Unofficial Top Five Finish May 31

New England 4 Cylinder Prostock (35 Laps)

1.       #24 Jeff Prindall, Lisbon Falls

2.       #98 Kamren Knowles, West Gardiner

3.       #7 Jerry Bailey, Alna

4.       #38 Ryan Hayes, Jefferson

5.       #2 James Bailey, Wiscasset

Modified (20 Laps)

1.       #5 Mark Lucas, Harpswell

2.       #8B Richard Jordan, Kingfield

3.       #8Y Calvin Rose, Turner

4.       #27 Troy Thorne, Sidney

NAPA Super Street (25 Laps)

1.       #05 James Osmond, Wiscasset

2.       #61 Shawn Austin, Norridgewock

3.       #48 Dan Nessmith, Wiscasset

4.       #5 Adam Chadbourne, Woolwich

5.       #38 Chris “Buzzy” Buzzell, Madison

Outlaw Mini (25 Laps)

1.       #51 Mike Mason, Skowhegan

2.       #06 Ryan Glover, Mexico

3.       #20 Shawn Kimball, Augusta

4.       #8 Calvin Rose Jr, Turner

5.       #9 George Fortin, Greene

Prostock (30 Laps)

1.       #07 Bill Penfold, Oxford

2.       #32 Mike Orr, Wiscasset

3.       #01 Joe Decker, Chesterville

4.       #77 Maggie Ferland, Auburn

5.       #15 Nick Hinkley, Wiscasset

For official results, go to www.wiscassetspeedway.com

The annual Maine lobster boat racing season race will soon kick off once more in Boothbay Harbor.

On June 14 at 10 a.m., the Charles Begin Memorial Race will begin as the first class of racers launch their boats from Tumbler Island toward the Department of Marine Resources. There are 30 different classes of boats in all, said Marshall Farnham, the co-chair of the event alongside Ashlee Lowry, and Boothbay Harbor marks the beginning of a 10-race, three-month long season.

"It's a Maine tradition," Farnham said of the season, "and it does promote camaraderie (among fishermen and the public)."

He said Boothbay Harbor has hosted a race every year since 1988. There will be approximately 50 to 60 boats in the field, and he expects lobstermen from as far away as Jonesport and Portsmouth, N.H. to participate.

"We have boats from the south and boats from Down East," Farnham said.

Boats are separated into classes as they meet a number of selection criteria. There are races for gasoline and diesel classes that are further broken down by horsepower and boat length, a race for wooden boats, a race comprising only Boothbay region entries, free-for-all races for both gasoline and diesel models and the finale that seeks to determine the fastest boat overall.

Registration for this year's race will take place at Brown's Wharf between 7:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. It is $20 to register a boat, and T-shirts and sweatshirts will be on sale for $15 and $30, respectively.

Farnham said there are hundreds of sponsors that contribute to the event. They help support the cash prizes and other awards that winners receive following the race's conclusion. This year, racers who place first, second and third can expect cash prizes ranging from $50 to $150.

"That is a big thing that helps keep us going," Farnham said about the sponsors and the merchandise. He said donations and sales are what allow the race to continue in the Harbor each year.

Boats will anchor up on the east side of the course, and the best place to catch the action will arguably be at the starting and finishing lines — Tumbler Island and the Department of Marine Resources.

The Boothbay Harbor race was named for the racing participant and local lobster enthusiast Charlie Begin. The title became official at the June 18, 2005 event.

Following the Boothbay Harbor race, lobstermen can attend races in Rockland and Bass Harbor this June, in Jonesport, Stonington, Friendship and Harpswell this July and in Winter Harbor, Pemaquid and Long Island this August. A race at Searsport in July was canceled but is scheduled to return next year.

There have been two schedule changes for area Babe Ruth games this Sunday, June 8.

Union Farm Equipment at Wiscasset Merchants at Wiscasset High School will now be a doubleheader that starts at 11 a.m. The Wiscasset Merchants will be the home team for Game 1 and Union Farm Equipment will be the home team for Game 2. This makes up the rained out game between the 2 teams on May 18.

The Waldoboro vs. Damariscotta Lions game has been moved to Begley Field at the Waldoboro Recreation Park and will now be a doubleheader that will start at 2 p.m. Waldoboro will be the home team for Game 1 and the Damariscotta Lions for Game 2. This eliminates the Friday, June 13 game, which needed to be rescheduled due to a school conflict.

The 46th annual Special Olympics Maine State Summer Games are fast approaching. Over 1,500 athletes, ages 8-88 have been training, planning and now packing for this exciting event. They will represent approximately 125 teams from Kittery to Presque Isle and will compete in a variety of Olympic style sports at the University of Maine in Orono June 6-8.

Competition will actually begin on Thursday (June 5) at 9 a.m. with bowling and unified bowling. (Unified events bring together athletes with intellectual disabilities and those without for an opportunity to compete together on the same team.) On Friday the excitement continues with more bowling, time trials, bocce competitions and relays.

Friday evening, June 6 always proves to be a fun filled night with our annual Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg arriving around 4:30, our parade at 6 p.m. followed by our Opening Ceremonies at 7 p.m.

On Saturday morning Track and Field events begin at 8:30 a.m. and run until approximately 3:30 p.m. In addition to the competition athletes will be treated to an Olympic Village full of games and entertainment. Saturday night includes our annual Victory Dance in the field house. On Sunday morning the events conclude with Walk and Mile Run finals and closing ceremonies.

Rob Morrow became a household name playing Dr. Joel Fleischman in the award-winning television show “Northern Exposure” (1990-1995), a role which garnered him three Golden Globe and two Emmy Award nominations for “Best Actor in a Dramatic Series.”

On Thursday, July 3, Morrow and Carlos Calvo will perform live aboard the Harbor Princess (at Pier 7), for what is billed as the “Northern Exposure Cruise.” The boat will get underway at 6 p.m. and return at 9 p.m. Tickets are $30 in advance and $40 day of cruise and can be purchased now at www.mainewhales.com.

A long time musician, Morrow launched a band, "NHI" (No Harbored Illusions) on October 11, 2012 to celebrate his birthday and satisfy fan demand to take his music to another level, which at that point had just been him playing solo gigs and benefits with his guitar and his original songs.

For the occasion, which was originally just a one-time event, Morrow teamed up with good friend Calvo and a group of world-class musicians. A private concert was given to Morrow's good friends and showbiz insiders at the famed Molly Malone’s in Los Angeles.

By many accounts the stars aligned into a harmonic convergence and the evening, which was filmed and recorded for DVD and CD, was considered "the party of the year.” After the auspicious debut and because of mounting industry and fan interest, the group decided to stay together and take the act out to the world.

Morrow and Calvo are actively writing and recording music, some of which can be found online and on iTunes, with more to be released in 2014. The duo have performed at numerous live music venues in Los Angeles including, Witzend and The Mint, and will be taking their act on the road this summer.

TV and the Silver Screen

While Morrow and Calvos are touring, Morrow's new film, “Begin Again,” starring with Keira Knightly, Adam Levine and Mark Ruffalo will be at theaters nationwide. Other film credits include Robert Redford’s Oscar Nominated, “Quiz Show,” “The Good Doctor” opposite Orlando Bloom, and “The Bucket List” starring opposite Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.

In addition to the famed TV series, Morrow also appeared in the HBO hit series “Entourage,” as attorney Jim Lefkowitz opposite Jeremy Piven; and in the final season of  “CSI: NY” opposite Gary Sinise. Currently, he is developing his own new television series with writer Neil Labute and Executive Producer Harvey Weinstein.

Morrow directed, produced and wrote the independent feature, “Maze,” which he co-starred in with Laura Linney. He directed and produced the NBC comedy pilot “The Grean Teem”;  episodes of HBO’s “Oz,” Showtime’s “Street Time,” USA’s “Necessary Roughness” and the long-running hit drama series “Numb3rs,” in which he also starred for six seasons as FBI agent Don Eppes.

For information about other upcoming cruises including Douglas Gimbel and HDRnB on July 5 and the Delta Generators July 18 visit www.bbhrgmusic.com.

The Boothbay Railway Village celebrates Father's Day, Sunday, June 15 with free admission and train rides to all fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers when accompanied by their little ones on Sunday, June 15.

On Saturday, June 21, admission to the first ever Family Fun Day will be free for anyone under 18. The museum will also roll out the red carpet for kids of all ages on Family Fun Day (including the young at heart) with free rides in a Ford Model T and a 1936 Dodge Fire Truck (originally in service in Augusta, Maine) along with a scavenger hunt, storytelling and other fun stuff for the family.

