Taste of Waterville canceled due to large gathering restrictions

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Plans for return in 2021

Restrictions on sizes for large gatherings into the fall have resulted in the cancellation of Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce’s 28th Annual Taste of Waterville scheduled to be held on Sunday, October 11, at the Head of Falls, downtown Waterville.

This year’s event had been moved due to construction on Main Street and the anticipation of increased limits for gatherings. According to the Department of Economic and Community Development, increases beyond the 100-person limit for outdoor gatherings are not expected for the remainder of the year.

President & CEO of the Mid-Maine Chamber, Kimberly Lindlof said, “It is with profound sadness that we announce the cancellation of this long-held tradition. However, as with other area events and exhibitions forced to adjust schedules, the health and safety of our attendees is of utmost concern. We will take this time to make next year’s event bigger and better – so watch for information regarding Taste of Waterville 2021 at Head of Falls.”

Committee Chairman Shawn Michaud added, “I love this event, and share Kim’s disappointment. However, the Chamber Taste of Waterville Committee will continue plans for next year’s event, with ample time to develop a format featuring cultural foods and demonstrations focused on the ethnic diversity of the area. The program will continue to be an adult-focused day-long event with a variety of food options, ethnic entertainment, and informative walks, along with live entertainment, beer/wine gardens and brew samples. Entertainment and activities will be announced in early summer 2021.”

For more information as it is determined, visit www.tasteofwaterville.com.

Northern Light Inland Hospital welcomes Robin Fuller

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Robin Fuller

Robin Fuller joins Northern Light Sleep Diagnostics, in Waterville, located on the Inland campus. She has been a nurse for 12 years and is board-certified as an adult-gerontology primary nurse practitioner. Robin will be available for sleep consultations and sleep hygiene services.

Contact your primary care provider today for a referral to Northern Light Sleep Diagnostics.

Northern Light Sleep Diagnostics, 180 Kennedy Memorial Drive, Waterville, 861-3000, Northernlighthealth.org/Locations/Inland-Hospital/Locations/Sleep-Diagnostics.

Kennebec Savings launches Chamber appreciation campaign

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Kennebec Savings Bank has created the KSB Chamber Appreciation Campaign to provide relief funds to each of the local chambers within its service area.

Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce was the recipient of a substantial grant as part of this effort.

The bank included an explanation for the establishment of the campaign on social media, “Our local Chambers of Commerce are working harder than ever on behalf of their members, despite facing their own set of challenges in the wake of COVID-19. Despite many obstacles, our local chambers continue to host virtual seminars and networking opportunities, keep us informed of legislative happenings, promote member businesses, and more to support our local economy.” The Facebook post continued, “To show our support for the important work they do, we have created the KSB Chamber Appreciation Campaign to provide relief funds to each of the local chambers within our service area. We encourage our community partners to join with us and support your local chamber. Donations to chambers, whether it is your time or your money, support our business community as a whole. If we all lean in and work together, we’ll get through this!”

Kennebec Savings Bank President and CEO Andrew Silsby said of the awarding of the grant, “We are so appreciative of the local chambers of commerce for the work that they are doing to help our small business community, in their time of greatest need.  Our chambers have pivoted all their traditional activities for businesses; becoming a vital, virtual connector to much-needed resources that businesses need right now.  We think it is especially important to appreciate the local chambers for all that they are contributing, at a time when their own resources are under a great deal of pressure.  I, personally, hope businesses that can will join their chamber, pay their membership early, or just send a donation along as a sign of our collective appreciation for all that they are providing to help our business community.”

Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Kimberly Lindlof acknowledges that the generous grant was completely unexpected and very much appreciated. She says the funds come at a critical time as the chamber was not eligible for federal or state funds (PPP) to assist with payroll. All staff were retained while working remotely, and upon the return to the office so that business needs could be addressed. While working remotely, the chamber introduced a Takeout Challenge to promote the restaurants offering takeout and curbside deliveries and a Waterville Works downtown promotion to assist businesses impacted by both the pandemic and the ongoing construction. A bingo promotion for June, July and August, supplemented by a July Summer Savings coupon campaign were implemented to build foot traffic and make residents aware that downtown is still “open for business.”

Following several postponements, a business breakfast series event “Back to Business: A Roadmap for Attracting and Retaining Employees” was held on June 11, at Waterville Country Club. Following CDC guidelines, this successful breakfast attracted nearly 40 local businesspeople.

