Community Connections Newsletter
September 1, 2010	Volume 1, Number 2
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” Robert Collier The Iris Network 189 Park Ave Portland, Maine (207) 774-6273 We’re on the Web! www.theiris.org		Welcome! This is the Community Connections Newsletter. This monthly newsletter has been developed to provide information about events going on in the Maine communities and the peer community of people who are blind or visually impaired. The Community Connections Newsletter is available in print, large print, and electronically. This newsletter has a variety of sections including What’s Going On, Past Happenings, Future Plans, Information of Interest & Contact Us. Each section has a brief statement of what the section is about. Information can also be found at The Iris Network website www.theiris.org. What’s Going On September 2^nd: Wells Support Group at the Wells Congregational Church from 10 a.m. until 12 noon. September 2^nd-6^th: Blue Hill Fair September 4^th-6^th: North Country Intertribal Pow-wow Enjoy native crafts, drum circles, dancing and more. This will be held in Newport, Maine- $5 entrance fee for adults $2 entrance fee for seniors. Call (207) 368-5287 for more information. September 6^th-19^th: Cappricio is a cultural festival held in Ogunquit, Maine. Displays of ballet, poetry, live theatre, music and architectural tours will be happening. Call (207) 646-6170 for more information. September 7^th: VIP Boothbay Harbor Support Group contact Joan for more information about attending (207)-633-2498. September 8^th: Pre-Candidate Forum Meeting at 11 a.m. as part of the Consumer Advisory Committee Meeting in Portland. Please come to get information about the upcoming Candidate Forum. Bring friends or family members who want to have information about the upcoming election and what the candidates can do for people with visual impairments in Maine. Contact Aisha Hixon for more information ahixon@theiris.org or (207) 632-4520. September 9^th: Pre-Candidate Forum Meeting from 11 a.m. to 12:30 in Bangor at the Career Center. Please come to get information about the upcoming Candidate Forum. Bring friends or family members who want to have information about the upcoming election and what the candidates can do for people with visual impairments in Maine. Contact Aisha Hixon for more information ahixon@theiris.org or (207) 632-4520. September 9^th-11^th: Lewiston/Auburn Greek Festival Enjoy Greek dance, music bookstore and more during this festival. September 10^th: VSA ArtWalks opened until 7 p.m. in Brunswick, Maine. September 18^th: Open Lighthouse Day Take the time to enjoy one or more of Maine’s great lighthouses. September 22^nd: Candidate Forum in Augusta. Please come with your questions for the candidates. Please contact Aisha Hixon if you have questions regarding time and location or concerns about transportation ahixon@theiris.org or (207)-632-4520. September 24^th-26^th: Common Ground Fair in Unity September 26^th- October 2^nd: Maine Coastweek a national celebration of our coastal resources. In Maine, with over 5,300 miles of coastline, we have much to celebrate. Activities include Coastal Cleanup, the biggest volunteer event in the state! Please join us this September 25 - October 2. September 28^th: Piscataquis Regional YMCA hosts the Active Older Adults Luncheon. The Piscataquis Regional YMCA holds Active Older Adult luncheons the last Tuesday of the month. The luncheons are pot luck and we ask that you bring a special dish you will share with others. Speakers are invited to the luncheons, with a different topic monthly. The cost for this program is free for full YMCA members and $15 per year for the community. What a great way to meet others and share a good meal. The PR YMCA would like to extend a “lunch is on us”, so come and meet this great group of Active older Adults on September 28^th with no cost to you. We are sure that you will enjoy this program. Please contact Sara Lopez, HR Director at 564-7111 ext 15 to register for the AOA luncheon. September 29^th- October 6^th: Mind’s Eye Travel Cruise to Mexico visit mindseyetravel.com or call (207)-542-4438 for more information on upcoming cruises. September continues to be a month of fairs, festivals and happenings throughout Maine. Enjoy the festivities and tell us about them! If you know of events that will be happening in September please contact Aisha Hixon with this information before September 23rd, 2010. Past Happenings August was a month of fairs throughout the state. Into September many of these festivities are still happening. Maine Senior Games, Presented by the Southern Maine Area Agency on Aging has been running throughout August and will continue until the end of September. Many athletic competitions including track & field, tennis, basketball and a triathlon for older adults have happened. Find out more about events happening by visiting www.smaaa.org/maine_senior_games. Future Plans In October the annual White Cane Awareness Walk will be happening. This event will take place in Portland, Augusta and Bangor. This is a great opportunity to raise awareness about mobility. Feel free to call The Iris Network for more information about this event. The American Council of the Blind will be having the 2010 Convention in Bangor. The Convention will be held on October 23 at Howard Johnson’s. Please visit acbmaine.org or contact Nancy Matulis for further information. Also happening in October, The Big Band Dinner Dance. This event will happen October 7^th and will be hosted by the Hammond Street Senior Center at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer. The Hammond Street Senior Center offers classes, activities and social events daily for individuals 60+ who are active and wish to participate. Visit www.hammondstreet.org for more information on this event and other happenings at the Senior Center. Information of Interest 4th IBSA World Championships and Games and the 2011 IBSA World Youth and Student Championships CALLING ALL ATHLETES! Seeking athletes who meet the requirements for both competitions These events are being held at two different times of the year and in two different geographical locations. Age specifications vary.  In 2011 USABA will compete in two International Blind Sports Federation multi-sports events. Visit www.usaba.org for more information. Contact Us Your feedback and information about events happening in the community is important to us. Submit feedback and information about upcoming events to share with others to: Aisha Hixon, The Community Connections Program Coordinator at ahixon@theiris.org or be phone at (207)-632-4520. Specific contact information for other agencies and organizations can be found online at: www.theiris.org.