AUBURN, ME – For over a decade, Norway Savings Bank has been proud to partner with the Maine Gladiators, support that extends to the ice as NSB will serve as the 2025-26 jersey sponsor for all the teams in the program through a donation of $3,750.

“We’re so pleased that our players will wear the NSB logo in competition and that the bank values our commitment to contributing to the development of our youth through the game of hockey,” said Heather Melanson, Fundraiser Coordinator for the Maine Gladiators, which is a non-profit organization. “The Gladiators have thrived for over 60 years with a focus on creating and nurturing a love of the game in boys and girls and an appreciation for sportsmanship and teamwork.”

Based at Norway Savings Bank Arena in Auburn, the Gladiators’ programs range from introductory hockey instruction for four-year-old children in the Learn to Play Program to an 18-and-under team with programming for all ages and skill levels in between.

“USA Hockey has recognized the Maine Gladiators for utilizing the latest Age Development Model in growing its young players from preschool to college aged,” said Marc Gosselin, Executive Director of Community Partnerships and Sports Tourism for the City of Auburn. “Volunteer coaches and paid consultants oversee player development, and they’ve been commended for building a love for hockey by using age-appropriate approaches and standards.”

The parents of the young athletes couldn’t be happier with the Gladiator experience.

“The coaches are dedicated, and the team is comprised of some of the nicest boys, girls, and parents,” said one parent.

“It’s a great program with great support. It’s everything we were looking for in travel hockey,” said another. “A long tradition of success and a lot of fun.”

In addition to imparting important life lessons off the ice, the Gladiators teams have also done plenty of winning on it, regularly excelling in state, regional, and national tournaments.

“The Gladiators have developed players that go on to star in Maine high school hockey and beyond, but far more importantly, they’re developing young people who value camaraderie, being a good teammate, and playing the game the right way. These are things we are happy to cheer on,” said Dan Walsh, President and CEO of Norway Savings Bank.

To learn more about the Maine Gladiators, including the many ways in which you can become involved, visit www.mainegladiators.com.

BRIDGTON, ME – This month, Bridgton Hospital will offer a series of outpatient self-management classes to inform and empower those with diabetes to live well and effectively manage the disease.

The cost of these classes is covered by most insurance plans, including MaineCare and Medicare.

Class dates:

Sept. 23, 1-3 p.m.

Sept. 25, 1-3 p.m.

Sept. 30, 1-3 p.m.

The classes will take place at Bridgton Hospital in the main hospital boardroom.

The classes include:

An overview of diabetes

Exercise and diabetes

Medications

Goal setting and problem solving

Nutrition management

Participants must:

Pre-register

Be able to attend all three classes

Receive a referral from their primary care provider

Participate in a one-on-one dietary consultation

To make an appointment or sign up, please call (207)647-6064.

AUBURN, ME – Each September, Americans search for ways to commemorate the events of Sept. 11 with reverence and service. In that spirit, the American Red Cross and the Auburn Fire Department are coming together for a 9/11 Memorial Blood Drive.

The community blood drive will take place on Thursday, September 11, 2025, from 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. at the Auburn Fire Department (550 Minot Avenue, Auburn). To schedule an appointment, visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter sponsor code MERemember911 or call 1-800-RED CROSS.

As we transition to fall, the Red Cross urges people to give blood or platelets to help keep the blood supply strong and support patients the moment they need medical care. Types O-positive and B-negative blood are especially needed now. 

Donating blood is one of the simplest things a person can do to help save a patient’s life. Honor the heroes of 9/11 while being a hero for patients in need. In Maine, the Red Cross needs to collect more than 130 donations every day to meet patient demand. We invite you to join our local first responders next Thursday in the bays of the Auburn Fire Department. Together we can save more lives.

People coming together to care for one another is the humanitarian spirit shared by our Red Cross community and fans of PEANUTS for the past 75 years. Those who come to give by Sept. 21 will receive an exclusive Red Cross x PEANUTS mystery bag with one of four special T-shirt designs, while supplies last. Thousands of golden tickets are also randomly hidden in mystery bags throughout the country. Donors who find a golden ticket when they open their bag can redeem it through an online form for all four T-shirts! Visit RedCrossBlood.org/Peanuts for details.

How to donate blood

Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.

LEWISTON, ME – The Woman’s Hospital Association (WHA) Rotating Art Gallery at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston is proud to display the photographs of Michael Casey and Gene Hamm during the month of September.