The Boothbay Railway Village, situated on 30 acres in Boothbay, is a nonprofit 501(c)3 museum dedicated to preserving Maine’s railroading heritage, interpreting the evolution of the automobile during the early twentieth century, and conserving architecture and objects that tell the story of Village life in Maine from 1850-1950. Museum guests are invited to step back in time to ride the rails behind an authentic steam locomotive, surrounded by historic Maine buildings preserved in a recreated village. The highlight for many visitors is the superb collection of 60 antique automobiles from a 1902 Rambler to a 1962 Rolls Royce.

The village will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with hourly train departures between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Admission to the Museum is $10 for adults, $5 for children. Museum Members are free. Well-behaved and leashed four-legged friends are welcome. Contact the Boothbay Railway Village for more information at 207-633-4727, or online at www.railwayvillage.org. The Boothbay Railway Village is located at 586 Wiscasset Road, Route 27 in Boothbay.

Like many a Mainer, we have awoken each morning in recent weeks to the squeaky songs of a gray catbird echoing around our neighborhood. Gray catbirds are a common summer bird in Maine and indeed throughout much of the Unites States and southern Canada. They winter in the southeastern U.S. south to Central America and Cuba. Although named for their whining “meew” calls that sound to some ears like a cat, gray catbirds are a member of the family of birds known as mimics, formally the mimidae. The best known of the mimidae is certainly the northern mockingbird.

While uncommon on the Boothbay peninsula and Midcoast region of Maine, northern mockingbirds do occur here in Maine. They are more regular in suburban and urban areas of southern Maine but are scattered across much of the state. Many people are most familiar with mockingbirds from time in Florida or other parts of the South where this species is abundant.

The northern mockingbird is well named because the species is famously good at imitating not only a huge variety of the sounds of other bird species but also sounds of everyday life like sirens, cell phone rings, and screeching brakes. An individual northern mockingbird can have many hundreds of different songs that it sings over the course of even a few hours, some of them perfect imitations of other birds repeated in sequence; others improvised combinations of imitated sounds and, believe it or not, its own whistles and warbles.

Another of the mimidae family that occurs in Maine, though now is decidedly uncommon, is the brown thrasher. It is not known for its strictly pure imitations but rather integrates the imitations into phrases that are typically repeated two or three times and include more of its own sounds. Brown thrashers are one of the kings of complex bird songs, with some birds having well over 2,000 different song types that are remembered and repeated over the course of a long day of singing. The gray catbird in our yard has been delighting us with the short snippets of imitations of other birds that he throws into his long series of squeaky phrases. We’ve noticed the imitations of black-throated green warbler song, common yellowthroat call notes, ruby-throated hummingbird twitters, rose-breasted grosbeak call notes, eastern phoebe calls, and snatches of American robin song.

Birds of the mimidae family are not the only ones that include imitations of other bird sounds in their song repertoires. Red-eyed vireos sometimes toss in a short imitation in their long dawn-to-dusk singing bouts. Finches, including American goldfinches and purple finches, can often surprise you with an imitation in the middle of their extended warbling songs. The introduced European starling is a well-known accomplished mimic that has fooled many a birder with its imitations of eastern phoebes or eastern meadowlarks in the early spring before either of the latter species normally has arrived.

Mimicry in these species is not a strategy for competing with the species they mimic but is instead a way for the males to impress the females of their own species. Males with the ability to remember and sing a series of hundreds or thousands of different songs over the course of a day and a season are apparently very attractive to the ladies. Those birds that can add new sounds to their repertoire have an advantage.

Perhaps this explains why the novel voices of British and Australian actors are so popular here in the U.S. amidst the sea of familiar sounding Americans?

Fans packed the Wiscasset Speedway grandstands June 7 to watch a fabulous lineup of events. The Speedway celebrated “NEMA night” (Northeast Midget Association). Both NEMA and NEMA Lites raced on the track and reached speeds of over 100 mph. This is the first time in 42 years the Midgets have visited the track, and NEMA drivers and fans alike want a return to the track next year. Regular division races included Thunder 4’s, Strictly Street, Mini Trucks, and Late Model Sportsman.

Wiscasset Speedway resumes racing action on June 14 with its group one line up of divisions: Napa Super Street, Prostock, Outlaw Mini, and New England 4 Cylinder Prostocks. The flex event of the week is a Flagpole race which will wrap up the night. There will also be spectator drags during intermission. Details are available on the website. 

Also next week the Legacy car driver Cameron Folsom is bringing Debbie Pastrana Williams to Wiscasset Speedway. Williams is raising money for the charity cause “AGAPE,” which helps orphaned children in India. Williams is Travis Pastrana’s mother. Williams will be selling raffle tickets for a Bush Series race. Also being raffled are two whitewater rafting tickets and an autographed helmet by Travis Pastrana.

Pit gates open at 2 p.m. Grandstand gates open at 4 and racing begins at 6. Admission is $5 for adults and children aged seven and older. Kids six and under are free. Pit admission is $20. Wiscasset Speedway is located on West Alna Road in Wiscasset. For more information, head to the Wiscasset Speedway website at www.wiscassetspeedway.com.

Official Finishes June 7

NEMA Midget (30 laps)

1.       #47 Randy Cabral, Kingston, Mass.

2.       #29 Ian Cumens, Lydell, Pa.

3.       #15A Avery Stoehr, Lakeville, Mass.

4.       #5B Bethany Stoehr, Bridgewater, Mass.

5.       #71 Seth Carlson, Brimfield, Conn.

6.       #99 Jim Santmaria, Burlington, Conn.

7.       #30 Paul Scally, Raynham, Mass.

8.       #39 Todd Bertrand, Suffield, Conn.

9.       #87 Doug Cleveland, Sudbury, Mass.

10.   #13 Ryan Bigelow, East Hampton, Conn.

11.   #46 Kenney Johnson, Bethany, Conn.

12.   #7 Joey Scanlon, NA

13.   #16 Matt Obrien, Wilmington, Mass.

14.   #21 Jim Chambers, Atkinson, N.H.

15.   #6 Frank Swan, Plymouth, Maine

DNS #77X Mike Luggelle, NA

DNS #77 Steve Powers, NA

NEMA Lites (25 laps)

1.       #32 Scott Bigelow, East Hampton, Conn.

2.       #51 Dan Cugini, Marshfield, Mass.

3.       #11 PJ Stergios, Candia, N.H.

4.       #29 Ryan Krachun, Neschanic Station, N.J.

5.       #46X Andy Barrows, New Ipswich, N.H.

6.       #42 Juris Kupris, Williamsburg, N.Y.

7.       #93 Jake Smith, Stroudsburg, Pa.

8.       #44 Christian Briggs, Mattapoisett, Mass.

9.       #25 Richie Morrocco, Plainsville, Mass.

10.   #16 Dennis Obrien, Deerfield, N.H.

11.   #52 Kevin Park, Foxboro, Mass.

12.   #41 Meg Cugini, Marshfield, Mass.

13.   #20 Miles DeVits, NA

14.   #27 Kevin Hutchens, East Waterboro

15.   #9 Matt Swanson, Acton, Mass.

16.   #31 Paul Bigelow, Kensington, Conn.

