New community center opens in Lewiston
The center is home to nine community organizations.
By Scott Taylor
Staff Writer

LEWISTON – The crowd of frozen adults couldn’t wait for little Thomas Cunneen to cut the ribbon and officially open the new B Street Community Center.

But Thomas was taking his time.

The 4-year-old looked around at the rosy adult cheeks, the red noses and the television cameras with wide eyes. The golden scissors in his hands were as long as his arm.

With a little help from his teacher, the 4-year-old snapped through the paper rings to officially open the center Friday. Then the Androscoggin Head Start and Child Care student and his classmates were hustled out of the way to make room for some 200 frozen well-wishers eager for a nice, warm tour of the facility.

Cold gusts of wind didn’t drive the crowd away from a podium and bandstand set up in front of the center at the corner of Bates and Birch streets. They listened gamely to speeches by Maine’s congressional delegates as they applauded the center and the community for helping to build it.

The $2.6 million center was built by the Lewiston Housing Authority with a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and with grants and loans from the city, Sisters of Charity Health System and Empower Lewiston.

Since opening in September, nine community organization have moved in, including the Housing Authority, Advocates for Children, Empower Lewiston, Lewiston Adult Education and Community Concepts. The center is also home to the B Street Health Center, a health center affiliated with the Sisters of Charity Health System, and a fully equipped computer lab.

U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud joined Lewiston Housing Authority Executive Director Jim Dowling and Mayor Larry Raymond to open the center.

“For once, the government was a contributor, not an inhibitor,” Snowe said.

Snowe praised the community for working hard to build the center.

“This is a stepping point for your efforts to ensure this be a dream come true to benefit the people that live in this wonderful neighborhood,” Snowe said.

Collins, too, downplayed her role .

“It’s been one of my great pleasures to play a small role in this effort,” she said. “We just helped provide an opportunity. Congratulations to all of you for doing it.”

Rep. Michaud applauded the community that helped build the center.

“One of the great things about the Lewiston-Auburn area is that the people really do care about the community,” Michaud said. “We’ve seen so much done in such a short time frame. You should be proud of your efforts.”

City Administrator Jim Bennett said he wasn’t surprised at the turnout. The center is a big deal for the city.

“The people that are working for the community are all here, and I think it’s a big thing for this neighborhood,” Bennett said. “I think this is tangible proof that the people of Lewiston do care what happens in this neighborhood. I think they’re very happy about that.”

staylor@sunjournal.com

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