Don Whitney and Doug Webster with the Pennell clock face that is returning to the Pennell Institute building after being taken down in 1992. Courtesy of Gray Historical Society
A familiar face
The sole remaining Pennell clock face is now back in the Pennell Institute building after being taken down and stored during the clock restoration of 1992. The face will once again keep time, this time from inside the building.
Doug Webster, a student of the workings of the clock, is assisting Don Whitney, a member of Gray Historical Society, in the planning and execution of mounting and mechanizing the clock face. Both Webster and Whitney are Pennell alumni.
The face will remain in its present original state complete with faded peeling paint and chips. An original set of hands will be reinstalled. The difficult and costly task will be to run the necessary gears and connecting shafts to the face somewhere in the historic building. Funding for the project will come from donations. For more information contact the Gray Historical Society, grayhistorical.org.
Makers’ Market
There will be a Makers’ Market from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, in the large open field at 33 Main St. Nine local vendors are signed up, including food trucks, meal kits and G-NG 4-H Club’s blueberry lemonade stand set up across the street at 24 Main St. in front of Town Hall. Six-foot social distancing measures will be in place and folks are asked to wear a mask.
Music in the Park
Registrations are still being accepted to enjoy live acoustic music this Saturday. Download the registration form at graymaine.org/blueberry-festival and follow the event on Facebook at Gray Blueberry Festival, who is hosting the event.
Old flag drop box
Gray Fire Rescue now has a drop box for worn American flags in the lobby of the station at 125 Shaker Road.
Everyday public sanctuary
A working draft of the micro park. Courtesy of Town of Gray
The Town of Gray’s Community Economic Development Committee has announced plans to create a micro park in the middle of Gray Village at 5 Yarmouth Road.
The micro-park will have a common gathering space for the community and travelers alike. There will be several ways that community members can connect with this project in the future:
• suggest names for the park and vote in the Naming-the-Park Survey,
• attend Planning Board meetings,
• give feedback in the lobby of Town Hall and online,
• get plans from CECD to build a birdhouse for the Village Birdhouse Project,
• volunteer safely for community work-parties and
• help source materials for and build a community garden/pantry garden.
Dates for all the above are to be determined. Contact visit graymaine.org/community-economic-development-committee for more information.
Kudos to Rachel Lyn Rumson
Rachel Lyn Rumson of Gray received a 2020 ecomaine eco-Excellence Individual Leadership Award at ecomaine’s Board Awards on March 10. Rachel, a permaculture designer, educator and facilitator along with her partner, Mike Joyce, run the George Perley Homestead B&B in Gray. She is also the newly appointed chair of the Recycling Committee and a member of the Community Economic Development Committee, working on beautification efforts in Gray and focusing on the first beautification garden project in Gray Village.
Library news
Swing on by the Gray Public Library and check out the newly installed Story Walk. “My Cat, Coon Cat” by Sandy Ferguson is the the first story up on the walk. A new story will be installed every other week.
Library hours have expanded: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Call the library at 657-4110 or visit gray.lib.me.us for updates.
Marilyn Keating-Porcaro can be contacted at mkp657@aol.com.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
