News Notes 

Bob Myott, president of Sanford Rotary Club, Keith Patterson and Lawrence Furbish 

Photo: Bridget Salantri 

Compiled by Carolyn Cadigan 

Roundabout cleaned up despite the weather: Three hardy souls picked up litter in the rain last Saturday at the Route 4/Route 109 roundabout. Bridget Salantri organized the cleanup as part of Sanford Rotary Club’s efforts to rejuvenate the native plantings. They removed cups, plastic covers, food wrappers and cigarette butts. Salantri said she was pleased to see white sedge in bloom, as well as lush growth of sweet fern, low-bush blueberries, and bluestem, supporting pollinators and other beneficial insects. “So, when driving around the roundabout, take care and appreciate the work that a few do to help with the upkeep of our community,” she said. The next clean-up date is scheduled for Saturday, May 31, starting at 7 am, leaving from the Lil General’s parking lot. Volunteers are welcome.

Jonathan Gillis arrested for Bodwell St. Stabbing: On April 30 at around 7:30 PM, officers received a tip that Gillis was at an apartment on Breary Avenue in Sanford. After surrounding the residence, officers were able to get Gillis to come out of the residence on his own, where he was taken into custody without incident. Gillis was arrested on an active warrant for Aggravated Assault, a Class B crime. He was booked at the Sanford Police Station and later transported to the York County Jail. Bail has been set at $50,000, as determined by the judge who signed the warrant affidavit. The Sanford Police Department would like to thank the Maine Drug Enforcement and especially the Sanford community for their support and efforts to help us find Gillis. This outcome is a reminder that when we stand together, we are stronger and safer as a community.  

Nothing is certain, except death, taxes and postage stamp increases: Mailing services through the US Postal Service (USPS) will cost more starting July 13 if newly proposed price adjustments are approved by the USPS Board of Governors. The new rates include a 5-cent increase in the price of a Forever stamp, raising the price from 73 cents to 78 cents. The Forever stamp cost just 41 cents when it was introduced in 2007. Increases to other mailing services will be approximately 7.4%. According to the USPS, these price adjustments are needed to achieve the financial stability sought by the organization’s 10-year plan.  

Free training offered for those who sell and serve alcohol: Alcohol retailers play a vital role in keeping communities safe from alcohol-related harms. MaineHealth is offering a free training to help those who sell and serve alcohol to do it safely. A Responsible Beverage Server & Seller Training will be held June 2, from 10 am to 2 pm, at MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Sanford. The training covers safe practices that help ensure the safety of workplace staff, customers and the community. Attendees will learn how to assess and prevent intoxication, detect impairment, identify false IDs, and build refusal of sale skills. Attendees will receive a 2025 ID checking guide. Lunch will be provided. To register, email stephanie.mastersplamondon@mainehealth.org. 

Springvale Library — more than just books: Thanks to the generosity of Town Square Realty Group, Springvale Library is offering to card holders free museum passes to the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine in Portland, the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, and the Portland Museum of Art. Visit the library or call 207-324-4624 to reserve tickets. 

Can you recognize the warning signs of a stroke? Every 40 seconds, someone in America has a stroke. It is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of long-term disability. However, strokes are largely preventable, treatable and beatable. Nasson Health Care recently called attention to the American Stroke Association’s guide on how to recognize the symptoms and F.A.S.T. warning signs (Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call 911) of a stroke. Learn more and access the guide here. 

Don’t forget your blue suede shoes for this Trafton trip: The Trafton Travelers will be setting sail aboard the M/S Mount Washington on May 20 for a 2.5-hour cruise on Lake Winnipesaukee. The trip features a performance of “Cruisin’ With the King,” with Rick Anthony as Elvis, as well as a buffet luncheon. The cost of $159 per person includes transportation, the boat ride, lunch, gratuities and taxes, and the live performance. FMI, call Robin Bibber at 207-457-0080. 

A bill proposed by Rep. Anne-Marie Mastraccio aims to lower the barriers faced by young Mainers to access driver’s education. 

Photo: bobtheskater from Pixabay 

Proposed bill would lower barriers to obtaining a learner’s permit: Young adults learning to drive would have more flexibility in how to earn a driver’s license, under a bill proposed by Rep. Anne-Marie Mastraccio, D-Sanford. Under current law, minors pass a written driving exam and complete a driver’s education course in order to obtain a learner’s permit. LD 1480 would allow students to obtain a learner’s permit before completing a driver’s ed course, although they would still have to complete the course in order to obtain a full license.  

Rep. Mastraccio said the bill would give young people more time to learn from a parent, guardian or trusted adult. The trusted adult must have held a license for at least two years and must be at least 25 years old. 

“There was a time when driver’s education was taught in public schools and paid for by taxpayers, giving every student the same opportunity to learn to drive. At some point, driver’s education became privatized and not easily accessible to Mainers due to the rising cost of classes,” said Mastraccio. “This bill addresses the increasing barriers to accessing driver’s education, and gives young people in Maine a greater opportunity to learn to drive before we send them off to college or into the workforce.”   

June closure for Goodall Library as it readies to return home: Goodall Library will be closed for the month of June as the staff prepares to move back to their newly renovated building at 952 Main St. in Sanford. The last day to order any interlibrary loan requests from other libraries is May 2. Also, as a result of the move, the library’s summer reading program will kick off in July this year. More details on the reading program are expected to be released in the next few weeks. 

Vendor applications still available for St. George’s fair: An outdoor Vendor and Craft Fair will be held at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 3 Emerson St. in Sanford, on May 17, from 9 am to 2 pm. A wide range of handmade items, gifts and more will be sold. Vendor spaces are still available. If interested, contact Sara at goochy@metrocast.net to request a seller application by May 10. 

DPW continues street striping project: The Sanford Public Works Department expects to continue street striping (lines, crosswalks, arrows, stop bars, etc.) nightly over the next two weeks from 7 pm to 7 am (weather permitting). The project began April 28. The department urges people to watch for crews, striping equipment and wet paint, and to use caution in areas where crews are working. FMI, contact Public Works at 207-324-9135.  

June cheerleading fundraiser still accepting vendors: Sanford Youth Cheerleader is holding a Craft Fair fundraiser on June 1, from 9 am to 2 pm, at the Bowl-A-Rama parking lot in Sanford. A variety of handmade items, vendor offerings, raffles and concessions will be available. The fundraiser will help support the cheerleaders’ participation at the NCA Cheer Camp in Bangor this summer. Organizers for the fundraiser are still accepting vendors. If interested, contact Nichole Daigle-Clarke at nicholescustomvinylsandmore@gmail.com.