Brunswick UU opening doors to racial, cultural dialogue

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick has planned several events to engage with the community over issues surrounding discrimination.

A portion of the $3,800 Maine Community Foundation grant will fund “Exploring Wabanaki Maine History,” an interactive storytelling workshop to teach about the colonization of Maine’s native people. Another workshop will allow participants to deepen their knowledge of racism, examine their own biases and learn techniques for starting conversations on racism and difference in predominantly white spaces.

In addition, a panel discussion will be held with four asylum-seekers from the Midcoast region. 

The grant will also pay for a concert called Deeper Than the Skin, a mix of music and narrative that invites the audience to engage in dialogue that moves them from emotion to action. 

“The award will make possible programming to encourage reflection and action within our congregation and the wider community on issues of white privilege, racism, colonization and immigration justice,” said Cathey Cyrus, co-chair of the church’s Working for Justice Steering Group. 

Freeport land trust awarded funds for habitat protection 

A Freeport land trust was one of three southern Maine nonprofits awarded Casco Bay Habitat Protection Funds from Casco Bay Estuary Partnership.

Freeport Conservation Trust will receive support for a coastal habitat protection project that is “still in the negotiation stages and so must remain confidential for now,” according to the trust’s executive director Katrina Van Dusen.

CBEP awarded a total of $22,000 for land trust projects in Cape Elizabeth and Sebago as well. With the Habitat Protection Fund, CBEP supports the permanent protection of aquatic habitats in the Casco Bay watershed. The fund provides grants to land trusts and municipalities for transaction and acquisition costs.

Mid Coast Hospital welcomes 2 students

Two medical students began a nine-month clinical rotation at Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick as part of a Tufts University School of Medicine-Maine Medical Center Program.

Mid Coast Hospital has participated as a training site for the program, commonly referred to as “the Maine Track,” since 2011. While enrolled, Louisa Bauer and Rebecca Bell will gain hands-on training in multiple medical disciplines. The program allows students to fulfill their third-year core competencies while offering a broad view of the comprehensive types of care patients receive.

A native of Yarmouth, Bell graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Williams College in 2015. She has been working as a research assistant studying leukemia at the Jackson Laboratories in Bar Harbor. Bell has been most inspired by the clinical experiences she has had abroad in Nicaragua and Honduras, as well as her home state of Maine. 

Bauer was born and raised in Bedford, Massachusetts, but her family has spent summers in Acton, Maine, for generations. Her experience working closely with patients on breast cancer clinical trials confirmed her desire to pursue a career in medicine and to continue connecting with patients. 

When asked about her decision to participate in the Maine Track program, Bauer said, “My goal is to serve the state of Maine as a physician … I look forward to understanding more about medicine in rural communities in Maine …”

Freeport attorney recognized for service

The American Association for Justice has honored one of its governors, Berman & Simmons attorney Daniel Kagan of Freeport, with a Certificate of Recognition for 2019. The AAJ Certificate of Recognition acknowledges AAJ members for their outstanding service to the organization. Just 10 of the organization’s 56,000 members received this distinction.

Kagan

Bell