AUBURN, ME — On Monday, February 10th, from 5:15 to 6:30 PM, the Auburn Public Library will be hosting a new, monthly program entitled Death Café L/A.

Death Café L/A is a free, monthly group-directed discussion about death and dying. Co-presented by the Auburn Public Library and run by volunteer facilitators Elaine Gammon and Ilse Thompson, Death Café L/A has no specific agenda, objectives, or themes. It’s simply an open forum intended to bring awareness to the topics surrounding death and promote healthy discussions around end-of-life and beyond.

Death Café L/A offers a respectful space for death-curious individuals to share personal insights, consider new perspectives, engage in thoughtful conversation, and ponder big questions about this often-taboo, yet universal topic.

First introduced in concept by Bernard Crettaz, a Swiss sociologist in the United Kingdom in 2004, Death Cafes are recognized as a non-profit “social franchise.” This unique discussion group has spread quickly, sparking interest in death awareness and end-of-life contemplation. Today, there are over 9600 in-person and online Death Cafes in the U.S.

Ilse Thompson is a writer, Spirituality Coach, and Death Doula who counsels individuals facing grief, loss, and death. Ilse received her master’s degree in Buddhist studies from Maitripa College, where she trained in contemplative practices and focused specifically on interfaith chaplaincy and pastoral care.

This calling led her to earn an End-of-Life Doula Professional Certificate through the University of Vermont Lerner College of Medicine. As a gifted facilitator and empathetic practitioner, Ilse enjoys holding space and offering guidance for people navigating their end-of-life decisions and plans.

Elaine Gammon is a marketing professional and art enthusiast who is new to the field of modern death care and end-of-life planning. Elaine recently earned her End-of-Life Doula Professional Certificate through the University of Vermont Lerner College of Medicine. She plans to continue her training to become a Death Doula, legacy planner, and end-of-life educator. With openness, curiosity, and a “beginner’s” mindset, Elaine enjoys bringing people together for meaningful and inspiring conversations.

This program will take place in the Androscoggin Community Room at the Auburn Public Library. Registration is not required.

For more information about this and other programs offered at the Auburn Public Library, visit their website at www.auburnpubliclibrary.org or call the Reference Desk at 207-333-6640, ext. 4.

LEWISTON, ME — A Central Maine Healthcare (CMH) family medicine doctor recently found himself in the baby delivery business, unexpectedly.

Jan. 15 was a typical day at Minot Avenue Family Medicine in Auburn with the team taking care of respiratory illness cases, injuries and other common healthcare issues. But after the last patient of the day went home, the team faced an unexpected challenge.

Nathan Raby, DO, was finishing up paperwork after 5 p.m. when team member Alexis Libby, a medical assistant at the family practice, suddenly went into labor.

An ambulance was called, but the baby wasn’t waiting. Dr. Raby and the team were quickly pressed into service. They called the Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) maternity team right away, knowing they would have expert help on the line.

“I noted the look on Alexis’ face. I had seen it before, and I knew what it meant. I told her we needed to get her into a room and onto a table,” Dr. Raby said.

Just a few short minutes later, Alexis became a new mom.  Dr. Raby and Alexis could hear the CMMC maternity team cheering in the background.

Dr. Raby said, “Instinct kicked in and I gently pulled down on the head to expose the upper shoulder, pulled gently again and out slid the entire baby, a boy. He came out singing, much to my relief, moving all his extremities with great tone and color.

“We don’t deliver babies at Minot Avenue Family Medicine. This was the first for our team and my first delivery since residency,19 years ago.

“The ambulance team arrived, and I used their maternity kit to suction out the baby’s mouth. I clamped and cut the cord and handed the baby to his mother.”

Dr. Raby is more than grateful for the support from the CMMC maternity team.

“I talked him through the delivery; he really just needed moral support because he knew just what to do,” said Janice Locke, CMN, the midwife on call at CMMC that afternoon. “I recall him chuckling, ‘I haven’t delivered a baby in 19 years!’ It was a jovial conversation with people laughing and celebrating in the background!”

The mother and baby were then taken by ambulance to CMMC for postpartum care.

