Kennebunkport author

at Graves Library

Local author George Longstreth will appear at Graves Library on Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 5:30 p.m., to discuss his book, “Shot Down Over the Soviet Union, A Strategic Air Command Finally Revealed.”

According to a Graves Library news release, the book is about “a mentally unstable, rabid anti-communist becomes the commander of a SAC B-47 carrying two nuclear bombs during the Cold War. When ordered to break from his Iron Curtain patrol and fly west, he turns east with the intention of starting a nuclear war between the two sides of the Iron Curtain.”

In his latest novel, Longstreth leads the reader on a wicked chase with “Shot Down Over the Soviet Union: A Strategic Air Command Secret Finally Revealed.”

As a retired surgeon, Longstreth has been collecting stories and characters, many of which have been brought to life in previously published works, with more to come. Longstreth and his wife, Betsy, live in Kennebunkport when they are not visiting any number of their 19 grandchildren.

Copies of the book will be available for sale and signing. Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library is located at 18 Maine St., Kennebunkport. For more information, call 967-2778 or visit www.graveslibrary.org.

 

Bean supper returns

to Holy Cross Lutheran

Holy Cross Lutheran Church, located on the corner of Lord and Storer streets in Kennebunk, will host a bean supper on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 4 to 6 p.m. All are invited to attend the free supper. A suggested donation of $10, with half of the proceeds going to Community Outreach Services, would be welcomed.

The menu consists of homemade baked beans, hot dogs, coleslaw, an assortment of bread, and homemade pie, provided by Holy Cross parishioners.

For more information, call 207-985-4803.

 

Herb Noble Ride

benefits children’s hospital

The 16th annual Herb Noble Memorial Motorcycle Ride is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 21, at Bentley’s Saloon in Arundel.

The ride benefits Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center. The cost is $25 per person with registration beginning at 8 a.m. Registration includes a ride T-shirt.

The ride, according to a press release, leaves the saloon at 10 a.m., making a scenic trip through back roads with a pit stop or two before returning to Bentley’s in the early afternoon for a post-ride gathering, 50/50 raffle, guest speakers, live music, and dancing.

Participants do no need to have a motorcycle or ride a motorcycle to participate. Those interested are encouraged to stop by the registration table before the ride to donate or purchase T-shirts, see the riders off and/or attend the post-ride gathering that is open to the public.

For more information or to donate or sponsor, contact Bob Noble at 207-985-8966 or visit the Herb Noble Memorial Ride Facebook page.

 

Audubon will host

‘The Penguin Adventure’

York County Audubon will host Shawn Carey on Tuesday, Sept. 17, for a program featuring the Falkland Islands and its penguin populations. The program will be presented both in-person at the Wells Reserve and live streamed via Zoom.

The Falklands are a remote South Atlantic archipelago with two main islands, East and West Falkland, plus an additional 776 smaller islands, most of which are not inhabited. However, several are host some of the islands’ wildlife, including five species of penguins, which on certain islands have thousands of birds and 63 nesting species. There are also both Southern Elephant Seals and Southern Sea Lions which can be seen in large numbers.

The Sept. 17 program will explore two locations on Saunders Islands, The Neck, which has three nesting penguin species plus nesting Black-browed Albatross. Then onto The Rookery with its colony of Southern Rockhopper Penguins and a large number of Black-browed Albatross. After that, Carey will explore Sea Lion Island and a look at Elephant Seals, Sea Lions and the Killer Whales that prowl the waters looking to feast on them. Next up is Bleaker Island with its mile-long beach where Gentoo and Magellanic Penguins ride the waves onto the sandy shores. Finally, the photographic adventure will conclude at Volunteer Point which has the largest nesting King Penguin population in the Falklands .

According to a York County Audubon press release, Carey (Migration Productions) produces bird and wildlife related multi-media presentations, videos and photo workshops that have been presented all over the United States. Carey moved from his home in Pennsylvania to Massachusetts in 1986 and started watching birds in 1988. His avid interest in photography was joined with a newfound passion for birding and he began to combine the two in 1991. By 1994, he and good friend Jim Grady started Migration Productions as a way to present their multi-image slide presentations to a live audience.

