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lucky restaurant
Hang mittens, more on Tree of Hope Once again, the Tree of Hope where items providing warmth for the the winter for those in need will be in placee in front of the Unitarian Universalist church of Saco and Biddeford at 60 School St. in Saco. Hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, socks and other items for the cold, winter weather donated by members of the church and community will be placed on the tree and are free to take by anyone in need. Community participation and donations are welcome as well as the taking of the gifts by those who need them. To donate, contact the church at 207-282-0062. Matherne Geraldine Matherne named Biddeford’s finance director Geraldine Matherne will serve as Biddeford’s next finance director. The Biddeford City Council unanimously supported City Manager James Bennett’s nomination Matherne for the position Dec. 3. Matherne is a Biddeford resident and has nine years of experience in the city’s Finance Department. She previously served as a staff account for the city and was promoted to deputy finance director in 2018. “I am excited and honored to return to the city of Biddeford as your Finance Director,” Matherne said. “I am confident my knowledge, experiences, and vested interest in the community I am part of will serve our citizens well.” Matherne has most recently served as the finance director for the city of Saco, a position she held since July 2022. She holds a graduate certificate in Accounting from the University of Southern Maine. “I am pleased to welcome Gerry back to the city of Biddeford as a member of our leadership team,” Bennett said. “Gerry’s proven expertise and her extensive knowledge of our history and processes will make for a seamless transition for residents and staff.” Sasha Pavlak, the city’s current finance director, has announced her resignation effective Dec. 31. Matherne will assume the responsibilities of the position on Jan. 5. “I am thrilled to have someone with Gerry’s experience and deep roots in our community returning to lead the Finance Department,” said Mayor Martin Grohman. “I would also like to thank Sasha for her service to our city this year and wish her continued success.” Stuart Atlantic FCU awards scholarship to Dayton woman Atlantic Federal Credit Union congratulates Danielle Stuart of Dayton, the 2024 Atlantic/Amable & Vivian Caron $2,500 college scholarship recipient. Currently attending Husson University, Danielle was selected from numerous entries to receive the award after submitting her application and writing a short essay about her favorite mentor and how they impacted her life. Atlantic President/Chief Executive Officer Scott Chretien said, “We are happy to award Danielle Stuart this scholarship and are proud to support her as she pursues her education. Amable A. Caron and Vivian Caron were long-time members of the Credit Union who wanted to help young members like Danielle pursue higher education. It is an honor to continue their legacy.” Aroma Joe’s Aroma Joe’s opens 2nd location in Saco Aroma Joe’s opened of its newest location in Saco at 933 Portland Road. This 980-square-foot drive thru location features handcrafted coffee and espresso drinks, unique flavor infusions, signature AJ’s RUSH® Energy Drinks and all-day food options. The shop will be open daily from 4:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. The shop will employ approximately 20 local residents, according to a company press release, and is the second Aroma Joe’s to open in Saco under the leadership of franchisee Maryna Shuliakouskaya. Shuliakouskaya was one of Aroma Joe’s first franchisees, opening her first shop in 2013. She now owns and operates 10 locations and is a passionate mentor and motivator for her staff and leadership teams. “We’re excited to grow within the Saco community,” said Maryna Shuliakouskaya, owner of both Saco Aroma Joe’s locations. “This new store allows us to serve more guests and create additional opportunities for local team members. It’s all about sharing the positive energy that Aroma Joe’s is known for.” Aroma Joe’s is a major disruptor in the quick service coffee space, headquartered in Scarborough, Maine and now with 120 locations across Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Florida, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York. They are currently planning development and opening new stores along the East Coast from Maine to Florida. Aroma Joe’s is actively expanding, and multi-unit franchise opportunities are available. Thornton Academy is presented with the 2024 – 2027 Apple Distinguished School Award. From left are: Ben Grasso, assistant head for faculty and academic affairs; Rene Menard, headmaster; Ben Nasse, director of Technology; and Ryan Wiggins, education leadership executive at Apple. Contributed / Thornton Academy Thornton honored as Apple Distinguished School Thornton Academy, a high school in Saco, has again been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for “inspiring, imagining, and impacting teaching and learning through continuous innovation,” according to a school press release. The Apple Distinguished School program, recognized in 37 countries, is by invitation only. Schools must meet the program’s rigorous qualifications, including innovative use of the Apple platform, leadership and faculty proficiency with iPad/Apple Pen or Mac, and all students and educators use Apple devices as their primary learning or teaching device to ensure access equity across the entire academic experience. Representatives