AAM President is Keynote
at Museum L-A Awards Dinner

LEWISTON -  Ford W. Bell president and CEO of the American Association of Museums will be the keynote speaker at Museum L-A’s upcoming Annual Awards Dinner on Thursday, June 7, 2012 at the historic Bates Mill, the Museum’s current home. The evening will also feature awards presentations following a social hour beginning at 5:30 and dinner prepared by The Green Ladle.

Ford W. Bell

“This is a real coup for us – to have our national organization’s president speaking at our event,” notes Museum L-A Executive Director Rachel Desgrosseilliers. “The general public as well as the people in the museum business will be very interested in what Mr. Bell has to say,” she continued. “He will talk about how museums can revitalize and re-energize a community – just as we are doing.”  His presentation will complement the event’s 2012 theme:  “Imagine the Possibilities.”

Museum L-A will present its annual awards to individuals and businesses who have contributed to the intellectual and cultural heritage of Lewiston-Auburn. The 2012 Inspiration and Innovation Award will be presented posthumously to Adrien Jalbert, a Lewiston native who with only a grade-school education, went on to invent and patent machinery for the shoe industry that is still in use today, showing our long history in creativity and innovation. The Heritage Award will honor Lufthansa Technik North America for its Lockheed “Super Star” reconstruction project under way at the Auburn-Lewiston Airport showing us as a place to create legacy. For their restoration of historic houses along Main Street in Auburn, The Revitalization Award will be presented to David Rogers and Peter Rubins, showing our dedication to preservation.  The Museum will also recognize Rinck Advertising of Auburn with its 2012 Business Support Award, honoring our people’s spirit of generosity toward building community.

Individual tickets may be purchased in advance as well as sponsored tables of eight. For more information on the evening’s events and to purchase tickets, visit the Museum’s web site at www.museumla.org or call 207-333-3881.

L.L. Bean Connections to L-A
on Display in the Latest Installment
of ‘Portraits & Voices’ Exhibit

L.L.Bean's connections - past and present - are on display at Museum L-A.

LEWISTON, ME − Museum L-A will present a new and final installment to its “Portraits & Voices: Shoemaking Skills of Generations” exhibit with a display featuring L.L.Bean. A reception celebrating the display is scheduled on Thursday, April 12, from 5-8 p.m., is open to the public and free. At 6:30 p.m. following light refreshments, L.L.Bean Senior Manager Manufacturing Jack Samson will make a presentation entitled “Guaranteed to Last: 100 Years with L.L.Bean.”

L.L.Bean operates its boot-bottom molding operation in Lewiston, and produces all of the rubber bottoms for its legendary Maine Hunting Shoe and Bean Boot at the facility. Nearby, at its Brunswick, Maine factory, the company still manufacturers its most iconic products − the Maine Hunting Shoe, Bean Boot and Boat and Tote Bag.

“This is a great finale to our shoe exhibit,” notes Rachel Desgrosseilliers, Museum L-A’s executive director. “It fits in so well with what we are doing – now and in the future.”

“We are excited to be included in the Shoemaking Skills of Generations exhibit. L.L.Bean’s Maine Hunting Shoe has evolved over the years, but L.L.’s original design remains the same. Our employees’ skilled craftsmanship and commitment to quality remain key to the boots’ popularity,” says L.L.Bean’s Jack Samson.

Current and former workers in the shoe industry are invited to have their photographs taken during the reception. These images will be incorporated into “The Many Faces of Shoemaking” wall collage greeting visitors to the “Portraits & Voices” exhibit.

In 1911, Leon Leonwood (“L.L.”) Bean returned from a hunting trip tired of cold, damp feet with a revolutionary idea. He enlisted a local cobbler to stitch leather uppers to workmen’s rubber boots, and created the Maine Hunting Shoe® – changing outdoor footwear forever. His innovative product started the mail-order company that is known world-wide, and transformed the quiet village of Freeport into the premier shopping destination it is today.

