Southern Maine Coastal Classic returns to Cumberland Fairgrounds with four days of AKC All Breed Dog Shows and Obedience and Rally Trials. Shows run from Thursday, May 18, through Sunday, May 21, beginning at 8 a.m. each day, outdoors, rain or shine.

Southern Maine Coastal Classic returns to Cumberland Fairgrounds Thursday, May 18, through Sunday, May 21, Courtesy photo

York County Kennel Club of Maine, Inc and Vacationland Dog Club, Inc., invite the public to meet some of AKC’s 180-plus recognized breeds and observe the various activities throughout the day. Breeds represented include golden retrievers, Doberman pinschers, bearded collies and more. Those looking for a particular breed, have a good chance it will be represented, and can speak with the handlers when they’re not showing.

Each day’s activities include regular conformation concluding with a Best in Show winner. Conformation is the “beauty contest” where each dog is judged based on its breed description. Puppies as young as 6 months old can compete, and Friday and Sunday a four- to six-month Beginner Puppy Competition is a special event for new, prospective show dogs to learn the ropes.

Junior handlers are important to the future of the sport so Junior Showmanship runs all four days. Open to children 9 to 18 years old, with Open, Intermediate and Novice classes, the child is judged on his/her ability to handle and present the dog rather than the dog being judged. Junior handlers must have an AKC Junior Handler number to compete at the shows.

Saturday and Sunday feature two sessions of obedience and rally running consecutively. The performance events test a dog’s skill understanding its handler’s commands. Not only do purebreds compete but All-American Mixed Breeds can participate if they are registered with AKC.

While at the show be sure to check out the vendors selling food (for people) and dog-related items.

The 12th Southern Maine Coastal Classic takes place on May 18-21 at Cumberland Fairgrounds, 174 Bruce Hill Road, Cumberland. Admission each day is $5 per vehicle. There is ample parking inside the fairgrounds.

Founded in 1945, Vacationland Dog Club, Inc., is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of purebred dogs through public education and responsible dog ownership. York County Kennel Club of Maine, Inc., is a not-for-profit organization whose goals are to protect and advance the interests of purebred dogs through AKC performance events and community education activities.

For more information about Southern Maine Coastal Classic and its host clubs, visit vacationlanddogclub.org, yorkcountykennelclub.org or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/YCKCofME.

Volunteers sought for Scarborough Land Trust’s annual cleanup effort

Volunteers are invited  to join the Scarborough Land Trust on Saturday, May 6, for its annual cleanup day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Families are encouraged to participate.

The land trust will have projects available at six preserves (Pleasant Hill, Warren Woods, Libby River, Blue Point, Sewell Woods, Fuller Farm Preserves) across Scarborough. In addition to trash pick-up, the groups will also spread woodchips, complete other trail maintenance, and remove invasive plant species.

For more information or to sign up, contact Samantha Wolf at swolf@scarboroughlandtrust.org or 207-303-6350.

Saturday May 6, was also proclaimed Scarborough Land Trust Day by the Scarborough Town Council. The proclamation recognizes the role the land trust plays in the community. For more information about the Scarborough Land Trust and how to become a supporter, visit www.scarboroughlandtrust.org or call 207-289-1199.

The Scarborough Land Trust is a community based, non-profit organization focused on conserving natural and agricultural land. In addition, the Land Trust owns and manages over 1,600 acres, actively stewarding the land for the benefit of people and wildlife. Nine properties are open to the public and have trail systems. For more information on protecting your land, upcoming education programs and events, volunteering, or to make a donation, contact the Scarborough Land Trust at 207-289-1199 or info@scarboroughlandtrust.org. To visit the website go to www.scarboroughlandtrust.org.

Peoples United bean supper is May 20

Peoples United Methodist Church in South Portland will host a baked bean supper on Saturday, May 20. The event is scheduled for 5 to 6 p.m. at the church, located at 310 Broadway.

The menu includes homemade baked beans, hot dogs, casseroles, salads, and pies. The cost is $10 per person, $8 for ages 3-12.

For more information, call 207-799-3416.

Murphy on Champlain trustees’ list

Fiona Murphy of Scarborough was named to the Champlain College (Burlington, Vermont) trustees’ list for the fall 2021 semester. Students on the trustees’ list have achieved a 4.0 grade point average for two or more consecutive semesters.

