[email protected]

Music festival

Mark your calendars for a preeminent four-day music festival in New Gloucester you won’t want to miss! The fifth season of “The Maine Festival of American Music: Its Roots and Traditions” runs from June 23-26. This year pianist Paul Posnak, soprano Christina Astrachan and brother Arnold Hadd of the Sabbathday Lake Shaker community join the Portland String Quartet to celebrate the music of George Gershwin, Ernest Bloch and traditional Shaker hymns. All events take place in the historic 1794 Shaker Meeting House. A festival of this scope requires the financial support of community businesses and individual arts patrons. Donations are tax deductible and checks, payable to The United Society of Shakers, can be mailed to the Society at 707 Shaker Road, New Gloucester, ME 04260.

Workshop catalog

A free Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village workshop catalog lists 19 crafts workshop and 10 crafts demos, as well as 15 special events. To obtain a catalog, call 926-4597 or log on to www.shaker.lib.me.us.

County charter being developed

At the March 15 New Gloucester board of selectmen’s meeting, District 3 county charter commissioners David Lunt and Steve Gorden delivered a presentation about a new charter they, along with seven other officials, are immersed in drafting. Cumberland County has never before had its own charter; it has been governed by state rules.

Lunt stressed the importance of citizens familiarizing themselves with the draft charter and providing feedback. To read the 10-page document, refer to www.cumberlandcountychartercommission.org. Lunt welcomes citizen comment at 926-3877.

Marketing workshop

An interactive marketing workshop for small business owners will be presented from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Monday, April 12. It will provide helpful tips on how to run an effective marketing campaign on a shoestring budget, with opportunities for sharing no-cost and low-cost marketing ideas that work.

The workshop is presented by Gretchen Henn, program director and business counselor at the Maine Women’s Business Center, in conjunction with the New Gloucester Economic Development Committee. It will take place at The Meetinghouse, 389 Intervale Road, next to Town Hall. You are invited to participate in this evening of learning, while sampling locally produced light refreshment. To register, please contact Paul First, Town Planner, 926-4126 (ext.4) or [email protected]. The cost is $15 per person.

Pineland Farms program

The April monthly meeting of the New Gloucester Historical Society will feature Craig Denekas, vice president of the Libra Foundation speaking about Pineland Farms’ expansive operation that has grown to 5,000 acres since its inception in 2000. The meeting will be held on Thursday, April 15 at 7 p.m. in the New Gloucester Meetinghouse on Route 231, next to Town Hall. Members and the general public are invited. Refreshments will be served, and a business meeting will follow the program.

Pisgah Hill walks

The Pisgah Hill Campaign Committee and Royal River Conservation Trust are pleased to offer spring walks on the proposed Pisgah Hill Conservation Area. This is a great opportunity to see a beautiful part of New Gloucester, made possible by the generosity of several landowners. The walks are scheduled from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on the following two Sundays: April 11 with Walk Leader Mark Power, 232-1997 and April 18 with Walk Leader Eugenie Francine, 776-8376. Please meet at the temporary trailhead on the Dougherty Road approximately 0.5 mile from the intersection of Dougherty Road and Route 231 in New Gloucester. Look for pink flagging on wooden stakes on left and park in field or along the road shoulder. All are welcome on this moderately easy hike. Please RSVP by calling the walk leader. Dogs are also welcome but need to be leashed. Visit www.rrct.org to learn more about the Pisgah Hill Project.

Free soccer clinic

The Patriot Soccer Club in conjunction with Challenger Sports will offer a free promotional soccer clinic for all players on Sunday, April 11. Come find out why Challenger’s British Soccer Camps have become the most popular soccer camp in the country. Clinics will take place in Gray (field to be determined – please check the Web site) at the following times: ages 4-5 from 1 to 2 p.m., 6-9 from 2 to 3 p.m., and 10-13 from 3 to 4 p.m. For more information, please call Bruce Sawyer at 653-8629 or visit www.patriotsoccerclub.org.

Wine tasting

Pineland Farms will be holding its first ever wine and cheese tasting from 3-6 p.m., Thursday, April 15, at The Market, 15 Farm View Drive. Three red wines and three white wines from vineyards around the world that evoke the flavors of spring have been selected. Don’t miss a sampling of Pineland Farms’ own cheeses and locally inspired bites paired with each sip of vino! This is a free event, open to anyone 21 or over. For more information, call 688-4539.