L/A Arts is excited to host a very special fundraiser titled Arts and Crafts, the crafts referring to craft beers, on October 21st from 5-8pm. L/A Arts will host their fundraiser at Fishbones Restaurant, 70 Lincoln St, Lewiston, catering to a small group of lucky guests who will enjoy a craft beer tasting, delicious food cooked at various demo stations, and leave with a gorgeous piece of art work, donated by generous local artists. Live music will accompany this wonderful event, creating an atmosphere of fun and fanciful. Only 100 tickets will be sold to the Arts and Crafts Fundraiser; tickets to attend are $100. Tickets can be purchased by calling L/A Arts at 782-7228 or by visiting their website at www.laarts.org.

Sebago Brewing Company will be on hand to help serve up frosty craft beers. Each beer tasting is individually paired with each delicious tasting course on the dinner menu. The Arts and Crafts dinner menu crafted by Paul Landry of Fishbones Restaurant includes five delectable courses. The first course on the menu is Boathouse Onion Soup paired with a Boathouse Brown Ale. The second course is Escargot in Pastry paired with Frye’s Leap IPA. The third course included a Duck Confit Reuben paired with Runabout Red Ale. The fourth course is a Brown Ale Braised Boneless Short Rib paired with Local Harvest Ale. The fifth and final course is a decadent stuffed Apple Crisp paired with Lake Trout Stout. Yum!

To provide an idea of the types of works donated to this wonderful event, some of the artists include:
Therese Banks, Don Bernard, Stephanie Berry, Felice Boucher, Steve Bradford, Dan Cake, Melinda Campbell, Maureen Caron, Lisa Davis, Hillary Dow, Jody Dube, Neill Ewing-Wegmann, David Footer, Jen Gibbons, Sarah Haskell, Stanley Hollenbec, Penny Hood, Bonita Kenny, Dacia Klinkerch, Alfred Kypta, Kerry Landry, Mike Landry, Mike Libby, Natasha Mayers, Mike McCallister, Connie McVey, Kathleen Murphy, Arla Patch, Tom Platz, Michael Reidy, Susan Roux, Andrea Segars, Sandy Simard-Nyberg, Gail Skundera, Mary Spencer, Judy Taylor, Debora Trafton, Jim Walker, Greg Waters, and Sheri Withers.

Come and enjoy this wonderful night of art, beer and tasty food! And continue to check out L/A Arts website for an upcoming online catalogue of donated works by artists!

About L/A Arts
L/A Arts, the designated Local Arts Agency of the Twin Cities, has a 35-year history of arts and cultural initiatives, partnerships and performances. L/A Arts is a combination of arts-centered educational programming, MainStage performance series, free summer concerts, gallery installations and more. Heavily invested in the cultural endeavors of our community, L/A Arts takes the arts to a new level, hosting a multitude of various programming and events that connect with cultural consumers of all ages. Frequently partnering with local community organizations, L/A Arts promotes the arts and culture in various forms — from benefit concerts for veterans to Art Walk Lewiston Auburn, the Auburn Art Wall to Arts in Education.

L/A Arts’ mission is to engage and inspire a vibrant community through arts and culture. The vision of L/A Arts is to enrich the lives of people in our community by sponsoring the partnerships, programming and experiences of the arts in all forms. By integrating the arts and culture into the fabric of the community, L/A Arts helps to create a more attractive and economically vibrant community. We ensure that a wide variety of arts opportunities are available to all in our community and works with businesses and other arts and cultural organizations to bring awareness of these activities; creates opportunities for community members across generations to participate in many different forms of arts; enriches the lives in our community by facilitating and nurturing arts efforts and initiatives; and provides opportunities for high quality arts experiences.

Find out about upcoming events, project and initiatives in which L/A Arts is currently involved, online at www.laarts.org. There you can sign up to be on L/A Arts’ email list and receive a monthly newsletter which will put you in the know of what’s happening in Lewiston Auburn’s art scene. L/A Arts can be contacted directly at (207) 207-782-7228 or mail@laarts.org

AUBURN Other restaurants have come and gone in the high-profile spot downtown, but two Nepalese businessmen are introducing food that corner hasn’t seen yet.

Roasted chicken mandhi. Samak mali. Baked tufah.

And, they’re bringing belly dancers.

