Winslow church to hold drive-thru turkey pie sale

/0 Comments/in , , /by

It’s one of Winslow’s most beloved holiday traditions! On Saturday, December 5, from noon to 2 p.m., Winslow Congregational Church (12 Lithgow Street) will be offering over 400 incredibly yummy, ready-to-be-baked turkey pies for curbside/drive-through pick-up. Cost is just $10 per pie, with all proceeds going to empower the Christian/humanitarian work of the church, and for building improvements and repairs.

Freshly-prepared for baking and featuring a mouth-watering blend of turkey, peas, celery, carrots, onions, broth, and a pinch of sage, each turkey pie will be perfect for supper or for freezing for later winter comfort-food enjoyment.

Also available will be fun-filled Holiday Pasta Packages for $5 each. Among the numerous offerings will be reindeer-shaped pasta, snowflake-shaped, snowman-shaped, and toy-shaped pasta. And for dessert-lovers with a holiday-season sweet tooth, homemade fruit pies made by members of Benton Falls Congregational Church will also be available for $10 each.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the pandemic, health experts advise that you wear a mask when going through a drive-through.

For more information, please call Winslow Congregational Church at 872-2544.

Popular St. Michael School Christmas Fair goes virtual in 2020

/0 Comments/in , /by

Through December 21, all are encouraged to check gifts off their Christmas shopping list by visiting the St. Michael School Christmas Fair, being presented virtually due to the pandemic, at https://sites.google.com/smsmaine.org/smschristmasfair.

“People can shop from the convenience of their own homes anytime through the week of Christmas and have items shipped directly to their homes,” said Kevin Cullen, principal at St. Michael.

The fair, hosted by the St. Michael School Parent Association, is a fundraiser for the school and features many local vendors and items of interest, including a variety of décor, soy-based candles, health and wellness products, photographs and artwork, lavender products, doll clothes and accessories, nature mandalas from Maine, kitchen tools, pottery, oils, custom made gifts, wooden ornaments, clothing, and much more.

The fair has become one of the most popular in the area at Christmas. Traditionally, it draws a gym full of vendors, pictures with Santa, wreath auctions, food, gift wrapping, raffle baskets, and more.

For more information about this year’s virtual fair, call the school at (207) 623-3491.

The written word in business to be presented at chamber breakfast

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Ted Helberg

Ted Helberg, retired business executive and former English instructor will deliver a presentation sharing the importance of good writing in business communications. This is a facilitated discussion on using effective and accurate word choice, grammar, and organization in business writing.
Ted will interject a little humor, discuss common errors, and offer methods to correct them.

This informative presentation will be the focus at Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce’s December Business Breakfast. December’s breakfast will be held on Thursday, December 3, from 7:15 to 9:00 a.m. at the Best Western Plus, 375 Main Street, Waterville.

Ted Helberg is a recently retired business executive. He worked in Human Resources for almost forty years in several industries. He also served as an adjunct instructor of English at several colleges.

During graduate school, Ted was a teaching assistant in English, tutor for law students, and helped create a national grammar hotline.

Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce holds monthly informative presentations on a variety of educational business topics. Cost of the Business Breakfast is $20 for members, $27 at the door and for non-members. Breakfast is included with the reservation.
To register, e-mail Cindy@midmainechamber.com or call 207-873-3315.

The major sponsors for the Business Breakfasts are: AT&T; Cross Employee Benefits; New Dimensions Federal Credit Union; Nicholson, Michaud & Company; O’Donnell, Lee, McCowan & Phillips, LLC; Sheridan Corporation. The print media sponsor is Morning Sentinel, a division of Masthead Maine; radio sponsor is MIX107.9; video sponsor is Kennebec Savings Bank.

Some items regarding CDC guidelines for attendance: out of concern for the safety of attendees, registrations at this indoor event will be limited to a maximum of 50 persons. Tables and seating will be spaced out, and a plated breakfast will be provided, as opposed to the buffet offered in the past. Masks are requested to be worn for registration, and until seated. Separate entrance and exits are offered to minimize passage of attendees, upon arrival and departure, and hand sanitizer will be provided.

About Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce: Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting and advocating for business prosperity and regional economic improvement.  Its region includes the towns of Albion, Belgrade, Benton, Branch Mills, Burnham, China, Clinton, Fairfield, Hinckley, Oakland, Rome, Shawmut, Sidney, South China, Thorndike, Unity, Vassalboro, Waterville, Weeks Mills and Winslow.  For more information on the Chamber, including how to become a member, call (207) 873-3315 or visit www.midmainechamber.com.

All Things Irish virtual show planned

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Best of All Things Irish in Maine 2020, a live virtual show featuring a delightful mix of all things Irish in Maine, will be held on Sunday, November 22, from 4 – 6 p.m. on YouTube.

