Inaugural ride in veteran’s memory 

Army Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Field of Lisbon was the crew chief of a Black Hawk helicopter that was shot down over Mogadishu, Somalia, and died in combat Oct. 3, 1993. Field, who was 25, was buried with full military honors following a funeral Mass at St. Anne’s Roman Catholic Church in Lisbon.

Twenty-four years later, relatives and friends of Field will honor his name and service with the inaugural memorial motorcycle ride. On Saturday, Aug. 26, AMVETS Post No. 13 of Durham – across the Androscoggin River from where Field lived – is putting on the SSG Thomas Field Memorial Ride. Money raised goes to the SSG Field Memorial Scholarship and the Local Vet’s Assistance Fund.

Registration will start at 10 a.m. and the ride will begin at 12:30 p.m. from Durham AMVETS Post No. 13, 1049 Royalsborough Road. The ride will end at the L-A Harley-Davison after a party with awesome food and live music by Whiskey Militia.

For more, contact Durham Amvets on Facebook, email Durhamamvets@yahoo.com or contact ride organizer Darin Baker at 713-8544.

Accessible picnic table installed at park

Maintenance workers at Winslow Park have replaced several of the older picnic tables, including one that is wheelchair accessible. It shows the community sensibility that has been part of the park since it was established. The table will add to the enjoyment of the park for family and friends of wheelchair users.

Volunteers needed for town committees 

The Freeport Appointments Committee is seeking residents interested in serving on town boards and committees. There are vacancies on the Shellfish Commission, Conservation Commission, Cable TV Board, Planning Board, Winslow Park Commission and the Sustainability Advisory Board.

Application forms are available at the town office and can be downloaded via www.freeportmaine.com. The Appointments Committee will be meeting in August, so completed applications should be turned in soon.

Reading is going to the dogs at FCL

Freeport Community Library is excited to once again offering popular Read To The Dogs events all summer long. Stop by during the designated hours to snuggle, pet, or read to the dogs. On Monday, July 31, Leo will at the library 3-4 p.m. Registration not required.

Therapy dogs are dogs that are trained to provide affection and comfort to people in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, hospices, disaster areas, and to people with autism.

For more information, visit the children’s room or call 865-3307.

How to observe the solar eclipse

John Wallace, FCL’s own “science-guy,” returns to the library for a talk on the sun and how to observe it safely during a solar eclipse. “Viewing a Solar Eclipse” will be presented 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2. On Aug. 21, all of North America will be treated to an eclipse of the sun. Anyone within the path of totality can see one of nature’s most awe-inspiring sights – a total solar eclipse. This path will stretch from Salem, Oregon, to Charleston, South Carolina. Observers outside this path, including Maine, will still see a partial eclipse. For more information go to the website created by NASA st https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/.

Free passes to summer fun

The Freeport Community Library can help with your summer fun with museum and park passes. The library has free daily passes for Portland Museum of Art, Maine Maritime Museum, Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine, and Maine State Parks, as well as discounted day passes for the Maine Wildlife Park. To reserve a pass, inquire at the main desk or call 865-3307.

Freeport transitioning to single sort recycling

Construction is underway at the Freeport Recycling Facility to prepare for the arrival of the new single sort recycling compactor. The equipment is expected to arrive in the next 8-10 weeks. Once the upgrade is complete, it will no longer be necessary to separate recyclables. Town officials hope it will make recycling simpler, therefore encouraging more residents to recycle. In addition, the change is also expected to save the town tens of thousands of dollars a year. There will be no changes to the “silver bullet” recycling containers throughout Freeport that provide an alternative way for residents to recycle.

Farm to Easel Invitational Art Auction

Tickets will go on sale Aug. 1 for members and Aug. 3 for the general public for the first Farm to Easel Invitational Art Auction at Wolfe’s Neck Farm, to be held 3-6 p.m. Sunday, Sept 17.

