Effective Monday, June 1, the Diocese of Portland is allowing Maine churches to hold public Masses with restrictions and safeguards in place.

The Thompson Free Library in will offer curbside pickup service for books, movies and other library materials beginning on Wednesday, June 3. Pickup hours will be Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday morning pickups can be arranged by appointment.

Scheduled for the final day of school, Wednesday June 10 and starting at 1 p.m., the parade of vehicles will travel through the SAD 4 campus with appropriate waving, balloons, decorated vehicles, horn-blowing and yelling. Teachers and staff will line the edges of the driveway in what Boomsma hopes becomes a “huge event” that marks the official end of the school year and the start of summer.

As you research you will likely come upon situations that, for want of a better word, will trigger what I call the “ick” or “yuck” factor -- that is, things done commonly in the past found unacceptable, questionable or downright creepy today. Here are some examples.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the previously scheduled Relay For Life live events across Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire through June have suspended their live events, and many now are participating on Sunday, June 7 in a virtual online experience called Hope From Home. Participants should register for their local event at http://RelayForLife.org and then on June 7 join the activities at https://bit.ly/RelayHopeFromHome.

After two months of being unable to hold live support group meetings because of the COVID-19 distancing policies, NAMI Piscataquis County will reconvene via Zoom on the first Wednesday of each month at 1 p.m.

Therefore, we found it fitting and proper to remember. On behalf of Post #29 Chadbourne-Merrill American Legion we would like to offer a few words of remembrance in honor of those who have loved so deeply as to give their all for the cause of freedom and everything it entails. At this important and solemn time, we remember the hard-earned liberty gained through the sacrifice of so many on our behalf, a grateful nation.

Voices from HOME, a community-based oral history project coordinated by the Thompson Free Library, will host a live storytelling event on the theme “Together” at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 22. This event is free and open to the public, and will be held online via Zoom.

On May 16 Sarah Elizabeth Palmer Tent #23, Daughters of Union Veterans member Molly Bennett and her cousin Amaiya Hunter-Jacob placed flowers on the grave of Sarah E. Palmer, Civil War nurse.

Shopping from home just got more fun! Pine Tree Hospice’s “Bid It To Win It” Facebook auction will have you on the edge of your seats. We will auction heirloom-quality works created by staff, volunteers and others close to the organization, people you know, for a very special fundraising event for Pine Tree Hospice.  Needlework, mixed media, photography, stained glass, woodwork and more will be posted on Pine Tree Hospice’s Facebook page beginning on Monday, May 18.

If you are a caregiver of people younger than 22 years of age who are experiencing an emotional or behavioral disorder, NAMI Maine is offering the National Alliance on Mental Illness signature course, NAMI Basics, that you might find helpful.  The course will be delivered online, via Zoom, free of charge.  Classes begin Thursday, May 28 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. and run for six consecutive weeks.

The Heart of Maine Community Stories is an online platform for collecting and sharing stories about life in the Heart of Maine region. This community-based project is a collaboration between Hartland Public Library, Newport Cultural Center, Pittsfield Public Library and Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft.

Mass will be at 4 p.m. on Saturdays in the parking lot of the Holy Family Church (145 Pritham Avenue). Tune into 101.7 FM to listen to the Mass once parked.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the bean supper scheduled for Saturday, May 16 at the Sebec Reading Room has been canceled. The Milo Garden Club’s next regular meeting scheduled for Tuesday, May 12 has been canceled.

Fewer Mainers have responded to the 2020 census than the national average, mainly because the coronavirus outbreak has halted U.S. Census Bureau field operations in less populated areas of the state.

With a continuous focus on social distancing it’s clear community members are looking for alternative ways to connect and share their support for one another. Northern Light Health has launched a digital thank you board for community members to share their kind words, reflections and appreciation for the more than 12,000 employees who are helping to respond to COVID-19 throughout Maine.

Self-distancing and other stay-healthy-at-home mandates in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have made for an unusual level of isolation, even for the most outgoing Mainers. But consider the lot of those additionally isolated by declining health, particularly those residing in the state’s nursing homes.

Rita Page, secretary of the Kiwanis Club of Dover-Foxcroft, was overwhelmed when she learned that Shaw's in Dover-Foxcroft was going to donate several boxes with 500 new reusable bags to its backpack program. Pat Hinkley, president of the club, was on hand with Page to gratefully receive those bags from Tina Desimone, Shaw’s customer service manager. T