Joseph Littlefield Named Ogunquit Outstanding Citizen

OGUNQUIT—
The Board of Directors of the Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce has announced that Joseph Littlefield has been selected as Ogunquit Outstanding Citizen.
Littlefield will be recognized for his contributions to the Town of Ogunquit on Wednesday, November 3 at the Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting, which will be held at the Dunaway Center in Ogunquit.
The public is welcome to join us as we honor the man who is quick to give to people in need. Joseph is perhaps best known for his generous donation of Beach Plum Farm to the Great Works Regional Land Trust.
As one person so nicely noted, “It is a rare person who considers the beauty and environmental health of his town over his opportunity for financial gain. Current and future generations of Ogunquit residents will reap immeasurable benefit from Joe’s single act of charity.”
For those interested in learning more about attending the dinner, please contact Frances Reed at the Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce at 207-646-1279 X11, or email karen@ogunquit.org by Friday, October 29.
Photo caption: Joseph Littlefield is Ogunquit Outstanding Citizen 2010. (Courtesy photo)

Walk for Ashley: Fundraiser Celebrates Homecoming of Student

KENNEBUNK—
Ashley Dubois is an 18-year-old senior at Kennebunk High School. She is described by friends and family as “your average, all-American teenage girl,” but Ashley is anything but average.
She made High Honors for multiple semesters, competed with her dance team, Stepping Out, trained for the Maine Marathon, won a competition to participate in an Outward Bound hiking trip in Utah, worked at The BuffleHead Cove Inn on weekends, and still found time to participate in day-to-day activities with her family and friends.
On Saturday morning, September 4, Ashley pulled out of Hillside Drive on her way to work, as usual. Moments later, she was struck by a vehicle, and her life - and the lives of many friends and family - monumentally changed.
Ashley suffered severe injuries, and only recently returned from the hospital to her home on October 12. Between the medical bills already incurred, and the extensive occupational and physical therapy she will soon undergo, the Dubois family is straining to make ends meet. Their lives have been indefinitely put on hold.
In an effort to help their daughter, sister, student, and friend, local supporters are hosting “A Walk for Ashley is a Walk for Hope” at Kennebunk High School on Sunday, November 7 at 1pm. The cost is $15 per student, $25 per adult, tee shirts sold on site, and additional donations being graciously accepted. All proceeds will be deposited into a tax-exempt fund, going straight to the family.
Come celebrate Ashley’s return home, and help fund her recovery, so she can return to the life she was so vivaciously living.
For more information about the walk, email walkforashley@gmail.com, or call Ted Nichols at 207-604-8216.
Photo caption: Ashley Dubois recently returned home from hospitalization after a serious auto accident. (Courtesy photo)

Marshwood Middle School Thinks Reading is Dynamite

ELIOT—
On October 20, Marshwood Middle School made its first ever music video to express the importance of reading. The video kicks off the school-wide reading challenge.
For the past three years, students at Marshwood Middle School have begun the school year with a reading challenge. As a school, encouraging students to be lifelong readers is one of Marshwood Middle School’s major goals.
What better way to get them pumped up to read than to make a connection to their world: music. This year’s challenge theme is music genres, so the Battle of the Bands has begun.
Each of the six teams are comprised of about 100 students, and each team is challenged to read approximately 500 books. The challenge will continue until a team reaches this goal. Students are documenting the reading process by completing a bookmark as they read.
Jamie Gagner of Fusion Dance Academy in Dover volunteered to lead and choreograph the whole school (580 students and 60 adults) in a hip-hop rendition of the song “Dynamite” by Taoi Cruz. The song lyrics were changed to represent the importance of reading at Marshwood Middle School.
Students learned about their challenge and then performed a hip-hop routine, dancing and singing along.
Marshwood Middle School principal, John Caverly, warmed up the students by dressing as a hip-hop artist and explaining the reading challenge to the student body. It was an afternoon filled with music, books, and laughter.
Photo caption: Marshwood Middle School students dancing in a school-produced music video, the kickoff event for this year’s reading challenge. (Courtesy photo)