Alexis has named the boy Logan. Mom and baby are doing fine.

“I’m very thankful I was in the right place at the right time and very thankful for Dr. Raby who made me feel calm during the whole experience,” she said. “I can’t wait to tell Logan his birth story when he gets older!”

Minot Avenue Family Medicine has named the exam room where the boy was born “Logan’s Room.”

Minot Avenue Family Medicine consists of six family practice professionals as well as clinical and clerical staff who work together to provide care for patients of all ages in the greater Lewiston-Auburn area.

U.S. News & World Report has recognized CMMC as “High Performing in Maternity Care.” Last year, Newsweek also named CMMC one of the best hospitals in the nation for maternity.

Additionally, CMMC received a near-perfect 97 (out of 100) score on the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition & Care survey which evaluates categories such as immediate postpartum care, breastfeeding education, and support after patient discharge. The national average score was 82.

AUBURN, ME — The YMCA of Auburn-Lewiston is excited to announce results from our Twin Cities Swim Team (TCST) at the YMCA Northern New England District Championships held in Goffstown, NH, January 25-26, 2025. This meet was attended by eight different teams representing YMCAs from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts. TCST swimmers recorded first-place finishes in 30 different events over the weekend, breaking several team records and two state records in the process.

Sebastian Pambo, Owen Robinson, Eli Vandeventer, and Caden LaPlante set a new state record in the 13-14 Boys 200-Yard Freestyle Relay with a time of 1:36.40, besting the previous record by half a second. Caden LaPlante also broke the state record in the 13-14 Boys 100-Yard Butterfly with a time of 54.00, edging out the previous record of 54.27.  While it was the Granite YMCA Tiger Sharks who took top spot, TCST put forth a strong runner-up showing, notching a second-place finish overall.

About the Twin Cities Swim Team

The YMCA of Auburn-Lewiston has offered competitive swimming programs since the 1920s, with the name Twin Cities Swim Team being established in the 1990s. In 2021, we expanded our program to partner with the YWCA of Central Maine. Currently, there are 86 swimmers between the ages of 5 and 18 competing on the team. For further information about TCST, parents can email Head Coach Matt Reed at mreed@alymca.org.

About the YMCA of Auburn-Lewiston

Serving the greater L/A communities since 1868, the YMCA of Auburn-Lewiston is a 501(c)3 charitable educational organization that seeks to strengthen the foundations of local communities through collaborations and services that focus on youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. Each year, the YMCA serves more than 800 individual children in youth sports, camp, and childcare programs, along with over 4,000 active members taking part in health, wellness, and fitness programs. 

LEWISTON, ME – The L/A Arts Gallery is about to get provocatively cozy with a group show featuring artworks by Maine quilters Anne Walker, Rana O’Connor, Argenta Jeffrey and Celeste Poulin.

The artists are all members of Art Quilts Maine, a chapter of Pine Tree Quilts, which supports members in exploring contemporary quilt art, inspires creativity and individuality, and promotes the understanding, appreciation, and recognition of contemporary quilters in the state of Maine.

Each year since 2012, members of Art Quilts Maine have produced work in response to one or more themes. The resulting collection debuts at Maine Quilts, then tours the state for a year. Venues include libraries and galleries from Skowhegan to Cape Elizabeth.

Unlike the usual touring exhibitions, however, the theme for this new show at L/A Arts is built around ongoing engagement with the creative challenge itself.

About the Exhibition

Curated from an open call to group members, this retrospective includes works inspired by several different challenges from 2017 through 2023. Themes represented in the exhibition include:

Mixed Media Mashup (2017), which challenged artists to combine two or more visual art media in their works;

Batik Challenge (2018), wherein artists included batik fabrics in their creations;

On (or Off) the Beaten Path (2018), which asked artists to depict their interpretation of a path, trail, map, or walk from well-trod to rarely travelled;

Page 20 (2019) in which artists were inspired by a page from a random magazine;

Blue, Red and White (2019), for which artists were required to work with provided fabrics;

Inspired by the Classics (2020), featuring contemplations on an artist who worked prior to 1900;

Architexture (2021), which asked artists to take their ideas from any man-made structure;

Mystery Progression (2021), for which artists were provided a “word of the month” to incorporate into their developing quilts;

Quilts in the Abstract (2022), which challenged artists to fuse quilting techniques with abstract art;

Creative Circles, Rings and Curves (2023) demonstrates the many ways these shapes add motion to a quilter’s composition;

Tradition Re-Imagined (2023) asked artists to break the mold on a traditional quilt block.

