Maine Biz - Portland Water District was awarded an $8.1 million grant to lead a regional watershed protection initiative safeguarding Sebago Lake, a drinking water source for more than 200,000 people.
The money came from the Regional Conservation Partnership Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. Additional financing comes from $10 million in partner contributions.
WalletHub today released
its report on the Most Charitable States, along with expert commentary, to
highlight where people spend the most time and money helping others. WalletHub
also released a Charity Calculator to help donors decide where and how
to give.
Generosity in Maine (1=Most Charitable; 25=Avg.):
- Overall Rank: 10th
- 6th – Charities per Capita
- 12th – % of Population Who
Donated Time
- 15th – % of Population
Collecting/Distributing Food
- 11th – Volunteer Rate
- 21st – Volunteer Hours per
Capita
Press Herald - Freeport Community Services is looking to raise $3.5 million to expand its food pantry and thrift shop, which funds essential programs for Freeport and Pownal residents. The expansion push comes as FCS works to accommodate greater needs in the community, staff said. In addition to the food pantry, the Community Center offers home heating assistance, support for families in need during the holidays and age-friendly groups and classes.
The Community Center’s current footprint is ill-suited for the number of people it serves, said Jennifer Hazard, FCS communications and engagement director. The food pantry is located in four rooms of a former historic home, meaning that only a few clients can shop at a time while others wait.
...The expansion, set to break ground in 2027, will open up the food pantry to accommodate more visitors and include an activity area where children can play while parents shop.
....The thrift shop also will be expanded to accommodate shopping, donation drop-offs and processing all on one side of the center, said Liza Moore, who chairs the FCS capital campaign committee.
Press Herald - Brunswick operates a public fitness facility at the Brunswick Recreation Center, at 220 Neptune Drive. It has cardio machines, free weights and strength training equipment.
Paid membership costs residents
$20 monthly or $220 annually, and nonresidents $30 or $330. Day passes cost $5
and $10, respectively. Active military personnel, students and adults 65 and
older qualify for discounts.
A free basic membership gives
residents and nonresidents access to an indoor walking track and basketball and
pickleball courts. The center is open seven days a week. runswick acquired the
former Navy field house after Brunswick Naval Air Station closed. The Parks and
Recreation Department moved there in 2013, and renovations were completed in
2022.
Friends
of Casco Bay – Even with autumn rains, Casco Bay remains extra
salty because it hasn't received its normal influx of fresh water. Maine’s
rivers, streams and groundwater tables are at record low levels. And the
State's recent report on Combined Sewer Overflows showed lower-than-normal
amounts, partly because of the drought and partly because of continued
improvements to sewer systems, including separating stormwater from wastewater
and building storage tanks like those along Back Cove.
Climate change means our weather
patterns increasingly swing between prolonged dry periods and intense
precipitation. Despite the drought, stormwater remains the largest unmanaged
source of pollution to Maine waters.
Brian Tyler Cohen - New England will have zero Republican Senators for the first time since the GOP was founded in the 1850s.