Thunder 4’S (20 laps)

1.       #5 Ryan Chadwick, Wiscasset

2.       #13 Cody Tribbet, Richmond

3.       #33 Trey Brown, Winterport

4.       #31 Leandra Martin, Richmond

5.       #1 Jeff Davis, Woolwich

6.       #14 Robert McDonald, Smithfield

7.       #04 Curtis Anderson, Richmond

8.       #42 Kyia Roussel, Portland

9.       #4X Travis Pouliot, Madison

10.     #88ME Mike Mathieu, Oakland

11.     #2 Jake Wight, Gardiner

12.     #3 Cody Robbins, Winslow

13.     #22 Mika Stover, Chelsea

14.     #7 Bill Grover, Waterford

15.     #4 Alexis Roach, Brewer

DNS   #74 Aaron Sevigny, Windsor

Strictly Street (25 laps)

1.       #83 Dan Brown, Peru

2.       #14 Dave Brannon, Lisbon

3.       #26 Corey Morgan, Lewiston

4.       #23 Zach Emerson, Sabattus

5.       #36 Richard Spaulding, Lisbon

6.       #32 Tasha Dyer, Freedom

7.       #55 Mike Marshall, Dresden

8.       #5 Guy Childs, Turner

9.       #85 Jairet Harrison, Freeport

10.     #92 Mike Wilson, Chelsea

11.     #24 Jonathan Emerson, Sabattus

12.     #00 Kimberly Knight, Chesterville

13.     #66 Phil Main Sr., Boothbay

14.     #29X Mike Stewart, Durham

15.     #22 Thomas Smith, Edgecomb

16.     #21 Shawn Rines, Wiscasset

DNS   #57 Corey Mullens, Wiscasset

Mini Trucks (15 laps)

1.       #0 Kris Knox, Sanford

2.       #1 Matt Curtis, Freeport

3.       #12 Jerry McKenna, Milton

4.       #17 Matt Weil, Biddeford

5.       #22 Jeff Schmidt, Mechanic Falls

6.       #55 Larry Marshall, Dresden

DNS    #86 Rick Sirois, Norridgewock

Late Model Sportsman (35 laps)

1.       #17 Chris Thorne, Sidney

2.       #15 Nick Hinkley, Wiscasset

3.       #30 Ryan St Clair, Liberty

4.       #6 Chris Bowie, New Glouster

5.       #33 Josh St. Clair, Liberty

6.       #14 Dave St. Clair, Liberty

7.       #7 Steve Reno, West Bath

8.       #25 Will Collins, Waldoboro

9.       #04 Allan Moeller Sr., Dresden

10.     #3 Richard Jordan, Kingfield

11.     #00 Alex Waltz, Walpole

12.     #34 Tyler Robbins, Montville

13.     #12 Dave Patten, Westbrook

14.     #28 Steve Minott, Windham

15.     #5 Bill Pinkham, Wiscasset

The Friends of Windjammer Days is pleased to announce that crowd favorite, the pillaging Pirates of the Dark Rose, will once again entertain the crowds at Windjammer Days with their plundering antics.

The pirates will perform a puppet show and duel on Tuesday, June 24 in the Whale Park, and will be recruiting children and adults of all ages to prepare for a life of piracy through their pirate training, which covers:

• The pirate flag, the ”Jolly Roger”
• The Pirate Articles 
• Pirate Food
• Cutlass Lessons
• Pirate Dentistry  (Tooth Worms Removed)
• Pirate Weapons, grappling hooks, axes, and flintlocks
• Intimidation, or  “Vaporing” as it’s called, to scare the prey

All recruits will be outfitted with pirate gear in preparation for the British Invasion, during which the pirates will try to keep on with their wicked ways and fend off the British. This lively drama will take place on Wednesday, June 25 from 12 to 12:30 p.m. at the Boothbay Harbor Public Landing Whale Park.

The two dozen pirates, and a few companion parrots as well, sail on the 55-foot gaff rigged topsail yawl, the S/V Must Roos, complete with thundering cannon on the top deck and carronades on the lower deck. The company is operated by Tomm Tomlinson, alias “Tom Crudbeard,” Tomlinson says the group “truly is a gang of murderous cutthroats.”

This year the Sarah Mead, a Friendship sloop, will be joining the gang of pirates for the attack. Captains Nate and Randy will have the ship decked out in pirate paraphernalia and help Captain Crudbeard stop the British.

Pirate themed items will be available all over town to help get everyone in the right mood for the attack. At the Friends of Windjammer Days table in the Whale Park, you can find a map of places to go.

The 2014 Windjammer Days is scheduled to take place June 22-28, with the schooners appearing in Linekin Bay on Tuesday, June 24 and in the harbor on Wednesday, June 25.

The full line-up of events and activities is available at www.windjammerdays.org and on Facebook: Friends of Windjammer Days.

The U10 Seacoast Mariners North (Foley) soccer team played in the Coastal Summer Challenge this past weekend (June 14-15) on fields at Bowdoin College, Topsham and Brunswick. There were a total of 192 soccer teams represented from Maine and New Hampshire. Of all of these teams, Mariners North (Foley) scored the second highest amount of goals with 27, missing the out on the title by 1 goal. They played four games over the weekend, beating their first opponent on Saturday, 7-1, and their second, 11-0. The offense shined, as everyone on the team scored at least one goal, with Cody Cleaveland, Gus Silverman and Simon Paledzki each putting the ball in the net several times.

Sunday’s competition was a bit stronger, with the team beating Seacoast Mariners South, 7-3, at their first match of the day. The goaltending duties were split between Alex Hembree and Gavin Loupe, with both keepers making save after save, and shutting down their opponents. The final match of the weekend for Seacoast Mariners North (Foley) was against a very strong Seacoast United “Premier” (all star) team from New Hampshire. The boys played hard and left it all on the field. In the second half, Goalie Alex Hembree was injured while making a save. This left the team with no subs, as they have played all season with a limited squad. Aidan Foley and Garrett Cossette stepped it up a notch on defense, hustling to every ball, and eventually shutting out the Premier team’s offense. The boys won their final game of the tournament, in a hard fought and physical battle, 2-0.

Coach Paul Foley said he was very proud of the team.

“The boys have worked hard all season, and played most of their games with only one substitute, when most of our opponents had 5 or 6. Despite dealing with adversity throughout the season, we really came together as a team, and they showed that this weekend. I’m very proud of them," said Foley.

The U10 Seacoast Mariners North (Foley) finished the season with 7 wins, 1 tie and 2 losses. They finished first in their division in last weekend’s “Coastal Summer Challenge” going undefeated in four games.

For more information about the Seacoast United soccer program, visit www.seacoastunitedmaine.org.

Wiscasset Speedway was warm and sunny, with fans packing the bleachers to watch the group one division of racing, on Saturday, June 14. The evening air cooled just as the big lights of Wiscasset lit the track. Group one racing included: Prostock, New England Four Cylinder Prostock, Outlaw Mini, and Napa Super Street. The flex race of the week was a flagpole race, and there were spectator drags during intermission.

Starting off the evening’s action was a 40-lap Prostock race. Starting on the pole was the #15 of Nick Hinkley. Behind him were the #39 of James Osmond and the #77 Of Maggie Ferland. During the opening lap, the #64 of Matty Sandborn passed Ferland on the outside of turn one, taking third. 

Bill Penfold of the #07 headed to the outside and passed Sandborn on turn one during lap one.  Penfold kept his eyes ahead and moved up the track looking to pass Osmond. Osmond and Penfold raced furiously for second. Osmond held Penfold off until lap 23. Penfold completed the pass on the inside of the backstretch taking second. 

The #9 of Dylan Turner passed Osmond on turn three during lap 26, taking third.  Turner then passed Penfold on the inside of turn three during lap 27, moving to second place.

There was a caution during lap 28 when Penfold spun on the track. Osmond moved back into third place when Penfold went to the back. When racing action resumed, Turner got a good start and passed Hinkley for first along the outside.  Hinkley stuck to the inside line and was able to pass Turner on the backstretch, once again claiming fist.

During lap 35, Turner once again moved to the outside to pass Hinkley. His car slowed and Osmond moved into second and the #01 of Joe Decker moved to third.  Turner recovered and moved up the track.  During lap 36 Turner passed Decker for third.

There was a caution during lap 37 when Decker and Penfold made contact on the track.  Decker spun landing in the infield, and Penfold went off the track on the corner of turn three. 

With only two laps remaining, Turner passed Osmond for second on turn one.  Turner attempted to take first, but was not able to complete the pass before the checkered. 

Hinkley took the win. Turner placed second.  Osmond rounded out the top three in third place. 

“We have really struggled with the Prostock car since my first win,” said Hinkley. “May was full of problems. We had problems with the clutch, then the car was running badly and just not dialed in. Last Prostock race we broke a transmission during the heat race, then lost a second transmission during the feature. This weekend was the first weekend we were where we wanted to be. The car was dialed in. Of course, next race will be a different story because we will be starting from the back.  I want to thank my crew: Frank, Willie, Colton, Jason, Thomas, and Joey.  I would also like to thank my sponsors, including Ideal Portable Toilets, Greg’s Used Cars and Home Seafood Market.”

Wiscasset Speedway resumes racing action, June 21 with its group two lineup of divisions: Late Model Sportsman, Strictly Street, Thunder 4’s and Mini Trucks. The flex race of the week is to be a North East Pro 4 Tour. The Tour visited Wiscasset Speedway last year, and Brian Lancaster from Skowhegan was last years’ winner. Pit gates open at 2 p.m., Grandstand gates open at 4 and racing begins at 6. Admission is $5 for adults and children aged seven and older. Kids six and under are free.  Pit admission is $20. Wiscasset Speedway is located on West Alna Road in Wiscasset.  For more information, head to the Wiscasset Speedway website at: http:www.wiscassetspeedway.com.

