Happy Saturday, Lewiston!
The city is launching its Lewiston Live busking fest today; you can party on a closed-off section of Lisbon Street while being entertained by 15 acts, including street jazz and stunt comedy.
Learn more about that below, and also get info on the Walk to End Alzheimer's, taking place this morning at Simard Payne Park. Fundraisers like this mean a lot to me, since I lost two grandmothers and two family friends to the disease. I hope in the coming years that we all have Alzheimer's in the rearview mirror.
As always, I encourage you to email me with submissions about upcoming events or other community contributions to be included in this newsletter.
In this week's newsletter: L-A Community Market on the horizon; Greenline commuter bus service expands; and letters from Lewiston residents.
Thanks for reading. Until next time,
- Alex Lear
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MORE NEWS
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A man, who goes by the name “Savage,” dances recently to music playing on his phone while bouncing his son Malakai on his shoulders on Bates Street in Lewiston. They are on their way to Malakai’s school. (Russ Dillingham/Staff Photographer)
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A long-planned neighborhood grocery store, cafe and food business incubator is moving forward after Lewiston officials agreed to sell the former police station property at 171 Park St. to project organizers. The L-A Community Market, which will operate under a cooperative ownership structure with memberships, is set to also have dry and cold storage for local farms and growers, commercial kitchens, and outdoor space for food trucks. The station is be razed to make way for a 20,000-square-foot facility.
The owner of Cantrell’s Seafood 2 at 1294 Lisbon St. in Lewiston announced late Monday he'd be closing the location for good the next day. In a brief post to the retailer’s Facebook page, owner Andy Cantrell stated simply that the business’s lease was up; he didn't elaborate. Cantrell took over the Lisbon Street location three years ago from George Gendron, who was in business for 36 years. Gendron retained ownership of the building.
Roopers Beverage and Redemption has sold its 1420 Lisbon St. location in Lewiston — leaving four Roopers outlets remaining — following last year’s sale of its 301 Main St. store in New Auburn to Lighthouse Discount Beverage. The Roopers company website lists four locations — Sabattus Street, Lewiston; Main Street, Oxford; Main Street, Lewiston; and Minot Avenue, Auburn.
A Lewiston woman was charged with drug trafficking Tuesday after police said a search of her Granite Street home uncovered a variety of narcotics and three handguns. Police arrested the 21-year-old on four counts of aggravated drug trafficking. She was apprehended at Tree Street Youth on Howe Street, where she's listed as an assistant program manager with Willow, an after-school program for elementary age school children. She was later freed on bail, and investigators say no drugs were found on her when she was arrested.
A Massachusetts man wanted on child assault charges was arrested Tuesday in Lewiston, the U.S. Marshals Service said in a news release. The 36-year-old was wanted on three counts of assault and battery on a family or household member and strangulation or suffocation against a 5-year-old, the release said.
Lewiston began using smoke Monday to test for leaks in the sewer system in northeast neighborhoods of the city, and asked residents there to pour a gallon of water into all seldom-used sinks, floor drains and other plumbing fixtures to avoid smoke in their homes. The water was to help block test smoke and sewer gases from entering homes during the inspection process, officials said. In fixtures that are frequently used, water would already be present in those drains.
Western Maine Transportation Services expanded its GreenLine commuter bus schedule Oct. 1, increasing to six weekday round trips between Farmington and Lewiston-Auburn. The GreenLine links Farmington with Wilton, Jay, Livermore Falls, Livermore and Turner, with southbound runs beginning at the University of Maine at Farmington’s Olsen Center and northbound service turning at Lewiston’s Oak Street Bus Station.
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THIS WEEK'S MYSTERY PHOTO
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If you can identify where this photo was taken, contact us at bmail@sunjournal.com with your answer, your name, town and phone number. Correct entries will be put into a drawing for a $25 gift card courtesy of Hannaford Supermarkets.
(P.S. Did you guess last week's Mystery Photo correctly?)
