News Notes: August 19, 2023

The Sanford family shelter’s new play equipment

Built in a day: Thanks to a donation from a member of the community, the York County Shelter Program’s family emergency shelter in Sanford has a new play set for kids. Mary Henderson and her family transported the equipment and set it up in one day with help from several shelter residents. The shelter, which has housed 11 families since last fall, provides short-term housing for parents and children who were living in unsafe situations.

Pool closing: The Sanford Springvale YMCA pool and nearby locker rooms will be closed from Aug. 21 to Sept. 4 while workers empty and regrout the much-used pool. The pool deck and locker rooms are also due for cleaning, sealing, painting and some repairs. Meanwhile the rest of the Y, including the Wellness Center and its locker rooms, will remain open.

Scam alerts: The York County Sheriff’s Office is advising residents to be on the alert for scam phone calls and letters that claim to be representing or raising funds for law enforcement. In one case, a caller who claims to be with the sheriff’s department says that the person who answered the call must pay a fine or risk arrest. The department was alerted when the scammer unwittingly called a sheriff’s deputy. Another scam involves calls or letters from something called the United States Deputy Sheriff’s Association claiming to be raising money for equipment for law enforcement or offering donors a chance to win $1 million in a lottery. Police departments are not allowed by law to raise funds this way. This fundraiser is not connected to any area departments.

Artwork at the Sanford Water District office

Art on display: Works by many area artists are now decorating the walls of the Sanford Water District office at 243 River St., near Carl J. Lamb School. The group, Local Southern Maine Artists, hung the paintings last week and will rotate works every couple of months. Most of the works are for sale. The district office is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Anyone is welcome to come take a look, whether they have business with the water district or not.

Apple Festival is back: The Shaker Hill Apple Festival, a fundraiser for York County Shelter Programs, is returning Sept. 23 and 24 after a covid-induced break. Featured will be a juried crafts show, hayrides, food, music and more at the program’s campus on Shaker Hill Road in Alfred. The agency is now looking for craftspeople interested in entering their works. For more information, contact Bonnie Leslie at bleslie@ycspi.org or 324-1137, extension 109.