Making a Difference in Haiti

YORK —
The story of how residents, students, and Rotarians in southern Maine have helped build and support a school in Haiti will be told in a slide presentation on Friday, October 22, at 7pm at the York Public Library.
Paul Salacain of York and Amy Miller of South Berwick, who have both traveled to Haiti, will present slides showing how the Eben Ezer School in Milot, Haiti, has thrived since first South Berwick, then Kittery, and most recently, York residents have become involved. Thirteen-year-old Georgia Barlow of South Berwick, who led a student effort to raise $18,000 for Eben Ezer, also will show a short video based on her trip there.
The York Rotary Club, which donated the money for a generator for the school, sent Salacain to Haiti in August to set it up. Traveling with Life and Hope, the organization that founded the school, Salacain became part of a team that hooked up electricity so students can have refrigeration, lights, and, most importantly, computers to connect them to the outside world.
Miller, a freelance writer, has traveled annually to Milot since 2007, when her family first stumbled upon the school while living in the Dominican Republic.
Since then, hundreds of Maine residents, several schools, and three local Rotary clubs have become committed to making a difference in Haiti through the Eben Ezer School. With so many people from this area already involved in Haiti when the January 2010 earthquake struck, this community responded quickly and with great generosity.
In the two months after the earthquake, South Berwick and Eliot students and teachers raised more than $30,000 for Life and Hope. Classes at both Berwick Academy and public schools are sponsoring students in Milot.
Southern Maine residents now sponsor several dozen children at Life and Hope Eben Ezer School in Milot. The South Berwick Eliot Rotary in 2008 raised $4,300 to pay for schoolbooks for the school.
Miller’s slides will include pictures of the earthquake devastation, taken in February when she accompanied Eben Ezer School founder Lucia Anglade to the epicenter, where Anglade’s sister runs a compound for the destitute.
The York Public Library is located at 15 Long Sands Road in York, Maine. For additional information or directions, please call 207-363-2818 or visit the Library’s website at www.york.lib.me.us. For more about Life and Hope, go to www.lifeandhopehaiti.org.
Photo caption: A slide presentation will be shown at the Library about local support for a school in Haiti. (Courtesy photo)

Sea-Vu Campground Donates Over $20,000

WELLS —
Sea-Vu Campground recently completed their summer activities with their annual, fun-filled Labor Day weekend events. Donations totaling more than $20,000 were realized during the summer-long project, which encompasses many activities. Proceeds from the activities will be donated to the American Cancer Society of Maine.
During the summer, there are various events that range from yard sales and bike rides, to the campgrounds’ “Sea-Vu’s Got Talent.” Activities for fundraising efforts culminate each year with a variety of activities on Labor Day weekend. Included are children’s games, cookouts, ice cream socials, and the famous Labor Day Auction.
On Sunday, October 17th, Elaine Talevi presented a check to the American Cancer Society for more than $20,000. The presentation was made at 10am in Monument Square, Portland, at the start of the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk.
Sea-Vu Campground celebrated their 38th Anniversary this year. In addition to the original Sea-Vu Campground, the Talevi family has expanded their campground business to include Sea-Vu South Campground, owned by their son David and his wife Molly, as well as Sea-Vu West Campground, owned by their son Jason and his wife Lee.
A family-friendly business, the Talevi family supports the community in many ways. Every year, a “Happy Camper” scholarship is awarded to a Wells High School graduate. Their donations were also instrumental in furnishing the Urgent Care waiting room, the kitchen at the Senior Center, as well as numerous other contributions to the Wells community.
Photo caption: Sea-Vu staff participating at one of the many fundraising events this year. (Courtesy photo)

