EVENTS: 52nd Annual Blueberry Festival coming to Winslow

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One of Maine’s all-time most popular, beloved, and downright yummy summer events – Winslow’s annual Blueberry Festival – is coming this year on Saturday, August 12, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., to the Winslow Congregational Church, 12 Lithgow Street, Winslow. Admission to the festival grounds is FREE.

Nearly 750 blueberry pies and “all things blueberry” baked goods will be available for sale. Blueberry pies ($15 each; 2 for $25) may be picked up at the church anytime from 3 to 7 p.m. the previous evening (Friday, August 11) or the day of the festival (Saturday, August 12) from 7 a.m. until they are sold out.

Blueberry Pancake Breakfast

Kicking off the 52nd Annual Blueberry Festival on Saturday will be a delicious Blueberry Pancake Breakfast, from 7 to 10 a.m. Cost of the breakfast will be $7 per person and $5 for children ages 12 and under, payable at the door.

Other Great “Festival Festivities”

In addition to the “all things blueberry” pies and other culinary delights, festival patrons will enjoy a Lobster Shore-Dinner raffle; a silent auction; a Blueberry Café; live classical, pop, folk, and blues music from musicians Josh Bickford (11 a.m. church organ concert), Ritchie Bartolo, Will McPherson, Noah Carrett, Jake Hickey, and others; local crafts vendors; a yard sale; children’s activities; a FREE BOOKS for kids table; an agricultural exhibit featuring goats; a firetruck and police car, and more.

More about the 52nd Annual Blueberry Festival

A beloved community favorite since 1972, the Blueberry Festival raises funds to empower the local humanitarian/Christian-service work of Winslow Congregational Church, celebrating its 195th birthday this year.

Everyone seeking a wonderful opportunity to gather and enjoy a treasure trove of “all things blueberry” is cordially invited to attend this year’s Blueberry Festival!

For more information about the 52nd annual Blueberry Festival, please call (207) 872-2544 or visit: https://winslowucc.org/blueberry-festival/.

EVENTS: Free benefit concert in Windsor

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Downeast Brass

The Downeast Brass will be presenting a free concert on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, at the Windsor Town Hall, to benefit the Windsor Veterans’ Memorial Fund. The show features the life and music of Frank Sinatra through slides, narration, live music, comedy, and dance.

The program lasts about an hour and a half and includes local singers, musicians and dancers. It starts at 7 p.m., in the upstairs auditorium of the Windsor Town Hall. There is an elevator available, and refreshments will be provided by the Windsor Ladies Aid. Please come enjoy hit tunes from the ‘40s and beyond while supporting Windsor veterans.

EVENTS: Washington Challenge slated for Aug. 6, 2023

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Washington Recreation’s Annual Washington Challenge, will be Sunday, August 6. Registration will take place from 7 – 7:50 a.m., and the Fun Run starts at 8 a.m., and the 5K starts right after.

Registration for both races is at the back parking lot of the Gibbs Library, 40 Old Union Rd., in Washington.

The 5K will be out and back on the Bill Luce Rd. The Fun Run will start at the monument out to Prescott School and back to the library. It is the Washington Challenge because there are hills on both courses.

Registration fees: $5 for 5K; $1 for Fun Run. T-shirts while they last and door prizes. Medals for 5K winners in all categories: male & female: 0-15 16-19 20-29 30-39, 40-49 50-59 60-64 65 and up. Fun Run Medals for first, second and third places, for both male and female.

They will also be selling our 50/50 raffle tickets as a part of the fund raiser for creating hiking trails in Washington. Tickets are $2 and a single winner will be drawn at the Axiom Broadband Festival, August 12. The winner gets half of the total pot, the Washington Recreational Trails the other half.

So put on your running shoes and come race the Washington Challenge. Walkers are welcome to walk the Fun Run.

EVENTS: Second annual Somerset Scrub Club connects Maine students with careers in healthcare

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JMG, in partnership with Redington Fairview Hospital, Somerset Career & Technical Center, and Western Maine Area Health Education Center, is thrilled to announce the second annual Somerset Scrub Club, a transformative 4-day camp from Monday, August 7, to Thursday, August 11, aimed at introducing students to careers in healthcare. This career exploration opportunity is open to students entering grades 8 to 12.

Somerset Scrub Club Details:

Date: Monday, August 7 to Thursday, August 11, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Skowhegan Area High School (media check-in at the main office)
On-Site Contact: Katie Wood, Regional Director (kwood@jmg.org)

Throughout the four days of the Somerset Scrub Club, participating students will engage in hands-on activities, interactive workshops, and insightful seminars led by experienced healthcare professionals in careers that include athletic trainer, certified nursing assistant (CNA), dentist, medical assistant, EMT, phlebotomist, registered nurse, and more. Students will travel to Kennebec Valley Community College and Redington-Fairview General Hospital on Tuesday, August 8, to learn more about the programs and opportunities offered. On Thursday, August 11, students will hear from staff at Lifeflight of Maine, which will land a helicopter, weather permitting.