A lesser-known piece of the merchant’s beginning was his early business as a young family man in Auburn, Maine. Selling trousers on Main Street in 1902, through W.H. Moody’s shoe store, L.L. and his brothers began a working relationship with the business community and craftspeople of the Lewiston-Auburn community that continues today with local residents comprising a large part of L.L.Bean ‘s workforce.

The exhibit offers a glimpse at a local aspect of L.L.Bean’s history during the company’s 100^th Anniversary year celebration, and complements the rich tradition of shoe manufacturing in the Twin Cities community. The “Portraits & Voices: Shoemaking Skills of Generations” exhibit is scheduled to run through the end of June.

The L.L.Bean display includes:

• Display cube featuring trousers and artifacts from early 1900, like those sold when L.L. had his early business interests in Auburn. The sides of the cube feature pictures from the period: the Auburn storefront, L.L. Bean and his brothers, the horse drawn buggy from which he sold trousers and an excerpt from his book describing his life at that time.
• The second display cube includes present-day items − L.L.Bean 100th Anniversary Bean Boots and Boat and Tote Bags currently sold. Photos capture the company’s Lewiston Boot Molding operations along with descriptions and photos of area employees who work at the L.L.Bean Manufacturing in Brunswick.

About Museum L-A

Museum L-A, the Story of Work and Community in Lewiston-Auburn, connects history and generations – past, present and future with national award-winning exhibits, programs for all ages, and special events. The Museum’s mission is to strengthen community and connections by documenting and celebrating the economic, social and technological legacy of L-A and its people. Located in the historic Bates Mill at 35 Canal Street, Museum L-A is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Visit or follow Museum L-A online on Facebook, Twitter or at www.museumla.org. Connect by phone at 207-333-3881 or email at info@museumla.org .

About L.L.Bean, Inc.

L.L.Bean, Inc. is a leading multichannel merchant of quality outdoor gear and apparel. Founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean, the company began as a one-room operation selling a single product, the Maine Hunting Shoe. While its business has grown over the past 100 years, L.L.Bean still upholds the values of its founder, including his dedication to quality, customer service and a love of the outdoors. To celebrate the company’s centennial, L.L.Bean is reigniting America’s passion for the outdoors, with donations of nearly $3 million to organizations that engage young people and their families in outdoor recreation. Over the past 10 years, L.L.Bean has given nearly $26 million to local, state, regional and national conservation, human service, education and arts organizations. L.L.Bean products are rigorously tested, guaranteed to last and always shipped free. The 200,000 sq. ft. L.L.Bean retail store campus in Freeport, ME, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and welcomes more than 3 million visitors every year. L.L.Bean can be found worldwide at www.llbean.com, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Museum L-A gets National License
for first Maine Maker Faire

http://makerfairelewistonauburn.com

Museum L-A is bringing Maine’s first Maker Faire to Lewiston-Auburn on Saturday, Sept. 8. Photo credit: Scott Beale/Laughing Squid- www.laughingsquid.com

LEWISTON -  Museum L-A received the national license to hold the first Maker Faire in Maine.  The Lewiston-Auburn Mini Maker Faire will be held on Saturday, Sept. 8 for a family-friendly showcase of invention, innovation, creativity and resourcefulness. The event allows people to show what they are making, and share what they are learning and it’s coming to Museum L-A in the Bates Mill  –  the historic hub of technology and innovation in L-A.

“We are so excited and honored to have been granted the national license for this great event,” said Rachel Desgrosseilliers, Museum L-A’s executive director. “At the Museum, through our oral histories, we are inspired by the creative, innovative minds of our ancestors such as our local Adrien Jalbert, who with only a sixth grade education went on to obtain several innovative patents during the 1940s to 1960s for shoe industry machines that are still in use today.  Museum L-A plans to be part of creating a “maker” culture that will open doors to allow people of all ages to believe in their creativity and imagination that will bring out the ‘maker kid’ in all of us.”