Pumpkinhead Festival, Fundraiser for Maine Cancer Foundation

ELIOT —
Pumpkinhead Festival Weekend, October 29-30, held at the Regatta Banquet & Conference Center in Eliot, features two days of Halloween and pumpkin-filled fun.
The weekend schedule of activities includes a Friday night five-course beer dinner featuring Shipyard Brewing Company’s fine ales, a family-friendly festival with scarecrow building, pumpkin tosses and a costume parade as well as a chef cook-off competition Saturday afternoon and an adult Halloween party with a costume contest and live music Saturday night. Proceeds from the Pumpkinhead Festival Weekend will benefit Maine Cancer Foundation.
All events will be held at the Regatta Banquet & Conference Center, located at 28 Levesque Drive (Route 236) in Eliot.
On Friday, October 29, the Regatta will host a fun and interactive Hops and Harvest Beer Dinner beginning at 6:30pm. Guests will enjoy a five-course harvest menu expertly paired with some of Shipyard’s award-winning brews. Trade brewer Bruce Elam will talk about the beers, the brewing process, and the ingredients. The dinner and beer pairing is $35; seating is limited, reservations are accepted in person at the Shipyard Brew Pub (located next to the Regatta) or through calling (207) 351-4623. The first 25 people who purchase tickets for the beer dinner will receive a Sunday River Early Season ticket.
On Saturday, October 30, the Pumpkinhead Family Fun Festival will run from 11am until 3pm. Children and adults will enjoy live music, entertainment, food, and activities including a pumpkin hurling contest, cookie decorating, scarecrow building, and pumpkin painting. Musician Dan Blakeslee will entertain the crowd with his humorous and spooky Halloween songs. Children are encouraged to come in costume for a costume parade at 12:15pm. This is free and open to the public.
Beginning at 1pm, the Chefs’ Pumpkinhead Cook-Off will have chefs from the region competing to create enticing appetizers, entrees, and desserts featuring the great flavors of either pumpkins or Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale. Sampling is encouraged, attendees will vote for their favorite. The Regatta’s own kitchen will also provide delicious tastes of pumpkin foods ranging from savory to sweet and just in time for ordering for the holidays. Entry to the cook-off is by a suggested donation of $10, in support of Maine Cancer Foundation.
Knowing that Halloween isn’t just for kids, on Saturday evening, beginning at 7pm, Shipyard will host a Halloween Party featuring the Beatles Tribute Band All Together Now at the Regatta Banquet & Conference Center. There will be prizes awarded for the best costumes. Call 207-351-4623 for tickets or purchase them in person at the Shipyard Brew Pub.
Halloween will be celebrated all week long; the Shipyard Brew Pub will host a series of Halloween-related activities beginning Monday, October 25, including Halloween trivia and horror movies chosen by pub votes. A full list of activities leading up to the Pumpkinhead Weekend Festival is available online at www.regattaroom.com.
For more information on any of these events, visit www.regattaroom.com or call 207-351-4623.
Photo caption: (Courtesy photo of festival promotional artwork)

York Hospital Fashion Fling Raises Money for Breast Care

By Candi Enman
Staff Columnist
OGUNQUIT –
After a nine-year hiatus, the return of York Hospital’s Fashion Fling to the Ogunquit Playhouse was met with overwhelming community response. The October 5 benefit exceeded organizer’s expectations, netting $57,000 to support Breast Care at York Hospital, a project of its For Every Patient Campaign.
A red carpet led some 600 “best dressed” guests to a big top-sized tent on the playhouse lawn, where champagne flowed and over 25 area restaurants served delectable appetizers of crab-stuffed mushroom caps, miniature lobster rolls and tuna tartar. The festive atmosphere decorated with bountiful bouquets of pink balloons, fall mums and bales of hay draped in black polka-dots set the tone for the fundraising extravaganza.
A survivor of 15 years, Theresa Dilando of Cambridge, MA who has summered in York Beach most of her life, said it was hard for her to be there. Though not treated at York Hospital, Dilando commented, “This is a tough reminder for me, but I wanted to come out to support the hospital and other women like myself who’ve battled breast cancer”.
Inside the legendary theatre, master of ceremonies WCVB-TV Channel 5 morning news anchor and Kittery Point resident, Randy Price, welcomed the enthusiastic crowd. Before the main event and following a compelling testimonial by hospital patient and breast cancer survivor, Sandy Raynes, a live auction run by Maureen Boyd resulted in lively bidding on luxurious vacation getaways, unique experiences and celebrity memorabilia. Among the desirable items were a guitar signed by Daryl Hall that sold for $1,700 and a Tom Brady-signed football that raised $3,900.
The fashion show, complete with a cat walk that extended from the theatre’s stage into the audience, spotlighted stylish, trendy, glitzy and practical ensembles for men, women and children from a dozen Seacoast-area clothiers and boutiques. The models - physicians, hospital staff, area business people and community leaders – were sharply clad in designs offered by Carla’s of Kennebunkport, Daisy Jane’s of York Village, Lizology of Portsmouth, Freeport’s L.L. Bean and others.
The emotional highlight of the night came in the form of a surprise ending when 40 breast cancer survivors all dressed in black with pink shawls graced the stage. Teary eyes and audience applause culminated in a standing ovation as each woman’s name and their number of years cancer free was read aloud.
“The tremendous turnout and outpouring of support for Breast Care would not have happened without the help and cooperation of the many dedicated volunteers under the driving leadership of Fashion Fling Co-Chairs Ellen Baldwin of Coldwell Banker Yorke Realty and Barbara Conda of Bangor Savings Bank,” said Jud Knox, York Hospital President. “The Fashion Fling was always a community favorite and Barbara and Ellen were determined to bring this show back—making it bigger and better than ever!”
When asked why she came out to support York Hospital, Goldie Abbott of Ogunquit said: “It’s a community hospital that we all depend on and love. This is a great turnout and a fabulous event.”
Photo caption: Models on stage during the finale of the Fashion Show (Courtesy photo)

