MK Kitchen hit their five-year anniversary on April 17. Kids from all over town decorated and wrote messages on signs for MK Kitchen to hang in the windows. They would love more if anyone is looking for an at home school project for their kids!  

MK Kitchen is located at 2 School Street, Gorham. They are open for curbside takeout Tuesday through Saturday 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. and are offering beer and wine to go, in addition to their full takeout menu. Call ahead to place your order, (207) 222-2588. 

by Jeffrey Ryan. 

Just over a 5-minute drive from Gorham Center, you’ll find one of the gems of the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust’s trail system. The Little River Preserve features a nice woodland loop that includes nice stretches along the sandy banks of its namesake water body.

Enjoying the outdoors while retaining social distancing measures has become challenging in some popular venues. Some parks in Greater Portland have been closed to vehicle access to discourage crowds from gathering. Fortunately, the Little River Preserve trailhead is still open. On one recent weekday, parking wasn’t a problem and the other two visitors had a decent head start down the trail, leaving me plenty of room to explore with camera in hand.

The trailhead is located just over two-miles from the intersection of routes 25 and 201 (on the left as you are headed out of town—look for the small “hiker” sign). There is room for three or four vehicles.      

The trail passes through a skirt of trees, enters a field (where you may be serenaded by red winged blackbirds), passes a few homes on Aspen Lane, then enters the woods for good. After a brief hike downhill through mixed forest you come to a trail junction. I chose the blue trail to the right, which makes for a marvelous loop. This portion of trail leads down to the bank of the Little River, complete with a very relaxing bench. This time of year, you can sit for long spells without having to swat away a single bug—a rare treat indeed!

Leaving the bench, the trail follows the river upstream toward a small set of riffles, turns inland, then junctions with a more difficult stretch of white-blazed trail. Proceeding on the blue trail takes you up through the woods toward the parking lot. The white trail adds a ½-mile more challenging loop to your hike. It also offers a few more views of the faster moving water of the Little River below before turning uphill and eventually back to a reunion with the blue trail.   

The walk back to the trailhead features large eastern hemlocks, a nice, wide path and the opportunity to see and hear chickadees above and chipmunks scurrying through the leaf litter below. Even with plenty of photo time factored in, I completed both loops in under an hour.  

Kudos to the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust for providing this wonderful resource for all of us to enjoy. 

Little River Preserve Trail is .75 to 1.25 miles long,with a trail rating of easy to dfficult. It is managed by Presumpscot Regional Land Trust. For more information, visit www.PRLT.org/.

Jeffrey Ryan is a Maine-based hiker, photographer, public speaker and author of several books about the outdoors. Learn more at www.JeffRyanAuthor.com. 

Online Story Time with Ms. Heidi, Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30 a.m. Join Ms. Heidi as she reads three picture books from her cozy reading chair.  

Afternoon Chapters with Mr. Jeff Tuesdays through Fridays 2 p.m. Mr. Jeff will be reading a popular juvenile fiction title every Tuesday through Friday throughout April. Join him on Facebook Live at 2 p.m. as he reads Frindle, Holes, The Wild Robot, and the Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.

Harry Potter Mug-gle Cakes: Live from Hogwarts-at-Home, Ravenclaw Librarian Heidi Whelan will temporarily put down the books and pick up a mixing spoon.  She will demonstrate how to prepare a magical mug-gle cake.  Join her on Baxter Memorial Library’s Facebook page at 2 p.m. on May 11.  

If you have recently driven by Phinney Lumber on a weekday around lunch time, you may have noticed some colorful characters milling around, including The Grinch, The Cat in the Hat, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and other children’s book characters. Before the program “Operation Feed Gorham Kids” moved its pickup locations back to Gorham school campuses, every day at lunch time the Phinney Lumber parking lot welcomed hungry school kids to pick up their lunch in a safe and healthy drive through station.  Phinney Lumber donated 100 rolls of “highly refined wood product” (a.k.a. toilet paper) to be given away with the lunches in hopes it would evoke more than a few smiles.

