An opportunity to learn about RSU 21’s high pre-kindergarten program at a virtual open house has been scheduled for 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 23. Pre-K is free to residents in Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, and Arundel for children who turn 4 years old before Oct. 15.

According to a  March 2 news release, Pre-K students learn at Kennebunk Elementary School in full-sized classrooms, each with two teachers. RSU 21 runs a play-based program for 4- and 5-year-olds, focusing on personal and social development, creative arts, early language and literacy, physical education, math, science, and social studies.

“We are excited to open up registration and to welcome a new group of young students into our school community,” said KES Assistant Principal Ellen Towne in an email. “I am extremely proud of the pre-K program in RSU 21. We have dedicated, highly-qualified teachers and support staff who provide a nurturing and engaging early learning environment for our students.”

Registration is a two-step process. Fill out the online registration, then schedule an appointment with Mary Boswell by email or call 207-985-4402.

Conservation commission plans pesticide information session

The Kennebunk Conservation Commission will host a discussion about pesticides on Thursday, March 23 at Kennebunk Town Hall. The session is scheduled for 6 to 7:30 p.m.

The event will focus on providing residents with information about the impact pesticides have on humans, pets and other creatures and the environment. Tips for working with landscapers, licensed applicators and neighbors will also be provided.

Participants will learn about ways to reduce the impact of pesticides in the yard and community, and how to communicate with professional applicators and landscape companies and ask the right questions. Participants will also learn techniques for developing a pesticide-free yard.

The session will feature Alex Peacock, of the Maine Board of Pesticides Control, and Allan Amioka, a master gardener.

Space is limited. The Kennebunk Conservation Commission is providing this free opportunity in cooperation with the Kennebunkport Conservation Commission and the Planeteers of Southern Maine.

Public invited to forum of housing crisis

A community forum on the lack of affordable housing affecting the state and towns will be held Saturday, March 18 at 9:30 a.m. at Kennebunkport Community House on Temple Street (across from the post office). Presenters will address the social and economic impacts of the housing shortage, as well as assistance available through community services and legislative proposals.

The panel will be moderated by Rep. Traci Gere (District 134), who serves as House chair of the Joint Select Committee on Housing and as a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. Joining her will be Carter Friend, executive director of York County Community Action Corporation, and Karen Winton, deputy director of the Community Development Department for the town of Kennebunk.

The forum is being sponsored by the Democrats of the Kennebunks and Arundel as a nonpartisan, communitywide event. There is no charge. Attendees are encouraged to bring a nonperishable food item to donate to Community Outreach Services.

Historical society plans Women’s History Month program

In homage to Women’s History Month the Arundel Historical Society will present a lecture and discussion titled The Great Turnout: Factory Girls and Maine’s First Labor Strike. It will be presented by Dr. Elizabeth DeWolfe, professor of history at the University of New England, who received her Ph.D. in American and New England studies from Boston University. She is also an author of several works of history including, “The Murder of Mary Bean and Other Stories,” about the short life and tragic death of a New England textile operative.

In 1841, nearly 500 female factory workers walked out of Saco’s York Manufacturing Company and paraded up Main Street chanting and singing. A committee was formed in a local church, and a document listing their complaints about wages, housing and paternalistic rules was sent to the factory owner. In the presentation, through an illustrated talk, the life of New England “factory girls,” the opportunities millwork brought, and the challenges of the labor will be discussed. The “turnout” would have a ripple effect in the national agitation for women’s rights and suffrage.

The presentation will be held 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, March 26, at Arundel Town Hall’s Community Meeting Room. Arundel Town Hall is located on Limerick Road. Refreshments will be available and suggested lecture donations will be welcome. Copies of the author’s book will be available for sale. The public is encouraged to attend the event and celebrate, with the AHS, the role of women in the nation’s history.

Radio Discussion Society announces meeting dates

The New England Radio Discussion Society meets biweekly on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. throughout the year at The New School in Kennebunk. The club informally gathers to support and promote wireless communication.

Discussion topics are wide-ranging and include: early and contemporary equipment, digital technology, internet integration, and striving for international contacts. Most meetings include a “tech talk” by one of its members.

