Nicely heads

business exchange

Keith Nicely has been named president of the Gorham Business Exchange at its recent annual meeting at Spire 29 on the Square. Nicely, who was on the board of directors, succeeds Becky Winslow as president.

Gorham Town Manager David Cole and Superintendent Ted Sharp were featured speakers at the meeting.

Dana Redmond of Spire 29 said Cole, who noted Gorham is the 15th largest municipality in the state, spoke about Gorham’s growth, new roads and housing permits. He also cited the quality of life as exemplified by Gorham’s educational commitment to excellence.

Introducing the Gorham School/Business Roundtable Committee as a collaborative effort made up of school officials and local business leaders who are working together to create career awareness and readiness, Sharp told the crowd that opportunities for job shadowing and internships are starting at younger ages.

“We are creating a ‘design team’ for the future,” Sharp said.

Redmond said Sharp also explained the Gorham High School Cooperative Work Experience (co-op) program, which is available to high school seniors. Sharp said Gorham has the fourth highest graduation rate in the state with 93 percent and the third lowest high school dropout rate of 1.3 percent.

Redmond, a former executive director of the exchange, said Winslow thanked the board of directors for its service, especially Dede Perkins, who served as executive director for five years and welcomed her successor Leigh-Paige Smith,

Memorial Day parade registration

The Gorham Recreation Department is calling for all community groups, clubs and school groups that wish to participate in this year’s Memorial Day parade to register.

The parade will form up at the Village School at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 26, and steps off at 11 a.m., ending at Eastern Cemetery, at the corner of Main Street and Johnson Road. Those wishing to participate can register online by visiting www.gorhamrec.com or by calling 222-1630.

Comedy at Spire 29

Spire 29 on the Square, 29 School St., will host a live comedy show from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, May 22. Doors open at 7 p.m. The show features comedians Nick Lavallee, Matt Koria, James Spizuoco and Kyron Hobdy, with Brain Bernager as host.

Tickets are $5. Ages 18-plus. Students welcome. For more information, call 222-2068 or visit www.spire29.com.

Gorham USM

students honored

The College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Southern Maine recently announced that several Gorham students were award winners in its Student Recognition Day.

Seventy students were honored with $415,000 in scholarships.

The Gorham winners were Brian Arlet with the Frank F. Brown Music Scholarship; Aria Tonini, Bob Crew Foundation Scholarship for excellence in undergraduate music study; Cameron Wright, Musical Theatre Scholarship; Sarah Kennedy, Richard S. Petereit Scholarship for theatre; Melissa Albert and April McFarland, Warren Memorial Foundation Scholarship for fine and performing arts.

U.S. taxpayer debt

The Bureau of the Fiscal Service reported on May 8 that the U.S. Public Debt was $17,472,051,696,926.14.

Ted Sharp, Gorham superintendent of schools, addresses the recent annual meeting of the Gorham Business Exchange at Spire 29 on the Square.