Norway Savings Bank

REGION — Effective Saturday, March 28 through April 8, Norway Savings Bank will be closing some of its branches in order to effect thorough cleaning.
Brancheswith Drive-Up, Appointment and ATM Banking:

Congress Street, Portland
Saco
Windham
Norway
Bridgton
Fryeburg
Bethel
Topsham
Auburn
Yarmouth

Branches CLOSED, ATM open

Exchange Street, Portland
Forest Ave, Portland
South Portland
Scarborough
Kennebunk
Falmouth
Freeport
Maine Street, Brunswick
Cooks Corner, Brunswick
Gorham
Standish
Gray
Naples
South Paris

Waterford climate conversations

WATERFORD — The Waterford Congregational Church has been holding a monthly series called “Climate Conversations: What Can We Do?” that began last October. The next session, “State of Birds: Decades of Change” with Nick Lund of Maine Audubon was scheduled for April 7, has been postponed due to COVID-19 fears.

It has been rescheduled for Tuesday, July 7 from 6:30 to 8 pm at the Wilkins Community House, next door to the Church on Plummer Hill Rd in Waterford. As of now, the sessions scheduled for May 5 and June 2 are still on the calendar. Whether or not they can be held will be determined at a later date.

WMAG

NORWAY —The Western Maine Art Group event – both reception and exhibit – in April has been cancelled.

Hebron

HEBRON — The Town of Hebron has closed the Town office lobby. The staff will be working on a limited basis but will accommodate to the best they can by phone or email. The phone number is 966-3284 and the email is hebron@megalink.net.

The transfer station will be open but will not assist in unloading to maintain the 6 ft social distance.

The highway department will continue to operate with the garage being closed to the public.

These changes will be in effect until further notice.

Congregational Church of East Sumner

SUMNER — The Congregational Church of East Sumner has suspended worship services and Saturday suppers until the Covid-19 crisis is passed.
Sunday morning worship will be posted on the church web page : https://eastsumnercongregationalchurch.weebly.com/.
Information about the Sumner Food Bank is also available on the web page. The Food Bank will continue to be open on the 1st and 3rd Mondays from 9:00 AM to Noon with new safety guidelines. For those who cannot make those times, please send an email to esumnercc@gmail.com.
For more information about the Church call Bill at 388-2263 or Cyndy at 388-2667.

Craft fair

Due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) alerts and social distancing The Annual Hartford Spring Fling Craft Fair planned for Saturday, April 4^th, 2020, at the Hartford Town Hall is being cancelled.  We will notify the public if a new date is chosen.   It was sponsored by the recently opened Sophia’s House.   We hope you will support this worthy cause at a later date. Text/call 207-713-8944 or email dmartin27@une.edu

UMaine Extension

ORONO, Maine — University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H has created a new online educational resource, Learn at Home, for parents, caregivers and students to utilize during the disruption in school schedules.

The collection includes activity books, videos, guides and links to additional resources — from science to financial literacy. The goal is to keep students of all ages engaged in learning. Activities to do at home will be featured each Friday with a short video and easy-to-follow instructions.

For more information, contact UMaine Extension 4-H, 207.581.3877, extension@maine.edu.

Norway Town Office

The Select Board has authorized me to close the lobby at the Town Office effective on March 18, 2020 at noon.

Based on their direction, we will be making some adjustments in the way Town services are provided. These will be evaluated on an ongoing basis and changes will be made as information and circumstances change.

Our goal is to ensure the safety of our employees and our residents in the most responsible ways possible.

We apologize for the inconveniences that these measures will cause. It is important to avoid the need to shut down entirely through unintended exposure to the virus.

We strongly encourage residents to practice social distancing to avoid potential contact but we also encourage everyone to call and check on neighbors, friends, and family to avoid social isolation. We are erring on the side of caution in order to do our best to slow the spread of this virus.

The following measures will be implemented as of March 18th at Noon until further notice:

Town Office –The Municipal Building will be closed to the public as of Friday, March 18th, but staff will be working and people are asked to call the Town Office at 743-6651 and we will do our best to provide the services that you require we have many services on line at www.norwaymaine.com (Service hours 8am to 5p M-F)

Fire Station – Access to the Fire station will be closed to all non-essential personnel. True Emergencies should be treated as normal by calling County dispatch or 911 for assistance. Call Chief Yates for non-emergency matters at 462-3440.

