Rec program offering ‘Self-Care for Women’

The Regional School Unit 5 Recreation and Community Education program for adults begins a four-part series this month called “Self-Care for Women.”

The series will be facilitated by Freeport resident Maddy Vertenten, and in it, women will learn about resources and create daily practices for making self-care a priority.

Vertenten has been facilitating women’s circles since 2005 after personally experiencing how her own self-care strategies positively impacted the relationships with her young children and husband, and her own sense of well-being.

The classes, which will be held on Jan. 22, 29 and Feb. 5 and 12, will run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The cost is $85 for residents of Freeport, Pownal and Durham. For more information or to register, visit www.rsu5-rce.org.

Historical Society off until March

The Durham Historical Society will not meet in January and February. The group will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, March 12, at 6:30 p.m., at the Eureka Community Center. At that time, the society will begin working on its 2013 fundraising projects. Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month and are open to the public.

Membership has declined and new members are needed. The Durham Historical Society has undertaken the upkeep of two historical buildings in town: the Union Church-Old Town Hall and West Durham Methodist Church. It has held quilt shows, art shows and open days at the Union Church. The public response has been gratifying with good attendance and support. The society is always looking for artists to feature and donations of baked goods for the bake sales.

Pat Hoeffner was the winner of the queen sized “Morning Star” quilt made and donated by Ginger and Harry Arnold. Hoeffner is from out of state and was visiting her sister in Pownal when they attended the quilt show. All proceeds from the quilt raffle went to the Durham Historical Society Restoration Fund.

The Durham Historical Society has extended its thanks for public support during the quilt and hooked rug show and bake sale held in September. The group had a successful day and the money raised will help to ensure that the Union Church-Old Town Hall building will be preserved.

Brunswick clinic expands hours

The Mid Coast Walk-In Clinic at Brunswick Station has expanded its hours of operation to accommodate higher than expected utilization rates. The clinic will remain open for an additional two hours each weekend day. The new operating hours are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., including holidays, except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.

“Over the summer we saw a high percentage of patients who were visiting from out of the area and recognized the need for expanded hours,” said Joan Ouellette, Mid Coast Primary Care and Walk-In Clinic practice manager. “Now that we’ve been identified as a valuable resource for healthcare in our region, we will continue to accommodate the needs of the community by increasing availability of our services.“ The clinic opened in August 2011 and has seen more than 11,000 patients to date.

The Mid Coast Walk-In Clinic at Brunswick Station offers care for minor medical problems such as cuts, sprains, coughs and infections, as well as x-ray and laboratory testing.

The Mid Coast Walk-In Clinic Downtown at Brunswick Station is located at 22 Station Ave. For more information, visit midcoasthealth.com/primarycare or call 406-7500.