Team Laffalot Hosts 2nd Annual Benefit Home-Run Derby

SOUTH BERWICK—
Come take Team Laffalot out to the ballgame as they host the Second Annual Field of Dreams Home-Run Derby to support the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. The event, which takes place on Sunday, July 31 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Marshwood High School, invites batters to come up to the plate and take a hit in battling this disease that effects the lives of so many!
“We wanted to provide the community with an old-fashioned day of fun while also raising funds for this great cause,” said Kerry Hoyt, the team’s captain. What began four years ago with four friends taking part in the 39-mile Avon Walk for Breast Cancer has now grown to 13 members strong! Team members have walked in Boston, Washington, DC, New York City and plan to walk in Charlotte, North Carolina this October.
“Our goal is to walk in all nine states where the event is held so that men and women can receive the medical care they need and so that research teams can continue to search for a cure,” explains Sue Page. The team has raised $50,000 for the cause thus far and would like to bring this total to $75,000 this year!
Team Laffalot hopes that this event will help them achieve their goal. This event is all about baseball! To make it fun and fair for all, there will be six age divisions with prizes awarded to both the male and female winners in each group (ages 9-12, 13-14, 18 - 29, 30 – 39 and 40+). An additional division has been added this year for children ages 5 – 8. The Buoy Bat, designed and created by local resident Bill Page, will be available for these younger contestants. The bat, an actual buoy on a stick, is light, safe and makes the ball easier to hit. The buoy bat will be available to anyone who’d like to give it a try. Other opportunities for prizes result from striking one of the many pink flamingos adorning the field or hitting an Uno’s pizza box. The derby even has the equivalent of the Green Monster! Hit the Kittery Trading Post sign in the field and win a gift certificate to the store. Each batter receives three pitches and there will be an overall winner for the person hitting the most home runs. Participants may register individually or as a team with up to 10 batters (suggested donation $10.00 per registrant, $25.00 includes a t-shirt). To register visit: www.zvents.com/z/south-berwick-me/2nd-annual-field-of-dreams-home-run-derby--events--159337705!
While the main attraction is baseball, the ladies of Team Laffalot wanted to ensure there was something for everyone. Visit Carnival Row where face painting, balloon animals, a dunking booth, and a button making station are some of the fun activities available. Old-fashioned ball game treats such as popcorn, cotton candy and even snow cones can be found here. The little Laffalots, children of team members, will be working for the cause by selling cracker jacks throughout the day! New this year is the Pretty in Pink booth where guests of all ages can be pampered by having a makeover or manicure. Also new this year is the pizza-tossing contest sponsored by Uno Chicago Grill Restaurant. Learn how to toss a pizza like a professional from their own chefs. The winner of the kids’ contest will receive a pizza party for 10. Every adult who participates will receive coupons for appetizers at the restaurant! Finally, listen to music while enjoying heartier fare including fruit salad, beef and chicken skewers, and hot dogs and burgers from Nature’s Way Market.
Be sure to visit Inspiration Station sponsored by the Marshwood Education Foundation. At this booth, visitors will be provided with supplies to create signs with the names of anyone they know who has been touched in some way by this disease. Early visitors will be invited onto the field with their signs during the Opening Ceremony.
“Everyone knows someone who has been effected by this disease,” said Kathy Bousquet, “and gathering together during the opening ceremony really lets us know that we are all in this together.”
The ceremony will include a performance by Muchachos, a competitive drum and bugle corps, who entertain audiences throughout New England. The first pitch will then be thrown out by Bousquet and Rebecca Woodman, both breast cancer survivors.
“We need to beat this disease for all,” said Ms. Woodman, “I don’t want anyone to have to go through it.”
This old-fashioned event with a modern twist is made possible by the efforts of many. “We couldn’t do it alone,” Jen Houghton states, “it is the generosity and support of so many local businesses, community members, family and friends that has made this team a success.”
Photo caption: On Sunday, July 31, Team Laffalot will host their Second Annual Field of Dreams Home-Run Derby at Marshwood High School to support the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. (Courtesy photo)