Carey’s photos have been published in the Boston Globe, New York Times, Science magazine, and many others over the past 20 years.

The program is free and open to all ages, and no registration is required for attending the program in person. To view it via Zoom, register in advance at yorkcountyaudubon.org.

 

New season of Newcomers

and Neighbors begins

Newcomers and Neighbors of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, and Arundel invites the community to its first monthly meeting of the 2024-25 season called, Curtain Up!. According to the club, those interested in local theater “will enjoy our special guests.”

The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 5, at the Community House in Kennebunkport. A social time is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. with the presentation to follow. The Community House is located at 8 Temple St.

For more information, visit www.kptanewcomers.org.

 

Arundel Heritage Day

planned for Sept. 14

The Arundel Historical Society will host the ninth annual Heritage Day on Saturday, Sept. 14, at North Chapel Common. The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parking and admission is free.

North Chapel Common is located at the junction of Limerick Road and Route 111 (Alfred Road).

The annual event, according to a historical society press release, is a celebration of Arundel’s rural history and the people in Arundel’s past who made the town what it is. There will be a Reminisce Tent that will display historical items of interest relevant to the town’s history as well as the return of the Civil War 3rd Maine Infantry Co.

For those interested in Civil War history, there will be educators from Colonial Pemaquid in period dress from the 1640s, with muskets, sharing knowledge of that period of time in America.

The Maine Antique Power Association will display old steam engines and explain their uses in the Industrial Revolution.

The historical society will host its bake sale and hot dog stand and the Lobster Company seafood truck (a vintage truck itself) will serve seafood. Demonstrations of spinning will be provided by the Southern Maine Guild of Spinners and Weavers and the Evergreen Quilters group.

Heritage Day will also feature music groups, pony rides and games for the children and animals on display. Craftspeople and vendors will be in attendance and educational displays and demonstrations will also be offered.

For more information, visit info@arundelhistoricalsociety.org or call 207-283-9699.

 

Kids’ art featured

at Kennebunk Free Library

Speers Gallery at Kennebunk Free Library will present the exhibit, Kid Creations, featuring art made by children during the library’s Messy Art program. The exhibit will be shown during the months of September and October.

According to a press release, the Messy Art program invited kids to get dirty while creating art. More than 30 pieces were created by children ages 3-11 over the course of an afternoon in July, including stomp art done with bubble-wrapped feet dipped in paint, watercolor with spray bottles, and painting with everyday items such as sponges, spoons and spatulas.

The children experimented with process art, with the goal being the experience itself instead of the result.

The public is invited to view the exhibit in the library’s Speers Gallery from Sept. 1 through Oct. 31 at 112 Main St., Kennebunk, during regular library hours when the gallery is not in use for library programs. For current hours and gallery access, visit www.kennebunklibrary.org.

 

Library hosts

Kennebunk poet

Kennebunk Free Library is hosting a book launch for Kennebunk poet Richard Westley on Saturday, Sept. 7, at noon. Westley will read poems from his new book, “Life-in-Form: A Life in Poems.” According to a press release, “Life-in-Form” is a retrospective work featuring 55 poems Westley wrote between 1974 and 2024.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase and Westley will inscribe and sign them by request. Light refreshments will be served after the reading.

 

The many hits of

Elton and Bernie

Kennebunkport Historical Society’s Mid-Week Music continues Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. with “Elton’s Ballads.” Jim O’Neil (vocal/guitar) and Dana Pearson (vocal/keyboard) will perform songs from the legendary songwriting duo of Elton John and Bernie Taupin, whose half century of collaboration has yielded such classics as “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “I Guess That’s Why They Call it the Blues,” and “Come Down in Time.”

For tickets, visit kporths.com/buy-tickets, email info@kporths.com, or call 967-2751. The monthly concert series takes place at the Kennebunkport Historical Society’s Town House School at 135 North St.

The next entry will be “Jimi: Volume 2” on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m., with Pearson joined by bassist John Kumnick, drummer Dylan Kumnick, and keyboardist Mark Gunter for an exploration of the Hendrix songbook.

 

Guided walk through

Hope Cemetery/Woods

Friends of Hope Cemetery and Woods will host a guided walk through Hope Woods at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 14.

