Turnpike traffic tie-ups expected

LEWISTON – Traffic tie-ups are expected today when work crews close lanes on the turnpike to pave, seal and make repairs to bridges. At mile 81.4 in Lewiston, a southbound lane will be closed between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. while bridge work gets under way. Between miles 85 and 89 in Sabattus, north and southbound lanes will be closed between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. for pavement milling. Between miles 86 and 94 in Gardiner and Litchfield, north and southbound lanes will be closed from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. while crews seal pavement.

Lemonade and lobbying planned

LEWISTON – Environmental health advocates will pass out “toxic-free” lemonade at two dozen sites across the state today and Saturday. The Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine will be at Kennedy Park in Lewiston from noon to 2 p.m. today. They will offer free lemonade and talk to people about why Maine must stop the use of toxic chemicals in consumer products. They will also tell people how to get involved in taking a stand for health, organizers said in a press release. The event is called Take A “Stand” for Our Health: Environmental Health Action Day. The Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine is a diverse coalition of Maine organizations with more than 40,000 members working to clean up pollution and promote safer alternatives to hazardous chemicals.

10 groups share $12,222 from sale

LEWISTON – The fifth annual Clean Sweep, the Bates College “garage sale” of furnishings and other goods donated by departing students, generated $12,222 in proceeds that were divided among various local schools and nonprofits. The proceeds will be shared by eight nonprofits and programs at two high schools that provided volunteers to staff the sale. The beneficiaries in Lewiston are: Androscoggin Head Start and Child Care, Hilltop Community Gardens, the Lewiston High School track team, the Maine People’s Alliance, New Beginnings, the Pierce Street Resource Center and the Serenity Garden Club.

Auburn recipients are: the ninth- and 11th-grade classes of Edward Little High School and the school department’s SHAREcenter program. The 10th recipient is the Maine Center for Justice, Ecology and Democracy in Greene.