The new officers of the Central Maine Square Dance Club are, from left to right, Claude Francke, Al Mather, Jeff Howes, Karen Cunningham, and Becky Potter. Contributed photo

The Central Maine Square Dance club of Waterville is having their monthly square dance on Sunday, December 10, from 2 – 5 p.m., at the Waterville Jr. High School, on Rte. 104 (West River Road). Again this year this dance is being promoted as our “Toyland Dance.” Each year the club encourages its members and guests to bring an unwrapped toy or article of clothing to be donated to the Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers, in Waterville.

Items needed by the home are, toys for boys and girls ages 3-12, complete outfits size 0-16 for boys and girls, infant and toddler VTech and Fisher Price Developmental, 500 piece Lego sets for bots and girls, ages 8-12, warm pajamas, sizes 0-16, reading books for all levels up to age 12. Snow pants, jackets, boots, mittens and gloves.

They are asking the general public if they would like to get involved with this endeavor, they could drop a gift off at the dance on Sunday, December 10, from 2 to 5 p.m., or call 447-0094 or 631-8816 to make arrangements for pick up.

CJ Gaunce, of Waterville, left, in orange jacket, loads one of the first chair lifts at Sugarloaf Mountain. He and several others were in line at 4:30 a.m. for opening day. Photo courtesy of Sugarloaf Mountain

Waterville Parks and Recreation has announced that discounted season ski trail passes are now available for the upcoming winter season at Quarry Road Trails, located at 300 Quarry Road in Waterville.

During the winter months, a state-of-the-art snowmaking system and daily grooming all but guarantees the trails will be covered for cross-country skiing. The area offers 12 km (7.5 mi) of trails for all levels of ability with lighting on 2 km of trail for night skiing. Other opportunities for winter outdoor recreation on the Quarry Road Trails include snowshoeing and, when conditions permit, winter fat biking. A full slate of events is already planned for the upcoming busy winter season. Over the past 10 years, the Quarry Road Trails have grown into a multi-use, four-season recreation destination.

Season ski passes are available at discounted pre-season rates through November 30 and can be purchased online at quarryroad.org, the Finance Department at Waterville’s City Hall, or the Alfond Youth Center. Season passes and day passes will also be available 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. daily at the Welcome Center yurt beginning on the area’s projected opening day, Saturday, December 2.

Volunteers are needed to help this winter in the following areas: staffing the Welcome Center, youth ski program, events, and trail maintenance. If interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities, call (207) 446-7356 or email volunteer@quarryroad.org.

For more information about the area, programs, and events, call Waterville Parks and Recreation at (207) 680-4744 or visit quarryroad.org.

From left to right, Kappa members Mary Whitten, of Gardiner, and Betty-Jane Meader, of Waterville, load the car for delivery of a variety of items to The Essentials Closet. Contributed photo

Members of the local Kappa Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma International recently donated a variety of items to The Essentials Closet at the First Congregational Church on Eustis Parkway in Waterville.

Pastor Mark Wilson initiated the idea of The Essentials Closet about a year ago, noting that we have the local soup kitchen, evening sandwich program, the food pantry, and homeless shelter. In none of those places can people get the essentials — laundry detergent, toilet paper, dish detergent, shampoo, paper towels, tissues, bath soap, deodorant, feminine hygiene products, toothbrushes, diapers, baby wipes, and toothpaste.

“Furthermore, these items cannot be purchased with their EBT cards and state assistance programs,” explained Pete Downing, director of the program with his wife Lora, of Sidney.

Some members of St. Mark’s Church have chosen to fill the needs of diapers and feminine hygiene items. “We recently had 1,500 diapers delivered by this church. This is a huge blessing and will be of such great help to many of your young mothers,” says Lora.

“People need to feel clean and have clean clothes in order to go to work and have their children go to school bathed and in clean clothes,“ commented Lora.

The Essentials Closet is staffed by three or four volunteers and is open the last two weeks of every month—Mondays, 5 to 7 p.m. and Wednesday and Friday from 9 to 11 a.m. Since April 17, they have served 580 different people, and some come every month. “We average about 180 people per month from all over Central Maine,” said Lora.

Delta Kappa Gamma is an international organization of women educators from around the world. One of the primary strands of the mission is service to local communities. There are 16 chapters in the State of Maine.

On Saturday, October 14, from 7 – 10 p.m., the Central Maine Square Dance Club will be holding its monthly square dance at the Waterville Junior High School, on Rte. 104, in Waterville. The caller for the evening will be Kip Moulton and the round dance cuer will be his wife Linda.

There will be early round dancing from 6:30 – 7 p.m., before the start of the square dance. As always the club encourages the general public to attend as spectators at no charge to see what fun can it is.