Currently, the chamber staff is busy assisting with exchanges of Joseph Fireside Steakhouse gift cards for chamber gift certificates good at member restaurants. Owners Kevin Joseph and EJ Fabian requested the chamber’s help to assure the funds stayed in the area. To date, nearly $12,000 in gift certificates have been issued. Additionally, sales of regular chamber gift certificates have topped $90,000 since January 2020.

The chamber continues to move forward with other events, including another breakfast in July regarding topics in employment law, with Erik Peters – and the popular Chamber Golf Classic, rescheduled to August 18 at the Waterville Country Club. Additional sponsors are still needed for this event, given the delay due to the pandemic. Contact cindy@midmainechamber.com if you would like to participate.

Lindlof added, “During my 26 years of involvement with the Mid-Maine Chamber I have never seen this impressive level of cohesion within the community. The chamber team continues to pull together to offer support to our members. We are heartened and encouraged by the response from the business and nonprofit community, and by this show of appreciation from Kennebec Savings Bank for the work we do every day.”

Northern Light Inland Hospital welcomes Dr. Laviolette

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Dr. Jessica Laviolette

Northern Light Inland Hospital is pleased to welcome Jessica Lavio­lette, DO. She joins our Northern Light Osteo­pathic Care practice at 180 Kennedy Memorial Drive in Water­ville.

Dr. Laviolette earned her undergraduate degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts and her medical degree from Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Lansing, Michigan. She is a specialist in Osteopathic Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine, which complements traditional therapies and offers non-surgical options for acute and chronic neuromusculoskeletal (nerves, muscles, and skeletal conditions) and joint conditions. She also provides Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment, which is a set of hands-on techniques used by osteopathic physicians to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness or injury.

Dr. Laviolette treats a broad range of musculoskeletal conditions including low back pain, thoracic pain, neck pain, headaches, musculoskeletal pain in pregnancy, asthma in children, and newborn infants with fussiness or feeding difficulties.

Dr. Laviolette is accepting new patients. Talk to your provider today for a referral or call Northern Light Osteopathic Care at 861-7050 for more information.

KV Connect finds new way to help nonprofits

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KV Connect traditionally hosts Waterville Green Drinks the second Tuesday of each month to raise money for local nonprofits while networking with other young professionals in the area. Since COVID-19 swept in, events have had to be canceled, but community needs continue to grow. KV Connect decided to pool its resources to continue to support the community.

“Our goal this year was to raise $2,020 during 2020 to help our local nonprofits. However, we needed to get creative due to COVID because we had to cancel our in-person fundraisers. We also have had to cancel our twice-weekly volunteer opportunity delivering food to the soup kitchen. We wanted to find a new way to engage members in the community and still have an impact,” said Samantha Burdick, president of the KV Connect Steering Committee.

KV Connect’s Community Service and Outreach Committee decided to take things virtual, by trying its first-ever digital fundraiser using Facebook. KV Connect launched the digital fundraiser on July 13 with hopes to raise $500 in five days. “Our goal was to raise $500 in five days to help United Way’s Community First Fund. We know that this fund helps so many non-profits in our region that have been impacted by COVID and our support would go where it is needed most,” said Courtney Squire, chairman of the Community Service and Outreach Committee.

The group was able to exceed its goal. By week’s end, a total of $740 had been raised for the Community First Fund with giving by 19 donors on Facebook. The money will be used to fund programs or projects that address needs in the region. Since March, over $55,000 has been awarded to local nonprofit organizations to help confront food insecurity and provide essential needs to families and children. “We strive to be a community partner, and help young professionals become involved in their community. We are blown away by the support of our members and look forward to continuing to support the community through our volunteer and fundraising efforts,” said Burdick. Those looking to get involved with KV Connect should contact Courtney at the Mid-Maine Chamber (courtney@midmainechamber.com).

KV Connect is a networking group for professionals in the greater Waterville area. Its mission is to connect young people not only to each other but to the many resources the community has to offer. It seeks to positively impact the community through economic, social, political, and community service initiatives.

United Way of Mid-Maine serves communities throughout Somerset, northern Kennebec, and western Waldo Counties. United Way of Mid-Maine is a community partner that works with local non-profit organizations to ensure the community has access to critical service in the focus areas of Strengthening Children, Youth, and Families, Promoting Independence, and Meeting Immediate Needs.

