Luverne Preble, who once attended the Town House School, cut the ribbon during the Kennebunkport Historical Society’s official re-opening ceremony at the newly restored property on Tuesday, Oct. 29. (Courtesy photos)
Luverne Preble, who once attended the Town House School, cut the ribbon during the Kennebunkport Historical Society’s official re-opening ceremony at the newly restored property on Tuesday, Oct. 29. Preble was joined by family members, society members (including Friends of the Town House School) and the public to celebrate the complete restoration of the school, which was completed by Gary E. Martin Builders in August. Afterward, guests were invited to trick-or-treat among the seven building on the North Street property and enjoy interactive local history.
“This is an exciting day for the Kennebunkport Historical Society,” said Executive Administrator Kirsten Camp. “We came close to losing the Town House School. Thanks to Luverne Preble and the other Friends of the Town House School Committee as well as Gary Martin Builders, it has been beautifully restored. We are thrilled that the school house will once again be a gathering place for the community.”
The Town House School opened in 1900, and local children in grades 1 through 8 were educated there until 1951, when Consolidated School opened. The society acquired the building in 1955 and it served as their headquarters until 1999. It housed the society’s archives until 2015, when a building inspection deemed it was unsafe because it had fallen into disrepair. The Friends of the Town House School raised the $450,000 necessary to restore it. The school is being used for society lectures, events, exhibits and is available for event rentals.
Webhannet Charitable Foundation donates Village Fund
The Friends of RSU 21 announced that it is the beneficiary of a $16,000 gift from the Webhannet Charitable Foundation to be put toward the Village Fund.
Approximately 20 percent of students in RSU 21 qualify for free or reduced breakfast and lunch. The Village Fund has been established in order to help our neighbors and our children’s friends who do not qualify for free or reduced meals but still struggle to pay for meals.
“I was floored by the generosity of the donation. Now when we offer families help through the Village Fund there is enough money available to help them through the school year if they need it” Ellen Demmons, RSU 21’s food and nutrition services director said in a written statement.
Webhannet Charitable Foundation Chairwoman, Michelle Davis, in a press release, said, ” … our primary focus throughout the years has been children first. As a child gets ready for school, they should be focusing on when they are going to get to see their friends, play on the playground and wonder what their teacher will share with them that day. No child should have to face the day hungry and not know when they are going to get to eat. When we learned about what the Village Fund provides for students there wasn’t a hesitation by anyone that this was a chance for us to do what we do – which is help. The foundation was a vehicle for our friends and neighbors to learn about what the Village Fund does and for us all to contribute to the benefits of children
first.”
The mission of the Webhannet Charitable Foundation is to help those individuals and organizations that are in the greatest economic and financial need in southern Maine.
For more information, contact Phillip Potenziano, interim superintendent, at ppotenziano@rsu21.net.
Kennebunk Land Trust adds acres
Kennebunk Land Trust announced that it has recently protected an additional 4.43 acres that abuts the trust’s Secret Garden Preserve. This land contains frontage along Lake Brook and is key habitat for flora and fauna. The Land Trust, in a written statement, thanked Dave McCullough, a local builder, for donating this parcel to Kennebunk Land Trust.
There are many ways to partner with the land trust. Land donation, donation by will (bequest), and donation of a conservation easement represent opportunities to directly contribute to conservation within the community. For more information, contact KLT at 985-8734 or email kennebunklandtrust@gmail.com.
The Kennebunk Land Trust is a membership powered organization. Founded in 1972, KLT has protected over 3,400 acres throughout its history.
Pie fundraiser to benefit Girl Scout Troop 1056
Want homemade apple or pumpkin pie to serve at Thanksgiving, but don’t have the time to cook?
Let local Girl Scout Troop 1056 do the work. Pies are $12 each and orders must be submitted by Nov. 17.
Pies will be available for pickup on Nov. 24 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Masonic Lodge in West Kennebunk.
The apple pies will be made with apples donated by Giles Family Farm in Alfred and Spiller Farm in Wells.
