Improvement projects are underway at Tassel Top Park. File photo

Park gets improvements

A couple of projects are planned for Tassel Top Park. First, the trailhead will be moved from the parking lot to the front of the park to allow parking for the trails along with an information kiosk. Jonah Martin is building the kiosk for his Eagle Scout project. The second project is developing the Snack Shack area for more activity space. The town is clearing brush and trees to open up a field for more picnic tables, events and a much-anticipated playground.

EmpowerME seminar

EmpowerME presents a 50-minute motivational and interactive seminar to remind participants that they “have the power” to effectively achieve and exceed their goals and expectations by living by five basic principles: the power of believing, the power of positive thinking, the power of doing, the power of failure and the power of choice. This seminar will be the first of a community afternoon series of Health Empowerment and is scheduled from 2-3 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27. It is sponsored by Be the Influence, Portland Public Health Division and the Opportunity Alliance. For more information and to register, contact director@betheinfluencewrw.org.

Free school meals

Free school meals are being offered to RSU 14 families for the entire year, even on virtual learning days. There are several advantages for taking these free school meals: They are free and help you stretch your household food budget, they save you time and they make the school day seem a little more normal. By taking meals you are helping to sustain jobs and the local economy, and the meals are delicious, nutritious, fun and convenient.

Signing up and ordering school meals does not take the benefit away from any other child. RSU 14 has the capacity to feed all children for free, and funding is approved through June 2021 through COVID-related stimulus funds. To sign up, you can set up an account on the free Nutrislice app or at rsu14.nutrislice.com. The Mobile Meals van delivers meals Monday through Friday to five convenient locations throughout RSU 14. If your family is quarantining or has specific transportation issues, contact Jeanne Reilly at 892-1800 for a meal delivery request form.

Red Cross blood drive

There Red Cross will hold a blood drive at Windham Weaponry from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 1. Every day, blood donors help patients of all ages, such as accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those battling cancer. In fact, every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. It is essential for surgeries, cancer treatment, chronic illnesses and traumatic injuries. Whether a patient receives whole blood, red cells, platelets or plasma, this lifesaving care starts with one person making a generous donation. Less than 38% of the population is eligible to give blood or platelets. Blood donors can give every 56 days, and platelet donors can give every seven days.

Complimentary Kanopy

Raymond Village Library patrons can now access movies, documentaries, foreign films, classic cinema, independent films and educational videos for all ages through Kanopy streaming video service. Movies can be viewed on a wide variety of devices, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, Android TV, Chromecast, Roku, FireTV, Fire tablet and Samsung. Contact the library at 655-4283 for more information on accessing Kanopy.

Parent webinars continue

Dr. Alison Roy’s Zoom series for parents continues from 7-8 p.m. Feb. 8 with “Your Family Can Survive Anything: How the Use of Story and Holding Hope Help us Overcome.”  The webinars, presented by the Oxford Hills School District, are designed to help parents learn about the latest advances in brain science and to provide strategies to support their children during the pandemic. Call 743-8972 or email Marjorie Scribner at m.scribner@msad17.org to register.

New year, new artists

The Artists in the Library exhibit program will resume this year. The program focuses on local artists and their talents by displaying it in person at the library and allowing for patrons to learn the artists’ craft. The art includes painting, wood carving, glass work, pottery, drawing, upcycling and more. If you would like to be part of it, write to raymondartsalliance@gmail.com.

Alissa Messer can be contacted at alissamesser@gmail.com.