LEWISTON, ME (September 22, 2023)–With much excitement from staff, the Franco Center has announced that Davidson County Line will perform 1950s to ’60s music at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30. Davidson County Line is a three-piece band established in 2015 from Central Maine. They perform a mix of rockabilly, blues, rock, and country music. All members have over 30 years of experience and the mix of music is a “crowd pleaser,” according to Jake Hodgkin, Franco Center production manager. 

The various musical hits they play are by Johnny Cash, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, and many more from the 1950s and ‘60s. Davidson County Line performs on diverse stages including cruise lines, casinos, antique car shows, and county fairs in Maine, Massachusetts, and New York.  

Members of Davidson County Line include Nashville recording artist on guitar and vocals “Eddie” Jones who began playing violin, mandolin, and banjo at age six in Nashville. He started performing at the Grand Ole Opry and Ryman Auditorium from an early age. Jones was one of Nashville’s youngest mandolin players. He soon began playing both guitar and bass and has been performing professionally for more than 40 years with a number of well-known artists.  He worked as a studio session player in Nashville and is considered a “Guitar Slinger.” Jones relocated to Maine in 2010. His natural southern drawl enhances his ability to sing the songs of his second cousin, Johnny Cash. 

Marty Lang on guitar joined the lineup in 2019. His musical career began in 1971 playing guitar for The Country Squires, performing at weddings, and at various venues in Maine. Lang had the honor of performing with Dick Curless at a benefit. In 1979, Lang performed with the Country Troubadours, and the band won the title as the number one country band in Maine. After time spent in the United States Navy, he joined several bands, while attaining his associate degree in music at the University of Maine in Augusta. From there, Lang furthered his studies at the University of Maine at Gorham, studying classical music. Lang has a studio in his home where he produces music. 

“Bub” Lynch on drums joined Jones and Lang in the spring of 2023 and is a welcomed asset to the lineup. Lynch began playing drums in 1970 while attending college at State University of New York, SUNY Potsdam. He relocated to Maine in 1976 and performed with several different groups. Lynch had the amazing opportunity to perform in the warm-up band for the legendary Buddy Guy. Lynch has also performed and won in the Road to Memphis Challenge in 2000 with Blue Steel Express, 2011 with Zac Pomerleau Blues Band, and again in 2018 performing with Matt and the Barnburners. Lynch continues to perform in several bands in the Northeast. 

Music by Davidson County Line can be heard at this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ibY4Wgyxgdw12sGE6 

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door day of show and can be purchased through the Franco Center’s box office in person from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays or call 207-689-2000. Ticket purchases can be made online at www.francocenter.org/shows. 

Doors and cash bar open at 6 p.m. Concert is at 7 p.m. The Franco Center is at 46 Cedar Street, Lewiston. Parking is in the mill lot across the street. Handicap access is on the Lincoln Street Alley side of the building. 

Davidson County Line will perform music from the 1950s to ’60s Sept. 30 at the Franco Center, 46 Cedar St., Lewiston. Tickets can be purchased at 207-689-2000 or www.francocenter.org/shows. The band performs a mix of rockabilly, blues, rock, and country music. Submitted photo. 

LEWISTON, ME (September 21, 2023) — The Lewiston Public Library will host Roxie Zwicker, author of Maine Book of the Dead: Graveyard Legends and Lore, on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, starting at 5 pm in The Jeanne Couture Room on the first floor. This is a free and public program.

Join Maine’s Mystery Maven, Roxie Zwicker for a search of the legends and ghosts of the Pine Tree State. Follow the peaceful dirt roads to long-forgotten ghost stories, you’ll hear superstitions from some of the quaint, small towns and learn of unusual occurrences that still can’t be explained today. Find out some of the best places to explore intriguing graveyards with a spirited past, haunted hollows, and the many mysteries of Maine lighthouses during this virtual journey. Featuring beautiful photography and video clips, these stories come to life, and they may keep you awake at night.

Roxie Zwicker has been hosting haunted tours since 1994 and is the author of 9 books on New England history and folklore, her company New England Curiosities is based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and she is also the hostess of the podcast, Wicked Curious.

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

LEWISTON, ME (September 22, 2023) – In the face of a mounting opioid crisis that continues to claim lives across America, the Lewiston Area Public Health Committee (LAPHC) is proud to announce the third annual Rally for Recovery, occurring on Sat., Sep. 30, from 11 AM to 2 PM at Kennedy Park, 120 Park St. This crucial event serves as a beacon of hope and a valuable resource for individuals and families impacted by substance use.

