PHOTOS: Winslow travel soccer U-13 & U-10

Winslow U-13: Front row, from left to right, Nixon Souviney, Charles Theobald, Noah Solomon, Scott LeClair, Bode Carlson, Jack Flaherty and Luca Churchill. Second row, Evan Barlow, Eliott Stepp, Carter Calvo, Peyton Stewart, Frank Farnham and Caden Giroux. Back, Coach Nick Souviney and Coach Joshua Giroux. Absent from photo, Renton O’Toole and Brody Brockway. (photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography)

Winslow U-10: Front row, from left to right, Clayton Humphrey, Eli Nadeau, Deegan Grenier and Tobey McCabe. Back, Coach Wayne Doughty, Bradley Poulin, Nathan Rossignol, Jack Calvo, Preston Bailey and Coach Jarred Bailey. (photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography)

Winslow town manager to hold coffee and conversation

Town of Winslow Manager Erica LaCroix is hosting a series of events entitled “Coffee with the Manager” to discuss issues and ideas that are important to residents and community members during an exciting time of new business growth, development opportunities, and regional entrepreneurship activities. Providing a forum for feedback and supporting future area planning initiatives, with the backdrop of current and forthcoming historical federal funding opportunities, Winslow is poised to continue its trend of resilience and growth.

Within a casual yet collegial setting, the overarching goal of the series is to evaluate how the Town of Winslow can more effectively support local businesses and community members to enact meaningful municipal change and prepare for current and forthcoming federal funding opportunities. Discussion topics will include but are not limited to: education, workforce development, business development, waterfront planning, infrastructure, and general municipal efforts.

“Hearing their stories and building relationships with the community will provide the Town of Winslow with the opportunity to continue to get to know its residents, learn what the community is passionate about, and breathe life into new and existing strategic projects,” LaCroix explains. “I look forward to having the opportunity to engage thoughtfully with residents to create tangible and positive change.”

Winslow town manager Erica LaCroix (contributed photo)

LaCroix looks to promote intentional engagement with the community and local businesses, producing short- and long-term goals aligned with the needs of the municipality. Giving residents the opportunity to talk about placemaking initiatives and growing the urban core along the waterfront, “Coffee with the Manager” will provide a forum for open discussion and ideation, empowering community members to impart feedback on the issues that matter most.

“Public participation and input lay the groundwork for impactful municipal projects and sustainable economic development initiatives,” states Sabrina Jandreau, development coordinator at Central Maine Growth Council (CMGC). “Winslow’s businesses and residents understand the importance of stimulating local economic growth and cultivating the conditions for positive change, and “Coffee with the Manager” invites residents and interested parties to invest in the future of the town.”

“Coffee with the Manager” kicked off its first gathering on Wednesday, October 20, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., at the Winslow Parks and Recreation Office, located at 114 Benton Avenue in Winslow.

Winslow resident graduates from UMass Lowell

Treva Campbell, of Winslow, is among 4,582 graduates in the University of Massachusetts-Lowell’s class of 2021, Lowell, Massachusetts.

Campbell received a bachelor of arts degree in psychology.

St. Anselm College presents dean’s list

Saint Anselm College, in Manchester, New Hampshire, has released the dean’s list of high academic achievers for the second semester of the 2020-2021 school year. To be eligible for this honor, a student must have achieved a grade point average of 3.4 or better in the semester with at least 12 credits of study which award a letter grade. A total of 573 students representing 24 states received this honor.

Area students include, Katherine E. King, of Sidney, class of 2021, majoring in biology, and Christine M. Quirion, of Winslow, class of 2022, majoring in business.

Local residents named to Simmons University dean’s list

The following local residents were named to the 2021 spring semester dean’s list at Simmons University, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Allyson Cunningham, of Augusta, Kaili Shorey, of Vassalboro, Abigail Bloom, of Waterville, and Maddie Beckwith, of Winslow.

To qualify for dean’s list status, undergraduate students must obtain a grade point average of 3.5 or higher, based on 12 or more credit hours of work in classes using the letter grade system.

New child care center opens in Winslow

Neighborhood Child Care Center in Winslow. (contributed photo)

by Laurie Lizotte

When two hundred thirty one child care centers in Maine closed during the pandemic, we were determined to find alternative care for families in our community. There are currently 210 programs that have reopened for care for children ages birth through age 12. Make that number 211 as a brand-new childcare center has opened in central Maine. The Neighborhood Child Care Center is now open at 20 Garland Road in Winslow. They are currently accepting enrollment for ages 4-12. The expanded hours will include before/after school, early release days and full-day care from 6:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., Monday through Friday. They will also be open for summer care. Please email at theneighborhood.tiffany@gmail.com for more enrollment information.