Art Quilts Maine: A Retrospective runs January 31-March 14 at the L/A Arts Gallery, 168 Lisbon St. in Lewiston.

LEWISTON, ME — Central Maine Healthcare (CMH) and New England Cancer Specialists (NECS) recently marked the one-year anniversary of their agreement to enhance medical oncology and infusion services in the central Maine region.

The agreement was signed last year at CMH’s state-of-the-art Cancer Care Center, and according to John Hamilton, senior vice president, Service Line Operations, the relationship between the two is exceeding the already lofty expectations that existed going into the agreement.

“The total visit volume for all three CMH hospital’s cancer care services greatly exceeded projections,” Hamilton said.  “This unexpected influx of new patients was driven, in part, by CMMC being the only provider of cancer care in the region, but also speaks to the growing need for cancer care in the communities CMH serves.”

Central Maine Healthcare and NECS are currently recruiting additional providers to prepare for future growth.

Under the co-management agreement, NECS oversees operations and development of the cancer care program’s hematology and oncology practice and oncology infusion centers at CMMC, as well as CMH’s two critical access hospitals, Bridgton Hospital and Rumford Hospital.

Maine is among the U.S. states with the highest cancer mortality rates. Androscoggin County, where CMMC is located, has an elevated incidence of cancer, particularly lung cancer.

“Having this partnership and the support of NECS has empowered us to deliver exceptional cancer care to patients across central and western Maine,” said Nicholette Erickson, MD, oncologist at New England Cancer Specialists. “We are extremely proud of this collaboration and the life-changing impact we’ve been able to achieve together so quickly in these communities.”

“Our patients are benefiting greatly from this arrangement,” said Tim Counihan, MD, chief of surgery and the Oncology Institute at Central Maine Healthcare. “They are able to get the important care they need close to home, and at the same time have access to the resources of some of the best cancer specialists in the country.”

Central Maine Healthcare has achieved full accreditation from the Commission on Cancer which is awarded only to those institutions that provide patients with comprehensive, state-of-the-art services from a multi-specialty team coordinating all aspects of cancer care.

Physicians and leaders from New England Cancer Specialists and Central Maine Healthcare at the Dec. 2023 signing event

Don’t miss the final performances this weekend at The Public Theatre of their funny, moving and unforgettable production of Every Brilliant Thing, running this Thursday – Sun, Jan 30 – Feb 2.  Bonus Pre-show events include a Thursday wine-tasting, and Saturday night beer sampling! If you have ever written a “gratitude list”, or lost your reasons that make like worth living, this humorous, heartbreaking and delightfully surprising interactive play is for you. For Tickets and more information visit www.thepublictheatre.org or call 782-3200.

LEWISTON, ME – Andwell is happy to welcome Joshua A. Huppert, Au.D., who has joined Andwell Medical Partners, Andwell’s Multi-specialty Medical Group, to lead Andwell Audiology.

Originally a native of the southwest suburbs of Chicago, Dr. Huppert earned his Doctor of Audiology (AuD) degree from Pacific University in Oregon and completed his clinical residency at A.I. DuPont’s Hospital for Children in Delaware. Since then, Dr. Huppert has spent his last near-decade career providing impactful, evidence-based, and patient-centered care across the environments of pediatric hospitals, academic medical centers and the hearing industry. His clinical expertise in pediatric and vestibular audiology has earned him prestigious speaking engagements at local, national and international conferences and invitations to review many esteemed audiology journals. Dr. Huppert is also a published author, experienced leader and seasoned mentor of audiology students, medical residents/fellows and trainees.

Mathew Collins, Vice President of Medical & Community Services at Andwell Health Partners, shares “We are launching an Audiology Service Line to fill an important gap throughout the state of Maine. Maine people, of all ages, living in all zip codes, deserve better access to clinically excellent hearing healthcare services.