Casey graduated from USM in 1982 and has spent many years enjoying the experience of photographing the world around him. In his photographs he attempts to align shape, light and form into something that is pleasing or intriguing to the viewer. His theme for this exhibit is color. ‘There is so much color in fall from yellow leaves to red barns. At the same time, you don’t have to wait until fall as a lazy summer river scene will do’.

Hamm developed an interest in photography thirty-five years ago. After retiring from the Navy, he has spent the last twenty years traveling and photographing throughout the United States and Canada, spending time in every state but Hawaii.

As a member of the Photographic Society of America (PSA), he has successfully competed in photo salons in the United States and Internationally. He has obtained a PSA Five (5) Star Rating in the Nature Provisions. Memberships in various camera clubs has kept him motivated.

The works on display may be purchased through the WHA Gift Shop located adjacent to the main lobby at Central Maine Medical Center. A percentage of sale proceeds benefits patients of CMMC.

“Bristlecone Pine #93” by Gene Hamm

AUBURN, ME – The Auburn Community Concert Band has announced that rehearsals for their Fall season will begin on Wednesday, September 10th. This is an ideal opportunity for former high school and college band musicians to again experience the enjoyment of making music and performing in front of large audiences. Currently, the Auburn band has a need for additional brass players, particularly tuba players.

New members must be able to read music, and have their own instruments. Band membership requires a commitment to the group’s weekly schedule of Wednesday evening rehearsals. Rehearsals take place every Wednesday from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the High Street Congregational Church, located between High and Pleasant Streets, in Auburn.

For the next couple of months, the band will be preparing for its annual holiday concert, which will take place on Wednesday, December 17th at the new Donald M. Gay Performing Arts Center located at Edward Little High School in Auburn.

Currently, the ACCB has 49 members, ranging in age from late-teens to early eighties. These members collectively represent a total of 15 central and western Maine towns. Before joining this organization, many of the group’s volunteer musicians had last played in a school or community band some 10 to 20 years ago, according to band director Milt Simon. “New members are often nervous when they first join, because of the lapse of time since they last practiced,” said Simon. He added that “most people regain their playing skills relatively quickly.”

New members should email their intentions to Director Simon at auburncommunityband@gmail.com prior to attending their first rehearsal. Prospective members, who are unable to participate in any of the September rehearsals, will have a second opportunity to join the band during the group’s next “Open Membership Month”, happening in January.

The concert band is currently celebrating its 44th season. The organization was established by Simon back in 1981. Additional information regarding membership can be found on the band’s website at www.auburncommunityband.com.

AUBURN, ME – Have some belongings that you no longer need and want to get rid of? The Community Little Theatre (CLT) will be accepting donated items this Saturday, September 6 for its first-ever “Really Big Yard Sale” to be held on Saturday, September 13. Donate them to our yard sale and we’ll get them off your hands all in the name of fundraising for the theatre!

CLT volunteers will gladly accept items such as wall art, vintage or antique pieces, small furniture, books and records, home décor items, dishes, glassware, small appliances, toys, and games.

The following items cannot be accepted: upholstered furniture, large appliances, medical equipment, clothing, stuffed animals, TVs, tires, mattresses, pillows, or bedding.

Drop-off will be held Saturday from 11:00 a.m.  to 1:00 p.m. at the theater located at 30 Academy Street in Auburn.

Anyone unable to drop off their items on Saturday are asked to contact CLT at President@laclt.com to schedule another time. The yard sale will be held at CLT on Saturday, September 13, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

MAINE – Seven new Medical Assistants have joined the care team at St. Mary’s after completing the organization’s most recent earn-while-you-learn training program in partnership with Gray–New Gloucester Adult Education.

The program allows participants to gain hands-on experience while completing coursework, preparing them for a career in healthcare without the need to step away from the workforce. Graduates work alongside experienced professionals, building the skills and knowledge needed to provide direct patient care.

Now certified, these new Medical Assistants will serve in various areas across St. Mary’s, supporting patients and clinical teams. The program is one of several workforce development efforts aimed at meeting staffing needs while creating local opportunities for healthcare careers.

LEWISTON, ME – Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) is proud to announce a historic milestone: the graduation of its first surgical technology students. 

Achsah Davis and Suzanne Keene recently completed an intensive program, combining academic coursework, clinical experience and professional development. A significant part of this “earn to learn” program involves rigorous training and hands-on practice in the operating room. These graduates are now fully prepared to enter the workforce as nationally certified surgical technologists.

This initiative, developed in partnership with regional educational providers, was designed to address the growing demand for skilled surgical support staff in Maine. The program not only strengthens the local healthcare workforce but also creates career opportunities for aspiring medical professionals in our community. These graduates will now transition into full-time roles within the surgical teams at Central Maine Healthcare’s three hospitals, contributing directly to high-quality patient care.