Joking aside, after hearing that many customers and employees were having trouble finding toilet paper, president Michael Phinney ordered 600 rolls of the essential stuff for Phinney Lumber to hand out for free to customers stopping in to pick up their orders. “It’s just the right thing to do,” said Phinney.

In an additional effort to support the many families who are sheltering in place, Phinney Lumber recently launched a “Weekend Quarantine Boredom Buster” series on their Facebook page to inspire customers to complete a home improvement project over the weekend while offering them the convenience of pre-selected items. These items, along with their prices, are posted right on Phinney Lumber’s Facebook page so customers can choose which ones they want and call in their order for either curbside pickup or grab-and-go ready at the counter; no lines, no waiting.

In addition to offering grab and go packages and curbside pickup, Phinney Lumber started offering virtual conferencing and kitchen and bathroom design appointments in real time over Zoom, so customers can take advantage of current sale prices, stay safe and well, and not wait to begin their dream remodeling projects. “This is a great time for Phinney Lumber to showcase doing what we do best—treating our customers like family and letting them know we care,” says marketing and outreach manager Francine Morin.

Caring for the community is nothing new; Phinney Lumber has been doing it for decades, and has supported many groups and organizations including: the Baxter Memorial Library summer reading program, 9/11 memorial 5k to benefit the Stephen Gordon Ward memorial scholarship fund, Gorham Women’s Club, American Legion, Keep Kids Safe Maine, Stop Trafficking Us, New Year’s Gorham, Sebago Days, Gorham High School Alumni Association, Maine Gay Men’s Chorus, First Parish Church, Gorham Lions Club, Young Farmers Club, Scouting USA, Hoyt Therapy Dog Program, Gorham Cooperative Preschool, Schoolhouse Arts Center, Gorham Community Chorus, Gorham High School Girls’ Basketball, Gorham Fire Department, Portland Eagles Club, Casco Bay Concert Band, Casco Bay Wind Symphony, and Gorham Middle School Drama; and will continue to do so for decades to come. From our family to yours–stay safe and be well.

By Jeff Ryan

The Gorham Business Exchange has collaborated with the Gorham Economic Development Corporation and Gorham Village Alliance to launch GorhamStrong.org, to provide community support as we face the challenges posed by Covid-19.

The GorhamStrong.org website is where: Business owners can find out about federal, state and local business loans; an alphabetically listed business directory lists which businesses are open and their hours of operation; and community members can find out where to drop off donated gloves, surgical facemasks and gowns to those in need. 

Coming soon is the “Split the Tab” program. When you donate $10 to buy a gift card to support a local business, the Gorham Business Exchange and Gorham Village Alliance will match your $10, so you’ll get a $20 gift card for half price and support a Gorham business as part of the deal!

For more information, visit www.GorhamStrong.org.

By Jeff Ryan

Karen Nason and her businesses have lived through a lot. On a September morning in 2001, she stood in front of her cafe in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City watching in horror as the infamous second plane hurtled toward the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

“It was a devastating day for the nation and New York City,” she recalls. “While many images of tragedy have lingered, one bright spot has stayed with me from that day. It’s the way we all rallied together. I remember everyone hugging and consoling each other in my shop, saying, ‘We will get through this.” 

And get through it she did. 

When her business reopened, she had transformed her cafe into a jazz/wine bar/flower shop—complete with a baby grand piano in the center of it all. “It was a business within a business and it really took off. The right idea at the right time”, she says.

She probably would have stayed there if the real estate prices didn’t encourage a change of venue.

Off to Hoboken:

In 2009, Karen moved to Hoboken, New Jersey, where she opened two businesses—a pizzeria and a flower shop.” 

Then came October, 2012. This time, her businesses were directly in the path of an economic disaster backed by hurricane force winds. “Hurricane Sandy wiped me out,” Karen says. “I remember walking away from my flower shop through knee deep water with tears in my eyes. Everything was destroyed. But, you know, I survived that, too. There’s a time in the rebuilding process when people start coming back and you go home at night thinking, you know, I just might make it through.”

Returning to Gorham:

Last winter, Karen decided that is was time to come back to Maine. She wanted to spend time with her mom, who was in failing health. She and her husband were also excited to build a new business together in her hometown.