As Andwell works to collaborate with partners, payers, and the state of Maine to innovate care delivery and reimbursement models, Andwell has also been taking active steps to grow, evolve and diversify service offerings. While maintaining its legacy home health and hospice services,  Audiology is one of a handful of services that Andwell has launched over the last couple of years, including the Maine Center for Palliative Medicine, a mobile wound care practice, personal care and companionship, therapy and early learning, behavioral health, and outpatient therapy care clinics.

Collins continues, “Dr. Huppert is a national thought leader in the hearing healthcare space – with experience leading and personally delivering care across the full healthcare continuum.

He shared that ”the prevalence of individuals with hearing loss in Maine is one of the highest in country at just under 17% . When we further consider that individuals with untreated hearing loss are at increased risks for social isolation, depression, anxiety, and even cognitive decline, it is not difficult to see how valuable and necessary access to high-quality hearing healthcare is for communities to truly thrive.”  Dr. Huppert went on to say that he has  dreamt of living in Maine most of his adult life. “I am humbled by the opportunity to be a part of what I know will be a life-changing service with Andwell and the Maine community at large. I can’t wait to get started and look forward to meeting/serving the Maine community.”

Andwell Audiology is located at 72 Strawberry Avenue in Lewiston. The clinic opens on February 24, 2025, and is now accepting referrals. Call your primary care or specialist provider to ask for a referral.

AUBURN, ME – The Auburn Police Department is pleased to announce the addition of two new “Project Support You” (PSY) co-responders who have recently been assigned to the department.

Erica West and Scott Lesser, who are employed by Spurwink, will be co-responding with our officers to calls for service involving mental health issues, substance use, and persons experiencing homelessness.

Erica, Scott, and Tom Hibbert, who serves as the “Options” liaison for Androscoggin County, also provide outreach at the Pleasant Street Drop-In Center and other places throughout the community.

“It’s important to note that PSY and Options staff are not law enforcement officers,” said Auburn Police Lieutenant Anthony Harrington. “They are substance use, and mental health professionals working alongside law enforcement officers to engage the community and help connect some of our most vulnerable residents with available resources. We are proud of this partnership; it is meaningful to have this added layer of support and services available.”

Project Support You co-responders are also partnering with the Auburn Fire Department.

Erica West

LEWISTON, ME – ENX Magazine announced that Budget Document Technology (BDT) is among the 118 companies chosen as 2024 Elite Dealers. This is the fifth time that BDT has been cited among the nation’s top office technology dealerships.

“We’re honored to once again be recognized as a 2024 ENX Elite Dealer. This distinction highlights the dedication and passion of our entire BDT team—from administrative staff to sales and service support—who work tirelessly to serve our clients and give back to the community” says Tom Ouellette, president and founder of BDT.

All Elite Dealer applicants are judged by several metrics each year, including growth factors, marketing strategies, product/service enhancements, vendor/partner awards and charitable contributions/support. The select dealerships that qualify for the list are celebrated with a profile in the December issue of ENX Magazine.

“Our Elite Dealers roster continues to establish new, higher standards year after year, and 2024 is no exception,” said Susan Neimes, publisher and managing editor of ENX Magazine and ENX The Week In Imaging. “While last year’s growth was considered an outlier due to pent-up market demand, annual revenues continue to soar. From managed services to product diversifications, Elite Dealers continue to redefine themselves as solutions providers rather than being pigeon-holed as mere purveyors of copiers and MFPs. These dealers also continue to step outside their comfort zone in taking on non-traditional products that can be offered across their full client list. These companies are the ideal, the standard-bearer for what it means to be an impactful office technology dealer.”

AUBURN, ME — Join Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services, along with several community partners, Thursday, January 30th from 5-7pm at the Auburn Public Library for a special screening of Sexploitation and an engaging discussion to follow.

Sex trafficking is here. It’s happening in Maine. In this special film, you’ll meet 4 brave Mainers who not only survived their experiences with sex trafficking, but have thrived in the aftermath, choosing to now serve others with similar experiences.