The State of Maine awarded the Annual Outstanding Advocate for the Needs of the Deaf Community Award to Lutheran Social Services at a special ceremony in the State House’s Hall of Flags. The ceremony was sponsored by the Maine Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened, and featured a keynote address by Jonathan Connick, vice chairman of the commission. Gov. John Baldacci had issued a proclamation designating the week of Sept. 20-26 as Deaf Culture Week.