Maker Faire is a community-based learning event that inspires everyone to become a Maker.  It’s the World’s Largest DIY (Do-It-Yourself) festival and celebration of the Maker movement – showcasing all kinds of incredible projects and inventions.   “Whether they are a highly-educated scientist or a tinkerer in their garage, this is a place for creative people to share what they’ve been inspired to do and inspire others as well,” says Kate Griffith, Special Events Coordinator for Museum L-A.  There are plans to involve students and children in related programming to encourage them to explore creative outlets and their imagination.

Makers range from tech enthusiasts to crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, artists, science clubs, students, authors, and commercial/business exhibitors. They are of all ages and backgrounds. Maker Faire’s mission is to entertain, inform, connect and inspire these thousands of Makers and aspiring Makers.  “The word is already spreading among our inventors and innovators and several have already asked if they could be a participant, “says Desgrosseilliers.

A core group of creative minds with the vision and passion to make this event happen, now popular world-wide but fairly new to the New England states, has been meeting regularly.  Along with Desgrosseilliers and Griffith, committee members include Museum L-A Board members Christine Bosse, Bangor Savings Bank; Kevin Callahan, Kimball Street Studios; and Gene Clough, Bates College.  Also on the committee are: Stephen Voltz , EepyBird; Jean Maginnis, Maine Center for Creativity; Sharon Timberlake, USM/LAC-Innovation Program;  John Voltz, Blackstone Accelerates Growth;  and Lee Upton,  Lincoln Lab/MIT (retired). 

The inaugural Maker Faire was held in San Mateo, CA and in 2011 celebrated its sixth annual Bay Area event with some 100,000 people in attendance. As Maker Faire has grown in popularity and relevance, additional flagship faires were launched in 2010 in Detroit and New York City. Community-driven, independently produced Mini Maker Faire events inspired by Maker Faire are now being produced around the United States and the world, now including the Lewiston-Auburn Mini Maker Faire.

Maker Faire is supported by MAKE Magazine and O’Reilly Media. Lewiston-Auburn Mini Maker Faire is independently organized and operated under license from O’Reilly Media, Inc.

A call for applications to exhibit will be announced soon. In the meantime, visit the event’s website at http://makerfairelewistonauburn.com   or email makerfaire@museumla.org if you are interested.

MAKE is the first magazine devoted entirely to Do-It-Yourself (DIY) technology projects. MAKE unites, inspires, informs, and entertains a growing community of resourceful people who undertake amazing projects in their backyards, basements, and garages. MAKE celebrates your right to tweak, hack, and bend any technology at your will.

O’Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines and conferences. Since 1978, O’Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying “faint signals” from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making and evangelism

Longtime workers honored for their dedication, zest for life

 LEWISTON -  Hard work, loyalty, dedication, responsibility are values of our senior citizens, who continue to bring these qualities with them to their workplaces every day. 

From left: Lorrie Chasse of Pamco Shoe Machinery; Carlene Tremblay of Sen. Collins office; Diane Jackson of Sen. Snowe’s office; Andrea Quaid of Rep. Mike Michaud’s office; honoree Bert Mathieu of Pamco; Maurice Cote, president of Pamco; Rachel Desgrosseilliers, Museum L-A executive director; honoree Lorraine Brown of Falcon Performance Footwear, Terry Girouard of Falcon; Amanda Cote of Pamco; and Lewiston Mayor Bob Macdonald.

In 1936 at the age of 14, Bert Mathieu left school to work in a local shoe shop for 15 cents an hour.  Twelve years later, 15-year-old Lorraine Bazinet began her career in a shoe shop on Park Street. Work continues to be a way of life for both of them – at Pamco Shoe Machinery in Lewiston for 90-year-old Mathieu and Falcon Performance Footwear in Auburn for Brown, who will celebrate her 80^th birthday next year.

To spotlight the contributions made by so many of our longtime workers, Museum L-A felt it was important to recognize Brown and Mathieu as emblematic of their generation’s strong work ethic. The cities of Lewiston-Auburn as well as Maine’s Congressional delegation agree.