Last November, Grand Central Wine Bar opened for business just in time for the holidays. Everything was going swimmingly until March, when Covid-19 arrived in our midst. 

“Saint Paddy’s Day was it”, says Karen. “Like almost everyone, we had to shut everything down the very next day. Even worse, a week later, my mom passed away. Thankfully, I was able to be with her, mask, gloves and all. Some people who have gone through similar circumstances haven’t been as fortunate. It was because it was still early in the spread of the disease.”

Rebuilding—Part 3:

“We’ve certainly been down this road before, but what makes this time different is that the breadth of the problem—it’s nationwide. It’s going to take a lot of perseverance to make it back and even then, we need to know that things aren’t going to be quite the same.”

With so many moving pieces involved at the local, state and federal levels, it’s hard not to be frustrated. Karen cites the five times she’s had to apply for SBA loans because they keep changing the requirements. “It wouldn’t be as bad if they didn’t make us start at square one again every time,” she says. “It’s a little, let’s say, baffling.”

In between checking for loan updates, the Nasons are moving forward with their next iteration of the Grand Central Wine Bar. The tables will be fewer and farther apart, the menu will be a little different, weddings and special events for intimate gatherings will be a new focus, but one thing won’t change one iota—the piano will still be front and center. “Music is everything to me”, Karen says. “I built my business around it and it will be one of the familiar sounds customers hear when they come back. We’re all looking forward to that day. It’s what keeps us going.” 

Online Story Time with Ms. Heidi, Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30 a.m. Join Ms. Heidi each Tuesday and Thursday of the month as she reads three picture books from her cozy reading chair.  

Afternoon Chapters with Mr. Jeff Tuesdays through Fridays 2 p.m. Mr. Jeff will be reading a popular juvenile fiction title every Tuesday-Friday throughout April. Join him on Facebook Live at 2 p.m. as he reads Frindle, Holes, The Wild Robot, and the Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.

Aroma Joe’s is open and ready to serve their community during this stressful time!

They are open 7 days a week from 4:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and offer drive through and delivery with DoorDash and Uber Eats.

Stop by for a cup of joe, tea, lemonade, or try one of their unique and delicious drinks—and don’t forget to grab a snack too! For a full menu visit https://aromajoes.com/menu/. 

Gorham’s Aroma Joe’s is located at 109 Main Street, Gorham. For a full list of locations, visit https://aromajoes.com/locations/.

Members of the Quilts of Valor in Gorham have been sewing masks and giving them to hospitals, home care agencies, assisted living facilities, homeless shelters, and local communities throughout the state to give to people in need. To continue their work, Quilts of Valor needs 100 percent cotton fabric. To donate fabric, contact Donna Brookings at donna.brookings@qovf.org or (207) 523-9322. 

The Maine Mariners are introducing a new merchandise item! This is a pre-order item, shipping date TBA. Net proceeds from shirt sales will benefit the United Way of Greater Portland and other Maine COVID-19 relief funds. Orders can be placed until April 24. Purchase at https://marinersmerch.corecommerce.com/HOME-COVID-19-Relief-T-Shirt.

Good Shepard Food Bank Donation: The Maine Mariners has teamed up with Evergreen Credit Union, the Portland Seadogs, and the Maine Red Claws to help raise money for the Good Shepard Food Bank to feed Maine families. Every dollar counts so if you are able please donate by visiting https://www.gsfb.org/donate/vfd/?id=4604.

Virtual Toss-a-Tomato: The Maine Mariners miss games and know you do too, so they are making one of their best promotions virtual! Send videos of your best trick shots on Facebook or Twitter using a tomato and the winners will be getting some Portland Pie pizza! For more info visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i0NvXCTf1E.

Quaratime: Missing hockey talk? “Quarantime” with the voice of the Mariners Michael Keeley on the Mariners Radio Network at 5 p.m., Thursdays. Be sure to ask questions in the live Mixlr chat. For more information or to tune in visit MarinersOfMaine.com/listen or download the Mixlr App in your App Store. 

Visit https://marinersofmaine.com/news/season-reflections-jake-elmer/ for season reflections from Maine Mariners team members.