the Lewiston Public Library on Thursday, June 17th.  This free, public program will take place from 6 – 7 PM virtually via Zoom.

For more information, contact the LPL Adult & Teen Services desk at 513-3135 or lplreference@lewistonmaine.gov.

From City of Auburn

AUBURN – The City of Auburn is officially re­opening the Auburn Senior Community Center for in-person programming – just in time for summer!

“Our team has been working hard to offer a variety of take-home and outdoor programming throughout the pandemic,” said Sabrina Best, Recre­ation Director. “We’re just so excited to welcome our community back to the center.”

The Auburn Senior Community Center – lo­cated at 48 Pettengill Park Road – first opened fol­lowing renovations in No­vember of 2019, during Auburn’s year-long Ses­quicentennial celebration. The popular facility has been used nearly every day since then, booked solid with programming, meet­ings, events, and rentals, until the doors were closed in March of 2020 in re­sponse to the pandemic. “We went from thriving to surviving as we quick­ly transitioned the facility and staff to our ‘Grab & Go’ community food dis­tribution program,” said Best.

Staff and residents alike are looking forward to getting things “back to normal” at the Center. A monthly calendar of events – along with a full list of summer programs, such as take-home craft kits, movies, lawn games, trips, chair yoga, tech talks and much more – is available on the Auburn Recreation page at auburnmaine.gov.

Some small group programming started back up in May as CDC guide­lines allowed, but the fa­cility and staff are fully prepared to welcome larg­er local senior groups and clubs this summer. “In ad­dition to our fun program­ming for ages 50-plus, we host local senior groups who use the space for their weekly/monthly meetings and bingo,” said Recre­ation Specialist Jamie Longley.

New Auburn Seniors will meet on Monday July 12, doors open at 9:30am, meeting starts at 11:00am.

Robin Dow Seniors will meet on Wednesday July 14, doors open at 9:30am, meeting starts at 11:00am.

Bingo to follow each meeting.

For more information about this facility, to reg­ister for a program, or to find the monthly calendar please visit www.auburn­maine.gov, call the Auburn Recreation Department at 333-6611, or email auburn­rec@auburnmaine.gov.

Out and About

By Rachel Morin

AUBURN – Elvis Presley made a grand appearance at Schooner Estates Senior Living Community in Auburn the last week of May with an outdoor performance in The Courtyard.

 Following the spring rains, residents were pleased the day dawned warm and sunny with a blue sky and white fluffy clouds breezing along overhead. They had been looking forward to Elvis Presley’s arrival and were ready and waiting when he arrived!

It was a fully-seated audience on the lawn when a good-looking, svelte, dark-haired Elvis Presley with the familiar sideburns, and wearing a sky blue costume accented with a deep vee neck, open to a jeweled cross nestled on his chest, strutted onstage to enthusiastic applause!

Don Boudreau, a solo Elvis Tribute Artist from Sidney Maine, had the Elvis moves alright, and certainly the persona was right on. And when he started singing, well, he had the voice as well! He was Elvis! The applause and excitement grew.

Don was an instant hit with the audience. His voice, singing style and mannerisms brought Elvis to life. He even had the Elvis curl in his lips as he sang. He was truly Elvis.

Guest Essay

By James Merrill

It was an early Sunday morning back in 1941; the Pearl was peaceful, quiet as she greeted the rising sun.

The harbor waters were calm, there was stillness in the air, and crews aboard their ships had not a worry or a care.

The Arizona was a beauty, proudly anchored below the morning skies, the Utah and Missouri anchored near her awaiting their crews to rise.

No one had a clue that peaceful morning the terror soon to come, the roar of airplane engines sounded like the beating of a thousand drums.

The day that would live in infamy would soon be here, when that roar off in the distance was now so very near.

A sleeping giant would be awoken as one Japanese Admiral would soon say, and it brought our great country united on that terrible and dreadful day.

From farms and mountain valleys, from sea to shining sea, young men came by the thousands to raise their right hands and take an oath so one day we’d all be free.

They fought on islands scattered along South Pacific shores, like Saipan, the Marshal Islands, Guadalcanal, Corregidor.

