Biddeford Saco Veterans
Day Parade Nov. 11

The communities and neighbors of Biddeford and Saco are invited to the Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony on Monday, Nov. 11, to honor all who have served in the U.S. military. The day begins with a brief Opening Ceremony at 9:55 a.m. on Main Street in Saco (in front of Saco City Hall). Following the brief ceremony that will feature Thornton Academy’s performance of the national anthem, the parade will proceed along Main Street and down York Hill into Biddeford. In Biddeford the parade continues along Main Street, turns left onto Alfred Street and concludes in Veterans Memorial Park at the corner of Alfred and Pool streets. The Closing Ceremony will occur at the park at approximately 10:45 a.m.

This year’s parade includes veterans from the American Legion and AMVETS, local Scouting troops and dance troops, elected officials, school bands and police and fire department members from both cities. The master of ceremonies is Saco City Councilor Mike Burman, guest speaker is Biddeford Mayor Martin Grohman, and the grand marshal is Lionel Lamontagne. There will be a musical performance from Biddeford Intermediate School’s sixth and seventh grade chorus, the chaplain is Fire Department Chaplain Kevin Jacques, and “The Star-Spangled Banner” will be performed at the closing ceremony by the Biddeford Schools Combined Marching Band.

Since 2014, Heart of Biddeford has collaborated with local veteran organizations to host parades to honor those who serve or have served the nation, as well as to build connections in the community of Biddeford and Saco. “Our local Veterans organizations appreciate the active involvement of the whole community,” Heart of Biddeford Executive Director Delilah Poupore said. “This is an important time to stop and remember all who have served in the armed services.”

Mongolian rugby players
visit Biddeford

A group of athletes recently visited the University of New England in Biddeford through the Mongolian Exchange Program, sponsored by the U.S. State Department.

Following a visit to Biddeford City Hall and a lunch at the Garden Bar in the Pepperell Center on Oct. 23, the rugby players and their hosts joined tour guides, Ray and Marilyn Henault and Dave Bishop for an hour-long tour of the historic Biddeford Mills Museum.

The group had two interpreters with them and everyone wore earpieces so nothing was lost in the cavernous buildings, where textiles were once produced, or outside beside the Saco River falls.

The athletes were interested in the life of the farm girls, “mill girls,” and the fact that the company provided boarding houses for them to live in while employed, Bishop said. They also enjoyed learning about the Pepperell’s custom of displaying the flag of each nationality working in the mills and the respect that the company showed toward the mill’s very diverse population. The Mongolian students were anxious to share their own flag beside the United States flag in their group photo.

A photo was taken in front of the Falls at Laconia Plaza. A group of athletes from Mongolia displayed both the United States and Mongolian flags during a visit to Biddeford Oct. 23. Contribute / Biddeford Mill Museum

Mainspring asks
for donations

Mainspring, the innovative social service collective soon to be transforming lives in the Greater Seacoast area, is urging residents to help in a final fundraising push. Mainspring’s capital campaign is shy of $650K to reach the $6.3 million required to bring this community resource to fruition. The new facility will be home to numerous service providers working together to help Seacoast individuals and families access the programs and support they need to break the cycle of poverty, according to an organization press release.

Two nonprofit organizations, Footprints and Fair Tide, are spearheading Mainspring. Footprints Executive Director Megan Shapiro-Ross said, “This initiative is an investment in our neighbors, ourselves, the Seacoast Region, and the nonprofit agencies providing services. Seeing as many individuals as possible donate to this project with a gift of any amount would be incredible.”

People can make a secure donation at mainspringcollective.org/donate There’s also a Go-Fund-Me campaign that can be found at gofund.me/975e6656

Mainspring is currently under construction at 22 Shapleigh Road in Kittery, with plans to open in early 2025. Mainspring brings together multiple organizations, programs, and services under one roof to provide comprehensive and coordinated resources and care. This system-changing, innovative, and effective new model will break down the traditional siloed approaches currently in place, reduce barriers to accessing services and help households navigate the pathway out of poverty.

