EVENTS: 26th annual Maine International Film Festival opens submissions

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The Maine Film Center has opened submissions for the 26th annual Maine International Film Festival (MIFF). The Festival, scheduled for July 7-16, 2023, will be hosted at the Paul J. Schupf Arts Center, which will be the new home for the Maine Film Center, in downtown Waterville.

For the second year, MIFF will offer Tourmaline Prizes, named for Maine’s state gem, which are juried awards recognizing the best Maine-made films of the festival. On the closing night of MIFF, a $5,000 prize will be awarded to the best feature film, and a $2,500 prize will be awarded to the best short film. Filmmakers interested in submitting work should specify that their film was made in Maine in their submission forms. (Films that tell stories about Maine but were not at all produced in Maine are not eligible for the prize).
Films meeting these qualifications may be submitted for 50 percent off normal submission fees. To receive a discount code, email miff@mainefilmcenter.org. Please allow up to three business days for a response, particularly when approaching a submission deadline.

This year’s submission deadlines are:

Earlybird Deadline: January 3, 2023

Regular Deadline: February 18, 2023

Late Deadline: March 18, 2023

Extended Deadline: April 4, 2023

For more information visit MaineFilmCenter.org.

EVENTS: 2nd Annual Veteran Christmas Stockings

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On Memorial Day, members of American Legion Post #126, in Vassalboro, went to each veteran monument and bridge on Oak Grove Road, placed a wreath and played taps. Pictured, from left to right, James Kilbride, Kevin Labrie, Robert Whitehouse and Donald Breton. (photo courtesy of Rachel Kilbride)

Members of Vassalboro American Legion Post #126 plan to donate 200 Christmas stockings to veterans at Togus, in Augusta. Sew for a Cause made and donated 200 Christmas stockings for this project. The stockings will be filled with personal care products and snacks. Anyone wishing to donate personal care items, snacks or monetary gifts can contact James Kilbride, adjutant for American Legion Post #126, at 616-3148.

EVENTS: AYCC to host Cornhole Cornucopia benefitting the Unified Champions Club

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Alfond Youth & Community Center will host a fundraiser for The Unified Champions Club on Friday, October 14, at Purnell-Wrigley Field, in Waterville. Unified Champions Club serves adults with disabilities by providing them with sporting and recreational activities, events, and clubs in a fully inclusive community-based format. This will be Unified’s third-annual cornhole tournament fundraiser.

The tournament is sponsored by The Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation and The Sukeforth Family Foundation. The round-robin style tournament, run by Wicked Cornhole, guarantees each team at least four games in either a competitive or social bracket. There will be cash prizes and raffles, as well as the Proper Pig food truck.

Many additional sponsors from last year are also returning this year, including Central Maine Motors Auto Group, MaineGeneral Health, One River CPAs, and the Waterville and Fairfield Masons.

“After high school, there aren’t many sporting or recreational opportunities for individuals with disabilities,” said Unified Champions Club coordinator Alex Carey. “Through the generous support of our sponsors and community members at events like the Cornhole Cornucopia, we are able provide inclusive and engaging opportunities for everyone.”

To register a team for the fundraiser, please visit the Alfond Youth & Community Center website. Tournament information and registration will be found under the special events tab. Unified Cornhole Cornucopia Tournament alfond-youth-center.

EVENTS: Blessing of the Animals events scheduled

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St. Augustine Church/St. Michael School, in Augusta (photo by Eric Austin)

In celebration of the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, known for his love of all of God’s creatures, over 20 churches around Maine will hold Blessing of the Animals prayer services. Animal lovers are invited to bring their pets to have them blessed and gently sprinkled with holy water. The services are a way of thanking God for the pets that bring joy to so many. People of all faiths are welcome! Here are the Blessing of the Animals ceremonies listed by date and location:

Sunday, October 2

Augusta
St. Michael School (parking lot)
56 Sewall Street
1 p.m.

Winslow
St. John the Baptist Grotto
26 Monument Street
1 p.m.