Special Plate and Driver’s License Designation Available Now

AUGUSTA—
Gold Star Family registration plates are expected to be available by the end of the summer. This legislation is a product of collaboration involving Governor Paul LePage; John Mixon, Vietnam Veteran and founder of Run for the Fallen Maine; Emily Knight, the young lady who designed the plate; Representative Bradley Moulton, R-York, sponsor of the bill; the Transportation Committee and the 125th Legislature; 3M, who donated the first roll of material to produce the plates; and J. R. Wald Co., who manufactured the die to emboss the plates.
Any eligible family member of a fallen soldier who is a Maine resident may now begin the application process to receive a Gold Star Family registration plate. Applications can be obtained from the Bureau of Veterans’ Services (BVS). Completed applications must be submitted with a copy of DD Form 1300, Casualty Report, or other official paperwork indicating death on active duty in support of combat operations (the BVS may be able to assist in obtaining necessary documentation). Additionally, the request must include a copy of proof of relationship to the deceased. Upon notification from the BVS, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) will issue the plates once they are available. The plates can only be placed on passenger vehicles.
Military service license designation, featuring a Field of Stars in the background of the photo, is now available at all BMV locations. This legislation was introduced by Senator David Trahan R-Waldoboro to recognize those who have served.
In order to obtain this designation applicants must currently be serving in the U.S. Armed Forces; or provide verification of honorable discharge from the United States military (DD Form 214), or provide certification from the appropriate branch of the USAF verifying the applicant’s military service and honorable discharge. Applicants will also have to bring documentation verifying Maine residency and legal presence in the U.S. if they have not already done so.
To obtain the application for the Gold Star Family registration plate, please visit the BVS website or call (207) 430-6035.
For more information about the military service designation, please contact the BMV at (207) 624-9000 or www.maine.gov/sos/bmv.
Photo caption: Sample Gold Star Family registration plate. (Courtesy photo)

Celebrate a Quarter Century of Great Works

YORK COUNTY—
To celebrate 25 years in land conservation, Great Works Regional Land Trust, with the help of local organizations and friends, is offering several upcoming events. The organization is hoping that its membership and others will join in the fun for modest admission fees.
“Having four seasons is special in Maine and high summer is a particularly glorious time to enjoy the outdoors. Great Works is looking to build on the success of the last quarter-century as a non-profit dedicated to maintaining and expanding quality of place in our service area,” said Jack Kareckas, the President of Great Works Regional Land Trust. “We want everyone to recognize our achievements together – 4,397 acres conserved and strategic priorities identified. Fundamentally, it is the people and the beautiful places preserved that make Great Works what it is.”
Great Works Regional Land Trust was founded by local residents as a non-profit organization in 1986 to provide conservation options to the landowners and general public of Berwick, South Berwick, Berwick, North Berwick, Eliot, Wells and Ogunquit.
Coming soon on Sunday, July 31 at 4 p.m., Historic New England is presenting a “Sunday in the Garden” concert by fiddler Joyce Anderson in the gardens of the 18th century Hamilton House mansion in South Berwick. From foot-stompers to torch songs, Anderson’s tunes will be accented by the scenic backdrop of the Salmon Falls River. Blankets, chairs and picnics are encouraged. Tickets are free for Historic New England Members, $7 for Great Works members, $8 for non-members and $4 for children.
The fun continues on Saturday, August 6 with two events. At Eliot’s Backfields Farm, the site of Great Works’ first conservation easement in 1987, owner Connie Weeks will host an old-time farm day. Beginning at 1 p.m., Weeks and friends will demonstrate haying and corn milling, including use of antique farm equipment, on the 38-acres of fields and forest. Admission and beverages are complimentary. The same day at 4 p.m., Great Works members are invited to Beach Plum Farm in Ogunquit for a sumptuous Lobster Roll Social (from Jake’s Seafood in Moody). Enjoy the camaraderie and a view of the dunes, ocean and community gardens. Reservations are required and $15 is the suggested donation.
For those who like a chill down their spines, purchase tickets from Great Works for Alfred Hitchcock’s “The 39 Steps” at Hackmatack Playhouse in Berwick on Wednesday, August 17 at 8 p.m. About half the $25 ticket price ($22 for seniors) benefits the Grants Meadow III project on Beaver Dam Heath in Berwick. Grants Meadow, providing access to the spacious Heath, will be the site of Berwick’s first public trail when the purchase is completed soon. Hackmatack, which is contributing these ticket proceeds, is celebrating their 40th anniversary. At 7 p.m. before the curtain rises, Great Works will host a free reception with refreshments under the tent at Hackmatack.
Please contact Patti Mitchem or Anne Gamble at (207) 646-3604 for tickets, reservations, and information on 25th Anniversary events. For more information, also visit www.gwrlt.org.