Gordon Collins, a Maine Master Naturalist, will point out facts about the flora that grows in the woods.

For more information or to register, call 207-387-9100 or email friendsofhcw@gmail.com.

 

Artists invited to apply

for monthly exhibit

Kennebunk Free Library is accepting applications for artists to exhibit during the 2025 calendar year. Since its inception in 2001, Hank’s Room Gallery – rechristened Speers Gallery in 2010 – has offered exhibit opportunities to both amateur and professional artists.

The gallery, according to a press release, has hosted a variety of mediums including photography, textile arts and mixed media assemblages in addition to renditions in oil, pastel, enamel oil, encaustic, pen and ink, and watercolor. The application process is open to either individual or group shows. Applications must be received by Friday, Oct. 18, 2024.

In November 2024, an art committee consisting of members from the library and art communities will convene to review the completed applications and set a monthly exhibit schedule for 2025. Upon completion of the review, applicants will be contacted regarding the committee’s decisions. Application forms are available at the library or online at www.kennebunklibrary.org.

 

Legion Post 159
meeting schedule

The monthly meeting of American Legion Post 159 in Kennebunkport is held on the first Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. All veterans and Sons of the American Legion are welcome to attend. Legion Post 159 is located at 102 Main St. (across from the police station) in Kennebunkport.

Future meeting dates are Oct. 3, Nov. 7 and Dec. 5.

For more information, call 967-2400.

 

Library association

annual meeting

The annual meeting of the Kennebunk Free Library Association will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 4:30 p.m. in person. Board of trustees’ meetings are typically held on the last Tuesday of the month at 4:30 p.m. over Zoom or in Hank’s Room, with the exception of July and December. The meetings are open to the public.

For more information or to receive the meeting link, contact Library Director Michelle K. Conners, at 207-985-2173 or kfl@kennebunklibrary.org.

 

School Around Us

Jubilee Community Day

The School Around Us announced that it will host its first Jubilee Community Day on Friday, Sept. 6. The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at 281 Log Cabin Road in Arundel.

According to a press release, the celebration is for learners and their families and is open to anyone in the local community. The day will feature games, attractions and carnival-style foods. In the spirit of community and connection, the school will accept donations for Welcoming Immigrants, Our New Neighbors, a volunteer organization supporting immigrants in the greater Biddeford community. Donations will help to provide basic furniture, winter outerwear, household items, emergency support and other basic needs.

To sign up, visit www.schoolaroundus.org/cdays.

 

Wicked 5K and

Kids’ Wicked Dash

Registration is open for the 15th annual Wicked 5K in Lower Village Kennebunk. The Wicked 5K also includes Kids’ Wicked Dash.

The event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 26, and begins at Federal Jack’s Restaurant and Brewpub, 8 Western Ave. This year’s race will start and finish at Federal Jack’s and includes a run along the coast. Registration includes a Shipyard beer and race T-shirt (if registered by Sept. 5) and admission to the after-party at Federal Jack’s. Children 12 and younger race for $20. There are best costume awards for adults and children.

For more information or to register, visit runsignup.com/Race/ME/Kennebunk/Wicked5K.

 

Conservation trust

hosts Fall Trail Fest

Registration for the fourth annual Arundel Conservation Trust Fall Trail Fest is open. The event features  a 5K, 10K, and half marathon trail run or walk and is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 21.

The half marathon starts at 9 a.m., the 10K at 10 a.m. and the 5K at 10:30 a.m. The courses are set on the the trust’s multi-purpose trail and Eastern Trail and features woodland and stream views.

​Runners will start at the Arundel Municipal Building parking lot at 257 Limerick Road. All races return and finish at the Arundel Municipal Building parking lot. Winners in each age group will be awarded a prize. Prizes range from fresh Maine lobsters to local honey.

To register, visit www.arundeltrust.org. Each participant will receive a race day T-shirt. Arundel Conservation Trust said details for the after-race party will be announced soon.

The event is held in partnership with sister organization, Kennebunkport Conservation Trust,. Kennebunkport Conservation Trust’s trail fest is scheduled for Oct. 6.

​All proceeds from the Fall Trail Fest support local conservation efforts.