Enjoy some of the best Irish talent from across the state of Maine. Music, dance, theater and more. Go to maineirish.com/best to register for the event. Help celebrate Maine’s bicentennial by honoring the Irish culture and history of the state.

VBA sponsors Light Up the Season light contest in Vassalboro

/0 Comments/in , , /by

The Vassalboro Business Association is sponsoring a Light Up The Season in Vassalboro outdoor holiday display contest, for and in Vassalboro.

To enter simply call or text your name and the address of the display site to 631-3303 or email the information to lindatitus@hotmail.com, before December 15. It is free.

Prizes will be awarded in two categories, Best in Town, and Most Creative. The prizes will range from $50 – $150 and the winners will be announced on December 19.

The sites will be judged between December 16 and 18. It is asked to have your lights on from 5:30 – 9 p.m. Only addresses – no names – of the participants will be published online so the community may drive by to appreciate all your hard work.

Pie sale planned in conjunction with awards ceremony

/0 Comments/in , /by

Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District is holding a pie sale and fundraising raffle in conjunction with their first virtual awards celebration on November 10. All are invited to pre-order a pie or purchase raffle tickets for great prizes, whether attending the awards celebration or not.

Raffle tickets are $1.50 each or $6 for five and must be purchased by Sunday, November 8. Local businesses and organizations have donated the following prizes:

ReVision Energy Gift Basket: Gift Basket includes $500 gift certificate toward a solar array from a local, employee-owned full-service solar company with in-house engineers, highly-qualified and experienced solar installers, and a dedicated support team with 24/7 emergency service. Retail value: $550

Hidden Valley Nature Center Overnight: Spring, summer, fall or winter – spend the night at one of HVNC’s wilderness yurts or lakeside cabins complete with woodstove, wood and outhouse. Bring sleeping bags, food and water to enjoy “getting away from it all” so close to home. Retail value: $60 – $80

Mystic Woodworks Cutting Boards: Beautiful and functional, these boards have been locally-made in Warren for 30 years. Mystic Woodworks has closed, so this is your last chance for one of these beauties. Each board is 7″ x 16″, not including the handle. Take your pick of maple/walnut or oak/walnut. Retail value: $62 each

Knox-Lincoln SWCD 2021 Plant Sale Gift Certificate: Choose from more than 200 varieties of fruit trees, berries, native trees & shrubs, and organically grown native perennials. Our 2021 sale will be pre-order only with scheduled curbside pick-up at Union Fairgrounds on May 8, 2021. Catalog and certificate will be mailed in January. Retail value: $50

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens Family Membership: Membership for two adults & children/grandchildren in the same household includes one year admission to CMBG and other botanical gardens, member discounts to events, programs and the Garden Shop, and lots more: Retail value: $100
Sasanoa Brewing Gift Basket: Sasanoa is a rustic, coastal brewery and one of the few certified organic breweries in the US. The beers & ales are made with certified OG fruit, herbs, nuts, NE sourced grains & hops, as well as wild foraged ingredients.

Nine varieties of freshly baked, homemade pie will be available from D-Zerts by Daphne, of Westport Island. Your choice of Apple, Apple-Cran-Raisin, Blueberry, Four-Berry, Peach-Blackberry, Peach-Blueberry, Peach-Raspberry, Pecan and Tollhouse. Pies are $17 each and must be pre-ordered by Tuesday, November 3, for pickup on Monday, November 9, in either Rockport or Edgecomb.

All prices for tickets and pies include tax and processing fees. For more information and to purchase raffle tickets and place pie orders, visit our website at www.knox-lincoln.org/pie-raffle-tickets, call 596-2040 or email julie@knox-lincoln.org.

Free Thanksgiving dinners offered

/0 Comments/in , , /by

The Alfond Youth and Community Center, North St., Waterville, will host a Drive Thru Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday, November 21, from 1 – 3 p.m. in the AYCC parking lot.

The dinner is open to everyone in the community. Simply drive up and tell one of the happy volunteers how many meals you want – then enjoy!

There will be 800 individually-packaged meals handed out.

Feast Fixings to Go will be held on Thursday and Friday, November 19-20. These will be available at the Alfond Youth and Community Center’s after school program youth in Waterville, at the Fairfield Community Center and RSU #18 Williams and Atkins.

Thanks to the generous support of Central Maine Motors, youth will be taking home the ingredients for their respective families to cook a full Thanksgiving dinner, including the frozen turkey!