Kennebunk Renovations Breathing New Life Into Downtown

By Chip Schrader
Staff Columnist
KENNEBUNK—
Over the last year, the look, feel, and names associated with downtown Kennebunk have changed. Completed sidewalk construction, an increase in summer foot traffic and a number of new local businesses are bringing the town some deserved attention.
The Saturday Farmers Market has been a success, where shoppers can find locally-made cheeses, breads and vegetables, along with beef from grass-fed livestock raised in a Maine farm. When the market began, it was held in a rear lot between the Sunoco station and the Kennebunk Inn where a Mobil station was located. Over the last two years, this Mobil was demolished, and the empty lot has been filled with wood chips to provide a pedestrian-friendly ambiance. The farmers market organizer, Caroline Segalla, hopes to build upon this success with a Tuesday evening sidewalk fair that operates from 5 to 8 p.m., often with a musical guest.
Eateries that stretch along Route 1 include breakfast places, a café, comfortable taverns, pizza and burger hangouts, and upscale restaurants, including the brand new 50 Local. The décor of 50 Local has an ultra modernistic feel with a bohemian edge, while the menu features local farms and ingredients that are derived from local sources listed on a chalkboard in the restaurant. Mussels, steaks and burgers are all on the menu, but expect a twist in the preparation and presentation.
As restaurants have begun to populate Main Street, there is also an art scene developing. It began with the opening of Mainely Mysteries this spring, and is continuing with the recent opening of The Hive, an art and performance art studio that overlooks the corner of the Kennebunk Inn.
Topping off the emergence of performance art in Kennebunk is an ongoing Shakespeare in the Park series that runs through August 13 in Lafayette Park. Last Sunday, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” was performed, with the spacious park adding to the scenery of the classic play. Among the performances The Hive is scheduled to feature are the musician Patrick Fitzsimmons on July 29, and in August, “The Living Room Series,” which features local rock musicians “unplugged.” The rest of the time, the gallery of paintings, pottery, and sculpture should draw a buzz to the town.
As markets and hometown festivals roll in to enhance Kennebunk’s small town appeal, the influx of new local businesses hopes to draw and keep public interest in the quaint downtown. The new layout and sidewalks have increased the town’s curb appeal, while a circular gathering spot at the center of it all advertises to passersby that this is a social downtown. With the Five and Dime officially closed, and paint being scraped from attached storefronts, locals and visitors can only guess what is next for Kennebunk.
Photo caption: This brick patio is one of many renovations that have taken place – and are still evolving – in downtown Kennebunk. (Photo by Chip Schrader)

