May 2024

May 1

Written By Andrea Saunders

MAY News from Heart of Ellsworth

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News from Main Street

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Heart of Ellsworth News

L - R: Peter Lione, Clarisa Diaz, Tabatha White, Randall Simons. Not pictured: Zabet NeuCollins and Celeste Deeny.

Design Committee Brings Extra Green to Downtown

On Sunday, April 21, just in time for Earth Day, the Heart of Ellsworth's Design Committee converged on Main Street to place eight beautiful arborvitae trees in Downtown. The trees were generously donated by Elizabeth's, and cared for and delivered by The Garden Artisans of Trenton, ME.

Thank you to our Design Committee volunteers and donors for helping to add more green to our community!

Get involved with a Heart of Ellsworth Committee

Join Us Downtown for Jane's Walk

Saturday, May 4
10 am & 3 pm

Heart of Ellsworth, GrowSmart Maine, and the Ellsworth Historical Society will host the third annual Jane’s Walk in downtown Ellsworth on May 4. Come join us!

Community activist Jane Jacobs inspired this global festival of free, volunteer-led walking conversations. Jane’s Walks combine the simple act of exploring a place with personal observations, local history, and civic engagement.

Join the morning or afternoon walk — or both. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes!

Learn more about our Jane's Walk events

Have you visited our Main Street Accreditation page?

Visit the Accreditation page to learn about our efforts in applying to become a Main Street America designated community. We are currently an affiliate community but receiving the full designation would provide us with substantial support and resources, encourage development and planning, as well as help us identify areas of improvement.

As a snapshot, in 2022 Maine’s 10 accredited Main Street Communities gained:

175 new jobs
63 new businesses
11,572 volunteer hours
58 building rehabilitations
$53,278,162 total reinvestment

Becoming a fully accredited Main Street America community would be a significant achievement and one we've been working diligently to achieve. Visit our page and check out our recent announcement, Heart of Ellsworth Takes Major Step Towards Main Street America Accreditation, for more details.

Learn more about our application process and follow our progress

Thank you, Bangor Federal Credit Union!

We are pleased to announce Bangor Federal Credit Union, one of the premiere financial institutions in central and coastal Maine, is our Community Newsletter Sponsor for 2024.

With their support, we will continue to bring you news and events impacting the heart of our community - including new business announcements, cultural events and workshops to attend, community news and so much more.

Bangor Federal Credit Union's mission is to deliver the best financial experience to their members. Whether you're looking for a vehicle loan, credit card, checking or savings account, Bangor Federal Credit Union offers a full suite of financial products for you, your family or your business.

Visit them at 175 High Street, Suite 7, or online at BangorFederal.com.

Check out Bangor Federal Credit Union's products & services

Historic Preservation Workshop Series a Success!

Did you miss it?

We welcomed Maine Preservation to conduct a 3-workshop series on Historic Preservation to demonstrate how this effective practice can be applied in Ellsworth. The workshops were:

FOUNDATIONS OF PRESERVATION - This workshop highlighted the origins of the historic preservation field and participants discovered how it can play a powerful part in shaping a community’s future.

FUNDING YOUR PRESERVATION PROJECT - This session provided information on funding sources for preservation projects, including historic rehabilitation tax credits and grant programs.

MAKING OLD PLACES NEW AGAIN - Participants of this session learned about rehabilitation techniques and strategies for integrating modern systems while preserving the historic integrity of buildings.

If you missed any session and you're interested in learning how we can preserve the historic charm, character and landmarks of our City, you can find more information on our Historic Preservation page.

These workshops were possible with support from National Trust for Historic Preservation and sponsored by Nate Holyoke Builders. Additional local support was provided by Design Group Collaborative, City of Ellsworth, and the Ellsworth Historical Society.

Learn more about Historic Preservation and view workshop materials

Community News

Bangor Federal Credit Union Staff Celebrate
National Pet Day

April 11th was National Pet Day across the country – a day for us all to share and appreciate the furry friends we all call family. At Bangor Federal Credit Union, staff didn’t hesitate posting the cutest possible pictures they could dig up in their camera rolls. More than that, two members of their staff spent the afternoon making a fun donation to our friends at the Bangor Humane Society in honor of the day.

Deb, one of Bangor Federal Credit Union's loan officers, and Julie, a member service representative, spent many nights over the course of several weeks making over 50 dog chew toys recycling clothes donated by staff. They presented them to the Bangor Humane Society in the hopes that the pets in their care had some simple comforts while they wait to find their forever homes.

As an institution, giving back to our communities is a large part of Bangor Federal Credit Union's mission, and they were more than glad to be able to help support the Bangor Humane Society and the future furry family members of tomorrow.

Learn more about Bangor Federal Credit Union

Ruth Foster's Memoir "Reason, Reality, Humor" Hits Shelves

Ellsworth native and local pioneer, Ruth Foster, has released a book of her life stories titled “Reason, Reality, Humor: Stories of an Adventurous Life in Maine.” And adventurous it is, from her time growing up and later raising a family in Ellsworth to her distinguished and lively political career and owning her beloved business on Main Street in Downtown.

Grab your copy while you can at Union River Book & Toy (it has already sold out once) to read her incredible stories.

