SVLT to host
“Rabbit-tat” event

Saco Valley Land Trust will hold a forest walk on Oct. 26. at 1 p.m. beginning at 10 West Loop Road in Biddeford. During the walk, participants will visit a created “early successional habitat” – sometimes called a “Rabbit-tat.” Sarah Dudek from the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge will discuss the importance of such habitat to the New England cottontail as well as other species.

“The New England cottontail is Maine’s only native true rabbit, and was once common in southern Maine, ranging from Kittery to Belfast,” according to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. “However, NEC populations have declined dramatically in Maine and across their entire range (New England and eastern New York). Due to the declining population, MDIFW listed the species as State Endangered in 2007. Today, NEC are known to occur in just six towns in southern Maine with a statewide population of less than 300 individuals. The range-wide decline of NEC has been attributed to habitat loss.”

This Rabbit-tat was developed with cooperation from the USDA and its Natural Resources Conservation Service. Such “thicket habitat” also benefits other rare wildlife such as eastern towhee, American woodcock, prairie warbler and the northern black racer snake.

Saco Valley Land Trust was founded in the 1980s, conserves land in Biddeford, Saco and other municipalities in the Saco Valley, and events such as this one seeks to educate the public about the importance of conservation in our rapidly changing New England region.

FMI, visit sacovalleylandtrust.org/.

Zionisms: Different Meanings
for Different People

Rabbi David Fox Sandmel, Ph.D. will hold a presentation and discussion on the many meanings of “Zionism” on Sunday, Oct. 20, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Congregation Etz Chaim, 34 Bacon St. in Biddeford.

In his presentation, Rabbi Sandmel will explore the origin of the word “Zionism” and the many ways it has been understood in the past and continues to be contested today.

Sandmel, is an independent scholar specializing in interreligious/interfaith relations and is chair emeritus of the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations, the consortium that is the official Jewish dialogue partner of the Vatican. He served for seven years as director of Interreligious Engagement at the Anti-Defamation League; held the Crown-Ryan Chair of Jewish Studies at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago; and was the Jewish Scholar at the Institute for Christian & Jewish Studies in Baltimore. While working in Baltimore, he directed the publication of “Dabru Emet: A Jewish Statement on Christians and Christianity.” Rabbi Sandmel presently resides in Portland and is currently serving as Scholar in Residence at the Maine Jewish Museum. He was a visiting professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome this spring.

This event is in-person only. It is sponsored with Community Education funds from the Sam L. Cohen Foundation

Security will be present, and preregistration is required to attend.

Register at form.jotform.com/242794892285170 or at etzchaimme.org.

For more information, email mail@etzchaimme.org.

Local residents earn
honors, graduate

Victoria Coulibaly, of Biddeford, was named to the Summer 2024 President’s List at Georgia State University.

The following local students made the Summer 2024 Dean’s List at Southern New Hampshire University: Erin Gorton of Arundel, Alyssa Huber of Biddeford, and Walter Laidler of Biddeford.

Southern New Hampshire University named the following students to the Summer 2024 President’s List: Deivy Periana of Saco, Payton Breitenfeld of Saco, Eric Bonnette of Saco, Elizabeth Lacasse of Saco, Samantha Sardella of Old Orchard Beach, Daniel Governale of Arundel, Lauren Bryant of Biddeford, Jamie Waylein of Biddeford, Shelley Kane of Biddeford, Alexandra Dundorf of Biddeford, Casey Champagne of Biddeford, and Nicholas Feero of Biddeford.

Minh Nguyen, of Saco, graduated from St. Olaf College with a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy.

AMVETS Post 1 donates
$650 to Seeds of Hope

In a brief ceremony Oct. 8, Seeds of Hope Assistant Director Sylvia Perreault accepted a $650 AMVETS donation and said, “This money will really help a lot, especially as we go into fall and winter months.”

The money was raised at the Post’s September community breakfast, the first one of this season. Adjutant Gene Foster said, “Our September breakfast was a good kick-off for the following months; it’s community support that makes these donations possible …”

Finance Officer Jim Thibodeau added, “Each breakfast benefits a different local charity.”

The AMVETS Post 1 2024-25 breakfast schedule includes: Oct. 27 benefit Biddeford Boy Scouts, Nov. 17 benefit Toys for Tots, Dec. 17 benefit In-a-Pinch Non-Food-Pantry, Jan. 14 Project Sunrise, Feb. 18 Biddeford High School Scholarship, March 17 Biddeford Little League, April 14 Service Foundation White Clover, and May 28 Chelsea’s Chance.

Hope Acts to launch
digital literacy classes

Hope Acts, a nonprofit that provides housing, English classes, and other resources to new Mainers, will launch Digital Literacy Classes for asylum seekers this fall, with the help of grants from the Maine Community Foundation and Greater Portland Council of Governments.