Unofficial Finishes June 14, 2014

Prostock (40 laps)

1.      #15 Nick Hinkley, Wiscasset

2.      #9 Dylan Turner, Freedom

3.      #39 James Osmond, Woolwich

4.      #32 Mike Orr, Wiscasset

5.      #77 Maggie Ferland, Auburn

6.      #01 Joe Decker, Chesterville

7.      #28 Adam Chadbourne, Woolwich

8.      #11 Ed Trask, Turner

9.      #64 Matty Sandborn, Westbrook

10.  #07 Bill Penfold, Oxford

11.  #26 Corey Morgan, Lewiston

New England 4 Cylinder Prostock (25 laps)

1.      #7 Chuck Harris, Bristol

2.      #8 Craig Dunn, Strong

3.      #38 Ryan Hayes, Jefferson

4.      #24 Jeff Prindall, Lisbon Falls

5.      #12 Dave Patten, Westbrook

6.      #98 Kamren Knowles, West Gardiner

7.      #35 Nathan McWilliams, Lewiston

8.      #55 John Shorey, Alna

9.      #9X Brooke Knowles, West Gardiner

10.  #99 Cameron Folsom, Augusta

DNF

11.  #2 James Bailey, Alna

12.  #14 Bob Patten, Westbrook

Super Street (25 laps)

1.      #1 Adam Chadbourne, Woolwich

2.      #61 Shawn Austin, Norridgewock

3.      #05 James Osmond, Wiscasset

4.      #48 Dan Nessmith, Wiscasset

5.      #2 Josh Bailey, Wiscasset

6.      #8 Kevin Morse, Woolwich

7.      #38 Chris Buzzell, Madison

8.      #88 Jamie Norton, Farmingdale

DNF

9.      #6 Travis Dunbar, Auburn

10.  #11 Cody Verrill, NA

11.  #04 Zack Bowie, NA

12.  #06 Zach Poland, Woolwich

Outlaw Mini (25 laps)

1.      #13 Nate Tribbet, Richmond

2.      #10 Jimmy Childs, Leeds

3.      #8 Calvin Rose Jr, Turner

4.      #14 Matt Moore, Mechanic Falls

5.      #19 Shane Kaherl, Jay

6.      #53 Nick Bissell, Lewiston

DNF

7.      #20 Shawn Kimball, Augusta

8.      #9 George Fortin, Greene

9.      #13X Chris Blanchard, Clinton

10.  #06 Ryan Glover, Mexico

Flagpole (10 laps)

1.      #42 Pat Hinkley

2.      #1 Shawn Rines

3.      #8 Ron Whitcomb

*For official results, go to www.wiscassetspeedway.com

Save the date for Saturday, Sept. 6, to celebrate with Hidden Valley Nature Center (HVNC) in Jefferson.

The Tree Farm Field Days on Sept. 6 will feature live music, great food, kids and family activities, as well as logging demonstrations, talks, equipment demonstrations, naturalist tours, and more. The event will begin at 8 a.m. with tours, talks, and demonstrations and will run into the late afternoon with games, music, dancing and food! The whole event is free and everyone is encouraged to attend. You don’t have to be a woodlot owner or professional, everyone has something to celebrate when it comes to Maine’s forests.

Live music from local favorites Red Bird, Cuban dance music from Primo Cubano, and international award-winning musician/composer John McDowell will kick off after lunch and run into the evening. Come to celebrate the trees, but stick around to dance and sing. There will be something for everyone!

Running throughout the day will be carnival-style and HVNC-themed games for kids and adults alike. Renowned game maker Aaron Weissblum has created some seemingly simple, unique games that are guaranteed to keep kids and adults entertained. Play for free to win hand-made and locally donated prizes. In addition there will be woodsmen skill competitions like the log roll.

And if you’re not coming for the music, local food, or games there’s plenty more. Numerous artisans, craftsmen, and artists will have work on display and for sale. The morning will feature logging demonstrations of innovative harvesters, draft horse operations, hand tools and more. Forestry professionals will lead walks and talks on everything from proper tree pruning and forest economics, to wildlife considerations and logging history. Equipment dealers and manufacturers will be onsite. Join HVNC for a celebration of all aspects of small woodlots in Maine.

Tree Farm Field Days is an annual event sponsored by the Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine (SWOAM) and the Maine Tree Farm Committee and is held each summer or fall to recognize Maine’s Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year.

For more information about HVNC’s events, or to find out how you can support HVNC visit www.hvnc.org, email info@hvnc.org, or call 207-200-8840.

The Central Lincoln County YMCA and Boothbay Region YMCA announce their summer camps have partnered to offer more opportunities for youth this summer. The CLC Y Traditional Campers will spend time at Camp Knickerbocker and the Baldwin Center in Boothbay. There are a number of weeks that the CLC Y Traditional Camp with take part in ropes course activities, spend time on Camp K’s waterfront, and participate in new fun and exciting activities for the kids.

The Boothbay Region YMCA is offering limited transportation for CLC Y members to their adventure camps with advance registration. Campers will be picked up at the CLC Y for the Boothbay Adventure Camps. For adventure camps, the Boothbay Y is offering its member rate to CLC Y members. This is similar to what both Y’s are doing now with lacrosse, swimming, tennis and gymnastics programs. The CLC Y will have scholarships available for youth to participate in these adventure camps. The following adventure camps are offered at the Boothbay Y.

Explorer Camps – Ages 9 to 11 (limited 13 campers per camp): Island Hoping 1, Trail Blazing, Mountain Hiking in ME, Island Hoping 2, H20 Maine-a, and Forts of ME.

Navigator Camps – Ages 12 to 15 (limited 13 campers per camp): Acadia Nat’l Park, White Water Rafting 1, Mt. Blue State Park, and White Water Rafting 2.

Please register soon to secure your spots in both camps.

New at Camp Knickerbocker

Tracey Hall and Maddie Rideout, first-year co-directors at Camp Knickerbocker, have announced the first five weeks of their programming at Camp K. The two have developed a theme for each week of summer camp, with several activities planned for each week. Week 1, June 16-20, was "Out to Sea"; week 2, June 23-27, "Game Show Mania"; week 3, June 30-July 4, "Animal Planet"; week 4, July 7-11, "Camp K's Got Talent"; and week 5, July 14-18, "Explore the World."

Next week, for example, the "Animal Planet" theme will include, according to the course description, "looking at the animals that call camp home. We will be learning about the different categories of animals: insects, mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish," through activities, games, hikes and discussions.

During week 4, "Camp K's Got Talent," campers will use their creative skills, such as using natural items to build structures, perform skits and organize a talent show.

And during week 5, "Explore the World," campers "will be exploring the outer reaches of camp (and the world). We will be using our sense of smell, taste, touch, sight, and hearing while going on some hiking adventures around camp." Counselors will lead them in discussions, demonstrations, games and more.

Visit the YMCA, go to its website, www.boothbayregionymca.org, or call 633-2855 for more information.

Who would think that needing a new, bigger septic system would turn out to be a good thing? Maybe a family into volleyball, whose engineer happened to suggest the system could have a sand court on it?

Make that an Olympic-sized sand court. Chad and Julie Jones did, in their yard on Wiscasset's Suki Lane.

The court means ready access to training time for sisters and Wiscasset Christian Academy students Aleeya Jones, 11, and Madison Jones, 9.

Beach volleyball makes fitter, higher-jumping players than play on indoor courts alone, said their mother Julie Jones. She coaches high school volleyball at Wiscasset Christian and is coach of Brunswick High School's volleyball club.

Her daycare business of 10 years proved too much for the home’s prior septic system; the family was then surprised to hear that the new one could have a volleyball court on it. The engineer mentioned it without even knowing the Jones’ involvement in the sport. “We were all for it, and everybody put their heads in the books, and we designed an Olympic-sized volleyball court.”

Friendships, word-of-mouth and a Facebook page for the sand court have attracted other players, from beginners to a Bowdoin College volleyball team player. Thursday nights feature free pickup games.

The games, like the court's surface, are a training boost; but they are also fun, a chance to play close to home and spend time with people who share an enthusiasm for the sport.

“It’s great. Something to look forward to,” Blake Nichols of Waldoboro said between pickup games on June 19.

