Ah, June. Here’s to a long, hot summer of sunny days and lots of our friends from away coming to visit. Welcome back to Bridgton! I have never been so happy to see green leaves, green plants, even the green grass that needs constant mowing. I even considered not swatting at a mosquito the other day, only out of solidarity for the winter we both just endured. Of course my compassion was very brief and I flattened him like a pancake, but he almost made it. It has been incomparably lovely to air out the house, have fresh flowers on the kitchen table, and sleep with the windows wide open. I even took a dip in Highland Lake on Sunday, and it wasn’t freezing. It wasn’t exactly warm either, but it was so refreshing to be in the water instead of standing on top of two feet of ice that I savored every minute of it.

Dad’s Day

Poor Dad, always getting up at the crack of dawn to make a living for the family, then coming home to mow the lawn, fix the furnace and listen to his wife. Show him the appreciation he earns the other 364 days a year by making him something special.

The Bridgton Library is hosting a crafting party from 11 a.m. until noon for children to make their fathers a homemade picture frame and keychain, which he will hopefully appreciate more than a bottle of beer and a few hours of peace and quiet. I doubt it, but it is a kind gesture.

Summer Solstice

The library also helps welcome the Summer Solstice with a celestial celebration on Saturday, June 21, from 11 a.m. until noon. Kids will learn all about the solstice and what it has symbolized throughout history, then participate in sun-related crafts: Making sundials, sun spinners, crowns and wands. Both of these events are free and open to the public. Please call 647-2472 for more information or check out their website at www.bridgton.lib.me.us.

Kick the Habit

If it were easy to quit smoking, then millions of people would not be spending $8 for a pack of cigarettes, and life expectancy would soar. Unfortunately the addiction is tenacious and hard to kick. There is help.

The Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute is offering free early lung cancer screening for past and present smokers. These free CT scans are designed to catch abnormalities in the lung, and can help reduce the risk of death from lung cancer by 20 percent. If you are between the ages of 55 and 74, please call Crystal Naycock at 795-8354 to determine your eligibility and set up an appointment. Do it for yourself and all the people who love you.

Chalmers Congratulations

A well-run business not only keeps its bottom line healthy, but its employees as well. If you are ever in downtown Bridgton during business hours, any season of the year, you have surely seen groups of women walking together, laughing and talking and getting some fresh air. Many of them work for the Chalmers Group.

The local family-owned insurance company was recently awarded the Maine Family Business Award by the Institute for Family-Owned Business. The multi-generational family business emphasizes the well-being of its staff, rewarding them for taking walking breaks and focusing on wellness. A happy staff is a happy business, and this award is further proof that we have a deserving, successful family-owned enterprise anchoring the business landscape of Bridgton. Congratulations!

Horror House

Continuing its tradition of supporting Maine-based filmmakers, the Magic Lantern is hosting a screening of Windham native Corey Norman’s first feature film, The Hanover House, in the Tannery Pub from June 20 through 22.

The movie is receiving high praise in the horror realm, with its impressive production value, solid acting and the fact that it was filmed in an actual haunted house. Located in the hills of Western Maine, the home has purportedly had incidents of supernatural phenomena for the past 100 years. Residents have been awakened at night by apparitions of an old man and young boy, objects are repeatedly moved from room to room, and at least two babysitters refuse to ever set foot in the house again. In other words, I am there!

Norman is an accomplished cinematographer and has worked on projects with NOVA, the History Channel, Discovery and National Geographic. The movie will be shown Friday and Saturday nights at 9 p.m., and Sunday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $8 each.

Grow Strong

As I wrote in my last column, the empty lot beside the Post Office has recently been transformed into a garden plot, with raised beds filled with healthy, organic compost. This is the beginning of another great project by the Gilroy Trust, a local charitable trust founded by the late Wardner and Frederika Gilroy and administered by Glenn and Leslie Niemy.

I ran into Leslie at our Community Garden planting party at the Bridgton Community Center on Saturday and found out some interesting info about the newest project. This new initiative hopes to not only provide fresh, organic produce to local families and food pantries but the veggies will be grown in conjunction with the new Native American Heritage Center on Main Street, and in conjunction with the Dempsey Cancer Center. Many of the proceeds from the garden will be delivered directly to cancer sufferers and survivors.

What a lovely way to not only support people and families in dire need of healthy food, while simultaneously brightening an otherwise blighted plot of land. Many thanks to Glenn, Leslie, Bob Wiser and his family, and all of the other volunteers who are making this wonderful addition to downtown. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for a long, hot growing season and a huge harvest for all!