Come away to a private island where the plants, stones, and water are alive. Considered one of Shakespeare’s best fairytales, The Tempest is a magical journey through love, loyalty, and power. Recycled Shakespeare Company, now in it’s sixth season, will be performing at 7 p.m., on Friday, October 18 and Saturday, October 19, at Skills Inc. Ervin Center, 46 Front Street, Waterville.

With original music and direction by Emily Rowden Fournier, of Fairfield, co-director Helena Page, of Clinton, and stage manager Debra Achorn, of Waterville, the scene comes alive as the exiled Prospero, (Raymond “Wingnut” Wing, of Waterville) creates a magical storm in order to shipwreck the queen and her courtiers. Prospero’s daughter, Miranda (Omm Stilwell, of Vassalboro) does not realize her father’s plan to introduce her to Prince Ferdinand (Cody Curtis, of Bath), but soon learns how she and her father came to be exiled on this island which is inhabited only by them, the monster Caliban (Aaron Blaschke Rowden and Joe Rowden, both of Fairfield) and Ariel, the musical spirit of the island played by nine singers and dancers. With would-be assassins afoot, can Ariel protect the queen and Prospero and still be freed from enslavement? Live accompaniment will be by Fournier on flute and Mia Fairman, of Waterville, on violin.

Recycled Shakespeare Company was founded with the mission of making theater accessible to all while using recycled and repurposed materials. The nonprofit group is Northern New England’s only grassroots Shakespearean community theater and has been featured at the Shakespeare Theater Association’s annual conference in Prague, Czech Republic, for their efforts in creating ecological theater.

This family-friendly production will be presented in the round, with the audience getting a 360 degree view of the stage, and is free to the public. Best view seats can be reserved with a $10 donation. Themed refreshments will be sold.

For more information or to reserve seats call 207-314-8607 or email RecycledShakespeare@gmail.com.

Northern Light Inland Hospital is once again offering an amazing evening of musical entertainment at its annual Fall Pops Concert on Friday, October 25, at the Waterville Opera House.

The hospital welcomes the Portland Symphony Orchestra and guest conductor Erin Freeman, who was a recent finalist for Performer Today’s Classical Woman of the Year. Freeman serves in multiple capacities throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia and maintains a national presence through guest conducting engagements. She holds a joint position as director of the Richmond Symphony Chorus and director of choral activities at Virginia Commonwealth University. Additionally, she is the artistic director of Wintergreen Music and resident conductor of the Richmond Ballet.

She will be joined by guest soloist, soprano Alyson Cambridge, who is currently performing in Broadway’s Rocktopia, and has extensive experience as a singer, model, actor, and host. Cambridge has been hailed by critics as “radiant, vocally assured, dramatically subtle and compelling, and artistically imaginative,” by the Washington Post.

John Dalton, Inland Hospital president, says, “We are excited to share this special night of music and talent with the greater Waterville community. We know how much people look forward to this event, almost as much as we do! We want to thank our community for its support of the Pops concert and Inland Hospital.”

Proceeds from this year’s event will help Inland purchase upgrades to its cardiac monitoring system that have the latest patient safety technology for patients.

Tickets are available at www.OperaHouse.org or 207-873-7000. The cost to attend the concert and a special pre-event reception at Amici’s Cucina is $50; concert tickets without the reception are $25.

Alfond Youth & Community Center provides meals in three locations

The Alfond Youth & Community Center (AYCC) is participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program to make evening meals available at no separate charge to children ages birth through 18 years without regard to race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department.

Meals are being served at the following facilities:

Alfond Youth & Community Center, 126 North Street in Waterville. Mon. – Fri. Evening Meals starting at 3 p.m.;

North End Boys & Girls Club, 16 Hillside Ave in Waterville. Mon.– Fri. Evening Meals starting at 3 p.m.;

South End Teen Center, 5 Libby Court in Waterville. Mon.– Fri. Evening Meals starting at 3 p.m.;

Boys & Girls Club of Oakland at Ralph M. Atwood Primary School, 19 Heath St in Oakland. Mon. – Fri. Evening Meals starting at p.m.;

Common Street Arts, in the Hathaway Creative Building, 10 Water Street, Suite 106 in Waterville.

