by Mark Huard

Downtown Waterville’s Annual Holiday parade held the evening after Thanksgiving has drawn thousands of families to Main Street for many years and serves as a fun and festive kickoff to the holiday season. The Children’s Discovery Museum is excited to be adopting this wonderful event. The museum has been a staple in the Central Maine Community for many years and will be relocating to a large space in Waterville in the spring of 2019.

While the staff of the Children’s Museum waits to open the doors of their new location, they are excited to be hosting such a wonderful family event for the community.

The 12th Annual Parade of Lights will be held on Friday, November 24, at 6 p.m. New this year floats will assemble at the Waterville Legion Parking Lot, at 21 College Ave., and travel down Main Street and continue to the Castonguay Square with the lighting of the giant spruce tree and Santa’s arrival at Kringleville. Central Maine Photography will be offering light up wands at the parade for anyone who is interested.

What a great time of year to get together and show our community spirit and support for one another.

Santa will visit with families and children on the following dates:

November 24 – after parade until 9 p.m.; December 2-3, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; December 9-10, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; December 16-17, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; December 20-22, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Students from the Class of 2021 have enrolled at Colby College, in Waterville, this fall. Before classes began Sept. 6, they took part in a weeklong orientation that included a civic engagement component in downtown Waterville, an introduction to academic and intellectual life at Colby, and an address by the Dr. Frank and Theodora Miselis Professor of Chemistry D. Whitney King at Colby’s 200th Convocation.

Hanna Bouchard, of Waterville. She is a graduate of Waterville Senior High School and is the daughter of Michael and Colette Bouchard, of Waterville.

Delaney Keithley, of Chelsea. She is a graduate of Cony High School, in Augusta, and is the daughter of Jason and Julie Keithley, of Chelsea.

James Leblanc, of Fairfield. He is a graduate of Lawrence High School, in Fairfield, and is the son of Steven and Sarah LeBlanc, of Fairfield.

Kyle McGadney, of Waterville. He is a graduate of Waterville Senior High School and is the son of Clifford and Camille McGadney, of Waterville.

Ethan Pullen, of Oakland. He is a graduate of Messalonskee High School, in Oakland, and is the son of Charles and Tammy Pullen, of Oakland.

Benjamin Smith, of Winslow. He is a graduate of Winslow High School and is the son of Scott and Kristen Smith, of Winslow.

Eleanor Theriault, of Vassalboro. She is a graduate of Erskine Academy, in South China, and is the daughter of David and Linda Theriault, of Vassalboro.

Katherine Thompson, of Waterville. She is a high school graduate and is the daughter of Mark and Karen Thompson, of Waterville.

John Violette, of Waterville. He is a graduate of Waterville Senior High School and is the son of James and Mary Violette, of Waterville.

Hathaway Mill Antiques sister shop to Cabot Mill Antiques will be celebrating its grand opening on Saturday, September 23, and Sunday, September 24. This weekend will include refreshments, entertainment, prizes, and gift certificates.

Located in the beautifully-restored historic Hathaway Shirt Factory on the Kennebec River, at 10 Water Street, in Waterville, Hathaway Mill Antiques features a 10,000-square-foot show room with over 40 antiques dealers. Hathaway Mill Antiques offers a splendid array of period furniture, mid -century modern furnishings, china, paintings, art works, silver, jewelry, early painted country primitives, nautical, country store advertising, ephemera, books and so much more.

Cindy Gervais will present her Chalk Paint Seminar and application demonstration on Saturday, September 23, from 11 a.m. to noon.

Eric Hooglund will offer his extensive knowledge of Waterville presenting on its history on pre-1965 Downtown Waterville, on Sunday, September 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Hathaway Mill Antiques is handicapped accessible and accepts all major credit cards and personal checks. The antique mall is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information please contact Deborah J. Stufflebeam, Hathaway Mill Antiques Manager, at 207-877-0250 or email her at info@hathawaymillantiques.com.

by Jackie Dupont, Chairman of South End Neighborhood Association

In 2001 a group of concerned residents and supporters became the group now known as the South End Neighborhood Association (SENA), a group driven to revitalize the neighborhood. Along the way community champions and partners rose up to support the work of SENA, to promote a brighter future and invigorate pride and community spirit through programs, activities, and advocacy. These endeavors would not be possible without investment from neighbors, local businesses, and community groups.

Their contributions to the festival enable SENA to continue making a difference such as:

A bigger and better bike repair and swap where close to 100 children received bikes, learned rider safety, and connected with adults in meaningful ways that foster better self-esteem;

Expanding the readership of the community newsletter, on and offline, through 11 different locations throughout the city and the neighborhood;

Community events such as WinterFest, Halloween Block Party, South End Officer Meet and Greet, and the Annual Clean Up, engaged residents of all ages inside and outside of the neighborhood.

Crime watch signs were replaced, a walking trail was established on Leeman Island, and playground equipment was improved at Green Street Park.

When we look back on all of our accomplishments we can not help but see the reason why we all love this neighborhood and this city. It’s because we work together to lift each other up. The South End Neighborhood’s family friendly events reached over 600 people this past year and that number continues to grow. The South End Festival is the largest event held in collaboration with KVCAP and the city of Waterville. Close to 500 people attend this festival!

We continue to work with the Waterville Police Department and the Kennebec Valley Community Action Program and dozens of community partners to provide this event each year, free of charge so that all of our neighbors and their children can participate. Over 70 percent of the families and elderly residents in the South End live at or below the poverty line. Business contributions help to ensure that everyone can enjoy the event, including games, activities, and BBQ, sponsored by our local police and fire departments and health and civic groups.