Christy Jewett hails from northern California but had no prior beach volleyball experience, only indoor. She’ll be a junior at Bowdoin in the fall.  Her time on the court in Wiscasset is benefiting her overall development as a player, Jewett said. “I’m really pleased that (Aleeya and Madison) have this opportunity,” she added about the court.

Madison has begun entering beach volleyball tournaments and earned two medals to date.

Aleeya heads to Las Vegas on July 28, for four days of training in the 2014 Girls' Future Select National Skills Program. It's a step higher than her training last year in Florida, her mother said. The programs are part of the same pipeline toward possible international competition. Aleeya has her sights set on being an Olympian, a goal she already had when readers first met her in April 2013.

Asked how she felt about getting invited again after this year’s tryouts, she said, ”I felt really excited about that.”

“She didn’t expect it, that’s for sure,” her mother said. “Obviously they see something in her, because they’re keeping an eye on her.”

To help the family with travel costs for the Las Vegas trip, go to www.gofundme.com/Aleeyas-Olympic-Journey; for more on the sand court, including rentals, the pickup games and upcoming clinics, look up Jones Sand Volleyball Court on Facebook or call Julie Jones at 207 522-8240.

It was a beautiful day Saturday, June 21 at the Wiscasset Speedway. Fans gathered to watch the group two division of races including Thunder 4’s, Strictly Street, Mini Trucks, and Late Model Sportsman. The flex race of the week was a New England Pro 4 Tour feature. The tour visited the track last year, and Bryan Lancaster from Skowhegan was last year’s winner

The Late Model Sportsman featured seven cautions. Seventeen cars competed in the thirty-five lap feature. Starting on the pole was the #5 of Bill Pinkham. Behind him were the #25 of Will Collins and the #04 of Allen Moeller. There were several cautions at the beginning of the race; however, there were no leader changes until lap thirteen. The #33 of Josh St Clair made contact with the back of Moeller’s car sending Moeller sideways, causing a caution. Moeller went to the back, and Josh St Clair moved to third.

Nick Hinkley of the #15 had traveled from his fourteenth starting position, up into the top five by lap twenty. During lap twenty-seven Hinkley made his move and passed Josh St Clair on the outside of turn three for third. In a flurry of action, Collins passed Pinkham on the inside of turn two during lap twenty-eight for the lead. Hinkley challenged Pinkham for second and passed Pinkham on the inside of turn three during lap twenty-nine. Hinkley fought for first, but Collins was a force on the track and held off a determined Hinkley for the remainder of the race.

Collins placed first. This is Collins' fourth top five finish, and his first win of the season at Wiscasset. Hinkley took second. Pinkham, who was last in points coming into the race with only 22 points, placed third. Hinkley was point leader coming into Saturday’s race with 166 points. Chris Thorne was second in points with 150.

Collins said, “I am really happy to finally get a win in this car. It took five tries, but we did it. We made a lot of changes these past two weeks, and I think we are getting it."

Wiscasset Speedway resumes racing action on June 28 with its group one lineup of divisions: Napa Super Street, Prostock, Outlaw Mini, and New England 4 Cylinder Prostocks. The flex event of the week is a modified exhibition. Also on the agenda are the Woodside One Wheelers. Unicycles will perform, and race on the track.

Pit gates open at 2 p.m. Grandstand gates open at 4 p.m. Racing begins at 6 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and children aged seven and older. Kids six and under are free. Pit admission is $20. Wiscasset Speedway is located on West Alna Road in Wiscasset.

For more information, head to the Wiscasset Speedway website at: http:www.wiscassetspeedway.com.

Unofficial Finishes June 21, 2014*

Strictly Street (35 Laps)

1.       #26 Corey Morgan, Lewiston

2.       #36 Richard Spaulding, Lisbon

3.       #32 Tasha Dyer, Freedom

4.       #23 Zack Emerson. Sabattus

5.       #24 Jonathan Emerson, Sabattus

6.       #83 Dan Brown, Peru

7.       #55 Mike Marshall, Randolph

8.       #66 Phil Main Sr., Boothbay

9.       #19 Foster Meserve, Wales

10.   #22 Thomas Smith, Edgecomb

11.   #00 Kimberly Knight, Chesterville

12.   #29 Dave White, Topsham

13.   #39 Gerard Freve, Turner

14.   #14 Dave Brannon, Lisbon

15.   #6 Mike Brown, Union

16.   #85 Jairet Harrison, Freeport

17.   #21 Shawn Rines, Wiscasset

Thunder 4”S (20 Laps)

1.       #5 Ryan Chadwick, Wiscasset

2.       #3 Cody Robbins, Winslow

3.       #91 Jamie Heath, Waterford

4.       #7 Bill Grover, Waterford

5.       #13 Cody Tribbet, Richmond

6.       #33 Trey Brown, Winterport

7.       #1 Jeff Davis, Woolwich

8.       #4X Travis Poulliot, Madison

9.       #14 Robert McDonald, Smithfield

10.   #113 Nate Tribbet, Richmond

11.   #04 Curtis Anderson, Richmond

12.   #70 Roy Sevigny, Windsor

13.   #74 Aaron Sevigny, Windsor

New England Pro 4 Tour (25 Laps)

1.       #81 Bryan Lancaster, Skowhegan

2.       #1 Dylan Lancaster, Skowhegan

3.       #06 Ryan Glover, Mexico

4.       #12 Darrell Moore, Mechanic Falls

5.       #8 Calvin Rose, Turner

6.       #98 Nic Skillings, Warner

Mini Trucks (15 Laps)

1.       #17 Matt Weil, Biddeford

2.       #0 Kris Knox, Sanford

3.       #12 Jerry McKenna, Milton

4.       #1 Matt Curtis, Freeport

5.       #22 Jeff Schmidt, Mechanic Falls

6.       #55 Larry Marshall, Dresden

7.       #68 Roger Allard, Harpswell

Late Model Sportsman (35 Laps)

1.       #25 Will Collins, Waldoboro

2.       #15 Nick Hinkley, Wiscasset

3.       #5 Billy Pinkham, Wiscasset

4.       #30 Ryan St Clair, Liberty

5.       #14 Dave St Clair, Liberty

6.       #33 Josh St Clair, Liberty

7.       #04 Allan Moeller Sr., Dresden

8.       #28 Steve Minott, Windham

9.       #17 Chris Thorne, Sidney

10.   #00 Alex Waltz, Walpole

11.   #32 Mike Orr, Wiscasset

12.   #3 Richard Jordan, Kingfield

13.   #34X DJ Moody, Prospect

14.   #6 Chris Bowie, New Glouster

15.   #34 Tyler Robbins, Montville

16.   #12 Dave Patten, Westbrook

17.   #20 Corey Walker, New Vineyard

*For official finish visit www.wiscassetspeedway.com

Saturday, June 28, is a big fundraising day for the Wiscasset High School cheerleaders.

From 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., a yard sale will be held at J & M Gas (next to the Miss Wiscasset Diner, Route 1); a car wash will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Skip Cahill Tire in Edgecomb; and a bake sale will be held at Ames Supply from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Come support the WHS cheerleaders!

Summer has started, and all rock-skipping enthusiasts should be preparing themselves for the 11th annual Rock Skipping Contest sponsored by Orne’s Candy Store in Boothbay Harbor.

Mark the date (Saturday, July 12) and be prepared. It’s not only a great time for kids of all ages, but the proceeds from the donations go directly to the Boothbay Region Food Pantry.

This annual event is open to kids of all ages, regardless of their prowess in throwing rocks. Rock skipping has long been part of the summer tradition of the Webster family, owners of Orne’s since 1960, and they love sharing with friends, neighbors and those other rock-skipping fanatics.

It’s not quite “ready, set, throw,” but that’s coming up soon, specifically on July 12. On the spot signups start at 1:30 p.m. and the first throw will go off at 2 p.m. The location is still the same: Down at the water’s edge in the parking lot next to the footbridge in Boothbay Harbor.

Those interested in being part of this historic event should bring their own skipping rocks (we suggest at least seven), and — all important — a “rock-skipping moniker/name.” You can’t skip without it, and you might not like the one we make up for you. Keep it “rocky.”

The divisions are: girls 12 and under; boys 12 and under; adult women and adult men, 13 and up. Suggested donations: $5 for adults and $1 for kids 12 and under.

Options to sign up for the contest are: While in town, just step into Orne’s Candy Store, on Commercial Street, and add your name to the list on the inside of the front door; or sign up at the skipping location starting at 1:30 p.m. on the day of the contest. A donation can be given at either place.

