Community News (May 15, 2009)
Senior enrichment
college honors veterans
L.E.A.R.N., York County’s new “life enrichment college” for adults 50 and older, pays tribute to generations of American veterans at a free reception, open house and mini-concert at 5 p.m., Thursday, May 28, at York County Community College.
The event is open to all, and veterans especially are invited to attend and be honored. They are encouraged to wear their uniforms.
After a brief invocation and patriotic songs performed by local favorites Classic Blend, LEARN will formally dedicate its upcoming classic World War II film series to four local veterans, Cliff Kelsey, Fred Milley, Al Hills and David Green. These members of the “Greatest Generation” will share vivid personal stories of their World War II experiences – in combat, as a POW, and on the home front.
The May 28 event also marks the launch of LEARN’s 2009 summer program. Full- and part-time residents can participate in no-credit, no-exam courses focused on fun and life enrichment topics, from fly fishing to memoir writing, from nature walks to theater.
A book discussion club for “The Shack,” recently the fourth best-selling book on Amazon.com, will be led by retired pastor Fr. Renald Lebarre. The book is the story of a man who meets God in person.
Information will also be available about reduced-price, members-only tours to San Francisco and Napa Valley this September, and a midwinter escape to balmy Costa Rica next March.
The World War II film series debuts June 4. A dozen films starring legends like Clark Gable, Bette Davis and Claudette Colbert will be screened on 12 consecutive Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. The first is “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo,” considered by many the finest film about World War II made during the war itself. The story of Jimmy Doolittle’s daring air raids on Tokyo in the wake of Pearl Harbor stars Spencer Tracy and Van Johnson.
For more information and a list of summer courses, contact LEARN at 646-9282 ext. 205 or www.yccc.edu/cebs/.
Police auction, May 25
The Kennebunkport Police Department will have an auction of unclaimed property at 2 p.m., Monday May 25 at the Kennebunkport Police Department, located at 101 Main St. The property will be released to the highest bidder during a live auction. Property will include but is not limited to bicycles, jewelry, tools, boats, canoes, and other miscellaneous items. Some similar items may be placed in a “lot” for convenience purposes. All items are to be sold in “as is” condition with no guarantees or refunds. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to a local charity. For more information please contact Deputy Chief Kurt Moses at 967-2454.
Hearing clinic, May 26
Kennebunkport Public Health Free Hearing Exams 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., May 26 and June 2 at Kennebunkport Public Health Office, 101 Main St., Route 9. Call 967-4401 for an appointment. Exams are being conducted by Marti Andrews, certified audiologist.
Business appreciation evening set for May 27
The Kennebunkport Business Association is developing a “Local Appreciation Evening” to bring locals into shops and show them the gifts, services and food offer in town from 5 to 8 p.m., May 27.
Dock Square will be closed off to create a safe sidewalk shopping extravaganza.
The town of Kennebunkport has offered free parking in the town’s lot during the event. Alisson’s Restaurant will host vendor tables in their upstairs dining room free of charge for businesses located outside of Dock Square. Contact Ashley Mills at 967-4841 to reserve space.
The Intown Trolley will continuously run an abridged version of their tour to the outlying businesses participating, free of charge. Live entertainment will be provided.
Community garden opening
The site has been chosen. The stakes have been placed in the ground, marking its boundary. By May 27, Kennebunk will have completed the tilling of the soil at the town’s first community garden. Organized by the town of Kennebunk’s community garden committee, the garden is located at the end of Holland Road between the Animal Welfare Society and the tennis courts in West Kennebunk. It has been developed in partnership with AWS, which has allowed the town to use the land for purposes of establishing a community garden. To commemorate the partnership and to celebrate the beginning of the gardening season, a ribbon-cutting ceremony takes place at the garden site at 2 p.m., Thursday, May 21.
The program has been officially named “Kiuna,” which is the Abenakis Native American word for “ours.” It reflects the committee’s mission to create an opportunity for the community to join together as partners in the town’s first entry into the world of organic community gardening.
“It’s something we’ve wanted to do for a long time. We believe community gardens are a great way to bring the community together and provide the tools to grow our own produce for local consumption – a much healthier alternative than produce you buy in grocery stores,” said RJ Mere, chairman of the committee. “In addition to plots for rent, we will include a large area devoted exclusively to growing food for people in need – a community garden food bank, if you will.”
