Teen mentor receives award

On March 31, Gov. Paul R. LePage and Liza McFadden, the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy president and CEO, honored 14 teen mentors with Excellence Awards in leadership and service during a recognition ceremony at the Blaine House.

Isaac Salisbury, a junior at Freeport High School, was among the students in the state to be chosen to receive a Teen Trendsetters Excellence Award. According to Dede Bennell, the school’s service learning coordinator and Interact Club adviser, “Isaac is one of 13 FHS mentors I oversee, who are participating in a reading pilot program granted by the Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation. Each week our students work with their mentee at Morse Street School and follow a science-based literacy program to help support young readers below grade level.”

The Teen Trendsetters Excellence Award is given to mentors who provide outstanding leadership and service, particularly with helping their mentee read on grade level. After successfully piloting Teen Trendsetters in Windham, during 2012 and 2013, the Barbara Bush Foundation this past year expanded the program to 20 schools throughout Maine.

Car wash coming up

The Freeport High School Baseball/Softball Boosters will hold a car wash on Saturday, April 11, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Freeport Fire Department.

The Boosters also will be selling Portland Sea Dogs tickets and holding a bottle drive at Bow Street Market and Shaw’s Supermarket on Saturday, April 18, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Bottles can be dropped off at Bow Street Market anytime during the month of April to benefit the FHS baseball and softball teams. For more information about purchasing Sea Dogs tickets, contact Christina at ricech913@gmail.com.

Family fun with Sea Dogs

The Freeport Middle School PTC invites all Regional School Unit 5 families and friends to the Family Fun Night with the Portland Sea Dogs on Friday, May 8, at 6 p.m. The Sea Dogs are playing the New Britain Rock Cats. General admission tickets are $6. The can be purchased online at https://seadogs.formstack.com/forms/freeport_night. Forms to purchase tickets directly with a check are available in the Freeport Middle School office.

Looking for Legos

The Freeport Community Library is starting a Lego club and is looking for donations of old Legos. Those who are interested in making Lego donations can contact Mary in the Children’s Room at 865-3307.

Woman’s Club hosts outdoors writer

Deirdre Fleming, an outdoors reporter for The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, will be the guest speaker at Freeport Woman’s Club meeting on Friday, April 17, in the Community Room of the Freeport Community Library. She will speak about the varied landscape of Maine and about the outdoor people she has featured. She will also share her favorite outdoor adventures. Refreshments will be served. All are invited.

Members of the club also are planning their Spring Bazaar, Saturday, May 2, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., at St. Jude Church, 134 Main St., Freeport. Plants and baked goods will be on sale.

The Freeport Woman’s Club is a service organization that has been in existence for 90 years. It meets once a month at the Freeport Community Library. The club’s fundraising projects include a Spring Bazaar and a bake sale on Election Day. Monies raised provide local scholarships, community improvements, donations to Freeport Community Services and support for women seeking career education. The monthly meetings include presentations on a variety of topics. New members are welcome. Contact Nita Voskian, 865-1155.

Church preparing bean and pasta supper

A baked bean and pasta supper will be held on Saturday, April 11, from 5-6 p.m., at First Parish Church Congregational, 40 Main St., Freeport. On the menu will be home-made baked beans, macaroni and cheese, American chop suey, hot dogs, cole slaw, pickles, rolls, homemade pies and beverages. The cost is $8 for adults and $4 for children. Profits support outreach programs of the church.

YMCA Adaptive Services Auction

The 13th annual Adaptive Services Auction will be held on Thursday, April 9, from 6-9 p.m., at the Hilton Garden Inn in Freeport. The event includes a silent and live auction, hors d’oeuvres and wine bar. Proceeds benefit the YMCA of Southern Maine’s Adaptive Services program, which provides one-on-one support to help participants regain as much mobility as possible and move beyond illnesses, injuries, and disabilities.

The program also now includes Livestrong at the YMCA, which is a free cancer survivorship program, helping participants regain strength and mobility.

For more information, see www.ymcaofsouthernmaine.org/adaptiveservices or contact Karen Tucker, 865-9600, ext. 210, or ktucker@ymcaofsouthernmaine.org.

Host families needed

The American Field Service, an intercultural exchange program, is looking for host families in Regional School Unit 5 for the 2015-16 school year. Each year, students come from all over the world with varied interests. The organization strives to find families that are a good match for the incoming students. Those interested can contact Gigi Leonard at gandd.leonard@gmail.com or at 865-1796.

