Big days coming

Sebago Days Committee members will be meeting on Sunday, April 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the North Sebago United Methodist Church. They will begin planning the details for this year’s Sebago Days, which will run from July 17-19.

Representatives from Sebago organizations are needed to make this a community event to benefit everyone. Interested individuals wishing to help plan this year’s festivities are also welcome to attend.

A third evening of attractions will be added this year on Thursday, July 17. The Don Campbell Band will entertain crowds on Friday, July 18, the Country Ridge Sliders are slated for Saturday, July 19. The Fiesta rides are returning this year. Imari and her exotic Sahara Dancers will cast their spells on the audience members.

There will be a turkey shoot, antique tractor display, local crafters, vendors and the ever popular fireworks over the lake. Major prizes for the bonus drawings include: picnic table, iPods, a digital camera, jelly cabinet, TV combo, air conditioner and a Bear Creek canoe.

Emergency Shelter

After holding a special town meeting on Tuesday, March 18 voters agreed to make town hall improvements necessary to help facilitate an emergency shelter in Sebago.

The improvements, while costly are necessary as the town is in the process of equipping the old town hall with an American Red Cross approved shelter. The shelter will include handicapped accessible bathrooms on both the basement level, and the upper level, near the stage. Both bathrooms will include showers.

The upgrade will cost $20,000. The building will be double stocked with food, paper products and other supplies for a total cost of $25,000. Selectman Allen Crabtree has been a member of a committee that researched the shelter for two years. Crabtree likens it to a spare tire – you tend to appreciate it more when you really need it.

Committee members chose the location due to its many benefits, including that the town has direct control over the building, the kitchen is large, and there is emergency power. The town is currently accepting bids from contractors to install a generator, which the committee is funding with a grant. This was addressed at the Selectmen’s meeting Tuesday.

What is a shelter with no workers? On March 24 and 28, 13 members of the community attended classes at the Town Hall in order to become certified Red Cross shelter workers.

The classes were led by Peter Stead and Nancy Crump from the Southern Maine Chapter of the American Red Cross. The March 24 classes introduced us to the Red Cross as an organization. The second evening was devoted entirely to shelter operations.

There are two meetings scheduled for early April where the newly certified shelter workers will be discussing the progress of the shelter, and having a drill to prepare for them for an actual emergency. I am among the 13 now certified, 12 were from Sebago, and one is from Bridgton.

Library news

The April artist of the month is Cheryl Boehm, who created a beautiful mosaic dragonfly table. Boehm is a member of the “Touch of Glass” volunteer group at the library. Nancy Fitch of the Treehouse Glass Studios in Sebago supplied the stained glass. The starting bid for the table is $65. The table, which would be a lovely springtime addition to your porch, patio or sunroom, will be on display through April 30. For more information, contact the library at 787-2321.

There will be another cardio pulmonary and automated emergency defibrillator class held at the library Tuesday, April 19 at 5:30 p.m. Call 787-4120 for more information.

“At First Sight,” by Nicholas Sparks is the book chosen by the book club for April. The club will meet April 21 at 7 p.m. Contact the library if you would like to get a copy of the

book and join in the discussion.

A profitable dip

On Sunday, March 30, 21 Sebago adults and children braved the frigid waters of Sebago Lake. The dippers raised more than $4,100 for youth baseball and softball leagues.

Yes, I was a dipper. During the weeks that I carried my pledge sheet around, all I heard was “crazy lady,” but, that is nothing new for me. I wore a costume made to resemble my grandmother Elizabeth Olsen’s 1910 bathing suit. I won the costume category being the only one who chose to wear a costume into the lake.

I missed the “oldest woman dipper” by two months. I tried to win, I even asked my mother, who was present, to lie about my age.

The total raised doesn’t count what was raised by the 50/50 and prize table raffles. Hot cocoa with lots of marshmallows was provided, and boy was it good. I had a great time and highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to give it a shot. But wear shoes. I was unaware that it was necessary, but have since learned with the frigid water and subsequent loss of feeling in all your limbs, you would have no idea if you step on anything, which I unfortunately did.

Thanks to everyone who sponsored me, I will show you the photos as proof – I really did it. Sorry if you were there and I didn’t see you, it was kind of hectic afterwards. Thanks to mom, mom-in-law, father-in-law, husband, son, niece and nephew who came to cheer me on and take photos.

Sebago residents Kurt Christensen, Selectman Maureen Harriman and Elizabeth Dolloff helped raise more than $4,000 for youth baseball and softball programs in the Diamond Dip at Nason’s Beach March 30. Sebago Fireman Jason Schoolcraft is suited up in cold-water rescue gear to assist “dippers” if necessary.