York Announces 2010 Citizens of the Year

YORK—
The Board of Directors of the Greater York Region Chamber of Commerce selected Lorea and Howard Merrill as the winners of the 2010 Citizens of the Year Award. Howard and Lorea are the past owners of Inn Between the Beaches. As an example of their willingness to help their neighbors and as owners of the Inn, Howie and Lo would open their doors to a local person or family in need of a roof over their heads, regardless of the season.
They are very active in the York Lions Club, the St. Aspinquid Masonic Lodge, the York Senior Center and the Union Congregational Church.
Howie has been an active member of the Lions Club since 1983, the same year he received the “Rookie of the Year” award. They have coordinating and/or volunteering at numerous fundraising events for the Lions. They can be seen each Holiday season during the day selling Christmas trees in the village. This year, Howie was awarded the Melvin Jones Award. Lions International recognizes outstanding individuals by bestowing on them an award that is named for its founder, Melvin Jones. This Fellowship Award LCIF is the highest form of recognition and embodies humanitarian ideas consistent with the nature and purpose of the Lions. The recipient of this award becomes a model because of the exemplary service to his club and the community that it serves.
At the Masonic Lodge, they are involved in diverse projects including blood drives and the operation of the kitchen to coordinating transportation of their lobster bisque to Harvestfest each year. They are involved in preparing and serving community meals throughout the year. They provide lunch for the kids when they come back from the Shriner’s Circus. They started and now coordinate a run each week to the food bank in Alfred to deliver bread from When Pigs Fly and Pepperidge Farm. They recently helped raise $1150 at a Rummage Sale.
Lorea’s individual contributions make their way around our community and literally halfway around the world. She’s always knitting. Whether it’s a blanket for the hospital or dozens and dozens of hats for troops going overseas, the two of them are always reaching out to make the world a better place.
Dr. Nancy Flolid, a member of the Chamber’s board, said, “This couple is the best example of what is great about our town. They have flown under the radar for many years doing good deeds. They never sought recognition for their acts of kindness---they simply believed it’s just what you do---you help each other, whatever it takes! And that is exactly what they have done, quietly and without fanfare.”
The Citizen of the Year nominations are vetted through the Festival of Lights Committee, which forwards up to five nominations to the Chamber’s board of directors for selection of a final recipient. Nine individuals were nominated this year. The Merrills join the ranks of previous Citizens of the Year including Bill & Phoebe Foster, Verna Rundlett, Rosie Lent, Bainbridge Parsons, Pat Bacon, Harold Radochia, Leo & Diane Flynn, Rita Turner, Michael Lee, Alan Junkins, Gordon & Donna Lewis, Rick Mace, Russell Peterson, Marianne Quinn & Fran Koerschner, Betty Kehoe, and Ginny and Dexter Spiller.
The announcement was made at the Chamber’s monthly Icebreaker, which took place on Wednesday, November 17 at Savings Bank of Maine. The Merrills will be the Grand Marshalls of the Festival of Lights Parade on Saturday, December 4 at 4:30pm. The public is invited to attend a reception for the Merrills on Sunday, December 5, from 12:30pm to 1:30pm at The York High School Commons. Past recipients will also be invited. This is an opportunity for the community to come out to congratulate and thank the Merrills for their service to the townspeople of York and beyond. For more information, please contact Cathy Goodwin, President/CEO of the Chamber at 207-363-4422.
Photo caption: Lorea and Howard Merrill, 2010 York Citizens of the Year. (Courtesy photo)