This year is no different from the past. Orne’s Candy Store will provide prizes for participants, and winners. Everyone who enters the competition gets rock candy on a stick. The winner in each category gets “the thrill of victory,” plus a pound of Orne’s Rocky Road Fudge, a handsome trophy created by Arthur Webster, your photo and name in the newspaper and your name added to the “chronicles of rock skipping legends.”

Over the weekend we had the opportunity to lead a birding expedition to an area north of Millinocket known by many as the proposed national park lands. It was exciting to be birding an area that currently little known by birders — we felt like birding pioneers! The lands may someday encompass about 150,000 acres of both national park and recreation area extending east from Baxter State Park and including portions of the east branch of the Penobscot River and beautiful pristine lakes, ponds, and mountains. Our half-day birding excursion gave us only enough time to sample a small portion of the area so we focused on a tour around the Katahdin Loop Road which is a newly opened 15-mile, one-way loop road. The road is dirt but has been decently graded to make it easily passable even for cars with decent clearance.

These lands hold a diversity of habitats that support a vitally important reservoir of Maine’s breeding birds. We heard lots of the buzzy “I’m so lazy” songs of the black-throated blue Warbler in the expansive forests of beech and yellow birch. In fact Maine’s forests are thought to hold more breeding black-throated blue warblers than anywhere else in the world—nearly 20% of the entire world population!

Near the entrance to the Katahdin Loop Road we took a short hike to a stunningly beautiful pond overlook and then an esker-top trail through spruce-fur forest. A pair of blue-headed vireos cavorted nearby, singing and gathering food for a nearby nest. A common nighthawk flew over with the mountains behind it. All around us were the echoing songs of white-throated sparrows with their classic whistled “Old Sam Peabody-Peabody-Peabody.” A boreal-specialty black-backed woodpecker flew in and landed on a dead tree as we hiked the esker, and a boreal chickadee — the brown-headed cousin of the familiar black-capped chickadee—gave a brief view to a few of our group. Magnolia warblers and Nashville warblers seemed to be everywhere.

The numerous birds aren’t the only reason to move slowly along the road. The week before our trip, on a quick scouting trek to the area, we came around a corner and caught a glimpse of a mother moose with a calf in a small clearing. Around another corner, we had an even more unusual experience: as we eased our vehicle around the curve, there was a black bear foraging along the side of the road. Our own experience in Maine has been that the few times we have seen a black bear, it darted off very quickly. Perhaps the strong breeze that day kept the bear unaware of the car; we were able to watch it for nearly five minutes before it figured out we were there and scuttled away.

A stop at another small walk into another pond overlook yielded great views of a pair of adult Rusty Blackbirds feeding their newly fledged young along the pond edges. This was especially heartening, given that this species has seen massive population declines — as much as 95 percent or more in recent decades.

At about mile five of the Katahdin Loop Road is a scenic overlook that provides one of the most dramatic overlooks anywhere in Maine of Mount Katahdin. Through the telescope, we enjoyed seeing hikers moving along the ridges, before the sweet song of a fox sparrow lured us along to the next birding stop.

The Katahdin Loop Road is open to the public, and all are invited to go and explore them. For more info, visit the website of the Natural Resources Council of Maine www.nrcm.org.

Nick Scott (35:09) and Sarah Scudder (50:43) were the top male and female finishers in the 10k race, while Maclean O'Donnell (16:59) and Katherine Gibson (20:09) were the top male and female finishers in the 5k race during the 34th annual Rocky Coast Road Race held in Boothbay Harbor June 28.

The Boothbay Region YMCA, which sponsors the race, reported that 177 runners participated in the two races (run simultaneously) and over 60 people participated in the walk and Kids' Fun Run.

With temperatures in the high 70s under bright sunny skies, the event was a bit warmer than when the races were held during the first Saturday in May. The event was changed this year to be included in the Windjammer Days festival schedule. The Y reported that participation was up over 100 percent from the 2013 race.

The only issue during the event, according to the Y, was the change in time for the Kids' Fun Run, which was scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. (after the start of the 8 a.m. races), but didn't get started until shortly after 9 a.m. Some parents participating in the races commented that they wouldn't be finished racing to see their children run, so a last-minute start time change was made, to the chagrin of other parents who had expected the 8:30 a.m. start. The YMCA said it would plan accordingly for next year's event.

Prizes were handed out after the events and Maine Running Photos website (www.mainerunningphotos.com) has posted hundreds of photos of the events which can be downloaded for free.

A new kind of mountain running race is coming to Maine this September — one that finishes at the summit of the Sunday River mountain resort in Newry. The winding course includes single-track trails, glades and open slopes, as well as unique natural terrain challenges.

Two different race courses include a Single Diamond route gaining more than 1,000 net vertical feet, and a Double Diamond route gaining more than 2,000 vertical feet.  

For spectators and participants, a weekend-long “BaseCamp” will blend on-site camping, scheduled nature hikes for friends and spectators, training-and-performance exhibits, and a farmer’s market-inspired gathering of local fare.  

Registration is $120. Limited camping is available.

For more information, visit O2X.com or go to www.facebook.com/O2Xchallenges.

So far this season, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens has welcomed visitors from 47 of the 50 states, all the Canadian provinces, most of Europe, and even such far flung locales as Nigeria, Thailand, New Zealand and Kazakhstan. While most of these visitors undoubtedly arrived here via plane and automobile, CMBG is perhaps, beginning this year, the first U.S. public garden you can visit by boat!

If you drove over the Knickercane Bridge on Barters Island Road this winter, you may have noticed the crew from Fuller Marine constructing a 90-foot ramp and floats along the Gardens’ shorefront. This new facility, known as The Landing, was made possible by a gift from the Rines family. It opened officially on June 7. Four guest moorings are available on a first-come, first-served basis at no additional charge beyond standard admission during business hours.

For guests who arrive by car, The Landing offers a chance to get out onto the Back River and beyond. “Many of our out-of-state guests never have the opportunity to get out onto the water during their visit to our area,” said William Cullina, executive director at the Gardens. “We are now able to offer another way for them to access what I believe is the most beautiful coastline in the U.S.” CMBG has partnered with local outfitter Tidal Transit Kayak Company to offer kayak tours and hourly kayak and paddleboard rentals through the new facility. Additionally, Sheepscot River Tours is offering regular one hour guided cruises on the first Coast Guard certified electric boat operating in Maine. For more information, visit www.mainegardens.org/visit/garden-boat-tours.

The Gardens is located at 132 Botanical Gardens Drive, off Barters Island Road, just over a mile from Route 27 and the Boothbay common. For more information and directions, call 207-633-4333, ext. 101, or visit www.mainegardens.org.

The Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT) kicks off its “Summer Exploration” series on Thursday, July 17 from 10 a.m. to noon at Reid State Park in Georgetown. The public is invited to traverse the softshell clam flats with Georgetown’s Shellfish Warden, Jon Hentz, and learn to dig clams. This event is great for kids!

An encore exploration from the past summers, adults and children alike will enjoy the scenery, sandy flats, and hunting for softshell clams and other spineless critters. No clam digging license is needed to dig a peck of clams in the state park!

Hentz has been warden for several towns in the Kennebec Estuary region for over a decade. He will share clam digging techniques as well as information about the local clam harvesting industry and importance of clean water to the clams and the harvesters that dig them.

The program offered by KELT is free and open to the public. Participants will need to pay the state park entrance fee. This is a rain or shine event. Registration is strongly encouraged and any questions can be directed to Becky Kolak at 207-442-8400 or bkolak@kennebecestuary.org. This program was generously sponsored by the Merrymeeting Bay Trust.

For more information, visit www.kennebecestuary.org or call 207-442-8400.

Wiscasset Speedway medical personnel treated a Wiscasset competitor for chest soreness on July 5 after the car he was racing rolled over, according to a track press release early July 6.

Shawn Rines was competing in Saturday night’s 25 Lap Strictly Street feature. In the first lap of the race, the car Rines was driving hit a back stretch wall and rolled over, the release on the night’s racing states.

“Rines was able to walk away from the wreck, but would later be treated for soreness in his chest by track medical personnel,” it continues.

The accident was among what the release described as a handful of cautions in that same race. Fans packed the speedway Saturday night for the Independence Day weekend racing, according to the release.

Registration for the 15th Tour de Farms bicycle ride is open and can be completed online at www.morrisfarm.org.  

