News Notes: October 23, 2022

The Maine Water Utilities Association (MWUA) awarded Sanford Water District Superintendent David Parent the Jeffrey L. McNelly Award at its recent Annual Drinking Water Protection Symposium. The award is given annually to a regulator, water/wastewater employee, or governance board member who exemplifies a dedication to the profession.  Parent started his career at the Sanford Water District in 1984 on the outside operations crew, working on the distribution system. He was quickly promoted to foreman and then assistant superintendent before being promoted to superintendent in 2011.

Earlier this month, Gordon Frohloff represented the Sanford-Springvale YMCA at the Maine Senior Games Masters Swim Meet. Gordon took home three medals: silver in the 50 yard freestyle, gold in the 500 yard free and silver in the 100 yard free. Congratulations Gordon on your accomplishment!

York County Shelter Programs is in need of double beds for their shelters, as well as double bed sheet sets. (Sheets sets need to be new/unused.) If you have either to donate or can make a donation towards their purchase, please contact Bonnie Leslie at 207-324-1137, ext. 109, or bleslie@ycspi.org.

Communities Care Day, held at North Parish Church on October 10, was a HUGE success, with over 70 adults attending with 55 children in tow! Fifty people received free haircuts and 6 lucky winners went home with Hannaford Gift Cards. Forty volunteers helped distribute clothes, coats, boots, bedding, and toiletries; helped prepare free breakfast or lunch; watched kiddos so parents could shop; and talked about helpful resources in our community.

The Sanford Water District’s fall hydrant flushing is ongoing. The week of October 23-28, these street hydrants will be flushed during the nighttime hours: North Ave, Spruce St, June St, Cottage St, Shaw Rd, Main St (Washington St to Lenox St), School St, Twombley Rd, Lebanon St, Roberts St, Kimball St, Berwick Rd, Sugar Hill Rd. Customers near hydrants may briefly experience discolored water. Turn on a cold tap for a few minutes till the water runs clear again. If the problem persists, please contact the district office at (207) 324-2312 or visit http://www.sanfordwater.org/flushing.

Matt Provencher, the City’s Assistant Engineer, recently passed the exam to become a licensed Professional Engineer.  Candidates must have at least four years of field experience and a degree in civil engineering in order to sit for the all-day test. Public Works Director Matt Hill said, “Matt Provencher has demonstrated a great work ethic and commitment to the Department and the City of Sanford. Obtaining his PE license is an awesome opportunity to recognize him and express our appreciation of his efforts.”

St. Thomas School History: Read Shawn Sullivan’s story about the 50^th anniversary of St. Thomas School here: https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/opinion/2022/10/19/st-thomas-school-marks-50-years-catholic-education-sanford-me/8206235001/. The Sanford-Springvale Historical Museum’s new exhibit features mementoes and artifacts from the School’s history. The Museum is open Fridays 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and Saturdays 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Sanford Community Adult Education offers FREE Career Navigation to everyone in our community! Get on track to land a new job or move up in your current one. SCAE can help you find opportunities for employment, trainings, certifications, credentials, apprenticeships and more. Contact Kate at 207-977-6548 or kpoints@sanford.org to find out how Career Navigation can help you reach your goals.

The Amable A. and Vivian Caron Scholarship program is taking applications through November 21, 2022, for a $2,500 scholarship. It is open to Atlantic Federal Credit Union members who are primary members of an active account. Applicants must be enrolled in a Fall 2022 undergraduate or graduate program at an accredited college/vocational school (minimum 6 credit hours per semester). The complete rules and application form are here:https://www.atlanticfcu.com/_/kcms-doc/706/74187/Caron-Scholarship-Application-and-Rules-2022.pdf

Partners Bank has been named one of the 2022 Best Places to Work in Maine in the statewide survey and awards program designed to identify, recognize, and honor the best places of employment in Maine. The program ranks companies in benefitting the state’s economy, its workforce, and its businesses. This award comes after the completion of a two-part process which evaluated each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices, and demographics (worth approximately 25% of the total evaluation) and then surveyed company employees to measure the employee experience (worth approximately 75% of the total evaluation). The combined scores determined the top companies and the final rankings, which were announced October 17 in Mainebiz.

Kids Free to Grow’s 2nd Annual Diaper Drive is off and running! You can donate diapers at one of their collection sites through the month of October! All collected diapers will be distributed back to families in York County.  You can find collection boxes locally at the Springvale Library, Sanford-Springvale YMCA and Frannie’s Mini Donuts.

Are you having any difficulties paying your water or sewerage bill? Both the Sanford Water District and the Sanford Sewerage District have partnered with the Maine Water Assistance Program through the Maine Housing Authority to provide aid to qualifying customers. This program is available to income-qualified Maine households who receive their water through public water or wastewater utilities and have an account in their name. It covers unpaid bill balances, property liens for water utility non-payment and bills for customers facing a disconnection notice. The program may also provide a credit to eligible households to defray future water costs. This program is funded through the federal government, it does not impact any local resources. Find out more at https://mainehousing.org/programs-services/energy/energydetails/mwap.