“These students are not only excelling academically, but they are also making a real difference at CMMC,” said Faith McNeice, surgical technologist educator for Central Maine Healthcare. “We hope to inspire more students, families and employers to support and engage in healthcare training initiatives like this one.”

Two more students are expected to graduate from the program in late fall.

Suzanne Keene, Tim Counihan, MD, chief of Surgery, Central Maine Healthcare, Achsah Davis, Faith McNeice

AUBURN, ME – The First Universalist Church of Auburn, will hold its  annual Water Communion ceremony on Sunday, September 7 @10am. The Rev. DC Fortune, who began leading worship at Auburn UU on August 10, will preside over this annual event.

During this traditional UU service, participants gather in Auburn UU’s historic sanctuary and share small vials of water to symbolize their travels- geographic, spiritual, or both. The water is purified and used for a communal blessing. Afterward, refreshments will be offered at Coffee Hour.

“We are excited to start this new chapter with Rev. Fortune” says Angela Foss, president of the Auburn UU Board of Directors. “He will ‘be present’ in the life of the congregation and also in the larger community,” Foss notes, “to craft meaningful worship, support staff and programming like Music and Religious Exploration, and serve as a clear voice for Unitarian Universalism in the Lewiston-Auburn region.”

Foss notes, “Rev. Fortune brings experience and skills that reflect and support the essential elements of our mission: ‘Rooted in the sacred, strengthened by our diversity, we equip ourselves to minister through the transformative power of love.’”

Maine Roots

Rev. Fortune grew up in Windsor, Maine. A graduate of Erskine Academy, he attended the University of Maine at Farmington, where he founded one of the earliest gay/straight alliances for students at UMF.

Fortune first found Unitarian Universalism in the early 1990s at the UU Church in Waterville, and has also attended congregations in Portland, Ellsworth, and Belfast, where he was ordained in 2015. Rev. Fortune trained for ministry at Bangor Theological Seminary and Andover Newton Theological School in Boston, where he graduated in 2014. He served an internship in Fremont, California and has served congregations in suburban Saint Louis, southern New Jersey and central Pennsylvania.

Serving the Unitarian Universalist denomination at the national level, Rev. Fortune is a member of the Ministerial Fellowship Committee and the General Assembly Planning Committee.

Rev. Fortune has been active in progressive and queer politics since the 1980s and is passionate about social justice work. Before becoming a minister, he worked as a newspaper reporter, a radio disc jockey, a bus driver, and a variety of jobs in construction. For fun, he enjoys forging knives and swords, as well as trout fishing in brooks and streams.

To learn more about Rev. Fortune and Auburn UU visit www.auburnuu.org or call 207-783-0461. Sunday worship is held in person at 10 a.m. at 169 Pleasant Street (across from Dairy Joy), as well as over Zoom. Parking; accessible.

Rev. DC Fortune will lead Auburn UU’s ingathering on Sept. 7.

LEWISTON, ME – Lewiston City Administrator Bryan Kaenrath outlined today how the city will begin its search for a new police chief, a process that will include a broad search, community participation and guidance from a community advisory committee.

“We are committed to transparency in fulfilling this very important position,” Kaenrath said. “As a part of that commitment, we are adding a public input session to this very important conversation.” Kaenrath noted that community input plays an important role in shaping the qualities and priorities sought in the next top law enforcement official for the City of Lewiston.

Residents were invited to a community input session hosted by City Administrator Kaenrath on Tue., Aug. 26.

Another key component to the search will be the driven by a five-member Advisory Search Committee. Representing the Advisory Search Committee will be the City Administrator; a representative of Lewiston Public Schools; a representative with a law enforcement background; and two community members reflective of the city’s diverse population. The committee will be tasked with helping to review applications and provide feedback throughout the process.

“As we look ahead, we intend to cast a wide net — across the country, throughout the State and here in Lewiston — to find a leader who will bring integrity, compassion, and sound judgment to the role,” said Kaenrath. “One who can further strengthen the trust between the department and the community.”

The decision to name the new Lewiston Police Chief comes at a time when Chief Dave St. Pierre announced his retirement after serving 33 years in the department. “Chief St. Pierre served with great distinction,” said Kaenrath. “As Chief St. Pierre concludes his tenure, we are committed to selecting a Chief who can continue advancing the department’s work and continue strengthening its role in serving Lewiston.”

Under Lewiston’s City Charter, the city administrator appoints the police chief.