Help get a youth center for Lewiston/Auburn!

Please take a few moments to help support the youth of Lewiston/Auburn!

A local group known as YADA (Youth + Adults + Dialogue = Action) in Lewiston, Maine is working to establish a community youth center that will be accessible by foot from both downtown Lewiston and downtown Auburn. As many of you may know from news coverage, youth in L/A can expect a lot of upheaval in the next year or so as their schools go through drastic changes to qualify for Race to the Top federal funding. Support is very much needed for this reason and others. From Molly Ladd, YADA organizer:

"Lewiston was recently ranked as the city with the highest rate of childhood poverty in the State of Maine (41.68% of children under 18 reporterly live below national poverty standard.) There are very few after school programs available for teens, let alone free or low-cost programs. This is why a devoted group of youth and adults have been working since 2007 to plan and generate community support for a youth center.

Now, we are excited to announce that YADA successfully submitted an application to the Pepsi Refresh grant project for $50,000 to rent, staff, and outfit a youth center within walking distance of both Lewiston and Auburn downtown districts. We need YOU to help us win the grant! It's easy: all we need to do is get enough online votes in JUNE to rank in the top 10 out of approximately 400 grants in our category.

Voting is as easy as:

1. Go to www.refresheverything.com/YADA

2. Register to vote with your e-mail account (about 30 seconds) or sign in instantly with a pre-existing Facebook login and password

3. Vote for the YADA Center EVERY DAY in June!

It will only take a few seconds out of your day, but it will make a huge difference for hundreds of youth in the Lewiston-Auburn community! Please try to vote for the YADA Youth Center EVERY DAY in JUNE."

Please join Molly and L/A community is voicing support for YADA - please vote daily!

Watch the video below to hear from L/A youth about why this center is needed:

Lewistunning Dragapalooza

A fabulous Lewiston drag show featuring local pros as well as amateurs is being held at Schaeffer Theater at Bates College. $5 for students/seniors, $10 general admission, with proceeds benefiting Outright L/A. For more information visit www.outrightla.org or call (207) 795-8956, OR visit the event page on facebook.

drumming/dancing

A couple weeks ago several local cooperatives organized and held a Solidarity Supper to raise money for Outright L/A and the Treatment Action Campaign. At the event, Jessy Kendall did some drumming for an interpretive dancer. Here they are:

Video recorded by Craig Saddlemire, and you can see more of Craig's stuff on his youtube channel.

Mucho Arborea News!

Arborea has been BUSY! I have three bits of awesome news to share about stuff going on in the musical endeavors of Buck & Shanti.

The first is the inclusion of Arborea on a beautiful tribute album, produced by Wears the Trousers magazine. Wears the Trousers is a print and online magazine centered around women in music. The album is "Beautiful Star: The songs of Odetta" and is a tribute to folk musician / civil rights activist Odetta Holmes. Sales from the album will help the Fawcett Society and the Women's Resource Centre. Arborea's contribution to this album is a calmly powerful cover of "This Little Light of Mine", which you can download from Amazon or iTunes and hear below.

Which leads to the second bit of news; the Maine Video Activists Network and Craig Saddlemire produced a 40th episode music video that features Arborea's recording "This Little Light of Mine." The video gathers clips from the previous 39 episodes that MVAN has produced, and follows the organization from its start in 2006. The video can be seen below.



And the third and last bit of news is that Arborea will soon be kicking off their month-long European tour. Leaving in mid-January, Buck and Shanti will kick off the tour with an appearance on the Planet Claire radio show ( 93.1FM) in Paris on January 20th. From there they will tour France, Spain, and Italy before ending the tour with a show in Brussels, Belgium. For more information and specific dates/locations, see Arborea's website.

the Solid Supper

We're just emerging from Flu-Hell, and I'm finally clear headed enough to start blogging again. So for my first blog back, I thought I would point you to an upcoming event that deserves your support!



In the wake of Maine voters' veto of the law allowing same-sex marriage in the state, there could easily be a desire to give up and step back, because you might not know what else you can do. One thing that is incredibly important is supporting Maine's queer youth, through programs like high school Gay/Straight Alliances, and Outright L/A, the last remining Outright organization in the state.