Proceeds from the fundraiser will be used toward the troop’s last trip before they graduate high school. Orders can be made online at https://pie-for-thanksgiving.cheddarup.com.
For more information, contact troop leaders Fiona Robinson at 251-0520 or email fionarobinson200@gmail.com, or Heather Larrabee at 216-1153 or email h_larrabee@yahoo.com.
Bohemian Sunday Poetry Readings planned
WePoets & Verse are hosting a monthly series of Bohemian Sunday Poetry Readings in the Kennebunks. The next scheduled reading is 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10 at Outta the Box, 8 York St., Kennebunk.
Everyone in the community is invited to participate by reading one of their own poems or sharing a favorite from beloved poets, or just sit back, listen and be inspired. Free admission with refreshments included.
Young poets especially welcome to come and share their poems.
For more information, email wepoets5@gmail.com
Audubon program features loons
York County Audubon will host a program on the Common Loon Tuesday, Nov. 19 at Mather Auditorium of the Wells Reserve at Laudholm Farm. The program, featuring Nick Lund, aka, The Birdist, is free and open to the public, and starts at 7 p.m. Come early for social time and refreshments.
The program will start with an in-depth look at the physiology and habits of the Common Loon, including how its body is built to be an effective underwater hunter, and the timing of its arrival on Maine breeding lakes. Lund will also take a look at the threats faced by loons.
Lund is Maine Audubon’s Network and Outreach Manager. A Maine native and well known birder, he writes for publications like Audubon, Slate, Down East, and National Geographic. On the web many follow his entertaining posts about birds and birding at, The Birdist.
Maine Audubon has worked for more than 35 years to count loons in the state, and to examine the causes of loon mortality. The information has helped inform policies necessary to protect loons and ensure that their calls echo across Maine lakes for years to come.
Secret Santa begins season of giving
The Secret Santa organization has been helping families in need by providing Christmas gifts to children in Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel for over 30 years.
Applications for parents and/or legal guardians in need of help this year may be picked up at all town general assistance offices or online at the town’s web sites.
In order to qualify applications must be turned in to the general assistance office by Friday Dec. 15.
All requests are strictly confidential. For more information call the respective general assistance offices:
• Arundel, 985-4201.
• Kennebunk, 985-21012.
• Kennebunkport, 967-4401.
Vets’ Day 5K benefits Honor Flight Maine
Wells Chamber of Commerce will host its sixth annual Veterans’ Day 5K on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 10 a.m. The 5K run/walk will start and end at the Wells Elks Lodge, 356 Bald Hill Road, Wells.
Proceeds for the event will benefit Honor Flight Maine. The first 100 registrants will receive a free long-sleeve T-shirt. Parking is available onsite. Snacks, burgers, refreshments and adult beverages will be available to purchase at the Wells Elks Lodge for spectators and participants throughout the event (bring ID).
Prizes will be awarded to male and female in the following categories: Overall, Under 20, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70-plus.
For registration information, visit www.wellschamber.org, call 646-2451 or visit www.runsignup.com/race/ME/ Wells/VD5k.
Brick Store Museum hosting American Legion exhibition
The Brick Store Museum and American Legion, Webber-Lefebvre Post 74, both of Kennebunk, have collaborated on a museum exhibition to honor the American Legion’s 100th anniversary.
The exhibit displays various artifacts, historical documents, photos and military uniforms on loan from the post and its members; and asks for visitors to share their own memories of the Legion.
The exhibit will run through Dec. 31.
A special gathering is planned for Sunday, Nov. 10 from noon to 2 p.m. at the museum to celebrate the anniversary of the Legion and local veterans.
The event will be free and open to the public, as well as regional veterans, to celebrate their service and talk with Legion members. Food and beverages generously supplied by local businesses and neighbors.
The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness.
The Webber-Lefebvre, Post 74 supports local community and veterans’ programs such as funding a scholarship program for Kennebunk High School seniors, placing flags on veterans’ graves, donating to local charities and organizing Memorial Day activities.
A recent law changed the eligibility criteria for joining the American Legion to anyone who has served at least one day of active military service from Dec. 7, 1941 to the present.
