The Palermo Planning Board, once again, has rescheduled its meeting to Thursday, March 27, 2025, at the Palermo Town Office, at 6 p.m. The purpose is to conduct official review of plans for the proposed Pine Hill subdivision on Hostile Valley Road, Tax Map R11, Lot 27C
Winslow Community Cupboard food pantry – which serves food-insecure children, seniors, and other adults from Winslow, Waterville, and 22 surrounding towns – will hold a Spaghetti Supper Fundraiser at Winslow Congregational Church, 12 Lithgow Street, on Saturday, March 1, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. A donation of $9.95 for adults and $4.95 for children under 12 is kindly requested. All proceeds will benefit Winslow Community Cupboard food pantry.
The delicious spaghetti supper can be enjoyed as a sit-down meal at the church or as a to-go treat. The meal will include spaghetti, salad, bread, and a drink. To place a to-go order, please call (207) 616-0076 on Saturday, March 1, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Those who may not be able to attend, but who would like to help food-insecure children and adults in Central Maine, may send a much-appreciated check payable to “Winslow Community Cupboard”, to 12 Lithgow St., Winslow, ME 04901, or by donating online at WCCPantry.com.
For more information, please contact Winslow Community Cupboard at WinslowCupboard@Gmail.com.
The Lincoln County Democratic Committee (LCDC) hosts two experts on the labor movement at its monthly meeting on Thursday, February 27, at 7 p.m.
The meeting will be in a hybrid format. Participants can join in person at the Newcastle Fire Station, 86 River Road, and can be attended on Zoom as well.
Guest speakers are Giovanna Gray Lockhart, executive director of the Frances Perkins Center (an organization dedicated to workers’ rights advocate Frances Perkins), and Cynthia Phinney, president of the Maine AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations).
Lockhart will present an overview of Frances Perkins (the first woman to serve in a U.S. presidential cabinet), who was Secretary of Labor for the entire tenure of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidency.
Perkins was the driving force behind the groundbreaking New Deal programs on which Americans still rely—Social Security, unemployment insurance, the 40-hour work week, and the minimum wage. She spent summers throughout her life at her ancestral family homestead in Newcastle, now the nonprofit, nonpartisan Frances Perkins Center.
Lockhart will address Perkins’ historical work and the recent designation of the Center as a National Historic Landmark in December
Phinney will discuss the importance of the AFL-CIO’s policy work to protect workers and maintain the social safety net that Perkins championed.
All Lincoln County Democrats and unenrolled progressives are welcome to attend the meeting. LCDC voting members will automatically receive the Zoom log on information and reminders by email. Those interested in becoming a voting member must be a registered Democrat in Lincoln County and may make their interest known by indicating so at the in-person meeting, on the meeting registration form at lincolncountydemocrats.com/meet, or by emailing info@lincolncountydemocrats.com.
Pre-registration for the meeting is required for non-voting members who want to receive Zoom log on and/or phone-in details. Register before noon the day of the meeting to ensure access. However, LCDC will do its best to accommodate last-minute registrations.
More information about LCDC, its meetings, and other activities can be found at https://lincolncountydemocrats.com. Questions can be emailed to info@lincolncountydemocrats.com.
The Palermo Planning Board will meet Thursday, February 27, 2025, at the Palermo Town Office, at 6 p.m.
Purpose – is to conduct official review of plans for the proposed Pine Hill subdivision on Hostile Valley Road, Tax Map R11, Lot 27C.
The North Pond Association is hosting a Pike Ice Fishing Derby at North Pond from 6 a.m. – 2 p.m., on Saturday, February 22, 2025.
This family fun derby features two divisions: one for participants aged 16 and older, and another for children aged 15 and under. Prizes in both divisions are awarded based on the heaviest pike caught. In the first division, the prizes are $500 for first place, $200 for second place, and $100 for third place. The prize for the children’s division is a Lifetime Fishing License. Organizers will be stationed at the boat landing on North Shore Drive on the Mercer/Smithfield town line for the weigh-in at the end of the derby. Come on out and make a day of it!
Tickets can be purchased online until just before the kick off of the derby on Saturday, February 22, at 6 a.m. $15 for ages 16 and up and $5 for ages 15 and under.
You are responsible for knowing and following all applicable Maine Fishing Laws and Rules found online at the link provided.
Laws & Rules: Fishing: Fishing & Boating: Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Organizers will decide the day before the derby whether the ice conditions are safe. However, you are responsible for ensuring the ice is safe for yourself, your equipment, and any guests you bring.
Check the Facebook event page as they share updates on the leaderboard.
The weigh-in station will be located at the boat landing on North Shore Drive near the CBI shelter. Submissions for weigh in starts at 6 a.m.