This upcoming Saturday, December 19th, several cooperatives from central Maine are hosting a Solidarity Supper at the Turner Grange. The Faire-Op housing co-op, the Bangarang House, and the JED Collective are teaming up to raise money for Outright L/A and the Treatment Action Campaign.

Both are incredibly deserving organizations. Outright L/A provides a safe space and a vital support system for LGBTQ youth in the Lewiston/Auburn area, with resources including counseling, networking, and community. The Treatment Action Campaign is a South African AIDS activist organization. The group works in S. Africa to ensure that people living with AIDS/HIV have access to the health care and community support they need.

The supper starts at 5:30, with music/entertainment starting at 6:30. Admission is a sliding scale donation, and for more information or contact info, please visit the JED Collective site.

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There will be more blogging coming up soon, including some very cool news from Arborea. For now, be healthy!
-Grace

"a celebration"- they weren't kiddin'!

The organizers of Alive in Lewiston pulled off a beautiful family event on Friday night. Good music, good food, and even better vibes from all the attendees and hosts.

A few pictures from the night:



Thank you to the Lots to Gardens organization for hosting such a great event!

Alive in Lewiston! A celebration of local food, music, and art

CozInk peeps Old Man Forest will be playing at the Alive in Lewiston event, and CozInk Paper Goods will be present as well, with note cards out for sale, and some Lewiston-inspired photography on display!

About Lots to Gardens: Lots to Gardens is a youth and community driven organization that uses sustainable urban agriculture to create access to fresh food, and to nurture healthy youth and a healthy community. We teach people how to grow their own food, provide affordable access to fresh food, and involve youth as leaders. We help families and youth develop skills and build power for lifelong and community-wide change.

Come out and enjoy some local flavor while supporting a great organization!

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Join neighbors and friends for a night of delicious food, colorful art, and toe-tapping tunes at
Alive in Lewiston: A Celebration of
Local Food, Music, and Art.
Friday, November 20th 6:30 pm
Each season Lots to Gardens invites community members, friends, and partners, for an evening of live and local music, locally made art, and a delicious homegrown meal prepared with food grown in community gardens and farms found throughout Lewiston and Maine. This years featured meal will be prepared by our Chef in Residence, Scott Johnson, from the Blair Hill Inn in Greenville ME, and will be made with
hearty autumn fruits and veggies.
Come celebrate la vida local at this fun, family event!

Tickets will be available at the door. They will be sold on a sliding scale from $5-$50 with a suggested minimum donation of $10 for individuals and $25 for families. Please pay what you can.

Proceeds from the event will go to support Lots to Gardens' Programs.

If you think you'd like to attend or would like more information about the event and the work of Lots to Gardens' and the Nutrition Center please contact us at
lotstogardens@gmail.com or 207 513 3844.

Leaves of Life

Artwork by Hanna Tuulikki


June 23rd was the official release date for 'Leaves of Life'.

Leaves of Life is the essential collection of songs by some of today’s most creative Indie Folk musicians. This record brings together unique and contemporary artistic voices to create an evocative and stunning collaboration; with all proceeds from the sales of this record going to benefit important relief programs in Africa, and other communities in great need around the world.

Curated and produced by Buck Curran of the Alt-folk duo Arborea, Leaves of Life features 19 exclusive songs by artists Alela Diane, Devendra Banhart, Marissa Nadler and Black Hole Infinity, Fern Knight, Shanti Curran (Arborea), Rio en Medio, Larkin Grimm, Mi and L’au, Starless and Bible Black, Silver Summit, Micah Blue Smaldone, David Garland, Citay, Big Blood, Mica Jones, Eric Carbonara, Ora Cogan, Cursillistas, and Magic Leaves…along with the beautiful art work of musician Hanna Tuulikki. This project hopes to further inspire people around the world to join in vital artistic and social efforts to make a better life for all of us.

In addition the digital release of the compilation will include special bonus tracks by Jozef van Wissem, Laurent Brondel, Denise Dill, and Plains.

