KENNEBUNK
Reservations open for take-out Thanksgiving dinner
Community Harvest, a local nonprofit organization, is taking reservations for its 24th annual Project Pilgrim meal Nov. 24, with this year’s meal being held by curbside pick-up at St. Martha’s Church, 30 Portland Road, Route 1. Delivery options also available upon request.
Traditionally, Project Pilgrim is a complimentary Thanksgiving Day dinner that invites community members to come together and share in delicious food and meaningful company. This year, due to the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, the organization is once again offering curbside pick-up and delivery options only rather than a gathered meal.
Last year, due to COVID restrictions, Project Pilgrim volunteers prepared more than 550 meals for local individuals and families, including dozens of first responders working on Thanksgiving Day.
Meals will be provided cold with heating instructions attached. Community members should reserve their meals by the Nov. 13 deadline by calling 967-1911 or visiting communityharvestmaine.org. Once signed up, community members will be assigned a time for pick-up on Thanksgiving Day.

SCARBOROUGH
Ketcha Outdoors hires new executive director
The Ketcha Outdoors board of directors has hired Laragh Kavanaugh as the organization’s new executive director.
Kavanaugh brings more than 20 years of leadership experience to the role, both as an outdoor educator and as a director at an international nonprofit. She previously served in guiding youth wilderness expeditions for Outward Bound, leading international programs in India and Ghana, and directing operations for Maine-based Council on International Educational Exchange, with experience in nonprofit management and youth development.
Kavanaugh said she is committed to delivering safe and high-quality programming, enhancing communication and building inclusive communities at Ketcha.
“Having grown up in Maine, and since becoming a parent, I understand the positive impact the natural world has on youth and how important access to quality outdoor programs is to Maine families and communities,” said Kavanaugh.

YARMOUTH
Middle schoolers plant fruit trees
ReTreeUS partnered with Harper Collins Publishers and the Arbor Day Foundation to plant 18 fruit trees with students and teachers at Yarmouth Middle School.
ReTreeUS plants orchards in schools, supports school gardens and provides educational programs that empower people to grow their own food and be healthy environmental stewards. ReTreeUS is working with the Arbor Day Foundation, the world’s largest membership nonprofit dedicated to planting trees. The event was held to engage community members to take an active role in the overall health of their communities.
Urban trees filter the air by removing pollution which improves a city’s overall air quality. They also reduce runoff of sediment, pollutants, and organic matter into streams, improving our water quality. Trees have also been shown to reduce crime, lower stress levels, and develop community pride.
To learn more about this event, visit retree.us.

WATERVILLE/WASHINGTON, D.C.
Chamber of Commerce member gets fellowship
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation has selected Brandi Meisner, vice president of operations at Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce of Waterville, to participate in its premiere business leadership program.
The Business Leads Fellowship Program trains and equips leaders from state and local chambers of commerce, economic development agencies, and trade associations with resources, access to experts, and a network of peers to build their capacity to address the most pressing education and workforce challenges of state and local chamber partners.
Meisner was selected along with 34 other state and local chamber executives, economic development professionals, and association leaders to participate in the seventh class of this program, following a competitive application and selection process. The six-month program, consisting of both in person and virtual meetings, will cover the entire talent pipeline, including early childhood education, K-12, postsecondary education, and workforce development.

HARPSWELL/BROOKS
Two structures get historic designation
Maine Historic Preservation Commission director Kirk F. Mohney announced that the Orr’s Island Meeting House at Harpswell and The Pilley House at Brooks have been entered in the National Register of Historic Places as architectural examples of the time periods they represent. The designation indicates that both properties have been documented, evaluated, and considered worthy of preservation and protection as part of the nation’s cultural heritage.
Orr’s Island Meeting House, a gable front structure built in 1855-56, is as an example of a modest rural church building, with almost no embellishment, that retains high integrity. Many similar examples have been heavily modified, added onto or destroyed. The building is a type employed by smaller congregations, often in isolated locations, and reflects modest rural church architecture of the mid-19th century. The small, one room building was shared by four denominations as a union church for the first 40 years of its existence and has always been used exclusively for religious purposes. The church was owned by a religious organization and still functions periodically as a church.
The Pilley House, built in 1818, was associated with a number of well-known local individuals. Its longest association was with the Pilley family from 1863-2005. The two-story, side gable structure is a good example of a late Federal period building with minimal decoration that was updated in the late 19th century to accommodate new styles and materials as well as for practical comfort. The removal of the center chimney and an added ell allowed for a more modern circulation pattern, and the added bay window gave the building a hint of Italianate style. The altered chimney configuration also added space to the building and improved the heating of the structure. Other features, like the windows and screen porch, provide both an up-to-date appearance and more comfort.

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