Town Readies for Eighth Annual OgunquitFest

OGUNQUIT—

For the eighth year in a row, Ogunquit has prepped the cornstalks and decorated the scarecrows in anticipation of the town’s annual harvest celebration, OgunquitFest. From Friday, October 21 through Sunday, October 23, the town is transformed into a Halloween extravaganza, offering activities, events and entertainment for visitors and locals alike.
On Friday and Saturday, muster your courage and visit the Catacombs and Maze at Ogunquit Village School on School Street from 6 to 10 p.m. each night. The Haunted Catacombs are not appropriate for children under 10, but the maze welcomes all ages. Be sure to pick up a $1 coupon in the Ogunquit Fall Festivals brochure, presented by The Weekly Sentinel and found throughout the town.
On Saturday, enjoy a Classic Car Show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Main Beach parking lot. Winners will be announced at 1 p.m. While you’re down there, take a stroll through the Autumn Bazaar and hop on the Roaming Railroad for a scenic break, both of which will also be available on Sunday. Horse-drawn wagon rides are fun for the whole family from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Veterans Park. Kids can enjoy the Great Pumpkin Patch Presentation and Cookie Monster Decorating from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Dunaway Center on School Street, plus Fall Storytelling from 4 to 5 p.m. in the same place.
Also on Saturday, get out your stilettos for the “highly” anticipated High Heel Dash and Walk-Off at 3 p.m. in Perkins Cove. Brave souls race around the Cove in high heels with trophies awarded for Best Time, Highest Heel and Most Outrageous Costume. Proceeds from registration support the Frannie Peabody Center. And don’t forget your flashlight on the Ghostly Tours, presented by the Ogunquit Heritage Museum on Obeds Lane from 5:30 to 9 p.m. There might be more to Ogunquit’s nightlife than meets the eye!
On Sunday, everyone joins together for a Costume Parade from Ogunquit Square to Main Beach, with adults, children and canines welcome! Parade starts at 11 a.m. And be sure to find a viewing spot for one of the biggest events of the season: the Bridge to Beach Bed Race. It’s utter bedlam as teams zoom down Beach Street with decorated beds and king-sized enthusiasm. Vote on your favorite as teams raise money for nonprofits and vie for the People’s Choice Award. Most Beautiful Bed and Broken Spring winners will also be selected.
All outdoor events are weather permitting, but Ogunquit is hoping for sunny skies as volunteers put the finishing touches on the weekend’s decorations and events. As you walk around town, don’t forget to vote for your favorite scarecrow display! Ballot boxes will be located throughout town through Saturday, October 22. The Ogunquit Catacombs and Maze will also reprise their fright on Friday, October 28 and Saturday, October 29, just in time for Halloween.
For more information on any of the OgunquitFest events, contact the Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce at (207) 646-2939, visit the Ogunquit Welcome Center at 36 Main Street, Ogunquit, visit www.visitogunquit.org, or pick up one of the Ogunquit Fall Festivals brochures presented by The Weekly Sentinel, available online or throughout Ogunquit.
Photo caption: Ogunquit will celebrate its 8th annual OgunquitFest this weekend with children’s activities, haunted happenings and family fun. (Photo by Molly McCoy)

Kennebunk Celebrates Bridge Completion with Festivities and Fun

KENNEBUNK—
The Kennebunk Festival Committee announces the Second Annual Harvest Fest on Main Street to promote local business and provide downtown entertainment for families in Kennebunk. The event will be held on Saturday, October 22, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. This year’s Festival will also include a celebration of the completion of the Mousam River Bridge as well as an Apples and Arts Day, sponsored by the Kennebunk Farmer’s Market. Events include a Pancake Breakfast at Duffy’s Restaurant, a Costume Parade, Hay Rides, Pumpkin Decorating, Concerts on the Bridge, Fireman’s Muster and more.
Duffy’s 5K Run/Walk and Pancake Breakfast each start at 8:00 a.m. Proceeds from these events will be donated to the Festival Committee to help offset costs for Old Home Week in July 2012. All ages are invited to join the Costume Parade originating at Dane Street and marching down Main Street concluding at Water Street. The Parade begins at 11 a.m.
Other Harvest Fest events can be found throughout downtown Kennebunk including Pumpkin and Treat Bag Decorating, a Scarecrow Scavenger Hunt, Apples and Arts, Hay Rides, Farmer’s Market and Local Vendors in the former Mobil Station lot and a Ribbon Cutting, Live Bands, Duffy’s BBQ and a Fireman’s Muster on the newly completed Mousam River Bridge. Pen and ink prints by artist Steve Hrehovcik of the new bridge and downtown Kennebunk will also be available for sale.
For a full schedule of events, please visit their website at http://kennebunkfestivals.com.

