Stories Related to Orono Paints New Pride Crosswalk Near Downtown

ORONO, Maine — A group of tireless local activists who designed art sculptures to inspire the community during the coronavirus pandemic has made a new project come to life on Main Street in Orono — a crosswalk painted in the colors of the Pride Progress flag. The group has gained local attention in recent months for raising money for MaineTransnet and bringing new events to town to celebrate Pride month, like a drag story hour at the public library to teach kids about acceptance and diversity. As with these projects, the group — made up of friends and LGBTQ allies in Orono — wanted to make this year’s Pride activities extra special amid the pandemic. For months, they’ve rallied the town to paint a Pride-inspired crosswalk but faced challenges in getting approval from the Maine Department of Transportation — which mistakenly said that painted crosswalks weren’t allowed based on an outdated rule, Town Manager Sophie Wilson said. But after resolving the brief miscommunication, the DOT approved the project. So in the early morning hours of Aug.