Upcoming meetings will be held March 14, 28 and April 11, 25. The New School is located at 38 York St. For more information, contact Alex at 967-8812.

Graves Library announces upcoming programs

Graves Memorial Library will host a presentation and discussion on hearing loss with Margaret Myatt, a specialist certified in hearing assistive technology and advocate for people with hearing loss. The session is hosted by the Kennebunkport Public Health Department and Graves Library on Wednesday, March 15 at 9 a.m.

Also on March 15, the library will host a St. Patty’s party for children from 3:15 to 4 p.m. The event will feature cookie decorating, stories, songs, scavenger hunt, shamrock selfie station, and more.

Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library is located at 18 Maine St., Kennebunkport. For more information, call 967-2778 or visit www.graveslibrary.org.

‘Groundbreaking Women’ session planned at Kennebunk Free Library

Kennebunk Free Library announced it will host “Groundbreaking Women” on March 28.

According to a Feb. 23 press release, “Women of the last century worked tirelessly to open doors that had always been closed before. Join us to hear the stories of three local women that each in their own way, fought barriers and rose to levels their mothers could never imagine.”

Featured speakers include:

Eva Barnfather started her career as an airline stewardess in 1944, worked as a teacher and became the first female vice principal in her Massachusetts community.

Barbara Sharood was a member of the first Georgetown University class to admit women. She graduated in 1958 as valedictorian – summa cum laude.

Diantha DD Harrington received her law degree in 1966 at Cornell Law School as one of five female students in a class of 150. She practiced law in Los Angeles, then, after marrying, moved to Boston and worked in insurance and as a legal consultant for the Massachusetts Land Court.

The event is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday March 28.

The program is free and wheelchair accessible. Kennebunk Free Library is located at 112 Main St. in Kennebunk. For more information, call 207-985-2173 or email kfl@kennebunklibrary.org.

Library to host ‘Drums of West Africa’

Kennebunk Free Library will host Drums of West Africa, featuring Namory Keita, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 18.

The Maine Speaks program is sponsored by the Maine Humanities Council.

According to a Feb. 23 news release, “Namory Keita, a master drummer, is a sought-after teacher and performer with a unique style and a wealth of traditional knowledge very rare to find outside the villages of Guinea. Keita is a cultural ambassador wishing to share his culture and in doing so, build bridges of understanding and acceptance through engaging audiences in the musical art forms of the Humana region in West Africa.”

Maine Speaks supports individuals and organizations who want to bring people in communities together to learn from speakers who share their expertise and lived experiences.

For more information, call 207-985-2173 or email kfl@kennebunklibrary.org.

Arundel Historical Society plans spaghetti supper

Arundel Historical Society will host a spaghetti supper Saturday, March 11 at the Mildred L. Day School gymnasium. The supper benefits the historical society and will runs 4:30 to 6 p.m.

Mildred L. Day School is located on Limerick Road in Arundel. The historical society has set a snow date for March 18.

The supper menu includes spaghetti, salad, rolls and bread, homemade desserts and beverages. The event will also feature a raffle calendar, historical displays and information and merchandise for sale. The suggested donation is $8 per person. There is no fee for children age 5 and younger.

Winter seabirds session scheduled at Cliff House

York County Audubon will host a workshop on winter seabirds, featuring Ed Jenkins, on Saturday, March 11, at the Cliff House in Cape Neddick.

Jenkins has been working with seabirds for the past decade in Maine for National Audubon, but also elsewhere in the US and abroad, from New Zealand to Malta. Originally from the UK, he received his master of science degree studying seabirds in Newfoundland in 2018, and works as an avian biologist at the Biodiversity Research Institute in Portland.

According to a Feb. 24 news release from York County Audubon, “Seabirds are, by their very nature, enigmatic and difficult to observe closely. They are superbly adapted for life out at sea, specialized in a myriad of ways to fill every niche in an environment that may seem harsh and desolate to us. Even in Maine where seabirds are present in large numbers, getting close enough to begin to understand their fascinating lives can be tough, especially as they face growing conservation challenges.