Over the past 18 months, many communities have been hit hard by the lack of quality child care centers that remained open during the pandemic. When the virus was at its peak, child care centers across the country and the State of Maine were forced, in many instances, to shut their doors, thus creating a void in the child care industry. This void proved to be an insurmountable, drastic upheaval in households where families were forced to either leave their jobs permanently, work from home (not the best situation), and/or collect unemployment. If your employment was in the health care field, you worked tirelessly to ensure that those folks who were ill with the virus received the utmost professional care possible all the while rearranging your schedules to provide a positive child care environment for your young children.

As noted in “Child Care Plan for Maine: September 2021 Updates”:

“Maine recognizes the importance of quality, accessible, affordable child care to support working families. The benefit of quality child care is multifold – it supports working parents to provide for their families while children benefit educationally, socially, and emotionally from a caring, nurturing environment.”

This excerpt was taken from the most recent update from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and serves as a reminder to us all that without quality, engaging, healthy, creative, and sustainable child care, the community would find it difficult to return to work.

They are delighted to be able to provide a child care solution for the hard-working families in our communities.

Winslow Community Cupboard Food Pantry seeks new donations

Hannaford offers one way to lend support

Winslow Community Cupboard food pantry—which now serves more than 225 food-insecure families in Winslow, Waterville, and surrounding towns—is actively seeking new financial donations.

One easy, effective way to lend support is by purchasing a $2.50 reusable “Fight Hunger” Shopping Bag sold at the Hannaford supermarket, located at 190 JFK Plaza, in Waterville. The food pantry will receive $1 for every “Fight Hunger” Shopping Bag purchased at that location in October.

Those unable to purchase the Hannaford “Fight Hunger” Shopping Bag, or who wish to make a direct donation, may do so by mailing a check payable to “Winslow Community Cupboard” to: Winslow Community Cupboard, 12 Lithgow St., Winslow, ME 04901. Credit card or PayPal donations are also greatly appreciated at this link: https://winslowucc.org/winslow-community-cupboard/

“Winslow Community Cupboard” food pantry is a ministry of Winslow Congregational Church, 12 Lithgow Street, Winslow, which has served the local community since 1828.

For more information, please contact Winslow Community Cupboard at WinslowCupboard@Gmail.com.

Blessing of the Animals set for October 2-4

Animal lovers from around Maine are invited to flock to have their animal companions blessed outdoors in celebration of Saint Francis of Assisi’s Feast Day (October 4). All pets are welcome to attend any of the Blessing of the Animals events. As prayers are offered, the pets will be gently sprinkled with holy water.

Saint Francis of Assisi was known for his love of all of God’s creatures. The Blessing of the Animals remembers Francis’ love by invoking God’s blessing on the animals and thanking God for letting us share the earth. Here are the confirmed events in chronological order (new events will be added as scheduled at www.portlanddiocese.org/Blessing-of-Animals-2021):

Monday, October 4

Grotto of St. John the Baptist Church, 26 Monument Street, Winslow, at 6 p.m.

2021-’22 Real Estate Tax Due Dates

Albion

Tax year runs Feb. 1 to January 31
Taxes due September 30, 2021

China

Semi-annual
September 30, 2021
March 31, 2022

Fairfield

Four quarters

August 25, 2021
November 10, 2021
February 9, 2022
May 11, 2022

Palermo

October 31, 2021

Sidney

September 1, 2021

Vassalboro

Four quarters
September 27, 2021
November 22, 2021
February 28, 2022
April 25, 2022

Waterville

Four quarters
October 8, 2021
December 10, 2021
March 11, 2022
June 10, 2022

Windsor

Semi-annual
September 30, 2021
March 31, 2022

Winslow

Four quarters
October 8, 2021
December 10, 2021
March 11, 2022
June 10, 2022

To be included in this section, contact The Town Line at townline@townline.org.

Local residents named to Simmons University dean’s list

The following local residents were named to the 2021 spring semester dean’s list at Simmons University, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Allyson Cunningham, of Augusta, Kaili Shorey, of Vassalboro, Abigail Bloom, of Waterville, and Maddie Beckwith, of Winslow.

To qualify for dean’s list status, undergraduate students must obtain a grade point average of 3.5 or higher, based on 12 or more credit hours of work in classes using the letter grade system.