Holiday Celebration Comes of Age in South Berwick

SOUTH BERWICK—
South Berwick’s annual Home for the Holidays festivities set for December 3 and 4 have taken another leap forward this year with more groups than ever working together on the community celebration of the town’s artists, merchants, citizens and children.
Artists from the Women’s Holiday Art Sale will be in Town Hall, as always, but also will sell their wares on Main Street. And downtown storekeepers have boosted the celebration with the fullest lineup yet of song, food, art, children’s activities and music since Home for the Holidays began six years ago.
Friday evening’s stroll will include cookie decorating, a visit with Santa, holiday karaoke, a boxing demonstration, craft fairs and Hanukkah games. Also this year, strollers will be able to make stained glass or lantern ornaments and see the premiere of a short video about the history and future of the South Berwick Public Library. Free treats and warm beverages will be offered at all the shops.
Downtown decorations also have been enhanced this year. Dozens of merchants and individuals purchased signature Home for the Holidays woodpecker flags to hang throughout the village, and the South Berwick Eliot Rotary Club donated luminaries to shine on sidewalks and lead strollers from one happening to the next.
In the last six years, Home for the Holidays has become a centerpiece of community life in the holiday season, as downtown business owners keep their doors open into the evening and hundreds of residents fill the streets with cheer.
The Home for the Holiday’s umbrella sponsor, SoBo Central, will share space on Main Street with Stained Glass Stained Images studio, a new stained glass gallery and supply shop on Lower Main, to host a variety of ornament making.
The festival originally grew out of the Women’s Holiday Art Sale, now in its 12th year. This year, the artists have expanded into downtown’s newest business, Film Barn Studios at 245 Main St. Film Barn will serve as a creative community space, showcasing local art, music and films, and will house Pip Productions, a video and multimedia design company.
Local videographer Tim Benoit will be at Vacuum Village showing his video on the South Berwick Public Library, featuring photos from the Old Berwick Historical Society, interviews with founding members of the Library, and a glimpse of future plans for the Young Street property.
In addition to Santa Claus welcoming children for a photo op at P. Gagnon & Son, Mrs. Claus will read stories at the Library. People’s United Bank will help children write letters to Santa, and York Hospital Medical Services is inviting children for face painting and snacks.
On Saturday, December 4, the Women’s Holiday Art Sale, craft sales at the First Parish Federated Church and First Baptist Church, the holiday bazaar at Marshwood High School and the Jewett House all will be open.
For a complete listing of activities, the Home for the Holidays brochure is online at www.southberwickmaine.org.
Photo caption: Kristen Wiese-Adelman of Rollinsford and 28 other local craftswomen will participate in the 12th Annual Holiday Women’s Art Sale, Dec. 3 and 4. (Courtesy photo)

Prelude Trolley Rides Offered at Seashore Trolley Museum

KENNEBUNKPORT—
Seashore Trolley Museum will offer holiday railway rides, shopping, and complimentary refreshments during both of Kennebunkport’s Christmas Prelude weekends, starting on Friday afternoons and continuing all day on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Museum will offer railway rides on Friday afternoons from 1 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. The rides continue on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
Visitors during Prelude weekends enjoy the winter scenery of the Maine woods and a glimpse of history, while keeping warm in comfortably heated, restored historic trolleys.
Seashore’s historic railway runs for 3 miles along the Kennebunkport-to-Biddeford portion of the Atlantic Shore line Railway, which operated from 1904 to 1927.
Throughout that time, the Atlantic Shore Line was an essential transportation link carrying residents and tourists to work, school, as well as recreation and shopping destinations.
Refreshments and holiday shopping complete a Prelude visit at Seashore Trolley Museum.
The Museum store will be open from noon until 4 p.m. on Friday’s and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays of the festive Prelude holiday weekends.
The store features a huge selection of rail-related gifts including books, toys, collectibles, DVDs and memorabilia. Parents and grandparents delight in the full selection of Take-along Thomas and Friends toys.
Admission to the Museum Store and Visitors’ Center is free. Tickets are $4 per ride, per person (all ages). The trolley rides are contingent on weather conditions.
Seashore Trolley Museum is located at 195 Log Cabin Road in Kennebunkport (3 miles north of Dock Square). For more Information, call 207-967-2800 or go online to www.trolleymuseum.org.
Seashore Trolley Museum is the oldest and largest museum of its type in the world and has been in operation since 1939. The museum is owned and operated by New England Electric Railway Historical Society, a 501c3 non-profit educational institution.
Photo caption: The Seashore Trolley Museum will offer holiday railway rides, shopping, and complimentary refreshments during both of Kennebunkport’s Prelude weekends, beginning Friday, December 3. (Courtesy photo)