Conscious Cafe at Steamy Buddha is Now Open!

Jesse Steiger is continuing the lineage of Steamy Buddha Cafe by taking over with the Conscious Cafe. The Conscious Cafe hopes to build community through conscious food and living, and continue to nourish all members of the Ellsworth community with the goodness of food and connection.

Visit the Conscious Cafe at 50 Church St., and check out their Facebook and website for more info.

Get Connected with City Hall

A lot is happening at Ellsworth City Hall! Keep up with the comprehensive plan steering committee, budget workshops, commissions, and city council meetings when you sign up for the City Hall Connection newsletter and other City alerts and notices. You'll get meeting notices, agendas, and city alert notifications straight to your email inbox.

Sign up by going to ellsworthmaine.gov and scroll to the bottom of the page. You will see a sign-up form in the footer (pictured above), select the emails you want to receive, add your email address and hit Sign Up.

Happy reading!

Visit the City website for more information

Community Events

Downtown Spring Fling - Poppy & Polka Dot Boutique

Thurs.-Sun., May 2-5

Join all of downtown Ellsworth for a spring fling! Visit your local small businesses and see what they’ve been working on all winter. Eat, shop, and browse!

97 Main St.

FMI: Facebook

The Art of Habit Stacking - Healthy Acadia

Thursday, May 2: 5-6 pm

When it comes to health, many of us tend to set ambitious goals and resolutions, only to find them increasingly challenging to maintain over time. In "The Art of Habit Stacking," special guest Lizzie Nelson will delve into her philosophy for ensuring that healthy habits actually stick.

Online via Zoom

FREE
FMI + Register: Website

Acadia Community Theater presents "Just So" - The Grand

May 3-5 & 10-12

Before the High and Far-off Times… came the Time of the Very Beginnings, when everything was just so, until Pau Amma the Crab started playing with the ocean. This caused the lands to flood, disrupting the other animals and putting them in danger. While the rest of the animals accept their sad fate, Elephant’s Child embarks on a journey to challenge and overcome the disobedient crab. Along the way, he meets other animals and discovers how the mysteries of their phenomenon came to be.

The Grand
165 Main St.

$24 Adults, $19 Seniors, $19 Students (14 & under) General Admission
FMI: Website

Craft & Vendor Fair Fundraiser - The City of Ellsworth

Sat., May 4: 9 am - 3 pm
Sun., May 5: 9 am - 2 pm

Come support Maine artisans and vendors. You can expect jewelry, home goods, pottery, treats, face painting and so much more! This event is raising money for the Backpacks for Kids program, which each year assists area children in need by providing them with school supplies for the upcoming academic year.

The Fair will also feature a special appearance by the newly appointed City Manager, Charlie Pearce, who will be available to meet with the Ellsworth community at 10 am on Saturday, May 4.

Moore Community Center
125 State St.

FREE
FMI: Website

Annual Dinner & Awards - Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce

Thursday, May 9: 5 pm

Join the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the businesses, organizations, and individuals that make Ellsworth an incredible place to live, work and play. There will be a cash bar, hors d'oeuvres and a buffet dinner.

Downeast Family YMCA
238 State St.

$75/person
FMI: Website

Annual General Meeting - Ellsworth Historical Society

Monday, May 13: 7 pm

Members, stakeholders, and friends are invited to hear about plans for the future of the Old Jail Museum and Heritage Center and to offer their feedback and ideas.

Moore Community Center Auditorium
125 State St.

FREE
FMI: Website

Spring Fling Book Sale - Ellsworth Public Library

Thurs., May 16: 3-6 pm
Fri., May 17: 9 am -4 pm
Sat., May 18: 9 am - 1 pm

The Friends of the Ellsworth Public Library will host this incredible 3-day book sale. There will be a variety of books available, and books will be sold by donation with cash or check.

Ellsworth Public Library
Riverview Room
20 State St.

By donation, cash or check
FMI: Website or reach out to the Ellsworth Public Library at 207.667.6363 or info@ellsworthlibrary.net.

Ellsworth City Council Meeting

Monday, May 20: 6 pm

You can tune in and participate in Ellsworth City Council meetings through various online methods.

Please visit the City Council webpage for meeting notices and participation instructions.

1 City Hall Plaza + Online
Ellsworth

FREE
FMI: Website

Midday Concert @ 1 - Ellsworth Community Music Institute

Friday, May 24: 1 pm

Ellsworth Community Music Institute (ECMI) offers its next Midday Concert @ 1:00 on May 24 with Chris Nemeth, violin; Laura Gallucci, viola; and Timothy Garrett, cello - the ensemble group, Forty-Fifth Parallel.

Moore Community Center Theater
125 State St.

FREE
FMI: Website

Thank you for supporting Heart of Ellsworth!

Heart of Ellsworth is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Your gift is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

DONATE HERE

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Thank You!

SAVE THE DATES

May 4 Jane's Walk
June 9 PRIDE Fest
Oct. 5-6 Art of Ellsworth: Maine Craft Weekend
Oct. 15 Meet the Candidates
Nov. 7-10 Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival
Nov. 30 Small Business Saturday