‘Letters at Sea’

opens Friday

“Letters at Sea: The Tale of the Ship Hornet,” an original musical performed by Freeport High School students, opens Friday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m., at the Freeport Performing Arts Center. The show also runs Nov.12 and 19 at 7 p.m., Nov. 13 and 20 at 2 p.m., and Nov. 16 at 5 p.m.

“Letters at Sea” has given students the chance to debut a show, originate roles and imagine something from the ground up. Students are designing the set, choreographing, designing costumes, lighting and playing actual historical figures. Last year, Holly Hurd of the Freeport Historical Society contacted Simon Skold, the drama teacher and director at Freeport High School, to discuss the idea of turning the story of Capt. Josiah Mitchell, a Freeport captain aboard the Hornet, a freight clipper on its way to San Francisco in1866, into a play. Skold soon started scenes for what became “Letters at Sea,” a musical following Mitchell, his wife at home in Freeport, and a reporter looking for his big break.

Tickets are $5-$10. All tickets for the Nov. 16 show are $5. They can be bought at the door or online at http://our.show/lettersatsea.

Session offers look at

gap-year programs

Representatives of semester, year-long, gap year and summer programs for high school students will be on hand to provide information on their programs on Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 6-7:30 p.m., at Freeport High School’s Performing Arts Center. The event is offered through the Freeport High School Guidance Department.

Participating programs have included these and more: American Field Service, The Alzar School, Aspire by API, Coastal Studies for Girls, Experiment in International Living, CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange, Oxbow School, The Island School, The Mountain School, The Traveling School, School Year Abroad, Maine Coast Semester at Chewonki, and National Security Language Initiative for Youth.

The evening consists of two parts. Starting at 6 is the stage presentation where all organizations will give a brief overview of their programs, followed by a time for individual stations.

For more information, contact Dana Clark, FHS guidance, 865-4706, ext. 304, [email protected].

‘Gundalows & Gunpowder’

topic of history presentation

Alan Hall, a social studies teacher at Yarmouth High School and historian, will give a talk, “Gundalows & Gunpower: Approaching Freeport’s Early History from the Sea,” Thursday, Nov. 17, from 7-8:30 p.m., at the Freeport Community Library. The presentation is sponsored by the Freeport Historical Society.

According to the historical society, Hall will focus on the transition from Freeport’s earliest colonial settlements in the 18th century into the early days of Freeport’s industrial and shipbuilding economy of the early 19th century, from the 1750s to the 1840s. In addition to using the rivers and streams as an early transportation network, the colonial residents of the town relied upon mill sites, landings, salt hay marshes and stages for drying fish to support their earliest economic activities. From the Cousins River to the Harraseeket estuary and Bunganuc Creek, the waterways provided the most reliable means to move food, supplies, lumber, and people in and out of the new town. This maritime lifeline remained essential to the development of the town until the railroad arrived in 1849 shifted Freeport’s economic center inland.

Admission is $5 for non-members of the historical society, and free for members. For more information, see www.freeporthistoricalsociety.org.

The 1960s are back

at ‘WFCP Radio Hour’

The Freeport Players’ “WFCP Home Time Radio Hour,” returns to the Freeport Performing Arts Center “studio,” Friday-Sunday, Dec. 2-4. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. The show features live music, all-new comedy sketches, and more. The players are joined by musicians Rob Babson (Delta Knights, WFCP Orchestra) and friends, backing the show’s singers on 1960s rock, soul, folk and country. The show also features the Sound Effects Ladies.

Tickets are $15 at the door, or save $5 by purchasing tickets online at www.fcponline.org or at Maine Wicked Goods Mercantile, 304 US Route 1 South, Freeport.

Launch date set for

cultural plan sessions

The Freeport Town Council and the Freeport Arts and Cultural Alliance invite all interested parties to attend a Cultural Plan Launch meeting, Friday, Nov. 18, at 6:30 p.m., at the Freeport Community Center.

The alliance hopes to develop a cultural plan for the town, and seeks input at the meeting. Following that meeting, Freeport Arts and Cultural Alliance will call meetings in December to seek input from different elements of the community, including government and civic organizations.

‘Dementia Conversations’

at library Nov. 9

Mark Pechenik, manager of Community Engagement and Outreach with the Maine Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, will return to the Freeport Community Library to present “Dementia Conversations,” Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 6 p.m. The program is for families and individuals dealing with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia or anyone who would like to know more about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

Pechenik provides tips for breaking the ice with your family so you can address some of the most common issues that are difficult to discuss: going to the doctor for a diagnosis or medical treatment, deciding when to stop driving, and making legal and financial plans for future care.

Free film

“A Royal Night Out,” a recently released film, will be screened Thursday, Nov. 17, at 1 p.m., at the Freeport Community Library. Rated PG 13, the film takes place on V.E. Day, when Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret are allowed out of Buckingham Palace to join the celebrations. Actors include Rupert Everett as the King, Emily Watson as the Queen, Sarah Gadon as Princess Elizabeth and Bel Powley as Princess Margaret.