from Apple and educators from across New England visited the Thornton Academy campus last month to observe teachers and students using Apple technology in the classroom and to see firsthand what makes an Apple Distinguished School. Thornton is one of only 10 schools in all of New England to receive the honor. It has been honored as an Apple Distinguished School continually since 2016. “As educators, we strive to prepare students for a changing world, which includes being comfortable working with technology,” said Ben Grasso, assistant head for faculty and academic affairs at Thornton. “Whatever path students choose after high school, whether they attend college, pursue a trade, or join the military, they will certainly be exposed to technology, and attending an Apple Distinguished School like Thornton Academy gives them a strong foundation to build on.” On its website, Apple notes that “The Apple Distinguished Schools program supports forward-thinking education leaders and their communities who are using Apple technology to inspire, imagine, and impact teaching and learning.” SMAA offers winter Tai Chi Classes Falls are not an inevitable part of aging, yet they can have enormous economic and personal consequences for older adults. According to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of injury for adults ages 65 years and older. The good news is that older adults who remain active have the power to prevent falls. Registrations are now open for in-person and virtual Tai Chi for Health & Balance – Falls Prevention classes offered through Southern Maine Agency on Aging. Tai Chi for Health & Balance is a 10-week, 20-session class that helps improve mobility, breathing, and relaxation with an enjoyable form of exercise that almost anyone can learn. “As a trusted community resource, we are honored to provide evidence-based health programs – such as Tai Chi – that are proven to reduce the incidence of falls among older adults,” said Meg Barhite, SMAA volunteer services director. “Increased strength, flexibility, better mental focus, and improved balance are all wonderful outcomes of the program. Just as importantly, our classes provide social engagement opportunities for clients, and are led by dedicated and trained volunteers.” Southern Maine Agency on Aging’s Winter Tai Chi Classes include: • Introduction to Tai Chi at the South Portland Public Library, Jan. 6 – March 20, Mondays and Thursdays, 9-10 a.m. • Introduction to Tai Chi at Scarborough Community Services, Jan. 14 – March 20, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:30-2:30 p.m. • Introduction to Tai Chi on Zoom (Technical assistance offered for users new to Zoom), Jan. 14 – March 20, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9-10 a.m. • Deepening Tai Chi on Zoom for participants who have completed the SMAA intro class Jan. 14 – March 20, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9-10 a.m. Class sizes are limited and pre-registration is required. Visit the events page at smaaa.org/events or call 207-396-6578 to pre-register and check out other class locations and dates. For more information, call 207-396-6578 or email agewell@smaaa.org. SMS a finalists in STEM competition Saco Middle School is one of 300 public middle and high schools from across the country named as a state finalist in the 15th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow national STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) competition. In addition to Saco Middle School, the other Maine State Finalists are: Nokomis Regional High School in Newport, Nokomis Regional Middle School in Newport, Noble High School in North Berwick, and Camden Hills Regional High School (two teams) in Rockport. Each finalist has won a $2,500 Samsung technology prize package, an initial milestone on the path toward becoming one of three National Winners that will each unlock $100,000 for their school. Overall, Samsung will award more than $2 million in prizes to this year’s participating schools. Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is among the most awarded national STEM competitive programs, according to a Samsung press release, recently recognized with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Citizens Award for Best Commitment to Education Program, the Digiday Greater Good Award for Education, and a Silver Anthem Award for Community Engagement and CSR. The education-based citizenship initiative empowers students in grades 6–12 to leverage the power of STEM to create innovative solutions addressing critical issues in their local communities. The competition engages Gen Z and Gen Alpha students to catalyze positive change by applying Problem-based Learning (PBL) principles, environmental stewardship, and social impact entrepreneurship to tackle some of society’s most pressing challenges. By promoting active, hands-on learning, Solve for Tomorrow makes STEM more tangible for young learners, and opens doors to future opportunities in STEM education and careers. For the next phase of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, teachers must create a focused activity plan. Plans must outline how students will execute their STEM project by defining the community problem, proposing a STEM-based solution, specifying objectives, detailing activities to reach their anticipated goals, and articulating the expected positive impact their solution will bring to the community. Activity plans are due Jan. 9, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Based on these activity plans, judges will select State Winners, who will