Public hearings scheduled
The Town Council has scheduled a public hearing on Tuesday, March 19, at 6:30 p.m., in the Freeport Town Hall Council Chambers to discuss an amendment to the traffic and parking ordinance pertaining to no-parking zones on the north side of Holbrook Street from Main Street for a distance of 400 feet and from that point to the Freeport High School property line.
There will be public hearing on Tuesday, April 2, at 6:30 p.m., in the Freeport Town Hall Council Chambers to discuss the proposed Capital Program for FY 2014.
Shellfish license renewals due
Commercial shellfish license renewals must be submitted to the Town Clerk’s office no later than the last business day in April. The renewal license fees are: Resident Commercial $200, Non-Resident Commercial $400, Resident Student Commercial $25, and Non-Resident Student Commercial $50. There is a water-testing surcharge of $30 per license. The application must be accompanied by payment of 50 percent of the required license fee. The remainder of the fee must be paid no later than the last business day in May. To be eligible to purchase a renewal license, a person must have been licensed the previous year and must have completed conservation work as determined by the Shellfish Conservation Commission.
For more information, go to www.freeportmaine.com.
Egg hunt coming up
The First Baptist Church will host an egg hunt on Saturday, March 23, from 1-3 p.m. at 185 Main St. The egg hunt is for children grades K-5 accompanied by an adult. Children will learn about the meaning of Easter through a presentation featuring “Resurrection Eggs,” a short movie and crafts. Children will receive their own set of Resurrection Eggs and a book to take home. Refreshments will be served.
For more information, call Janet Schwanda at 865-4470.
Teacher’s poetry ?to be published
David Sloan, Merriconeag Waldorf High School’s humanities and drama teacher, will have his first poetry collection, “The Irresistible in Between,” published by Deerbrook Editions this spring. In 2012 he won the Betsy Sholl Award in Poetry from Words & Images magazine and the 2012 Maine Literary Award for Poetry in the Short Works Competition. Before joining Merriconeag as the lead high school teacher in 2008, Sloan taught at Green Meadow Waldorf School in New York for 25 years. He also helped to launch the Shining Mountain Waldorf High School in Boulder, Colo. He is the author of two books, “Stages of Imagination – Working Dramatically with Adolescents,” and “Life Lessons – Reaching Teenagers through Literature,” as well as several articles for Renewal magazine.
Freeport Lioness-Lions set variety show
The Freeport Lioness-Lions will present its 27th annual variety show on Saturday, March 16, at 7 p.m., at the Freeport Performing Arts Center. This year’s theme is “Thank You for Being a Friend.”
Tickets are $10 for adults, $3 for 12 and under. Profits from the show will benefit the community. For tickets or information, call 865-9523 or email at fllclub@comcast.net.
District 2 special election March 20
The town of Freeport will hold the special municipal election for the District 2 town councilor seat on Wednesday, March 20. Polls will be open from 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m. in the Council Chambers at the Freeport Town Hall. Absentee ballots will be available at the Freeport Town Clerk’s Office now through Thursday, March 14, at 6 p.m. There are four ways to request an absentee ballot; in person, by mail, an immediate family member filling out an application at the clerk’s office or a third person with an application, witnessed by either the Town Clerk, notary public or Clerk of Courts and two other witnesses.
For more information, contact the Freeport Town Clerk’s office at 865-4743 ext. 123 or visit www.freeportmaine.com.
Town road postings listed
The town has posted certain town roads to limit heavy loads until May 15 depending on the weather. All regular delivery route trucks are exempt. See www.freeportmaine.com for a list of posted roads and exempt vehicles. For information or questions, contact the public works department at 865-4461.
Sitting Pretty Auction to benefit PORT ?Teen Center
The fifth annual “Sitting Pretty Auction: The Mirror is the Canvas,” will be Sunday, March 24, from 4-6:30 p.m. at the Freeport Community Center. Local teen and adult artists have painted and sculpted more than 75 mirrors that will be auctioned to benefit the PORT Teen Center in Freeport. Tickets can be purchased at the door, $25 per family or $10 per person.
Those who would like to bid and cannot attend can place a secret bid by calling Randall at 522-1383. One mirror will be raffled. Tckets are on sale at Freeport Hardware. Some mirrors that will be auctioned can be viewed at Clayton’s Cafe?, Freeport Hardware, Mainely Hair and Bath Savings Institution.
Historical society to teach tree pruning
The Freeport Historical Society will host a hands-on workshop on how to correctly prune apple and other fruit trees at the historic Pettengill Farm on Sunday, March 17 from 2-3:15 p.m. The workshop will be taught by University of Maine Cooperative Extension educator, Dr. Richard J. Brzozowski. Tools and goggles will be provided.