“I love to get this place going, I think people here will like it,” Nabin Naral said a day before Friday’s soft opening at Narals Experience Arabia.

The restaurant’s specialty: A mix of Arab, Greek and Western cuisine.

Naral and Pramod Shrestha grew up together in Nepal. Shrestha lives in Portland. The younger Naral lives in Singapore where he’s opened several restaurants with a similar menu.

After an expansion opportunity in the states fell through last summer, Naral paid a visit to Shrestha.

“He said, ‘Why not do it in Maine?’” Naral said. “I said, �Why not?” Because of him, I came here.”

Shrestha, who has 10 years of restaurant experience, said, “I saw what he does in Singapore and I really loved it.”

The space at 34 Court St. was the first they looked at. The size and location were a good fit, and they’ve been renovating since November.

“New lighting, new rugs, setting up the kitchen my style,” Naral said.

He’d like to bring one of his chefs over from Singapore. For now, he’s teaching staff here his recipes. They’ve hired 15 people to start the restaurant.

With seating in one room for 90 and a second space for a gift shop and entertainment, Naral said he’d like to create a family-friendly atmosphere. The restaurant will serve lunch and dinner seven days a week, open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. On Fridays and Saturdays, belly dancers will walk around the tables, performing, from 7 to 9 p.m. A DJ takes over after that.

“A stage we do not need,” Naral said. “If people want to dance, we can move some tables.”

The corner of Main and Court streets has been home to No Tomatoes, Midnight Blues, Uncle Troy’s, Lavish Nightclub and, most recently, O’Sheas, but still, the business partners are optimistic. Naral said they want to stand out for customer service and touches in the kitchen like spices from overseas and cooking in olive oil.

They plan a daily $7.90 lunch special that includes the house soup and dessert with main courses like Falafel (pita stuffed with vegetables and tahina sauce), Dajaj Mahammar (Moroccan roasted chicken) and lamb stew.

Naral said he’ll stay local for five to six months then use Singapore as a home base to scout more restaurant locations in Indonesia and Australia.

“Every few months, I’ll be here. I want to make sure everything is all right, people are happy,” Naral said. But, he might not be so anxious to return in winter. “I’m freezing now.”

kskelton@sunjournal.com

Media Contact: Kristel Wagner, Rinck Advertising
(207)755-9470 or kristel@rinckadvertising.com

Photo Caption (Bedard_3): Fairview Elementary School students assist the Nadeau family in the ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Bedard building at 359 Minot Avenue in Auburn.
Nadeau Family and Bedard Staff (left to right): Audrey Pleau, Matthew Nadeau, Steven Royer, Michael Nadeau, Annette Nadeau, Christopher Nadeau, Michelle Andrews, Sean Andrews, and Fairview School Teacher Kathy Martin.

Photo Caption (Bedard_5): Bedard Owners Michael and Annette Nadeau present Fairview School Principal Cathy Folan with a defibrillator for Fairview School. In the background are three wall hangings Folan presented to Bedard with artwork by Fairview School students. The hangings will be placed in the Bedard Pharmacy at 359 Minot Ave., Auburn

Auburn, Maine (Jan. 17, 2012) - A ribbon cutting ceremony was held today at the new Bedard facility at 359 Minot in Auburn.

Situated on 3.8 acres on an EPA Brownfields Program site, the three-story 36,000-square-foot building houses Bedard Pharmacy, Bedard Medical Equipment & Supplies showroom and medical supply distribution warehouse on the ground floor. Bedard Senior Care pharmacy and Bedard’s administrative offices are located on the second and third floors. The state-of-the-art building was constructed with energy efficient and sustainable features throughout, including the building shell and mechanical and electrical systems that meet or exceed energy standards.

The ribbon cutting ceremony included remarks by Bedard CEO Michael Nadeau, Auburn Mayor Jonathan LaBonte, Auburn Economic Development Director Roland Miller, LAEGC Marketing Director Calvin Rinck, Small Business Administration District Director Maurice Dube and Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce President Chip Morrison. “To see Bedard officially open their doors here today in Auburn is especially meaningful and rewarding for those of us dedicated to making a better Lewiston-Auburn,” said Calvin Rinck, Marketing Director, Lewiston Auburn Economic Growth Council. “This new location will be an anchor and help families from Auburn-Lewiston and beyond efficiently and effectively get the proper medical products and services they require.”