Fair Tide’s Executive Director Emily Flinkstrom shared, “We are very excited to move our housing and case management services, as well as our thrift store, to the new space so we can more easily work together with all our agency partners. Our six-unit affordable housing project next door is a perfect complement to all the services that will be offered at Mainspring. It’s a smart model for our tenants, for the nonprofit partners, and for our entire community. ” Footprints and Fair Tide co-own Mainspring while Fair Tide owns and manages the housing. The partial list of partner organizations that will have a presence at Mainspring include: York County Community Action, Southern Maine Agency on Aging, MaineHealth, and more.

Free microchips
provided for pets

From 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 2, Animal Welfare Society’s Community Veterinary Clinic will offer free microchips and rabies vaccines for dogs and cats. The clinic is located on the AWS clinic at 46 Holland Road in Kennebunk. AWS encourages all pet families in the community to microchip their pets and to keep them up-to-date with their rabies vaccinations.

“Microchips are small devices, about the size of a grain of rice, that a veterinarian inserts under the pet’s skin near their shoulder blades,” AWS Executive Director Abigail Smith said. “It’s a painless procedure that takes only a few minutes. AWS’ Community Veterinary Clinic offers microchip insertion during wellness appointments or procedures (including spay/neuter surgeries). Additionally, all AWS dogs and cats are microchipped prior to adoption.”

A microchip is an important tool in pet identification, should a pet get lost or run away. Local animal shelters, including AWS, most veterinarians, and many police departments have special microchip scanners to use when an unidentified (lost or stray) pet comes into the facility. A dog with a microchip is three times more likely to be reunited than one without. Microchipped cats are 20 times more likely to be returned to their families than cats without a microchip.

Dogs and cats over 12 weeks of age can receive a free microchip, a rabies vaccine, or both – donations are accepted. To receive a three-year rabies vaccine, pet owners must bring the pet’s previous rabies certificate or records from a vet. Otherwise, the pet will receive a 1-year vaccine.

For more information or to RSVP, visit animalwelfaresociety.org/event/microchip-rabies-vaccine-clinic-1124/. Drop ins are welcome on the day of, as supplies last. For more information about the AWS Community Veterinary Clinic, visit animalwelfaresociety.org/veterinary-care/

Affordable homeownership
opportunities in Sanford

Two affordable homeownership opportunities are available in Sanford through Habitat for Humanity York County. Interested people may apply to Habitat’s program which is designed to support local individuals and families in need of safe, decent and affordable housing. Habitat homebuyers purchase their homes through an affordable mortgage that will be no more than 30% of the household’s income and pay a $1,500 down payment at closing.

Eligibility requirements include:

• Applicants must fall within the income guidelines and have a minimum income of $44,000. The income minimum is dependent on household size.

• Applicants must have a demonstrated need for housing (e.g., overcrowding, unsafe living conditions, or unaffordable rent)

• Applicants must be willing to partner with Habitat and contribute sweat equity hours – time spent volunteering on the build site and at the Kennebunk ReStore

• Applicants must either live or work in York County for at least one year.

To apply, interested applicants can visit habitatyorkcounty.org/homeownership to download an application, or a physical application can be picked up at the Kennebunk ReStore located at 123 York St. in Kennebunk. Applications must be returned to the Kennebunk ReStore or mailed back to Habitat by Nov. 12 at 5 p.m.

For more information about Habitat for Humanity’s homeownership program, contact Habitat at program@habitatyorkcounty.org.

UNE to host
exhibit in Biddeford

The University of New England will debut “The Green Child Story: A Walk-Through Artbook for the Child Within” by Maine artist Wendy Newbold Patterson at the Campus Center in Biddeford on Tuesday, Oct. 29. An artist talk will be held at the Campus Center, located at 11 Hills Beach Road in Biddeford, at 2 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 11.

“The Green Child Story” is both an art exhibit and a story for adults and children featuring 36 paintings, drawings, and encaustics.

The showcase presents a mythopoeic exploration of climate distress, blending art, poetry, and myth to inspire viewers toward a deeper connection with the natural world. Viewers will travel through doors and out of boxes on what Newbold Patterson describes as “a playful odyssey” to explore nature, time, and place, offering “a healing path for our relationship with Earth through our own attentive senses,” she said.

The show runs through Dec. 10. More information about the exhibit can be found at une.edu/news/2024/wendy-newbold-pattersons-green-child-story-debut-une-biddeford-campus-center-oct-29