Freeport student is state winner of Peace Poster contest 

Justin Laing, 13, won first prize in the Lions’ Peace Poster contest sponsored by the Freeport Lionesses. Michelle Crocker, the Lioness District Governor of Maine, presented Justin with the first-prize of $200. Tanya Ziegler of Freeport Lioness said the club is very proud of Justin and are hopeful his artwork will place nationally.

Each year the Freeport Lioness-Lions Club sponsors the Peace Poster Contest, which is promoted by Lions Club International. Each year a theme around the issue of world peace is chosen by Lions International, and students age 11-13 are asked to draw their depiction of what the topic means to them. Schools are asked to spread the word by asking students to participate. At each state level there are three winners. 

The winning posters from each state go on to the national level to compete. 

Puppet show is for the birds 

Freeport Community Library at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 11 for a special puppet story time with Maine Coast Waldorf teacher Lynn Wetterhorn., who will tell a story that describes how many friends help robins build a beautiful nest.

Regular preschool story time will follow the puppet show: infants and toddlers are from 10-10:30 a.m.; preschoolers are 10:30-11 a.m.

Baked ham on the Masons’ menu

The Freeport Masons will host a baked ham supper 5-6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 15 at the Masonic Lodge on Mallet Drive in Freeport. The menu will feature mashed potatoes, assorted vegetables, homemade biscuits, dessert and a beverage at $9 for adults, children under 12 are $4.50. For those who attended the last event, remember to bring the tickets issued and check the bulletin board for winners of a free meal.

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Easter Sunrise Service

An Easter Sunrise Service will be offered Sunday, April 16, at 6 a.m. at the base and summit of Bradbury Mountain in Pownal. There will be refreshments afterward at the First Parish Congregational Church, 422 Hallowell Road, Pownal. The public is invited to attend.

End-of-life questions answered

“Your Life, Your Death, Your Choice: How to Have Your Voice to the End of Your Life,” will be the subject of a talk at Freeport Community Library Monday, April 24 at 6:30 p.m., when author Mark Peterson will talk about his e-book. With an extensive career as a certified psychologist and graduate school professor, Peterson provides the tools needed to clearly communicate your end-of-life wishes, including how to create a legal document enabling those who care for you to honor those wishes.

“Your life, Your Death, Your Choice” was created as a user-friendly e-book which can be read on either a computer or tablet and contains many links to videos, podcasts and articles. The six chapters of the e-book include discussions about why an advance directive should be completed, and what forms to choose from. He addresses Going Deeper/Beyond the Forms and other important issues including, Gray Areas and Dementia as well as Death with Dignity and Assisted Dying.

Peterson is deeply passionate about the topic of his book. He knows that the decisions are challenging and the discussions hard to initiate, but he also believes people deserve to have a good end to their life. The topic promising to be thought-provoking and informative.

This book talk is offered free of charge and open to all. For directions to Freeport Community Library go to www.freeportlibrary.com, or call 865-3307. 

Nature programs at Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park

April is when nature comes out of hiding, and nature programs are being offered weekends all month long at 2 p.m. at Wolfe’s Neck State Farm, 426 Wolf Neck Road in Freeport. No reservations needed except for group programs. The one-hour programs may include walks, talks and activities in the beautiful natural setting at the park. 

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April 8: Secrets of the Shore. Discover the secrets of life in the salt marsh, mud flat and rocky shore.

April 9 & 15: Osprey Watch. Stop by the osprey sign opposite Googins Island any time between 2 and 3 p.m. for a close look at the ospreys.

April 16: Signs of Spring. Look for signs of spring, including flowering trees, emerging chipmunks and migrating birds.

April 22: Casco Bay Walk. Enjoy views of islands and rocky shores on a 1-mile walk along the beautiful Casco Bay Trail.

April 23: Steamer Dig. Learn about the life of the soft-shell clam. Then try digging this delicacy with an experienced guide.

April 29: Stroll with the Ranger Enjoy the best that the park has to offer this sea- son on this stroll with a knowledgeable guide. This event is wheelchair accessible.

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All programs start at the benches by the second parking lot unless otherwise noted and are weather permitting.

Guided nature programs are free with park admission: $1 for ages 5-11; $4 for Maine residents ages 12-64; $6 for nonresidents ages 12-64; $2 for nonresidents 65 and older; under 5 and Maine residents 65 and older are free.

For more information about Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, call 865-4465 or visit http://bit.ly/2oX8h8X

Feathers over Freeport

Plan to go to the birds at Bradbury Mountain and Wolfe’s Neck Park the weekend of April 29-30. Get out your binoculars and hiking shoes and check out the wildlife with the help of knowledgeable guides.