End Polio Now

OGUNQUIT —
The Ogunquit Rotary Club, in conjunction with Rotary International, has kicked off a new campaign dedicated to eradicating polio once and for all. Ogunquit’s campaign is entitled, “Kiss Polio Goodbye.” At various locations and events in Ogunquit, individuals can donate a dollar or more and receive a packet of candy kisses in exchange.
The Bill and Melissa Gates Foundation has awarded Rotary International a challenge grant of $350 million to be matched by $200 million from Rotary International to mark another milestone in Rotary’s 20-year legacy of polio eradication.
With nearly 33,000 clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas, Rotary reaches out to national governments worldwide to generate crucial financial and technical support for polio eradication. Since 1985, the advocacy efforts of Rotary and its partners have helped raise more than $3 billion in vital funding from donor governments.
Rotary clubs also provide “sweat equity” on the ground in polio-affected communities, which helps ensure that leaders at all levels remain focused on the eradication goal. Over the years, Rotary club members have volunteered their time and personal resources to reach more than two billion children in 122 countries with the oral polio vaccine.
Thanks to Rotary and its partners, the number of polio cases has been slashed by more than 99 percent, preventing five million instances of childhood paralysis and 250,000 deaths. When Rotary began its eradication work, polio infected more than 350,000 children annually. By 2008, fewer than 2,000 cases were reported worldwide.
But the polio cases represented by that final 1 percent will be the most difficult and expensive to prevent for a variety of reasons, including geographical isolation, worker fatigue, armed conflict and cultural barriers. That’s why it’s so important to generate the funds needed to finish the job. To ease up now would be to invite a polio resurgence that would condemn millions of children to lifelong paralysis in the years ahead.
The Ogunquit Rotary Club is picking up on the challenge to move that final inch and End Polio Now by kicking off it’s “Kiss Polio Goodbye” campaign and celebrating World Polio Week October 24-31.
The bottom line is this: As long as polio threatens even one child anywhere in the world, all children – wherever they live – remain at risk. Visit www.ogunquitmerotary.org for more information.
Photo caption: Look for Ogunquit Rotary’s “Kiss Polio Goodbye” collection boxes in establishments throughout Ogunquit. (Courtesy photo)