Bridge Plans Move Forward

By Larry Favinger
Staff Columnist
KITTERY —
Projects to deal with two of the three bridges over the Piscataqua River that joins Maine and New Hampshire are proceeding.
Decisions have been made on replacing the Memorial Bridge that links downtown Portsmouth with Kittery, while three options are under study and consideration for the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge. These include rehabilitation, replacement with a low-level structure, or replacement with a hybrid structure that would allow some of the ships coming up the river to pass beneath it. It would, however, still be a drawbridge as it would lower as well for the railroad that runs under it.
The New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) is taking the lead on the Memorial Bridge project, while the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) is leading the Sarah Mildred Long project.
“Right now New Hampshire is in the process of obtaining the permits and preparing the documents to proceed with Memorial Bridge,” Kenneth Sweeney, MDOT’s chief engineer said.
“Maine is taking the lead looking at the three alternates that remain on the table for Sarah Mildred Long and doing some more engineering work to determine which one of those remaining alternates we should proceed with,” Sweeney said.
A Tiger II grant of $20 million from the Federal Department of Transportation has been received “basically for that project,” for the replacement of the Memorial Bridge at its current site, according to Bill Boynton, a NHDOT spokesman. “That was a big deal. It certainly was a shot in the arm.”
The project is estimated to cost $90 million overall. The New Hampshire Legislature has earmarked $44 million for the project.
“Maine and New Hampshire are on the same page that we have to replace that bridge,” Boynton said, noting studies are under way to determine “how we’re going to pay for it. There are still some challenges here.”
In October Maine Gov. John Baldacci and New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch co-signed an executive order authorizing the creation of a task force charged with aggressively formulating plans that will allow the two states to develop funding for the projects, identifying joint financing options and proposing any necessary legislation to accommodate bridge construction. Among the two governor’s assurances is a commitment to a full vehicular replacement of the Memorial Bridge.
It is hoped that work on the Memorial Bridge will begin “next construction season,” Sweeney said, noting Maine “still has to go through the legislative process as to funding” for the project. The work is expected to take two years during which time the bridge would be closed to traffic.
Boynton said there is a 16-month waiting period for parts to that structure and some of the units needed would have to be brought in on the river.
Sweeney said work on the Sarah Mildred Long structure would not be done until the Memorial Bridge project was completed so traffic could use it while the other bridge is closed.
Estimates for the work on the Sarah Mildred Long span depends on which of the three projects is finally approved. Refurbishing would be the least expensive and the hybrid would be the most expensive, Sweeney said.
The Memorial Bridge is dedicated to the Sailors and Soldiers of New Hampshire who fought in World War I. It was constructed between 1920 and 1923. It is the only bridge that has provisions for pedestrians and bicycles.
Boynton said a public hearing to discuss the replacement of the Memorial Bridge will be held Tuesday, Nov. 23, in the City Council Chambers at Portsmouth City Hall. That meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
Photo caption: Memorial Bridge, one of the three bridges connecting Portsmouth, NH and Kittery, ME over the Piscataqua River, will be rebuilt based on recent decisions including both states. (Photo courtesy www.nikiomahe.com)