240 Strings presents season finale

The Portland Piano Trio will perform works by Beethoven and Mozart in the 240 Strings Free Community Concert Series. This is the final concert of the 2022-23 series. It will be held 3 p.m. May 21 at the Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St., Portland. At 5 p.m., the public is welcome to stay and cheer for the students of 240 Strings as they present their end-of-year celebration concert.

According to a news release, 240 Strings has been presenting four free community concerts each year since 2026 in its mission to “mentor and empower young learners through free classical music education, concerts and community.”

No tickets or reservations are required.

The group was founded by the Portland Piano Trio (Annie Antonacos, piano, Tracey Jasas-Hardel, violin and Jing Li, cello). According to the news release, music critic Allan Kozinn wrote, ” enlivening tautness, flair and precision … The Portland Piano Trio unquestionably has the goods.”

The group has appeared on numerous chamber music series, including Portsmouth Atheneum, Fox Islands Concerts, Electric Earth Concerts, Bay Chamber, and Machias Bay Chamber Music Festival. The trio is serving as the founding musicians-in-residence of 240 Strings, a Portland-based nonprofit supported by the National Endowment for the Arts dedicated to providing private music lessons to economically-challenged children in Portland and providing affordable community concerts.

The trio has twice attended Avaloch Music Institute in Boscawen, New Hampshire, for a week of intense rehearsing and sharing with other nationally recognized chamber groups, and has served in residence at New England Music Camp.

Scarborough seeks applications for Community Center Committee

The town of Scarborough is accepting applications for a new Ad Hoc Community Center Committee. The committee is charged with the further exploration of the opportunity for a community center.

Members will study, evaluate, and analyze relevant opportunities in full and make recommendations to the town council during the feasibility study and design process for a community center.

Those interested should complete the Ad Hoc Community Center Committee application form to be considered. Applications will be accepted through June 7.

For more information and the application form, visit  www.scarboroughmaine.org/stay-connected/municipal-projects/community-center.

Cape Elizabeth high school student wins ecomaine’s Upcycle Challenge

Aurora Milton, a junior at Cape Elizabeth High School, won ecomaine’s annual Upcycle Challenge for her design and manufacturing of a jumper made from other old clothing and fabric, including a touch from her own homecoming dance dress, that might have otherwise been discarded.

Aurora Milton, a junior at Cape Elizabeth High School, won ecomaine’s annual Upcycle Challenge for her design and manufacturing of a jumper made from old clothing and fabric Courtesy photo

The announcement was made Monday, May 1. It is the second consecutive year that a Milton design has earned first-place honors in the challenge.

Voted on during the month of April in celebration of Earth Day, the contest featured two other entries as finalists – a bike wheel, glass bottles, and found materials from nature made into a wind chime by Westbrook’s Intercultural Community Center; and Fiddlehead Center for the Arts in Scarborough’s design of a functional dollhouse made from old wreath box, with furniture, curtains, and accessories made from old straws, cardboard, paper, paper and toilet paper tubes, left over flooring tiles, sharpie caps, and more.

In just over two weeks, the contest garnered more than 1,000 votes; Milton’s pants garnered 71 percent of the vote, earning the $500 grand prize for Cape Elizabeth High School.

From Milton’s contest entry: “April showers bring May flowers and a distaste for fast fashion. In spring 2023, consumers are focusing on wearable, sustainable pieces as opposed to mass-produced microtrends. This upcycled jumper perfectly represents this mindset, offering a timeless, Y2K, romantic comedy look. Appealing to the environmentally conscious, this garment is made exclusively from retired materials: the base of the jumper formerly belonged to a dress found at Goodwill, and the black straps and bust band came from an old pair of pants. Even the appliqué on the chest was salvaged from remnants of the designer’s upcycled homecoming dress. Wearable for any occasion throughout the year, this jumper makes for an iconic runway look.”

“All three finalists did such an amazing job,” said Matt Grondin, ecomaine’s communications manager. “It’s important to congratulate each of them for their great creativity; it’s clear that Aurora’s design resonated with Maine voters in the Upcycle Challenge.”

The challenge asked students in ecomaine’s communities to use items that ordinarily would have been disposed of, to make all-new, functional ones. ecomaine’s Outreach and Recycling Committee selected the three finalists based on their incorporation of post-consumer materials, the ingenuity and functionality of the new creation, inclusion of students in the process, as well as the approval from a teacher or advisor.