Go green, go grandparents

The Maine Wildlife Park on Route 26 will feature a program called Landscaping for Wildlife with the folks from Skillin’s Greenhouses Saturday, Sept. 6. Expert landscaping staff will be on hand with a wide selection of native shrubs, small trees and other plants that are hardy and attractive, while providing food and shelter for our birds and wildlife. Plants are on sale and ready to plant into the yard or landscape. This event starts at 11 a.m. and runs until 2 p.m., and is sponsored by the Friends of the Maine Wildlife Park.

For more information visit www.mainewildlifepark.com or call 657-4977, ext. 0.

Grandparents are admitted to the park free Sunday, Sept. 7, in celebration of National Grandparents Day. Regular entrance fees for all other family members will be charged.

Soccer season starting

The Gray Recreation Department Fall Youth Soccer program is now registering for 2008 season. Registration forms are available at the Gray and New Gloucester town halls and libraries, Newbegin Gym and various business locations around Gray. Play begins Saturday, Sept. 13.

Children entering grades kindergarten through sixth are eligible to play. Registrations received after Aug. 29 will only be accepted if there is space available in the division and must be accompanied with a $10 late fee. Call the Gray Recreation Department at 657-2323 for more information.

Plenty to learn

The Gray-New Gloucester Adult Education Department will sponsor an AARP driver safety course for drivers 50 years of age and older on Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 23 and 24. Classes will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on each of the two dates and participants must attend both sessions to complete the course. The registration fee is $10 per person and advance registration is required.

Anyone who wishes to register should call the adult education department at 657-2620. Class size is limited and registrations will be accepted only as long as space is still available. The AARP Driver Safety Program is the nation’s first and largest classroom refresher course designed to meet the safety needs of experienced and mature drivers.

It is an eight-hour class which helps drivers learn about defensive driving techniques, new traffic laws, rules of the road and much more, and it helps older drivers learn how to adjust their driving to age-related changes in vision, hearing and reaction time. Also, insurance companies in Maine are now required to give discounts to drivers 55 years of age and older who complete this course.

More information may be found at www.home.earthlink.net/~drivesafe-me.

The Learning at Any Age Gray-New Gloucester Adult Education program has a great fall course line-up. How about “Getting Paid to Talk” or “Intro to InDesign” to learn a great computer program. There are also classes for acquiring a GED, ballroom dancing, oil painting or drivers education starting soon. Look for the fall class booklet at the Gray Town Office, Gray Library, www.msad15.org or call 657-2620 for more information.

Optimists abound

The Gray New Gloucester Optimist group will have its first meeting of the season on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 6:30 p.m,. at Androscoggin Savings Bank in Gray. Its motto is “Bringing out the best in kids” and they provide programs for youth in our communities.

Interested folks are welcome to join. For more information call Diane Field 428-4238. The Optimists meet the second Wednesday of each month. More information can be found at www.optimist.org,

Supper time

The American Legion Post No. 86 on Route 100 in Gray will hold its monthly bean supper Saturday Sept. 6, from 5 p.m -6 p.m. Dinner will include baked beans, chop suey, cole slaw, hot dogs, breads and pie. The cost is $6 for adults, $2.50 for children ages 5 to 12, and free for those under 5.

Celebrate the season

A fall festival will be held Sunday, Sept. 7, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Crossroads Community Church, 14 Lewiston Rd. (Route 100) in Gray. Come celebrate the change of seasons, there will be fun for the whole family, including a rock climbing wall open 11 a.m.-1 p.m.), air soft target range, air bounce, pony rides, live music, woodcarving demonstration, face painting, beading, games, food, prizes and more. The rain date for the free festival is Sunday, Sept. 14. For more information call 657-4541 or go to www.crossroadsmaine.org.

Tournament filling up

The Patriot Soccer Club holds its annual Crossroad Challenge Tournament Columbus Day weekend. Last year 79 teams registered. The participating teams consisted of both division 1 and 2 teams. This year it will be held Oct. 11 and 12. Several age brackets are reaching capacity, but there are openings available for two U-9/10 girls teams, one U-11 boys team and a U-13 girls team.

Acceptance into the Crossroads Challenge is based on the time the Patriot Soccer Club receives a completed tournament application, along with appropriate fees. The Patriot Soccer Club has sole decision making authority for acceptance into the Crossroads Challenge. The Patriot Soccer Club will do its best to accommodate all teams. For additional information go to www.patriotsoccerclub.org, or please contact either Tony Ward, tournament director at crossroadchallenge@ patriotsoccerclub.org or Bruce Sawyer, club president at [email protected]