Tree Festival Returns to York

YORK—
The time has once again arrived for the 5th Annual Festival of Fostering Trees, taking place this year at the American Legion Function Hall at 9 Hannaford Drive in York during the first weekend of December.
The Festival’s mission is to encourage the community to join each other in not only viewing the “fostered” trees, but also working together to decorate them. The Festival of “Fostering” Trees (FOFT) donation collections support York County youth in foster care settings. Their goal is to serve the unique needs of each youth in a responsible and cost effective manner while easing the difficulties that these youth experience, with support and dignity. The Festival was started in 2006 with the specific goal to bring the “magic” that this Festival provides to the town of York!
How do you participate? Contact Janalee at janaleemoquin8@yahoo.com or at 351-1988 by Monday, November 22 to complete an entry form. Once registered, families or individuals donate a decorated artificial Christmas tree, any style or fashion, traditional or non-traditional, using any type of materials, and the tree will be raffled off at the end of the festival. All trees will be set-up and decorated by the participants, and all participants are asked to write your tree’s name on your tree box. Extension cords are provided.
If you don’t have an artificial tree to donate, a limited number of artificial trees are available for a minimal cost, and can be secured by inquiring at the time of entry. If you wish to donate something else instead of a tree, monetary donations and gift certificates are great ways to participate in the Festival, and all items will be used appropriately to contribute to the community. Free refreshments will be available, as well as many items to purchase provided by Pub 56 in the lounge area of the American Legion.
For those decorating trees, you could create your own masterpiece by creating a specific theme for your tree (ocean, hand-made ornaments, specific colors), create a non-traditional tree by utilizing non-specific Christmas items (tools, household items, collectables), create a money tree with scratch tickets, advertise your business with products, items or gift certificates from your establishment, dedicate a tree in someone’s memory and use their inspiration to decorate your tree, or stick with a classic Christmas theme.
Tree set-up by participants will take place on Thursday, December 2 from 9am-3pm. The viewing of the trees will take place on Friday, December 3 from 10am-8pm, Saturday, December 4 from 10am-8pm, and Sunday, December 5, from 10am-4pm. A raffle will take place at 4:15pm with calls placed from 6-9pm. Pick up of all trees must take place on Monday, December 6 from 8am-12pm. Admission is free, but a voluntary donation for the York Food Pantry (a non-perishable item), a Toys for Tots gift (new and unwrapped), or a monetary donation for either organization are encouraged. You do not have to purchase raffle tickets in order to view the beautiful trees, so come and enjoy the Festival along with your community and celebrate the season!
Photo caption: A few of the trees at a previous Festival of Fostering Trees event in York. This year’s participants must register by Monday, November 22. The event will take place the first weekend of December. (Courtesy photo)

