Summer yoga classes offered in Freeport 

This June, Shelley Snodgrass of Freeport spent time in in the village of Eymet, France, at a retreat based at Chateau Lacanaud. Eymet is also where Stage 11 of the Tour de France starts this year, and the village was getting ready by hanging banners, window paintings, and paving the streets – all in a festive mood as the yogis visited. The retreats have become central to Shelley’s practice, not always as elaborate as heading to Belize or France, but weekend-long immersions and dedicated studies in vinyasa and yin yoga –her specialities. These two disciplines are quite different in focus, but for Shelley, they merge. Vinyasa is based on slow movement and breathing to build heat in the body, while yin concentrates on holding poses. The retreat in France was based around both of those disciplines. “Immersion in something I love, joining with like-minded people in a beautiful place with exposure to new experiences and opening myself to them is a reflection on what Yoga has brought me to,” Shelley says.

The newest entry in her instructional portfolio is leading open classes at L.L. Bean Discovery Park. The classes will be open to anyone who shows up from 8-9 a.m., Monday, Wednesday and Fridays during July and August. The beautiful outdoor location fits with current trends in the yoga movement. It is sure to build a temporary community. As Shelley says, “My yoga practice has fostered a sense of connection and community. Whether it’s teaching or practicing yoga in the south of France, open spaces like the LL Bean park or my local studio at Freeport Yoga Co., I’ve learned, met interesting people, and made some lifelong friends.”

Freeport Yoga Company was started in 2011 by Terry Cockburn and now has two locations in Freeport and Yarmouth. There is a full slate of classes at the two locations with multiple instructors. Shelley is an instructor who had taken lessons, but became serious enough a few years ago to pursue teacher training after going on a yoga retreat in Belize with fellow enthusiasts.

Shelley runs the early morning yoga class at Freeport Yoga Company for students who arrive at 6 a.m. She is also heading a slow flow yoga class for volunteers at Freeport Community Services, greeting people with experience in Yoga, while at the same time introducing newcomers to the practice – definitely a balancing act befitting a yin practitioner.

Food, Fun and Films

L.L. Bean Summer in the Park activities continue every Friday. Food trucks will arrive at 6 p.m. and there will be entertainment on the stage, including movies, plays and more. Movies begin at dusk and all other activities start at 7 p.m. Bring a blanket, pick up dinner from local food trucks and vendors and picnic in the park. On July 7, come see “LaLa Land” on the big screen.

On July 8 at 7:30 p.m., Langhorne Slim & The Law, a folk rock group, will perform. Langhorne Slim and his band, The Law, are known for energetic alternative rock rooted in folk, country and blues. They’ve played major music festivals, including Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, and have made multiple appearances on “Conan.”

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Historic tours of Pettengill Farm

The Freeport Historical Society will offer guided tours of the historic Pettengill Farmhouse and grounds as a way for the public to learn more about this remarkable homestead. These tours offer a rare opportunity to view and learn about the house, which is generally open only once a year on Pettengill Farm Day.

Join Curator/Collections Manager Holly Hurd as she describes the history of the farm and saltbox, which was built about 1800 and has been sustained over generations without the modern conveniences of central heating, running water, or electricity. The house resides on 140 acres that supported a saltwater farm and dairy, most recently by Mildred Pettengill and her brother Frank. Participants can sign-up for a 90 minute tour of the farm and house, which includes a viewing of the rare “graffiti” wall etchings of ships and marine life. The scheduled tours are Wednesday, July 19 at 6 p.m.; Tuesday, Aug. 22 at 5  p.m. and Friday, Sept. 15 at 11 a.m. The cost is $12 per person for the general public and $10 for FHS members. Register online at www.historicfreeport.org or call 865- 3170 Tuesday – Friday

Participants must register at least 24 hours in advance since at least four people (maximum 10) are required for the tour to occur. If the tour needs to be rescheduled due to rain (the event will feature a walk around the grounds) or because of too few participants, those signed up will be rescheduled to another date or their money refunded.

Attendees meet at the gate entrance at 31 Pettengill Road to carpool to the site. Those who have not signed up are welcome to join at the start, but they should first confirm the tour will take place. Wear appropriate footwear for walking on uneven surfaces and bring along bug spray. If walking is difficult, participants can choose to remain near or in the house.

