New town clerk on board

Christine Wolfe was recently hired as Freeport’s new town clerk. With nine years of past municipal service, Wolfe has held a variety of positions in the towns of Dresden and Wiscasset, including town clerk, registrar of voters, tax collector and issuer of licenses.

She succeeds Tracey Stevens, who had held the job for three years.

Wolfe, who lives with her husband, Bob, and son, Brandon, in Dresden, began her new job on June 29. Wolfe said she looks forward to working in a larger town – Freeport has more than 8,000 people compared to 3,700 in Wiscasset – and a higher form of town government.

“It’s a step up for me and that’s kind of what I was looking for,” said Wolfe, 50. “The Town Council is a more efficient form of government than a Board of Selectmen.”

She is earning $50,000.

Winslow Park concert series

During July and August, Winslow Park hosts Thursday concerts at 6:30 p.m. This year’s Summer Concert Series theme is “Let’s Dance!” Day-use admission is charged (resident $2, non-resident $3). A playground and picnic area is also nearby for use. Campers and season pass holders attend free. The concerts are:

July 16: Maine Squeeze, swing and rhythm and blues.

July 23: O.C. & The Offbeats, rhythm and blues, funk and rock ‘n’ roll.

July 30: Zulu Leprechauns, renditions of songs of the past and present.

Aug. 6: The Delta Knights, rhythm and blues, oldies and familiar roots.

Aug. 13: Jimmy & The Soul Cats, back by popular demand, rhythm and blues.

Rain dates are Aug. 20 and 27.

For more information, call 865-4198 or visit www.freeportmaine.com.

Town successes

Town Manager Peter Joseph has reported that June’s Clean-up Month was a success again this year. The Recycling Facility had 711 “clean-up coupons” used this year –161 were used on the last Saturday of June alone. Additionally, volunteers helped to manage the Swap Shop on all four Saturdays this year.

Joseph also said the bridge replacement project at the Hedgehog Mountain Trails is complete and the tree trimming at the summit has been successfully completed. A view northwest to the Presidential Range is now available year round on clear days. For a trail map of Hedgehog and other walking trails in Freeport go to www.freeportmaine.com.

The Independence Day festivities in Freeport were a success again this year, he said, extending thanks to L.L. Bean for sponsoring the fireworks display and to Michelle Barker for organizing the parade.

Joseph also said that the Public Works Department is expecting to wrap up this year’s paving on Wardtown Road this week. The final wearing course of pavement will be put in place next spring. It has been standard practice to allow one season’s worth of use on a road before installing the final layer of pavement.

Browntail moth alert

According to the Maine Forest Service, this has been a bad year for browntail moth caterpillars. Mature caterpillars are 11?2 inches long and easily identified by two conspicuous orange spots on their backs and broken white stripes running down either sides. The caterpillars can cause rashes and other health problems. For more information on browntail moth caterpillars and a list of important precautions, see www.freeportmaine.com.

Free passes to area attractions

Thanks to the Friends of the Freeport Community Library, the library offers free and discounted passes to the Portland Museum of Art, the Childrens Museum & Theatre of Maine in Portland and the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray. To reserve a pass, inquire at the Library’s main desk or call 865-3307.

To find out about summer activities at the library, see www.freeportlibrary.com.

Freeport students excel at colleges

Shelby Sawyer, a 2014 graduate of Freeport High School, was named to the dean’s list for both semesters of her freshman year at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Penn., where she is studying environmental science. She was chosen to attend the National Conference & Global Forum: Energy and Climate Change” in Washington, D.C., held by the National Council for Science and the Environment. She also joined the Environmental Action Alliance and served on the executive board, and participated in the work-study program, working in the biology greenhouse as a lab assistant. Next year she will work as house adviser at Weiss Hall. She co-founded a new club on campus, Real Food F&M, and joined the Kappa Delta sorority.

Emily H. Sturtevant of Freeport has been selected for inclusion on the dean’s list for academic achievement during the spring 2015 semester at St. Lawrence University, Canton, N.Y. Sturtevant is a member of the class of 2018. She attended Freeport High School.

Rebecca Goodale of Freeport was recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Goodale was initiated at University of Southern Maine. Goodale is among approximately 32,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors, having at least 72 semester hours, are eligible for membership. Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine and headquartered in Baton Rouge, La., Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline honor society.

Tufts University, Medford, Mass., recently announced that two Freeport residents were named to the dean’s list for the spring 2015 semester. They are Benjamin Forster, class of 2015, and Hadley Gibson, class of 2016. Dean’s list honors at Tufts University require a semester grade-point average of 3.4 or greater.

Several full-time students from Freeport have been named to the University of Southern Maine dean’s list for the spring 2015 semester. They are Sarah Rose Brooks, Storme Jeremy Charette, Jack Tanguay Doughty, Theresa Anne Flynn, Stephen Nicholas O’Brien, Alec Michael Salisbury, Sarah Elaine West and Sarah Elaine West. In order to be named to the list, students must earn a grade point average of 3.4 or higher and carry a minimum of 12 credit hours. Part-time students from Freeport named to the USM dean’s list are Rachel Farrington, Emily Jane Gamache, Abdimajid Mohamed and Erinn M Swift.

First Parish programs

First Parish Church Congregational, UCC, 40 Main St. in Freeport, holds worship every Sunday at 10 a.m., followed by coffee hour. The church offers Christian education for adults and for those with special needs. Other programs and events include a 12-step program, a grief group and parish market. For more information, call 865-6022.

Freeport Republicans to meet

The Freeport Republican Committee will meet Wednesday, July 22, at 6:45 p.m., at the Masonic Lodge, Mallett Drive, lower level. All Freeport registered Republicans are invited to attend. For more information or to be added to the email list, contact Jason Thyen, chairman, at [email protected]. Donations this month are gently used items for the Masonic Lodge tag sale to be held in September.