The United Way Community First Fund is accessible year-round to nonprofit organizations to provide extra funding for programs or projects that address a need in the community, or aid in the continuation of an organization’s mission.

The Community First Fund provides funding for programs or projects that are: Combating food insecurity, such as a food bank or meal program, providing access to basic essential needs like toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, baby essentials, providing family and child enrichment, such as book or arts programs, providing community relief for disasters such as flood or ice storms, and providing community support for a crisis such as COVID-19.

Waterville Creates! awarded grant for art kits for all program

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Photo: Waterville Creates!

Waterville Creates!, a nonprofit supporting and promoting high-quality, accessible arts and cultural programs and institutions in Waterville, is the recipient of a $2,500 United Way of Mid-Maine Community First Fund Award for the collaborative Art Kits for All pandemic response program – an effort to help keep our community’s families engaged and entertained during this public health crisis by providing free art supplies and instructions for art projects that can be created at home.

“We’re utterly thrilled. This funding will make a huge difference to many local families who rely on our art programs, events, and scholarships to live a fulfilling and balanced life,” says Waterville Creates! President and CEO Shannon Haines. “Closing our doors during the COVID-19 pandemic was heartbreaking to us. Art Kits for All is an innovative, collaborative program designed to get art supplies into the hands of families and fulfill our mission to support and promote high-quality, accessible art experiences albeit in a completely reimagined way.”

The United Way of Mid-Maine’s Community First Fund supports community betterment and crisis recovery efforts, providing extra funding to local non-profit organizations by funding programs or projects that address a need in the community, or aid in the continuation of an organizations mission.

“We are honored to support Waterville Creates! and their effort to connect families with art resources,” says Bethany Drouin, Resource Development Director of the United Way of Mid-Maine. “The Art Kits for All program will provide value to the lives of families throughout our communities.”

A network of local nonprofits powers the Art Kits for All program, generously providing volunteers and supplies to keep this popular relief program engaging and informative. Representatives from the Colby College Museum of Art, the Kennebec Montessori School, Waterville Public Schools, and the Family Violence Project gather weekly to plan future Art Kit themes relevant to the community, obtain supplies, develop instructional materials, and pack the Kits.

Art Kits for All are distributed for free at the George J. Mitchell School and Downtown Waterville Farmers’ Market. The Art Kits are assembled at the Common Street Arts’ Studio, currently closed to the public. Masks and gloves are worn during kit assembly, and all art materials are disinfected to remove any risk of contamination. The kits are prepared and sealed a week prior to the distribution date to further minimize any transmission risk. Future Kit themes include activities inspired by the art of Bernard Langlais and Hew Locke on display at the Colby College Museum of Art, a Plein Air watercolor painting Kit, and a Pastels Kit. Past kits activities have included creating zoetropes, kite-making, and clay sculpting.

Community donations in support of this ongoing effort are requested; donors can sponsor one Art Kit for just $10, and all gifts are tax deductible. To donate, visit: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/waterville-creates/art-kits-for-all.

Ward rejoins Kennebec Federal Savings

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Joshua Ward

Joshua Ward, who offers more than 20 years of banking and mortgage experience and who previously served as Branch Operations Manager at Kennebec Federal Savings, has rejoined the bank as a Loan Officer. In that capacity, he will assist customers with refinances, purchase mortgages, and home equity loans.

In addition to being KFS’ new loan officer, Ward is a Notary Public and a Dedimus Justice, a lifetime appointment he received from the Governor of Maine. Raised a “military brat,” he has lived in eight states and visited 22, but lives in the Waterville area because he likes Maine best.

Taste of Waterville will go on

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Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce’s 28th Annual Taste of Waterville is planned for Sunday, October 11, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., at the Head of Falls, Downtown Waterville.

Applications are now being accepted for restaurant, bite, booth, food truck and food-related vendor participants. Contact Cindy@midmainechamber.com.

For more information as it is determined, visit www.tasteofwaterville.com.

