Freeport women launch book

On Jan. 20, writer, Liza Bakewell and photographer Kerry Michaels, who both live in Freeport, celebrated the launch of their joint book project, “A Gateless Garden, Quotes by Maine Women Writers,” at The Art Gallery, University of New England in Portland. The event was done in collaboration with Maine Women Write. The book, edited by Bakewell, director of Maine Women Write, pairs 100 quotes by Maine women writers with 100 black-and-white images by Michaels. An exhibit of quotes and photographs will be on display at The Art Gallery, 716 Stevens Ave., Portland, through April 12.

On Thursday, Feb. 26, at 5 p.m. Michaels and Bakewell will give a collaborative presentation and talk at The Art Gallery. For more information, call 221-4499.

Tech, business, career classes offered

RSU 5 Recreation and Community Education will be offering new technology and career development classes this winter. New laptops for student use have been purchased as a result of an Adult Education Technology Grant from the Maine Department of Education.

Residents interested in managing finances more accurately can register for Introduction to Excel: Part I, 5:30 p.m. on Mondays, Jan. 26-Feb. 9, and Introduction to Excel: Part II,” 5:30 p.m. on Mondays, Feb. 23-March 9. Both cost $55.

For those interested in learning how to promote their business, the following courses are offered: Introduction to Website Design, 5:30 p.m. on Mondays, March 23-April 13, $64 fee; and Social Media Marketing for Your Business,Tuesday, April 14, at 6 p.m., $30 fee.

Two free career-development workshops will also be offered. Write a Winning Resume is Wednesday, Feb. 4, at 6 p.m., and Ace the Interview, is Wednesday, March 18, at 6 p.m.

Suggestions for future classes are welcome, or those with an interest in teaching can email [email protected]. To register for classes, visit www.rsu5-rce.org or call 865-6171.

Flavors of Freeport featured at FebFest

Freeport artists, organizations, and producers are coming together for February’s month-long series of events that showcase Freeport arts and culture. Visual, performing and culinary arts are all represented in a full range of events, including art shows, the Open Stage Coffee House, Freeport First Friday Concert, staged readings and theater from Freeport Players and others, poetry recitations by Freeport High School students, readings by Freeport authors, film screenings, Flavors of Freeport and book talks.

As part of FebFest, FreeportUSA’s Flavors of Freeport is happening Friday, Feb. 20, from 5-8 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn. The event features the Chef’s Signature Series and Ice Bar, showcasing chefs and food producers in the Freeport area. Participants can sample some of Maine’s best chefs, local brews and beverages, and learn about what’s new in Freeport. The Flavors Ice Bar features a martini luge, fire pit, barbecue, and a disk jockey. For information about other Flavors of Freeport happenings and for ticket information, visit www.freeportusa.com.

More information about FebFest and up-to-date event listings are available at www.FreeportFebFest.com. New events continue to be added to the calendar and will continue to be updated.

Organizations, individuals and businesses that have arts/culture events, workshops, demonstrations, etc. happening in Freeport in February that they would like to include in the FebFest promotions should contact Elizabeth Guffey at [email protected] for more information. FebFest received a boost from the Davis Family Foundation, which has awarded $5,000 to the event.

Coffee mug sales aid Project Graduation

Freeport High School Project Graduation is selling Dunkin’ Donuts Community Mugs. Those who buy a coffee mug for $20 can bring it into any neighborhood Dunkin’ Donuts in Maine and Coos and Carroll counties in New Hampshire and receive a free hot or iced coffee each Sunday. To arrange a purchase, contact Liz Andrews, 865-0931, or Aly Fullagar, 274-0057.

Livestrong starting new session

Cancer is a life-changing disease that takes a tremendous physical and emotional toll on those affected. The YMCA and the Livestrong Foundation have joined together to create a research-based physical activity and well-being program designed to help adult cancer survivors reclaim their total health.

Participants work with Y staff trained in supportive cancer care to safely achieve their goals such as building muscle mass and strength; increasing flexibility and endurance; and improving confidence and self-esteem. This 12-week program free, and meets in small groups twice a week for 75 minutes. It includes a free adult/family YMCA membership for 12 weeks. For more information, call the Casco Bay YMCA, 865-9600.

Author Ellen Cooney to talk at library

The Freeport Community Library will host Maine author Ellen Cooney, Wednesday, Feb. 4, at 6:30 p.m., for a talk on her most recently published book, “The Mountaintop School for Dogs and Other Second Chances,” published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in August 2014.

“The Mountaintop School for Dogs and Other Second Chances” is about two women and a pack of dogs who find a place at a training school and radical rescue center. According to a press release, it is a story of strays and rescues, kidnappings and homecomings, moving on and holding on and letting go.

Cooney is the author of eight novels and stories published in The New Yorker and many literary journals. She taught creative writing for some 25 years, most recently in the Writing Program at MIT and the Extension School at Harvard.