Drive thru Halloween planned in Palermo

/0 Comments/in , /by

A trunk or treat drive through sights and sounds spectacular will be held at the China Regional Church of the Nazarene, at 898 Rte. 3, in South China, on Saturday, October 31, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Come and safely enjoy a drive through adventure featuring lots of sights, candy, and an early visit from Santa. Candy is being packed with gloves and masks on. This is not a school-sponsored event.

Course offered on active shooter response for businesses

/0 Comments/in , /by

Shawn O’Leary

Shawn O’Leary, retired Winslow chief of police, and executive vice president of Dirigo Safety will deliver a presentation discussing the importance of preparation of your business for an active shooter threat or incident. He will cover requirements under OSHA and important safety training tips to include in emergency action planning.

O’Leary adds: “Active shooter training is one of several proactive steps organizations can take to prepare employees and managers to respond appropriately to an active shooter incident. While the likelihood of an active shooter event is rare, all employees should know how to recognize the signs of potential violence and what their role is during an active shooter situation. Active shooter training strengthens and reinforces an organization’s emergency action plan and can help reduce the risk of an incident occurring.”

This informative presentation will be the focus at Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce’s November Business Breakfast. This month’s breakfast will be held on Thursday, November 12, from 7:15 to 9 a.m. in the Waterville Country Club Banquet Room, at 39 Country Club Road, in Oakland.

Shawn O’Leary’s career has included time with the Brunswick Police Department, where he eventually retired as a patrol lieutenant; the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, and as leader of the Criminal Investigations Division that handles all major criminal cases. O’Leary served as the Chief of Police for the Town of Winslow from 2014 until his retirement from full time law enforcement in July 2020.

Shawn is now the executive vice president of Dirigo Safety, where he oversees daily operations of law enforcement training and executive services and manages all workplace safety components, including training, onsite security assessments, and security consulting.

Shawn holds an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice, a Bachelor’s Degree with honors in Business Management with a minor in Human Resource Management, and is a graduate of the prestigious Senior Executive School of the FBI National Academy.

Some items regarding CDC guidelines for attendance: out of concern for the safety of attendees, registrations at this indoor event will be limited to a maximum of 50 persons. Tables and seating will be spaced out, and a plated breakfast will be provided, as opposed to the buffet offered in the past. Masks are requested to be worn for registration, and until seated. Separate entrance and exits are offered to minimize passage of attendees, upon arrival and departure, and hand sanitizer will be provided.

41st annual China Maine craft show happening virtually

/0 Comments/in , /by
by Jeanne Marquis

Raigen Messier York, organizer

There aren’t many groups of people more resourceful than parents of school-age kids, except maybe crafters. It’s the resourcefulness of parents and crafters that’s making the 41st Annual China Maine Craft Show possible this year. Raigen Messier York and Melissa Clement, both of the China Schools PTO recreated the fair experience online, bringing crafters and consumers, together at ChinaMaineCraftSho.wixsite.com, from October 7 to November 7.

The craft show has been a major fundraiser for the China Schools PTO for over four decades supporting their programs. All the money raised by the craft show fund school events, educational materials and field trips. Local and regional crafters have also come to depend on the annual income from sales at the craft fair so they return year after year. The concern about Covid could have derailed plans for the 41st fair until the leaders the PTO thought out-of-the-box to go all online.

Crafters who participate receive their own page to display images of their handmade products. Purchases will be made directly through the crafter by their preferred method of communication as indicated on their page. Organizers encourage visitors to the site to visit frequently as they expect more crafters to come onboard through the duration of the show.

Crafters in­clude:

Seaglass Creations – Creates wind chimes, mirrors, jewelry and key rings from seaglass collected from the Maine coast.
Cindy’s Quilting Connection – Offers table runners, snowmen, wall hanging, mini-duffles, and pot holders in beautiful fabrics.
Cedar Post Farm – Makes homemade, naturally based body care products including goat milk soap, lotions, scrubs and bath bombs.
Sandy Messier Designs – Sews new life into recycled denim and sweaters by creating ornaments, wreaths, teddy bears, tote bags and pouches.
Kaleidoscope Beadwork – Designs jewelry full of color and whimsy from beadwork and polymer clay.

Raffle baskets are on display on the China Maine Craft Show website. The photos will be updated regularly as new baskets are donated. Raffle basket tickets are $1 or 6 tickets for $5. Raffle tickets will be on sale through November 7, 2 p.m. To purchase tickets, contact BasketsPTO@gmail.com. The drawing date is November 7, 2020, at 4 p.m., on Facebook Live, from the China Maine Craft Show page.

Melissa Clement, who has run the Basket Raffle for the past three years, explained, “I have two daughters, a seventh grader and a kindergartner. I am thankful for the chance to give back to the school community; increase involvement between the parents, students and staff; and have fun doing it.”