Keep South Berwick Warm to Host Annual Community Supper

SOUTH BERWICK—

The 4th annual Keep South Berwick Warm “old school” community supper will be held Wednesday, November 2, 5-7 p.m. at Spring Hill Restaurant, Pond Rd., South Berwick. The yearly community fundraiser is being held by townspeople working with Social Services in an effort to help local families deal with heating costs this winter. Just like days gone by, there’s no set donation or entry fee – there will be a soup pot by the door where people can give whatever they can to help their neighbors get through these challenging economic times.
As reported in the October 13th edition of the Boston Globe, The US Energy Information Administration said the nation’s heating oil customers – most of whom live in the Northeast – will probably pay more than in any previous winter as heating oil costs rise to an average $3.71 per gallon. The average household is estimated to spend nearly $2,500 between now and March. That is about $200.00 more per household, making this year’s fundraiser even more essential to those in need.
Soups and breads at the fundraiser are made by local restaurants and bakers, and cookies are made by local individuals. There will be raffles donated by local individuals, a $10.00 table with locally donated items, and a bake sale by the South Berwick Seniors. Local restaurants and bakers generously providing food at the supper include Nature’s Way Market, Pepperland Cafe, Fogarty’s Restaurant, The Catered Event, The Redbarn at Outlook Farm, The Black Bean Cafe, The Brixham General Store, Spring Hill Restaurant, King Tuts Cider, and When Pigs Fly Bread. River City Jazz will entertain with acoustic jazz music.
“The money we raise from the supper, the raffle, and any subsequent donations that are made, will give a family a few hours of heat, or help with weatherization of their home,” says Pat Robinson, one of the key organizers. “The support we’ve gotten from the local restaurants and individuals has been very enthusiastic — if we see the community responds the same way this year, the event should really make a difference in local families’ lives this winter. If people can’t come to the supper, we hope they’ll mail in a donation. We really hope to make sure that all of the families of South Berwick stay warm this winter.”
When residents make their donations to the South Berwick Fuel Fund, the checks will be written to SoBo Central, an umbrella non-profit organization that includes the Food Pantry, Keep South Berwick Warm, Hot Summer Nights Concerts, Friends of Powderhouse Hill, Smart Growth, and GreenUp. Its mission is, “to nurture the Town’s unique sense of place by connecting and engaging citizens in community life.”
Donations to the Fuel Fund can be made directly to SoBo Central, c/o Fuel Fund, 46 Witchtrot Rd, South Berwick, ME 03908. Please write “Fuel Fund” on the memo line.
All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Photo caption: Keep South Berwick Warm will host its 4th annual community supper on November 2. (Courtesy photo)

Funny Girl: A Review of Tina Fey’s Memoir ‘Bossypants’

By Chip Schrader

Book Reviewer
Tina Fey started off as an actress on television ads. She eventually landed a spot on Saturday Night Live’s writing staff, a move that evolved into Fey taking the seat of greats Chevy Chase, Kevin Nealon, and Dennis Miller as the anchor of the SNL news. Now, she has her own show, 30 Rock – a parody of the behind the scenes antics of Saturday Night Live – a movie career, and a hilarious memoir “Bossypants.”
“Bossypants” begins with Tina’s childhood, a surprise pregnancy, puberty, her father’s mild racism, and Summer Showtime. Summer Showtime highlights Fey’s coming of age in this teenage theater group where she catches the actor’s bug, and her friend comes out of the closet at a grand party that ends the summer. From these experiences she learns, “Gay people were made that way by God, but not solely for my entertainment.” A perfect example of Fey’s no holds barred documentation of her life.
As her star rose, Fey became an unwitting glamour icon. She unravels the sense of irony she feels with the light in which the public sees her. Chock full of blemishes, imperfections, and earthly human habits, Fey charms women readers proving she is just one of them, and male readers that there is a Tina Fey in very man’s wife.
Her recollections of the magazine photo shoots, adoring and snarky fan letters, awkward adolescence and motherhood dispels any myth of beauty one might hold of her. However, perhaps intentionally, Fey’s assessments of her self-image reinforce the deeper beauty of modesty and humanity with which she is truly gifted.
The only sure bet out there rests in the fact that nobody can get through “Bossypants” without emitting at least one hearty belly laugh between every five or so pages. She covers the challenges and pitfalls of working with men – particularly comedians with fixations on bodily functions – she has a memorable chapter of fashion advice for her daughter, and lets us in on the showbiz secrets and the Sarah Palin spoofs that made her a household name.
“Bossypants” is sharply written, and as the author, Fey is well aware of the phrase “too much information,” and relishes her disregard of the social mores that inspired the phrase. The anecdotes all seem to have a punch line, which to less gifted people can grow wearisome, but Fey is the funniest woman on earth.
Some chapters are straight ahead anecdotes and retellings of her life’s events, and others are checklists, script snippets, and outlines of witty observations and lessons she has learned in an ordinary woman’s extraordinary life. The honesty that anchors her humor is what makes her a winner. She is not afraid to admit to who she is, and she is a bold role model for any “Sarah plain and tall” who aspires to something greater. The candor, wit, humility, and finely crafted and inventive narrative make “Bossypants” a winner.
288 Pages, Reagan Arthur Books; 1st Edition (April 5, 2011).
Photo caption: (Courtesy book cover image)