Spring Fever

Congratulations! If you’re reading this it means you survived another Maine winter, and your reward will hopefully be a warm, sunny spring. I am personally looking forward to throwing open all the windows, hauling the porch furniture out of the shed and smelling the heavenly aroma of my heirloom lilacs. I won’t even mind slogging around the basement to turn on the sump pump, because the optimist in me knows that when the basement is wet, the ground is thawed. Let the Sump Pump Symphony begin!

Songs of Sondheim

If you’ve got a swing in your step and a song in your heart, join the Gypsy caravan. Lake Region Community Theater has put out a casting call for their summer musical, Stephen Sondheim’s play based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee.

This beloved stage show traces Lee’s family as they seek their fortune in the American burlesque scene of the 1920s. Auditions will be held at Stevens Brook School on Tuesday, March 12, at 6 p.m. and Saturday, March 16, at 10 a.m. All auditioners must participate in a dance piece, so wear stage-appropriate shoes. There are over 40 roles to be cast, from the age of 8 to adults. If you are auditioning for a speaking part be prepared to sing.

Gypsy will be staged June 21-23 and June 28-30 at the historic Deertrees Theater in Harrison. For more info and a complete casting list go to the LRCT website at www.lrctme.org or call director Mary Bastoni at 603-986-2221.

Share the Wealth

Loon Echo Land Trust has always helped protect the mountains and lakes of Western Maine, but they also help educate its residents. The local nonprofit just announced the recipients of its 2013 Environmental Educational Grant Program.

The grants, funded through the Helen Allen and Polly Bartlett Education Endowment, will be distributed to schools and libraries in Naples, Harrison, Casco, Raymond and Sebago. The money will be used for classes in ecology, entomology and astronomy, helping elementary schoolchildren build a solid foundation in sciences. The grant also supports the annual Sebago School’s third grade Winter Walk in conjunction with Maine Audubon.

Loon Echo currently stewards 4,000 acres of Western Maine, and owns six preserves with over 22 miles of multi-use trails open to the public. Check out www.lelt.org for more news about the grant program, group hikes and membership info.

Slainte!

Everyone is a little Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, and you can join the jig as the Bridgton Knights of Columbus host their annual Corned Beef Supper on Saturday, March 16.

The traditional Boiled Dinner also includes vegetables, beverages and dessert and costs $10 for adults and $5 for kids under 12. Advanced tickets are only $9, and takeout plates are also available if you’ve got an Irish friend or neighbor who might not be able to make the actual event.

The Supper will be held at 5:30 at the St. Joseph’s Parish Hall at 225 South High Street, with all proceeds going to fund the K of C’s ongoing social outreach programs in Bridgton.

On Eagle’s Wings

Facing a serious illness is horrific, but having the support of friends and loved ones can hopefully ease the stress a bit. Local artist Nelle Ely is donating her time to help a local wellness center by teaching free art classes for cancer patients and survivors.

On Eagles Wings is a support program started by Ann Ruel to assist women going through breast cancer treatments. Ely will hold the classes beginning on Monday, March 11, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Bridgton Community Center. The focus of the first class will be “collage,” so bring photos, lace and ribbons. Subsequent classes are set for March 18 (watercolors) and March 25 (floor cloths).

Call Ann to register for any or all of the classes at 415-9166. Check out the website at www.oneagleswings2.com for info on all upcoming classes and fundraisers, or to volunteer or donate to this wonderful wellness center.

Ice Out

What do free home-cooked dinners, heating assistance for low-income seniors and community gardens have in common? They are just three of the dozens of programs sponsored by the Bridgton Community Center, which relies on fundraising to provide its vital social outreach.

One of the center’s biggest events of the year is the annual “Ice Out” contest, in which raffle tickets are bought to guess the thaw date on Moose Pond. If you’ve driven over the Causeway this winter, you’ve seen I.C., the big snowman guarding the inlet at the base of Shawnee Peak. When the ice goes out a lever triggers a sensor recording the exact date, and whoever guesses right wins half of the 50/50 raffle.

Tickets can be bought at the Greater Bridgton Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce, Black Horse Tavern, Campfire Grille, True Value and the BCC. The contest closes on April 1, if the ice lasts that long. The earliest Ice Out ever recorded was in 2011, on March 17, but the average date is April 15.

Good luck, and thanks for supporting our amazing community center.

Bunny Hop

The Bridgton Recreation Complex went from dream to reality with the grand opening of its ball fields on Route 302 last fall, but fundraising continues to help complete the final stages of this ambitious and game-changing local project.

Join BRAG for the Second Annual Easter Festival on Saturday, March 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bridgton Town Hall on High Street. Tickets are $5 per person and include crafts, egg decorating, egg hunt, Easter bags and a visit from the Easter Bunny. All proceeds benefit the Kendall and Anna Ham Recreation Complex. For more information call Lyn at 627-7380.

Take A Hike

If cabin fever has you climbing the walls, shake off the winter blues and hit the trails instead. Local support group WomanSpace is celebrating the return of spring with a hike up Bald Pate on Sunday, March 10.

Grab your hiking boots and meet at the Bridgton Community Center for a 9:30 a.m. departure time. This hike will be appropriate for all skill levels, as the Pate offers everything from flat, open rambles to a more challenging trail to the peak. The reward will be fresh air, good company and amazing views. Rain date is Sunday, March 17. Call Linda Hamilton for more information and to sign up at 523-0700.

For Goodness Snakes

Tai Chi Maine kicked off the Chinese Year of the Snake with a $1,045 donation to the Bridgton Recreation Department’s Scholarship Fund. The Year of the Snake is symbolized by helpfulness and generosity in the Chinese tradition, which makes the donation a fitting gesture of goodwill and community spirit.

The group offers free classes of Moy style Tai Chi at the Bridgton Town Hall on North High Street every Tuesday and Friday mornings. An essential part of Tai Chi Maine’s philosophy is “giving back to community” and this donation is in appreciation for the use of the Town Hall and in support of the many beneficial athletic and cultural programs which the Bridgton Rec. Department provides to the community.

You may learn more about Tai Chi Maine on their website, www.taichiinmaine.com, including information about their upcoming outdoor summer sessions at the Denmark Bicentennial Park on the shores of Moose Pond.

These 13 graduates successfully completed the Bridgton Community Center’s babysitting class and received their American Red Cross and American Heart Association certification. Led by Deb Ripley, Alison Ross and Bente Fadden, the students learned about safe and responsible babysitting, leadership, safe play, and first aid including infant and child CPR. Courtesy photo