Bold Riley in Concert

Hailing from the hills of western Maine, Bold Riley comprises four friends with an affinity for folk music, both traditional and contemporary. John Gunn of North Yarmouth lends his rhythmic prowess on the clawhammer banjo, cajo?n, and bodhra?n while Michael Hayashida of Auburn handles the fiddle and vocals. Erin Sampson of Casco coordinates beautiful harmonies and Bold Riley’s public presence, and Julia Edwards of Bridgton sings and accompanies with guitar and accordion. Playing a wide range of music from Americana classics and originals to acoustic, the group shares a joy for life that they bring to their music and their audiences.

The band will be performing at the Village Coffee House at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 7. The concert will take place at the First Congregational Church vestry, 19 Gloucester Hill Road, New Gloucester. Tickets will be available at the door for $10 per person. Call 926-3260 or 653-6151 for more information.

Fundraising for the Fair

For the first time in several years, both New Gloucester’s board of selectmen and the town’s budget committee voted against recommending a donation toward the annual New Gloucester Community Fair. Subsequently, the fair committee voted unanimously at its Feb. 24 meeting to create a GoFundMe campaign, along with other fundraising activities, to raise the needed funds for this year’s fair, scheduled to be held on Saturday, Aug. 22. Committee Chairman Michael Bardier estimates that the fair fundraising site at www.GoFundMe.com will be posted by Friday, March 6.

He posted on Facebook, “It’s been a pleasure having so many town folks tell me how much they want the fair. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available, and please consider helping us out by volunteering, too.” Check the municipal calendar posted at www.newgloucester.com for upcoming fair committee meetings. Bardier can be reached at mbardier@newgloucesterfair.com.

Public Budget Hearing

The public is invited to come to The Meetinghouse, 389 Intervale Road, New Gloucester, and comment on the town’s proposed budget for FY 2016, starting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 12. The hearing, which will be televised on local access cable Channel 3, is hosted by the town’s budget committee. On Friday, March 6, the committee’s budget will post to www.newgloucester.com, and budget notebooks will be available for interested citizens to pick up at the town office.

Sheep Shearing School

The Maine Sheep Breeders Association and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension will offer a two-day Blade Shearing School featuring instructor Kevin Ford. Workshops will take place from 1-4 p.m., Friday, April 17, and from 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, April 18, at Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, 707 Shaker Road, New Gloucester.

Participants will learn to set up, sharpen and use hand shears (non-electric). Shears will be available for purchase from Kevin Ford. The fee for this special workshop is $120 per person, which includes a shearing manual and lunch each day. It is recommended that individuals planning to participate possess some sheep-shearing experience. There is a limit of 10 participants, spectators are welcome. Register online at www.umaine.edu/cumberland. Direct any questions you may have to Lynne Hazelton at 781-6099.

History Barn Open House

The next monthly New Gloucester History Barn Open House will be held on Saturday, March 7, from 9 a.m. to noon. Features include local history exhibits and an antique carriage collection. The barn is located behind the New Gloucester Town Hall on Route 231, and the exhibit is free of charge and open to the public.

VAST Skiing/Snowshoe Program

There are still three Wednesdays left to join in on the Veteran’s Adaptive Sports and Training (VAST) Cross Country Skiing/Snowshoe Program, free to all veterans with physical disabilities, TBI and post-traumatic stress. Ski and snowshoe equipment, plus instruction, are provided free of charge, and no experience is necessary. Veterans who are interested in volunteering are also welcome.

Meet at the Outdoor Center, located below The Market and Welcome Center at Pineland Farms, 15 Farm View Drive, New Gloucester, at 9 a.m. on Wednesdays, March 11, 18 and 25. RSVP by Sunday of each week to kristina@pinelandfarms.org or 310-8694.

Pruning Time in the Shakers’ Orchard

In mid-February, a crew from Cooper Farms Stand of West Paris, including longtime orchard manager Dave Cooper, braved the drifted snow to prepare the apple trees for a good harvest in the fall. The Shakers have managed orchards since the 1780s, including two varieties developed by the early Shakers – the James Sweets and the Oliver Sweets. The present-day orchard was planted by Elder John Coffin in the 1860s and expanded by Elder William Dumont in the 1870s. During Brother Delmer Wilson’s management of the orchards from the 1910s onward, many varieties were planted that are popular today, such as Macintosh and Cortlands.

A New Gloucester Public Works crew pushes back towering snow banks in front of the Webber Cemetery along Intervale Road on Feb. 23. A flagger braves subzero wind-chill value temperatures to keep traffic flowing safely.Photo by Patti Mikkelsen