The event, hosted by the Morris Farm, celebrates the land, the farms, and the people that provide local produce to the region. The ride is on Sunday, August 17, beginning and ending at the Morris Farm in Wiscasset, and is for riders of all ages and abilities.  Choose your tour (20, 50, or 100 miles) and wind through the scenic farmland of Midcoast Maine.

Rest stops are provided as is courier service for produce purchased at farms along the route.  The event concludes with a local foods barbecue at the Morris Farm, where friends and family can join riders in celebrating the local foods from farms in region.  

Online registration is open until 3 p.m., Saturday, August 16 and registrations are also accepted day-of-ride.  For more information and to register, visit www.morrisfarm.org. The Tour de Farms is a fundraiser to support the Morris Farm.

Join Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association for a walk along the trails of the Griggs Preserve in Newcastle Thursday, July 17 at 9 a.m. Maine Master Naturalist Kit Pfeiffer will lead the walk helping participants interpret the natural world and signs of past human history. Kit leads walks for people of all ages, and works with groups of Whitefield students during the school year, sharing her enthusiasm and knowledge.

The Griggs family donated the Preserve to SVCA in 1980 along with several conservation easements on other nearby properties. This 56 acre Preserve consists of mixed deciduous and coniferous forest and borders the Sheepscot River. The easy walk will follow the White trail, a 1.5 mile loop along the river, through the uplands and back to the parking area. All ages are welcome. Participants will meet at the Kiosk just down the Trails End Road on the left.

For more information, call the office at 207-586-5616 visit our website at www.sheepscot.org or like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/sheepscot.

Register for the Lobster Roll 5k by July 20 and a technical T-shirt will be reserved for you. Pre-registration is $20 and day of registration at the event will be $25 and extra T-shirts will be given out on a first come basis. Registration opens at 6:30 a.m. at Boothbay Region High School and the run starts at 8 a.m. The kids fun run following the event will be $5 with all entrants winning a prize!

Awards will be given to the top overall male and female finishers and the top finishers in each age group. An added feature of this race is the Team Challenge. Form a team of at least three people and compete for the trophy and a gift certificate to an area restaurant.

All participants will also be entered in a raffle for items donated by area businesses.

Check it out at lobsterroll5k.weebly.com or register at www.runreg.com

Little engineers won’t believe their eyes — or their ears. For the first time ever at Day Out With Thomas, Thomas the Tank Engine will be able to talk to his fans. 

Boys and girls will be cheerfully greeted by the engine when he pulls into Boothbay Railway Village for Day Out with Thomas: The Thrill of the Ride Tour 2014.

This fun-filled event offers little engineers and their families the opportunity to take a ride with Thomas the Tank Engine, star of the popular Thomas & Friends series. In addition, children will meet Sir Topham Hatt, Controller of the Railway, and enjoy a day of Thomas-themed activities including arts and crafts, storytelling and more. 

The August 8 -10 and 15-17 stops at the Boothbay Railway Village are Thomas’ only stops in Maine.

Come out for a 25-minute (approximate) ride with Thomas the Tank Engine. There will be A Thomas & Friends Imagination Station; featuring stamps, temporary tattoos, hands-on arts & crafts, train tables, and coloring sheets, storytelling, video viewing and live music, a bounce house, kranky kars, hayrides and barrel train rides.

The museum also has a superb collection of antique automobiles and fire engines, an exceptional model railroad exhibit and a historic village to experience including two resident goats to visit with.

Gates are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the first train ride at 9:15 a.m., the last at 3:40 p.m. at 586 Wiscasset Road (Route 27), Boothbay.

Tickets are available by calling Ticketweb toll-free 866-468-7630, or by visiting www.railwayvillage.org.  Tickets are $19 for regular seating and $24 for First Class for all guests two years and older (service charges and fee may apply. First Class offers single seats in the Victorian splendor of a recently restored historic coach with a mahogany interior and plush seats. You also get preferred boarding and unboarding and you will receive a special gift from the Boothbay Railway Village.

For more information and directions, contact the Boothbay Railway Village at 207-633-4727.

For information on Thomas & Friends, visit www.thomasandfriends.com. Follow Thomas & Friends on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thomasandfriends and Twitter @ThomasParent.

GPS Maine and Midcoast United will be holding youth soccer camps at the Clifford ball field in Boothbay in late July and early August.

The first week of camp will be July 28 through August 1 for ages 6 through 14.

The second week of camp will be August 4-8, also for ages 6 through 14.

Each camp costs $115 per player.

To register, visit mainepremiersoccer.com/files/2014/03/Summer-Camps-U7-U142.pdf.

Scroll down to the end of July and early August for the Midcoast United camps at Harold Clifford Playground. Follow the instructions to register for one or both sessions.

Every year on the fourth Saturday in July, the Wiscasset Common comes alive with activities of Summerfest. This year the event will take place Saturday, July 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Music by a ragtime band, a Scottish piper, a barbershop quartet or a guitar playing college student may fill the air. Crafts made by the Organ Society ladies are for sale, as well as jumbles, treasures, plants, baked good, wood products and toys.

This year the ever popular silent auction will run the entirety of the fair with highest bidders being notified by email or phone if not present at bid closing time of 2 p.m.

Some of the items donated for the 2014 Silent Auction are an L.L. Bean 10-foot Manatee Kayak package, $25 from Fairservice Family Farm on Davis Island, $25 gift certificate from Peapod Jewelry, Mussel Dish from Sheepscot River Pottery, and a Carpet Cleaning Kit from H. T. Winters, $42.50 value. There will be many more, too.

The Uncommon Cafe will be serving up hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and beverages. Have children along? No problem! Children’s events will make if a fun day for them, as well. Want to show off the greatest dog in the world that you just happen to own? Well, you can do just that in the annual dog parade around the common to cheers and applause of the fair’s onlookers!

The First Congregational Church’s Summerfest began as an all-church affair in 1983, following many years as an annual summer fair held by the Ladies’ Organ Society. The entire proceeds of Summerfest are awarded to local outreach organizations, which are recognized during a special Sunday Church service in October.

Indeed, Summerfest is all about fun, family, friendship and giving. Everyone is invited to join in the festivities and help fill the till for charity.

Saturday, July 12 was Mainely Motorsports fan appreciation night at Wiscasset Speedway. Steve Perry, the face of Mainely Motorsports, promotes racing and race car drivers from Maine and covers all of New England.

“The whole Maine racing community owes him a debt of gratitude for his coverage of the sport,” said Ken Minott, Wiscasset Speedway promoter.

Perry was on hand throughout the evening, speaking with drivers and fans. He also interviewed drivers when they went to Victory Lane. “I am always welcomed with open arms here,” Perry said. “The staff is amazing. It is an honor to sponsor this race event.”

To see Perry and his coverage of race events, head to Mainely Motorsports TV, which airs via Time Warner Cable on Channel 9 on Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 p.m. The show is also available on Time Warner’s Video on Demand.

The Amsoil Nelcar Legends were racing at Wiscasset on Saturday, as well as regular Group One racing divisions, including Outlaw Mini’s, Prostocks, New England Four Cylinder Prostocks, and Napa Super Streets.

Prior to race time there was an opportunity for fans to go out onto the track and meet drivers, and get autographs. There were also kids bicycle races on the track, and the winners received trophies. There were numerous giveaways to celebrate Mainely Motorsports Fan Appreciation Night as well.

Additionally, June’s Four Season Synthetic Driver of the Month was announced during intermission. The June Driver of the Month is Napa Super Street Driver Shawn Austin. “I appreciate all the fans coming out every week,” Austin said. “We are here to have a good time. I want to thank all the drivers. They are a fun group of people to race with.”

The Spotlighted feature of the week was a 25-lap Amsoil Nelcar Legends Feature. Matthew Bourgoine, #38, was back at Wiscasset with the hope of winning yet another race. The current point leader in the series is Bourgoine. Bourgoine’s goal is to become the Legends point champion for the third year in a row. “We are halfway through the season, and I have won 12 out of 15 races,” Bourgoine said. “A lot can happen between now and the end of the season though.”

When the Legend race began, Bourgoine was in the eighth starting position. He steadily gained ground on the track, and by lap two passed #8 Matt Chagnot for third. Starting at the pole, and in the lead, was #33 Alan Smith. Smith was second in points, behind Bourgoine. In second was #70 Tylar Braunschweig. Braunschweig was fourth in points heading into the race.