For more information, contact Katie Wood, Regional Director at JMG, kwood@jmg.org.

Benefit spaghetti supper in Palermo

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photo by jeffreyw: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffreyww/

A fundraising event is being held by community organizations, on Saturday, August 5, at 5 p.m., for the family of Michael and Sheila McCarty to help with the final expenses incurred by the sudden passing of their daughter, Alia. It will be held at the American Legion, 33 Veterans Way, in Palermo. The cost will be $10 per plate, $5 for children under 10.

Following the dinner, there will be a pie auction and 50/50 drawing. Please feel free to donate a pie or other baked goods to help with the event. Contact Commander Paul Hunter, 207-993-5049; Auxiliary Mary Haskell, 207-485-6605; or Kathy Neenan at the Palermo Town Office, 207-640-8100, ext. 103.

Annual 11-hour continuous soccer returns

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Photo credit: Shine on Cass/Kick for Cass

Over 500 players, including 17 high school soccer teams from around the state, will join the 11-hour, continuous soccer game “Kick For Cass” on Saturday, July 15, at Thomas College, in Waterville. The annual event is held in memory of Cassidy Charette, a former midfielder for Messalonskee High School girls soccer, who wore the #11 jersey, before her passing in a tragic hayride accident on October 11, 2014.

Kick For Cass will welcome back high school soccer teams, playing from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., in a round-robin play day. From 3 to 7 p.m., community teams of club soccer, adult leagues, local organizations, Cassidy’s friends and neighbors, and her former soccer teammates will round out the final hours.

The final hour of Kick for Cass will have a walk-in ceremony and a friendly competition between Cassidy’s former soccer teammates from Messalonskee High School vs. her Central Maine United Premiere Soccer team, from 6 to 7 p.m. Spectators are welcome all day. Messalonskee All Sports Boosters Club will provide concessions throughout the event. Inclement weather date is Sunday, July 16. For more information, email shineoncass@gmail.com or visit shineoncass.org.

How will new mooring ordinance impact recreation on Palermo waters?

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Margaret and Gary Mazoki, of Palermo, enjoy their pontoon boat during the annual July 4 boat parade on Sheepscot Lake. (contributed photo by Janet West)

Submitted by Pam McKenney,
Sheepscot Lake Association Board

In March 2023, Palermo residents voted to approve a mooring ordinance for lakes and ponds in Palermo. The ordinance and its impact on Palermo waters, including Sheepscot Lake, will be the focus of the Sheepscot Lake Association’s upcoming Annual Meeting on Thursday, July 20, 6 p.m,. at the Fish and Game Clubhouse, on Rte 3.

The guest speaker this year will be Shawn R. Hebert, Harbor Master/ Chief of the Marine Safety Division, Naples. For a combined 32 years of service, he has been involved in Public Safety and Emergency as well as the training and certifying Harbor Masters statewide. At our annual meeting, Shawn will help us to further understand the role of a Harbor Master on Maine lakes and ponds and to examine the impact of the new mooring ordinance approved by Palermo residents in March.

The new ordinance will manage the placement of moorings and houseboats on waters within the town. The purpose is to provide for safe navigation, to protect the rights of shorefront property owners, and to preserve the health of inland water ecosystems. This was necessary since the State of Maine does not regulate the placement of moorings nor the anchoring of houseboats on Maine lakes, great ponds, and streams within the Water Safety Zone. This zone is defined as the first 200 feet from the high-water mark of any shore or ⅓ distance to the opposite shore, whichever is less.

Before Palermo voters accepted the ordinance, the placement of moorings and anchoring of houseboats inside the Water Safety Zone was left up to the discretion of individuals. Municipalities have little to gain and much to lose if moorings and houseboats are abandoned or seep sewage or sink. Therefore, a committee of stakeholders, including SLA board members, examined ordinances from other Maine towns and developed standards for mooring and anchoring suited to Palermo. These standards ensure that mooring installation, use, and maintenance as well as overnight anchoring does not:

  • impair the public’s health, safety and welfare;
  • result in degraded water quality, loss of aquatic habitat, or interference with navigation;
  • infringe on the rights of shore land property owners.

