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Andrew Gwinn carves a turn Jan. 2 at the bottom of the Bobcat trail at the Lost Valley ski area in Auburn. Gwinn is taking a break from his duties as a lift attendant. Despite a lack of natural snow and recent warm weather and rain, nighttime temperatures have allowed snowmakers to provide a good base to keep both lifts and 14 trails open. A new lift is scheduled to begin operating in a few weeks, according to those working on the lift. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Emily Robinson of Auburn and her daughter, Brooke, 5, listen Dec. 31 to the band Hello Newman during the 6th annual New Year’s Auburn celebration. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Jessica Buie directs traffic Jan. 3 on College Street in Lewiston. She and others from Quality Traffic Control are overseeing the flow of automobiles while utility workers block one lane of traffic. “How do I stay warm? Layers. Lots and lots and lots of layers,” Buie says. A few more layers of clothing might be necessary as temperatures are expected to hover in the teens or 20s in the coming week. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Conor Brann, left, and Kyle Breton play Magic: The Gathering, a card game, Jan 2 in the Idea Lab at the Lewiston Public Library at 200 Lisbon St. The drop-in game is hosted by Breton, the teen librarian, on the first Thursday of every month. Players of all skill levels are welcome, and additional cards and dice are available for those trying the game for the first time. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
Lawino Bendasta, left, of Portland High School wins the battle for a rebound Jan. 2 against Joana Almeida of Lewiston High School during a game in Lewiston. The Portland Bulldogs defeated the Lewiston Blue Devils 58-54. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
Tabor Neale, right, and her mother, Logan, hold onto a snowboard Jan. 2 as they head to the lodge after an afternoon at the Lost Valley ski area in Auburn. Tabor’s father, Leland, is at left. The family from Alna decided to check out Lost Valley during school vacation. Despite a lack of natural snow and recent warm weather and rain, nighttime temperatures have allowed snowmakers to provide a good base to keep both lifts and 14 trails open. A new lift is scheduled to begin operating in a few weeks, according to those working on the lift. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Dylan Knopfke of Buffalo, N.Y., dips his foot Jan. 1 into the frigid water at the public boat launch at Thompson Lake in Oxford. Knopfke and several dozen others are assembled for the fourth annual Crocker Family Polar Plunge. After finding the area a bit dangerous, the group moved down the shoreline to a spot on Canada Hill Shores Road, where several participants, including organizer John Crocker, have homes. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

A lifelong resident of Lewiston, Russ stumbled into photography as a college student working toward a career in psychology. His great-grandfather Louis B. Costello was the publisher of the Lewiston Daily...