GORHAM, ME (January 20, 2022) – Music, Movement, and Mindfulness with Miss Courtney: We’ll explore different ways to move our bodies, have fun with some dancing and music, and end the class with some simple mindfulness and breathing practices.   Ages 3-5. Starting 1/26 to 2/16 $40.00. FMI checkout https://gorhamme.myrec.com

Gorham Rec has teamed up with Hearts and Horses to offer a variety of horsemanship classes!

Enjoy a fun filled day of being at the farm! Learning how to Grooming & tacking up horses. Riding classes.! Crafts & fun horse related activities ! Dress for the weather! Hats & gloves ! Hand & foot warmers! Bring a sac lunch &  plenty to drink! Available on 2/23 and 4/20. $95.00/pp. FMI: https://gorhamme.myrec.com

Spin on Thursday nights with Jim from 6:15pm to 7:00 starting 1/26. FMI: https://gorhamme.myrec.com

Cardio Dance Fitness Class with Courtney starts 1/24 (Tuesdays) 4:30 to 5:30pm. FMI: https://gorhamme.myrec.com

And we even have something for “man’s best friend”: Beginner Manners Dog Training! Join us for fun, reward (food) based training classes for pet dogs.  This is a 6 week program beginning on Sunday, January 29th at 11:45am.

NORTH YARMOUTH, ME (January 20, 2023) – Skyline Farm, 95 The Lane, North Yarmouth, will hold its 23rd annual Sleigh Day from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4, in conjunction with the debut of their Carriage Museum’s new exhibit. Admission is free. Dress warmly. Storm date is Sunday, Feb. 5. 

Starting at 11:00 a.m., Maine Driving Club’s Sleigh Rally will feature a competition among drivers with their horse-drawn sleighs in a Reinsmanship Class and a Currier & Ives Class in which sleigh drivers, dressed in period costumes, will show off their antique sleighs. 

From 12:00-2:30 p.m. Alice and Aaron Boyce and their spotted drafts from North Anson will offer sleigh rides through Skyline’s fields for $5 per person or $15 for a family of four. If there is no snow, there will be wagon rides instead. 

If conditions permit, there will be guided walks/snowshoeing on the woods trails and sledding on the hills in the field. Bring your sleds and snowshoes, if you’d like to join in the fun! 

From 12-2 p.m. sandwich wraps, chips, desserts, and hot beverages will be sold in the Visitor Center. 

From 11:00-2:30 p.m. Skyline’s carriage and sleigh exhibit “Evolution of Comfort-From George Washington to Teddy Roosevelt” will show the evolution of comfort and utility from the early vehicles used on the King’s Highway through to the end of the horse-drawn carriage era when they were replaced by automobiles. 

The museum exhibit, featuring a variety of rare sleighs and wheeled vehicles, is also open Sundays, Feb. 5 through April 2, from 1-4 p.m. or by appointment.

 For more information, contact Pam at (207) 829-5708 or info@skylinefarm.org. Skyline Farm is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization. 

For more information about Maine Driving Club’s Sleigh Rally, please contact Paula Leavitt at (207) 478-0184 or dleavitt@uninets.net. Deadline for driver registration is Feb. 3rd. Free entry with completed entry form and required immunization information.

Below: A horse-drawn sleigh being driven in Skyline Farm’s 2022 Sleigh Rally.

GORHAM, ME (January 20, 2022) – Join the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust for our new monthly series called Wednesday Walks. Each month we will go to a new preserve; this month we will be going for a walk at our Gambo Preserve in Gorham (Wednesday, February 1, 2023 from 10:00 AM  11:30 AM). Gambo Preserve in Gorham features the ruins of an old Gunpowder Mill and the Canal Towpath Trails offer a nice diversion from the Mountain Division Rail Trail or a great historic and recreational destination by itself. Wednesday Walks are held monthly; they last about 1.5 hours and include about two miles of walking.  This is an adult program. This event is free, but space is limited, and registration is required. (This walk location was changed from Black Brook Preserve to Gambo Preserve due to winter parking constraints).

RSVP for this event by going to the Gorham Recreation Department’s Facebook page and clicking on this event.

GORHAM, ME (January 20, 2022) – Love to sing? Come sing with us – no audition necessary! This lively chorus welcomes vocalists of all levels (ages 12 to 80+ currently) and abilities, who come together to perform a variety of choral music from Bach to Broadway. You’ll grow as a singer with professional direction and make a new family of friends!

Rehearsals are Mondays (except during school vacation!) beginning January 9, 7-9PM at the Gorham Middle School Auditorium. (New Members accepted throughout January, no rehearsal Jan. 16, MLK Jr. Day) Our Spring performance will be May 21 at Gorham High School. Please register and pay at the first rehearsal – registration opens at 6:45PM (Please do not send the fee to Gorham Adult Education.)

Director John Rimkunas has a MM in Choral Conducting from UMaine, and has taught in local schools for 35 years.