Museum L-A coordinated  a special presentation on Tuesday at Pamco Shoe Machinery to honor Brown and Mathieu.  They were presented with letters from Sen. Olympia J. Snowe, Sen. Susan M. Collins, and Congressman Mike Michaud as well as a Proclamation from  the Cities of Lewiston and Auburn read by Lewiston Mayor Bob Macdonald.  Representing the Congressional delegation were Diane Jackson from Sen. Snowe’s office, Carlene Tremblay from Sen. Collins’ office, Andrea Quaid from Rep. Michaud’s office.

 “I am pleased to extend  my most  heartfelt congratulations to Lorraine and Bert on their tremendous and well-deserved recognition from  Museum L-A,” Snowe said. “Throughout their entire lives, Lorraine and Bert have in word and deed demonstrated Maine’s timeless motto, ‘Dirigo’ or ‘I lead’ and exemplified our state’s hallmark work-ethic and can-do spirit.   Their unparalleled dedication truly serves as an inspiration to us all.”

In her letter, Sen. Collins also citied Brown and Mathieu’s  abilities to inspire: “Lorraine and Bert are an inspiration to us all,” Sen. Collins wrote.  “Their superb work ethic reminds us of the countless contributions older adult workers continue to make to our communities, our state, and our nation.  I want to congratulate Lorraine and Bert on this well-deserved recognition.”

Rep. Michaud noted: “The footwear industry is one of Maine’s oldest and proudest traditions. Throughout their long careers, Bert and Lorraine have experienced the industry in a way few others have. From their stories, it is clear that these are two extraordinary people who have touched countless lives throughout their communities.”  

As a special honor and surprise, Quaid announced that Congressman  Michaud will read from his letters and speak about Brown and Mathieu on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.  This statement becomes part of the official record of the Congress known as the Congressional Record.

 “We have been gathering oral histories of our workers – from the mills, shoe shops and brickyards and a theme that runs through them is hard work, dedication and humor,” notes Rachel Desgrosseilliers, Museum L-A’s executive director. “Lorraine and Bert are wonderful examples of a work ethic and are happy souls with a zest for life to be honored and celebrated.

“We ask local businesses to join us in acknowledging and thanking their elder workers as they have contributed so much to our community for so many years,” Desgrosseilliers continued.

Brown was born Lorraine Bazinet in 1933 and grew up in Auburn. After her first job at the Park Street shoe shop, she later worked at the Bleachery on Lisbon Street while raising her children.  She remembers stitching pillow cases, 750 a day with a dozen  in each package.  She also worked at Libbey Mill for five years sewing blankets.  After Libbey Mill, Lorraine did stitching at Knapp Shoe for 20 or so years.  She’s now stitching boots at Falcon Performance Footwear in Auburn, where she’s been for a little over ten years.  Brown has served over fifty years in the shoe industry having worked at Koss, Hammon, Eastland, LL Bean, Knapp and Falcon Shoes.  

Roland Landry and Neil Hanley, co-owners of Falcon Performance Footwear  think highly of their longtime employee, Brown. “Lorraine is one of the most inspirational persons that I have ever known in my life,” said Landry.  “Lorraine’s work ethic and sunny disposition have made a tremendous contribution to the Falcon family for many years.  Her smile really warms your heart and you know it is genuine! “added Hanley.

Bertrand David Mathieu was born in 1922 on Reservoir Avenue in Lewiston.  His first jobs were at Venus Shoe and Lown Shoe where Barker Arms in Auburn stands today.  When Mathieu turned sixteen years old, he was allowed to work on a machine in the shoe shop.

After services in World War II, Mathieu returned to work as a foreman at Lown Shoe for one dollar and twenty five cents an hour.  While at Lown Shoe, being experienced with all the machines, he was approached by Compo Shoe Machinery and asked to work as a salesman and instructor. Mathieu worked 42 years for Compo Shoe. From 1949 until he turned 80, Bert also repaired televisions on the side which paid for his daughters’ schooling.