Police Office – The Norway Police lobby area will also be closed to all non-essential personnel. We are temporarily suspending request for copies of reports, notary service and fingerprinting request. Crash reports are available by email: b.springer@morwaymaine.com. The office will be staffed during the hours of 8:00am to 4:30pm M-F. You can call us at 753-5303. This is the non-emergency phone number.

Public Works – Public Works personnel will continue to work however there will be no public access to the Town Garage. Persons with road concerns or questions should call the highway garage at 743- 5305 and questions will be answered.

Code Enforcement – Those wishing to get building permits or who have questions regarding projects should call the town office at 743-6651. We will be processing as much as possible via phone, email, and US mail. You can reach Scott Tabb at: ceo@norwaymaine.com.

General Assistance – Persons seeking general assistance should call the Town Office at 743-6651 and we will process applications as received at least twice a week. Our GA application is on the Town’s Web site. You can fill it out and mail or email to us at: srussell@norwaymaine.com.

Selectboard and Planning Board – Notices and Meetings will be posted on the Town’s website and Facebook page.

 

RPC

We will be closing both our facilities until March 31st at which time we will assess the situation for further consideration at that time. We are still doing adoptions BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. Please call (207)743-8679 to set up an appointment.

B’field Selectboard/RSU 10

The Board of Selectmen has cancelled its meeting tonight, Tuesday, March 17 and rescheduled for 6 p.m., Tuesday, March 31. The RSU 10 workshop was postponed until some time in April. They haven’t set a day or time yet.

Stars & Strikes

The bowling alley has announced that it will be closed until Mar. 30. Possible re-opening date will be evaluated as conditions require.

Seniors Plus

County offices

The County of Oxford is temporarily closed to the public in order to keep our employees as secure as possible so that county business can continue. At this time, the offices inside are staffed and are taking calls and emails during business hours (8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday -Friday).

Please see the contact list provided below.

More information regarding specific departmental resources can be found on our website’s homepage at www.oxfordcounty.org under “Public Closing Information” This decision was not easy for the Commissioners to make, but they felt it was the right decision to keep our employees healthy so that business can continue to operate.The closing will last until further notice and will be evaluated on a weekly basis.

Emergency Management Agency (EMA) 207.743.6336 or ema@oxfordcounty.org

District Attorney’s Office 207.743.8282 or mariah.castonguay@maineprosecutors.com

Administration and Finance 207.743.6359 or info@oxfordcounty.org

Maintenance 207.743.6517 or maintenance@oxfordcounty.org

Regional Communications Center (RCC) 207.743.9554 or ddurrah@oxfordcounty.org

Registry of Deeds 207.743.6211 or ccrockett@oxfordcounty.org

Probate Office 207.743.6671 or jdilworth@oxfordcounty.org

Sheriff’s Office 207.743.9554 or dpetrie@oxfordcountysheriff.comCounty

Jail 207.743.5870

Dental practices

The Maine Dental Association (MDA) and Governor Janet Mills have recommended that all dental practices suspend non-urgent procedures at this time.

Norway Memorial Library

The Norway Memorial Library will be closed until April 1.

Norway Savings Bank

Drive through windows will be open in all branches but all lobbies will be closed.

Mechanic Falls

The Mechanic Falls Public library will closed for 2 weeks effectively immediately.
The Ricker Memorial Library in Poland will also be closed until March 30th
All Mechanic Falls committee meetings will be cancelled in until April 1.
All committee meetings in Minot are cancelled as well.
In addition, Minot Administrator Danielle Loring, said the town will, “Assist those who are facing social isolation and do not have means to get essential items such as food or medication due to this situation. We will also call to check in on anyone who wants that service.”

Low income Mainers

The COVID-19 outbreak is a difficult time for Maine and the country, and it can be especially frightening for people who are struggling to make ends meet or do not have access to health care. As state and federal policymakers respond to this crisis, Maine Equal Justice will advocate for Maine communities and populations most at risk, including those with low income and the underserved, to ensure they are receiving the attention and services they need and deserve, and to offer a path to help if they need one.

Our safety net is flexible in times of emergency and can help families weather difficulties. People have a right to access benefits throughout the outbreak. If you are having trouble getting assistance like SNAP, MaineCare, TANF, or General Assistance, but you think that you should qualify, please call Maine Equal Justice at 626-7058, ext 205 or leave a message.

Church

Due to the Corona virus, there will be no church services at the North Waterford/East Stoneham churches during the month of March.