Questions? Contact John Rimkunas at (207) 653-7683 or gorhamcommunitychorus@gmail.com

Mondays, Jan.9-May 15, 7:00-9:00PM

Gorham Middle School Auditorium

$50/adult per semester

$40/student per semester

$100/family per semester

GORHAM, ME (January 13, 2023) – Indoor Insanity 5k is back for 2023! Join us in January for a race event unlike any other in Maine!  Get out of the cold and head indoors: no ice underfoot, no frigid gusts in your face, and no snow overhead.  Who knew running in circles was SO much fun?  Music, camaraderie, and running (for a cause!)

Indoor Insanity is a fundraiser to prevent lung cancer in Maine. Exposure to radon causes lung cancer: Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer nation-wide, and the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers; High levels of radon gas move up through Maine soil and water, where it can get trapped inside buildings; 1/3 of the homes in Maine (2/3 in Cumberland County!) have radon above the EPA recommended action levels.

The money that YOU raise through your Indoor Insanity registration fees and additional donations will be used to fix radon problems in low-income Maine households.  The Maine Indoor Air Quality Council works with established non-profit organizations here in Maine to identify these households, as well as facilitates the work via registered Maine radon mitigators to install the systems. With your help, we hope to make the indoor air in 1-5 homes in 2023 a whole lot safer to breathe! 

You can be a cancer-preventing superhero. Please consider making an extra donation when you register for Indoor Insanity–or even better–set up a fundraising page so that your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues can join you in preventing lung cancer right here in Maine.  

How Indoor Insanity Works

To minimize injury and “traffic jams”, runners pick their preferred heat based on their general running speed.

Heat # 1 – for the fastest runners (15-20 minute 5k)  Field will be limited to 30 runners.

Heat # 2 – for the intermediate runners (21-28 minute average 5k)  Field will be limited to 75 runners.

Heat # 3 – for runners of any level willing to take on the challenge that only chaos can bring!

Walkers are welcome (we will have a dedicated lane for walkers).

1/2 mile Kids Fun Run, too!

Ribbons and bragging rights will be awarded to winners of the various heats. All participants have opportunity to win some terrific door prizes. Special prizes for top male and female runners TBA.

Race Timing and Lap Counting – Get Great Running Data

Indoor Insanity will be professionally chip-timed for accurate individual lap and finish times.  Unlike other 5k races which give you just one finish time, Indoor Insanity 5K participants get 25 pieces of running data – split times for each lap completed.

Lap Counting:  Hand tally counters will be available to help runners keep track of lap numbers.   Please note:  Indoor Insanity participants should not rely on the chip timing company to provide individual lap counts during their heat.  (It’s just not possible – it’s too insane!)  If runners would like that level of support during their race, please bring a spotter.  Spotters will be available at the event on a first come, first served basis.  Cost:  $20 donation to the Indoor Insanity radon mitigation fund.

Race Fees

$30.00 per person.

Thanks to our event sponsors, all proceeds from registration fees and supplemental donations will help support radon mitigations in low income households in Maine.  Please consider making an extra donation at checkout, or even better, set up a fundraising page so that your family, friends, and colleagues can support your efforts to prevent lung cancer.

Event Information: Date: Sunday, January 22, 2023, Location: Field House, USM, Gorham, ME

Schedule:

Registration Opens at 7:15 a.m.

Heat #1 at 8:00 a.m.

Kids Fun Run at 8:25 a.m.

Heat #2 and Walkers Start at 8:45 a.m.

Heat #3 at 9:30 a.m.

See you on the January 22nd!

Registration link: https://runsignup.com/Race/ME/Gorham/IndoorInsanity5K

GORHAM, ME (January 10, 2023)—Many community organizations, shelters, and charitable clothing groups have noted a lack of socks among the most pressing issues facing their continuing commitment to serving those in need this winter.

 What has become an annual January tradition at St. Anne Church in Gorham takes on even more importance and relevance in 2023. 

“The parish is collecting socks for those in need, especially the homeless,” said Fr. Lou Phillips, pastor of the parish. “It’s a drive that we’ve had for many years, and it has been quite successful.” 

Over the course of time, parishioners have donated thousands and thousands of pairs of socks for community members in need. In 2022, parishioners donated around 1,000 pairs. The recipients, ever grateful, have included veterans’ groups, shelters, food pantries, and local organizations such as Amistad, Preble Street, and St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen in Portland.

 “We’ve also distributed the collected items to schools in Buxton, Gorham, and Limington, as needed,” said Teresa Ledue of St. Anne Parish. 

Hats and mittens for men, women, and children are also collected. 

The collection takes place in the narthex of St. Anne, located on 299 Main Street in Gorham. Donations can be dropped off before and after all January Masses (Sundays at 8 a.m. and 11 a.m.; Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays at 9 a.m.) or at the St. Anthony of Padua Parish’s pastoral center on 268 Brown Street in Westbrook on Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

 The effort to assist those in need is ever present at Maine parishes. One inspiring initiative after another, and all done for the right reasons. 

“We do not give to be recognized,” said Ledue. “Only to provide for the need.” 