The opioid crisis continues to devastate families and communities across the nation. Recent statistics reveal that opioid-related deaths in America have reached alarming levels, underscoring the urgent need for awareness, recovery support, and education. In 2022, 716 people died from drug overdoses in Maine alone, according to Maine Attorney General/Maine Behavioral Health overdose statistics. That’s a significant increase from the 631 overdose deaths reported across the state during 2021.

LAPHC continues to be concerned about the number of opioid related deaths throughout the nation, and, as such, has partnered with over 30 agencies that have a heart for recovery. The Sep. 30 free event is for those struggling with addiction, those in recovery for addiction, those who have lost a loved one to addiction, those seeking help for addiction, and those who are providing support for a loved one.

“Again this year, we are hosting Rally for Recovery in hopes that we can maintain traction on the importance of awareness, recovery supports, and education,” said Lewiston City Councilor Stephanie Gelinas, Chair of the Lewiston Area Public Health Committee. “Our goal is to help save lives, and we urge the community to join us on Sep. 30.”

During the event, those sharing their recovery journey will be River Banks, Nicole Lemay, Skye McKennon, Jennifer Scruggs, and Todd Wilson. Jaelyn Williams will share a family experience, and Amran Osman of Generational Noor will focus on changing the narrative regarding substance use, mental health, and resources needed within the immigrant and BIPOC communities, to include removing the shame often associated with a recovery journey. The event will conclude with Catherine Ryder, the Executive Director of Tri-County Mental Health, sharing a mother’s perspective of losing a child to substance use disorder.

Musical performances will be provided by guitarist/soloist Paul Beiaster and Crosstones, a Bates College student acapella group.

Invaluable information and resources from the following organizations will be available during the event:

A Hand’s Up

Ad Care Educational Institute/Maine Council on Problem Gambling

Adult Corrections Program

Alchemize Coach

Androscoggin Healthcare & Hospice Community Care Team

Avalon Counseling Services

Aware Recovery

Better Life Partners

Blue Sky Counseling

Celebrate Recovery

Generational Noor

Groups Recover Together

Healthy Androscoggin

Journey Magazine

Liberty Bay Recovery

Maine Community

Maine General Harm Reduction

Maine Inside Out

Maine Re-entry Network

Naranon

Operation You Matter

Recovery Connections of Maine

Recovery Friendly Workplace LA Steering Committee

Red Cross

Savida Health

Second Chances

St. Mary’s Behavioral Health

St. Mary’s Nutrition Center

Strengthen LA

Tri-County Mental Health

In addition, Narcan will be provided on site, as well as instructional use provided by Megan Parks, Senior Clinician of Behavioral Health at St. Mary’s Healthcare System—both free of charge. The Red Cross will also provide free first aid kits.

Pathway Vineyard Church will provide free bag lunches, and Recovery Connections of Maine will barbeque free hot dogs and hamburgers. Free water donated from Poland Spring and free drinks/treats from Starbucks, Italian Bakery, and an Angel’s Wing will also be available.

“I am so pleased that Rally for Recovery will again provide resources, networking, compassion, and support to those impacted by a loved one’s addiction and to those on or seeking the journey to recovery,” said Mayor Carl L. Sheline.

Lewiston, ME (September 18, 2023) — October is Domestic Violence Action Month, and Safe Voices will be holding a vigil in Lewiston on Monday, Oct. 2 to honor those who have experienced domestic abuse and violence. The vigil is held annually to honor those who have lost their lives to domestic abuse and violence, offer hope to those still facing abuse, and support those who have survived.

The candlelit vigil will start at 6pm and will be held in Dufresne Plaza on Lisbon Street. It will include guest speakers from the community, survivor stories, and a remembrance ceremony. All are invited to attend and show their support. Domestic abuse and violence are community issues, representing danger not just to those who live through abuse but to the community at large. Safe Voices invites friends and neighbors to join together to show that the effort to end abuse must also be a community one.

For more information about this or other Safe Voices events, please contact Safe Voices’ program manager of community engagement Alyssa Coyne at acoyne@safevoices.org or 207-795-6744 ex. 204.

Safe Voices is the domestic abuse and sex trafficking resource center serving Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford Counties. Last year, the agency worked with over 2,000 unique survivors in these counties to help them safety plan, access shelter, work with civil and legal advocates, and work through emergent crises as well as the ongoing, long-term effects of domestic abuse and sex trafficking. The agency has been doing this work in Maine since 1977. Those experiencing or impacted by domestic abuse and needing to reach out should call the agency’s 24-hour helpline at 1-800-559-2927.