Civil Emergency

Last evening Governor Mills signed a civil emergency proclamation in response to the growing spread of COVID-19 in Maine.  The proclamation provides state agencies with the regulatory authority and access to federal funds necessary to delay and mitigate the coronavirus outbreak in the state.  To further protect public health, until further notice the Governor recommends:

• Ending classroom instruction in all public schools;
• Postponing all non-urgent medical procedures, elective surgeries and appointments at hospitals;
• Restricting visitor and all non-essential health care access at long-term care facilities; and
• Postponing all events with 50 or more people and all gatherings of more than 10 attended by individuals who are at higher risk for severe illness.

Town of Norway

The Budget Meetings for the next weeks will be postponed. At this time:

No meeting March 16 and March 23.

SAD 17 (Mar. 15)

SAD 17 (Harrison, Hebron, Norway, Otisfield, Oxford, Paris, Waterford, West Paris) will be closed until March 27.

Courts
Effective immediately, and continuing through May 1, 2020, with the exception of the events listed below, all in person court events for family, civil, and criminal dockets are postponed.1 The courts will schedule and hear only the following:

Arraignments and first appearances of defendants held in custody
Motions for review of bail
Juvenile detention hearings
Protection from Abuse requests and hearings
Protection from Harassment requests and hearings
Child Protection petitions and hearings
Mental health requests and hearings
Hearings granted on motion

This means that no criminal or civil jury trials will be heard in the Maine State Courts until after May 1, 2020, unless otherwise ordered by the court. No grand jury proceedings will be held. All previously-scheduled cases are postponed. Any trials in progress may be completed.

Cancer Resource

The Cancer Resource Center of Western Maine’s (CRCofWM) response is as follows:

The CRCofWM office will be closed: March 16th – March 20th.

All on-site classes, off-site classes, support groups and activities are also cancelled (including weekly Chair yoga in Harrison, Yoga Warriors, and Keep Movin’).

While we anticipate that the Center may need to be closed longer, we will closely watch the news and updates on COVID-19 from the Maine Centers for Disease Control, to determine how long we should remain closed. We will give you an update on the status of our closure plans on Friday March 20^th via Facebook, email, and our website: www.crcofwm.org

McLaughlin Garden
PARIS — The final two lectures of the 2020 McLaughlin Garden lecture series, March 18 and 25, are cancelled. Every effort will be made to reschedule the last two speakers. The garden will open for the season Mothers’ Day weekend, May 9 and 10, with a special members event on May 8. The wildflowers will be in bloom, the plant sale will be ready and, new this year, will be a yard sale with garden related items among other things.

Oxford Casino

Oxford Casino Hotel is posting online updates on its management of Covid-19.

Spring sports

The Maine Principals Association has postponed the beginning of the spring high school athletics season from Monday, March 23 to Monday, April 27.

The Table

Based on the recommendations of the Maine CDC regarding precautions for the Coronavirus to socially separate and out of concern for the health and safety of our community, THE TABLE will be CANCELING our FREE FRIDAY FUN nights and SATURDAY FREE BREAKFASTS for the next 30 days. We will continue to monitor and evaluate these recommendations.

If anyone has special concerns or needs, call the Bolsters Mills United Methodist Church at 583-9024, leave a message, and we will get back to you.

Stay safe.

WMAG

The Western Maine Art Group has cancelled the opening reception for an exhibit at the Matolcsy Art Center, 480 Main Street, in Norway.  This new exhibit features the artwork of Michael Ranucci and his students.

SAD 17

SAD 17 Superintendent Richard Colpitts said Friday that effective immediately all school related activities have been canceled pending further notice.

Colpitts expects the district’s regularly scheduled Board of Directors meeting for Monday, Mar. 16 to be held at its headquarters in Paris. SAD 17 is comprised of Harrison, Hebron, Norway, Otisfield, Oxford, Paris, Waterford and West Paris.

Junior high school wrestling season is canceled effective immediately. All spring sporting events and practices through April 27 have been postponed. Middle school athletic practice and games are also postponed until further notice.

SAD 17 is limiting all school-related travel for students and staff alike over the next 30 days. District planned and Board approved trips to out of state colleges, excursions and historic sites are canceled immediately. Planned school sponsored trips to Spain, France, Boston and New York have been canceled. Trips awaiting Board approval are tabled until the travel restriction is lifted. Travel within the state will be approved on a case by case basis.

“We remain hopeful schools will be able to remain open and serving students during this period,” Colpitts said. “However, it is important for parents to prepare now for a possible prolonged school closing. Our administration is consulting with the Department of Education and Maine CDC to develop and evaluate viable options in the event that schools must be closed.”

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