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Gray Recreation Department Programs
Submitted by Director Dean Bennett
Patriot Basketball Program starts Saturday, December 4th, last chance to register, cost is $40 per player. This fee includes a t-shirt and eight Saturdays of instruction and games. The times and locations are listed below.

Boys Program held at GNG Middle School Gym
Grades 1 and 2: 8:00 to 8:45
Grades 3 and 4: 8:45 to 9:45
Grades 5 and 6: 9:45 to 11:00
Girls Program
Grades 1 to 3: GNG H.S. West Gym from 8:30-9:30
Grades 4 to 6: GNG H.S. East Gym from 8:30-9:45
Junior Basketball Program @ Newbegin Gym starts Saturday, December 4th. This program is for boys and girls ages 4 to 6, held at Newbegin Gym on Main Street in Gray, cost is $15 per session and includes a t-shirt. Session I will be held on December 4 - 11 - 18. Session II will be held January 7 - 14 - 21. Instructor: Jen Danieli

AGES 4 and 5: 9:15 to 10:00
AGE 6: 10:15 to 11:00

Santa is coming! Mark your calendars for Santa's annual visit to Newbegin Gym. Saturday, December 11th, From 1 To 4.

Lost Valley Snow Sports Program information will be available next week through the schools. This program is for children in grades 1 to 8 who want lessons in snowboarding or skiing. There is also options to rent equipment or purchase a lift ticket. The registration form with all of the information will also be available next week through the schools.

Early Release Day Field Trips scheduled for Monday, December 13th. We will schedule two trips this month. The registration forms should have come home through the schools already. If you haven't received yours yet, forms are alsoavailable at the Gray Town office, Newbegin and Gray Public Library. General information is listed below.

Middle School Students: Happy Wheels Rollerskating - departs Middle School at 12:00 and returns at 4:00 ($15).

Dunn School Students: Joker's Family Fun - departs Dunn at 12:50 and returns at 4:30 ($17).

Men's Pick-Up Basketball @ Newbegin Gym: Wednesdays from 7:00-9:00 / Mondays from 6:30-8:30 / Sundays from 10:00-12

$2.00 per person at the door / limited to the first 15 sign-ins.


The Patriot Soccer Club
The Patriot Soccer Club will again play host for SoccerMaine's Annual Referee Recertification class being held Saturday, December 11th from 9am to noon in the G/NG High School library. All USSF certified soccer officials need to recertify each year.
There are a limited number of classes being offered; this will be the ONLY class the Patriot Soccer Club offers this year. Avoid having to drive 45-60 minutes and attend this meeting.
The recertification fee is $30 -checks need to be made payable to SoccerMaine.
FMI: see the SoccerMaine website at: http://www.soccermaine.com/

Training for Medicare education volunteers
The Maine Medicare Education Partnership of Southern Maine Agency on Aging announces its last scheduled volunteer training in 2004 for December 7th and December 14th. This two day training is for volunteers who will assist senior citizens with Medicare issues - subjects such as understanding Medicare statements, when to pay/when not to pay; applying for a Medicare Discount Prescription Card; how to protect Medicare beneficiaries from identity fraud and many more. Volunteers in both York and Cumberland counties are needed. This new volunteer training is scheduled at the Southern Maine Agency on Aging office at 136 US Route 1 in Scarborough from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Persons interested in becoming a Medicare volunteer should call 396-6547 or 1-800-427-7411 ext 547 to register.

Christmas Fair and Pie Sale: Sabbathday Lake Grange will hold its annual Christmas Craft Fair and Sale on Saturday, December 4 from 9 to 2 at the hall on old Rt. 26 in New Gloucester. Browse tables of various crafters, baked goods, attic treasures, Rawleigh products, RADA cutlery, grab bags, raffles and more. Bring the kids to meet Mrs. Santa. Lunch of hot dogs and beans, sandwiches and hot and cold drinks will be available. To reserve a table, call 998-4731 or 657-4612. Chicken pies will be sold at $7 each or two for $12. To reserve a pie, call 657-4612 or 998-2586.

Wildlife Center to start: Gray's trained Wildlife Rehabilitator Caryl Widdowson has really exciting news: she is starting a wildlife center. She has received her 501c3 (tax exempt nonprofit status) and hopefully will receive grants and enough in donations to build a "wild" addition. If anyone wants to donate to Safe & Sound, her new wildlife center, Widdowson will send a thank you note with pictures of the animals being helped. She asks that people please keep this in mind for Christmas (and other) gifts. Widdowson will send a note to each recipient or send the donor the appropriate number of notes if they would rather have something in hand to give.

See Six Live Owls Up Close at Maine Audubon Evening Program
On Saturday, December 11, Maine Audubon will host two sessions to see and learn about live owls at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center in Falmouth from 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. and 1:30-2:45 p.m.

Participants then get a hooting lesson, tips on how to identify and find owls without disturbing them, and an opportunity to see six live owls, including a northern saw-whet owl, eastern screech owl, great horned owl, snowy owl and one of the largest owls in the world, an eagle owl.

Naturalist Marcia Wilson and photographer Mark Wilson will start the program with a slide show introduction to the owls of New England and beyond.

The program is $8/adult, $3/child per session for Maine Audubon members; $10/adult, $4/child per session for nonmembers. Reservations are necessary.