Also participating in the ribbon cutting were Kathy Martin’s second grade class who presented the Nadeaus with a wall hanging created from the students’ drawings. The artwork will hang in public areas of the new building. The students also created the ribbon that was used in the ribbon cutting ceremony. Members of the Fairview School chorus performed a song welcoming Bedard to the neighborhood.

Bedard owners Michael and Annette Nadeau presented Fairview School Principal Cathy Folan with a defibrillator as a way of thanking the staff, students and their families for their patience during the construction project. Fairview School is directly adjacent to Bedard.

Attending the ribbon cutting ceremony were representatives from Maine’s United States Congressional Delegation, state legislators, City of Auburn administrators and residents of the Fairview Avenue and Minot Avenue neighborhood.

About Bedard
Bedard is a third generation-owned Pharmacy, Senior Care Pharmacy and Durable Medical Equipment and Supplies company now located at 359 Minot Avenue in Auburn. Bedard Pharmacy at 61 College Street in Lewiston remains open. Bedard is nationally accredited with The Joint Commission and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). After more than 110 years of service, Bedard Pharmacy remains an industry leader by combining old-fashioned customer service with leading-edge skills and state-of-the-art technology.
For more information, call (207) 786-0139 or 1-888-BEDARDS (toll-free), or visit www.bedardpharmacy.com.  

The press conference focused on the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a Federal tax benefit for low-to-moderate income individuals who work and the FREE tax preparation sites that the Coalition provides each tax season.  Since the Coalition commenced its outreach in 2004, Coalition partners have facilitated the return of over $13 million in Federal/State refunds to area individuals and families.  Preparation and e-filing are performed by IRS certified volunteers under the direction of Site Coordinator KC Geiger.

New outreach efforts were also highlighted to include the Coalition being an IRS Pilot site for FREE Language Line accessibility, a self-prep option, and asset-building info provided in a Coalition YouTube video. 

The Coalition phone line to schedule FREE tax prep appointments opens on January 16th, and the number is 513-3160. 

The Public Theatre is proud to present the New England Premiere of The Language Archive, a wise and whimsical comedy about love, marriage and miscommunication playing Jan 27 – Feb 5. “We’re thrilled to be one of the first professional theatres in the country to produce this play since its New York debut”, says Artistic Director Christopher Schario.  “We fell in love with this show when we saw it in New York, and we believe our audience will fall in love with it as well.  If you’ve ever been married, or in a relationship, or suffered from unrequited love, I guarantee you will see yourself in this play, laugh at yourself in this play, and probably have a fascinating conversation on the way home.”   

For anyone who has ever struggled with the language barrier between men and women, this thought-provoking and compassionate new comedy speaks volumes about the most universal, mysterious and insane language of all; the language of love.  The play, which won the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, tells the story of George, a brilliant linguist who is unable to find the right words to say to his wife.  Meanwhile, at work, he’s also in danger of losing his chance to record the dying language of Elloway because its last two speakers – an elderly married couple – are in the midst of a fight, and they refuse to speak their native tongue until they resolve their argument.

This wonderful new comedy explores our need to connect, our struggle to communicate, and our search to find the words for what lies in our hearts. “At heart”, says Schario, “it’s a story about people looking for someone who speaks their language. We’re all looking for someone who hears us, and gets us – not just the words themselves but what’s said between the lines.”

Dawn McAndrews, the recently appointed Artistic Director at The Theater at Monmouth, will direct this production starring Equity actors James Hoban as George, Janet Mitchko as Mary, Tarah Flanagan as Emma, Andrea Gallo as Alta and Edward Furs as Reston. The set design is by Michael Reidy, lighting design by Bart Garvey and costumes by Jonna Klaiber

The Language Archive will be performed at The Public Theatre, Lewiston/Auburn’s Professional Theatre, Jan 27, 28, 29, Feb 2, 3, 4, 5.  Performance Times are: Thurs/Fri 7:30pm, Sat at 8pm, Sun 2pm, with an added matinee performance on Saturday, Feb 4 at 2pm.   Adults $18, Youth $5, (18 and under), Group Rate (10+) $15.  For more information or tickets call The Public Theatre Box Office at 782-3200 or visit www.thepublictheatre.org.

