News Notes: February 12, 2023
Congratulations to the 7th grade boys of Sanford Spartans Youth Basketball (pictured above with coaches Keith Lolley and Keith Gendron) for winning the Southern Maine Hoops League Championship in an exciting game vs. Windham 34-33! The 5th and 6th grade girls’ team won in the Semifinal round vs. Gorham and will be playing in the Championship next weekend. Go Spartans!
On February 6, Bowl-a-Rama hosted “The Ladies Vs. The Legends” featuring Craig Holbrook, Al Johnson, Brooke Betteridge and Amanda Carroll. It was a great spirited match going back and forth, but in the end, the Legends prevailed. All four bowlers were well over average, including 2 -600’s and nearly a third one. Over $400 was raised for Candlepins For Cancer despite harsh weather last weekend. Watch it on Candlepin Bowling Network’s YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARaWRSv0mPU.
The Sanford City Council is looking for candidates to fill a vacancy on the Council until the end of 2023. Interested individuals should submit a letter of interest outlining their qualifications, experience and reasons for wishing to serve by February 28th. Letters of interest will be reviewed by the Council’s Applications Committee. Selected candidates will each meet with the full City Council for a public conversation on March 14th. A vote on the appointment to fill the vacancy will be taken at the regular City Council Meeting on March 21st. For more information: http://bit.ly/3XXcf24
The City of Sanford has been awarded a $200,000 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Action Plan grant from the USDOT. The grant will be used to develop a comprehensive safety Action Plan. Sanford Director of Public Works, Matthew Hill, P.E. explained the importance of the grant, “The SS4A grant funds the City’s effort to create a plan to identify local safety concerns. Once complete, the City can scope projects from the Action Plan and apply to the SS4A Fund for Implementation Grants.”
Want to make a real difference in someone’s life? Become a volunteer driver with York County Community Action. Volunteer Drivers provide service to local residents who have no other means of transportation. Mileage reimbursement is available to offset the cost of gas. If you have some extra time, a good reliable vehicle and a desire to help your community, attend an information session at Sanford Community Adult Education to learn more. Register here: https://sanford.coursestorm.com/course/become-a-volunteer-driver. Sessions are scheduled for Tuesday, March 7, 14 or 21 at 1:00 pm at the Willard School.
There will be a reduction in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits beginning March 1st. These additional funds were made available to families through COVID-19 funding. If you need local food assistance, call 211 or (866) 811-5695, text your zip code to 898-211, and search for resources online. For more information on the reduction in snap benefits, follow this link: https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/ofi/programs-services/phe.
Congratulations to Sanford Mainers 2018 pitcher, John Murphy, who was recently signed by the Cincinnati Reds! Murphy becomes the FIFTH Mainer in the last year to sign a professional contract.
Substance Use and Narcan: Sanford Police Department and Sweetser OPTIONS Clinician, Lacey Bailey, will present a series of trainings aimed to reduce stigma and educate the public on substance use disorders. This training is open to the public. It will be held at the Sanford Police Department on the third Tuesday of each month beginning February 21st, 6pm-7pm. In this training session, you will receive a brief overview of SUD, learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of an overdose, and how you can be an active bystander in Maine’s fight against the opioid epidemic that affects all of us. Learn how to acquire and utilize Narcan. With overdoses killing at least two people every day in Maine, you could save a life and give someone a second chance to beat this awful disease. You never know if you might be at the right place at the right time. The class limit is 40 people on a first come, first served basis. Please RSVP to Lacey Bailey at lmbailey@sanfordmaine.org.
Sarcione’s Italian Bakery is now taking orders. Their homemade Italian almond cookies and pastries are baked fresh every Friday for pickup in Sanford on Saturday. Orders must be placed a week in advance. See their website for all the delicious choices: www.sarcionesbakery.com.
Sanford Firefighters and Police Officers are entering year two of joint training for critical incidents. Over the course of four days recently SFD and SPD conducted entry, movement, and triage drills for active shooter incidents. The goal of the drills was for Fire and Police to work seamlessly as a Rescue Task Force to quickly reach and start providing medical care for injured persons. See the photos below.