LEWISTON, ME (September 15, 2023) – The City of Lewiston is embarking on a holly jolly mission to find the perfect Spruce to serve as the official holiday tree for the City of Lewiston. The City will turn on the Christmas tree’s lights during the City’s Annual Holiday At The Plaza festival on Sat., Dec. 2, at Dufresne Plaza, 72 Lisbon Street, and the tree will remain illuminated until January 2024. 

Public Works will decorate the official tree with 1,200 lights. Every year, Lewiston takes pride in celebrating the magic of the holiday season by lighting up a magnificent Christmas tree in the heart of the city. This iconic tree serves as a beacon of hope and unity, drawing residents and visitors alike to come together in the true spirit of the season.

 The quest for the perfect Christmas tree has become an annual tradition. Residents are encouraged to nominate their own trees or suggest potential candidates that they believe embody the essence of the holiday season. Steve Murch, City Arborist, meticulously selects the tree that best captures the spirit of the holidays. Murch suggests that residents recommend a 30-40 foot Spruce tree known for its short blue-green needles. He also notes that the tree should be easily accessible from the street in order for a truck and equipment to remove it for transport. Interested residents may contact him at smurch@lewistonmaine.gov or via 207-513-3003, x3443. The City of Lewiston will cover the tree delivery live on its Facebook page. 

The lighting of the Christmas tree serves as the centerpiece of the City’s beloved annual holiday traditions in Dufresne Plaza. This year’s Holiday At The Plaza festivities will include: 

Classic Photo with Santa

Outdoor Ice Rink

Children’s Choo Choo Rides

Food Trucks

Live Music with Holiday Carolers and So Much More. 

WINTHROP, ME (September 15, 2023)–The Bailey Library in downtown Winthrop will host award-winning poet and professor Wesley McNair on Wednesday, September 27 at 6:30 p.m.

The talk will focus on McNair’s new book “Late Wonders: New and Selected Poems,” and is part of the annual Lakes Region Forum series sponsored by the Winthrop Public Library Foundation.

McNair has received fellowships from the Rockefeller Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, and United States Artists. Among his other honors are the Robert Frost Prize, the Theodore Roethke Prize, the Jane Kenyon Award for Outstanding Book, the Sarah Josepha Hale Medal for “distinguished contribution to the world of letters,” and five honorary degrees. McNair has served four times on the Pulitzer Poetry jury and was poet laureate of Maine from 2011 to 2016.

Late Wonders is a career-spanning collection of some of McNair’s best-known work from the past four decades, as well as new work.

McNair grew up in New Hampshire and has made his home in Mercer, Maine for many years. He received an undergraduate degree from Keene State College and has earned a Masters in English and American Modern Literature from Middlebury College. He has also studied American art and history at Dartmouth College.

McNair is currently Professor Emeritus and Writer in Residence at the University of Maine at Farmington, where he directed the creative writing program and received the Distinguished Faculty Award and the Libra Professorship.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information call the Bailey Library at 377-8673, or visit: www.baileylibrary.org.

LEWISTON, ME (September 15, 2023)—The Franco Center’s free Books and Stories Series at noon Wednesday, Sept. 27, will feature author David Vermette. He will read from his book, “A Distinct Alien Race: The Untold Story of Franco-Americans: Industrialization, Immigration, Religious Strife,” have books available for purchase and signing, and follow up with questions and answers after the presentation.   

“Our patrons have told us that they are very interested in the authors we have scheduled in the Books and Stories Series,” said Denise Scammon, marketing and development director at the Franco Center. “We are fortunate to have this program funded by the Maine Humanities Council and Maine Arts Commission.”   

On Wednesday, Sept. 27 Vermette will discuss his book’s French Canadian immigrant theme. According to Vermette, in the later-19th century, French-Canadian Roman Catholic immigrants from Quebec were deemed a threat to the United States, potential terrorists in service of the Pope. Books and newspapers floated the conspiracy theory that the immigrants seeking work in New England’s burgeoning textile industry were plotting to annex parts of the United States to a newly independent Quebec.   

Vermette’s groundbreaking study sets this neglected and poignant tale in the broader context of North American history. He traces individuals and families, from the textile barons who created a new industry to the poor farmers and laborers of Quebec who crowded into the mills in the post-Civil War period. Vermette is a writer, researcher, editor, and a speaker on Franco-American history and identity. He is originally from Massachusetts. 

