Andrea Bryant named

National Merit semifinalist

Andrea Bryant has been named as a semifinalist by officials of National Merit Scholarship Corp. Some 16,000 high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,400 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million that will be offered next spring.

A semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.

She is the daughter of Shari Broder and Eric Bryant of Freeport. She is a senior in the International Baccalaureate Diploma program at Greely High School in Cumberland. She loves music, and is a multi-instrumentalist on guitar, violin, clarinet and keyboard. She performs in the Greely High School Band, Maine Youth Orchestra, 317 English Country Dance Ensemble and the Freeport Open Stage Coffeehouse, where she is the director. For her IB diploma, she is writing her extended essay on “The Influence of Asian Music on the Beatles.” Bryant has been involved in every theater production while a student at Freeport High School and Greely. She is also on the staff of her high school literary magazine.

Church hosting

public supper

A bean and pasta supper will be held on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 5-6 p.m,. at First Parish Church Congregational, 40 Main St., Freeport. On the menu will be three kinds of homemade baked beans, macaroni and cheese, American chop suey, hot dogs, rolls, pickles, cole slaw, homemade desserts, beverages and more. The cost is $8, and $4 for children. Profits support outreach programs.

Yard sale to aid community chorus

The Greater Freeport Community Chorus will hold a yard sale fundraiser Saturday, Oct. 10, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., in the yard and barn at 181 Main St., next to the Freeport Community Library entrance. The rain date is Sunday, Oct. 11. Household items, collectibles, tools, furniture, antiques, clothing, baked goods and more will be for sale.

The chorus is a nonprofit organization with the goal of enriching the community by promoting choral arts. The adult, mixed-voice group does not require auditions or past choral experience.

Scarecrow contest

new for Fall Festival

Wolfe’s Neck Farm, 184 Burnett Road, will hold its first scarecrow contest and those who attend the Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 10, will judge the winners.

The contest is open to all ages, individuals, families, clubs, groups and businesses. This is an opportunity to show off artistic talents and creativity, scarecrow-style. Scarecrows must be durable and able to stand up to sun, wind and rain. All entries will be affixed to the fencing around the Education Garden and participants must bring rope or wire to attach scarecrows to the fence. All entries must be hand-made – no commercial costumes, rubber masks, plastic masks, are allowed. Scarecrows should be whimsical, humorous, mischievous or lovable – not frightening. The minimum size is 3 feet tall. The maximum height is 6 feet.

Scarecrows can be brought to the farm starting on Wednesday, Oct. 7, and all entries must be in place by Friday, Oct. 9, at 5 p.m. All entries will be on display through Sunday, Nov. 1. Those with questions can email events@wolfesneckfarm.org

The Fall Festival, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., features activities and demonstrations, live music, hay-bale climbing, face painting, animal interactions and local food. Pumpkin hayrides will be running during the festival where participants can take a tractor ride out to the pumpkin patch and pick a pumpkin. The hayride is free with admission; small pumpkins cost $3. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit organization’s educational programming. Admission is $8, free for children 3 and under.

Pumpkin hayrides will continue through October on Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Admission is $5, free for those 3 and under. Small pumpkins cost additional $3.

Wolfe’s Neck Farm household membership is $35 per year. Those who sign up before Oct. 15 will be entered into a drawing for a two-night stay in one of the oceanfront cottages at Recompense Campground.

PSO conductor Huynh to speak at club

Norman Huynh, the assistant conductor of the Portland Symphony Orchestra, will be the guest speaker at the Freeport Woman’s Club, Friday, Oct. 16, at 1 p.m., at the Freeport Community Library. Huynh is an award-winning conductor, having worked with symphony orchestras in Virginia, Baltimore, Toledo and Macon. He will share his passion for educating the next generation of musicians and music lovers.

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 Betty Duckworth, 847-0240 or elizhard32@aol.com.

Peace Walk coming to Freeport

The Maine Veterans for Peace and associated peace organizations will sponsor this year’s Peace Walk, which will make a stop at the First Parish Church Congregational in Freeport on Sunday, Oct. 18.

The church will host a potluck supper for walkers and friends at 6 p.m., and the group will make a presentation on the issue of increased militarization of the world’s seas at approximately 7:15 p.m. The presentation will focus on the effects that the military presence has on the life forms that inhabit the oceans.

Those interested in joining the walk on Oct. 18 should meet the other walkers at the Joshua Chamberlain statue on Maine Street, Brunswick (near Bowdoin College) at 9 a.m. The 9-mile leg of the walk will follow Pleasant Street into Freeport.