For reservations or more information, call (207) 781-2330 or visit www.maineaudubon.org.

Holiday Wreaths For Sale
Saturday, December 4 from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. @ Memorial School Craft Fair & Mardens, Gray. Proceeds to support the Sophomore Class of GNG High School. Please stop by!

Wanted: Coats
Collection boxes are now placed at local schools and businesses in Gray for the annual Coats for Kids campaign. The Cub Scouts of Pack 86 will once again be helping with this most worthwhile cause. Please take a moment to collect your family's outgrown coats and pass them on to children who are in need of one. The scouts will help collect the coats, Pratt Abbott will clean them, and the Salvation Army will make sure every child who needs one will have one. Please be as generous as you can so every child will stay warm this winter. Thank you from Pack 86 and your community.

GNG French Club Fundraiser at the Memorial School Holiday Fair
Be sure to stop by the GNG French Club table at the Memorial School Holiday Fair on Saturday, Dec 4th. The GNG French Club will be selling hand crafted angels and jewelry. The jewlery was quite popular and sold well at New Gloucester Days fair. Come by early for a good selection.
Thank you for supporting the GNG French Club in their fund raising efforts for their upcoming trip to France in April of 2005!

Come to the Christmas Party
Again this year, the GNG Lions have joined forces with Gray Parks and Rec to host a FREE Christmas party for children of all ages. The party is at 1:00 P.M. on Saturday, December 11th at the Newbegin Gym in Gray. World-renowned magician, jokester and balloon animal expert Ozzie Ozner will entertain starting at 1:00 P.M. There will be coffee, hot chocolate and ice cream for all and, of course, Santa will be there to hear those "special orders" for Christmas. A great fun time is planned so mark your calendars and come enjoy the party. Oh, and one more thing…why not bring along those old glasses, sunglasses and hearing aids for the Lions Sight and Hearing Recycle project?

No reason for freezin'!
The next forestry co-op meeting, on Monday, December 6th, 6 p.m., will be in Bridgton's Municipal Complex. Firewood will be the first priority of the new Lake Region Forest Co-Op. There's plenty of wood around. On one hand there are ice-storm damaged trees, on the other there's wood already stacked and ready to split. Anyone with an interest in forests, whether recreational, non-wood, agroforestry etc. is invited to attend our informal meetings.

If you can't make the meeting call George Bradt at 647-2389 (email: applewood1@verizon.net) - for placement on the list for future co-op announcements.

New Year's Dance: AMVETS HALL RT 100 in New Gloucester 8 pm -12:30 am. Disc Jockey. BYOB - Finger Foods, Party Favors - Door Prize, $15 Per Person or $25.00 Per Couple. Please RSVP by calling 926-3762 or 926-4079.

Spaghetti Supper: NFB & National Honor Society are cosponsoring a Spaghetti Supper at both theGray 1st Congregational Parish Hall & NG Congregational Church on Sat. Dec 4th at 4:30 - 7:00 p.m. $6.00 @ door adults and $3.00 for children. Spaghetti, meatballs, salad, coleslaw, roll, dessert. 657-2829 FMI

Card of Thanks

Sorry Mother Nature interfered with the tree lighting. Hope to see you all next year to help us celebrate the Tenth Anniversary of the downtown tree Lighting. We will be looking forward to a big celebration.

We want to thank the Gray Fire Department, Rescue and the Auxiliary for setting up despite the weather. And Bob Ryan for lighting the Tree also the cable committee for the new lights.
Helen Davis and Karen Taylor

The Town of Gray would like to thank the Student Council and the Octagon Club at the Gray-New Gloucester High School, Julie Stevens, and all the anonymous people that donated food and helped many people in Gray have a happier Thanksgiving.

What Should You Know About "Dirty Bombs" ?

TIME Magazine reported on November 22nd of Al-Qaeda's interest in smuggling nuclear materials to the US from Mexico. There has been much discussion in the media about attacks using so-called "dirty bombs". What is this all about? How would officials, firefighters, and medical personnel respond? If attacks occurred in the northeast, how might this affect Mainers?

A free seminar on this particular aspect of terrorism is being offered by the Gray Region Citizen Corps on Friday, December 10th. This provocative and timely lecture and discussion will be held in Stimson Hall in Gray Village beginning at 6:30 PM. The session will include Congressional testimony, specific scenarios, local response, and what citizens can do to help themselves and others during hazardous materials emergencies. Fire-Rescue Chief Charles Hammond of Windham will be a seminar participant.

The session the following month in January will deal specifically with regional medical response with a speaker from Maine Medical Center.
The non-profit Gray Region Citizen Corps (GRCC) volunteers provide monthly safety and emergency preparedness seminars on the second Friday of the month to residents from Yarmouth to Casco.

Past monthly seminar topics have included chainsaw safety, home fire extinguisher practice, pet first aid, and cooking without electricity. Future seminars are scheduled on how citizens can help in a disaster shelter and on family preparedness. More information about the federal Citizen Corps program may be found at www.citizencorps.gov. Their motto is "Uniting Communities -- Preparing the Nation". The local group publishes a monthly electronic newsletter. Messages for the GRCC may be left with Gray Public Safety at 657-3931.

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