For more information, call 207-857-0490.

GORHAM, ME (January 10, 2022) – Former Maine gubernatorial candidate and founder of Moody’s Collision Center, Shawn Moody, has earned two major awards for his lifelong commitment to building Maine’s economy and workforce. This December, Moody earned both the 2022 Freedom and Opportunity Award from the Maine Policy Institute and the 2022 Excellence Award in Workforce Partnership from MEMIC. Moody was selected for his demonstrated ability to create jobs; his continued commitment to expand Maine’s workforce; and for his innovative solutions to engage Maine’s unemployed and underemployed.

“With the need to replenish an aging workforce, Shawn has worked all the levers to help bring the next generation of skilled workers into the Maine economy. We are pleased to recognize him – he’s earned it,” said Michael Bourque, President and CEO, MEMIC.

Since founding the company in 1977 while still in high school, Moody has grown it into the largest independent collision center in the northeast with 14 location and 240 co-worker owners. In 2003, as an early adopter of the increasingly popular ESOP model, Moody transitioned ownership to his coworkers so they could begin building equity and success in their own careers. Each year since then, Moody’s Collision Center has grown roughly 17-percent year over year.

Speaking on his behalf via video message at a December ceremony, United States Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) said, “Shawn has provided opportunity to his employees and quality service to his customers ­– he exemplifies the very best of our business community.”

In 2022, Senator Collins co-sponsored the Asylum Seeker Authorization Act, which would shorten the waiting period from 180 days to 30 days before legal immigrants could receive work authorizations. To build upon that, Moody developed a partnership with the Community College System and CTE schools, and together they are constructing a program that will assess skill, regardless of industry experience. The program will improve professional opportunities available to Mainers changing careers, and for new Mainers with prior career experience from their home countries. The SOAR program will be rolled out in Spring 2023.

In 2010, Moody founded the Blue Collar Scholarship Foundation, which annually awards scholarships or tool-ships for those continuing education or entering the workforce. The foundation has since delivered over $385,000 in awards to 286 deserving Mainers.

“Shawn has created hundreds of well-paying jobs in Maine, embodies entrepreneurship and leads by example – selecting him was an easy choice,” said Matthew Gagnon, CEO, Maine Policy Institute.

A lifelong resident of Gorham, Moody is a father to four children and has three grandchildren. Moody’s son, Nate, was named to Mainebiz’s 40 Under 40 for his work in advancing financial literacy among younger generations; and his daughter Danielle and son Ben are both in leadership positions at Moody’s. Moody twice ran for Governor of Maine, and he was the first Mainer to ever serve on both the UMaine System and the Maine Community College Boards of Trustees with a goal of improving communication and collaboration between our public institutions.

“As Mainers, I believe we’re all working toward the same goals – to build a strong future full of opportunity for our young people and to position our state to thrive for decades to come,” Moody said.

GORHAM, ME (January 14, 2023) — We at Gorham Rec Department are sad that it is mid-January and 50 degrees (and very little snow). We wish we had everyone out snowshoeing, ice-skating, cross-country skiing, and making snowmen. However, these are not the cards we were dealt.

We are asking you to stay off the “ice” water of the skating rinks. Even with colder temps in the overnight hours, it’s not consistent enough to freeze the water to a solid, smooth ice-skating rink. Looking at the weather forecast, it may be a bit before they are ready.

Please look for alternative opportunities to get outside!

GORHAM, ME (January 5, 2022) – The Town of Gorham is in the process of updating the Robie Park Master Plan, and is seeking public input regarding desired uses and improvements for the park. Citizens can complete the survey via the following link:

Public input will be shared with the Robie Park Master Plan Steering Committee as the Master Plan process moves forward. The Town will be collecting surveys until Friday, January 27, 2023 at 4pm.

GORHAM, ME (January 6, 2022) – Please help us spread the word regarding Gorham’s Kindergarten Parent Information Meeting for our incoming 2023 Kindergarten students!

Our parent information meetings will be held on Thursday, March 9th at 5:30pm in person at your neighborhood school. At this meeting, parents will meet school staff, learn about a day-in-the-life of a Kindergarten student, and receive information about the enrollment process. Families will pick up enrollment packets and receive information on how to schedule their student for a Kindergarten screening.

Please click on your neighborhood school by going to Gorham School District’s webpage or Facebook page and pre-register using the kindergarten registration link. If you are unsure of your neighborhood school, please call any of the elementary schools directly for this information.

Great Falls Elementary School – Thursday, March 9th, 2023; Parent Information Meeting at 5:30 pm; School Contact – Julie Murray (julie.murray@gorhamschools.org or 222-1050)

Narragansett Elementary School – Thursday, March 9th, 2023; Parent Information Meeting at 5:30 pm; School Contact – Sarah Palmer (sarah.palmer@gorhamschools.org or 222-1250)

Village Elementary School – Thursday, March 9th, 2023; Parent Information Meeting at 5:30 pm; School Contact – Andrea Nault (andrea.nault@gorhamschools.org or 222-1300)