Birthday time

It’s a shame that this paper comes out on Friday, because my birthday happens to fall on Thursday this year. That means I won’t have a chance to tell you about the special parade the town is having for me. Rumor has it that Johnny Depp might be on one of the floats. I can let that piece of info slip, because it’ll all be over by the time you read this. If you are surprised to hear that Bridgton would throw a birthday parade in my honor, you should know that I am having a milestone birthday this year. That’s right, the big 4-1. For those of you reading this and saying to yourselves, “41 is not a milestone birthday,” I’ll have to admit that you are right. However, in my opinion, all birthdays should be celebrated, regardless of the age, because it means we’re alive and get to experience the beauty and wonders that life offers, including all kinds of fun stuff here in Bridgton.

Fiber: It’s not just for breakfast

The Fiber Arts Cottage on the Harrison Road in Bridgton is participating in the Maine Quilt Shop Hop throughout the month of April. The shop will be open Sundays 12-4 p.m. and Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The shop hop requires participants to have a passport stamped at each shop visited and qualifies them for prize drawings.

Each shop has a handmade challenge quilt on display, and participants can vote for their favorite quilt.

Our neighbors in Denmark will host the 22nd annual Sheepfest on Saturday, April 16, from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. The event will be held at the Denmark Arts Center and Bicentennial Park on Main Street. Sheering will take place at the park in the morning, and the center will be open for activities, demonstrations and fiber product sales. Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for a child. Sheep get in free but must be put on a leash (I just made that up).

Library happenings

Throughout the month of April, Hannaford will help raise money for the library through the purchase of reusable shopping bags. Every time a bag is purchased, $1 will be donated to the library. And as an added bonus, one fewer plastic bag will end up in a landfill. It’s a win-win.

The pie sale that the library hosted last month raised $340! Thank you to everyone who purchased a pie and to the bakers who donated them.

April is National Poetry Month, and in honor of it, the library will host a poetry event for children ages 5 and up, on Tuesday, April 19, at 3 p.m. Nancy Schaefer, author of “Poem in Your Pocket,” will give a reading, talk to children about poetry and assist them in writing their own poems. Attendees will also have the chance to make their own pocket pouches to carry their poems in. Here’s my poem for you: Roses are red, violets are blue, why are all the fun events always for kids?

Community needs you

The Bridgton Community Center is looking for volunteers for its Board of Directors, whose goal is to provide services and programs to the community. Individuals with leadership skills and time to share are encouraged to pick up an application at the center, located at 15 Depot St.

Painting classes

On Eagles Wings, 236 Portland Road, will be holding a series of acrylic painting classes during the month of April. Dates are April 15, 17-20, 24 and 29. Times and prices vary, and each class has a different subject. The classes on April 15 and 17 are free to cancer patients, and the subject is whatever the artist wishes to create. Check out www.oneagleswings2.com for more information and to register. You may also call 803-8025.

Keep on learning

The spring session of Senior College takes place on Tuesdays-Fridays from 9:30-11:30 a.m., now through May 6. Courses are $15 each and take place at the Tannery Pub at the Magic Lantern Theater. Course offering booklets can be obtained at the library. Additional information and registration can be found at www.seniorcollegebridgton.org or 647-5593.

Film fest

Spice & Grain natural foods store in Fryeburg is hosting a Food for Thought Film Festival throughout the month of April on Friday evenings. The purpose of showing these films is to create awareness and to open the discussion about where our food comes from. Tonight, April 15, “Bottled Life” will be shown at the Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library in Lovell. On April 22, “Place at the Table” can be viewed at the Brownfield Lions Den. The final showing, “Fresh,” will be presented at the Leura Hill Eastman Performing Arts Center on the Fryeburg Academy campus. Doors open at 6:30, shows are at 7 p.m. Light refreshments and a raffle ticket will be given to attendees, and admission is by donation.

P.S.

I was kidding about the birthday parade, so don’t go around looking for candy that may have been left behind along Main Street. If you do happen to find some, it is either left from the Festival of Lights parade or last year’s Fourth of July parade. I’m guessing you will NOT want to eat it.

Stop by the Fiber Arts Cottage to see the handmade quilt designed and made by proprietor Theresa Hammond for this month’s Maine Quilt Shop Hop.