USM faculty concert series to open

In the opening University of Southern Maine faculty concert of the season this week, bassoonist Wren Saunders has assembled a faculty and guest artist chamber group for an evening of contemporary music featuring the bassoon, flute, clarinet and harp.

The concert features Krysia Tripp, flute; Thomas Parchman, clarinet; Judy Saiki, harp; and Saunders.

The concert is set for 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11, in Corthell Hall on the Gorham campus. The USM School of Music advisory board sponsors the concert.

Tickets are $15; $10 seniors, USM employees and alumni; and $5, students. The music box office can be reached at 780-5555 or visit www.usm.maine.edu/music/boxoffice.

GHS alumni reminder

The Gorham High School Alumni Association is holding its 132nd annual meeting and dinner on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Keeley’s Banquet Center, 128 Warren Ave., Portland.

A social hour at 5 p.m. precedes a dinner at 6 p.m. For more information, call Susan Parsons at 839-4447.

McLean honored

Rep. Andrew McLean, D-Gorham, was one of 48 state policymakers from across the country selected as a Council of State Governments’ Henry Toll Fellow for the class of 2015.

McLean was in Lexington, Ky., for an intensive six-day, five-night intellectual boot camp through Sept. 2.

The class of 2015 Toll Fellows represented 33 states and Puerto Rico, with 35 serving in the legislative branch, four serving in the judiciary and nine hailing from the executive. A nine-member committee of state leaders, many who are Toll Fellows themselves, reviewed a record number of applications to select the class.

Named for CSG founder Henry Wolcott Toll, the Toll Fellowship program is one of the nation’s premier leadership development programs for state government officials.

“To become an effective political leader, I must continue to build my skills, put them to practice and be open to learning from others,” McLean said in a statement. “This training will help me to build these skills and prepare me for leadership in the Maine Legislature.”

McLean said programs like Toll Fellows provide opportunities for state policymakers to continue growing as leaders.

“Leadership is an evolving process and not necessarily an innate skill that everyone possesses,” he said. “It is important to constantly evaluate our style and skills so that we remain effective advocates for those we represent and maintain the ability to work with others, especially those with whom we disagree.”

U.S. taxpayer debt

The Bureau of the Fiscal Service reported on Sept. 2 that the U.S. public debt was $18,151,127,937,093.02.

Wren SaundersAndrew McLean