Feathers over Freeport is two days of bird watching and events for all ages. Activities include presentations and bird walks with experts, hawk watching at the summit of Bradbury Mountain, osprey watching at Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, presentations with live birds by the Center for Wildlife and the Chewonki Foundation, a bird drawing workshop, and fun and games for children. Food trucks SaltBox Cafe and Fahrenheit 225 will be on site from  10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

The weekend events kick off Friday night, April 28, with a Night Walk at Bradbury Mountain State Park from 7-8 p.m. Zeb Casperson, a Maine Conservation Corps Environmental Steward, and park staff will lead visitors on a nature walk to explore the world of nocturnal animals. At the end of the walk, weather permitting, feel free to stick around to observe the night sky with a telescope.

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Bradbury Mountain State Park Saturday, April 29:

8-10 a.m. Bird Walk. Go for a walk in the woods seeking out spring migrants and woodland residents. All levels welcome. Bring binoculars. Walk led by Derek Lovitch of Freeport Wild Bird Supply and others. Meet at the group picnic shelter.

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Educational displays. Get bird posters, while they last, courtesy of the Maine Wildlife Park and Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Learn about the Hawk Migration Association and how it is tracking raptor populations. Learn what other Maine state parks have to offer. Located at the group picnic shelter.

10 am to 3 p.m. Food Trucks.  SaltBox Cafe and Fahrenheit 225 will be set up near the group picnic shelter.

9 am to 5 p.m. Hawk Watch at Summit. Join a raptor biologist on the top of Bradbury Mountain to learn how experts observe, identify and count all raptor and vulture species that fly past Bradbury Mountain. Hike to the summit is quarter- mile – a steep, short 15 minutes with a great view. 

10-11 a.m.  Bird Walk for Children. Birding is cool! Birding is fun! Imagine something you can do anywhere. You hear a bird, tilt your head to listen, and are able to name the species just from the sound or a quick glimpse. Join an expert naturalist on this beginning bird walk designed just for kids (children must be accompanied by parents or adults over 18). Meet at the group picnic shelter.

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10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Birding Fun & Games. Build a bird house or make a backyard bird feeder, while supplies last. Ongoing hands-on activities and crafts designed for children and families of beginning birders will be available. Led by Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands staff and volunteers. Located near the group picnic shelter and the playground.

10:30 am to 12:30 p.m. Hawk Watch Workshop. Find out what is so intriguing and fun about hawk watching. Go to the summit of Bradbury Mountain for an introduction to this facet of bird watching. Using visual aids, learn what to look for in telling the different species of hawks apart. Bring binoculars. Program led by Derek Lovitch of Freeport Wild Bird Supply. 

1-2:30 p.m. Vernal Pool Exploration: Wading into the Woodland Waters. Vernal pools are temporary water bodies which fill from snowmelt and spring rains and provide breeding habitat for amphibians, including wood frogs, several species of mole salamanders and invertebrates such as fairy shrimp. Vernal pools make up an important base of the food web and provide a vast amount of biomass to the landscape. Join wetland scientists Lauren Leclerc and Dave Brenneman on a journey through a wonderful and incredibly important wetland habitat. Learn how to identify a vernal pool and the critters that live in them. Be prepared for wet conditions and wear appropriate footwear for a hike of about 1.4 miles round trip. Meet at the group picnic shelter.

1-2 p.m. Springtime Plant Walk. Join a ranger for a one-hour stroll to locate and identify common spring plants on Bradbury Mountain State Park. Meet at the group picnic shelter.

2-3 p.m. Drawing Birds Workshop. Michael Boardman, North Yarmouth-based wildlife artist, will include basic instruction, a quick demo and practice time sketching several bird mounts. Focus will be on quickly defining form and gesture. There is a possibility of sketching live birds at the end of the session. Held at the group picnic shelter.

3-4 p.m. Maine Birds of Prey. Center for Wildlife’s exciting team of live, non-releasable bird “ambassadors” trained for presentation to audiences, including owls, hawks and falcons, offer a unique opportunity to see local wildlife up close and personal. Held near the group picnic shelter. Sponsored by Royal River Conservation Trust.

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7-8 p.m. Birdwatching in Maine. From mountaintop to barrier beach, from the The County to the southwest coastal plain, a wide variety of birds can be found. Full of photographs of iconic species and iconic places, the program will explore all that birdwatching in Maine has to offer. Also learn about Derek Lovitch’s new book, “How to Be a Better Birder.” Lovitch has written for birding magazines and also guides birders throughout Maine. 

The Bradbury Mountain State Park 2017 Hawk Watch at the summit continues daily through May 15, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

All programs and activities included with paid admission. Bradbury Mountain fees for Maine residents ages 12-64, $4; ages 5-11, $1; under 5 and over 65, free. Non-Maine residents: adults, $6, 65-plus, $2; children 5-11, $1; under 5: free.

Bradbury Mountain State Park is at 528 Hallowell Road in Pownal. Call 688-4712 for more.

Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park Sunday, April 30 

8-10 a.m. Bird Walk to seek out spring migrants and woodland residents. All levels of expertise welcome. Bring your own binoculars. Walk led by Derek Lovitch of Freeport Wild Bird Supply and others. Meet at the group picnic shelter.

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9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Educational Displays. Get bird posters while they last, courtesy of the Maine Wildlife Park and Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

10-11 a.m. Bird Walk for Children. Birding is cool! Birding is fun! Imagine something you can do anywhere. You hear a bird, tilt your head to listen, and are able to name the species just from the sound or a quick glimpse. Your friends will be impressed! Join a naturalist on this beginning bird walk designed just for kids (children must be accompanied by parents or adults over 18). Learn some of the basics of identifying birds. Meet at the group picnic shelter.

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Osprey Watch. Get a close look at nesting ospreys through our spotting scope. Stop by for a quick look or stay as long as you like to ask questions and learn about their life story. Presented by park staff. Meet at the Osprey sign across from Googins Island via either the White Pines Trail or Casco Bay Trail.

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Birding Fun & Games. Build a birdhouse, learn to sing like a bird and learn birding basics through games, hands-on activities, and crafts designed for children and families of beginning birders. The ongoing activities are led by Maine Bureau of Parks and Public Lands staff and volunteers. Located in the field near the group picnic shelter.

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Food Trucks SaltBox Cafe and Fahrenheit 225 will be set up near the group picnic shelter.

11-noon. Springtime Plant Walk. Join a ranger for a one-hour stroll to locate and identify common spring plants of Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park. Meet at the group picnic shelter.

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Noon-1 p.m. Insects in the Park. A presentation by Charlene Donahue, Forest Entomologist with the Maine Forest Service, including samples and examples of both invasive and native insects. The park has at least two invasive insects that impact people and the trees. Native insects are vital to the proper function of any ecosystem and their importance often goes unrecognized or even maligned with the overwhelming press about invasive insects. Meet at the group picnic shelter.

1-2 p.m. The Bugmobile – Magnifying the World of Arthropods: Is a bug an insect? Is a spider a bug? Chewonki’s Bugmobile transports the world of arthropods – insects and their relatives – into the classroom. Using models, costumes and live specimens, the unique characteristics of four major groups of arthropods will be explained. Live “bug” species will introduce some of the fascinating adaptations essential for survival, such as mimicry, camouflage, armor and the use of venom. Held at the group picnic shelter. Sponsored by Bow Street Market and Freeport Conservation Trust.

2-3 p.m. Drawing Birds Workshop. Michael Boardman, North Yarmouth-based wildlife artist, will lead a drawing birds workshop for all levels. The workshop will include basic instruction, a quick demo and practice time sketching several bird mounts. Focus will be on quickly defining form and gesture. There is a possibility of sketching live birds at the end of the session. Held at the group picnic shelter.

3-4 p.m. Owls of Maine: Three live owls are the highlights of a program presented by the Chewonki Foundation, which introduces participants to the owls native to Maine and New England. Participants will learn the identifying characteristics and calls of each owl. Then, using talons, wings, and skulls, explore the adaptations of the silent nocturnal hunters. The program ends with an intimate and detailed look at live owls, bringing creatures of the night into the light. Held near the group picnic shelter. Sponsored by Bow Street Market and Freeport Conservation Trust.

The park is located at 426 Wolf Neck Road, Freeport.

Tortoise and Hare 5K rescheduled

The 8th annual Bow Street Market Tortoise and Hare 5K, located at Bow Street Market in Freeport, was snowed out with the April Fool’s Day storm and will be held Sunday, April 30.

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Overall male and female winners will receive a $100 Bow Street Market Cash Card. Prizes are also awarded to the Hares. or the fastest, and the tortoises, the person that can closest predict their time in the following male and female age groups: 12 and under, 13-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70 and above. T-shirts will be given to the first 100 registered runners. Day of race registration at 8 a.m. is $25 cash. The start time is 9 a.m. Online registration and more information are available at runinarace.com and brian@runinarace.com or schnyders71@gmail.com. 

Proceeds benefit the Freeport Running Boosters, a nonprofit group that supports the Freeport High School Running teams.

Pownal nomination papers available

Nomination papers for the upcoming June 13 municipal elections in Pownal are available for one seat each on the Board of Selectmen, RSU5 Board of Directors and Cemetery Commission. Papers must be returned to the town clerk’s office no later than 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 27.

Send community notes from Freeport, Pownal and Durham to tritownnotes@gmail.com.

Justin Laing, center, is the state-wide winner of the Lions Club Peace Poster contest. With him, from left, are Lions District Governor Michelle Crocker, Jaime Laing, Diane Laing and Cindi Lahaye of the Freeport Lioness group.


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