In Memorial
The Gray Annual Memorial Day Parade will be held on Monday, May 26, at 11 a.m. A procession will begin at the Russell School and continue to the Monument at the center of town where the 15th Alabama Regiment will hold a salute. The parade will then continue to the Henry Pennell Municipal Complex. There, a ceremony will be held in honor of our veterans. The parade will then proceed to the American Legion Hall, where refreshments will be served to the marchers. Organizations with a Patriotic theme are encouraged to participate (school bands, Scouts, Fire and Rescue and anyone wishing to honor our veterans). The Amvets of Post No. 6 will be joining immediately following their parade, which forms at 8:30 a.m. from the Amvets Hall in New Gloucester. If you would like to join in the festivities, call Jason White (American Legion Commander) at 899-9799 or e-mail post86commander@gmail.com. We would like to extend an invitation to all veterans who would like to be included. Cars will be provided for those who are unable to march.
Meet the Candidates
Town of Gray elections are scheduled for Tuesday, June 10. Before casting your vote for Town Council members, come to the library and find out more about the candidates.
On Tuesday, May 13, the Gray Public Library will be hosting a moderated discussion with the prospective candidates. Find out about their experience, their vision for the town of Gray, and their aspirations if elected to office. The event will start at 6:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. The event will be recorded and rebroadcast on GCTV. Sign up at the Circulation Desk, call 657-4110, or email at graylib@gray.lib.me.us.
Wings and Endangered Species
The Maine Wildlife Park, located on Route 26 in Gray, will feature Wind Over Wings on Saturday, May 10, at noon. Wind Over Wings is a nonprofit educational service featuring magnificent birds who are unable to survive in their natural environment, and who have overcome extraordinary obstacles in their lives. Meet Hope Douglas founder of this nonprofit organization, and photograph a live golden eagle, kestrel, screech owl and raven.
On the following Saturday, May 17, endangered and threatened species will be the focus. Starting at noon, celebrate National Endangered Species Day with Maine’s Endangered Species Coalition. Endangered Species Day is a celebration of the nation’s wildlife and wild places and is an opportunity for people of all ages to learn about the importance of protecting endangered species and everyday actions they can take to help protect them.
Admission to the park is free for ages 3 and under; $5 ages 4-12; $7 for adults, and $5 for seniors. Groups of 15 or more are $3.50 per person. Bring a picnic and spend the day.
For more information about any of these programs, please call the Maine Wildlife Park at 657-4977; or visit www.mainewildlifepark.com.
Donate Blood, Win Oil
The GNG Lions have teamed up once again with Fielding Oil and one lucky blood donor will win $100 worth of home heating oil. The winner will be drawn at the end of the drive and will be able to schedule their delivery when needed through Fielding Oil. The Lions drive is Monday, May 19, from 1-6 p.m. at the Newbegin Gym in Gray. All donors will receive a free Red Cross T-shirt. Appointments are highly recommended to allow adequate staffing by the Red Cross and to help donors avoid long wait times. Appointments can be made through Lion Dean Neal at 926-4723, the Red Cross donor line 1-800-733-2767 or online at redcrossblood.org. Please specify the “Lions blood drive” for May 19 in Gray. Donating blood will warm your heart and may even warm your home.
Youth Field Day
From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 31 (rain date: June 1), at Royal River Rod and Gun Club on Fish Hatchery Road in New Gloucester, the Royal River Rod and Gun Club is sponsoring a free event for boys and girls, ages 10 to 15. Safety instruction is given at all these activities: Basic Map and Compass, Archery, .22 Rifle, Outdoor Survival and Fishing. Lunch is provided at no cost. Space is limited to 50 participants and pre-registration is required. Every participant must be accompanied for the day by a parent or responsible adult (one adult may be responsible for more than one young person).
Information and registration forms are available from Bob Muir (phone: 892-6096 or email: bobm380@yahoo.com) or Sandra Petersen (phone: 772-8596 or email spetersen@maine.rr.com) or on www.royalriverodandgunclub.org. Registrations should be postmarked by May 25 and mailed to: Royal River Rod & Gun Club, Attn: 2014 Youth Field Day, P.O. Box 1086, Gray, ME 04039-1086.
Your Input is Needed
The Route 26 Corridor Study is a collaborative effort between the town of Gray and MaineDOT to understand future options for the 1.6-mile segment between 26A (“by-pass”) and Dry Mills.
The study participants are actively working on examining the four future development scenarios. In accordance with the Town Council’s intentions, there has been a townwide mailing to all taxpayers in Gray informing them of the upcoming public input workshop on Wednesday, May 14, at 7 p.m. in Newbegin Gym.
This workshop will present the findings regarding the traffic implications of the scenarios and some additional visuals, such as possible representative road cross-sections. Examples of effective “design guidelines,” which are intended to address primarily aesthetic components of possible future commercial development, are also expected to be provided.
Gray Rec Needs Your Help
The Gray Recreation scholarship account has been depleted. Please help Gray Recreation collect bottles for their scholarship account. A CLYNK account has been opened for this purpose, so stop by the Gray Parks and Recreation office, Henry Pennell Municipal Complex for a CLYNK bag. Fill it with your returnables and return it to any Hannaford location. Thank you for your support.
Patriot 5K Run/Walk
Come to St. Gregory’s Church, 24 North Raymond Road, Gray, on May 17 for the 5th Annual Patriot 5K Run/Walk. The Patriot 5K is held annually and is a USATF-certified, fast, mostly flat, scenic course around Crystal Lake in Gray.
Free tech T-shirts to everyone that signs up by April 28. Thousands in prizes and a fun, family friendly atmosphere. Registration for the 5K is only $18, $20 day of race. The kids fun run is free. A Kids Run starts at 8 a.m. The 5K starts at 9 a.m. Go to www.patriot5k.org for more information.
Get Dolled Up and Cut a Rug
The Fiddlehead Center for Art and Science invites you to join them as they ROAR back to the 1920s in support of Fiddlehead and its enrichment programs. Come to their Roaring ’20s Fundraiser on Saturday, May 31, at 6:30 p.m., in a flapper dress or a gangster outfit, prizes awarded for best dressed. Tickets are $35 per person and $60 per couple and includes $100 in casino chips, commemorative speakeasy mug, group photo booth pictures, beer and wine tasting, jazz music, prizes, hors d’oeuvres and sweet treats.
Food Drive
For the month of May, the Gray Fire and Rescue Department is collecting non-perishable and canned food for the Gray Food Pantry. You can bring your donations to the Gray Fire and Rescue at 127 Shaker Road.
Wind Over Wings founder Hope Douglas poses with a young bald eagle. Douglas will be presenting at Maine Wildlife Park in Gray Saturday. Send questions/comments to the editors.
