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)

Olympic Gold Medalist Billy Mills to Speak at UNE

BIDDEFORD —
Olympic gold medalist Billy Mills – the only American ever to win the Olympic 10,000 meter run, and only the second Native American to do so worldwide – will speak at the University of New England Wednesday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. His lecture, “Global Unity Through Global Diversity,” will take place at UNE’s Biddeford Campus Center. It is free and open to the public.
Mills is an Oglala Sioux Indian whose given Native American name is Loves His Country. He was born and raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Although Pine Ridge is rich in Native American culture and spirit, it is also recognized as one of the poorest communities in America.
Mills was orphaned by the age of 12 and raised by his grandmother. He attended Haskell Indian School, where he became involved in distance running, and earned an athletic scholarship to the University of Kansas. He was named an NCAA American cross country runner three times.
Upon graduation, Mills was commissioned an officer in the United States Marine Corps, and continued training for the Olympic team. He qualified for the 1964 Olympic team in two events, the marathon and the 10,000-meter run, and achieved one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history by defeating favorite Ron Clarke of Australia.
Mills was the subject of a major motion picture, “Running Brave,” and co-authored the book, “Wokini: A Lakota Journey to Happiness and Self-Understanding,” with Nicholas Sparks. In 2005, Mills published his second book, “Lessons of a Lakota.” He has been inducted into the United States National Track and Field Hall of Fame and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.
Mills is the spokesperson for Running Strong for American Indian Youth, an organization that helps support projects that benefit the American Indian people, especially youth.
FMI: Lara Carlson, Ph.D., 602-2810 or visit www.une.edu.
Photo caption: Billy Mills is an Olympic gold medalist who is the only American ever to win the Olympic 10,000 meter run, and only the second Native American to do so worldwide.. (Courtesy photo)

Producer of Naval Prison Documentaries Brings Family Histories to Life

KITTERY —
Neil Novello, video producer of the recent documentary about the Portsmouth Naval Prison, “The Castle”, will be screening video clips and discussing his approach to producing family biographies at Traip Academy in Kittery on Thursday, September 30, 7-9 pm.
Novello’s career spans over twenty years producing a wide variety of video productions. His presentation will cover the filmmaking process with a focus on video biographies. Some of the topics covered include developing the family history for the medium, interviewing, gathering and organizing photos, and much more. In addition to Novello’s filmmaking tips, the video clips he will be showing cover a wide range of subjects and approaches to illustrate his presentation.
“We will be viewing clips which show the blending of different media, such as home movie footage, photos, newspaper articles and artifacts, for example, a World War Two experience of a Black Sheep Squadron pilot as told by his wife,” says Novello.
“In a way, I’ve been a family’s personalized Ken Burns of PBS’s Civil War fame,” says Novello. “You don’t have to be a celebrity to have an experience that’s important to remember.”
A Life Remembered is a Life Honored, the title of the event as well as the guiding principle of Novello’s family bios, will be part “how to” and part “entertaining” with a dash of “insight”. Admission is $8.00. To reserve a space, please contact Heather Thibodeau at hthibodeau@kitteryschools.org or visit www.kitteryschools.org.
Photo caption: Neil Novello is the video producer of the recent documentary about the Portsmouth Naval Prison, “The Castle” (www.family-bio.com photo)