Photo courtesy of Lisbon Community Federal Credit Union: Lisbon Community Federal Credit Union celebrated the grand opening of their branch located at 802 Sabattus Street in Lewiston on Wednesday, December 21. From left-right: Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce President Chip Morrison; LAEGC President Lucien Gosselin; Lewiston City Manager Ed Barrett; City of Auburn Mayor Richard Gleason; Office of Senator Susan M. Collins State Office Representative Chiara Ferrante; LCFCU Treasurer and Manager George Roy; LCFCU Board President John Silvestri; Branch Manager Tiffiny Stewart; Office of Senator Olympia J. Snowe State Office Representative Karen Staples; Office of Congressman Michael H. Michaud State Office Representative Andrea Quaid; City of Lewiston Mayor Larry Gilbert.

(Lewiston, Maine) – Lisbon Community Federal Credit Union celebrated the grand opening of their new Lewiston branch Wednesday, a major step forward in the Credit Union’s expansion into the Lewiston-Auburn area.

Established in 1959, Lisbon Community Federal Credit Union offers a variety of loan and savings programs including savings and checking accounts, money market, IRA accounts and certificates, free VISA debit cards, home banking, bill payer and eStatements. On the lending side, mortgages, construction loans and home equity lines of credit will be offered in addition to new and used vehicle loans, recreational vehicles and VISA credit cards.

“The Board welcomes the Lewiston-Auburn community to our beautiful new Sabattus Street Branch to experience how our members have been ‘building futures’ and ‘preserving dreams’ for over 50 years,” said John Silvestri, President of the Board of Directors, highlighting the Credit Union’s tagline. “We are anxious to have people in the community learn first hand how we take very seriously the Credit Union philosophy of ‘People Helping People’.”

Located at 802 Sabattus Street, on the corner of Old Greene Road, the Credit Union sits on the former site of Thorne’s Corner grange hall, most recently utilized as cold storage space for area businesses. Adjacent to Roopers Beverage and Redemption Store, the new full-service branch will feature a drive-up area, a SURF Network ATM and participate in Shared Branching.

Highlighting their member service and friendly banking atmosphere, Lisbon Community Federal Credit Union boasts long term employees and is dedicated to familiarizing Members by name.

Those attending the ribbon cutting included Lewiston Mayor Larry Gilbert, Auburn Mayor Richard Gleason, state representatives, the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council, Androscoggin Chamber of Commerce and members of the Credit Union.

“This is a real success story that represents the true partnership and collaboration in this community,” said George Dycio, Economic Development Specialist for the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council. “By working closely with the Credit Union’s Realtor, we were able to identify several sites along Sabattus Street that were considered to be viable sites for the new credit union.  It also took the collaboration between the property owners, the Growth Council and the realtor working together in good faith in order to make this project a reality today.”

“Lewiston-Auburn is a strategically important location for the Credit Union,” said Treasurer and Manager George Roy. “We are committed to investing into the community here, which is one of the reasons why we hired three new employees from Lewiston as well as local contractors like Landry/French Construction Company, Pine Knoll Landscaping, L.P. Poirier Excavating, Roy I. Snow Electrical, Royal Flooring, Neokraft Signs, Spillers and others to help make this building a reality.”

Lisbon Community Federal Credit Union’s Lewiston location branch hours will match the Lisbon main office with drive-up teller service and Saturday hours; Monday through Thursday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Friday from 9:00 to 6:00 PM, and Saturday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. On weekdays and Saturday, drive-up service will be available beginning at 7:30 AM, an hour-and-a-half before lobby hours.

For more information about Lisbon Community Federal Credit Union, please visit www.lisboncu.org, call (207) 353-4144, email memberservices@lisboncu.org or visit their two branches at 325 Lisbon Street in Lisbon or the new Lewiston branch at 802 Sabattus Street.  

About: Lisbon Community Federal Credit Union:
Founded in 1959, The Lisbon Community Federal Credit Union (LCFCU) is a not for profit, full service financial institution owned by and operated for our members.  With $73 Million in assets and $51 Million in loans, the Credit Union serves 7,200 members in the communities of Lewiston, Auburn, Durham, Lisbon, Sabattus, Bowdoin, Topsham and Pownal. For more information about Lisbon Community Federal Credit Union, please visit www.lisboncu.org, call (207) 353-4144, email memberservices@lisboncu.org or visit their two branches at 325 Lisbon Street in Lisbon or the new Lewiston branch at 802 Sabattus Street. 