EVENTS: Vassalboro community supper returns to the grange

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Holly Weidner, far right, demonstrates how to make DIY cleaning products at the Vassalboro Grange, in June 2022. (contributed photo)

by Gillian Lalime

For many years grangers in Vassalboro celebrated fall’s bounty with a harvest supper featuring food items such as a pig roast, international foods, homemade bread, and seasonal pies. Since the start of 2020 in-person programming has been limited and in some cases, completely ceased. This October the East Vassalboro grange once again opens its doors and will host a Fall harvest supper. The menu will use all locally sourced ingredients, from wheat and apples to dairy, vegetables and meat all grown or raised on nearby farms.

 This year’s supper is especially important since the Grange is in great need of replenishing their funds. Unable to run programming for two years, the financial reserves which go to maintaining building costs such as insurance, electricity, and water are at an all-time low. The Harvest Dinner is organized by a core group of grange members who will be harvesting, gleaning, processing, cooking, and baking foods for the next month.  The Vassalboro grange is using the event to re-ignite a programming based in agriculture, rural-living, and self-sufficiency, which goes along with their mission and values for fostering a vibrant rural community and economy in central Maine.

Historically the grange was a hub for multi-generational gathering and agricultural education in addition to a community center offering dances, workshops, and events like plays and local meals. Back in June there was a Strawberry Social with a talk given by longtime grange member Holly Weidner on how to make “zero waste” or plastic-free cleaning products such as laundry soap, dish detergent, and personal care body products. Attendees snacked on homemade biscuits topped with strawberries from Full Fork Farm and whipped cream from Two Loons Farm (both in China) while Holly demonstrated alternatives to purchasing soaps that normally come in plastic containers. Recipes for folks to do the same at home were handed out at the end.

Continuing in the spirit of knowledge sharing and hands-on community gathering, leading up to the Harvest Supper will be a day of making applesauce and sauerkraut made with fruit from Lemuix’s Orchard in Vassalboro and cabbages gleaned from local gardens and farms like Mistybrook in Albion.  There will be an afternoon of cider-pressing on the front lawn and a Saturday of folding savory dumplings.  All food prepped in these sessions will be served during the dinner on October 22nd, an occasion that celebrates the bounty we are surrounded by this time of year. Events are open to all ages and abilities!

For anyone interested in participating please see the Grange’s October Event Calendar below. All take place at the East Vassalboro Grange Hall: 357 Main Street E. Vassalboro, ME 04935. Anyone wanting to learn more about the grange, crush their apples into cider, and meet new neighbors are encouraged to come!

Sunday, October 2: 5 pm: Philosopher’s Table. Discussion topic: Land Ethic and the expansion of an ethical community to include parts of the ecosystem.

Thursday, October 6th: 2-6 pm: Sauerkraut & applesauce making. Please bring your own sharp knife, cutting board, and a large mixing bowl if you have these items!

Saturday, October 8th: 9 am – 5 pm: Dumpling making day. We especially need hands for this day, even if you can only come for a few hours.

Sunday, October 16: 2 pm: Grange monthly community event –– Cider pressing! Bring your apples and containers to fill with cider.

Saturday, October 22: 6 pm:  Harvest Dinner is served! Tickets are $20/person. Pre-ordering is required.

Saturday, October 29: 6:30-10 pm: Fifth Saturday Contra Dance with a potluck and pumpkin carving.

EVENTS: Senior dinner rescheduled to Sept. 26

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Palermo Christian Church (photo from the church’s Facebook page)

The Palermo Christian Church’s Senior Community Dinner has been rescheduled to Monday, September 26, at noon.

EVENTS: Bingo in Madison

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American Legion Bingo is an every Sunday event at the American Legion Hall, 20 S. Maple Street, Madison. Doors open at noon; Games start at 2 p.m. Kitchen is open with refreshments FMI: Call Gina at 696-4946.

EVENTS: Work Health – Waterville to hold open house Sept. 15

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Work Health-Waterville, occupational health, will hold an open house on Thursday, September 15, 2022, from 3 – 5 p.m. at their location at 246 Kennedy Memorial Drive, Suite 202, in Waterville.