‘Birds on Tap’

Freeport Wild Bird Supply of Freeport is introducing a new series of talks, “Birds on Tap,” that will feature speakers in the field of ornithology and conservation. Each talk will be held at local breweries, allowing patrons to sample beers while learning about bird research that is being conducted in Maine. The first talk will be on Tuesday, April 14, from 5-7 p.m., at Rising Tide Brewing, 103 Fox St, Portland. The speaker, Erynn Call, will present a talk entitled, “From Recreation to Conservation – Taking Birding to the Next Level.” She will highlight the Maine River Bird Network, a statewide citizen science initiative aimed at better understanding the links between rivers and birds and the role of birds as ecological indicators.

The event is free. Non-alcoholic beverages and light snacks will be provided. For every beer purchased, Rising Tide will donate $1 directly to Maine Birder Band, a Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife fund that supports efforts to protect Maine’s birds, bird habitat, and access for birders, earmarked for the Maine River Bird Network. For more information, see www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com.

Book sale wraps up

The Freeport Community Library’s annual book sale will continue through Thursday, April 9. A variety of books will be available, fiction, non-fiction, audio books, children’s books and DVDs. Daily hours are Wednesday from 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m., and Thursday from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For additional book-sale information, contact Elaine at 865-3307.

Edible Book Festival next Wednesday

On Wednesday, April 15, Freeport Community Library will host its second Edible Books Festival. Children, adults or a team are welcome to participate. All entries must be edible and based on a book or a poem. Community members are encouraged to attend and cast their vote for their favorite edible book. Five categories include, funniest, most creative, most bookish and best in show.

To enter, email your name, specify child or adult and tell how you heard about the festival, to fclbooks2eat@yahoo.com. All entries must be edible and based on a book or a poem. There is no charge to participate.

Entries should be brought to the library at 10 Library Drive from 10 a.m.-5:45 p.m. The festivities begin with voting at 6 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony, and concluding with everyone getting to eat the entries.

Full details are available at www.freeportlibrary.com and in handout instructions at the library.

Workshop focuses on falling

A workshop entitled, “A Matter of Balance” will be held at Falmouth Learning Resource Center, 5 Bucknam Road, Falmouth, on Wednesdays, April 8-May 27, from 10 a.m.- noon. “A Matter of Balance” is a nationally recognized workshop designed to help people manage falls and increase activity levels. Learn how to view falls as controllable, set goals for increasing activity, learn exercises to increase strength and balance, and make changes to reduce the risk of falling at home. To register or for more information, call 396-6583 or email mdefabritiis@smaaa.org.

Chronic pain workshop offered

Casco Bay YMCA will offer a six-week course on chronic pain management, April 28- June 9, from 1-3:30 p.m. at the YMCA, 14 Old South Freeport Road.

The workshop consists of a group of about 8-12 people who meet weekly for six weeks. Participants explore the pain and symptom cycle, and strategies to manage pain and other health symptoms. Participants are led through a gentle stretching program, designed to promote moving without fear of more pain. In addition, the group will review tips for improving communication, sleep, nutrition, relaxation and much more.

The class is free except for the cost of materials, $45 including textbook, course workbook and relaxation CD. For more information or to register, contact SMAA’s Agewell Center at 396-6583 or email mdefabritiis@ smaaa.org.

Upcoming meetings

Project Review Board, Wednesday, April 8, 6 p.m., Town Council Chambers.

Coastal Waters Commission, Wednesday, April 8, 6 p.m., Freeport Community Center.

Active Living Task Force, Thursday, April 9, 7:30 a.m., Town Council Chambers.

Shellfish Conservation Commission, Thursday, April 9, 6:30 p.m., Freeport Community Center.

Recycling/Solid Waste Committee, Monday, April 13, 5:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Winslow Park Commission, Monday, April 13, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Town Council, Tuesday, April 14, 6:30 p.m., Town Council Chambers.

Conservation Commission, Wednesday, April 15, 6 p.m., Freeport Community Center.

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

Members of the Freeport Woman’s Club who are planning their Spring Bazaar include, front, from left, Deb Smith, Chris LeHay, Sharon Coffin, Geri Rose, Belva Horn and Brenda Howard. Back: Nita Voskian, Jacqui Twomey, Harriet Canter, Jan Zimmerman, Sheri Bunting and Elizabeth Ring.Isaac Salisbury, front, left, a junior at Freeport High School, was among Maine students in the state to be chosen to receive a Teen Trendsetters Excellence Award. Courtesy photos

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