The Peace Walk, extending from Ellsworth to Portsmouth, N.H., will be led this year by Buddhist monks and nuns from the Nipponzan Myohoji order, which specializes in peace walks around the world.

For more information or to coordinate dishes for the potluck supper, call Cheryl Avery at 865-0916.

‘WFCP Home Time Radio Hour’ auditions coming up

Freeport Players will hold auditions for “The WFCP Home Time Radio Hour, 1950s Holiday Edition,” on Monday, Oct. 19, and Tuesday, Oct. 20, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Freeport Middle School, 19 Kendall Lane. Roles are available for singers and actors aged 14 and older.

Actors will be asked to read excerpts of radio sketches. Celebrity impressions, vocal sound effects, accents and character voices are especially encouraged. Singers are asked to prepare a 90-second excerpt of a popular tune from the 1950s. No audition appointment is necessary.

After a brief hiatus, Freeport Players’ fictional radio station WFCP is returning to Freeport Performing Arts Center in December with an all-new collection of live music and sketches. This year’s show is set in the 1950s and will feature holiday favorites along with popular songs of that era. Additional information is available at www.fcponline.org/auditions/.

Freeport Players was founded in 1989 to provide opportunities for members of the Freeport community to be involved in all aspects of theater, drawing on their talent and enthusiasm to create the “magic” of theater. They produce a wide range of theater experiences, from classical to contemporary, comedies and dramas, plays and musicals.

Mind Body Spirit

event Oct. 18

The Mind Body Spirit Festival will be held Sunday, Oct. 18, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Hilton Garden Inn, 5 Park St. The event includes holistic health practitioners, chair massage, Reiki, aromatherapy, mystical art work, crystals, gems and jewelry, readings from psychics and animal communicator, workshops and more. A $5 admission is charged, and some proceeds will benefit the Good Shepherd Food Bank. For more information, see www.mindbodyspiritfestival.org.

Trail challenge

under way

A Freeport Trail Challenge has begun in which participants hike four local trails through October and win prizes. They can collect stamps from each trail on the Trail Challenge Passport or post a photo selfie from their walk to Freeport Conservation Trust’s Facebook page or on Instagram #freeporttrailchallenge. There will be prizes for kids who get all four stamps in their Passports and adults completing the challenge will be entered into a raffle for prizes.

The four trails in the challenge are Cousins River Trail, Powell Point Trail, Frost Gully Woods Trail and Hedgehog Mountain Trail. Pick up a Freeport Trail Challenge Passport around town and through the co-sponsors the town of Freeport, Casco Bay YMCA and Freeport Conservation Trust. Directions to each trailhead are on the Passport cards or online at www.freeportconservationturst.org. For more information, contact Freeport Conservation Trust at the Community Center, 865-3985, ext. 212, or email info@freeportconservationturst.org. All walks must be completed by the end of October, and passports turned in or photos posted by Nov. 2.

Betty ReeZ runs Oct. 12

The eighth annual Betty ReeZ 5K and 1 Mile Cross-Country Trail Run will be held on Monday, Oct. 12, at the Pownal Road Recreational Facility, next to the entrance of the Freeport Transfer Facility. The 1-mile race begins at 9 a.m. and the 5K at 9:30 a.m. This year’s race will offer prize drawings and a Whoopie Pie raffle.

Once again, high school athletes will be reaching out to the Regional School Unit 5 elementary schools to encourage participation in the race and convey the importance of leading a healthy and active lifestyle. The 1-mile race was added two years ago to introduce kids and parents to running. All proceeds from this race will benefit the Freeport Running Boosters and primarily focus on the continuing improvements and maintenance of the running trails.

Pre-registration is $8 for the 1-mile and $12 for the 5K. Sign up is available online at www.runinarace.com or registration forms are available through local sponsors and will also be distributed at RSU 5 schools by visiting FHS runners. Race day registration is available at the Pownal Road Field beginning at 8 a.m. Race day entrance fees are $15 for the 1 mile and $20 for the 5K, with registration closing at 8:45 a.m. T-shirts are available for registrants for an additional $11 until Sept. 30.

The 5K race will award $100 prize to the overall male and female winners with various sized Betty ReeZ WhoopieZ awarded to the top two finishers of the following age groups: 14 and under, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60 and above. The 1-mile event features first- and second-place trophies for boys and girls in the following age groups: 6 and under, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12 and 13-14. Runners from both races who finish will also get a Betty ReeZ WhoopieZ.