be revealed in March 2025. Comments are not available on this story. Send questions/comments to the editors. « PreviousMocha Mousse on fashion, beauty, interior and designThe large package of aid includes a significant amount of munitions, including for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and the Hawk air defence system. It also will provide Stinger missiles and 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, officials said. The officials, who said they expect the announcement to be made on Monday, spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public. The new aid comes as Russia launched a barrage of attacks against Ukraine’s power facilities in recent days, although Ukraine has said it intercepted a significant number of the missiles and drones. Russian and Ukrainian forces are also still in a bitter battle around the Russian border region of Kursk, where Moscow has sent thousands of North Korean troops to help reclaim territory taken by Ukraine. Earlier this month, senior defence officials acknowledged that the US Defence Department may not be able to send all of the remaining 5.6 billion dollars (£4.5 billion) in Pentagon weapons and equipment stocks passed by Congress for Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in. Mr Trump has talked about getting some type of negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia, and spoken about his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Many US and European leaders are concerned that it might result in a poor deal for Ukraine and they worry that he will not provide Ukraine with all the weapons funding approved by Congress. The aid in the new package is in presidential drawdown authority, which allows the Pentagon to take weapons off the shelves and send them quickly to Ukraine. This latest assistance would reduce the remaining amount to about 4.35 billion dollars (£3.46 billion). Officials have said they hope that an influx of aid will help strengthen Ukraine’s hand, should Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky decide it is time to negotiate. One senior defence official said that while the US will continue to provide weapons to Ukraine until January 20, there may well be funds remaining that will be available for the incoming Trump administration to spend. According to the Pentagon, there is also about 1.2 billion dollars (£0.9 billion) remaining in longer-term funding through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which is used to pay for weapons contracts that would not be delivered for a year or more. Officials have said the administration anticipates releasing all of that money before the end of the calendar year. If the new package is included, the US will have provided more than 64 billion dollars (£50.8 billion) in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.
Several wounded N.Korean soldiers died after being captured by Ukraine: Zelensky
A multibillion-dollar plan to create “clean” hydrogen from Australian brown coal and ship it to Japan is on the brink of collapse. Japanese media has reported Kawasaki Heavy Industries has withdrawn from the trial, blaming procurement delays. The controversial plan was billed as a lifeline for the Latrobe Valley’s ageing brown coal industry. Under the plan, hydrogen would be extracted from coal, creating the world’s first liquefied hydrogen supply chain. Kawasaki Heavy Industries has reportedly withdrawn from plan to create “clean” hydrogen from brown coal sourced from the Latrobe Valley. Credit: Eamon Gallagher Proponents said the joint venture, led by Japan’s largest industrial conglomerates, would use commercially unproven CO2 capture and storage technology to sequester carbon in the Bass Strait. It was also to send the super-cooled hydrogen extracted from coal in purpose-built bulk carriers out of Hastings to Kawasaki in the Asian nation’s industrial heartland. The Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain project (HESC) was a partnership between international fossil energy companies, including Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd (KHI), Royal Dutch Shell and AGL. It was supported by a $2.35 billion investment from the Japanese government, and a $50 million in start-up investment from the Victorian government in 2018. Japanese outlet Nikkei reported that Kawasaki Heavy Industries had abandoned its bid to establish an international supply chain to procure hydrogen from Australia because it had become “difficult to procure hydrogen in Australia within the deadline”. “With the completion of the demonstration test by fiscal year 2030, as originally scheduled, being an absolute requirement for ensuring competitiveness, the company has changed hydrogen procurement to domestic,” Nikkei reported. “It has also downsized its hydrogen carriers and is now steering toward a more ‘realistic’ solution.” ‘This disastrous project has never stacked up ... Now the wheels are well and truly falling off’ Ellen Sandell, Victorian Greens leader Victorian Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio raised doubts about the project last year at an Australian Financial Review Energy and Climate Summit, saying it was not clear that the proponents would be able to adequately capture the carbon from the coal and safely sequester it. “That is a question that is yet to be answered,” she said. The AFR reported that Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ chairman Yoshinori Kanehana told a separate event last year that his business had been focused on winning “social license” from Victorian communities and hoped to