 FMI AYCC: Kitchen Manager Shawn Forkey, kitchen@alfondyouthcenter.org; Grants Manager Jared McCannell, jmccannell@alfondyouthcenter.org.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today $40.8 million in direct assistance grants to 202 fire departments nationwide through the agency’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program. Additional phases will soon be announced.

The Waterville Fire Department will receive $229,334 from FEMA for an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG). The grant will be used to purchase 34 breathing apparatuses for Waterville’s firefighters.

In addition, the announcement includes Assistance to Firefighters Grants to Windham, Cascp, Standish, Gorham and Brunswick.

The primary goal of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) is to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations. Since 2001, AFG has helped firefighters and other first responders obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources necessary for protecting the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.

This grant is funded through FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program. Eligible applicants include local fire departments, fire districts, nonaffiliated EMS organizations, tribal fire departments and State Fire Training Academies. The grant applications are submitted from each agency directly to FEMA, where the applications are reviewed and scored by fire service personnel from throughout the nation.

FEMA obligates funding for this project directly to the recipient agencies. It is the recipient agency’s responsibility to manage their grant award within federal guidelines with technical assistance and monitoring provided by FEMA Fire Program Specialists.

Additional information about FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters grant program(s) may be found at https://www.fema.gov/firegrants.

Central Maine Growth Council (CMGC) is proud to announce the successful grantees of its Façade and Building Improvement Grant Program (FBIGP) in downtown Waterville.

FBIGP was established within the context of downtown Waterville’s ongoing revitalization, activated by over $100 million in recent investment by private and public sector supporters. The grant program encourages new and existing downtown property owners and businesses to invest in their commercial storefronts while restoring the original character of historic buildings and providing a catalyst for others to improve the visual appearance of their privately-owned buildings.

“The strength and quality of the applications we received was spectacular,” states Garvan D. Donegan, director of planning and economic development at Central Maine Growth Council and FBIGP advisory committee member. “Downtown businesses and property owners are extremely thoughtful in how their storefronts add to the character of downtown and contribute to a successful local economy, and their applications honor the architectural design roots and cultural significance of their buildings.”

The grant awards made through FBIGP will stimulate more than $325,000 in direct investment in downtown storefronts and facades during the 2019 calendar year. Twenty-three applicants submitted proposals to the program, and eleven applications were successful.

Successful grantees of the 2019 FBIGP award include:

• 46 Main Street – Framemakers
• 48 Main Street – Enchanted Herbs & Tea
• 52 Main Street – Children’s Book Cellar
• 54 Main Street / 33 Concourse E – SBS Carbon Copy
• 72 Main Street – Holy Cannoli
• 80-88 Main Street – Day’s Jewelers
• 129 Main Street – Tap, LLC
• 137 Main Street – Amici’s Cucina
• 139 Main Street – Opa
• 177-179 Main Street – Black Cape Comics and Selah Tea Cafe
• 177 Main Street – Selah Tea Cafe

The grant program, funded by Colby College and the Bill and Joan Alfond Foundation, provides a reimbursement of up to fifty (50) percent of the total estimated project budget. Funds may be used for the restoration and renovation of commercial buildings located within Waterville’s downtown district, and eligible projects range from new awnings and signage to brick repainting and the removal of inappropriate, non-historical alterations to building exteriors.

“It’s incredibly exciting that, in the span of approximately seven months, downtown Waterville will be transformed by the visual impact of the awarded grants, which complement the transformation of public spaces, new building construction, and influx of new businesses into the downtown,” says Chris Gaunce, member of the FBIGP advisory committee. “You’ll find yourself spending more time downtown because it’s inviting, attractive, and unique.”