Spirit of Giving: A True Community Event

By Molly McCoy
Staff Columnist
OGUNQUIT—
Deck the halls! As unbelievable as it seems, it’s getting to be that time of year again. The time for turkeys and trees, coats and sweaters, and the dreaded, dreaded receipt season. In the past few weeks, I have become increasingly excited about the coming holidays – even a 22-year-old can look forward to the proverbial “Santa” – and yet, the adults around me seem to concur on a general complaint. “Oh, it’s all about money,” one woman says in response to my glee. “It’s all about expensive presents and expensive food and I wish we could all just be together without all the commotion and expectation. You’ll learn when you have kids…”
But for one organization in Ogunquit, receipts are the last things on their minds.
In its sixth year, Ogunquit Spirit of Giving – a small, local, non-profit organization – is endeavoring to bring holiday cheer to more than 400 deserving children across the state of Maine. This year, Spirit of Giving donations are benefiting children associated with the organization’s long-time partner, Adoptive & Foster Families of Maine, Inc., in addition to the children of Frannie Peabody Center, a new charitable commitment for the Giving committee. With five years of positive response and happy kids behind them, the expectations on the part of these organizations could be, I imagine, pretty high.
“We’re concerned we’ll have to turn kids away that have already made requests,” says Spirit of Giving committee member, Frances Reed. “Sponsors’ budgets are tight, too.”
When a child makes a “request” through AFFM or Frannie Peabody Center, the Spirit of Giving Committee receives a first name, age, sizes, and a few gift requests. For example: Brittany, 14, medium, and “anything girly, teen pop music, likes pink, hair accessories.” Sure, some kids throw in the occasional X-box or iPod, but Reed says, “It’s just because they have no idea how much those things cost.”
A more heart-wrenching request goes like this: Sam, 10, size 3, grateful for anything, needs boots.
Hearing that, the woman complaining about gifts and expenses at the holidays comes back to my mind. For many of these kids, boots could be the best, if only, present under their tree. No manic shopping trips. No overbearing mothers-in-law complaining about your casserole. Just a child content with their warm shoes.
Ogunquit Spirit of Giving is looking for help. With a tall order ahead of them, they have already begun assigning kids and families to sponsors, but the ratio is not in their favor. Like Reed said, they are worried they won’t meet their goal, and 5-year-old Sarah, who perhaps benefited last year and has already asked for a Polly Pocket, will be turned away.
For just $35-$50, you can sponsor one of these children in need, and contribute to a great cause that is gaining momentum in not only a town, but a community. As a sponsor, you receive information about a child (or children), you get to wrap the presents yourself, and you bring them to a party on Sunday, December 5 at MaineStreet Bar, 195 Main Street, Ogunquit. There, you place your gifts under one of the color-coded trees, and the rest of the night is spent celebrating together with the community of sponsors. It sounds to me like the perfect remedy to those Ebenezer complaints.
“This group takes the adage that it ‘takes a village to raise a child’ to a new and higher meaning,” says Bette Hoxie, director of AFFM, commenting about the 2007 event. Considering Ogunquit itself is home to less than 50 children, that comment seems particularly appropriate, as individuals – not businesses – “adopt” multiple children each year through this event. “In spite of the high costs of fuel and the cold weather, we are truly blessed in the richness of citizens who really care and are not afraid to let it show,” adds Hoxie.
So, when you look around at the turkeys and the trees, the sweaters and the coats, and anticipate your own, dreaded receipt season, consider how thirty-five extra dollars on that bill might put a pair of boots under Sam’s tree. It might be the best-spent $35 on that list.
Child and family sponsor assignments have already begun. To learn more about Ogunquit Spirit of Giving and how to sponsor a child or family, visit www.ogunquitgiving.com, or contact the committee at ogtspiritofgiving@letsmeet.net.
Photo caption: Sponsors taking a look at all the presents donated at last year’s Ogunquit Spirit of Giving event, which benefit children throughout the state. This year’s event is on Sunday, December 5. (Courtesy photo)

SeaCoast Trail Riders Give Back

By Larry Favinger
Staff Columnist
BERWICK—
A number of local organizations benefited when the SeaCoast Trail Riders hosted part of the AMA National Enduro series in Berwick.
SeaCoast Trail Riders is a non-profit club promoting responsible off- road motorcycling. The event, the first of its kind in Maine according to a club spokesman, drew riders from across the United States and is the first such event held in New England for more than a decade. The series, of which this was the ninth round, determines the best off- road rides within the discipline.
Profits from the event were donated to the North Berwick Police Department, North Berwick Rescue, Berwick Public Library, Berwick Police Benevolent, Noble High School Health Center, Noble High School girls’ basketball and lacrosse, Charles Hatch VFW Post, Lebanon Rescue, Acton Ambulance, Newfield Rescue, and Pease Greeters
The host club upped its number of entries from an average of 100 to over 400 for this event, raising over $11,500 that was distributed among the local agencies and charities.
“Each year we donate all monies collected from rider fees and sponsorships after expenses,” Peter Anania said. “Including these events, we have raised nearly $70,000 that has been given back to our communities.”
An enduro is a long distance off-road motorcycle endurance event with a timed element that includes going slow on roads, the spokesman said. The route of this event covered about 75 miles.
As a followup to this event, the SeaCoast Trail Riders hosted the Noble Woods Turkey Run. This event started at the Acton Fairgrounds and raised an additional $3,600 that was given back to the community.
The Trail Riders expressed their thanks to the Berwick and North Berwick Police Departments, the staff at Noble High School, North Berwick Rescue, Berwick Library, Acton Ambulance, Lebanon Rescue, Newfield Rescue, town administrators, and countless others.
The club issues a special thanks to the landowners and townspeople who graciously allowed it to use land and roads to stage the event.
“You all deserve special recognition and we look forward to the possibility of working with you in the future,” the spokesman said.
Photo caption: Funds raised by The SeaCoast Trail Riders were presented to several groups recently. Those attending the ceremony included, left to right, Lebanon Emergency Assistant Chief Jason Cole, Acton Chief Denise DeAngelis, Newfield Assistant Chief Wendy Elliott, Berwick Police Sgt. Jeff Scott, Trail Riders member Paul Boisvert, Trail Riders president Peter Anania. (Courtesy photo)