New Dimensions FCU moves into new space

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Ryan Poulin, center, CEO of New Dimensions FCU, prepares to cut the ribbon at a special ceremony commemorating the opening of the credit union’s new Waterville location. (contributed photo)

Ryan Poulin, CEO of New Dimensions FCU, prepares to cut the ribbon at a special ceremony commemorating the opening of the credit union’s new Waterville location. On June 23, representatives from the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, Central Maine Growth Council, City of Waterville, and Bowman Construction joined New Dimensions FCU’s Board of Directors and employees at a ribbon cutting ceremony at its beautiful, new location on Silver Street in Waterville. The credit union opened its new branch at 94 Silver Street, on June 29. All services at the 61 Grove Street location will be discontinued.

Dreaming of a Christmas of good health and world peace

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Photo by Central Maine Photography

by Mark Huard

Merry Christmas in July! A message from the North Pole to the joyful people of Kringleville, Maine USA! We cherish our visits with the welcoming folks in the booming City of Waterville. There is tremendous continued growth in your beautiful city. Castonguay Square is the heartbeat of your downtown and we are honored to be at your square during the holidays.

Santa is always watching you grow and to see if you have been naughty or nice. Mrs. Claus was tickled to learn about how much you have all grown from reading your letters aloud to Santa that you sent during your time at home through the COVID-19 pandemic. Santa and Mrs. Claus encourage all of you to continue to grow and learn. Whether you are learning how to play an instrument, taking voice lessons, building extreme Lego structures, following instructions, or following a recipe, maybe you’re trying to be a better listener, we are proud of you. Keep learning, keep listening and keep trying. All we ask is that you try your best. You have been brave…Continue to be brave! You have been strong through all of the changes that this year has brought to the world. Always remember to be part of solutions, rather than adding to problems. Be good…Be nice…Be kind…Be respectful of all others!

People of all ages from around the globe visit the cabin. There are Christmas lovers from Poland, Hawaii, China, Korea, Virginia, Arkansas, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Seattle, the Philippines and all over Maine and New England. We love that you all continue to be part of the Kringleville story season after season and keep the tradition in such a wonderful city. We understand that there could potentially be travel limitations this upcoming 2020 season. Santa and Mrs. Claus are staying connected with the Children’s Discovery Museum to ensure that Christmas will go on for Kringleville followers. Though there might be alternative ways to connect with Santa, we are working to ensure that all can connect with Santa even if the conversation of sharing your Christmas wishes with Santa is a remote visit this season.

Year after year, Kringleville has more visitors at the Kringleville Christmas cabin to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. The Kringleville “reach” of “followers” grew during the 2019 season from hundreds to thousands: 3,284 to be exact. There was a growth of 275% of our connection with Kringleville followers this past season and an increase of 1850% in engagements while Santa and Mrs. Claus were in town. Since this past Kringleville season, followers have remained engaged with Kringleville via the Kringleville Facebook page. During COVID-19, an additional 64 Christmas spirited folks joined Kringleville’s fabulous followers bringing the total to 3,348.

Kringleville continues with the support of The Children’s Discovery Museum led by Executive Director, Amarinda Keys. Thank you again to the generous 2019 Kringleville sponsors: The Children’s Discovery Museum, Central Maine Chevy, Selah Tea Café, Day’s Jewelers and Bangor Savings Bank. Additional supporters are GHM Insurance, Marden’s, the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, Central Maine Photography, Fabian Oil, U.S. Cellular, Pine Tree Cellular, REZ Life Church, Waterville High School Key Club and others who share in the Kringleville Christmas spirit.

Santa and Mrs. Claus would like to recognize and especially thank volunteer Scott McAdoo for his commitment to the love of Christmas at Kringleville. We thank Central Maine Photography’s head elf Cinnamon. We celebrate Cinnamon for her 11-year Kringleville loyalty.

All of us at the North Pole, appreciate the generosity of Central Maine Chevy being Kringleville’s major sponsor. If you or your business would like to contribute to the success of this timeless Waterville tradition, please contact Amarinda Keys at The Children’s Discovery Museum at (207) 622-2209 or email amarinda@childrensdiscoverymuseum.org to ask how you too can be a part of the magic of Christmas at Kringleville for the 2020 season.

We are half-way to Christmas! Happy Christmas in July everyone! Where there’s a will there’s a way and our will here in the North Pole is unstoppable. Santa wants everyone to keep in mind that Christmas isn’t something you should have in your heart only once a year. The spirit of Christmas should live in your heart year-round. So, take Santa’s advice and be kind to all others! Mrs. Claus sends COVID-FREE hugs from our North Pole home to your home. Wishing you a summer full of joy and happiness!