“The program will start with an overview of seabird ecology, from how they find food at sea, to their incredible migration strategies, before focusing on the species that can be found in Maine in the winter, from razorbills and murres to gulls and sea ducks. We will then conduct a ‘sea-watch’ from the coastal cliffs, learning to identify passing birds, including, hopefully, some passing rarities.”

The workshop will be held 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 11, at the Cliff House. The session will include an indoor presentation and discussion, and an outdoor search for seabirds. Advance registration is required.

To register, visit www.yorkcountyaudubon.org, click on “What’s Coming Up” and scroll down to find the registration form. The price is $25/person ($30/person for non-members) and is payable by cash or check at the workshop.

Alliance hosting anthropology, archaeology series

The Cape Porpoise Archaeological Alliance is hosting a free Winter Series exploring Visual Anthropology and Archaeology. The alliance is a partnership between the Brick Store Museum and Kennebunkport Conservation Trust supporting archaeological research in Cape Porpoise and the surrounding areas. The five-week series will take place at the Brick Store Museum’s Program Center and will be led by the alliance’s professional archaeologist Tim Spahr, with guest speakers.

According to a Brick Store Museum news release, the goal of the series is to highlight current trends in the field that incorporate science and art into the practice of archaeology. The partnership with the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust and Brick Store Museum supports documentation and contextualizing the archaeology of the islands and intertidal zone threatened by global sea level rise.

The series will run in-person weekly on five Thursdays at 6 p.m., starting Feb. 23 at the Brick Store Museum’s Program Center, 117 Main St., Kennebunk. Parking is available on Main Street, Dane Street and in the town hall parking lot. Admission by donation is suggested to help support session speakers.

Registration is optional and suggested, and can be done by visiting www.brickstoremuseum.org/calendar or calling 207-985-4802. Attend one or all five. The schedule:

Session 3 – March 9 (6 p.m.), Visual studies presentation and student exhibit preview. Presenter: Anelli Allard, (MA Nordic Visual Studies and Art Education, Finland).

Session 4 – March 16 (6 p.m.), Introduction to archaeological field note-taking and sketching for scientific documentation, Presenters: Tim Spahr and Elizabeth Kelley (artist).

Session 5 – March 23 (6 p.m.), Archaeological field note-taking and sketching, viewing of lithic artifacts recovered by the Cape Porpoise archeological team. Students can produce field drawings from artifact models (materials provided). Led by Elizabeth Kelley.

Kennebunk’s May Day Festival slated for May 6

The 25th May Day Festival will be held on Saturday, May 6. This year’s festival will feature most of the family-oriented activities that have been staged for years and some new additions.

The May Day crafter application and the May Day parade registration are available on the town’s website. For more information, contact Linda Johnson at ljohnson@kennebunkmaine.us or visit www.kennebunkmaine.us/mayday.

TD Beach to Beacon 10K registration dates set

Organizers of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K road race, which will celebrate its 25th running in 2023, announced the registration dates for this year’s event that will take place Saturday, Aug. 5.

Open registration for Cape Elizabeth residents will take place Wednesday, April 19, followed by open registration for the general public on Thursday, April 20. An open lottery registration for any remaining spots will take place Friday, April 21. Registration will begin at 7 a.m. on each open registration day through the race website, www.beach2beacon.org.

New this year are dedicated registration days for current and past race beneficiaries. Valo, the 2023 charitable beneficiary, will have up to 50 bibs available for those who race to raise funds for the organization. Valo’s bib holders will have the opportunity to register on Wednesday, March 15. Runners who want to run on behalf of previous beneficiaries will have open registration on April 1.

“For the 25th running of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K, we want to celebrate our charitable beneficiaries, which are an important element of our event,” said David Backer, race president, in an email. “By allowing them to register first, we know it will make a difference in their fundraising goals. From the first year of this race, our charity bib program has helped Maine nonprofits raise hundreds of thousands of dollars over the history of the event.”