Parking is located at Mildred L Day School (600 Limerick Road) where a shuttle will run every 15-20 minutes, starting at 8 a.m. The last return shuttle will leave at 1:40 p.m.

The trust also announced that the Kids’ Flow Trail Fun Ride & Race will return. It will take place alongside the Fall Trail Fest on Saturday, Sept. 21. The event is open to children age 5-12. The Kids’ Fun Ride will kick off at 9:15 a.m. In addition to the timed ride on the top half of the Flow Trail, this year’s fun ride will offer an advanced option for any rider who would like to be timed going the full Flow Trail. Riders can sign up for both race options.

 

Land trust nature

walk schedule

Kennebunk Land Trust released the dates for its Nature Walk series. The first Saturday of each month, the land trust hosts a nature walk on a different preserve following a different theme. Participants are invited to explore a new local preserve and enjoy nature in all seasons.

The walks are led by local Maine Guides and master naturalists, who take participants through the nature preserve and share knowledge and ask questions about the flora, fauna, and nature.

The walks are free of charge for all ages and held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Donations are accepted and well-behaved dogs are welcome. The schedule:

• Sept. 7 – Wonderbrook Park

• Oct. 5 – Mousam River Wildlife Sanctuary

• Nov. 2 – Butler Preserve

• Dec. 7 – For All Forever Preserve

The 2024 walk schedule is subject to change with notice. For more information and to register, visit kennebunklandtrust.org.

Kennebunk Savings and Southern Maine Health Care are sponsors of the events.

 

Seaglass Chorale

seeks singers

Seaglass Chorale announced that it will start rehearsals for its upcoming Winter Concert. The concert will mark the start of the chorale’s 31st season. This year, Seaglass Chorale will celebrate with two events: The group will join the St. Anthony Franciscan Friary for its Christmas Prelude Candlelight Concert the first weekend of December; and on Dec. 13 and 14, will perform Stella Natalis by Karl Jenkins.

Seaglass Chorale will rehearse 6 to 7 p.m. every Thursday beginning on Sept.19 at St. David’s Episcopal Church, Route 1 south in Kennebunk.

Founded in 1993 by Artistic Director Jean Strazdes, Seaglass Chorale is a non-auditioned adult choral group. The chorale represents about 20 southern Maine communities and regularly performs throughout the area, with concerts in Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Wells, Sanford, Saco, and other regional venues.

For more information, visit www.seaglasschorale.org.

 

Legion Post 74
schedules meetings

American Legion Webber Lefebvre Post 74 in Kennebunk holds meetings on the first Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. Legion Post 74 is located at 15 Water St.

Legion Post 74 is looking for new members. Legion Post 74 participates in the May Day and Memorial Day parades, flag retirement ceremonies with the Boy Scouts, furnishes a scholarship to the high school and participates in many other local activities and charities.

 

Amateur Radio Society
meets at The New School

The New England Radio Discussion Society meets biweekly on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. throughout the year at The New School in Kennebunk. The club informally gathers to support and promote amateur (ham) radio. Wide-ranging discussion topics include: early and contemporary equipment, digital technology, internet integration, and striving for international contacts. Most meetings include a tech talk by a society member.

Those interested in amateur radio are invited to join. The New School is located at 38 York St. in Kennebunk. For more information, contact Alex at 207-967-8812.

 

Astro Society
hosts star parties

The Astronomical Society of Northern New England has set its schedule for public Star Parties through August and invites the public to attend. The society operates its own observatory, the Talmage Observatory at Starfield, on Route 35, in West Kennebunk.

At the Star Parties, the public, as well as society members, are most invited to observe the heavens through club telescopes, as well as member telescopes. Stars, visible planets, and deep-sky objects can all be viewed. Experienced society members are on hand to guide the observing, explain what is being seen, and answer questions. There is no fee.

The Talmage Observatory at Starfield opens at 7:30 p.m. for the events. For directions, visit http://asnne.org/where-to-find-us.php.

The Astronomical Society of Northern New England is a local association of amateur astronomers that meets monthly at the New School in Kennebunk. Meetings are on the first Friday of each month. For more information, visit ASNNE.org.

 

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