ROCKLAND — Are you passionate about making a difference or looking for meaningful ways to give back?

The United Midcoast Charities’ Volunteer Recruitment Expo will be held Tuesday, March 11, from 4 - 7 p.m., at The Flanagan Center, 61 Limerock Street in Rockland.

"This is your opportunity to connect with dozens of local groups that need volunteers and find what aligns with your passions," said UMC, in a news release.

Why attend?

● Meet Representatives: Connect with local organizations needing volunteers like you.

ROCKPORT — Riley School will hold its inaugural 5K on Sunday, March 23, 2025. The race route, which participants may run or walk, starts on the Riley campus at 73 Warrenton Street and remains within the safety of the Warrenton/Waldo roadway, according to the school, in a news release, and includes a picturesque view of Glen Cove and a loop down to the Samoset Resort.

ROCKPORT — The New England Fishery Management Council is seeking input for the development of a Scallop Strategic Plan.

College of the Atlantic, Maine College of Art & Design, Saint Joseph’s College of Maine, and University of New England will join The Worthington Scholarship Foundation (WSF) list of partner colleges.

Maine Department of Labor announces upcoming no-cost trainings for March 2025.

Upcoming classes:

CAMDEN — United Midcoast Charities (UMC) has launched a new initiative to empower the next generation of leaders: inviting high school students to participate as Junior Grant Readers.

UNION — The Trustees of the Union Fair Society has signed a contract with Rockwell Amusements to provide carnival rides and attractions during the Union Fair / Maine’s Wild Blueberry Festival.

The 2025 Union Fair / Maine’s Wild Blueberry Festival will return to a combined five-day event starting on Wednesday, July 30, 2025 and running through Sunday, August 3, 2025. The change in dates to include the first weekend in August will align with Wild Blueberry Weekend, declared by Maine Governor Janet Mills in 2021 and the wild blueberry harvest season.

THOMASTON — Business owners, nonprofit leaders, and community stakeholders in Thomaston are invited to the first Thrive in Thomaston meeting, Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 5 - 6:30 p.m., at The Carriage House (9 Green St.).

Thrive in Thomaston is a revitalized and expanded version of the former Main Street Thomaston group, now open to all businesses in town, including those with storefronts, online operations, nonprofits, and churches. The goal is to foster collaboration, networking, and collective marketing efforts to strengthen the local economy.

PenBay Veterinary Associates has hired Jessica Bouchard to join its team in Rockport.

Originally from rural New Hampshire, Dr. Bouchard traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland, to complete her veterinary degree at the prestigious Edinburgh University in 2016.

She completed an internship at Myhre Equine Clinic in Rochester, N.H., and following that has spent the majority of her veterinary career practicing at a busy small animal/exotics practice in Falkirk, Scotland.

The Pen Bay Council of the Mid-Coast Board of REALTORS has distributed fundraising checks to four local charities, each selected by Brian Wickenden, the 2023 Pen Bay Council REALTOR of the Year. These funds, matched by the Maine Association of REALTORS (MAR) Foundation, will provide vital support to AIO Energy Assistance, Homeworthy, New Hope Midcoast, and Habitat for Humanity.

ROCKPORT and BELFAST — Four care team members from MaineHealth Pen Bay and Waldo Hospitals were recently honored with employee awards during ceremonies held on the hospital campuses. Each quarter, the hospitals recognize care team members who have won any of the organizations’ employee awards.

Awards given this quarter include:

 The DAISY Award, which celebrates and recognizes nurses by collecting nominations from patients, families and co-workers. This international award honors and thanks nurses for the care and kindness they provide. 

ROCKPORT — MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital welcomes Jennifer Wooden, MD, MPH, to its Pediatrics department. She comes to MHPBH from Aurora Pediatrics in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, where she spent the past three years as a pediatrician.

Ken Gricus recently received a special award honoring his 52 years as a Rockland Rotarian, with 50 years of Perfect Attendance.

Gricus joined Rockland Rotary in 1972 at the invite of Ed Thompson. He was 35 years old and among the youngest of the club’s members. At that time, Rev. William Robbins was the president and Rotary was a suit-and-tie association made up of professional men.

Attendance was essential. If you missed three weeks of meetings in a row, you had in effect signed your resignation.

ROCKPORT — Granite Coast Orthodontics announces the addition of Dr. Emily Leach, DMD, MS, to its team.

"Leach brings an outstanding academic record, a passion for patient care, and a deep connection to the Midcoast Maine community to her new role," said Granite Coast Orthodontics, in a news release.

NORTHPORT— Spark Bagel, owned by Shawn Williams, is the latest addition in Northport for anyone looking for a sweet or savory breakfast treat.

The bagel shop recently opened to the public on Saturdays.

Although he said he is a big fan of the New York City-style bagel, having grown up in Long Island, his methods stray from the New York style because he makes his bagels with sourdough.

Instead of boiling them in barley malt the New York way, he boils his bagels in a honey water bath using local Swan's Honey, which seals the crust.

CAMDEN — United Midcoast Charities' next LEARN@UMC workshop, “Grant Writing for Nonprofits”, will be held Wednesday, Feb. 12, from 9 to 10:30 a.m., at the UMC office in Camden.

ROCKLAND — Shannon Crute, from the Rockland Career Center, will be available to provide one-on-one assistance with Drop-In Career Center Services, Fridays, from 1:30 - 4 p.m., starting February 7, at the Rockland Public Library.

She can assist people with job searches, resume and interviewing, locating a registered apprenticeship, training and education assistance, federal bonding information, and veteran’s services and job search assistance. 

Maine State Credit Union has launched “People Helping People,” a new charitable giving initiative dedicated to helping people through donations and volunteer efforts in Maine and across the United States.