Bib drawings will be held for additional prizes, as well as a whoopie pie raffle. Tickets are available now through Oct. 12, by contacting a FHS runner, parent, coach or booster member, or by emailing Betty Zolla at BettyReeZ@comcast.net.

Flu clinic Oct. 14

A flu vaccination clinic is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 14, from 9-11 a.m., at Freeport Town Council chambers. For information on what you need to know this flu season and a list of other flu clinics in the area, see

http://www.midcoasthealth.com/flunews.aspx.

Fire Prevention Week at hand

Freeport will observe Fire Prevention Week Oct. 4-10. Freeport Fire and Rescue Department will host its annual Fire Prevention Open House on Wednesday, Oct. 7, from 5-7 p.m. There will be additional displays and demonstrations from the Freeport Police Department for children and adults, including safety equipment, a performance from the Maine Pipes and Drum Corps, and demonstrations of police K-9 and medical providers. Public Safety personnel will also be on site. The fire auxiliary will sell grilled burgers and hot dogs.

Magic show

this week

Nationally known magician Norman Ng will perform Saturday, Oct. 10, at 4 p.m., at the Freeport Performing Arts Center.

The event is a fundraiser for the Freeport High School class of 2016. Tickets are $10 in advance, $13 at the door (general admission). Tickets can be purchased at Freeport Hardware, from Melanie Sachs at Freeport Community Services, or by contacting Susan Karnes, 837-2925.

Absentee ballots available

Freeport voters can request an absentee ballot by completing the secretary of state’s online request form at www.maine.gov or by filling out a request form to mail or deliver in person to Freeport Town Clerk Christine Wolfe at the town office. Any registered voter can choose to vote absentee by mail or in person prior to Election Day, Nov. 3. Ballots are available roughly 30 days before the election (and at least 45 days before the election for uniformed service and overseas voters).

The ballot also will include three statewide questions, including one citizen’s initiative and two bond issues. For more information, see www.Maine.gov. For information about the Freeport election, call 865-4743, ext. 123, or email cwolfe@freeportmaine.com.

Nominate Citizen of the Year

Each year the Freeport Town Council presents a Citizen of the Year Award to honor those who have contributed substantively to the quality of the town. Nomination forms are available at the Town Office, the Freeport Community Library and can be found at www.freeportmaine.com. Deadline for nominations is Dec. 10.

Upcoming meetings

Planning Board, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 6 p.m., Town Council Chambers.

Shellfish Conservation Commission, Thursday, Oct. 8, 6:30 p.m., Freeport Community Center.

Winslow Park Commission, Monday, Oct. 12, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Conservation Commission, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 6 p.m., Freeport Community Center.

Ordinance Committee, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 6 p.m., Town Council Chambers.

Project Review Board, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 6 p.m., Town Council Chambers.

Coastal Waters Commission, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 6 p.m., Freeport Community Center.

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

Korean War photos on display

A photo exhibit, “My Dad’s Perspective: Preserving Beauty Amid War,” will be on display at the Freeport Community Library during October. The exhibit includes 50 images out of a collection of more than 300 taken in South Korea during the Korean War by photographer and Maine native Galen E. Leavitt.

Leavitt, a 1951 graduate of Waterville High School, joined the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in Tachikawa, Japan. After being given a camera and six weeks of training by the military, Leavitt was flown to South Korea on many missions to photograph events – both tragic and celebratory. After he died in 2012, Margo Pullen, Leavitt’s youngest of four daughters, began sifting through some 300 color and black and white slides taken by her father. The collection of prints, matted and framed, even includes a photograph that Leavitt took of himself and Marilyn Monroe during a Korean War USO tour.

Local historian opens speaker series

Kerck Kelsey, historian and longtime member of the South Freeport Congregational Church, will open the Wednesday Wisdom series beginning on Wednesday, Oct. 7, from 6:30-8 p.m. in the Community Hall at the South Freeport Congregational Church. Kelsey will trace various high and low points in this area’s history, together with certain oddities that have drawn his attention. A $5 donation is welcomed. Coffee will be served along with a harvest dessert. Those interested in attending can contact Beth at 865-4012 or email to southfreeportchurch@gmail.com.

Turf field effort

hosts event

The Tri-Town Track & Field Project is hosting a gathering at the William Allen Farm in Pownal on Wednesday, Oct. 7, from 6-8 p.m., called “When We Build It, They Will Run.” The event kicks off an effort to engage the community about the upcoming fundraising campaign to build a track and synthetic field facility for Durham, Freeport and Pownal at Freeport High School. The free event includes local refreshments and live music. Attendees can RSVP at www.letsbuildit.eventbrite.com.

Andrea Bryant