Westbrook woman in honor society

Suze Gilbert of Royal Grant Way was recently inducted in the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. She will be graduating in May from the University of Southern Maine summa cum laude with a bachelor of fine arts in photography and printmaking and a minor in art history.

She plans to work as a wedding and portrait photographer after graduation.

Cutline (Mike and Devon) – Mike Gilbert and his son, Devon, visiting the Grand Canyon. Courtesy photo

Father, son on the road

Mike Gilbert and his son, Devon, spent April vacation on a cross-country adventure.

They traveled through 16 states and visited many national parks and monuments including the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Mo., the Oklahoma City Memorial, Historic Route 66, the Grand Canyon, and the Sonoran Desert. They spent several days exploring Tucson, Ariz. One of the many highlights was the visit to Busch Stadium in St. Louis where the curse of the Bambino was broken.

Memorial Post 197 installation program

Westbrook Memorial Post 197 of the American Legion will hold its annual Past Commanders/Past Presidents Recognition dinner and installation of new officers on Friday night, May 6.

The evening will begin with a social gathering from 5:30 to 6 p.m., followed by a roast pork or chicken dinner. The meal will precede the program, which starts at 7 p.m.

The new slate of officers is David F. Martin, commander; Carroll Crimmin, 1st vice commander; Charles Staples, 2nd vice commander; and Dennis Axelson, finance officer.

New officers being installed for the Westbrook Memorial Auxiliary Unite 197 are Beverly Preston, president; Emma Dumont, 1st vice president; Dayle Pennell, secretary; and Lori Webster, treasurer.

Officers for the Sons of the American Legion are Donald Afthim, commander; George Brown, 1st vice commander; Steve Preston, 2nd vice commander; Greg MacDowell, adjutant and finance officer; Fred Reny, chaplain; and Rick Davis, sergeant-at-arms.

Post 62 to meet

The Stephen W. Manchester Post 62 of the American Legion will meet at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 4, at its headquarters at 17 Dunn St.

A business meeting will follow a ham dinner with green beans, potato, salad and homemade pie.

Planning for Memorial Day activities is underway. Groups or individuals wishing to participate in the parade should contact Reggie Washby, post commander, at 232-4067.

Meet Michel, view her artwork

Meet Westbrook artist Caren-Marie Michel from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 14, at the Norway Savings Bank branch, 158 US Route 1, Scarborough. The solo exhibition, “Caren Michel: Landscapes,” is on through June. The art space is managed by Lori Rae Palumbo of Lollipop Art Productions.

Michel paints in acrylics and pastels for both landscape and still life. She often paints a location in a series showing different seasons or times of day focusing on changing light and color.

She studied painting with Esther Barney in Portland, Maine, for six years and received her B.F.A. in painting from Portland School of Art (now Maine College of Art). In 2000, Michel returned to painting and exhibiting after a 16-year banking career.

This year, her work will be exhibited in four solo shows in Maine. They are Norway Savings Bank, Miles Memorial Hospital in Damariscotta, “Westbrook Perspectives” at Little Sebago Gallery and Frame, and Portland Parks and Recreation. Also in 2005, her work has been selected for juried shows in Alexandria and Montpelier, Va.; Kutztown, Penn., and Maine. She has also exhibited in Colorado, Washington, New York and New Hampshire.

In Maine, she has exhibited at the Chocolate Church in Bath, the Winslow Public Library, the Barn Gallery in Ogunquit, the Maine Art Gallery in Wiscasset, the Blum Gallery in Bar Harbor, with the Pastel Painters of Maine, the Area Gallery at USM and the Riverwalk Fine Arts Festival in Westbrook. Her work “Morse Mountain 5” recently won first place in acrylics at the Maine Open Juried Show.

Norway Savings Bank’s hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays; 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays; and 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Saturdays.

Woman’s Club art entries state bound

All 21 entries from the Westbrook Woman’s Club High School Art Show were judged at the recent Maine Federation of Women’s Clubs’ District 7 meeting, along with entries from the Gorham Woman’s Club and the 21 Club of Parsonsfield.

Only four pieces of art were chosen to go on to the state contest this month. Westbrook students David Burns placed second and Diana Leroux placed third.

Westbrook Woman’s Club was represented at the district meeting by Evelyn Meserve, club president, along with Ethelyn Chase, Nancy Curran, Mary Gagnon, Roberta Morrill and Carolyn Leavitt.

The local club also provided spring table favors for the luncheon held at the Cosmopolitan Club of Bath.

Humanitarian trip for father-son team

David Good and, his son, Zachary, returned recently from San Pedro Sula in Honduras where they spent 10 days helping to renovate one-room school buildings.

David Good learned of the trip through a friend who belongs to a New Hampshire rotary club. David and Zachary thought it was a great opportunity to help those less fortunate and for Zachary, a freshman in high school, to gain perspective and appreciation of his American way of life.

They had arranged to be hosted by a Honduran family that had four teenage children. Each day, they were bussed several miles into the village to work on their project. In the Western Hemisphere, San Pedro Sula is the second poorest region after Haiti.

Due to the intense poverty, crime is very high in the San Pedro Sula area. It was common to see policemen with large machine guns along the roadsides and in the villages. While they were there, the Honduran children (those who attend) were on school vacation.

Each day when David and Zachary arrived at the school site, they were greeted by large groups of youngsters begging for any amount of attention, food or money.

The Goods’ mission was to re-roof one school and paint another. In addition to these accomplishments, they formed many new friendships. Although Spanish is the native language, communication, for the most part, was not a problem.

This summer, the Goods are planning on hosting one of Zachary’s new friends from Honduras and sharing some American/Maine culture with him. David and Zachary also are hoping to return again next year to continue to work with the schools to help improve education in the area, as well as continue to nurture their new friendships.

Ecumenical project at Trinity

A production of “Life on the Streets,” as told by the homeless will be presented at 6: 30 p.m. on Sunday, May 22, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 612 Main St.

This is an Ecumenical project.

Dr. Dunn in Universalist pulpit

Dr. Peggy Dunn will speak and Ann Hartzler will play the organ at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 8, at the Universalist Church, 719 Main St.

Dunn was originally scheduled to speak at the church on Sunday, May 29. Rev. Judith Blanchard, who was scheduled to speak on May 8, will now be in the pulpit on May 29.

Mill Brook indoor yard sale

Mill Brook Estates, 300 East Bridge St., will have an indoor yard sale 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 14.

They’ll have something for all, and hot dogs, soda and coffee will be available.