After Compo Shoes closed its doors on April 30, 1984, Mathieu was a salesman for Maurice Cote Attachments and continues to work part-time for Cote at Pamco Shoe Machinery, sorting and organizing parts. “We are lucky and grateful for Bert’s help,” notes Amanda Cote. “He enjoys being in the shop working with the shoe machinery parts and around the technicians. He’s valued here and always welcome,” she continued.

February programs for ages 8-13 and 5-7

February vacation programs at Museum L-A will explore inventions, engineering and innovation for 8-13 year olds and shoemaking and the making of cotton cloth for the younger set.

LEWISTON – Museum L-A will present four programs for youth during February school vacation week – Feb. 22 and 23 – featuring hands-on activities to complement the sessions’ historical themes. These “Vacation Innovation” programs take place at the Museum and run from 10:30 a.m. to 12 Noon.

Museum Educator Joan Beal leads the “Inventions and Engineering” series is for ages 8-13. On Wednesday, Feb. 22 participants will do some “hydroneering” by discovering ways to filter and test water for impurities.  The following day, Thursday, Feb. 23, they will build bridges, dams, and cantilevers with household objects. The cost is $10 per day or $15 for both days. A family discount is also available.

Programs for the younger set – ages 5-7 – will be led by Museum Educator Diane Williams. On Feb. 22 youngsters will hear the story of  “The Elves and the Shoemaker” then create a hand-on project. Museum L-A’s current special exhibit, “Portraits & Voices: Shoemaking Skills of Generations” highlights the local shoe industry – past and present. On Feb. 23 youngsters will learn “All About Cotton” and see some of the machines that made cotton into cloth. Registration fee is $6 per child per day or $10 for both days.  

All programs require pre-registration by Feb. 20. Contact educator Joan Beal at 333-3881 or jbeal@museumla.org to register or for more information.

Bangor Savings Bank Foundation
grant helps fund new Museum L-A

Christine Bosse, center, Vice President/Lewiston Branch Manager presents a $5,000 check from the Bangor Savings Foundation to Museum L-A to help fund the Museum’s new home.  Accepting the check on behalf of Museum L-A are Executive Director Rachel Desgrosseilliers, left, and Development/Marketing Coordinator Gina Catterson. Grant monies will be used toward the next phase of the building project which is the design and planning for the building located at 1 Beech Street in Lewiston.

June 24 event to benefit Museum             

LEWISTON -  Museum L-A invites the Twin Cities to a challenging way to have fun with a new event being planned for Sunday, June 24. Combining music with athletic competition, “Bands on the Run Half Marathon & 5K” will encourage participants and spectators to join in on the activities to benefit the Museum’s work in the community.  Popular local bands of various genres will be stationed along a running course designed to offer spectacular views and varying terrain.

A military-style Kids’ Obstacle Course, immensely popular at last year’s L-A DU, will spur youngsters to test their fitness.  The event will also showcase Museum L-A’s future location at 1 Beech Street, adjacent to Simard-Payne Park, where a festival-like atmosphere will prevail with live music, food, and a variety of vendors. Competition gets under way with the Half Marathon starting at 8:30 a.m., followed by the 5K at 9 a.m. and the Kids’ Obstacle Course at 10.

“This is going to be a FUN event for participants of all ages,” said Regina Catterson Museum L-A’s Marketing/Fundraising Coordinator, “We have a great Planning Committee of experienced runners who are working to create the perfect event. Best of all, proceeds benefit Museum L-A’s educational programs, preservation initiatives, and community events.”

Co-directing this event are experienced race planner Mike Lecompte, and Erik Boucher of GiddyUp Productions.  Ed Desgrosseilliers is serving as director of the Kids’ Obstacle Course.

“As the event name suggests, runners in the 5km and half marathon races will be entertained and motivated by various bands along the course, from the start line all the way to the finish area in Simard Payne Park,” Boucher said.

Members of the “Bands on the Run” planning committee recently gathered at Museum L-A. Pictured from left: front row - Jane Clavet, George Gendron, Alina Burke, Disa Fedorowicz-Drews; back row – Rachel Desgrosseilliers, Regina Catterson, Amy Hedigar, Erik Boucher, David Hedigar, and Mike Lecompte. Additional committee members include Emile Clavet, Penny Gimpel, and Ed Desgroseilliers.