The Brick Store Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, year-round. In addition to the Legion Centennial exhibit, the museum is also currently showing Patterns and All Hands on Deck: A Maritime Show.
To learn more about upcoming events and exhibitions, visit www.brickstoremuseum.org or call the museum at 985-4802 for more information.
Library announces November’s featured artist
The Kennebunk Free Library announces its November 2019 exhibition, “Haunted, A translation into paint,”,the oil paintings of Sherry Holden Dresser Dec, formerly from Kennebunk.
The public is invited to view the exhibit at 112 Main St., Kennebunk, Maine during regular library hours when the gallery is not in use for library programs.
“After thirty-seven years of teaching, I retired and found a new passion as I began to paint,” said Holden Dresser Dec in a written statement. “I’ve found two particular elements catch me. I am forever chasing the use of light on a surface. The power and scope of its mystery challenges me again and again with each new project. I feel like I am learning to see for the first time.
“I also explore the energy underneath objects, people, and landscapes. I find that the right composition, color and value unlock a deeper level of truth about my chosen subject. Only when I can get those qualities right, do I begin to authentically paint it.
“I have had a wonderful teacher for seven years, Ron Frontin, who has inspired me to work hard. He is a masterful painter and I am acquiring skills to begin the level of painting I want to express because of him. The adventure has begun and I’ve been waiting all my life to do this work.
“My Y.A. book, “Haunted,” inspired this show. Set in Kennebunk-Kennebunkport in the 19th century, characters and landscapes from its pages fueled my imagination. I sign my book with the statement, ? Everything you do counts!’ I believe that each of us have the responsibility to live deliberately with compassion and humanity. The book implies reincarnation and that a score is kept from lifetime to lifetime of everyone’s intentions as they live their lives. When Julie goes back in time and becomes Victoria a hundred years in the past, she must solve a mystery and complete something she chose to ignore then.”
The public is invited to an artist’s reception on Saturday, Nov. 2 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Kennebunk Free Library.
Annual Project Pilgrim scheduled for Nov. 28
On Thursday, Nov. 28, Community Harvest, a local nonprofit organization, will host the 21st annual Project Pilgrim at St. Martha’s Church on Route 1 in Kennebunk.
Project Pilgrim is a complimentary Thanksgiving Day dinner for community members to come together and share a meal and fellowship.
Dinner will be prepared by head chef Mario Barros along with dozens of other volunteers. It will be served buffet-style from noon until 1 p.m.
Walk-ins are welcome and reservations can be made in advance by calling 967-1911. Callers are instructed to leave a message with name and the number of guests who will attend. Guests may request a meal delivery to their home or transportation to and from the dinner, as well.
In 2018, Project Pilgrim served dinner more than 300 people, including guests and volunteers. The event is a way for neighbors to get to know each other while enjoying a homemade Thanksgiving meal.
Project Pilgrim is an annual community-wide effort which so many families have made their holiday tradition. While some come out and volunteer to help out in the kitchen and the dining room, others come and enjoy the turkey with all the fixings.
“We’re so thankful to have chef Mario Barros at the helm directing an army of volunteer cooks,” said Jeanne Gomez, Project Pilgrim co-chairperson and member of Community Harvest’s board of directors. “We are looking forward to greeting our friends and neighbors and celebrating Thanksgiving together.”
Barros and his team will make the traditional Thanksgiving offerings such as turkey and stuffing along with his famous cranberry chutney. Community Harvest hopes that local businesses will consider donating desserts.
Additional donations of harvest decorations and turkey breasts will be accepted. If interested in making a donation of any kind, call 967-1911.
Community Harvest was founded in 1999 and is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in Kennebunk.
The organization focuses on providing food and emergency community assistance for those living in Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel, and offers all services free of charge. In addition to Project Pilgrim, Community Harvest hosts the complimentary Noel Dinner on Christmas Day, as well as Harvest Café, a complimentary dinner for the community on the third Thursday of every month at the Lutheran Church in Kennebunk.
More information about programs and services offered by Community Harvest can be found by visiting www.communityharvestonline.org or by calling 967-1911.
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