News Notes

Bookshelves at the Springvale Library, one of the locations where students can sign up for Boomer’s Bookworms and earn free tickets to a Sanford Mainers home game.

Photo: Carolyn Cadigan

Compiled by Carolyn Cadigan

Read and root for the home team: The Sanford Mainers are launching a new reading program, Boomer’s Bookworms. From March 11 through May 31, students in kindergarten through grade eight are eligible to read books and earn free tickets to a Sanford Mainers home game. Stop by the Sanford Mainers Headquarters at 917 Main St., the Springvale Library at 443 Main St. in Springvale or Zippy Copy Center at 1725 Main St. to learn more.

Smoke alarms save lives: Working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death from home fires in half. The Sanford Fire Department, partnering with the American Red Cross, is installing free smoke alarms in Sanford on April 27. Request a smoke alarm installation today by emailing Maryellen Tarling at maryellen.tarling@redcross.org or call the Red Cross Portland office at 207-874-1192 and leave a message. They are also looking for volunteers to help. No experience necessary. FMI, go to https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w2Q2WYYQ9IHkeIe1nUYk_OV11aGXMMb_/view.

Donation keeps summer food distributions possible: When the Sanford Backpack Program (SBP) announced they were scaling back due to financial strains, the Ending Hunger Crew at Atlantic Federal Credit Union (AFCU) responded swiftly with a $10,000 aid package. This donation will allow the SBP to continue their summer community food distributions. AFCU raised $147,799 in 2023 to help the Campaign for Ending Hunger in Maine.

Many hands make light work: The second annual Earth Day Cleanup will take place April 22, 8 am – 1pm. Join a group of Great Bay Services participants, staff and community members to clean up litter and debris from streets and trails around the organization’s location at 61 Washington St. FMI on volunteering, donating or supporting the event.

The Blue Line Trolley, servicing between Kennebunk Lower Village and the Wells/Ogunquit town line, will not be available for the 2024 summer season.

Photo: YCCAC Transportation

CDL driver shortage impacts local trolley service: YCCAC Transportation announced they will not provide Blue Line Trolley service between Kennebunk Lower Village and the Wells/Ogunquit town line for the 2024 summer season. They continue to struggle with recruiting and hiring the number of licensed CDL drivers needed to operate the trolley service. Unfortunately, this has become the norm across the country for many businesses that rely on an increasingly scarce number of licensed CDL drivers.

A creative program helps with high housing costs: A new pilot program from MaineHousing pairs elderly homeowners and empty nesters with young adults looking to rent. Rents are an estimated 20% to 30% lower than market prices, and, in some cases, homeowners will barter some household tasks for a reduced rent. Background checks are conducted on both parties to ensure safety. For the first few months, the program, which uses a digital platform from Nesterly to make home matches, will focus on signing up Maine hosts. Then they will begin to recruit renters. At the end of 2024, MaineHousing will review the program’s results.

New trustee fills vacant seat at the water district: The Sanford Water District welcomes its newest trustee, Brian Samia, an active real estate agent in the community for 22 years. Samia has also been involved with the Sanford Trails Committee, Kiwanis Club of Sanford, Sanford Soccer Association and Sanford-Springvale Little League. He fills the vacant seat left by the late John Cochin, who served as a trustee from 1980 until his passing on Dec. 18, 2023. Cochin’s background in chemistry and understanding of water treatment was very helpful to the district over the years.

Main Street Memo – Edition 32 is now available: Be in the know about the latest news and announcements in Sanford. Access the latest publication here .