In describing the half-marathon course, Lecompe noted participants “will have wonderful views of Great Falls from West Pitch, experience the farmlands of North Auburn and run through the residential and urban streets of Lewiston-Auburn. They will also encounter a variety of terrain including city streets, country roads, park paths and unpaved trails, with some flat sections mixed with an occasional rolling hill.” 

“I’m very excited for our 5K runners since they will get to experience a unique inner-city race course with closed streets, cross over three bridges, and pass by five different parks,” Boucher said.  Both courses start and finish at Simard-Payne Park, with award presentations to top finishers in age-group categories.

Plans for the morning’s activities are evolving with announcements of participating bands and additional features in the coming weeks. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page or website at www.bandsontherunhalf.com or contact Boucher at ebouche1@maine.rr.com.

Community invited to collaborate
in multi-year music exhibit

Exhibit Committee Chair Kevin Callahan shares plans for The Power of Music with representatives of local arts, cultural, educational and business organizations on January 19.

LEWISTON -   A group representing various aspects of the local music scene is gathering regularly at Museum L-A to help plan a three-year, six-series exhibit highlighting the rich history of music in the Twin Cities and how it has shaped the community – then and now. The series, titled “The Power of Music” will launch in late July with “The Power of Music: Photographic Portraits of Americans and their Musical Instruments, 1860-1915” and continue chronologically with five more exhibits through April 2015.

“Delving into our oral histories for inspiration, we have learned about the importance of music not only for individuals but for the whole community,” notes Rachel Desgrosseilliers, Museum L-A’s executive director. “Music is collective and communal.  It is a connector between generations as well as an industry that brings and binds people together,” she continued, “fitting right in with the Museum’s mission.”

On January 19, Desgrosseilliers and committee introduced the exhibit series to a group of music related organizations and individuals. “We are looking for partners to work with us to make this a community-wide celebration of our music history,” Desgrosseilliers said.

A Timeline building from 1860 to the present will unfold as the series moves forward. Research will highlight the various genres of each era, music-related technological developments, popular instruments, dance, food and current events to provide context. Plans are under way for students of the Bates College Music Department to begin work on researching material to be included.

The exhibit opening July features subjects with an amazing array of instruments and conveying a sense of pride and accomplishment – as well as a love for music. It is part of a national tour containing sixty-one photographic images reproduced from the original Card-mounted photos, Cabinet cards, Tintypes, Carte de visites and Photographic postcards. 

Period instruments and artifacts from local collections will be included in each exhibit, along with programming and events reflecting each time period and theme. “We are looking to partner with a variety of local performance venues, musicians and cultural organizations to make this a community-wide celebration,” Desgrosseilliers said. “This exhibit goes beyond music since Music is a universal language that reaches deep into the human spirit to create an esprit de corps, create a common bond and inspire creativity.  This is especially important at a time when both communities are focusing on continued revitalization.”

 In October, the series continues with “The Jazz Age 1916-1930” followed in March 2013 with “The Way We Worked” – a travelling exhibit from the Smithsonian.  “Echoes in Time 1930-1970” follows from May 2014 through January 2014 covering the Big Band Sound and Rock & Roll, “Instrument Manufacturing” from February to early May.   The exhibit will finish with the signature “Portraits and Voices: Music Makers 1971-2015” showcasing our present musical genius.   A Heritage Festival and Musical Flash Mob special events will celebrate the series and mark its finale.

Members of the committee include: Rachel Desgrosseilliers, Gina Catterson, Susan Beane, Diane Williams and Joan Beal of Museum L-A, Dale Chapman of the Bates College Music Department, Bill Low and Anthony Shostak of the Bates College Museum of Art, Bates College African-American Studies professor Myron Beasley, cultural anthropologist and documentary photographer Mark Silber of the University of Southern Maine, Ed Boucher of EAB International, local musician and music enthusiast Edward Walworth,  Jim Brown of  Heritage Radio Society, and Ray Michaud of Androscoggin Bank. Chairing the committee is Kevin Callahan, local art preparatory and member of the Museum’s Board of Directors.

