Dear Readers,

At 5:30 a.m., the parking lot at the Boothbay Y is nearly full as some 80 seniors brave the pre-dawn hour to participate in workouts of one kind or another. At about 2 p.m., the facility fills up again with nearly 200 school kids who play, exercise, do homework, while some sit in groups huddling over their cell phones.

From grandfathers walking around the track, to tots learning to swim, the Boothbay Y has something for nearly everyone. And it is used a lot.

The Y is about kids, and it begins with with child care for little ones and progresses to the fit kids program for the K through fifth grade. There are swim lessons for second graders, competitive swimming for older kids, basketball by the bunches for all ages. After school, the Y turns into a mecca, with some kids staying until closing at 8 p.m.

There is lacrosse for girls and boys, gymnastics for girls and Camp Knickerbocker in the summer. The Y Arts Program gives kids a stage, a bit of instruction and another chance to shine.

In case you haven't noticed, we have a lot of gray haired folks in our communities and the Y has lots of programs for them beginning with pre-dawn swimming and exercise classes, tennis, and winding up after hours with duplicate bridge games.

The Livestrong program is a 12-week session to help folks recover from cancer. It is free.

All over the country, seniors try to maintain their fitness (and keep pounds off) by walking. In the winter months, and summer when it is sweltering, many of them head to the neighborhood mall and stroll around inside.

But we don't have a mall, so lot of seniors (and others) who would rather exercise indoors, walk around the track at the Y. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, seniors are invited to come in to the Y and walk the inside track and there is no charge.

It is a part of their goal to get everyone involved so they feel like they are part of something.

The programs are expanding as the Boothbay Y is partnering with the CLC Y in Damariscotta for tennis and swim programs. They even have a guy who is starting martial arts class and Zumba is back, too. Grown ups can use the fitness machines, attend spinning classes, and a host of other programs, too.

This laundry list of programs is by no means complete. But it does give you an idea that there are lots of programs available for all.

The latest census figures tell us there are about 5,800 folks living in Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor and Southport. In March 2,540 members, nearly half of all the folks living on our little peninsula, participated in one program or another. That figure jumps to about 3,700 as the summer folk arrive.

Volunteers staff many of the programs and many of them were honored last week at the Y's annual dinner. Awards were presented to give special thanks to leaders in various categories.

Last week's dinner gave us a chance to celebrate ourselves and the visionaries who brought this wonderful facility and its programs to our little community.

In the words of W.S. Gilbert, “here's three cheers, and one cheer more,” for the programs, the volunteers and the entire Y community. Well done to all.

P.S. Did I mention there is no tax money involved?