Lesley Unger (pictured front right), library director at Springvale Library, is celebrated on Jan. 9 for earning her Master of Library and Information Science degree.
Photo: Lee Burnett
Compiled by Carolyn Cadigan
Congratulations are in order: The Springvale Public Library Board of Trustees, staff, and patrons threw a surprise party for library director Lesley Unger on Jan. 9 to celebrate her career milestone of earning a Master of Library and Information Science degree. Folks gathered at the library after hours and surprised Unger when she returned from dinner out with her daughters. Snacks, wine and cake were shared.
Unger completed the accelerated two-year program at the University of Rhode Island with high honors. She brings back to the library new tools and knowledge for strengthening partnerships, expanding outreach, and shaping services that meet people where they are. Her leadership centers on collaboration, inclusion, and the belief that a public library works best when it reflects the people who walk through its doors. She said her goal remains the same: to keep building a vibrant, community-focused library that is welcoming for everyone.
Ms. Rachel is in tune with NYC’s mayor: Springvale native Rachel (Griffin) Accurso, who is most widely known as YouTube sensation Ms. Rachel, was joined by an unlikely musical partner last week. Ms. Rachel, who creates educational videos for toddlers and infants, teamed up with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to perform “Wheels on the Bus” and “If You’re Happy and You Know It” in front of a group of preschoolers at a Lower Manhattan Pre-K, according to news sources. The appearance celebrated the announcement of a new plan to offer free childcare for two-year-olds in New York City in the fall — one of Mamdani’s main campaign promises. Like Ms. Rachel, Mamdani also has ties to Maine. He is a 2014 graduate of Bowdoin College in Brunswick. For more background on Ms. Rachel, read this Sanford Springvale News story from August 2025.
Honoring women who served: The Southern Maine Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery Association has completed fundraising aimed at placing a Women’s Monument, to honor and remember women in service to the nation, on the cemetery grounds in Springvale. Site work is expected to begin in the spring.
Municipal audit: At its Jan. 6 meeting, the City Council heard a report from Christian A. Smith of Wipfli, who has audited the city and School Department’s financial reports for several years. Smith reported that there were no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in the city’s financial reports and no adjustments needed to be made. The city’s finances compare favorably with other Maine municipalities with a similar-sized budget; and all the city’s cash in banks is fully collateralized or insured. He said the finance staff at both the city and the School Department do an excellent job. “The end result is everything’s great. You run a good operation here,” he concluded.
Budget Review schedule: Work on the city’s budget for the next fiscal year has been underway for the past few months, as the City Manager and Finance Director have been meeting with department heads to put together their regular budgets. Budgets for capital improvements were slated to be discussed the week of Jan. 12, with the week of Jan. 20 set aside for follow-up meetings as necessary. At that point the City Council will begin a series of workshops and meetings on the budget as follows:
- Tuesday, Jan. 27, 5 – 7 pm: Budget workshop
- Tuesday, Feb. 10, 5 – 7 pm: Workshop with department heads
- Wednesday, Feb. 11, 5 – 7 pm: Workshop with department heads
- Tuesday, Feb. 24, 5 – 7 pm: Budget workshop
- Tuesday, March 3, 5 – 7 pm: Overviews of city and school budgets
- Tuesday, March 10, 5 – 7 pm: Detailed presentation of municipal budget
- Tuesday, March 17, 5 – 7 pm: Detailed presentation of school budget
- Tuesday, March 17, 7 pm: Public hearing on both budgets during regular Council meeting
- Tuesday, March 24, 5 – 7 pm: Wrap-up of combined budgets
- Tuesday, March 31, 5 – 7 pm: If required to finalize budgets
- Tuesday, April 7, 7 pm: Final vote on city budget and vote on school budget for validation by voters during regular Council meeting
The public is welcome at all City Council meetings and workshops.
Refresh your grocery bags and help a local school: For the entire month of January, when shoppers purchase a reusable grocery bag for $2.50 at Hannaford in Sanford, the store will donate $1 to St. Thomas School. The Hannaford Helps Reusable Bag Program has been operating since April 2014.
Food insecurity education program: The York County Extension Association will hold its annual meeting on Thursday, Feb. 5, 6:30 – 8 pm. This in-person meeting is open to the public and will be held at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Office in York County at 45 Kennebunk Road, Alfred. A short business meeting will be followed by “Food Insecurity in Maine: The Role of EFNEP and Extension Education” with Kathryn Yerxa, EFNEP coordinator and extension professor.
In Maine, food and nutrition insecurity has been on the rise and 1 in 8 Maine adults and 1 in 5 Maine children lack consistent access to the healthy food necessary for an active life and/or live in a food-insecure household. University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) addresses this by providing limited-resource families with practical skills in meal planning, smart shopping, and nutritional literacy through hands-on experiential learning, which results in measurable improvements in diet quality and long-term health outcomes.
FMI, or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Elizabeth Belanger at 207-324-2814 or elizabeth.belanger@maine.edu.
City Hall closed for MLK Day: City Hall and city offices will be closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 19. The transfer station will be closed on Tuesday, Jan. 20. There will be no changes to curbside trash or recycling collection.
Training to help youth with mental health challenges: Sweetser is offering a free Youth Mental Health First Aid Training on Thursday, Jan. 22, 9 am – 5 pm, at Sanford Community Adult Education, 688 Main St. Participants, who must be age 18 or older, can learn how to recognize signs and symptoms of mental health challenges in youth and how best to respond to and support them in their journey. Completion of this training earns Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) certification, valid for three years, and 7.5 hours of Professional Development credit. This training will be taught by certified YMHFA instructors from Sweetser and licensed through the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. FMI, email Sweetser’s Mental Health Awareness Training Coordinator at MCashman@Sweetser.org.
It’s the bee’s knees: MaineHealth Maine Medical Center recently announced that is has earned two prestigious certifications from the Joint Commission: advanced certification in Total Hip and Knee Replacement and certification in Joint Replacement – Shoulder. According to MHMMC, these certifications, considered the gold seal of approval, recognize the hospital’s commitment to the highest standards of quality and safety. The Joint Commission accredits more than 22,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States.
Salvation Army hours: The Salvation Army recently posted its winter hours. The Food Pantry is open Tuesdays, 9 am – noon, and offers canned goods, breads and desserts. The Harvest Table is open Fridays, 9 am – noon, and offers fresh fruits and vegetables, breads, desserts, and meats. Office hours are Monday through Wednesday, 9 am – 2 pm. To schedule appointments for emergency assistance, call the office at 207-324-3134.
Are you hot on the trail? The Sanford Public Works Department and Maine DOT are continuing work on the South Sanford Planning Partnership Initiative (PPI) and need your input. Join them on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 6 pm in Council Chambers at Sanford City Hall, 919 Main St., to discuss two multi-use trail options along Jagger Mill Road to connect to the Mousam River Trail. FMI about the project, go here.
Main Street Memo – Edition 59 is now available: Be in the know about the latest news and announcements in Sanford. Access the latest publication here.
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