Local Eagles chapter earns Spirit of America Award
John Chase, president of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, foreground, accepts a Spirit of America Award on behalf of FOE #4131 – New Gloucester at the May 2 annual Town Meeting. The award is presented by Maine municipalities to local individuals, organizations and projects for commendable community service. Select Board members Paul Larrivee, left, Tammy Donovan, Peter Bragdon, Steve Hathorne and Dustin Ward presented the award. Patti Mikkelsen / For Lakes Region Weekly
Meet the candidates for select board, school board
Hear directly from local candidates vying to fill two seats on the town’s Select Board and three seats on the SAD 15 school board at forums scheduled for Thursday, May 12, in the Meetinghouse, 389 Intervale Road.
The two back-to-back forums will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the event will also be broadcast on cable Channel 3 and livestreamed at TownHallStreams.com/towns/newgloucesterme, and will be available as video-on-demand at newgloucester.com afterward. Information about which forum will be held first was not available.
The candidates night is being organized by the New Gloucester Candidate/Referendum Committee, and all of the candidates have been invited to attend. The program will be moderated and include an opportunity for questions from the audience. To suggest topics or questions, email the committee by Monday, May 9, at newgloucesterquestions@gmail.com.
Election Day is June 14.
Charter Commission public hearing
The New Gloucester Charter Commission will hold a public hearing about a preliminary draft of the charter at 7 p.m. Monday, May 9, at the New Gloucester Meetinghouse.
View the 55-page preliminary draft online at newgloucester.com. A hard copy is available at Town Hall and at the public library. Copies are available upon request. A preliminary report prefaces the preliminary draft and provides a six-page summary for those who prefer the Cliffs Notes version.
Forage for fiddleheads
Have a hankering for those spiral-shaped baby ferns known as fiddleheads? Pineland Farms is hosting two sessions of “Fiddlehead Foraging” at 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sunday, May 8.
Each entails a two-hour adventure taking foragers on a hike to the banks of the Royal River with retired Maine Game Warden Adam Gormely. His 35-plus years in the Maine woods is sure to offer a knowledgeable and memorable experience. Learn where to find fiddleheads and how to prepare them.
Participants are to gather at the Outdoor Center at 15 Farm View Drive. The $45 per person fee includes a harvest bag, a quart of fresh-picked fiddleheads and Pineland’s favorite recipe. Bring comfortable hiking boots and be prepared to hike at least 2 miles through flat and off-trail conditions. Sign up at shop.pinelandfarms.org/collections.
There are also several other sessions scheduled through May.
In the event nature doesn’t provide an abundance of fiddleheads, organizers reserve the right to reschedule or cancel. Refunds will be given if this occurs. Questions? Contact the Outdoor Center at 688-6599 or outdoor@pinelandfarms.org.
BLING on TV
Two dozen people attended the April 28 Zoom meeting “Info-Session on Livable Communities,” hosted by New Gloucester’s newly formed volunteer group Building Livability in New Gloucester, also known as BLING.
Four guest speakers enlightened the attendees with examples of age-friendly and other initiatives in Maine. The meeting will be broadcast on NGTV public access Channel 3 at 2 p.m. from May 6-8. It is available online at newgloucester.viebit.com.
Alfred Shakers talk
The New Gloucester Historical Society is hosting “Holy Land: The Alfred Maine Shakers” at 7 p.m. May 19 at the New Gloucester Meetinghouse. Admission is free and refreshments will be served.
Gun club clinic
The Royal River Rod and Gun Club in New Gloucester at 41 Fish Hatchery Road is offering a one-day, hands-on, NRA Women on Target Instructional Shooting Clinic from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 21. Space is limited. Information and a registration form can be found at royalriverrodandgunclub.org.
Patti Mikkelsen can be contacted at mikks@maine.rr.com.
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