Kaci Hickox, Ebola nurse, to speak at Rotary

Kaci Hickox, the nurse now living in Freeport who generated a media frenzy by challenging an imposed quarantine after treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, will speak as a guest of the Freeport Rotary Club on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 7 a.m., at the Freeport Community Center. Tom Wilbur, a Rotarian, said that Hickox will speak of her experiences working with Ebola patients in Sierra Leone. The Freeport Elders will prepare and serve breakfast, and the cost is $10.

Hickox has been living in Freeport for more than two months with Wilbur’s son, Ted Wilbur.

Hickox had stayed at Ted Wilbur’s home in Fort Kent during a 21-day monitoring period, during which she defied a state-ordered quarantine. A judge then ruled that local health officials could not prove the need for a quarantine, instead ordering her to submit to monitoring. Hickox, who tested negative for the disease, coordinated travel with public health officials. The couple then moved to Freeport.

Hickox worked in Sierra Leone with Doctors Without Borders, an international organization of health-care professionals who help people worldwide, delivering emergency medical aid to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters or exclusion from health care.

Following her work in Sierra Leone, Hickox returned to the United States at Newark Liberty International Airport in late October. According to a strict new policy in New Jersey and New York, she was quarantined for 21 days at University Hospital in Newark.

Hickox’s Rotary Club speech will deal more with how doctors and nurses are helping disease-stricken people in West Africa, and less with the controversy that later surrounded her in New Jersey and Maine.

Seating for the meeting is limited, and those interested in attending are advised to make a reservation by calling Freeport Elders at 865-3985, ext. 219.

Metro seeking comments

Officials with Portland Metro wants to know what is most important to local residents about the expanded service from Portland to Freeport. To help, residents are asked to fill out a survey at www.gpmetrobus.com. Metro service is expected to start July 1.

Dog licensing due

Dogs 6 months and older are required to be licensed by law. Owners can register their dogs at the Freeport Town Hall or online at www.doglicensing.com. Proof of the rabies vaccination and spay/neutering is required. The cost at town hall is $6 and $11, respectively. All dog licenses expire Dec. 31 of each year. Residents must renew their dog licenses no later than Jan. 31 of each year, or a late fee of $25 per dog will be charged.

Skating rink open

The skating rink adjacent to the Community Center is open for the season. The rink is now illuminated for use during nighttime hours, and the public is encouraged to come down and try out the ice. Those on the town staff are investigating several different, low- cost methods for clearing snow and conditioning the ice.

Parking ban

There is no parking on town streets from 11 a.m.-7 a.m. until April 15. Additional emergency parking bans are also regularly implemented for snow removal purposes during storms. Emergency parking bans are announced on local news networks in the same manner as school closures. Those with questions as to whether there is an emergency parking ban in place can call the police department business line at 865-4800.

Woman’s Club offers grant

The Freeport Woman’s Club is looking for a candidate for its 2015 Step Up Grant, a $1,000 gift for a woman over the age of 21 from Freeport or Pownal who is seeking occupational training but is experiencing financial need. Criteria for selection of the applicant are based upon financial need, clarity of goals, educational program and references. For questions and further information, call Virginia Boyles at 865-3973.

AARP offers tax help

AARP will once again be providing free tax-preparation assistance for low- to moderate- income households, with special attention to those 60 years and older, Wednesday mornings from Feb. 4-April 8 at the Freeport Community Center. Assistance is available by appointment only. To schedule, call 865-4743, ext. 120, after Jan. 26.

Program features Casco Bay steamboats

Rebecca Hotelling will present “Steamboats of Casco Bay,” Wednesday, Jan. 28, from 7-8:30 p.m., in the meeting room at Freeport Community Library. The program is in conjunction with the Freeport Historical Society’s exhibit, “You Can Get There From Here: How Transportation Defined Freeport.”

Steamboats ruled the waters of Casco Bay for more than a century, from 1823 through the 1930s. At its height, the traffic included 48 steamboat companies operating from 98 wharves. Hotelling will discuss the history of these vessels in the greater Casco Bay region, with a particular focus on vessels constructed in Freeport, as well as their owners, captains and routes. Hotelling has lived in Freeport for more than 40 years and spent much time sailing the waters of Casco Bay. During her time volunteering for Freeport Historical Society, she conducted research for the current exhibit. In the course of that research, she became intrigued with the stories of local steamboats.

The exhibit runs through the end of January Freeport Historical Society’s headquarters at 45 Main St. It is open Tuesday-Friday, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., with a suggested donation of $3. The exhibit and lecture series are made possible by the Maine Humanities Council and Norway Savings Bank.

Admission to the talk is free for historical society, $5 for non-members. For more information, visit www.freeporthistoricalsociety.org.

Upcoming meetings

Conservation Commission, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 6 p.m., Freeport Community Center.

Joint meeting of the Planning Board, Project Review Board and Board of Appeals, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 6 p.m., Town Council Chambers.

Municipal Facilities Committee, Thursday, Jan. 22, 7:30 a.m., Town Hall.

Recycling/Solid Waste Committee, Monday, Jan. 26, 5:30 p.m., Town Council Chambers.

A full listing of upcoming town meetings and agendas is available on www.freeportmaine.com.