North Berwick Students Score Top 10% in National Math Contest

NORTH BERWICK—
This fall, three students from Mrs. Carter’s third grade class at North Berwick Elementary School participated in the Noetic Learning Math Contest: a national contest for students grades 2-5. Over 4,000 students representing 262 teams participated in the contest.
Madison Momenee, Jackson Hett, and William DoByns from North Berwick Elementary School scored in the top 10% and were put in the National Honor Roll. William DoByns tied for 1st place in the nation, missing only one problem.
These students met after school to practice and prepare with their teacher before taking this challenging test. These students will be participating again in the spring with the hope that they have inspired their classmates to stretch themselves and participate with them.
Photo caption: Madison Momenee, William DoByns, and Jackson Hett, all third-graders at North Berwick Elementary School, were recently recognized for their performance in a national math competition. (Courtesy photo)

10th Annual Veterans’ Day Celebration

ELIOT—
On November 5, Marshwood Middle School commemorates its Tenth Annual Veteran’s Day Celebration. The school-wide assembly, which starts at 9:00 a.m., features various tributes from students and faculty to local veterans. Last year, over 200 veterans attended the celebration. Several veterans are from local American Legion and VFW posts. Many veterans invited are relatives and friends of Marshwood students who have served our country past and present.
Local dignitaries including town officials and selectmen, local politicians, state representatives, school board members, and members of the South Berwick, Eliot, Kittery and Berwick police, fire and emergency departments also attend the celebration to honor the veterans.
All guests form a reception line at 8:30 a.m. down the corridor to the entrance of the gymnasium. As students are called down to the celebration, they enter the reception line and greet our guests with handshakes and small talk. The reception line emphasizes a personal touch for every student to actually meet our guests and sets a respectful tone for the celebration.
As everyone gathers in the gymnasium, patriotic music is played on the sound system. Once everyone has been seated, the veteran guests enter the gymnasium. For the next hour, various tributes are presented to guests in form of song, poems, readings, and PowerPoint presentations.
Marshwood Middle School is made up of six communities (two per grade level). Each community presents a tribute at the assembly. Teachers work with students in their communities, and this celebration could never occur without their collaboration. After the celebration, there is a reception in the library for guests and faculty.
It is extremely important for students to understand the sacrifices our veterans have made and continue to make for our country. This celebration encourages us to stop and realize again that “Freedom is never free.”
For more information about this event, contact Catherine Locke at cclocke@msad35.net. Marshwood Middle School is located at 626 H. L. Dow Highway, Eliot.
Photo caption: Veterans lining up for last year’s Veterans’ Day Celebration at Marshwood Middle School. This year marks the 10th Anniversary of the school-wide assembly. (Courtesy photo)