Forest Service to Hold Firewood Exchange

AUGUSTA / KITTERY —
A second out-of-state firewood exchange, designed to prevent the importation of dangerous invasive insects to Maine’s forests and to make Maine visitors and residents aware of the problem, will take place this weekend on the Maine Turnpike.
A detail of Maine Forest Service forest rangers and entomologists will set up an educational kiosk and exchange station for three days, Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 14-16, at the northbound Kittery rest area, according to Maine Forest Service (MFS) officials.
For the second time this fall, MFS forest rangers will exchange out-of-state firewood, now banned in Maine, for Maine firewood, as a way to prevent the spread of two invasive species in particular, Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) and emerald ash borer (EAB). Both insects, already found in near-by states, threaten to destroy Maine’s forests.
“This is part of a continuing effort to let folks know how important it is to not move firewood into Maine because of the extraordinarily damaging pests it can bring in,” Alec Giffen, MFS director, said.
Giffen said the first exchange, held last month, was very successful. “I was extremely pleased and frankly surprised at the volume of material coming into Maine,” the MFS director said. “It underscores the importance of this ban.”
MFS State Entomologist Dave Struble also called the first firewood exchange successful and pointed out that awareness about the danger of moving firewood is increasing among the general public.
“It’s beginning to get into the public mindset that lugging firewood around isn’t as risk free as it once was,” Struble said. He said that national polling done recently by a California corporation showed that outreach about the firewood issue was affective.
“The message we can take from this is that behavior is changing,” the state entomologist said. “We still are in outreach mode, and it’s working.”
The two insects have destroyed millions of acres of trees in other states. ALB infested the Worcester, Mass., area and recently was discovered in Boston. EAB, which has killed millions of ash trees and threatens Maine’s American Indian basket-making tradition, has been found in New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Maryland, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario.
The first Maine firewood exchange was held Sept. 2-4 at the northbound Kittery rest area, after Giffen signed an emergency order immediately implementing the firewood ban. Legislation calling for the ban was passed this past session by the Maine Legislature.
Maine Forest Service forest rangers used electronic signs to direct turnpike drivers with firewood to stop and exchange their imported firewood. Four to seven forest rangers worked each day, talking with people, handing out literature and exchanging wood. A total of 929 contacts were made over the three-day period, with more than 2,000 pieces of firewood exchanged.
All the seized wood was sealed in plastic bags and secured with duct tape; the place of origin was recorded; and wood samples were taken to the MFS entomology lab and Gray district headquarters for analysis and storage. All the wood, except for the samples, was destroyed.
Public response to the firewood exchange was “very positive,” according to Bill Williams, MFS chief forest ranger. “Even those people not hauling wood were encouraged to learn that Maine was doing something to curb invasive species that could damage the Maine forests,” he said.
According to exchange data, 56 percent of the wood came from Massachusetts; 16 percent from Connecticut; 12 percent from New Hampshire; and the remaining wood from Rhode Island, 8 percent; Vermont, 4 percent; and New Jersey, 4 percent.
Most of it was being taken to campgrounds south of Portland. The most northern destination was Freeport, Williams reported.
While interacting with the public, the MFS forest rangers found most people were familiar with the invasive insects, but didn’t know there was a Maine ban on firewood.
Two seizures were of particular importance. One piece of hardwood found in a load of wood from Kittery had signs of insect tunneling; a sample was taken, though the whole load wasn’t confiscated because of its Maine origins. A second seizure consisted of ash firewood from Massachusetts that had bore holes in it. The firewood was bagged and taken to Gray.
The samples since have been taken to the New Hampshire Division of Forest & Lands, which has a hatching laboratory, Struble said. The lab consists of a series of ventilated barrels each with glass-emergence jars and a light trap to monitor what emerges from the wood samples, he said.
Up to this point, no invasive exotic pests have been discovered. “This is no reason, however, for complacency,” Struble said. “We know that moving firewood is a principle mechanism for introducing pests to new areas.”
This weekend’s exchange is targeting hunters, recreationists and out-of-state camp owners coming to Maine to fill their wood supply, Williams said.
At least 2 cords of Maine wood will be available for the exchange program, Williams said.
“Making an exchange takes only a few minutes to happen, and there’s no inconvenience; it works very smoothly,” the chief forest ranger said.
“The opportunity to meet and educate the public is of incredible value in protecting Maine’s forests from invasive species,” he stressed. “This can’t fail because we will be educating the public.” For more info, go to www.maine.gov/doc/mfs/InvasiveThreats.htm.

