SACO

Harbour Singers group seeking new members

Harbour Singers, a hospice choral group serving southern Maine, is seeking new members for all vocal ranges, with a special need for tenor and bass voices. No auditions are necessary, only a desire to sing and contribute to the Harbour Singers mission.

Singing in small groups, chorus members offer the healing gift of song at bedside to people nearing the end of life, in care settings such as hospice, nursing facilities, or at home.

The group has sung bedside at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough since 2010, and has served more than 900 patients and their families there in that time. The volunteer group offers a wide variety of songs focused on the individual’s or family’s preference.

For more information, call 286-7678 or email harboursingers@maine.rr.com.

RANGELEY

Rangeley Lakes trust needs volunteers

The Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust needs volunteers for their Headwaters Lake Protection Program that gives community members the opportunity to join other citizen scientists all over the state and nation to monitor bodies of water for clarity, total phosphorus, dissolved oxygen or invasive plants, and regularly record data.

Citizen scientists help expand water resource monitoring, decrease data gaps and improve the overall understanding of Maine’s water quality.

Collection, observation and reporting procedures are designed to be inexpensive, quick and easy to perform, and provide hands-on experience for volunteers. Training, materials and monitoring equipment are provided free of charge.

Plant patrollers survey the shoreline for invasive plants in an attempt to eradicate infestations. Some ponds, like Dodge, have slowly lost their team of patrollers over the years. Rangeley, Mooselookmeguntic and Cupsuptic Lakes are all in desperate need of more volunteers with less than half of their total shoreline surveyed each year.

Interested plant patrollers are asked to contact Janet Bissell at janetbissell@yahoo.com or call 864-7311. To learn more about RLHT or how to get involved, visit rlht.org.

PORTLAND

Ocean Avenue School receives supplies donation

The Ocean Avenue School received a donation of more than $1,000 worth of school supplies, thanks to a recent collection drive organized by the Southern Maine Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, with support from the Daughters of the American Revolution, Children of the American Revolution, and members of the local community.

The donated items included pencils, folders, markers, erasers, rulers, note cards and crayons, as well as dozens of pairs of socks, underwear and sanitation supplies.

Last year, 25 percent of Ocean Avenue students experienced homelessness at some point during the school year, with a total of 45 percent of the students living in poverty. The school also regularly receives students whose families are seeking asylum, including this year, with 16 languages spoken by students at the school.

PORTLAND

PACTS seeks comment on ferry terminal grant

PACTS is seeking public comment on a $3.4 million Federal Transit Administration grant to Casco Bay Island Transit District to maintain and upgrade its ferry terminal.

The deadline for public comments is by 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3.  The notice is available on the PACTS website at www.pactsplan.org.

Transportation grants reduce social isolation

Grants of up to $10,000 are available through the Maine Community Foundation for community-based efforts to improve or increase access to transportation that may also reduce social isolation for older people.

The Maine Charity Foundation Fund grants will support new volunteer driver programs, expansion of transportation programs, and improvements to existing transportation programs.

Nearly a third of older people in Maine live in communities without access to public transportation. For older people, especially those in rural areas, lack of transportation can result in missed medical appointments, malnutrition and social isolation – all significant threats to good health and quality of life.

The deadline for applications is Sept. 15. For more details, visit www.mainecf.org or contact Director of Grantmaking Laura Lee at 761-2440 or llee@mainecf.org.

BRUNSWICK

Outdoor Arts Festival winners announced

The Brunswick Downtown Association announced the following winners of the 13th Annual Brunswick Outdoor Arts Festival, held Aug.17 in the downtown area:

Linda Mahoney, of Woodblock Prints, won Best of Show. Placing first and second, respectively, in the following categories were: Painting – Nikki Pilgrim Art of Bath and Holly Brooks Art of Bowdoinham; Mixed Media – Susan Barnes and  Brooke Hoerner, both of Belgrade; Photography – Doug Hockman of South Windsor and Jim O’Reilly of Westbrook; Fine Craft – Kristine Andrews of Salisbury, Vt., and Albert L’Etolie of Bath; Graphic/Drawing – Kathleen Buchanan of Rockport and Peyton Higgison of Brunswick; Jewelry – Betty Barrett Jewelry of West Newton, Mass., and  Erin Seegers of Brunswick.

BIDDEFORD

New director named for spiritual center

The Sisters of the Presentation of Mary announced that Deacon Francis Burke has been named the new director of the Marie Joseph Spiritual Center, at 10 Evans Road.

In his role as director, Burke will oversee the center’s staff, programs and facility; provide prayerful, compassionate leadership; and promote a culture of hospitality and welcome for visitors. He will work closely with Sister Sue Bourret, development director at the center, in building community relationships to further the center’s mission.

Burke was ordained to the permanent diaconate in September 2014 by Cardinal Seán O’Malley, archbishop of Boston, and was assigned initially to St. Mary Parish in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, which became part of the Chelmsford Catholic Collaborative nine months later. His secondary assignment was as a teacher and retreat leader for the archdiocese’s diaconate formation program.

He earned a master’s degree in Christian spirituality from Creighton University in Nebraska, certification in spiritual direction and Ignatian retreat leadership, a master’s degree in theological studies from St. John’s Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts, and has received numerous awards for his charitable endeavors, community service, teaching, and performance excellence.

For more information about the Marie Joseph Spiritual Center, visit www.mariejosephspiritual.org.