Beyond human use and enjoyment, Maine waters sustain ecosystems vital to the health and identity of our state. Find out more at the Sheepscot Lake annual meeting and see the Town of Palermo website for a copy of the adopted ordinance which takes effect in 2024. Also, please consider supporting the Sheepscot Lake Association with your membership and attendance at the annual meeting. The meeting starts with a dessert potluck at 6 p.m.

EVENTS: Shakespeare group to hold auditions

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Front row, from left to right, Katie Howes, Tammy Werber, and Vanessa Glazier. Back, Becca Bradstreet, Shana Page, Josh Fournier, and Helena Page. (photo courtesy of Shana Page)

Recycled Shakespeare Company will be holding auditions for their theatrical production, The Poe Experience.

Auditions are on Monday, July 17, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Fairfield House of Pizza, in Fairfield, and Wednesday July 19, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the South Parish Congregational Church, in Augusta.

This one night only show will take place on Sunday, October 8, at 7 p.m., at the South Parish Congregational Church, in Augusta. It will consist of a reader theater approach with and pantomime. Please be prepared to do a cold read. There are roles for readers, silent performers, and help with staging, costuming, tech, and more. Everyone who wants a part gets a part and actors are encouraged to help with various aspects of the production.

If you cannot audition during these times, please contact Shana Page at 207-286-5713 or shanalynnpage@gmail.com.

EVENTS: Summer scouting programs available

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Summer programs will be active and enriching for youth attending area scout camps and scout activities according to two leaders of these programs. Brittany St. Amand, of Pittston, and Shelley Connolly, of Pittsfield, have spent months organizing and getting things ready for outstanding summer programs.

Brittany St. Amand will be the Cub Scout Day Camp Director at Camp Gustin, in Sabattus, and Camp Hinds, in Raymond, this summer. She is also the Webelo Leader in Gardiner Cub Pack #672.

Cub Scout Day Camps, with the “Off to the Races” theme, will be run July 17-21, at Camp Gustin, July 24-28, at Camp Bomazeen, in Belgrade, led by Julie McKenney, of Belgrade, and August 7-11, at Camp Hinds.

At Cub Scout Day Camp, leaders provide adventures and an opportunity for your Cub Scout (or Cub Scout-aged youth) to enjoy Cub Scout activities in a day camp style setting. Cub Scouts earn requirements for rank advancement, special awards and gain recognition. Cub Day Camp is for youth in first through fifth grade. Youth entering first grade in the fall are welcome at camp, however an adult/parent needs to accompany them. And, Cub Scout Packs can register and attend Cub Scout Day Camp as a group. Day Camp, which runs Monday through Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is often a youth’s first major experience in scouting with their peers, under the guidance of trained and caring adult volunteer leaders. If you can attend with your child as a leader (a member of our racing pit crew), you will receive $100 off the cost of camp for their child. For more information on volunteering at camp, email Leah Barry at leahbarry@ptcbsa.org.

Preparing for camp takes months of organization and they must follow all State of Maine and Scouting requirements to operate.

In addition to these programs, Pine Tree Council also offers Family FunPack Weekend on July 29-30 at Camp Bomazeen; Webelos Resident Camp at Camp Hinds July 30 – August 2; and Scout camp at Camp Hinds runs through the month of July including hiking, swimming, boating, rock climbing, Scoutcraft and STEM and older scouts can challenge themselves with Project COPE (Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience).

Those who have questions about these programs can contact Brittany at B.STAMANDSCOUTS@GMAIL.COM; Shelley at bsatroop428 maine@ gmail.com or if you have questions about any of the summer activities, contact Leah at Pine Tree Council If you have questions or need help, contact Leah at leahbarry@ptcbsa.org (207) 517-6196.

Litter Free China program to continue

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Members of the Central Church in China participate in the Second Saturdays litter cleanup initiative. (photo by Jeanne Marquis)

In past summers, you may have noticed volunteers picking up litter along Lakeview Drive, in China and South China villages, a portion of Rte. 3, Rte. 32, and part of the Neck Road. Let’s resume our efforts on Saturday, July 8, from 10 a.m. to noon, with a backup rain day on July 15, same time. We realize litterers will continue to litter, but maybe seeing volunteers picking up will encourage some to think twice. Please respond by email at rvdillenbeck@knology.net and advise what section of our roads you are willing to work.

It would be great to include Rte. 32 down to Erskine Academy and towards Vassalboro, the full Neck Road, Cross Rd,. and any other roads where you live. I’ll be away June 14 through June 30 and will read your emails upon return. Solo volunteers and group participation is welcome, pick a stretch you care about. Be aware of traffic, wear bright clothing, bring bags and gloves, and please take full bags to the transfer station. Let’s strive for a Litter-Free China!

Thanks, Richard Dillenbeck.