UNE awards 1,172 degrees

 University of New England commencement speaker Dr. Harvey Fineberg urged graduates to not be afraid to take chances in life.

Fineberg, president of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, addressed graduates during the ceremony May 22 at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland. The school awarded 1,172 associate, bachelor, master’s and doctoral degrees during its first university-wide ceremony.

The commencement also was the 175^th anniversary of the first graduation of students from Westbrook Seminary, which is part of UNE’s heritage.

Fineberg, who served as provost of Harvard University from 1997 to 2001, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree at the ceremony.

“Someone who knew I was going to speak to you today urged me to offer you at least one piece of more practical and encouraging advice. So, here it is: don’t be afraid to take chances. Be willing to take a chance on yourself and others. Take calculated risks and give yourself the benefit of the doubt. The worst chance you can take in life is taking no chances at all,” Fineberg told graduates.

Holiday parades planned

Old Orchard Beach will observe Memorial Day with a parade and ceremony.

The parade begins at 1 p.m. Monday and will follow Saco Avenue to Old Orchard Street and First Street. Lineup begins at noon at The Ballpark.

The parade will end at Memorial Park, where a ceremony will include the reading of names of fallen veterans and a presentation by Rep. George Hogan.

Biddeford and Saco’s Memorial Day parade will begin at 10 a.m. Monday with a brief ceremony in Eastman Park in Saco. The parade will then travel to Biddeford, where it will end with ceremonies at 11 a.m. at Biddeford Veterans Memorial Park.

Board to hear convent plans

The Saco Planning Board could again hear plans for the future of the Bay View Convent.

City Planner Bob Hamblen said the project likely will be considered at the June 15 meeting of the planning board.  Members will continue a site plan review and also consider a subdivision review.

Last week, the Saco City Council rejected the historic preservation commission’s request to designate the facility a local historic landmark. The council also found the commission does not have standing to appeal a demolition permit issued for the former convent.

The historic preservation commission reviewed the property after several residents spoke out against a developer’s plan to raze the building to make way for single-family homes. The Bay View House was built in 1872 and underwent renovations after being purchased by the Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and developer Tim Swenson have said the building does not have historic architectural significance and would be too costly to renovate.

Officers complete studies

Officers from Biddeford and Saco are among 44 new graduates of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro.

The three graduates from the Biddeford Police Department are Edward Dexter Jr., Corey Dussault and Randall Medeiros. Ryan Hatch of the Saco Police Department also graduated.

The graduation speaker was Paula Silsby, U.S. attorney for Maine, who told the audience that “Maine remains a state where people want to live and raise families because of the efforts of law enforcement.”

The new officers completed 18 weeks of study and training. Topics included criminal and traffic law, domestic violence, firearms, first aid, crime scene processing, sexual assault and emergency vehicle operation.