Community News

Accolades

Bibber receives scholarships
Thomas Richard Bibber, son of Richard and Jean Bibber, has received an $8500 Marriott Scholarship and a $2500 scholarship from Dielectric Communications in Raymond, Maine. Thomas will be one of nine Marriott Scholars at Southern Virginia University this fall.

WalMart helps Habitat project

AUBURN -- The WalMart Supercenter in Auburn has given $1,000 to Androscoggin Habitat for Humanity to help buy materials for a new house.
The money represents matching funds for a pancake breakfast that Habitat volunteers served at St. Phillips Church on May 1.

The money will be a big help in buying materials for the house planned to be built this summer.

The City of Lewiston has given Habitat an L-shaped corner lot at Rideout and Suncrest streets. A selection committee is reviewing applications from families that would like to own the house. Families must be currently living in substandard housing, have an income to pay a Habitat-provided no-interest mortgage, and be willing to help with the construction.

Donations to the building fund may be sent to Androscoggin Habitat for Humanity, P.O. Box 3041, Auburn, ME 04212.

Becca Bortles, Gardener

Becca Bortles beginning her program co to become a Master gardener, completed through the UMaine Cooperative Extension Service. Part of that program includes at least 40 hours of community outreach. Ms. Bortles, a New Gloucester resident and owner of Sunflower Services, Garden Design, decided to offer her time to New Gloucester and environs, with what else, garden plantings where they are needed.

Becca noticed that the signs at New Gloucester were in need of a planting pick-me-up, and obtained donations from Gray True Value, Cooks hardware, Skillins, and Donna's Greenhouses of plants, mulch ad compost. She spent a wet Thursday last week at the sign at the Gray-New Gloucester line planting items that will survive in that location which is part-shade.

"I took the courses throughout February to June, and now I am donating the 40-hours," said Becca. She also planted at the New Gloucester Community Bulletin Board sign across from Cloutier's Store last week, and is actually looking for many more projects to help her obtain her credit and become a Master Gardener.

The New Gloucester Manager Rosi Kulow and Selectmen gave Becca a "big thanks" at their Monday meeting, and also thanked the above businesses.
So when you drive by the sign at the town line, its beautification is thanks to the almost-newest member of the Master Gardener community, Becca Bortles.

Free Master Gardener program for educators
The Cumberland County Cooperative Extension is pleased to announce a new Master Gardener Volunteer training program for educators. This pilot project is designed for people who work in schools (K-12) and are residents of Cumberland County. The training course will take place this summer during a three-week period in July and August. Volunteers receive 45 hours of practical training in basic horticulture with sessions in soil science, botany, entomology, plant disease, garden problem solving, pruning and more.

After finishing the course, each Master Gardener agrees to "give back" 40 hours of volunteer time over a 12-month period as a participant in any one or more of numerous community-based projects around the county. The projects range from youth gardens and being a part of the School/Master Gardener Network, to working with immigrants and/or low income families to promote gardening interests, or as a Garden Angel to assist the elderly or less-able individuals in gardening endeavors with weekly visits to their garden site during the growing season. Participants are selected through an application process. Applications are available by calling the Cumberland County Extension office at 1-800-287-1471 or by viewing the web site www.umaine.edu/umcecumberland/ccmg. the deadline for applications is Tuesday, June 28, 2005.

Feed the Hungry drive a success

On June 2nd, the Gray/New Gloucester PTSA teamed up with the Good Shepherd Food-Bank to "Fill the Bus and Feed the Hungry." The school children from Russell, Memorial, Dunn and the Middle Schools came together and donated over 1500 pounds of food for the Food Bank. The bus was indeed full!

The bus load of food was delivered to the Good Shepherd Food-Bank at 11 a.m. Thursday morning. Middle Schoolers Tory Martin, Kaitlyn Rokowski, Ben Miklovich and Eric Stewart unloaded the bus (after loading all of the food onto the bus at each school!). The official weight of the food came in at 1542 pounds translating to over $2,300.00 (retail) worth of groceries. The agencies that use the Good Shepherd Food Bank only pay .16 cents a pound, a shared mainenance fee, to purchase the groceries to distribute locally.

Special thanks to the schools who participated in this meaningful event. In addition, thanks go out to Brandon LaCasse and David Whitney who helped load the bus at the Dunn School, bus driver Pat Maxwell, and all of the children and parents who donated food to make this very special day such a huge success.

Additionally, Mr. Bergner's middle school class also participated in selling Hunger Awareness Bracelets for the Food-Bank. In short notice, and with only a couple of weeks left of school, these enthusiastic kids sold 70 bracelets. Since each bracelet sold can provide more than $25.00 in food, the sales equate to over $17,500 in food for Maine's hungry.
For more information of how you can help, contact JoAn Chartier at 782-3554.


Pictured are:
Front Row: Tory Martin, Eric Stewart and Kaitlyn Rokowski Back: Ben Miklovich

Cathy Manchester Team Community Yard Sale
To benefit Lungs For George

Time: Saturday July 9th 9-12 p.m. Rain Date: July 10th, at Cathy Manchester Team parking lot located next to Gray Food Marketplace.
Needed: Items for donation to be sold at Yard Sale. Drop off items from July 1-8th at The Cathy Manchester Team Office between 9-5 p.m., or by appointment. Items can be dropped off or we will pick them up at your home or office. Tables are available to rent for personal yard sales at $25 per table. Volunteers needed for pick up and clean up July 9th call: 653-1990. Sponsored by Maine Mortgage. Questions? Call 653-1990

Catapult yourself into the Middle Ages
At the Gray Public Library Summer Reading Program

Dragons, Dreams and Daring Deeds! This year's summer reading program will look at dragons - where do they come from and where did they go, why did everyone in the stories want them dead - were they really mean? We will travel back to the Middle Ages with its knights and castles in both the West and the East! If you had lived back then what would you be doing and where would you be living? So put the library on your list of things to do this summer - come and read all about dragons, dreams and daring deeds.

Summer Reading Sign-up: Tuesday, June 28 - Thursday, June 30 at the Gray Public Library.

Come Join us on the Following Tuesdays at 10:30:
Tuesday July 5 - Knights
Tuesday July 12 - Dragons
Tuesday, July 19 - Calligraphy
Tuesday, July 22 - Book Making
Tuesday, July 29 - Coat of Arms
Tuesday, August 2 - Evening Feast

If you can't make it on Tuesday mornings - you can still participate in the program by keeping a log of all the books you read or someone reads to you. There is also an independent castle project that you can do.

There will also be a program for children from grade 5-8 running simultaneously with Tracie Lammers leading the group in book discussions and a variety of activities such a building your own catapault.

There will be an end of the summer celebration at the Trolley Museum in Kennebunk on August 19. Tickets will be available at the library. Questions- call the library 657-4110.