Raitt Farm to Host 16th Annual Antique Tractor and Engine Show

By Larry Favinger
Staff Columnist
ELIOT—
Tractors and engines will take center stage at the Raitt Homestead Farm Museum next weekend for the 16th Annual Antique Tractor and Engine Show.
This year’s show will feature Case Tractors and the featured engine will be the Woodpecker.
Last year more than 4,500 people visited the show at the museum, which is located at 2077 State Road, Route 103, in Eliot. The site is just over five minutes from the Kittery Outlet Malls and Portsmouth.
The show is open Friday through Sunday, July 29, 30 and 31. Admission is $5 with children six and under admitted free. The gates will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday; 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Highlights Friday include a 5:30 auction with the proceeds going to the Raitt Homestead Farm Museum. Those bringing an auction item will be admitted free Friday night. No electronic items will be accepted for auction.
At 6 p.m. the Garden Tractor Pulling contest will begin.
Saturday activity begins at 7 a.m. with a pancake breakfast. At 9:30, the kids’ Pedal Tractor Pull will be held followed by the initial Ladies’ Skillet Toss.
The Tractor Parade begins at 1:30 p.m. with the Antique Stone boat Tractor Pulling at 3 p.m.
Activity begins Sunday at 8 a.m. with a church service “In the Pines.” The Tractor Tour is set at 9 a.m., the kids’ pedal tractor pull at 9:30 and the Tractor Parade at 1 p.m.
The Transfer Sled Tractor Pulling and raffle drawings are set at 2 p.m.
Featured throughout the show will be a large number of antique tractors, farm equipment displays, hit and miss engines, shingle mill demonstrations, auctions, live music, bean hole beans, strawberry shortcake and other fair food, crafts, flea market and more. There will also be a Colonial encampment.
On permanent new display this year is a 1920’s Hildreth Brothers Woodsplitter that will be in operation – owned by Tom Stephens.
The shingle mill will be on its new pad – still need to build the building, and the pad for the new blacksmith shop is on the grounds as well.
The 1858 Remington revolver that was discovered will also be on display throughout the weekend.
The mission of the Raitt Homestead Farm Museum is to educate future generations with displays and demonstrations of antique farm equipment for the purpose of keeping valuable farming heritage alive.
This event is one of three fundraising events held at the Farm Museum each year with 100 percent of the proceeds raised going to the preservation and restoration of the farm property and to continue its mission.
The preservation and restoration of the museum’s 33-acre property and buildings is an ongoing project throughout the year.
Photo caption: Pictured is a tractor from last year’s Antique Tractor and Engine Show. This year’s event takes place in Eliot July 29-31. (Courtesy photo)

Opening Scenes: The Final ‘Harry Potter’

By Chip Schrader
Movie Reviewer
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” begins with Voldemort casting a bolt of lightning into the night sky. The scene cuts to the ghostly black dementors hovering above Hogwarts, the once magical wonderland that has now become a brooding and ominous castle that resembles a giant lair in classic Gothic literature where evil lurks. Severus Snape, the new headmaster, looks down upon his school, the children march like stormtroopers inside. Harry is hiding out with his friends in a small hut; he gazes into a broken mirror that reflects his own face, and that of the deceased former headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.
All bets are off in this final installment of the Harry Potter legend. All of the roles are carried out by the same actors as the previous films, and they continue to embody their character with precision. The most notable newcomer is Albus Dumbledore’s brother, Aberforth, played by Ciaran Hinds. While he plays a smaller role in this film, he is masterfully placed to fill in a few gaps of Dumbledore’s past, but the role is too brief to get a feel for the character.
The film, as a whole, takes broad sweeps of the original book, as to be expected. But, the film is best judged upon its own merit since cinema is at a great handicap compared to literature. In comparison to Part 1, Part 2, if possible, is even darker and takes place underground, and in narrow passages, while its predecessor was greatly shot in the vast countryside. The claustrophobia the director provides in the cinematography builds tension for the viewers as Harry must invade Bellatrix Lestranges’ vault at Gringot’s bank.
Dragons, giants, and assorted ghouls inhabit the land in this film, and boost its grandiosity without providing the cheesy CGI side effects that plague a Michael Bay film, i.e. “Transformers.”
Harry’s return to Hogwarts is marked with a chilling message from Voldemort. The old magic of Hogwarts, greatly missing from the previous installment, swarms in a mass of darkness and mayhem, and the expansive campus becomes the site for an epic battle between good and evil.
The shortcomings include the fact that Harry never seems in too much danger of Voldemort catching him. It just plays out as a scavenger hunt for Harry, Hermione and Ron, while the deatheaters wait idly by. The visions Harry gets of Voldemort provide glimpses of evil, but no real suspense. The necessity of Harry to face Voldemort, and the circumstance under which he must meet him do provide some white knuckle viewing three-quarters through the movie.
The bottom line: this movie is darker, creepier, and more intriguing than any of the previous films. It is even more entertaining than the first part. The cinematography is gorgeous, and uses shadows and perpetual darkness to not only convey a sense of foreboding, but makes it a beautiful movie to look at. If the movie could stand to be an hour longer, the loss of many characters shouldn’t have been glazed over, and the battle deserved greater detail as does the character development. Combined with the previous release, the character development and action will appear more balanced. Collectively, both parts are a nearly flawless grand slam. 4.5 out of 5.
Photo caption: (Courtesy movie poster of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”)