They reserve the right to decline any submission from individuals suspected of cheating and will notify the warden service.
Your pike must be free of all snow, ice and not be frozen solid prior to weigh in.
They will note your name along with the weight, length, and the time you weighed in for any tiebreakers.
In the event there’s a line of submissions right at 2 p.m., they will ensure everyone gets recorded within a reasonable time.
Once your submission is recorded you are free to take your fish back with you. If you do not wish to keep your pike, they will take it off your hands.
The Annual Gene & Lucille Letourneau Ice Fishing Derby will take place on Sunday, February 16, at the Muskie Community Center, 38 Gold Street, in Waterville, as a fundraiser for Spectrum Generations (Meals on Wheels). Experience this mid-winter tradition for ice fishing enthusiasts and families! Established by Maine’s great outdoorsman and his wife, Gene and Lucille Letourneau, the ice fishing derby attracts people (of all ages) throughout the state to compete for cash prizes, try a chance at winning the raffle prize – a YETI Tundra 65 Cooler package – and participate in various indoor and outdoor winter carnival activities.
Fish on any safe, legal Maine pond or lake of your choice, then gather at the Muskie Community Center during the official weigh-in between 2 – 5 p.m. This multigenerational family event encourages ages 15 and under to compete in their own category. Cash prizes are awarded for first and second place in eight fish categories for adults and ten categories for youth participants.
All are welcomed to attend and enjoy the firepit, S’mores, hot cocoa, popcorn, cornhole, pool table, silent auction (open all day for bids) and to purchase tasty food from Maine Pine Catering – with a portion of food sale proceeds supporting Spectrum Generations. Bring your children to experience arts and craft activities starting at 10 a.m. The Magic of Conjuring Carroll between 1 and 2 p.m., Mr. Drew and His Animals Too, between 2 and 3 p.m.; and children’s book authors Sharon Hood with her book, Where’d My Jammies Go, and Tonya Shevenell with her book, The Moon Over Malibu Maine. Both authors will have books for sale and are available to autograph copies for guests.
Ice Fishing Derby tickets can be purchased online and at several locations including the Muskie Community Center (Waterville), Backcountry Baits (Waterville), Christy’s Country Store (Belgrade), D&L Country Store (Oakland), Harvest Time Baits (Winslow), Middle Road General Store (Sidney), Tri-Pond Variety (Smithfield), Twins Country Store (Augusta), the Cohen Community Center (Hallowell) and at the Spectrum Generations office in Augusta. Each ticket allows a fish entry and an entry into the raffle prize drawing for a Yeti Tundra Cooler and drink tumblers (you do not need to enter a fish to be included in the raffle drawing)! Tickets to enter a fish are sold only until noon, on February16.
The Ice Fishing Derby & Winter Carnival is a fundraiser supporting the programs and services of Spectrum Generations including Meals on Wheels and other nutrition-related services for older adults and adults with disabilities. To purchase tickets and review tournament rules please visit: https://www.spectrumgenerations.org/events/ice-fishing-derby. For more information, please contact Sandra MacDonald, Regional Center Director smacdonald@spectrumgenerations.org or call 207-873-4745.
During the month of March, Lincoln County Historical Association’s education outreach program will offer a series of heritage craft workshops. The workshops will be held on March 2, 16, and 30 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. They will feature stenciling on canvas, basketry, hand brooms, and foil art. The program is generously supported by a grant from the Margaret E. Burnham Charitable Trust.
The March 2 workshop features brooms and foil art. Small brooms are handy to have in hand, and it is an added plus when they add to the home’s interior decor. Kathy Horton has studied the use of broom corn in the American Colonies – from the theories of who brought in the first seeds, to the time when broom corn brooms (the common broom of today) began to catch on as a necessary household item. She will teach participants how to make a wing-shaped broom (approx. 12-inch long) using broom corn.
During the second part of this workshop Louise Miller will introduce participants to foil art, also referred to as tinsel art. This art skill is similar to reverse painting on glass but is not as exacting. One does not have to excel at drawing to enjoy designing a simple picture which is then enhanced with foil.
The March 16 workshop features baskets. Baskets of all types are well-loved possessions. Allison Brown, an accomplished basket maker, will share her knowledge of basket technique. She will lead participants in the creation of a useful five inch square basket from the preparation of materials through the completion of the basket, with suggestions about color and accent details.
A workshop on stenciling or painting on canvas will be held on March 30. This was a popular technique used to produce floor coverings in the early American colonies and well into the 19th century. Painted floor cloths were often more affordable than woven tapestry or knotted (oriental) rugs. It is known that both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had painted floor cloths in their homes. In this workshop, Rebecca Manthey will teach the technique using placemat-size pieces of canvas. Stencils, paints, and other materials will be provided. Rebecca has studied traditional designs and her work has included large 5′ x 7′ floor cloths.