About: The Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council: The Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council is the central economic development agency for Lewiston-Auburn. The Growth Council works closely with clients on a fully confidential basis offering services including technical assistance, commercial financing, site searches, public relations and marketing. The Growth Council has worked with Lisbon Community Federal Credit Union since the spring of 2008 to provide site search assistance, technical assistance, public relations and marketing services. For more information, please visit www.economicgrowth.org, www.laitshappeninghere.com, call (207) 784-0161 or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/economicgrowth.

Photo courtesy of Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council: Captive Elements Art House and Lewiston Auburn Magazine celebrated the grand opening of their recently renovated space on Lisbon Street in Lewiston on Tuesday, September 20.  From left-right: Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce President Chip Morrison; Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council Marketing Director Calvin Rinck; Lewiston Auburn Magazine Publisher Joshua Shea; Captive Elements Art House Co-Owner Kerry Landry; Lewiston Auburn Magazine Managing Editor Molly McGill; Architect Kevin Morrisette; Architect Gabrielle Russell; City of Auburn Mayor Richard Gleason; City of Lewiston Council President Steven Morgan.

(Lewiston, ME) - A new chapter in the already storied history of 223 Lisbon Street in Lewiston kicked-off on Tuesday as ownership of Captive Elements Art House and Lewiston Auburn Magazine celebrated the opening of their new joint location with a ribbon cutting and reception.

Kerry Landry, co-owner of the gallery, spoke before business leaders, elected and government officials, family and friends in welcoming everyone to Captive Elements’ new space. The gallery, which will be the only one on Lisbon Street with daytime hours, was formerly located in a small space off Main Street in Lewiston.

“Now, whether you just want to look at some art on your lunch break or you’re a visitor to Lewiston and Auburn who only has a couple hours on a random Tuesday afternoon, there will be an option for appreciating local artists’ work in a part of town that’s undergoing a transformation,” said Landry.

Lewiston Auburn Magazine’s move was only a couple of hundred yards down the street, having shared space with both the Androscoggin Chamber of Commerce and the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council, since the magazine first published in April 2010. Editor and Publisher Joshua Shea called Tuesday’s event more of a re-opening than a grand opening.

“When you look at the history of media in this building, we’re little more than an asterisk at this point. It’ll be quite a while before we can claim to be in the company of some of the heavyweights that occupied these walls before us,” said Shea.

The building was erected in 1880 by Daniel Allen and Howard Maxwell who moved their furniture store to downtown Lewiston.  After their deaths the building was purchased by Jean Baptiste and Clara Couture in 1909.  At the time of purchase, the building housed a bowling alley in the basement as well as a movie theater, print shop and a club. A French-Canadian immigrant, Jean Baptiste was owner-editor of Lewiston’s French language newspaper, Le Messager. 

In 1938 Jean Baptiste established WCOU, Lewiston’s first commercial radio station broadcasting French language programming.  Jean Baptiste continued his work in publishing and broadcasting at the Le Messager building well into the early 1960s. This was right around the time that Ed Boucher, considered the godfather of the local music scene opened his recording studio in the building. “If you were a musician who recorded any tracks in the second half of the 20th century, odds are you spent time at 223 Lisbon Street in Ed’s studio,” added Shea.

As a tribute to those that came before them, Captive Elements and Lewiston Auburn Magazine have put original front pages of Le Messager on display, along with photos of staff from the newspaper and WCOU radio.

The building was purchased by local architects Kevin Morrisette and Gabrielle Russell late last year. The couple have spent the last five months getting the building ready for its first full-time tenants in years. Future plans for the building include converting the top three floors into market-rate condominiums as the couple believe Lisbon Street will soon be brimming with the kind of life that once made it a destination spot for residents and visitors from throughout the state.

“This is another example of the creative economy creating a home in our downtown,” said Calvin Rinck, Marketing Director at the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council. “The revitalization of these classic and historical buildings is encouraging because Lewiston and Auburn is quickly becoming a community of choice for so many businesses and entrepreneurs.”

Along with special gallery shows, Captive Elements is currently working on a slate of classes and special events that will be held throughout the year. The gallery space will also be available for groups looking to hold gatherings in a unique space and will be hosting its first event on Sept. 27. The Lewiston Auburn Film Festival will also be utilizing the space during its 2012 festival.