Fishing derby June 4

L.L. Bean has scheduled its 47th annual Fishing Derby on Saturday, June 4, from 8-11 a.m., at the Durham Rod and Gun Club on Pound Road. The derby is open to all children 3-12 years old. All children must be accompanied by an adult, and the derby will be held regardless of weather. Derby rules state no overhead casting. Kids must provide their own fishing poles, sinkers, bobbers, and worms. Don’t forget the worms.

Prizes will be awarded to the various age groups for biggest fish, most fish (in total weight) and first fish caught.

Office hours

The Durham Town Office hours are Monday, Tuesday and Friday, 8: 30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; closed Wednesday; and Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. For more information, call 353-2561. ATV registration stickers are now available at the town office.

Absentee ballots

now available

Absentee voting for the June 14 primary election ends June 9. Ballots for the Regional School Unit 5 budget validation referendum will only be available from May 27-June 9. This is due to the budget validation meeting, which will be held on Wednesday, May 25, at 6:30 p.m., at the Durham Community School. This meeting is where changes can be made to the warrant before residents vote on the final budget in the referendum. For more information, call the Town Office, 353-2561.

Durham kids excell

at video challenge

For the second year in a row, students in Eliza Damone’s multimedia class at

Durham Community School won prizes in the Meridian Stories video

challenge. It is also notable that Durham Community School was the only

school to place two teams in the top 10 from around the state, which was

also the case last year.

Meetings

The Durham Board of Selectmen meet Tuesday, May 31, at 6:30 p.m., in the Town Office.

The Durham Republican Committee will meet Monday, May 23, at 7 p.m., in the meeting room directly behind the Shiloh Chapel. All registered Republicans are welcome to attend.

The Regional School Unit 5 budget meeting is Wednesday, May 25, at 6:30 p.m., at the Durham Community School.

Bryant Pond camp

fundraiser launches

Durham Community School fifth-graders are looking ahead to the fall, when, as sixth-graders, they will be spending three days and two nights at the University of Maine Bryant Pond 4-H Camp.

Community support is now being sought for this experiential learning opportunity in the Maine outdoors. Fifth-graders are selling $10 raffle tickets for a $1,000 prize. The raffle drawing will be at noon at the Durham Community School PTA Fun Fair on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30. In addition, fifth-graders will sell lunch and desserts at the fair, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The proceeds from these sales will go toward the Bryant Pond 4-H Camp fund. For more information or to purchase a ticket, contact Kim Pontau at 841-2574 or kimpontau@yahoo.com.

Fire & Rescue

sets spring cleaning

A spring cleaning of the entire Durham Fire & Rescue Department’s apparatus has been scheduled for Sunday, May 15, from 8:30 a.m.-noon. After every call, members routinely clean the outside of the apparatus. Now, the community’s assistance is requested to help clean the inside of each apparatus, particularly the compartments. The department also will be conducting a recruitment day at the same time.

The auxiliary will provide lunch to everyone following the morning’s activities.

Roadside cleanup

effort under way

Residents who want to help rid Durham’s roads of litter can pick up special plastic bags at the Town Office at no charge. The roadside litter can be stuffed into the bags, which can be left out for pickup by Pine Tree Waste. The litter pickup is scheduled for the first three weeks of May.

Church raffle

drawing May 21

Tickets for a quilt and pillow sham raffle are being sold to benefit the Shingle Fund of the First Congregational Church of Durham, to re-shingle the church roof. Tickets are $5 each. The drawing is on Saturday, May 21, at the church fair. For tickets contact Linda Bowie, 330-0793; Jill Litchfield, 650-0063; or Tina Snow, 319-9472. Tickets are also available at the Durham Get & Go.

Parade, run coming

on Memorial Day

Registration is now open for two Memorial Day traditions – the annual 5K and Fun Run, and the parade. The run starts at 8 a.m. on Monday, May 30, with check-in beginning at 7 a.m., at AMVETs Post 13, 1049 Royalsborough Road. Registration for the 5K is $20 and $15 for students, and $10 for the fun run. Registration forms must be sent or emailed to the town office or turned in the day of the event. Proceeds support the AMVETs post.

Companies, organizations, neighborhoods, friends and family are invited to design a float for the parade. The

parade will start at 10 a.m. Check-in for registered parade entries will begin at 9 at the Durham Get & Go.

Parade lineup will be on Davis Road. The route will take the parade to Veterans Park for a stop, and then it will stop at Sawyer Cemetery. It ends at Durham Community School. For more information, contact Joe Howe, parade coordinator, at 353-9110 or jrhowe3@outlook.com.