Jam-Along Sunday

A Music Jam-Along is Sunday, Nov. 13, from 2-4 p.m. Participants are invited to bring their acoustic stringed instruments and make music with friends and neighbors. Some folk and bluegrass lyrics with chords will be projected for all to see. Listeners, singers, and all musician levels are welcome.

Lioness-Lions host

annual fair, lunch

The Freeport Lioness-Lions 19th annual Holiday Craft Fair and Fish “Chowdah” and Chili Luncheon will be held Saturday, Nov. 19, from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m., with lunch from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Harraseeket Grange, Elm Street in Freeport.

The fair will feature homemade knit items, stained glass, canned goods, jewelry, crafts and more. There will be hourly drawings and free coffee available. On the lunch menu are chowdah, chili, hot dogs, corn bread and homemade pies.

For more information, call Cindi at 798-0047 or Martha at 865-6188.

Jingle Bell Run

aids arthritis research

The 5K Jingle Bell Run/Walk will be held on Sunday, Dec. 4, at Mast Landing School, 116 Mollymauk Lane in Freeport. Registration is at 9 a.m., with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. Participants in the run or walk will raise money for the Arthritis Foundation to help find a cure for arthritis.

The Jingle Bell Run/Walk began in 1984 to raise awareness of the country’s most common cause of disability, while also raising funds for research, health education and government advocacy to improve the lives of people with arthritis. To celebrate the season, participants form a team by inviting their friends and family members to join them. Participants tie jingle bells to their shoelaces and many wear holiday costumes.

Those interested can register at www.jbr.org/freeport, and save $10. To learn about sponsorship opportunities, contact Tom Bringle at [email protected] or call 603-724-6080. Jingle Bell Runs will also be held in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on Dec. 11 and Concord, New Hampshire, on Dec. 18.

For more information, see www.arthritis.org.

Citrus sales fundraiser

for class of 2017

The Freeport High School senior class selling citrus fruits this month to help provide safe, chem-free senior week activities in June. Fundraising also provides scholarships to allow members of the class to participate in those class activities.

A large box of navel oranges (contains some seeds) costs $44, small box, $26. A large box of red grapefruit costs $39, small box, $25. A small box of tangerines is $33. A small variety box is $65. Large boxes are approximately 36-40 pounds, and small boxes are approximately 18-20 pounds. Orders are due by Monday, Nov. 21. Delivery will likely be Dec. 15-18.

Find the order form on the FHS website under Class of 2017 news. For more information, contact Beth Sutherland, [email protected] or 415-5787.

Toys for Tots

collection starts

Caleb Stephens, financial adviser with Edward Jones, is supporting the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program by using his office as a drop-off location for this year’s toy drive.

Local residents can help needy children in the area by bringing in a new, unwrapped toy to the office, at 5 Depot St., Suite 24, Freeport, during regular business hours, 8 a.m.- 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, through Friday, Dec. 9.

“With the holiday season around the corner, we are all getting ready for the festivities,” Stephens said. “And as this is the season of giving, now is a great time to remember the less fortunate in our community.”

Edward Jones, a Fortune 500 company, provides financial services for individual investors.

Woman’s Club has

grant to award

The Freeport Woman’s Club is looking for a candidate for its 2016-2017 Step Up Grant, a $1,000 gift for a woman over the age of 21 from Freeport or Pownal who is seeking occupational training and is experiencing financial need. Criteria for selection of the applicant are based upon financial need, clarity of goals, educational program and references. For questions and further information, call Virginia Boyles at 865-3973.

Upcoming meetings

Project Review Board, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 6 p.m., Town Council Chambers.

Coastal Waters Committee, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 6 p.m., Freeport Community Center.

Shellfish Conservation Commission, Thursday, Nov. 10, 6:30 p.m., Freeport Community Center.

Winslow Park Commission, Monday, Nov. 14, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.

Sustainability Advisory Committee, Monday, Nov. 14, 5:30-7 p.m., Town Hall.

Traffic and Parking Committee, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 7:30 a.m., Town Council Chambers.

Town Council, organizational meeting, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 6:30 p.m., Town Council Chambers.

Active Living Committee, Thursday, Nov. 17, 7:30 a.m., Town Council Chambers.

Freeport Sewer District, Monday, Nov. 21, 7 p.m., treatment plant, 43 South Freeport Road, Freeport.

A full schedule of meetings and agendas is available at www.freeportmaine.com.

The Hornet burned and sank on May 3, 1866, in remote waters off the west coast of South America. Josiah Mitchell of Freeport, the captain, survived as his longboat made it to Hawaii a month later. The saga is the subject of the original music, “Letters at Sea: The Tale of the Ship Hornet,” which opens this weekend at Freeport High School.