The event is $50 per person, which includes all food and drinks. Tickets can be purchased at http://bit.ly/2eLwrmT. A tasting with Frontier Café and Gather, featuring local food, drinks and live music, will be held at Mallet Barn at the end of Wolfe’s Neck. A silent auction of more than 20 representative artists will be held early on, followed by a live and lively auction of 12 works. Artists have been invited to create art in their preferred medium, using the scenic beauty and authenticity of the 626-acre oceanfront farm as their inspiration. A portion of art sales will support farm-based education programs that help to connect people to food and farming in a meaningful way.

Signature artists for the live auction portion of the event include: Linda Bail, John Bowdren, Marsha Donahue, Margaret Gerding, Lindsay Hancock, Suzanne Harden, Anne Ireland, Diana Johnson, Jack Montgomery, Phoebe Porteous, Liz Prescott and Ted Wengren. Silent auction artists include Ellie Barnet, Sarah Beard, Mary Berry, Sukie Curtis, Suzanne DeLessups, Julie Freund, Heidi Gerquest, Judy Kane, Jennifer Kimball, Marguerite Lawler, Lesley MacVane, Susan Metters, Arthur Nichols, Ceri Nichols, Anne Niles, Ineke Schair, Jenny Scheu, Judy Segal, Katrina van Dusen, Jan Pieter van Voorst van Beest, Andrea van Voorst van Beest and Lucinda White.

Wolfe’s Neck Farm is located at 184 Burnett Road in Freeport.

Sewer trustees to meet

The Freeport Sewer District Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 7 at the Treatment Plant, 43 South Freeport Road, Freeport. The agenda includes reviewing a bid for construction of the Route 1 Force Main Replacement Project. For more information, call 865-3540.

Chamber golf ball drop

Don’t miss your chance to win up to $2,500 cash in the first annual Golf Ball Drop fundraiser. The fundraiser benefits the Budding Entrepreneur Scholarship Fund. Last year the event was fun and a great fundraiser.

This year 1,500 numbered golf balls will drop out of a hot air balloon at Gritty’s Freeport at 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15. The event will include live music by Denny Breau. Tickets can be purchased at the Freeport Chamber office or from a member for $10 each.

Blueberry Festival in South Freeport

South Freeport Church’s annual Summer Blueberry Festival begins at 3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4, with food, fun and fantastic finds for the whole family through Aug. 6. There will be jewelry and a treasures sale, a lobster dinner and entertainment Friday night. Saturday there will be a bouncy house, face painting, bubble jester, treasures sale, baked goods, lobster roll lunch, craft activities and much more. For the complete schedule or to find a volunteer opportunity, visit bit.ly/2tWJnrY.

Motown, funk, soul at L.L. Bean concert  

Join Freeport for a free outdoor concert at L.L. Bean on Saturday, July 29, 7:30 p.m., by Mayer Hawthorne. Hawthorne has over 100 million plays on YouTube, Spotify and other Internet sites. His sophomore album, “How Do You Do” earned him a Grammy nod for his Motown-style mix of funk and soul music. He combines classic R&B, rap and hip-hop influences to create a modern, dance-ready sound.

Winslow Park concert

On Aug. 3, come hear Ed and the DesJardineres at Winslow Park. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. and is free with park admission. For more information call 865-9052.

Traditional bean supper in North Pownal

The North Pownal United Methodist Church will serve kidney, yellow and pea beans, hot dogs, coleslaw, brown bread and biscuits on Aug. 5, from 4:30-6 p.m. In addition, there will be potato salad, spaghetti with meat sauce and pickles and pickled beets. There will be a variety of homemade pies for dessert. The cost is $8 for 13 and older, $3 for ages 4-12. Age 3 and under eat free.

The North Pownal United Methodist Church is at 851 Lawrence Road in Pownal Contact Kim Drew at 837-2938 or contact the church at 688-4938 with any questions. The church is handicapped accessible.

AMVETS Post No. 13 of Durham is putting on the first SSG Thomas Field Memorial Ride on Saturday, Aug. 26 in honor of Army Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Field of Lisbon, who shot down over Mogadishu, Somalia.Mayer Hawthorne, who has over 100 million plays on YouTube, Spotify and other Internet sites, will be performing at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 29 at L.L. Bean.