American Cancer Society Prepares to Make Strides

KITTERY —
Join us for the 2nd Annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk on Route 1 in Kittery. Over 300 breast cancer survivors, their families, and volunteers will converge along at Tanger Outlet Center in Kittery for the annual American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer three-mile walk on Sunday, October 17. Registration is set for 8:00 a.m. and the walk begins at 9:00 a.m.
Since its inception in 1993, nearly six million walkers nationwide have raised more than $400 million. In 2009 alone, nearly 700,000 walkers across the country collected $60 million to save lives from breast cancer.
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer supports the American Cancer Society’s unique mission to save lives and create a world with less cancer and more birthdays by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or finding it early; helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in ground-breaking research and by fighting back by encouraging lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight.
“The volunteers who join us in Making Strides help save the lives of many mothers, daughters, and sisters,” said Donna Muto, American Cancer Society staff partner for the event. “More than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors will celebrate a birthday this year thanks to early detection and improved treatment.”
Teams from businesses, schools, and community groups from around the area will participate. For more information, or to sign up your team for the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Kittery, please call (207) 439-6822, 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org/stridesonline.
The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. As the nation’s largest nongovernmental investor in cancer research, contributing about $3.4 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us any time, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

Annual Gathering of the Scarecrows

KENNEBUNKPORT —
Have you ever wondered where scarecrows go at the end of the growing season? Legend says that they hold a gathering of seven days in October to discuss the next growing season before being blown away by November’s chilly winds. Each fall, Scarecrows from cornfields and gardens all over Maine begin to arrive in Kennebunkport. They stay for seven days and can be found in every nook and cranny of this picturesque little town.
On the first day of the festival, Monday, October 11, from 1-5pm, the Nonantum Resort will host The Scarecrow Craft Fair which will feature over 30 crafter and artisans. There is no charge for artisans to use a table, but all must display a scarecrow. There will also be a Scarecrow wedding with 50 different scarecrow guests in attendance.
“We are delighted to welcome back The Scarecrow Craft Fair and Wedding to the Nonantum,” said Tina Hewett-Gordon, General Manager of The Nonantum. “This wonderful fall tradition is enjoyable by every member of the family.”
This event will take place on the river’s edge at The Nonantum Resort, 95 Ocean Avenue in Kennebunkport. It will be held rain or shine. Hot apple cider, pumpkin bread and apple crisp will be served. There will be a $5 suggested donation, with all proceeds benefiting the Shiloh Pepin Playground Fund.
From Tuesday, October 12 to Friday, October 15, families can vote for their favorite scarecrow. The scarecrows will be displayed all around Kennebunk and Kennebunkport. Entries can be placed in the orange pumpkin located in front of Colonial Pharmacy. Prizes will be awarded to winning scarecrows.
On Saturday, October 16, from 1-3pm, The Gathering of the Scarecrows Parade will take place. Everyone is encouraged to dress as a scarecrow or to carry one and march in the parade. The parade will begin at the Monument in Dock Square and will travel to the Green where activities for all ages will take place.
Finally, on Sunday, October 17, the Wicked 5K Road Race will occur. Participants can walk, jog or run through the streets of Kennebunkport. The race will start at The Nonantum and end at Federal Jack’s Brew Pub, where lite fare will be served and fun prizes will be awarded in various categories. In addition to the 5K race, there will also be a 1-mile fun run.
To register, log on to www.RaceIt.com (keyword: Wicked 5K). The registration fee is $20 for the 5K and $5 per person for the 1-mile fun run. Goody bags will be given to the first 200 registered participants. Costumes are encouraged, especially on kids.
The Wicked 5K is sponsored by The Nonantum Resort, with support from Atlantic Pest Solutions, Federal Jack’s Brew Pub, HB Provisions and Quest Fitness. The race benefits Operation Shower, the nonprofit organization that throws baby showers for expecting military families during deployment or high stress situations. Race participants may bring a new unwrapped baby item, which will be donated to the expecting families serving aboard the USS George Bush. For more information about the Wicked 5K, call (207) 229-3866 or email run@lilybrooke.com.
For more information about the Gathering of the Scarecrows, contact the Nonantum Resort at 967-4050.
Photo caption: The annual Scarecrow wedding will be attended by 50 different scarecrow guests! (Courtesy photo)