Steve Jacobsen, executive director of the Animal Welfare Society, echoed the sentiments of the committee.
“We have always thought of AWS as a community-minded organization,” Jacobsen said. “While our mission is to provide care to animals temporarily in need of housing, we are also here to support those in our community who have supported us for so many years. We are pleased to partner with the town of Kennebunk and the community garden committee to offer this wonderful opportunity to the residents of Kennebunk and surrounding communities.”
Plots are available for rent at town hall, 1 Summer St., in downtown Kennebunk. Anyone interested in renting plots may register during regular business hours. The rental fee for the entire season is $25 for residents and $35 for non-residents. A limited number of 200-square-foot plots are also available for an additional charge. Plots will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Planting is expected to begin June 1.
Camping on Vaughn Island
Each year more than 100 York County youth ages 9 to 14 attend Vaughn Island 4-H Environmental Camp. The camp is geared toward first time and experienced campers, with special sessions to introduce younger children (9 to 11-year-olds) to joys and skills of out door camping.
This is a chance for a two or three night camping adventure on a island off Cape Porpoise. Many youth have made this an annual event, and have created lasting memories and friendships. The camp also has a teen leader component that trains youth aged 14 to 17 to assist as counselors in training.
Jon Prichard, the program’s director and extension educator, said the camp is affordable with fees from $200 to $240 and scholarships are available. The program includes camping skills, leadership, recreation, environmental education, and community building. For 38 years Vaughn Island 4-H Camp has been helping youth develop an appreciation of the marine environment, recognizing that they themselves are part of Earth’s interconnected web of life.
Directed by University of Maine Cooperative Extension in York County, the camp is affiliated with Tanglewood 4-H Camp and Learning Center and licensed by the state of Maine. For more information, call 324-2814 or download registration materials at www.umext.maine.edu/York County.
Talk on Monarch butterflies
Take a photographic journey to the winter homes of the monarch butterfly when Dennis Curtin visits the Wells Reserve at Laudholm at noon, Thursday, May 21. Curtin’s “Monarchs on the Move” program is open to all. Come with a friend and bring a bag lunch. A $2 donation to the reserve’s education program is suggested.
Monarch butterflies that summer west of the Rockies migrate to southern California in winter, while those east of the Rockies migrate to the Sierra Madre mountains of Mexico. Curtin has followed both monarch populations on their journeys, capturing their strength and beauty for a book to be published this summer.
The reserve is located just off Route 1 near the Wells-Kennebunk line.
Reception, presentation features UMaine wind energy expert
The Kennebunk Energy Efficiency Committee presents Dr. Habib Dagher of the University of Maine for his discussion, “Maine’s Energy Future: how Maine can build a clean energy economy, create new jobs, and become a net exporter of energy.” A reception takes place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Thursday, May 28 at Kennebunk Free Library.
The talk begins at 7 p.m. at Kennebunk Town Hall on Main Street. A professor of civil and structural engineering, Dagher joins a growing number of scientists and policy makers who believe Maine has the potential to be the “Saudi Arabia of wind,” if the technical hurdles to building large off-shore wind farms can be overcome.
He recently joined T. Boone Pickens in testifying before the Senate’s Homeland Security Committee on the potential of wind power to decrease dependence on foreign oil.
The director of the Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center, established by the National Science Foundation, Dagher has published more than 100 scholarly papers in his field.
He has won numerous awards for his teaching, research, and public service, including the Distinguished Maine Professor Award and the New England Higher Education Excellence Award.
To atten the reception, RSVP to 294-2961 or turnstone@gwi.net by Friday, May 22.
School Around Us plant sale
The School Around Us hosts a plant sale and garden day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, May 23 at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in Kennebunk.
Purchase vegetable seedlings, perennials and vines. Also available are tufa planters, garden stepping stones and bake sale items.
School Around Us parents and staff will offer children’s activities and garden-related information, including a worm composting demonstration.
The plant sale is also the pick-up and sale location for composters and rainbarrels.