The goal of these classes is to provide asylum seekers with the basic knowledge and skills they need to use computers, access the Internet, pay bills, and use email, Zoom, and other technology platforms essential for everyday living in the United States, according to an organization press release. There will be a focus on ensuring that these students have the skills they need to attend online classes, fill out online forms for assistance with basic needs, and maintain online accounts for their immigration cases. A recent survey revealed that 70% of the nonprofit’s new housing clients did not have the digital literacy skills they needed for use of rudimentary tools like email and basic Internet navigation.

Martha Stein, executive director of Hope Acts said with services and resources increasingly available only online, having access to technology and training is essential to the well-being and success of New Mainers.

“Gaining confidence with online tools and services will save these students time, reduce their stress, allow them to avoid costly online scams, and help them to be more self-sufficient,” Stein said.

These classes are being funded by two grants: a $10,000 grant from the Maine Community Foundation and a $5,000 Digital Equity Stipend Grant from Greater Portland Council of Governments.

Study tackles emergency prep
related to the Portsmouth shipyard

Seacoast community leaders and officials from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard met last  week to set the course for a new phase of implementation for the Joint Land Use Study (JLUS), the blueprint designed to ensure military readiness while addressing traffic congestion, parking, a shortage of housing, and initiatives to address extreme weather events.

According to Stephanie Carver, executive director of Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission (SMPDC), which is leading the effort, “This next phase will do four things. We’ll assess the vulnerability of local infrastructure to climate impacts, and work with the town, the Shipyard, and state and federal agencies to create an emergency preparation plan. We will also continue to implement regional housing and transportation goals, by developing a housing toolkit and training for towns. In addition we are identifying potential locations for off-site parking and transit connections to the Shipyard. Finally, we’ll develop a road map to identify federal and state funding sources to help get more projects done.”

Carver says there will soon be a confidential survey of shipyard workers to understand their housing and transportation preferences.

Captain Michael Oberdorf, commander of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, said, “We at PNSY are excited to be starting another round of collaboration with our community partners, ensuring the success of the shipyard’s vital mission for national security while supporting the shared goals of Kittery and surrounding region.”

American Legion
donates to BIS

American Legion Post 26 at 508 Elm St. in Biddeford has adopted the fourth grade class at the Biddeford Intermediate School. The class assists Post 26 and the Biddeford/Saco Rotary Club by placing flags on the graves of approximately 2,400 veterans interred at St. Joseph’s cemetery on Memorial Day. For their continued support, Post 26 has donated $1,000 for school supplies and purchased a new refrigerator for the school. These donations and others are made possible through the generous donation of empty cans and bottles deposited by people in the collection trailer in front of the post.

Prepare  shoeboxes of
gifts for Christmas

Volunteers are preparing to collect Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts during National Collection Week, Nov. 18 – 25. More than 4,700 drop-off locations – including one at GracePoint Church at 329 South St. in Biddeford – will open across the country in November, and shoebox packers can find their local drop-off locations nearest them.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has been collecting and delivering gift-filled shoeboxes to children including many who are suffering from war, poverty, disease and disaster. Operation Christmas Child hopes to reach another 12 million children in 2024.

Find a step-by-step guide on the How to Pack a Shoebox webpage at tinyurl.com/bdfmfpj4. The project partners with local churches across the globe to deliver these gifts. Participants can donate $10 per shoebox gift online through “Follow Your Box” and receive a tracking label to discover its destination.

Participants can find the nearest drop-off location and hours of operation as they make plans to drop off their shoebox gifts. The online lookup tool is searchable by city or zip code at tinyurl.com/ym33uhpx. Signs at each location will identify the drop-off.

Vote for Biddeford Cultural
and Heritage Center

The Biddeford Cultural and Heritage Center has been selected to advance to the voting phase of Town & Country’s 2024 Better Neighbor Fund charitable giving campaign.

This fall, Town & Country is giving away a total of $25,000 to be shared among eight of the 20 charitable organizations nominated for the Better Neighbor Fund that receive the most votes on Town and Country’s website. Voting concludes on Thursday, Oct. 31. The eight grant recipients will be selected based on which organizations receive the most public votes.

“This is a great opportunity for our small volunteer driven nonprofit to raise vital funds,” said Diane Cyr, Board President, “We hope the local communities support us by voting daily and spreading the word to others, so we can continue to offer valuable programs such as the Museum in the Streets, the Voices of Biddeford, the Hall of Fame, Cultural Cuisine Events, the Greater Biddeford- Saco Music Hall of Fame, Collections and archives, and more.”

People are encouraged to vote once a day, every day at the following link on the Town & Country website: Town & Country Federal Credit Union. tcfcu.com

The winners will be announced at a special celebration recognizing all the grant nominees on Nov. 13, at the Town & Country Forest Avenue branch in Portland

For more information or any questions, email info@biddefordcultural.org or call 207-283-3993.