Community Center exposes “Dark Money”

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Dark Money, a political thriller, examines one of the greatest present threats to American democracy: the influence of untraceable corporate money on our elections and elected officials.

The film takes viewers to Montana, a front line in the fight to preserve fair elections nationwide – to follow an intrepid local journalist working to expose the real-life impacts of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. Through this gripping story, Dark Money uncovers the shocking and vital truth of how American elections are bought and sold.

This film will be shown following a potluck dinner on Friday, August 26, at the Palermo Community Center, Turner Ridge Road, at Veterans Way, across from the ball field. You’ll see the electric sign. Please bring a dish to share at 6 p.m. The downstairs screening room is nice and cool! It’s free and all are welcome! Call Connie at 993-2294 for info and directions.

Sheepscot Lake Association’s first boat parade

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The Miller family from Bald Head Island, Eric, Anna, Kyndra and Jenny participated in the Sheepscot Lake Association’s first boat parade on July 4. There was a great turnout as 18 boats took part, all decorated in red, white and blue. (contributed photo)

It’s Time to Order Peaches!

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Luscious, just-picked peaches will be coming to the Palermo Community Center on August 2, 9, and 16! They will arrive on these three Fridays slightly firm for shipping, but will ripen quickly, so if you plan to process them and need several boxes, you can order them for any or all of the three dates. The boxes are still 38 lbs. for $37 or a half box for $23. They will be overnighted in from New Jersey, as they have been for the last 20 years.

These are large, freestone peaches that peel, freeze, dry, and can easily – and make a celestial jam. However, they are so delicious that they may not make it past your family’s appetites for out-of-hand eating. To order, please call Connie at 993-2294 or e-mail pwhitehawk@fairpoint.net.

Checks should be made payable to LCF and sent to P.O. Box 151, Palermo, ME 04354, preferably at the time the order is placed. Proceeds benefit the ongoing programs of the Palermo Community Center, which include the Palermo Food Pantry, the Evolving Communities Film Series, the Palermo Community Garden, and more. You will be called when the peaches are offloaded and sorted, so please include your phone number in your message. Thank you very much for your support!

Palermo Community Center to show Inhabit

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Palermo Community Center (Photo by Connie Bellet)

Permanent agriculture, known as “permaculture,” is an ecological design process that shifts human impact on our planet from destructive to regenerative. Inhabit has been called “the best film ever made about permaculture.” It is about solutions to long-standing agricultural and ecological issues facing us today, and the film focuses on examples from the Northeastern and Midwestern regions of America, so it is highly relevant to land use practices right here. For anyone interested in gardening, gentle integration of plants that help one another, and water conservation, this is a must-see!

All are welcome to the Palermo Community Center on June 28 for a free potluck meal at 6 p.m. Please bring a summer dish to share with friendly neighbors and enjoy the show in the cool downstairs screening room. The Community Center is just off Turner Ridge Rd. across from the ball field at the top of the hill. Look for the electric sign by the driveway. For other info, please contact Connie at 993-2294.

Palliative Players Present “End Game”

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Palermo Community Center (Photo by Connie Bellet)

Celebrate the Circle of Life during Earth Week as the Palliative Players present an improvisational theater piece entitled End Game at the Palermo Community Center on Friday, April 26. This will take place following the usual delicious potluck dinner at 6 p.m. Bring your favorite springtime dish to share with a circle of friends and neighbors. Everybody is welcome to come, and it’s free!

The Hospice Volunteers of Waldo County have devised a fun – and often funny – way to help people have conversations with their families about end of life options such as Advance Directives. While this subject matter is usually avoided until it’s too late, the Palliative Players gently encourage people to open up about their final wishes, which solves many a family crisis before it begins. In other words, enjoy the drama now before there’s drama at the family gathering.

The Palermo Community Center is across from the ball field on Turner Ridge Rd.

Order Vidalias before the deadline

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By ryan griffis – originally posted to Flickr as Vidalia Onions, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link

The deadline for ordering fresh Vidalia onions is April 25. They will arrive in Palermo the evening of May 16, at the Palermo Community Center on Turner Ridge Rd. Volunteers will call you as soon as the onions are unloaded from the truck, and will give you directions if you need them. They will be available for pick up Thursday evening through Saturday.

To order these juicy spring beauties, please call Connie at 993-2294 or e-mail pwhitehawk@fairpoint.net. Be sure and give us your phone number, so we may confirm the order and let you know when the onions are available. To pre-pay, please send your check or money order for $27.00 for a 25 lb. box to: LCF, P.O. Box 151, Palermo, ME 04354. Orders for four or more boxes will be discounted by $2 a box. These are the onions every good cook wants in the kitchen! Recipes come with every box! With care, these onions keep for up to six months – or more. Half boxes are also available for $16, for those who don’t use a lot of onions.

