WINDHAM, ME — The Land Trust is partnering with Wild Seed Project to offer a series of Four Seasons Walks at Black Brook Preserve in Windham. These walks showcase native plants and how they change throughout the year. Join Nell Houde, Wild Seed Project’s education lead, as we explore the preserve, participants will learn how to identify and form relationships with many of the native plants that grow in the places we live, work and play. These walks will be plant identification walks, and will move at a more leisurely pace, covering a little over one mile of trail during the walk.

Come walk and learn with the Wild Seed Project!

Walk Dates: June 6th, 4:00-5:30 (Spring), August 8th 4:00-5:30 (Summer), October 24, 3:30 -5:00pm (Fall), Winter TBD

GORHAM, ME — Have you heard of the Maine Public Book Club hosted by Bill Nemitz? It’s called All Books Considered. See the poster of the 2024 books they’re reading. Would you like to read them, too? You’re in luck because except for Soft Features, North Gorham Public Library has all of them. Stop by the library and start reading!

BRIDGTON, ME — Robert Browne Hall was a Maine composer of marches and other wind music during John Philip Sousa’s era. Though not as well known nationally, his tunes are still recognizable and his legacy is celebrated every year on the last Saturday in June. This year, Bridgton Community Band cordially invites you to a day of music on June 29th, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, at the Stevens Brook Elementary School on route 302 in Bridgton. There will be community bands from all over Maine as well as a noontime ‘massed band’ where everyone is welcome to play and R.B. Hall’s own cornet will be featured! 

There will be food vendors, crafters, bucket drumming, activities for kids, and one of a kind R.B. Hall t-shirts for sale! Free to all – bring a lawn chair! 

This event will take place rain or shine – as we will go inside the school if need be. Hope to see you there!

For more information: Feel free to contact Ellen Lucy at ellencbcb@gmail.com or 207.274.8185.

Schedule for outdoors: (Adjusted slightly if it rains and we are inside)

8:50 AM – Opening ceremony

9:00 AM – Fanfare Concert Band

9:40 AM – Sacopee Valley Community Band

10:20 AM – Westbrook City Band

11:00 AM – Maine Pops Concert Band

11:40 AM – World Premiere of Hall Day Fanfare

12:00 Noon – Massed Band (All welcome!)

12:50 PM – Bangor Band

1:30 PM – Casco Bay Wind Symphony

2:10 PM – Bath Municipal Band

2:50 PM – Sebasticook Valley Community Band

3:30 PM – Hallowell Community Band

4:10 PM – Harold Crosby Community Band of Dexter

4:50 PM – Bridgton Community Band

GORHAM, ME — We at Educate Maine love a good challenge, and our friends at Gorham Savings Bank have issued one: this month, they’ll match up to $2,500 in donations to support Educate Maine’s programs — everything from Maine Teacher of the Year to Project Login to the new Maine Mobile BIOLAB.

We’re halfway there! Will you help us meet our goal?

Please consider donating today at educatemaine.org to help all of our work to support educators and learners — and build a dynamic economic future for Maine!

GORHAM, ME — Springtime in North Gorham means it’s time for the library’s annual Book & Plant Sale on Saturday, June 1 from 9 to 1.

We welcome any donations you might have. Drop off books anytime the library is open or if you only have a few, put them in our front door book drop. We accept all books in decent condition except for encyclopedias, textbooks, annual yearbooks, and Reader’s Digest condensed books.

Plants can be put in front of the library where the pavement begins. If there’s no room, you can put them in the space where the car is parked in the picture. If you know the name of the plant please add a label. We can also dig your plants up for you. Feel free to contact us by email (libng@north-gorham.lib.me.us) or leave a voicemail at 892-2575. Thank you!

GORHAM, ME — It was a beautiful day for the official groundbreaking for Casco Federal Credit Union’s addition to their Main Street Gorham location on May 7, 2024. The groundbreaking was a communitywide event and celebration of the new updates and of the existing building. “This is an exciting year for Casco FCU because along with this addition that will give us space to grow, we are also celebrating our 70th anniversary,” stated Marti Allen, Casco FCU President/CEO. “This opportunity to expand will allow us to continue to invest in our community. Our team at Casco FCU is focused on merging 70 years of experience with the needs of our members.”

Allen went on to add, “Of course this would not be possible without Great Falls Construction, and we are thankful for their entire team. Relationships are important to our credit union and to be able to do business with another local business such as Great Falls, makes this even more special.” On hand were representatives from Great Falls Construction, Casco FCU Board of Directors, and the Town of Gorham Economic Division. The addition is expected to be completed in the fall of 2024.

Pictured left to right – CJ Glenn VP of Operations, Nicki Davis Executive VP/CLO, John Zerillo Chairman of the Board, Marti Allen President/CEO, and Jim Stone Treasurer/Secretary.

LISBON FALLS, ME — Vivian Dudar, a graduating Ambassador Girl Scout from Lisbon Falls, has received a Bronze Level Girl Scouts of Maine (GSME) Joanne Crepeau Future Leaders Scholarship award for her exemplary efforts within the organization and demonstrated leadership skills.

Established in 2018, the Joanne Crepeau Future Leaders Scholarship has awarded $116,000 to 71 Girl Scouts in Maine, to date. Scholarship recipients were chosen based on their answers to three questions during the application process:

· How has Girl Scouts made a difference in your life?

· What do you see as the biggest challenge facing girls and women today?

· In 5 years, how do you see yourself addressing this challenge?

“Girl Scouts has provided me with numerous opportunities to develop my leadership skills by leading projects, organizing events, and mentoring younger Girl Scouts,” says Dudar.

A major issue facing women and girls today according to Dudar, is affordable access to menstrual care supplies. She hopes to combat this challenge by informing herself through seminars and research before spreading awareness. Dudar plans to attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the fall to study Management Engineering.