Participants are urged to bring appropriate footwear and work gloves. The workshop is $5 per person, though historical society members can participate for free. Registration and payment is required in advance.
Call the historical society at 865-3170 or email from the website at www.freeporthistoricalsociety.org for questions, registration and directions.
Freeport Players ?to hold auditions
The Freeport Players have announced auditions have been scheduled for the production of “The 39 Steps”, a fast-paced, comedic adaptation of the Alfred Hitchcock classic that will run from July 19- Aug. 4. The auditions are for one woman and three men and will take place on Sunday, April 7 and Monday, April 8, from 6:30-8 p.m., at the Freeport High School cafeteria.
Appointments are not required, but actors are recommended to notify Elizabeth Guffey at info@fcponline.org.
Bird watching topic at Freeport Woman’s Club
The Freeport Woman’s Club will meet on Friday, March 15, at 1 p.m. at the Freeport Community Library. The speaker will be Dr. Ted Allen on “The Joy of Birdwatching.” Refreshments will follow the program and visitors are welcome.
Thrift Shop ?Estate Sale moved
The Freeport Community Center Thrift Shop Estate Sale Annex is located at 48B West St. The annex is open Fridays and Saturdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays, 1-4 p.m. The original thrift shop is located at 53 Depot St. and is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Seeking volunteers
Freeport Community Services is in need of volunteers to work with customers at the new Estate Furniture Annex, at 2 Depot St. The group is also looking for drivers to offer rides to medical appointments on a flexible basis. To volunteer, call Debbie at 865-3985.
Free tax help
AARP will be providing free tax preparation assistance for low- to moderate-income households with special attention to those 60 or older from Feb. 6-April 10 on Wednesday mornings at the Freeport Community Center. Assistance is available by appointment only. Call 865-4743 ext. 120 to schedule an appointment.
‘Lunch with Locals’ series continues
The Freeport Historical Society is hosting a series of lunchtime meetings to assess the strengths and weaknesses of its collections with input from the community. The “Lunch with Locals” series will take place on Friday, March 22 and Tuesday, April 16 from noon-1:30 p.m. The meetings will be at the historical society’s headquarters at the Harrington House, 45 Main St. The public is invited to bring a brown bag lunch for informal discussions about particular aspects of the collection, as well as a rare close-up view of the society’s collections. The project is funded by a grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services. For more information or to RSVP, contact the historical society at 865-3170 or info@freeporthistoricalsociety.org.
Parking ban reminder
The town parking ban, which prohibits parking on all town streets from 11 p.m.-7 a.m., is in effect until April 15.
Library news and notes
The GWC (Giving Children Warmth) program will be making blankets for children in Afghanistan by knitting squares and sewing them together. The group meets on Mondays from 2:45-4 p.m. to teach volunteers from age 11 through adult to knit.
Story time for toddlers and preschoolers takes place every Tuesday morning. There are two 15-minute story times at 9:30 and 9:45 a.m. for younger kids with shorter attention spans. At 10, there is a 30-minute story time for preschoolers. The morning features songs and a small snack.
The library is hosting Northern Star’s inflatable traveling planetarium on Wednesday, March 13 at 6 p.m. The topics will include stars, constellations, visible planets, meteors, the moon and Northern Lights.
Freeport Yoga Co. will present “Yoga for Kids” on Thursday, March 14 at 10 a.m. Parents are encouraged to bring their toddler or preschooler for morning yoga that includes stretching, breathing and fun.
The library will be showing “Rise of the Guardians,” rated PG, as a free after-school movie for grades 6-8 on Thursday, March 14, at 2:30 p.m. The movie is 1 hour and 40 minutes long. Free popcorn will be served. This will be the last after-school movie of the school year.
The Thursday midday movie on March 21 at 1 p.m. will be “Waking Ned Devine.” The movie is rated PG.
Jess Day, owner and director of Midcoast Music Together, will present “Sing, Move, Dance and Play” on Thursday, March 28 at 10 a.m. It is open to children from infancy to 6. Siblings and grownups are welcome.
Soccer club ?registration open
Freeport United Soccer Club has opened spring soccer registration for players in third through eight grade (ages 9-14). Online registration is now open for all players until Saturday, March 16 at http://www.gotsport.com/asp/players/. For more information, contact Sherry Brown-Spaulding at registrar@freeportunitedsoccerclub.com.
Upcoming meetings
March 13 – Coastal Waters, 6 p.m., Freeport Community Center.
March 14 – Shellfish Commission, 6:30 p.m., Freeport Community Center.
March 19 – Conservation Commission, 7 p.m., Freeport Community Center.
March 19 – Town Council, 6:30 p.m., Freeport Town Hall.
David ?SloanSend questions/comments to the editors.