Fall Eco-Fest Celebrates Green Family Fun

YORK —
Monday, October 11 is the date for Clay Hill Farm’s second annual Fall Eco-Fest to celebrate the green shades of living with a community family fun day!
From 11am-3pm on Columbus Day Observed, Clay Hill Farm in York, Maine, will celebrate the season with live music, local food, artists, crafters, green businesses, kids activities, farmers and like-minded folk. Admission is free to this rain or shine event.
Under the beautiful Sperry Tent, and all about the 11-acre wildlife preserve and bird sanctuary at Clay Hill Farm, the Fall Eco-Fest celebrates real people making a difference in the community with educational outreach. Kids can enjoy fairy-house building and a scavenger hunt to boost backyard ecological awareness, with yoga on the lawn and pumpkin painting to excite mind/body creativity and expression. Parents can learn about community resources to encourage and empower eco-friendly life-styles in all shades of green. Artists, crafters and farmers punctuate the day with exciting local products for families to enjoy, while earth-friendly businesses help to outreach and educate about alternative resources available in our community. And, photographer Shane Corcoran will be at Clay Hill Farm’s Fall Eco-Fest to take the beautiful outdoor portraits every family wants.
Full festival details are online at www.clayhillfarm.com. The Fall Eco-Fest is part of Clay Hill Farm’s Eco-Reach TM campaign to encourage environmental awareness and celebrate green connectedness in all shades. Event sponsors include Sperry Tents, Ultra Geothermal, Simply Green Bio-fuels, Eco-Reach, Meyer All-natural Angus, Kinnealey, Acorn Organic Salon, SEA Solar Store, Greenovations, SeacoastKidsCalendar and Shane’s Maine Photography.

International Coastal Cleanup Scheduled for Maine Beaches

YORK / OGUNQUIT —
Andrew Hayford, Adopt-A-Beach Coordinator for Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation of Southern Maine, will be coordinating the International Coastal Cleanup for Long Beach and Ogunquit, Maine beaches. The International Coastal Cleanup is a cleanup of oceans, rivers and waterways all over the world.
Every year, countless marine mammals, seabirds, and other animals are sickened, injured, or killed because of dangerous items we allow into the sea. They are poisoned, choked, or entangled in the trash we leave behind, from plastic bags, to balloons and cast-off fishing line.
“Thousands of volunteers help to clean up the water, with every piece of trash recorded, to determine the extent of the ocean pollution as well as ways to reduce the sources of garbage”, says Hayford.
“This is the single largest event of its kind”, says Hayford. “Last year’s data showed that volunteers picked up 240 pounds at Long Sands and 44 pounds in Ogunquit. The single largest item in 2009 was 444 cigarette butts at Long Sands and 297 at Ogunquit. Hayford is hopeful that this year York beaches will be much cleaner as a result of the new smoke-free beaches ordinance.
“As in prior cleanups, we will also have prizes for most interesting items found on the beaches. It’s fun to see what people find and it’s not unusual to find jewelry, coins or silly things that make you laugh. It seems like every year someone goes home with a full set of plastic toy army men”.
Hayford concludes, “I can’t do it alone. Please consider giving just a little bit of your time to do something locally that has a global impact”.
Our local cleanup will be October 2 at Long Beach in York (meet at bathhouse at 11:00 a.m. with a rain date of Oct. 3) and October 9 at Ogunquit Beach (meet at front entrance at 2:00 p.m. with a rain date of Oct. 10).
For more information, contact Andrew Hayford at andrewblueocean@yahoo or 361-1790.
Photo caption: Andrew Waring (L) and Andrew Hayford (R) pick up beach debris for the International Coastal Cleanup sponsored by the Ocean Conservancy. Lobster traps are put aside for fisherman pick up. (Courtesy photo)

Randy Price to host York Hospital’s Fashion Fling

YORK —
York Hospital announced today that popular morning news anchor Randy Price will host the upcoming Fashion Fling event to be held at the Ogunquit Playhouse on Tuesday, October 5 at 5pm. The event, to raise funds for an addition to the Breast Care center at York Hospital that will house state-of-the-art Breast MRI imaging equipment, includes an evening full of fashion, food, fun and even a red carpet! Over 75 models – from near and afar – will grace a custom-made runway in the historic theater while 25 area restaurants will serve up tempting treats for ticket holders. Fashions from stores along the historic New England coastline – from Newburyport, MA to Freeport, ME will be featured. The ever popular event, last held in 2001, comes back this year bigger and better as it also boasts of a large silent and live auction with items that include a stay at an exclusive resort in Jamaica, tickets to the Daytona 500, and autographed memorabilia including a guitar from musician Daryl Hall and a football signed by Superbowl MVP Tom Brady of the New England Patriots. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at York Hospital or online at www.ogunquitplayhouse.org or www.yorkhospital.com. Please call 207-351-2385 for details.
Photo caption: Randy Price (Courtesy photo)