Their most frequently requested occupational health services include testing services in audiometry, breath alcohol, urine drug collection and pulmonary function test; respirator fit testing, immigration physicals, return to work evaluations, fitness for duty evaluations, on-site ergonomic evaluations, on-site medical/nursing services, assessment and treatment of work-related injuries and illnesses, physical exams (including DOT, pre-employment and specialty, and independent medical exams.

They can also customize programs to meet your needs.

The public is invited.

For more information: workhealthllc.org, 1-844-975-4584.

EVENTS: KVCOG to hold hazardous waste collection day

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The Kennebec Valley Council of Governments (KVCOG) will be offering Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days for the following locations:

On Saturday, October 1, from 9 a.m. – noon, the towns of Skowhegan, Canaan and Madison will be collecting at the Skowhegan Transfer Station. All residents have to sign up by calling their individual town office.

On Saturday, October 1, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., the towns of Pittsfield and Palmyra will be collecting at the Pittsfield Transfer Station. All residents have to sign up by calling their individual town office.

On Saturday, October 15, from 8 a.m. – noon, the communities of Winslow, Waterville, Belgrade and Oakland and will be collecting at the Winslow Transfer Station. All residents have to sign up by calling their individual municipal office.

According to Jessie L. Cyr, Community and Economic Development Specialist with Kennebec Valley Council of Governments, “we are all municipalities and nonprofit but these events directly benefit the people within our county and we feel it is a necessity to find the funding to hold these collection events.”

He continued, saying that many chemicals commonly used around the home are hazardous – either alone or when combined with other chemicals, and need to be disposed of by professionals trained to handle hazardous materials. Improper disposal of these materials can disrupt the function of sewage treatment plants or private septic systems, contaminate ground water, and harm animals and residents. Difficult to recycle -or dispose of- items can also become harmful if left unmonitored, items like electronic waste, paint, old fuels, mercury thermostats, etc. We also have local law enforcement officials on hand that day that will be collecting and properly disposing of any pharmaceuticals that residents want to bring in.

EVENTS: Spectrum Generations to hold chef’s challenge

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Spectrum Generations will host the 10th annual Celebrity Chef Challenge fundraiser on Monday, September 19, at the Augusta Elks, 397 Civic Center Dr., in Augusta, at 5 p.m. The event will feature three local chefs who will prepare signature dishes based on the Meals on Wheels guidelines and standards. This year’s featured chefs include Ben Ramsdell, Culinary Coordinator & Chef Educator from MaineGeneral’s Peter Alfond Prevention & Healthy Living Center, in Augusta, Shaun Killeen, head chef from The White Duck Brew Pub, in Winthrop, and Edward McGregor, head chef from The Front Room, in Portland.

Their signature dishes will be enjoyed and voted on by attendees and reviewed by a panel of judges, including Heidi Parent, previous contestant on Hell’s Kitchen, and Monica Castellanos, owner of Maine Local Market, in Hallowell.

The three courses prepared by the chefs will be served to attendees by local celebrities, including Matt and Lizzy from the morning show on 92 Moose. The event will be emceed by Connor Clement, talented TV host (MaineLife Media) and sports reporter (ESPN). The winning dish will be incorporated into Spectrum Generations’ Meals on Wheels program.

Attending guests will also enjoy a reception with appetizers and entertainment will be provided by The Pam Tyler Trio. Lori Dumont, from The Parsonage House, in Vassalboro, will be providing two of her most famous desserts. Cash bar and silent auction will also be available throughout the evening. Tickets are $75 and are required for this fundraising event. All proceeds will support the programs and services of Spectrum Generations including Meals on Wheels, which utilizes staff and volunteers to prepare and deliver approximately 5,500 meals each week to 1,100 homebound older adults and adults with disabilities in communities throughout Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Somerset, and Waldo counties, and the towns of Brunswick and Harpswell, in Cumberland County.

To purchase tickets, visit spectrumgenerations.org/events/celebrity-chef. For more information about Spectrum Generations’ Meals on Wheels program, visit spectrumgenerations.org/nutrition-services/meals-wheels.