The Museum welcomes donations of photographs related to the history of music in the Lewiston-Auburn area. For example: musicians, music groups, bands, organizations, performances, parades, music halls and other venues. Contact Susan Beane at sbeane@museumla.org or 207-333-3881. Look for future announcements and ways the community can get involved as planning for the series progresses.

December Vacation Programs

Children will give hand-sewing leather a try at one of Museum L-A’s December programs.

LEWISTON – Museum L-A will present three programs for youth during the last week of December featuring hands-on activities to complement the sessions’ historical themes. All programs take place at the Museum and run from 10:30 a.m. to 12 Noon.

Programs for “Vacation Creation Days” are for ages 8-12. On Wednesday, Dec. 28 children will create a small project by carding, spinning, and weaving by hand.  Participants will then tour Museum L-A’s textile exhibit and see how machinery changed the production of cloth. The following day, Thursday, Dec. 29, they will learn about the shoemaking industry in Lewiston-Auburn and create a small leather craft by hand sewing. The cost is $10 per day or $15 for both days. A family discount of $15 per day for 2 children or $25 for both days is also offered.

On Dec. 28 a program for the younger set – ages 5-7 – features the story “The Elves and the Shoemaker” and a special hand-on project. Cost is $5 per child. Museum L-A’s current special exhibit, “Portraits & Voices: Shoemaking Skills of Generations” highlights the local shoe industry – past and present.

All programs require pre-registration. Contact educator Joan Beal at 333-3881 or jbeal@museumla.org to register or for more information.

New partnership benefits electricity customers and Museum L-A

Museum L-A volunteer Roger Nadeau shares the benefits of making the switch to Electricity Maine.

LEWISTON – A new partnership between Museum L-A and Electricity Maine is a win-win for both the Museum and customers who switch over to this new supplier of electricity. Not only can customers save money on their electric bill, they can also support the Museum at no additional cost to them. For every 10 kilowatt hours of residential use, Electricity Maine will donate $.01 to Museum L-A.  “It may not sound like much, but when you add lots of people together, it can make a difference,” said Rachel Desgrosseilliers, Museum L-A’s executive director.

“Electricity Maine believes in supporting local non-profits and this is a great way to help further Museum L-A’s important mission while also helping local people save money on their electric bill,” said Emile Clavet, Electricity Maine’s co-owner.

Electricity Maine offers competitive electrical supply rates to residential users in the State of Maine.  It is a Maine company, run by Maine residents, that helps to strengthen Maine’s economy by keeping resources in Maine.  As of mid-November, more than 10,000 customers have signed up with Electricity Maine.

When Maine deregulated its energy market it opened the industry to competition and allowed companies like Electricity Maine to buy energy in the wholesale markets and pass the savings on to its customers. Current discounts for Central Maine Power customers are six percent and Bangor Hydro Electric customers are three percent. 

Electricity Maine sells power to CMP and Bangor Hydro and those companies distribute the power to households. Customers’ relationship with CMP or BHE will not change. The only difference will be a new electric rate on the supply portion of a resident’s CMP or BHE bill. The electricity will come from the same wires. Nothing needs to be installed and there is no interruption of service and no cost to switch over and no cost to switch back.

The donation to Museum L-A is not automatic.  For those choosing to sign up by mail, simply put “Museum LA” on the “How did you hear about us” line and Electricity Maine will donate $.01 per every kilowatt hour. Online applicants will select “Museum LA” from a drop-down list. In addition to supporting Museum L-A, businesses may also see savings by switching over to Electricity Maine.

Museum L-A is looking for volunteers to help spread the word about this opportunity.  To find out more about Electricity Maine and what it has to offer, follow this link  http://www.electricityme.com/enroll_now/default.aspx .  For Assistance in filling out the paperwork or online form, please contact Museum L-A at (207) 333-3881.