Summer Lunch

A free lunch is being offered for kids and teens this summer, every weekday until Aug. 16. It will be served at two locations: the Gray-New Gloucester High School, 10 Libby Hill Road, from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., and at the Liberty Family Foundation, 23 North Raymond Road, from 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

The Summer Food Service Program is supported by the Preble Street Maine Hunger Initiative in partnership with the Liberty Family Foundation and School Administrative District 15.

Pennies for Elephants

The Gray Recreation Summer Camps will be holding a Penny Drive for the rehabilitation and educational facility for injured and retired elephants located in Hope, Maine.

Your assistance with this fund-raising effort is welcome and appreciated. Donations jars are at the Henry Pennell Municipal Complex, 24 Main Street, Gray and at all summer camp locations.

For more information, call the Gray Parks and Recreation office at 657-2323, ext. 117.

Thespians, Musicians Wanted

A Musical Theater Camp at Fiddlehead Arts and Science Center in downtown Gray performing “The Little Mermaid” will begin on July 22 and end Aug. 9. The camp will be held from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (full-day/before- and after-care available). There will be parts for all campers ages 7-15 that will include speaking and singing parts, from sea creatures to salty sailors. Theater skills will be taught including, but not limited to: how to audition, blocking and projection. Final performance will be the third Thursday and Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Fiddlehead.

Rock Camp will also be starting for ages 8-13 from Aug. 12-16, 12:30-3 p.m. (full-day/before- and after-care available). Pursue your passion and have fun jammin’ with professional musicians. Show off your new musical skills in a concert celebrating a great week of music and skill-building. One year of music experience is recommended.

You can register online www.fiddleheadcenter.org or call 657-2244.

Too Hot in the Kitchen

First Congregational Church, Route 115, Gray will be holding a public supper featuring baked beans, casseroles, salads, homemade breads, desserts, and beverages at 5 p.m. Saturday, July 27. The cost for adults is $8, children under 12 are $4. The facility is handicapped accessible and all are welcome to attend. For more information, contact 657-4279; day of supper 657-3279.

Pennell Park Volunteers

In the very near future the community will be seeing some progress on the Pennell Park project. The basic layout of the paths, gazebo, gardens and other areas have been staked out and will be bush-hogged. Trees will be tagged for removal, however they are intending to keep as many as possible in order to keep the property as natural as possible. The next step will be to excavate the area and get the gravel base down for the paths and open areas. As they proceed, a request will be made to the community to become involved by volunteering for various tasks and projects. Some of the volunteer tasks would include hauling stone dust for the paths, spreading mulch/wood chips, helping build and erect the gazebo (a packaged kit) and planting garden areas. In the next few weeks there will be a volunteer signup posted on the town website: www.graymaine.org. This will be a very exciting project to become involved with, and they would like to have all ages participate. Contact the Gray Recreation Department at 657-2323 or e-mail Dean Bennett at [email protected] for more information.

Summer at the Gray Rec

The following is a list of programs/activities that are scheduled to be offered later this summer by Gray Recreation Department: Mad Science Camp, Junior Golf Lessons (Ages 8-10), Junior Golf Lessons (Ages 11-14), Youth Volleyball Camp, Josh Libby Kickball Tournament, and Adult Co-Ed Softball.

Go to www.grayrec.com or call 657-2323 for more information.

K-2 Flag Football

The Patriot Grandstand Club is excited to introduce an educational Flag Football League for K-2 students. The travel league will run on Saturdays with practices possibly starting late August and both practices and games through the month of September.

The league will follow NFL Flag rules and will travel to Westbrook, Portland and Yarmouth, playing 5 versus 5 with six-person rosters.

For assistance with registration, contact Shad Hall at 893-3445 or more information, visit the Patriot Grandstand Club website at www.gngfootball.org.

Annual BBQ

Gray Fire and Rescue Department’s 48th Annual Chicken Barbecue will be held at the Gray Public Safety Building, 125 Shaker Road, on Saturday, Aug. 3. Serving from noon until chicken is gone, the meal includes half-chicken, chips, roll, cole slaw and drink.

From Ancient Ones to Stars

Visit the Maine Wildlife Park, on Route 26 in Gray, on Saturday and Sunday, July 20 and 21, from morning until noon, to meet The Ancient Ones, which is a Maine living history group in full period dress that will set up a living history camp from the late 1700s-1800s. They will have demonstrations going on all day long, including fire starting, cooking, trading, tomahawk throwing, flint knapping, flintlock muskets, weaving and the like. Come see what day-to-day life really looked like 200 years ago.

On the following Saturday, July 27, the park hosts a Night Visit with Northern Stars Planetarium from 6:30-9 p.m. An inflatable star theater will be set up inside the fox gazebo where a star projector, slides, video and special effects will introduce kids to astronomy and space science. About 25 people at a time will be able to participate and four consecutive shows will run. Before or after the show, walk around the park learning more about astronomy.

For more information, call the Maine Wildlife Park at 657-4977; or visit us online at www.mainewildlifepark.com.

Please Give

From 1-7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 23, a American Red Cross blood drive will be held at Saint Gregory’s, 24 North Raymond Road, Gray. Drop in or call 1-800-733-2767 to schedule an appointment.

Kick It Up

Soccer Camp will be held on July 29 until Aug. 2 for children age 4 through grade eight. Sponsored by TL2 Fitness and Patriot Soccer Club, this program introduces young kids to technical skills and show the older ones how to train like a pro. One of the missions of this program is to raise the level of interest in this fun and fast-paced sport and to develop the technical and tactical skills of the players at age appropriate levels. For more information and to register go to www.patriotsoccerclub.org.