Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library in Kennebunkport will hold its annual meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 5 p.m. via Zoom. Courtesy photo

Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library will hold its annual meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022, at 5 p.m. via the Zoom platform. All members of the Library Association are welcome to attend.

For a link to the meeting, call the library at 967-2778 or email the director (mlbgraves@gmail.com). The agenda for the meeting is as follows: Updates from committees; Election of officers and new member of the board of directors; Review and approval of library bylaws.

Christmas services require advance sign-ups

Christmas Eve services at South Congregational Church will require advanced sign-ups this year. No walk-ins will be allowed.

The 4 p.m. children’s service and 7:45 p.m. service will be livestreamed at www.southchurchucc.org and the church Facebook page. There is no in-person seating left for these two services.

The 5:30 p.m. service has a small number of spaces left. Reservations must be in by 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 22. Sign-up is available at www.southchurchucc.org.

Recycling firm unveils database of sustainable holiday tree disposal options

The recycling and waste management firm, ecomaine, has published an online tool with solutions and locations for tree drop-off or collection. For the map and list, visit www.ecomaine.org. Courtesy photo

In order to promote sustainable options for disposal of trees following the holidays, ecomaine, the Portland-based recycling and waste management firm, has published an online tool with solutions and locations for tree drop-off or collection.

“We wanted to come up with a way to stick to the solid waste hierarchy and keep more waste out of Maine landfills,” said Katrina Bussiere-Venhuizen, one of ecomaine’s senior environmental educators, in a Dec. 16 email. “A lot of times, trees are thrown away or burned, when they could be used again as wood chips or compost. We hope this tool is a win-win for residents and sustainability in Maine.”

Bussiere-Venhuizen is credited with establishing the tool.

The tool is focused on providing information about places in ecomaine’s more than 65 member communities for residents to bring their tree and ensure it is chipped, mulched, or composted – or, in a small number of instances, municipalities that offer curbside collection for trees.

“While this list is not comprehensive for the entire state, it is a good start to promote readily-available sustainable endings for a fairly common waste item at this time of year,” said Matt Grondin, ecomaine communications manager, in an email. “We welcome additions to the database, to continue to increase similar solutions for this year and years to come.”

Seacoast Garden Club delivers boxwood Christmas trees

Members of the Seacoast Garden Club of Kennebunkport gather every year in early December to make and decorate boxwood trees for delivery to nursing homes, housebound residents and libraries.  Sandra Janes photo

Members of the Seacoast Garden Club of Kennebunkport gathered Dec. 13 for their annual tradition of making and decorating nearly 100 miniature boxwood Christmas trees. The trees were delivered to local health facilities, homebound residents and libraries throughout the Kennebunks. One recipient described receiving her tree as a “heartfelt gift of Christmas joy.”

St. David’s announces Christmas schedule

St. David’s Episcopal Church at 138 York Street (Route 1 just before Wells town line) will host a Come-As-You-Are Christmas Eve pageant on Dec. 24 at 3 p.m. Participants will gather for a special reading of the Christmas Story and sing favorite hymns. Costumes are available for anyone who wishes to participate.

At 5:30 p.m. join St. David’s inside the church for a Christmas Eve Holy Communion Service with music. Masks are required regardless of vaccination status. A Holy Communion Service with music will be offered at 11 a.m. on Christmas Day. Masking is required.

For more information, visit www.stdavidskennebunk.org or call 985-3073.

Sand buckets available in Kennebunkport

The Kennebunkport Public Works and Public Health departments are partnering to help local senior citizens obtain sand this winter to help keep icy walkways safe.

Upon request, buckets of sand for personal use will be delivered to residents who are 65 and older and unable to pick-up the buckets at the Public Works Department. To request a bucket, call Kennebunkport Public Health at 967-4401.

Buckets for the project were donated by Pilot House Restaurant, Lost Fire, Nonantum Resort and Kennebunkport Resort Collection.

The New School is site of astronomical meeting

The Astronomical Society of Northern New England will hold its monthly meeting 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 7 at The New School, 38 York Street, Kennebunk. The business meeting, also open to the public, commences at 6:45 p.m.

The January meeting agenda features a presentation, on Zoom, by Kerry-Ann Lecky Hepburn. Hepburn’s interest in the night sky started early. By the age of 15, she was taking pictures of the stars and solar system objects. As a space science undergraduate student at York University in Toronto, she volunteered at the observatory, where she aided in tours, observing sessions and research.

In the next 20 plus years, she improved her skills in deep-sky astrophotography, while dealing with light pollution and equipment shortfalls. Hepburn’s work has won awards and has been featured in science textbooks, astronomy-related calendars, magazines and online publications such as Sky & Telescope, Sky News, and NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day.

Hepburn shares her knowledge by conducting workshops and addressing astronomy clubs, camera clubs and the general public at speaking engagements. She lives in the Niagara region of Ontario, Canada, with her family. She works for The Weather Network (a Canadian National TV station) as a senior meteorologist and in her spare time flies small airplanes and travels around the world to capture unique nightscapes.

To view Hepburn’s work, visit www.weatherandsky.com.

The January meeting will also include Bernie Reim’s What’s Up for the Month and Astro Shorts, where attendees and members share questions, activities, news and observations.

December’s full “Cold Moon” appears over the lobster trap tree in Cape Porpoise on Sunday, Dec. 19. took the attached photo last night in Cape Porpoise. Cynthia Fitzmorris photo

Two of the nearly 100 decorated boxwood Christmas trees made by the Seacoast Garden Club of Kennebunkport. Kathryn Wittner photo

The Kennebunk Twirlers perform a flaming baton routine during the West Kennebunk tree lighting festivities on Dec. 12. Courtesy photo