Dedicated nurses cared for the wounded as battles would rage on; God bless those nurses who gave so much, each and every one.

Young men landed on beach heads along the shores of Normandy, they fought in open fields of France and in thick forests of Germany.

God Bless them all and we thank them all, it because them America is free.

James Merrill is a military veteran, and shared this poem for Memorial Day.

From Theater at Monmouth

MONMOUTH – The Theater at Monmouth will present the show Aesop’s Guide to Friendship, from June through August, both inside and outside Cumston Hall on Main Street.

The theater invites parents to bring their young adventurers to CAMP AESOP this summer where they’ll use their imaginations to explore important lessons of perseverance and kindness in TAM’s Family Show production of Aesop’s Guide to Friendship, by Dawn McAndrews, based on the beloved fables.

Join the theater starting Saturday, June 19 at 1 p.m., and enjoy shows through Thursday, Aug. 13, with matinee performances on both weekdays and weekends.

Aesop’s Guide to Friendship explores age-old stereotypes to help young and old alike focus on ways to be better friends, neighbors, and citizens. TAM’s adaptation, full of song and play, explores behaviors that are helpful or harmful to friendships and communities.

Director Ian Kramer said, “Over the course of time, these stories have been shared by many cultures in different languages all over the world. They are universal stories. And that is a beauty of storytelling: you can tell or perform the same stories countless different ways, but their main values are always present. I think Aesop was a man ahead of his time. He knew that personifying animals was one of the best ways to reach his fellow human, to remind us we are all not so different. And perhaps that’s why we still tell these fables: to teach and learn what it means to be human.”

From UMaine

ORONO – University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H will offer its hands-on virtual summer learning series June 14–Aug. 20 with over 50 workshops open to all youth ages 5–18. 

“UMaine Extension 4-H Summer Learning Series,” which will be offered in two parts, includes learning tracks in arts and crafts, food and nutrition, STEM, marine science and aquaculture, animal science and agriculture, and teen leadership. The series opens with a magic show featuring Maine 4-H alumnus and family-friendly entertainer Conrad Cologne. 

In addition, this year’s 4-H@UMaine experience for teens will now be offered as one of the learning tracks. These online workshops will highlight University of Maine programs and opportunities and will be provided by UMaine faculty, staff and students.

The series is free, but registration is required. Registration opened the beginning of June for part one and will open on July 6 for part two.

Offline projects that can be completed at home also will be available.

Register and find more information on the Extension 4-H Summer Learning Series webpage. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Jessy Brainerd, 207.581.3877; jessica.brainerd@maine.edu.

UMaine Extension helps support, sustain and grow the food-based economy. The University of Maine, founded in Orono in 1865, is the state’s land grant, sea grant and space grant university. It is located on Marsh Island in the homeland of the Penobscot Nation. As Maine’s flagship public university, UMaine has a statewide mission of teaching, research and economic development, and community service.

From City of Lewiston

LEWISTON-AUBURN – Liberty Festival organizer Cathy McDonald, in partnership with the Cities of Lewiston & Auburn, has announced that the Liberty Festival fireworks will tale place on July 3 this year.

The difficult decision was made to cancel the full event last summer, but organizers are pleased to report that this celebration of America’s independence will be back this July, although with changes.

There will be no vendors, music, or events this year, but fireworks will fill the sky.  

Residents are invited to beautiful downtown Lewiston and Auburn for a fireworks display over the Great Falls and the Androscoggin River on Saturday, July 3 (not the 4th), at 9:30 p.m. In the event of rain, the fireworks will take place on July 5.

A map of the best places to view the Liberty Festival fireworks and park can be found at www.lewistonmaine.gov/fireworks21

Viewing areas include a lane on the Court Street bridge at Great Falls, Veterans Memorial Park, Raymond Park, under the “Hopeful” sign, Simard-Payne Park, The Riverwalk, and Festival Plaza.

Event updates will also be posted on the “Lewiston Auburn Liberty Festival” Facebook page.

Festival organizers plan to bring the full Liberty Festival back to the community in July of 2022.