“It fills us with pride to extend scholarships to nine remarkable Girl Scouts this year, embodying our ethos of nurturing leadership. We firmly believe that these girls will emerge as catalysts for change, champions of causes, visionaries, and trailblazers, poised to enhance our collective world,” says GSME CEO, Mara Robinov-Moorhead.

Scholarships were recognized among other awards at this year’s GSME Annual Celebration on May 11, in Fairfield. To learn more about the Joanne Crepeau Future Leaders Scholarship, visit https://www.girlscoutsofmaine.org/joanne-crepeau-future-leaders-scholarship.

(Left to right) Donna Watson, Vivian Dudar, Mara Robinov-Moorhead

GORHAM, ME– Sebago Brewing Company has been known for making high-quality craft beers in Maine for more than 25 years. As a bar and restaurant brand, they have been hosting good times for just as long. The company is proud to announce the brewery’s first-ever canned cocktail: Revel Coast – Spirited Maine Cocktails.

Revel Coast is made with pure Sebago Lake water, distilled spirits, and real fruit. Every cocktail is 100 Calories, gluten-free and has no added sugar or malty aftertaste.

Revel Coast comes in four flavors:

Blueberry Lemon – Maine blueberries paired with vodka and a squeeze of lemon – a New England staple

Agave Lime – Our low-calorie version of the classic margarita, made with agave spirits, lime, and natural flavors

Grapefruit – The crisp and refreshing balance of vodka and real ruby red grapefruit

Tropical – This “adulting” fruit punch features vodka, real passion fruit, pineapple, tangerine, and cherry

Before the release of Revel Coast, the brewers at Sebago Brewing tested and perfected recipes for more than a year, gathering feedback from guests at their brewpubs and Tasting Room.

“As brewers we are always excited to use new ingredients and flavors,” said Rusty Packer, Sebago’s Head Brewer. “Revel Coast allowed us to try different techniques, combinations, and amounts of peels, juices, and pulps to find the best ways to bring in the best flavors from different fruits. It was a fun challenge!”

Packer went on to say that by not adding sugar they were able to keep the drinks light and refreshing – about 100 calories in a can: “By using the right amount of real fruit, we were able to create bold flavors without sugar or malt.”

Revel Coast 8-can variety packs contain two cans of each perfectly mixed cocktail, so there’s something for everyone. Revel Coast variety packs are now available at all four Sebago Brewing locations, select stores, and most Hannaford supermarkets throughout Maine.

Find out more about Revel Coast at www.revelcoastmaine.com, and grab a pack of Revel Coast and celebrate, wherever your Maine adventure takes you!

About Sebago Brewing Company

Sebago Brewing Company is a Maine-owned and -operated company firmly rooted at the crossroads of food and beer. Since opening in 1998, Sebago has become Maine’s premier contemporary American brewpub and one of the fastest growing craft breweries in the state. For more information, visit www.sebagobrewing.com.

BRUNSWICK, ME – On Sunday, May 5th at 11AM, Midcoast based nonprofit Madeline’s Mission unveiled a children’s memorial garden with a small ceremony to a crowd of approximately 150 people.  May 5th is recognized as Bereaved Mother’s Day, a day intended to honor mothers of children who “hold their children in their hearts, instead of their hands”.

“It was an incredible day as we cut the ribbon and begin this new chapter with our memorial garden,” says Amie Marzen, Madeline’s mom and the organization’s president.  “My favorite part of the day was when the bereaved siblings were able to cut the streamer and open the garden themselves for their brother or sister. It was such an amazing moment.  Seeing the families see their child’s butterfly also was a moment that will be imprinted on my heart.”

The heartstring and central feature of this garden is a butterfly garden. Fixed into a granite base, bronze butterflies will sit atop stainless-steel rods. Families will be able to personalize a butterfly in memory of their beloved child.  Artwork and flower-shaped marimbas will also make the space whimsical and welcoming.  Last fall, more than 1,100 donated bulbs were planted along with other plants purchased by Madeline’s Mission, guided by the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.

The generous gift of space from Mid Coast-Parkview Health made the garden possible.  Located by a beautiful little pond on the Parkview Campus of Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, Maine, the Madeline’s Mission Memorial Garden will be a place of healing for grieving families. The ceremony to unveil the new monument included reflective readings/ poems written by bereaved parents, remarks from the hospital and artists, and the acknowledgement of the children memorialized with a butterfly by reading their names and blowing bubbles. There are meditative petal flower marimbas to play and enjoy.

“Saying their names is so important to bereaved families, they never want to feel as though their child has been forgotten,” says Marzen. “Our families are very excited to make this space a reality, and to have a place to come to not only honor their child, but to see they’re not alone in their loss.”

The project was made possible with the support of the community, including: Mid Coast Hospital, Fieldstone Artistry, Maine Dry Stone, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Lorelei Vella Designs, the Moving Company Dance Studio, Crystal Vision Tribute Band, Hanover Insurance volunteers, Bath at Play, and 100 Plus Women Who Care in Southern Maine. Through this generous support, scholarships are available for families that would like a butterfly but find it is cost-prohibitive.

“This is an ongoing project, we’re not done,” adds Marzen, noting that additional butterflies will be added to the monument twice a year.  “We hope to keep adding flowers to this space and nurture its growth.  It’s been very healing for our families to come and help add to the beauty of the location while reflecting and connecting with others. It truly is a green-thumbed labor of love.”

GORHAM, ME — Join us at Baxter Memorial Library on this early release day for some SLIME TIME! We will be making slime, playing with slime, and talking about slime! All ages welcome. Children under 8 need an adult with them.

Wednesday, May 22nd 12:30-1:30pm