‘Deadliest Catch’ Crewmember Lends Helping Hand in Hometown

By Larry Favinger

Staff Columnist
KITTERY—
A Kittery man, the chief engineer of the F/V Northwestern, one of the boats featured on The Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch,” was lending a hand to a local charity at Bob’s Clam Hut last weekend during a visit to his hometown.
Darren M. Dyer, who grew up in Kittery and attended Kittery schools, graduating from Traip Academy, autographed books, photos and other memorabilia while talking to hundreds of people at Bob‘s Clam Hut to benefit Ethel’s Tree of Life last week.
Ethel’s Tree of Life aids people with disabilities and/or special needs. It is headquartered in South Berwick.
Dyer lived in Kittery from the time he was three until just after graduation when the family moved to Harrison, Maine. Two years ago he moved to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and eventually became part of the popular show that depicts life and work onboard vessels fishing in the Bering Sea.
“I’ve only been a commercial fisherman now for three years,” Dyer said, smiling, while resting his hand from signing. “I hated the ocean growing up on it. I wanted nothing to do working on the fishing boat, and now here I am. I haven’t lived on land for three years.”
Dyer said the original idea for the show was to document the fishing industry in the Bering Sea.
“Once they got there and saw what it was like for the guys on the boat,” Dyer continued, “they decided to switch gears a little bit and maybe make a documentary on an individual boat and crew.”
Dyer said Capt. Sig Hansen’s boat, the Northwestern, was one of the first chosen for the project.
He’s known Jim and Linda Higgins since he was a child and, after seeing the web site, felt it was a very worthwhile cause. Linda Higgins is the chairwoman of the group’s Board of Directors.
Knowing he was coming home, he contacted Linda Higgins and they decided to work together to raise some awareness and raise some money for the whole foundation.
“I think it’s amazing to work with them,” he said. “There’s nothing I’d rather be doing right now and I’ve always loved Bob’s Clam Hut.”
Dyer is recuperating from ankle surgery.
Linda Higgins said Dyer “liked to give back to the community” and “likes what the Tree of Life does” so “it just evolved.”
She said Pat Barrigar, the general manager at Bob’s, was incredible and the whole project was set up in a little over a week.
Barrigar said she became involved by “answering a phone call. They called and asked if we could do something to help and we figured out a way to do it.”
In addition to providing space for the signings, a portion of the meals sold from the start of the session until closing were donated to the charity.
According to its web site, “Ethel’s Tree of Life is dedicated to working with young people who live with any disabilities and/or special needs.
“Special needs can be defined by anything that causes students to have difficulty learning, whether it be a disability or perhaps a situation at home (like a death in the family). ETL students learn to say ‘I can’ through many varied learning experiences.”
Additional information is available on the web site at www.ethelstree.org.
Dyer is on a crew with Capt. Sig Hansen, Norman Hansen, Edgar Hansen, Nick Mayvar and Jake Anderson.
Other charities the boat and crew helps include Wounded Warriors, Heroes to Heroes, Children’s Cancer Foundation and Women’s Breast Cancer.
Bob’s Clam Hut has been serving fried clams and other classic clam shack fare since 1956 and has long been a contributor to Ethel’s.
Photo caption: Darren Dyer, seated right, talking with Linda Higgins, seated left, of Ethel’s Tree of Life, and Pat Barrigar, standing, general manager at Bob’s Clam Hut. (Photo by Larry Favinger)