Berwick Academy to Circulate Kindles

SOUTH BERWICK—
Berwick Academy is proud to announce that the Jackson Library has become the first school in Maine to circulate Amazon Kindles to its faculty, staff, and Upper School students.
The Kindle is a portable electronic reading device, which uses the latest technology to deliver a unique reading experience. The school will carry six Kindles, which were purchased for the library by the Technology Department, the Berwick Academy Parents Association, and the BA Administration. The availability of the Kindles has several advantages to the Berwick community, including the immediate access to any number of titles including books the library does not carry.
The Kindles will be loaded with hundreds of books, including popular fiction and non-fiction bestsellers. In addition to these titles, millions of out-of-copyright titles are available for free download via the web through organizations like Open Library, Project Gutenberg, and Internet Archive. Currently available on all six Kindles are titles like The Host by Stephenie Meyer, Bob Dylan in America by Sean Wilentz, The Time Machine by H. G. Wells, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and multiple works by Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, and Edgar Allan Poe. It is the goal of the librarians to ensure that the collection grows, evolves, and responds directly to student needs.
Upper School Librarian Darcy Coffta commented, “We are thrilled to be the first school in the state of Maine to circulate Kindles and to have this opportunity available for the Berwick community. Upper School students will be able to come to Jackson Library and check out a Kindle for two weeks. Reading on a Kindle can be a lot of fun and it greatly increases their immediate access to the written word. I see it being used for both research purposes as well as for leisure reading.”
Founded in 1791, Berwick Academy is an independent, coeducational country day school located in South Berwick, Maine. For over 200 years, the Academy has pursued its mission through a purposeful blend of strong academics, arts, and athletics. Berwick serves nearly 580 students in grades K-12 from the seacoast area of southern Maine, New Hampshire, and northeastern Massachusetts.
Photo caption: Berwick Academy students with two of the six Kindles now available to students and staff, making Berwick Academy the first school in Maine to circulate Kindles. (Courtesy photo)

Maine Recycles Week at Hannaford Market

KENNEBUNK—
The Kennebunk Energy Efficiency Committee (EEC) and the Kennebunk High School Green Club, eKo, will be celebrating Maine Recycles Week with exhibits, workshops and films at Kennebunk’s Hannaford Market from November 10th through the 13th.
On Saturday the 13th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. there will be two workshops in the morning and the same two in the afternoon--along with a variety of videos--in the old Starbucks area adjacent to the Red Box.
George Herman, Master Gardener, will be speaking on the how-to’s of composting and taking questions on the subject during his presentations at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Herman, a graduate of the College of Forestry at Syracuse, is a member of the York County Master Gardeners and on the board of the York County Cooperative Extension. Herman will also show “Turning Your Spoils to Soil,” a how-to film on compositing.
Suzanne Duplissis, Recycling Outreach Coordinator for the Maine State Planning Office for Waste Management and Recycling, will present at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Duplissis educates the Maine public on recycling through social media, print and television outlets and manages the matching grants for recycling promotion for municipalities. In addition to her talk and Q and A session, Duplissis will show the documentary film “Re: Think Re: Cycle,” which gives insight into the origins of our products and their various methods of disposal.
On Wednesday through Friday, November 10th, 11th and 12th, from 3 to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 to 4, the EEC and eKo will have an exhibit showing which plastic bags and film should be recycled and which should not. The eKo students will also be displaying clothing made from recycled goods.
Educational information on recycling and composting will also be available. Other freebees include pens and pencils made from recycled products and informative refrigerator magnets, while the supplies last.
Anyone bringing five empty, clean plastic grocery bags to the EEC table, will get one free Hannaford cloth bag, while the supply lasts. The exhibit will be set up next to the Camden National Bank branch in Hannaford Market.
Photo caption: Members of the Kennebunk High School eKo are shown in the KHS cafeteria holding the reusable tableware they purchased with a grant from Hannaford Market. The eKo students made the signs shown here, color-coded for tableware, bottles, compost and trash. From left: Emily Flaherty, faculty advisor, Amanda Sparks, Hannah Rolland, Faye Heisch-Lewis, Beth Ash, Emily Mokler, and Stephanie Conzelman, co-advisor and member of the Energy Efficiency Committee. (Courtesy photo)