The School Around Us is a holistic learning community, encouraging the growth of mind, body, heart and spirit in a balanced kindergarten through eighth grade academic program. Since 1970, it has been a state approved independent school.
The School around Us in a non-profit organization. For more information contact Julie Marvin at 457-1686.
Middle school
students recognized
Several world language students from The Middle School of the Kennebunks attained national recognition for excellent performance on the 2009 National Spanish Examinations.
Cassandra Moreno, Colby Harrison, Seneca Landry, Hannah Snow, Beniam Hollman, Melanie Wadleigh, Carson Wagor, and Avery Barros were among the students from the school who earned a total of two silver and two bronze medals along with four honorable mentions.
“Attaining a medal or honorable mention for any student on the National Spanish Examinations is very prestigious,” said Kevin Cessna-Buscemi, national director of the exams. “The exams are the largest of their kind in the United States with well over 115,000 students participating in 2009.”
The National Spanish Examinations are administered each year in grades six through 12, and are sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. Students from The Middle School of the Kennebunks have a long history of high achievement on these exams and were taught by Spanish teachers, Sally Wakeland and Ellen McEnaney.
Breakfast benefit
A “Benefit Breakfast Buffet” takes place from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., Saturday, May 16 at the Nonantum Resort, 93 Ocean Ave. in Kennebunkport for York County Food Rescue, a non-profit program of Stone Soup Food Pantry that distributes free food to more than 40 food pantries and meal sites throughout York County.
Adults, $9.95, Children ages 2 to 12, 4.95, payment taken at the door, non-perishable food donations welcome. For more information, contact foodrescue@metrocast.net.
Trillo promoted
Major General John W. Libby, the Adjutant General, Maine National Guard announced the promotion of Kevin Trillo, of Kennebunk and Company B of the 3/172 Infantry Mountain in Brewer to the rank of Private First Class.
Cheering open house
Coastal Extreme Cheer hosts a Meet and Greet Day from 3 to 5 p.m., Sunday, May 17, at 9 Pomerleau St. in Biddeford.
Coastal Xtreme Cheer is an All-Star program out of Dudziak’s School of Gymnastics in Biddeford developed in 2006 by program director and choreographer Mandy Lamb and coaches Kim Boisvert, Donna Day and tumbling coach Kevin Day.
The Coastal Extreme Cheer program provides area cheerleaders with a safe, welcoming and family-like environment in which they can both grow and develop as an athlete and as a person.
It gives cheerleaders an option to travel out of the state and do what they lover. To register or for more information, visit www.coastalxtremecheer.com
Nonprofit brainstorming session slated
In these challenging times, stresses placed on nonprofits are great. Resources are challenged and yet demand for services continues to increase. United Way of York County invites leaders of nonprofit organizations to join an open conversation regarding challenges facing nonprofit organizations providing services in York County.
A group of Maine funders and capacity building organizations has been exploring how best to support the work of the nonprofit sector. They have developed some pilot programs and other tools.
These listening sessions will take place from 3 to 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 27 and 8 to 9 a.m. Thursday, June 4.
Learn about opportunities and challenges facing nonprofits in York County and discuss what additional supports could be of assistance.
To attend one of these listening sessions, RSVP by Wednesday, May 20 to Barb Wentworth at bwentworth@buildcommunity.org. More details, including meeting location, will follow receipt of the RSVP.
Kennebunk camps open to all
The Kennebunk Parks and Recreation Department now accepts residents from all communities into their Summer Day Camp Program for grades entering K-6 and Teen-X-Treme Program for children entering grades seven, eight and nine.
Summer Day Campers enjoy a fun-filled summer of sports, arts and crafts, theater, game-playing and field trips, led by an organized, high-energy staff. Participants can also expect scavenger hunts, water games, and many special events, including a talent show and the Camper Indy 500.
TeenX-Treme keeps participants active with sports, arts and crafts, science experiments, beach days, biking, hiking, field trips, community service and fundraising opportunities.
Camp begins Tuesday, June 23.
Participants will have the option of signing up for a four-week camp or the full eight-weeks from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Registration is now open for residents and for non-residents beginning Thursday, May 21. Visit www.kennebunkmaine.us to view the entire summer 2009 catalog, or call 985-6890 ext. 1335.
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