“Attendees at our Sept. 13 Books and Stories program, which featured local Franco-American author Suzanne Roy, stated that the Ku Klux Klan’s negative reflection of Franco Americans and Catholics was not something they remember hearing about,” said Scammon. “David will share information about how the Ku Klux Klan’s local activities stirred up animosity against Franco Americans.” 

Later in the Books and Stories series, local author Paul Dionne will talk about his books on Oct. 4. It is suggested that attendees buy the featured books ahead of the book talk. “The authors in this series have all been suggested by our patrons to be included,” said Scammon. “All the books are of interest to residents and local historians.”  

The Franco Center is at 46 Cedar St., Lewiston. Parking is available in the mill lot. The building is handicap accessible on the Lincoln St. Alley side.  

Author David Vermette will discuss his French Canadian immigrant-themed book at the next free Books and Stories program at noon Wednesday, Sept. 27, at the Franco Center, 46 Cedar St., Lewiston.    

LEWISTON, ME (September 15, 2023) — The Ten MANHATTAN SHORT films hail from seven countries with films from Australia, Afghanistan, Finland, Iran, Switzerland, UK and Canada, alongside three films from the USA. This year’s Final Ten Films represent the best short films from among 850 submissions from 72 countries received by MANHATTAN SHORT for 2023, testimony to the enduring vibrancy and creativity of short films worldwide. This year’s final ten include Sunless (USA), Voice Activated (Australia), Yellow (Afghanistan), Tuulikki (Finland), The Family Circus (USA), Career Day (USA), Snail (Iran), The Record (Switzerland), The Stupid Boy (UK) and Soleil De Nuit (Canada).

What makes this Film Festival so special is the diversity of the short films from around the world, and the fact that the audience determines the winners. Every person watching the festival around the world will get a ballot to determine the Best Film and Best Actor awards, so this is your chance to play film critic!” The festival also has an enviable history of showing films that have gone on to be nominated for Oscars including one that went on to win the Oscar in the Short film category! All Final Ten short films become Oscar qualified, meaning they will be automatically eligible for an Academy Award nomination by screening for a week at the Arena CineLounge in Hollywood in the county of Los Angeles from September 22 to September 28.

The ten short films will be shown at The Public Theatre on Friday, September 29 and 30 at 7:00pm.  For tickets call 782-3200 or visit thepublictheatre.org. The Public Theatre is located at 31 Maple St in Downtown, Lewiston.

BRUNSWICK, ME (September 8, 2023) — UUCB Concerts for a Cause will present Magic 8 Ball in a performance at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, September 30. All proceeds from the concert will benefit two local charities:  Mid Coast New Mainers Group and Oasis Free Clinics.

Magic 8 Ball is a Mid Coast acoustic band who plays Americana and folk music and is known for their outstanding musicianship, soaring three-part harmonies and good-natured humor.

Singer/songwriter and long-time musicians Ben Hunsberger on keyboard, Ted DeMille on guitar, and Chris Dombrowski on mandolin will introduce some new songs from Ben and Ted, a special nod to Gordon Lightfoot, and a slew of our old fan favorites.

Layer fresh melodies with full-bodied undertones.     fold in a little nature and politics. season with humor, angst, and a pinch of sarcasm. serve with plenty of volume.

Take a listen to Magic 8 Ball: End of the Day

Give Magic 8 Ball a shake and you’ll be surprised by their answer!

Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and the program will start at 7:30 pm.

Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, $10 students/children. Tickets are available at the church office, Gulf of Maine Books, or at  https://ticketstripe.com/Magic8BallMaine

AUBURN, ME (September 8, 2023) – The Great Falls Comedy Club announces more live stand-up comedy for September 16th at 7:30 pm.

Make laughter a priority and be part of the fun on Saturday as one of Maine’s most funniest comics, Connor McGrath takes the stage.  McGrath, voted Maine’s Best Comedian award by readers of the Portland Phoenix in 2017 and 2018, is one of the area’s best headliners.  Also appearing, Tim Hofmann, Mike Johnson, and Ian Rice, three prolific and hilarious dudes in the comedy scene.

Tickets can be found at https://www.greatfallscomedyclub.com or purchased at the door.  The Great Falls Comedy Club is located inside Craft Brew Underground at 34 Court Street, Auburn.

For more information contact the club at info@greatfallscomedyclub.com or by phone at 207-200-5366.