To purchase the cd in the U.S. please visit Darla Records

http://darla.com/index.php?fuseaction=e4_ecom.ecom_superitem_detail&item_cat_id=36667

For purchasing in Europe visit here

http://bornerecordings.bigcartel.com/product/various-artists-leaves-of-life

All proceeds from the sale of this record go to the World Food Program!

if you would like more information about the world food program please visit: www.friendsofwfp.org

Please help us get the word out about this record compilation- every cd that sells will help!!!

-Buck & Shanti

and the participating shops are.... !

A few days ago, I told you that several Etsy Maine Team members have pledged 15% of their sales from 11/13-11/19 to Preble Street. "Several members" has now turned in to FORTY SIX shops! Here is my email below- feel free to copy and paste it and cross promote!



The Etsy Maine Team is a group of Maine artisans all selling their work on the online marketplace Etsy.com. The team supports, cross promotes, runs promotions, and often takes a few weeks a year to donate a portion of their sales to a worthy cause.
This month, 46 members of the Maine Team are taking one week and donating 15% of all their sales that week to Preble Street, in Portland. The Preble Street organization includes soup kitchens, drop-in shelters, a food pantry, social work services, supported housing, and many other resources for Maine people struggling with homelessness, housing, hunger, and poverty. You can learn more about them at www.preblestreet.org
Please feel free to forward this to anyone who might want to shop local and support a great cause at the same time. From 11/13 to 11/19, all of the below shops have pledged to donate 15% of their sales to Preble Street:

Jewelry
http://knitster23.etsy.com
http://junquerevival.etsy.com
http://littleputland.etsy.com
http://folkarttreefandangle.etsy.com
http://quenchmetalworks.etsy.com
http://dreabunny.etsy.com
http://lofteddesigns.etsy.com
http://karhumoon.etsy.com
http://willowandme.etsy.com
http://amaliarita.etsy.com
http://lindydesigns.etsy.com
http://cindyraspiller.etsy.com
http://seesoul.etsy.com
http://posystudio.etsy.com
http://glorijane.etsy.com
http://allsey.etsy.com
http://glassbeadedexpressions.etsy.com


Accessories/Bags/Purses
http://thebeadbag.etsy.com
http://bunnybaubles.etsy.com

Folk Art/Skrimshaw
http://folkarttree.etsy.com
http://rmiliken.etsy.com
http://lindalayden.etsy.com

Sewn/Knit/Crochet/Felted/Woven/Fibers/Clothing
http://constantgalore.etsy.com
http://beckyrose.etsy.com
http://louisiana1966.etsy.com
http://moondogfarm.etsy.com
http://lizzyoos.etsy.com
http://prettysneaky.etsy.com
http://torits.etsy.com

Vintage/Supplies/Digital Arts
http://vintagejunquerevival.etsy.com
http://vintagejewelry.etsy.com
http://paigemaxim.etsy.com
http://vintageimagemadness.etsy.com

Dolls & Miniatures/Plushies
http://camelotstreasures.etsy.com
http://sarajean.etsy.com


Paper Goods
http://cozink.etsy.com
http://sockmonkeycards.etsy.com
http://purplebeanbindery.etsy.com
http://forgottenhues.etsy.com

Paintings/Drawings/ACEO’s
http://jamieribisi.etsy.com
http://discardedtreasures.etsy.com
http://bluebirdiesinger.etsy.com
http://suzannedrown.etsy.com

Home Décor/Ceramics/Pottery
http://malloryalisabeth.etsy.com
http://LaurieSpugnardi.etsy.com

Thanks for reading!
-Grace

Arborea on BBC radio

Last month, Buck and Shanti traveled to the UK, with stops in Ireland and then in London, where they recorded a session with Mary Ann Kennedy for her "World on 3" program.

Arborea plays 4 songs on the program (in 2 sets, starting at about 17 minutes in, and then again at 59 minutes in, if you're a little impatient), including one unreleased track; Son of the Moon, Daughter of the Sun, which was written for their two beautiful children. That track will be on the forthcoming "Leaves of Live" compilation album that Arborea has been curating. The album will be released later this month, through Bourne! Recordings, and all proceeds from the album will be donated to the World Food Programme and Not On Our Watch. For more information about the comp, visit Arborea's MySpace page.

To listen to the World on 3 session (which played live in the UK on Friday night), click here.