“We look forward to an exciting and much anticipated 25th running of the TDB2B10K. The race has enjoyed the accolades and attendance of runners of all abilities from near and far,” said Olympic gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson, founder of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K. “This year promises to be no different given the history, organization and incredible scenery and supportive spectators along the course.”

Following the close of registration, remaining bibs will be distributed to elite runners, sponsors and more than 100 legacy runners who have participated in every running of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K since its inception in 1998.

The Kids Fun Run and the High School Mile will also return in 2023, on Friday, Aug. 4 at Fort Williams. Registration for the Kids Fun Run will be open online from May 1 through Aug. 3. More information on the events can be found at www.beach2beacon.org.

Kennebunk Free Library reveals March exhibit

The Speers Gallery at Kennebunk Free Library will present “It’s Never Too Late!,” an exhibition of botanical drawings and paintings by local resident Vera Piper. The exhibit runs through March 31.

According to a Feb. 10 press release, “Vera Piper was born in 1940 in the hills of western Maryland where she spent her childhood exploring the mountain woods with her sister, and later chose a career as a micro-biologist. Looking at tiny plants and animals under a microscope led Vera to develop a deep appreciation for all of the beautiful forms found in nature. Although she had every plant identification book imaginable, she never thought she could learn draw the lovely plants she was collecting wherever she traveled.

“Piper finally took her first drawing class in 2000 at age 60 on a whim, but it remained a part-time hobby until she relocated to Maine in 2018 at age 78 to be closer to her family, and began to develop an interest in expanding her art education. In 2021 she began to take a few classes locally to explore sketching and watercolors.

“The exhibit in Speers Gallery is designed to show how, even in our 80s, we can continue to grow and change and take on new risks to express what we have nurtured through a lifetime. Piper hopes that sharing these drawings will inspire you to try your hand at something new, no matter your age.”

Piper will teach a class in botanical drawing at The Center in Lower Village Kennebunk this spring.

The public is invited to view the exhibit in the library’s Speers Gallery through March 31 at 112 Main St., Kennebunk, during regular library hours when the gallery is not in use for library programs. For more information, visit www.kennebunklibrary.org.

Road race raises funds for ‘recalibrated’ veterans

The 12th annual Miles for Mills Memorial Day Weekend 5K, presented by New Balance Foundation, will be held Sunday, May 28, at Brunswick Landing, the former Brunswick Naval Air Station. The race will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 11 a.m.

Registration (www.milesformills.org) is $30 per person and registrants receive a T-shirt if signed up by April 1 (while supplies last); registration is $35 after April 1. Travis Mills Foundation fundraising incentives will be announced soon for those who raise funds above the registration fee.

The race was established and is named after U.S. Army SSG (Ret.) Travis Mills, who in 2012 set his backpack down on an IED, becoming one of five quadruple amputees from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan to survive his injuries. Since then, Mills has made it his mission to give back to other recalibrated veterans like himself, and their families. The doors to the Travis Mills Foundation Veterans Retreat opened in 2017 in Rome, in the Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine, serving thousands of veterans and their families since then.

Proceeds from Miles for Mills, which last year raised approximately $135K, supports the seven programs offered at the foundation for veterans, their families and combat veterans and first responders with post-traumatic stress. The event will also include food, drinks, music, children’s activities, awards and an after-party at Flight Deck Brewing and Wild Oats.

The organization’s goal is to raise $200K at this year’s Miles for Mills 5K. For more information, contact Molly Lovell-Keely, communications and marketing manager, at molly@travismillsfoundation.org or 207-632-7475.

Graves Library to host book discussion and signing

Graves Memorial Library will host Dr. Joshua Smith at at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 18, for a discussion and book signing.

According to a library news release, “Making Maine: Statehood and the War of 1812” is an innovative history of the war focusing on how it specifically affected what was then called the District of Maine. Drawing on archival materials from the United States, Britain, and Canada, Smith exposes the bitter experience of Maine’s citizens during that conflict as they endured multiple hardships, including starvation, burdensome taxation, smuggling, treason, and enemy occupation.