The cost of each workshop is $35. All materials will be provided. Pre-registration is required as space is limited. Email the LCHA office at lchamaine1954@gmail.com or call 207 882-6817 to register or to request more information.
The March 2 workshop will be held in the Fellowship Room on the lower level of the Second Congregational Church, 51 Main Street, Newcastle. In the event of a snowstorm, the workshop will be rescheduled and all participants will be notified. Location of the subsequent workshops to be announced. Participants are welcome to bring a snack; coffee and tea will be provided.
Lincoln County Historical Association is a nonprofit organization that provides stewardship for the 1754 Chapman-Hall House in Damariscotta, the 1761 Pownalborough Court House, in Dresden, and the 1811 Old Jail and Museum, in Wiscasset. For more information, please visit www.lincolncountyhistory.org, Facebook at Lincoln County Historical Association (Maine) or Pownalborough Court House Museum.
Micah Wolf left, and Mary Herman. (photo by Aurie Maxwell)
This year the Southern Maine Association of Shakespearean Homeschoolers (S.M.A.S.H.) is performing The Merry Wives of Windsor. This uproarious comedy revolves around Sir John Falstaff (played by Isla Granholm) in his hopes to woo, and win the money of, Mistress Ford (played by Micah Wolf) and Mistress Page (played by Mary Herman), the aforementioned wives of Windsor. Disgusted with his advances and completely aware that he is trying the same trick on them both, the two wives resolve to make him pay by Mistress Ford leading him on only to humiliate him.
Woven in the midst of that, Mistress Page’s daughter Anne Page (played by Rachel Maxwell) is being courted by three men, one of whom her father approves, one of whom her mother approves, and the one she truly loves. Each party involved has their own scheme and all plan around each other, trying to get the outcome they want. While a theme of revenge drives the plot, it is all harmless in the end.
The larger than life characters will have you laughing the entire play, from the smallest servant boy to the background characters who never speak.
This is something you will only get here. Theatre is about shared experience. When you go to the movies you are watching a film in a space with others but you are watching in isolation. When the actors are living the story right in front of you there is a connection that you can feel, between the actors on stage, between the individual and collective audience members, and between the actors and the audience. However, when watching this play there is more shared experience for me that makes my review a biased one. I was part of S.M.A.S.H. for six years, up until I left for college. I have younger siblings still in the program. Cumston Hall is a precious space for me, which holds memories that shaped who I’ve become. When you go and watch this play, you are not only in for a hilarious and wonderful experience but you’re supporting and witnessing the moments that are crafting the next generation.
There is much I could tell you about the power of theatre to train and educate people of all ages the invaluable skills of clear communication (yes, even in Shakespeare. Believe it or not), how to operate in a high stress environment, the importance and awareness of how you carry yourself, and how to work well with others. But I won’t bore you with the intricacies of my B.A. in Theatre Arts.
Instead, I will ask you to come see what 36 young kids between the ages of 6 – 18 are capable of and you can judge for yourself the skills which they have learned.
There are two performances left 6:30 p.m., on February 14, and 2 p.m., on February 15, at Cumston Hall: 796 Main Street, in Monmouth. Tickets can be bought online (smashmaine.jimdofree.com) or at the door.
The Palermo Planning Board meeting, schedule for Thursday, February 13, 2025, at the Palermo Town Office, at 6 pm., the purpose to conduct official review of plans for the proposed Pine Hill subdivision on Hostile Valley Road, Tax Map R11, Lot 27C, has been postponed.
ICE EVENTS
Friday, February 14
Bean supper, 6 – 8 p.m., Masonic Lodge.
Silent Disco, China Middle School, 7 – 9 p.m.
Snowmobile Ride, after bean supper at Masonic Lodge.
Owl Prowl, Thurston Park, 6:30 p.m.Saturday, February 15
Pancake Breakfast, Dirigo Masonic Lodge, Weeks Mills, 8 – 10 a.m.
Snowshoeing/Hiking, China School Forest 1:30 p.m.
Cornhole Tournament, China Middle School, 10 a.m. Pre-registration required.
Derby Ticket Sales, China Village Volunteer Fire Department.
Radar Run, Darrell and CFSC, registration begins at 9 a.m., runs are from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Ice Skating and S’mores, China Lake Association, 5 – 7 p.m., China Ice Rink by the red barn near the town office.Sunday, February 16
6th annual China Lake Ice Fishing Derby.
Fireworks to follow at 6:30 p.m. at the north end of the lake.