FreeportUSA’s tote aids animal shelter

FreeportUSA, has launched its 10 percent Tote campaign. The goal for the initiative is to reduce the number of plastic bags used in Freeport while also raising money for a local beneficiary. Customers carrying the tote receive 10 percent discounts at 25 local businesses. For 2015, the Coastal Humane Society will receive 100 percent of the program’s proceeds. The totes are available for $10 at Freeport’s Train and Information Center, 23 Depot St., at the seasonal information center at 88 Main St., as well as at some of the participating locations.

“The campaign is a great match for Freeport because we are an outstanding shopping and travel destination,” said Kelly Edwards, executive director of FreeportUSA. “It’s great to be able to do something good for the environment while supporting a nonprofit, and it’s even better that the people who buy the totes are rewarded with discounts.”

Farm offers tours

Wolfe’s Neck Farm is offering barnyard and organic garden tours on the hour, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday throughout the summer, weather permitting. After meeting cows, sheep, goats and chickens, participants will ride in the hay wagon to see pastures and visit the seaside vegetable plot run by the Teen Agriculture Program. This is a drop-in program for all ages. Cost is $5 per person, free for ages 3 and under. Advance registration is not necessary. For more information, see www.wolfesneckfarm.org or call 869-5433.

Ribbon-cutting at Freeport Medical Center

The Greater Freeport Chamber of Commerce announces a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours for the new offices of Freeport Medical Center, 23 Durham Road, is Wednesday, July 15, from 3-6 p.m. The public is invited to tour the new facility that includes medical offices, a walk-in clinic, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, osteopathic medicine and NorDx Labs. The event is free and will include refreshments, giveaways and prizes.

‘Love & Lobsters’ opens this week

Freeport Players will present “Love & Lobsters,” an original musical production by Portland resident John Linscott, July 17-26, at the Freeport Performing Arts Center, 30 Holbrook St. Show times are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. On Thursday, July 16, at 7:30 p.m., there will be a “pay-what-you-want” preview.

“Love & Lobsters” features catchy tunes, a touch of local humor and a love story set in a coastal Maine village. It is appropriate for most audiences. Tickets are $15 at the door, or $10 in advance at www.fcponline.org/tix.htm. For more information, visit www.fcponline.org or call 865-2220.

Summer tours of Pettengill Farm

Freeport Historical Society is offering a limited series of summer tours of the historic Pettengill farmhouse and grounds as a way for the public to learn more about this remarkable homestead. The saltbox, built about 1800, has been preserved as a study house, without the modern conveniences of running water, electricity or telephone. The house is situated on 140 acres that supported a saltwater farm and dairy, most recently by Mildred Pettengill and her brother, Frank.

Participants can sign up for a one-hour tour that will include a history of the farm and house, and viewing of the rare “graffiti” wall etchings of ships and marine life. The tours will be led by Holly Hurd, historical society collections manager, on Saturday, July 18, at 10 a.m.; Wednesday, July 22, at 5 p.m.; and Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 5 p.m. The cost is $10 for the general public and $8 for Freeport Historical Society members.

Since tours will require a minimum of four participants, those wishing to take part must register and pay for the tours at least 24 hours in advance. The tours will be limited to a maximum of 10. Tours will be canceled in the event of rain. Attendees should meet at the gate entrance at the end of Pettengill Road, and will carpool to the site. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.freeporthistoricalsociety.org or call 865-3170.

Thriller writer at library

The Freeport Community Library will host a book talk and signing by Vaughn Hardacker, who lives in northern Maine, on Monday evening, July 20, at 6:30 p.m. “The Fisherman,” Hardacker’s just-released summer thriller, has homicide detectives Mike Houston and Anne Bouchard leaving Boston for the isolated mountains of Maine, where they take on a missing person case.

Hardacker is a veteran of the U.S. Marines and served in Vietnam. He is a member of the New England Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America, and his short stories have been published in several anthologies.

Copies of “Sniper,” Hardacker’s previous novel, and “The Fisherman” will be available for purchase and signing.

New programs at state park

Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park is offering a new series, Summer Nature Explorations, designed for children ages 7-10 and their caregivers. The new programs focus on hands-on nature discovery and nature awareness. Programs will include projects and experiments, active games involving stealth and creativity, and multi-sensory exploration.

Programs are one hour long and are free with park admission. They take place on Sundays from July 7-Aug. 30 at 1 p.m. Pre-register by calling the park at 865-4465.

For more information about the park, see www.maine.gov/wolfesneckwoods.

Rec soccer seeks sponsors, kids

Regional School Unit 5 Recreation & Community Education is accepting team sponsorships for the Fall Recreational Soccer League for grades K-6, beginning in late August. Sponsors receive their names on the back of one team’s shirts, recognition in the fall program guide (mailed to more than 6,000 households in the area) as well as a sponsor logo and link to the business on the website, www.rsu5-rce.org. Cost is $325 per team. Those interested should email Anthony Johnson at [email protected] for a sponsorship form or call 865-6171 for more information. Deadline to submit a sponsorship proposal is July 31.

Those interested in enrolling in the Fall Recreational Soccer League can contact [email protected] or call 865-6171.

Upcoming meetings

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

Appointments Committee, Thursday, July 16, 7:30 a.m., Town Hall.

The Freeport Sewer District Board of Trustees, Monday, July 20, 7 p.m., treatment plant, 43 South Freeport Road.

Traffic & Parking Committee, Tuesday, July 21, 7:30 a.m., Town Council Chambers.

Town Council, Tuesday, July 21, 6:30 p.m., Town Council Chambers.

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

Christine Wolfe