The Palermo Community Center is run by all-volunteer staff. It sponsors the Palermo Community Garden and the monthly Evolving Communities Film Series (Potluck Dinner-and-a-Movie). It is home to the Great ThunderChicken Teaching Drum (Cultural Outreach Program), and hosts the weekly Palermo Food Pantry. The building is disability-accessible and the nonprofit organization is non-discriminatory. Proceeds from onion sales will go toward maintenance and program underwriting. Your support is greatly appreciated–Thank you!

Seigars fundraiser a great success

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The Seigars family, from left to right, Achiva, Tasha, Joe, Bella, Heather and Shawn. (Contributed photo)

The Seigars family, of Palermo, expresses its thanks to the community for supporting them in their efforts to raise funds for Jacob Seigars, a 14-year-old student at Erskine Academy, in South China. Jacob is fighting his second round battle with acute myeloid leukemia, which was first diagnosed in January 2018. Following his recovery from a bone marrow transplant in July 2018, the disease reappeared in January 2019. The spaghetti supper fundraiser was held on February 2.

Contributed photo

Spring is here; Vidalia Onions are on sale!

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By ryan griffis – originally posted to Flickr as Vidalia Onions, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link

The spring peepers aren’t out yet, but Vidalia onions are ripening in the Georgia sunshine. Celebrate the end of winter by ordering sweet, juicy Vidalia onions from the Living Communities Foundation. The foundation supports the Palermo Community Center, which, in turn, hosts the Palermo Food Pantry. Proceeds from onion sales go to support the Community Foundation and repair the roof of the Community Center. As a bonus, fresh, mild Vidalia onions make their way to Maine to be roasted, caramelized, sauteed, and put into everything from sandwiches to gourmet soups and quiches. These are larger than “grocery store” onions, and they will keep for over six months.

A 25 lb. box of these beauties costs only $27. Or, go in with friends and relatives and get four boxes for $100. To order, e-mail Connie at pwhitehawk@fairpoint.net or call her at 993-2294 and leave your phone number for confirmation. The onions are due to arrive just before Mothers Day, on Friday, May 10. Pick them up at the Palermo Community Center on Turner Ridge, across from the ball field from about 5 p.m. on May 10 through 5 p.m. on May 11. You will be called when the onions come in. Please pay at the time of placing your order. Checks may be made out to LCF and sent to P.O. Box 151, Palermo, ME 04354. Your support is greatly appreciated, and will enhance the many services the Community Center provides.

Local students inducted into NHS at “Virtual” High School

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Maine Connections Academy (MCA), the state’s first distance-learning charter school, announces 14 students who have been newly inducted into the school’s chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS). Locally, that list includes Lindsey Childs, an 11th grader from Palermo, and Madison Blodgett, a 10th grader from Norridgewock.

To be considered for NHS membership, students submitted a formal application and narrative, outlining their qualifications. Lindsey and Madison and the other MCA students were selected based on high academic standing, as well as demonstrated excellence in the areas of service, leadership and quality of character. They will be expected to work as a team as they participate in chapter meetings and complete a variety of service projects to benefit their communities.

Jessica Remmes-Davis is the National Honor Society Chapter Advisor at MCA. “I’m very proud of these students,” she said. “They show that going to a virtual school does not limit their opportunities to exhibit their qualities of scholarship and leadership.”

The National Honor Society (NHS) is the nation’s premier organization established to recognize outstanding high school students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, service, leadership, and character.

PALERMO: Window Dressers volunteers to provide demonstration

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Palermo Community Center (Photo by Connie Bellet)

Instead of going down the “rabbit hole” with The Atomic Café, this month’s potluck dinner presentation will focus on a more immediate concern: keeping your home warm. Corliss Davis and the Window Dressers volunteers will be coming to the Palermo Community Center on Friday, February 22, to demonstrate that adding their low-cost window inserts can can save money on heating, make your living space more comfortable by eliminating drafts, and reduce carbon emissions. Over the past year alone, Window Dresser volunteers made 459 new window inserts at the Belfast Boathouse that were placed in many older homes, reducing heating costs significantly. Since Window Dressers is a nonprofit organization, it will work with people who might have trouble paying for the materials. This program is not only worth checking out, but you may also want to join the fun and donate your time and skills.

Bring a dish to share with a lively group of neighbors at 6 p.m. at the Palermo Community Center, Turner Ridge Rd., at Veterans Way. The program is free and open to the public. For more info or directions, please call Connie at 993-2294.