Registration for both events is available online at www.durhamme.com.

Quilt raffle tickets

on sale now

Raffle tickets are now on sale for the Denise LaFlamme Scholarship Fund Quilt. Tickets are $1 each. Five dollars will give you six chances to win. Tickets are available from any of the Durham Moms, a group of Denise’s friends who are dedicated to honoring her memory through the scholarship fund. Pictures of the quilt as it has evolved can bee seen online at www.facebook.com/Durhammoms. The following members of the scholarship fund team have raffle tickets available for sale: Wendy Marstaller, Tracey Jordan, Jean Lane, Janice Brissette, Louann McCarthy, Julie Wagoner and Leigh Fisher. Tickets also can be purchased at www.durhammoms.com. The deadline is May 31.

Last year’s scholarship totaled $1,200, and the goal is to beat that number in 2016. One high school senior from Durham, Pownal or Freeport, who demonstrates LaFlamme’s hard work and perseverance qualities, will earn the Denise LaFlamme Scholarship. For more information, contact Leigh Fisher, 713-1179.

Community Lunch

June Community Lunch at the First Congregational Church of Durham, 773 Royalsborough Road, will be served on Tuesday, June 7 and 21. Doors open at 11:30 and the meal is served at noon. The suggested donation for lunch is $2-$4, and all proceeds fund future lunches. The general schedule is the first and third Tuesday of the month.

The general lunch schedule is the first and third Tuesday of the month.

For those interested, the book club will meet over dessert on June 7. The selection is the novel, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” by Mark Haddon.

The church, located at the intersection of routes 9 and 136, is handicapped accessible. Those interested in helping or who have questions can call Julie Wagoner at 353-9715.

Burn permits

available online

Diana Dimock of Durham Fire and Rescue has reminded residents that free online burn permits are available at www.wardensreport.com.

Written burn permits can be obtained based on staffing and fire class day.

Pre-K, kindergarten

sign-up under way

Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten pre-registration has begun for the 2016-2017 school year. See www.dcs.rsu5.org for the registration forms and more information.

The pre-K program is a partial week, full-day program operating in two sessions: a Monday and Wednesday session and a Tuesday and Thursday session. Placement in Friday’s session, will be determined by the results of screening. This means, some children will be recommended for placement in a three-day program in order to provide them with additional support.

The program will only accommodate a total of 32 students. If there are more than 32 children registered, priority will be given to those with an academic or developmental need, and remaining places will be determined by lottery.

AMVETS, auxiliary membership

Veterans who want to belong to an organization that supports other veterans, families and the local are welcome to join the Durham AMVETS Post 13. For membership information, call Chad Burke, 798-0956.

Women who are the wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister or granddaughter (18 or older) of a veteran are invited to join the Durham AMVET Post 13 Ladies Auxiliary. Give Melinda a call or email her at amvetpost13la@gmail.com.

The group meets every third Monday of the month at 7 p.m.

CEO hours

Hours for Paul Baines, Durham’s codes enforcement officer, are Monday and Tuesday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.; Friday, 1-4 p.m. He can be reached at 376-6558 or codes@ durhamme.com. For more information, call the Town Office, 353-2561, ext. 13.

Weekly cribbage

The Durham Eureka Community Center, corner of Route 9 and Route 136, hosts cribbage every Tuesday from 9 a.m.-noon.

Rent Eureka Center

The Durham Eureka Community Center is available for rent. The maximum amount of people the hall holds for an event is 50. Contact Nancy Decker at 751-1323 or the Town Office at 353-2561.

Food pantry

The Lisbon Area Christian Outreach (LACO) food pantry, which serves the towns of Durham, Bowdoin, and Lisbon Falls, is open Wednesday from 6-8 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m.-noon and Saturday from 8-10 a.m. The LACO Food Pantry is located at the Marion T. Morse School on School Street, Lisbon Falls. The parking lot is behind the Lisbon United Methodist Church, off Berry Avenue. There is also a free clothing bank. For more information, see www.lacopantry.org.

Church services

The First Congregational Church of Durham UCC, 773 Royalsborough Road, holds

Sunday worship at 10 a.m. with the Rev. Peter Mercer.

Shiloh Chapel, Beulah lane off Shiloh Road, holds services Sundays at 10 a.m. Ron Parker is pastor.

Durham Monthly meeting of Friends, 532 Quakermeeting House Road, at the corner of Route 125, every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. The pastor is Douglas Gwyn.

The annual L.L. Bean Fishing Derby is always a popular event for children. This year’s derby, the 47th, is Saturday, June 4, at the Durham Rod and Gun Club. Courtesy photo