At a Theater Near You

By Chip Schrader
Movie Review Editor
Ben Affleck’s “The Town” opens with an aerial shot of Metropolitan Boston, and cuts to a busy street that is about to be the epicenter of a bank robbery. The masked villains charge inside the bank dumping Blackberries into a fishbowl to be drowned in water after the standard “get on the floor” commands. As a shaken Bank Manager named Claire Keesey tries to get the combination right, one of the robbers consoles her with a touch, reassuring her to take her time.
The thief with a delicate touch is Doug MacRay, played by Ben Affleck, who also shares the screenwriting credit for “The Town.” Doug is a lifer in Charlestown, Massachusetts, the Boston suburb famous for being a breeding ground for bank robbers, and like McKray, survives within the stranglehold of the Irish Mafia.
Afleck plays a gritty role with a strongly understated charm. But, from the first scene, we are dared to consider him to be the good guy, while the manipulative FBI agent and his felonious brotherhood are swimming in sleaze. The tough guys are out muscled by the women who often suffer at the hands of these men, namely Blake Lively’s portrayal of Christa Coughlin.
While the story is strong and engrossing, the romance that brews between villain and victim is ultimately forgettable. There are few clever lines or tender moments that convince viewers that MacRay and Keesey have any chemistry. The film at the forty five minute point holds a solid three and a half out of five rating carried by the acting and anticipation of the next action scene.
The turning point for the film is a car chase that follows an armored car heist. This chase scene rivals those from any Steve McQueen’s or Al Pacino’s film, and begins the neck breaking ride. The near misses and near hits are puzzling, brutal, and riveting. From here on, the audience is in the front seat with MacRay as his back story fills out to a complete character.
Many good films have twists, but the best films give you details that develop into sharp turns that are both logical and unexpected. MacRay’s life is a story that unfolds, it doesn’t twist, and his depths are endless as are the conflicted emotions of his love interest Keesey.
Every caper must end with a big heist. MacRay’s crew is slated to heist Boston’s crown jewel, Fenway Park. This coup de grace of heists presents one of the many elements in “The Town” where cinema hasn’t taken us. As the heist proceeds, there is much to go wrong, and old ties scorned. And the details that were once delivered as casual conversation turn into lynch pins that will make or break this plot of plots.
Bottom line. The romance, as stated was forgettable, it needed more memorable moments that brought MacRay and Keesey together, and to show more of Affleck’s charming side. The police had to take some stretching leaps to get their suspects, but this was a forgivable detail. Some of the supporting cast needed some entertaining quirks to reveal what makes them tick, and to bring some more lively dialog. However, the flaws really end there.
While the dialog doesn’t pop, it is realistic and it serves the story with staunch loyalty. The characters and imagery are dank and gray, but the story of Charlestown and its people is hardly rosy, so the muted colors and gritty shots fit the story. The action and suspense are so good they suffocate, and the conclusion just might be classic.
The story is tight and every scene has a purpose, there is no flab or filler to carry the film to two hours.Jeremy Renner’s Cagney-like portrayal of Coughlin adds some color, and the previously mentioned Blake Lively’s portrayal will draw attention to her as we might see her move closer to top billing in future films outside of the adolescent themed “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and “Gossip Girl” series.
As far as Affleck, he needs to keep the goatee shaved and ditch the schmaltzy Hollywood roles to write his own material suited to his stone face delivery. Hack job cinema like Armageddon and Gigli will not do Affleck justice. “The Town” will make every Ben Afleck naysayer reconsider, and may put the name “Gigli” out of their vocabulary once and for all.
Rating: 4 out of 5, and will likely get better ratings with multiple viewings.
Photo caption: Movie poster for Ben Affleck’s “The Town” (Courtesy photo)