Winslow Park summer concert schedule

The Winslow Park summer concert series continues, with two dates in July. Shows start at 6:30 p.m. and are free with park admission and for season pass holders, or $2 for Freeport residents and $3 for nonresidents or campers. Bring a picnic and enjoy.

July 6 will highlight the Coastal Winds Band, a 50-piece woodwind band with fun popular tunes, traditional bandstand tunes and some military tributes. Their music is perfect for the whole family. On July 13, The Renovators will rock the blues with soul, funk and humor.

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In 1953, Adelaide Winslow Harb gave this scenic oceanfront property to the town in memory of her mother, Delia B. Powers Winslow. She entrusted some 90 acres “… with the buildings and improvements thereon … known as Stockbridge Point …” with the proviso that the land and its buildings “… shall be used as a public park and for public recreational purposes …” The park is located at the end of Staples Point Road on a peninsula between Casco Bay and the Harraseeket River. Locals and visitors alike enjoy the wonderful views and trails and sandy beach. Winslow Park and Campground continues the town-owned vision of its donor by providing 100 campsites and wooded trails with views of the harbor and Casco Bay; rental picnic shelters for reunions, company picnics, weddings, etc.; picnic tables, grills and a tidal beach; a boat launch for anything from trailered boats to canoes and kayaks, and the summer concert series with local bands. For more information call 865-9052. 

Wolfe’s Neck presents ‘Forgotten Farms’

Wolfe’s Neck Farm presents the biography/historical documentary “Forgotten Farms” on July 13 at 7 p.m. Directed by Dave Simonds, this hour-long film examines class divides in our farm and food communities.

This event is being held at Frontier in Brunswick. For tickets, go to wolfesneckfarm.org.  All tickets sales are final. If the show is canceled, Frontier will notify ticket-holders and provide a full refund through the portal in which the tickets were purchased.

Most people buy their food in supermarkets and don’t have a chance to meet their farmers. But in more affluent communities, farm-to-table restaurants, farmers markets and CSAs are booming and the new farmers are celebrated. However, there is a farmer who is left out of the local food celebration.

New England has lost over 10,000 dairy farms in the past 50 years; fewer than 2,000 farms remain. Collectively, they tend 1.2 million acres of farmland and produce almost all of the milk consumed in New England. In our enthusiasm for the new food movement, we often overlook the farmers at the foundation of the regional agricultural economy. Only 100 years ago, New England produced most of its own food on 16 million acres of farmland. Climate change will demand that more of our food is grown closer to where we live. As we strive to revive local production, we have much to learn from dairy farmers, who have been managing most of the farmland and sustaining the farm economy all along. Through conversations with farmers and policy experts, the film reconsiders the role of these vital but forgotten farmers.

Forgotten Farms gives us a glimpse into the past and a vision for a future regional food system. The documentary shows the cultural divide between the new food movement and traditional farming, highlighting the need to examine differences, develop mutual understanding, and find common ground. A truly sustainable local food system that benefits everyone will rely on all of our farmers.

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A Q&A with farmers, agricultural thought leaders, and filmmakers will follow the showing of the film.

“You build your farm over generations and you lose your farm in an hour.”

~ Vic Ziemba, dairy farmer

DECC hosts cribbage over summer

The Durham Eureka Community Center sits at the intersection of Routes 9 and 136, across the street from the fire department. Formerly, it was the site of Eureka Grange Number 7, but has been renovated as a community center.

Each week players spend a few hours a week playing cribbage, one of the most popular games in the English-speaking world. Players of all levels are encouraged to work on their skills while enjoying some good old fashioned game play. Bring your own board or use one of theirs, find an empty seat, and get to know new people. Coffee and light refreshments are available.

Summertime is a good time to try something new, spend time at the community center working on your skills. The cribbage group meets every Tuesday 9 a.m. – noon. There is no cost to play. 

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

Folk rock group Langhorne Slim & The Law will perform July 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Discovery Park at L.L. Bean. The band has played at major music festivals, including Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza.

Shelley Snodgrass is offering outdoor yoga classes three times a week at L.L. Bean during July and August. 

At Winslow Park in Freeport on July 6, the Coastal Winds 50-piece woodwind band will take the stage. 

The Renovators will rock the blues at Winslow Park on July 13. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. and is free with park admission.


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