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COMMUNITY VOICES/AROUND TOWN
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Roxanne Baker, right, an educator and activist in the Maine deaf community, is pictured here teaching American Sign Language to cast members of the upcoming Community Little Theatre production of “A New Home.” The entire cast of 30 is learning ASL interpretation for “One More Goodbye,” one of the musical numbers in the show, according to cast member Roger Philippon. Written by Paul G. Caron, the show’s director and composer, the song is a tribute to the 18 lives lost in the tragic mass shooting that occurred in Lewiston on October 25, 2023. Four of the victims were
members of the local deaf community. “A New Home” runs Oct. 30 to Nov. 9; learn more here. From left are ASL interpreter Olive Paternoster and cast members Glenn Atkins, Karianna Merrill and Ashleigh St. Pierre. (Courtesy photo)
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SUBMIT YOUR NEWS: Whether it's an upcoming event, municipal update or something else entirely, we're
always looking for local happenings to feature in this newsletter. Send us the details for consideration.
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THINGS TO DO
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The SeniorsPlus Education Center, which has a location at 8 Falcon Road in Lewiston, offers a wide variety of activities. Here's a comprehensive listing of its offerings, such as the Operating Minds Through Art exhibit being held Monday, Oct. 27.
A commemorative blood drive, honoring those impacted by the October 2023 shootings in Lewiston, runs today from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Central Maine Medical Center, 12 High St. in Lewiston. Learn more here.
The Walk to End Alzheimer's runs from 9 a.m. to noon today at Simard Payne Memorial Park, 46 Beech St. in Lewiston. One of seven walks held that day across the state, the event raises funds for Alzheimer's care and support. Register and learn more here.
Lewiston Live, the city’s first attempt at hosting a busking festival, takes place today from 4 to 7 p.m. on a closed section of Lisbon Street between Ash and Main streets. It's set to feature 15 acts ranging from New Orleans street jazz to an energetic stunt comedy group. Get more info here.
The Lewiston Farmers Market runs tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 2 Oxford St. The weekly gathering offers visitors a chance to connect with one another and shop for a wide variety of local foods and goods. Click here to learn more.
The Stanton Bird Club will host its annual meeting from 2 to 4 p.m. tomorrow at L/A Arts, 168 Lisbon St. in Lewiston. The club will host Carey Kish, hiker and author, for his talk about hiking the three major trails in the U.S., titled “7,500 Miles on Foot: Tackling the Triple Crown of Hiking.” The public is welcome, but space is limited. RSVP to Jeri Maurer at 207-524-2060 or Nancy Kleckner.
In commemoration of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Safe Voices will hold a memorial vigil from 4 to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 6, at Dufresne Plaza, 72 Lisbon St. in Lewiston. All are welcome to attend; learn more here.
"Crosscurrents in Jazz & Arabic Music," featuring Dharma Down and Gideon Forbes, runs from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, at the Olin Arts Center, 75 Russell St. in Lewiston. The show features two jazz ensembles heavily influenced by traditional Arabic music. Get more info here.
Family pumpkin painting takes place at the Lewiston Public Library, 200 Lisbon St., from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11. Attendees decorate mini foam pumpkins with a variety of paint pens, sharpies and acrylic paint. The pumpkins are one per person and first come, first served. This free program is recommended for families and kids ages 2-14. Learn more here.
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| VISIT OUR EVENTS CALENDAR
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THE WAY IT WAS IN LEWISTON
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Sept. 27, 1975: “A knife-wielding young man held up Genest's Discount Bread Store at Northwood Park in broad daylight today, taking with him about $66 in cash and police were conducting an intensive search of the Main Street area in which the man was
seen fleeing on foot.
“Police said the man, believed to be acting alone, walked up to the register attended by Mrs. Shirley Lyons around 10:20 a.m., took out a knife and demanded she hand over the money.”
Click here to read more of this story from 1975. Subscribers enjoy exclusive access to search and browse our digital archives on Newspapers.com.
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Alex Lear is a lifelong Mainer who has spent about 25 years in journalism, the first 20 as a reporter for newspapers in Damariscotta and Falmouth, and the rest as the Opinions section editor for the Sun Journal. His long-running
“Learics” column won first place in the Maine Press Association’s 2023 Better Newspaper Contest. He and his wife Lauren are kept young by their 8-year-old daughter Alaina. Send feedback and suggestions to Alex. You can support this newsletter by encouraging friends and family to subscribe here. Read more news at sunjournal.com.
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