By Stowell P. Watters
Staff Writer
    The spirit of the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust (KCT) has no better conduit to the community than during the organization’s annual Twelfth Night celebration, according to Executive Director Thomas Bradbury.
    During the event, now in its fourth year, the KCT invites the public to a visual presentation of a year in review as well as food, beverages, roasting, toasting and the crowning of three “kings” chosen in classic Wassail fashion. According to www.worldwidewords.org, “Wassail” is a Saxon word used during toasts, meaning “be in good health” (the actual word was originally “was hail”).
    “We don’t exist to oppose, but to create, and Twelfth Night is our chance not only to look back at the things we have accomplished but also celebrate with the friends we have made while doing it,” Bradbury said.
    The event, which will take place in the KCT building at 7 p.m. Jan. 5, will culminate in a slide show prepared by KCT staff. “Healthy ribbing” is how Bradbury describes the presentation that will showcase a whimsical behind-the-scenes look at the various projects the KCT undertook in 2007, including the annual Road Rally, the Phil Matthews Lobster-bake, work on the Emmons Preserve and an ongoing $8.5 million endowment drive and more.
    In the past the Twelfth Night has been host to resident-revelers dressed as presidents, pirates, jesters, knights and a multifarious bunch of historical figures. This year, Bradbury said, the KCT is encouraging partygoers to don medieval garb. Cupcakes will be passed out to all participants, three of which will have coins in their center. The Wassail cake, much like the cupcake tradition at the KCT, is filled with coins to bring good luck to those lucky enough to receive them in their portions.
   Those finding coins in their “Wassail-cupcakes” will be re-dressed as kings, and the three will sit on thrones to preside over the evening. Bradbury remains mysterious as to what this reign exactly entailed, but assured the kings will have “a good time, but must first prove their wisdom to the crowd.”
    In response to hearing a boisterous “Wassail!” one is supposed to answer “drinc hail!” meaning “drink good health!” In Europe the word came to represent the actual drinks – usually mulled wine or spiced ale – used in the Wassail toasts during Christmas Eve or Twelfth Night, according to www.worldwidewords.org.
    In western Britain, cider-soaked bread would be placed in apple trees in hopes of a good fruiting-season, guns would be fired to ward off evil spirits, toasts would be made to the trees and a traditional Wassail carol would be sang in the orchard. The evening will end with a traditional Wassail song as carolers gather around the apple tree near the KCT building.
    For last year’s Twelfth Night celebration Bradbury prepared an epic poem detailing the history of the world. After reading it to the crowd of 120, Bradbury received warm applause. This, he said, was because he concluded the piece by indicating that the goal of man was to eventually come to Kennebunkport. Here is a line from that work embodying the theme of the celebration, which Bradbury said is the beauty of Kennebunkport and the essence of Maine:
    “But far greater than all these things, is Samuel de Champlain, Who looked into Cape Porpoise, On the lovely shores of Maine,” Bradbury wrote.
    Since 1973 the KCT has acquired 1,700 acres of undeveloped land – 1,400 acres of which has been donated. This land is set aside for an ongoing project being dubbed “The Greenbelt Initiative,” which will create an “uninterrupted corridor of preservation and recreation stretching from the town forest to the islands of Cape Porpoise,” according to a recent KCT brochure.
    The United States Coast Guard is planning to solarize the Goat Island Light Station next summer. In addition, the KCT wants to restore the structure to its original form where a 125 foot walkway connected the light to the keeper’s quarters on the island. Much of the original structure was annihilated by a 1978 blizzard.
    “The first responsibility was to identify an era to restore the light station to, we have chosen the mid-1950s, it is out intention to rebuild and restore the structure to that end,” said Goat Island Light Station keeper Scott Dombrowski.
    Bradbury said they also have plans to start an archeological dig on Stage Island, off the coast of Kennebunkport, and use the Native American and whaling artifacts he hopes to discover to further educate residents and students alike on the history of the seaside community. As for now, however, all of his efforts are focused on Twelfth Night.
    “It is a labor intensive project,” he said, laughing. “It is always a good time, always something unexpected. And it serves as a welcoming chance for us to reach out to the community and just slow down together as one year ends while still holding onto the year passing.”
    Tickets to the event are $15 and must be pre-ordered as the building holds a maximum of 120 people. For more information call the KCT at 967-3465 or visit their Web site www.kennebunkportconservationtrust.org.
    To contact Stowell P. Watters, call 282-4337 ext. 219 or email news@kennebunkpost.com.