avoid “ideological divides”. Friends of the Earth gas campaigner Freja Leonard said Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ decision to withdraw indicated the project wasn’t financially or practically feasible. “It’s just an absolute nonsense to use brown coal in a climate crisis to produce hydrogen,” she said. “Hydrogen is notoriously difficult to contain. It’s incredibly expensive to produce, and any project that expects to successfully ship hydrogen from one country to another without significant leakage is doomed to failure.” Loading A commercial-in-confidence report on the proposal compiled by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources in 2022 and released under freedom of information laws argued the plan was broadly supported in the Latrobe Valley. “There are a limited number of groups within the Latrobe Valley that do not support the use of fossil fuels and are against CCS [carbon capture and storage],” it stated. “However, the predominant sentiment in the Valley is one that supports the HESC [Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain].” Identifying challenges getting stakeholders like the local council on board, the report noted that the HESC had “revised [its] messaging”, “highlighting the carbon neutrality” the project could achieve by combining biomass with coal. This, it said, “softens the image of HESC as a coal-driven project”. Under the plan, the cooled hydrogen would have been piped more than 150 kilometres from Gippsland to the Port of Hastings and shipped to Japan. In January 2022, according to the confidential report, hydrogen was successfully generated under trial from brown coal and biomass. However, it reported cost overruns and lengthy delays to the trial. Victorian Greens leader Ellen Sandell said it was time for the project to be scrapped altogether. “This disastrous coal project has never stacked up environmentally or economically, and I cannot believe Labor ever gave it money and support. Now the wheels are well and truly falling off.” Comment has been sought from Energy Minister Chris Bowen’s office. Get to the heart of what’s happening with climate change and the environment. Sign up for our fortnightly Environment newsletter. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Hydrogen Paris Agreement Climate policy Bianca Hall is The Age's environment and climate reporter, and has worked in a range of roles including as a senior writer, city editor, and in the federal politics bureau in Canberra. Connect via Twitter , Facebook or email . Most Viewed in Environment LoadingNoneEditorial: PM’s Decisive Action Upholds Integrity, But It Must Be Consistent
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Bucky Irving isn’t choosy. The rookie running back relishes any opportunity he gets to contribute to the success of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have rebounded from a tough stretch to climb back into a tie for first place in the NFC South. Irving leads NFL rookies in rushing with 732 yards, averaging 5.5 yards per carry while sharing the workload with starter Rachaad White and third-stringer Sean Tucker, who have combined to ease some of the burden on quarterback Baker Mayfield. A fourth-round draft pick out of Oregon, Irving is coming off rushing for a season-best 152 yards and a touchdown in last week’s 26-23 overtime win over the Carolina Panthers. He had another 33 yards receiving, giving him a rookie-leading 1,017 total yards from scrimmage through 12 games. The Bucs (6-6) on Sunday host the Las Vegas Raiders (2-10), who have an outstanding newcomer of their own with Brock Bowers on the verge of breaking the league's record for catches by a rookie tight end. Bowers leads all players, regardless of position, with 84 receptions. He's fourth with 884 yards receiving and second behind Irving among rookies with 895 total yards from scrimmage. “I don’t really like taking all the credit. It’s those guys up front,” Irving said, deferring to Tampa Bay’s improved offensive line. “I think I have to do something special for those guys for Christmas because they’re getting the job done.” The Bucs are eighth in the NFL in rushing at 137.2 yards per game. They’ve gained 100-plus yards on the ground in nine of 12 games after only doing it nine times in 34 games over the past two seasons. Irving, whose ability to make defenders miss and accelerate in the open field, has provided a spark to an offense that sputtered without injured wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin during a four-game losing streak. It doesn’t seem to bother the rookie that he still sits behind White on the depth chart. The starter had a 38-yard run in overtime to set up the winning field goal last week. Coach Todd Bowles continues to stress that the Bucs, tied with Atlanta for the NFC South lead, need both Irving and White to be successful. “In our room, all our success is one,” said Irving, who in the past two weeks became the first rookie since Miles Sanders in 2019 to string together consecutive games with 150-plus yards from scrimmage. “If I’m having success,’’ Irving added, “everybody in the room is having success.” Tampa Bay’s porous secondary figures to be tested by Bowers, the first tight end to lead the league in catches after Week 13 since Todd Christenson in 1986. The first-round draft pick out of Georgia needs three receptions to break Sam LaPorta’s season record (86 in 2023) for catches by a tight end. He’s 116 yards away from joining Mike Ditka (1,076 in 1961) and Kyle Pitts (1,026 in 2021) as the only rookie tight ends to finish with 