Smith is the director of the American Merchant Marine Museum. He grew up on the coast of Maine and Cape Cod. He holds degrees from the University of St. Andrews, Maine Maritime Academy, East Carolina University, and the University of Maine. His other books include “Borderland Smuggling : Patriots, Loyalists and Illicit Trade in the Northeast 1783-1820” (University Press of Florida), which won the John Lyman Award in American Maritime History in 2007, and “Battle for the Bay : the Naval War of 1812.”

Copies of “Making Maine: Statehood and the War of 1812” will be available for purchase. For more information, call 207-967-2778 or visit www.graveslibrary.org.

The library is located at 18 Maine St., Kennebunkport. For more information, call 967-2778 or visit www.graveslibrary.org.

Reform Physical Therapy launches Maine-based technology

Reform Physical Therapy, a Maine-owned independent practice, announced the addition of new 3D motion analysis to its available services, through a software platform from Maine-based startup, Kinotek.

“We couldn’t be more excited to add this new technology to our clinics,” said Jill Partridge, the sole owner and CEO of Reform, in a news release. “Our therapists already offer the highest quality therapy in Maine; this tool will serve to enhance communication with patients and referring providers. Coupled with our ONE-on-ONE treatment model, this technology will allow patients to better understand their own bodies and how they can improve their mobility and function.”

The company’s Kennebunk clinic is located in Lower Village at 169 Port Road.

According to the organization, many patients have already reaped the benefits of the technology which allows the physical therapists to view, pause, replay, and better analyze an individual’s movements. Reform Physical Therapy is anticipating that the new launch will increase patient awareness of the asymmetries or compensations within their own movements, which would otherwise go unnoticed. Kinotek’s 3D Motion Analysis Platform uses LiDAR technology to fully map a person’s movements from any angle across all 360 degrees, providing objective data quickly and accurately along with immersive visualizations.

“We are thrilled that Reform has embraced this technology,” said Joey Spitz, Kinotek chief operating officer, in an email. “We developed it specifically to support therapists like those at Reform who are always seeking to advance the impact of their work and enhance their relationship with patients.”

Kinotek 3D Motion Analysis Platform is an added service driven by patient and provider feedback. Both patients and referring physicians will benefit from the personal, and visual customized movement reports.

Founded in 2008, Reform Physical Therapy is one of Maine’s last remaining Maine-owned practices. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to treat the individual as a whole, not just the injury.

Oldies Benefit Dance set for April 15

The next Rock n’ Roll Oldies Benefit Dance is scheduled for 7 p.m. to midnight, April 15 at the Biddeford Eagles Hall at 57 Birch St. Tickets are $10 and seating is limited.

For more information, purchase tickets or volunteer, call Bruce Martin at 207-284-4692.

Next Nature Walk is April 1

Kennebunk Land Trust recently announced its 2023 Nature Walk schedule. The land trust invites participants to learn about nature and get outside. The first Saturday of each month, Kennebunk Land Trust will host a nature walk on a different preserve following a different theme. Patrons can visit a local preserve and enjoy nature in all seasons.

The walks are led by Maine Guide, Master Naturalist, and environmental educator at Wells Reserve at Laudholm, Linda Littlefield Grenfell.

Littlefield Grenfell will take participants on a walk while sharing her knowledge and asking questions about the flora, fauna, and general wonderment of nature.

The walks are held from 10 to 11:30 a.m., and are free of charge. Donations are accepted. The yearly walk schedule is subject to change with notice. The remaining schedule:

· April 1 – Oxbow Preserve. Theme: Trees

· May 6 – Mousam River Wildlife Sanctuary. Theme: Vernal Pools

· June 3 – Butler Preserve. Theme: Water

· July 1 – For All Forever Preserve. Theme: Wildflowers

· Aug. 5 – Hope Cemetery and Woods. Theme: Trees in Summer

· Sept. 2 – Sea Road Preserve. Theme: Bugs/Ferns

· Oct. 7 – Mousam River Wildlife Sanctuary

· Nov. 4 – Butler Preserve. Theme: Geology

· Dec. 2 – For All Forever Preserve. Theme: Winter Weeds

For more information, email sandy@kennebunklandtrust.org or call 207-985-8734.

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