1,000-plus yards receiving. “I thought he was one of the best tight ends coming out in a long time – not just this draft, but in a long time,” Bowles said. “He’s living up to expectations. He can play wideout, he can play tight end, he can do some fullback, he can run jet sweeps,” the Bucs coach added. “They do a lot of things with him and he’s a very talented guy.” The last time the Raiders went against Mayfield was two seasons ago when he came off a plane to play for the Los Angeles Rams. Despite having minimal time with the playbook and just one brief practice, Mayfield rallied the Rams to a 17-16 victory on a 23-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds left. Raiders coach Antonio Pierce was the team’s linebackers coach at the time. “He plays the game kind of like Brett Favre, who I played against in (the) league,” Pierce said. “He’s very fiery. He’ll do whatever it takes to make a play. The play’s never dead with him. You’ve got to keep your eyes on him and then stay in coverage, so that’ll be a challenge.” Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell didn’t look as though he had missed nearly six weeks because of a broken thumb when he almost led Las Vegas to a victory at Kansas City last week. He completed 23 of 35 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns in the Raiders’ 19-17 loss to the Chiefs. But O’Connell had a hard time looking at the positives given how close the Raiders came to beating the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. “Definitely some good plays, but it just stinks more than anything,” O’Connell said. “It was just a really hard loss. Even sometimes when you have a game right after, it’s easier to move on. But we had a longer week this week and so kind of really got to sit in it and it’s no fun.” AP Sports Writer Mark Anderson in Las Vegas contributed to this report. NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Our dial-a-quote savioursUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that "several" wounded North Korean soldiers died after being captured by Ukrainian forces, as he accused Russia of throwing them into battle with "minimal protection". Ukraine and its western allies say North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers to support Russia's army, in what is seen as a major escalation in the nearly three-year war following Moscow's 2022 invasion. "Today there were reports about several soldiers from North Korea. Our soldiers managed to take them prisoner. But they were very seriously wounded and could not be resuscitated," Zelensky said in an evening address posted on social media. South Korea's spy agency said earlier on Friday that a North Korean soldier who was captured while fighting in Russia's war against Ukraine had died of his wounds. Zelensky did not specify how many North Koreans had died after being captured by Ukrainian troops. Zelensky had earlier said that nearly 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been "killed or wounded" so far as they joined Russia's forces in combat in its western Kursk border region, where Ukraine mounted a shock incursion in August. South Korea's intelligence service had previously put the number of killed or wounded North Koreans at 1,000, saying the high casualty rate could be down to an unfamiliar battlefield environment and their lack of capability to counter drone attacks. The White House on Friday confirmed the South Korean estimates, saying that Pyongyang's troops were being sent to their deaths in futile attacks by generals who see them as "expendable". "We also have reports of North Korean soldiers taking their own lives rather than surrendering to Ukrainian forces, likely out of fear of reprisal against their families in North Korea in the event that they're captured," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. North Korea and Russia have strengthened their military ties since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A landmark defence pact between Pyongyang and Moscow signed in June came into force this month, with Russian President Vladimir Putin hailing it as a "breakthrough document". North Korean state media said Friday that Putin sent a New Year's message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying: "The bilateral ties between our two countries have been elevated after our talks in June in Pyongyang." Seoul's military believes that North Korea was seeking to modernise its conventional warfare capabilities through combat experience gained in the Russia-Ukraine war. NATO chief Mark Rutte had also said that Moscow was providing support to Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programmes in exchange for the troops. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday that Pyongyang is reportedly "preparing for the rotation or additional deployment of soldiers" and supplying "240mm rocket launchers and 170mm self-propelled artillery" to the Russian army. Pyongyang's involvement in Russia's war against Ukraine had prompted warnings from Seoul. South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol, currently suspended, said in November that Seoul was "not ruling out the possibility of providing weapons" to Kyiv, which would mark a major shift to a long-standing policy barring the sale of weapons to countries in active conflict. hs/bjt/mlm/gv/rlp
Alyssa Nakken, first full-time female coach in MLB history, leaving Giants to join GuardiansKey premiers dismiss Doug Ford's threat to stop Donald Trump's tariffs by cutting off energy to Americans
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