During lap four, Bourgoine headed to the inside and passed Braunschweig for second. Coming up from his tenth starting position was Bob Weymouth #399. Weymouth passed Braunschweig on the inside of turn two during lap five for third. The following lap, Bourgoine passed Smith on the outside of turn four for the lead. Weymouth then passed Smith for second. Braunschweig passed Smith on turn four during lap six, and reclaimed third. However, #96 Wyatt Alexander passed Braunschweig on turn two during lap nineteen to take the third spot. 

Bourgoine drove his Corinna Auto Body Legends car over the finish line in first. Weymouth placed second. Rounding out the top three was Wyatt Alexander.

Wiscasset Speedway resumes racing action July 19 with its group two lineup of divisions: Late Model Sportsman, Strictly Street, Thunder 4’s and Mini Trucks. The flex race of the week is a New England Four Cylinder Prostock feature, which is not being run for points. Pit gates open at 2 p.m., grandstand gates open at 4 p.m., and racing begins at 6 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and children aged seven and older. Kids six and under are free. Pit admission is $20. Race fans and drivers can also now purchase their favorite pictures from not only this season, but from season’s past, at Peter Taylor’s (the track photographer) website: www.petespicks.smugmug.com. Wiscasset Speedway is located on West Alna Road in Wiscasset. For more information, head to the Wiscasset Speedway website at www.wiscassetspeedway.com. 

Unofficial results

AMSOIL NELCAR LEGENDS (25 LAPS)

1.#38 Mathew Bourgoine, Newport

2.#399 Bob Weymouth, Topsham

3.#96 Wyatt Alexander, Ellsworth

4.#70 Tylar Braunschweig, West Newfield

5.#84 Matt Grant, Windham

6.#33 Alan Smith, Lincoln

7.#8 Matt Chagnot, Derry, N.H.

8.#78 Ivan Kaffel, Raymond

9.#17 Terry Kirk, Durham

10.#2 Darren Johnson, Pembroke N.H.

11.#85 Cole Harrison, Durham

12.#13 Nate Tribbet, Richmond

13.#113 Casey Nash, Richmond

OUTLAW MINI (25 LAPS)

1.#20 Shawn Kimball, Augusta

2.#19 Zach Audet, Skowhegan

3. #10 Jimmy Childs, Leeds

4. #13 Nate Tribbet, Richmond

5. #9 George Fortin, Greene

6. #81 Edward Archer Jr., Clinton

7. #8 Calvin Rose Jr., Turner

8. #41 Dixon Smith, Sidney

9. #06 Ryan Glover, Mexico

PROSTOCK (30 LAPS)

1. #9 Dylan Turner, Freedom

2. #15X Scott Chubbuck, Bowdoin

3. #07 Bill Penfold, Oxford

4. #32 Mike Orr, Wiscasset

5. #28 Adam Chadbourne, Woolwich

6. #96 Wyatt Alexander, Ellsworth

7. #77 Maggie Ferland, Auburn

8. #17 Gary Thorne, Sidney

9. #15 Nick Hinkley, Wiscasset

10. #19 John Rideout, Washington

11. #39 James Osmond, Woolwich

12. #5 Bill Pinkham, Wiscasset

NEW ENGLAND FOUR CYLINDER PROSTOCKS (25 LAPS)

1. #38 Ryan Hayes, Jefferson

2. #12 Dave Patten, Westbrook

3. #98 Kamren Knowles, West Gardiner

4. #8 Craig Dunn, Strong

5. #14 Bob Patten, Westbrook

6. #27 Jacob Hensbee, Whitefield

7. #35 Nathan McWilliams, Lewiston

8. #55 John Shorey, Alna

9. #9X Brooke Knowles, West Gardiner

10. #24 Jeff Prindall, Lisbon Falls

11. #2 James Bailey, Alna

12. #7 Jerry Bailey, Alna

13. #99 Cameron Folsom, Augusta

NAPA SUPER STREET (25 LAPS)

1. #2 Josh Bailey, Wiscasset

2. #05 James Osmond, Wiscasset

3. #61 Shawn Austin, Norridgewock

4. #48 Dan Nessmith, Wiscasset

5. #06 Chuck Gray, Wiscasset

6. #1 Adam Chadbourne, Woolwich

7. #8 Kevin Morse, Woolwich

For official results, visit www.wiscassetspeedway.com

Peter Kass grew up in Arlington, Mass., tinkering with old boats and junk cars. The owner of John’s Bay Boat Company in South Bristol is the first to admit he wasn’t much for school, and he knew he didn’t want to go to college.

“I probably wasn’t interested in too much in particular, but I liked boats the best,” he said.

Kass has managed to carve out a niche, successfully building wooden boats for working class fishermen in a time when most have switched to fiberglass. His success is defined by the idea that a custom built wooden boat can make a long day out on the water feel a little less harsh on the body.

Kass’s history with boats began at 17 when he graduated from high school and went down to Urbana, Va., to work in the boat yard of John L. Conboy. He came to Maine in the early ’80s, worked for a time at Harvey Gamage Shipyard in South Bristol and then for two years at Goudy & Stevens in East Boothbay.

Even back then he knew that wooden boats were his great love. When he heard that Bruce Cunningham of Padebco Custom Boats in Round Pond had landed a wooden sailboat to build and was looking for another guy to help out, he took the opportunity.

His time there was truly a learning experience for him, he said. More accustomed to the huge yards at Harvey Gamage and Goudy & Stevens, Kass saw how small-scale boat building could really work.

“Bruce was running the kind of place I could relate to,” Kass said. “At the time, it was just a little wooden building and a railway, a three-man outfit. My operation now is more or less along the lines of what Padebco was back then.”

In 1981, he heard about two acres of land for sale in South Bristol on the steep banks of John’s Bay. He bought it for cheap, built his own shop in 1982, and John’s Bay Boat Company was born. After a short stint storing boats, he hired his first crew and in 1984 built his first boat, a 24-foot inboard power “lobster-style” pleasure boat.

Everything changed in 1985 when a fisherman from Portsmouth, N.H., contacted Kass about building a lobster boat. He had been referred to Kass by the renowned boat builder and designer Carroll Lowell of Yarmouth, who had become a friend and mentor to Kass.

That winter, Kass and his crew built the Sharon Roseanne, a 46-foot wooden lobster boat that changed everything. “It was a successful project, a good boat,” Kass said. “We did a decent job.” And word got out about Kass and his “decent job.” Business picked up, and it wasn’t long before Kass and his crew had four or five boats on order at a time.

In 1990, fate and chance brought change to John’s Bay Boat once again when a respected fisherman out of Stonington named Bob Williams stopped by the boat yard. Things had been slow for Kass that year. The economy was down, the lobster prices were high. Williams had seen Kass’ boats in the fish papers and wanted to check out his operation.

Just like so many other fishermen in the ’80s, Williams had bought a fiberglass boat, a Duffy 35, and had been fishing out of it ever since. But by 1990, he was in his fifties and he was starting to feel it.

“His legs were killing him, and he blamed the boat,” Kass said. “It was shaking and vibrating. His legs were hurting.”

Williams wanted to go back to a wooden boat, and he wanted Kass to build it for him.

Kass finished Williams’ boat in 1991. Shortly after, a big shift happened in the waters off of Stonington. Suddenly, any decent fisherman in Stonington was doing well. And business picked up for Kass, too. Every other boat or so after that was for a fisherman out of Stonington. Kass’s latest project, the 46 foot long Resolute, was launched on May 16 for Ryan Larrabee of Stonington.

Before Stonington, the hot spot was Spruce Head, and before that, it was Casco Bay. His boats and his reputation among these tight-knit fishing communities are his biggest assets. “Word of mouth,” he said, when asked how he sells boats. More than advertisements, more than boat shows.

“My boats are made to go through the water and not over them, which means they’re not super fast,” he said. “But they go along decently.

Most of the boats he builds are for guys who tried glass boats first, like Bob Williams.

When asked what he thought about the belief that wooden boats are more expensive to build and harder to maintain than fiberglass, he shook his head.

“If you want a custom built, high end boat, they aren’t any more expensive than a glass boat,” he said. “The hull is only a sixth of the cost. The equipment is all the same: the engine, the drive train, the hydraulics. The price of that stuff has gone up way more than the price of the hull.”

Despite all of this, Kass admits that he’s worried about the future of wooden boat building in Maine.

“I’m scared. I’m petrified, for the whole country, really. There’s no pride or prestige in the trade anymore.” He said one of the biggest challenges to staying afloat in this business today is finding and keeping a good crew. “Without it, you’re sunk.”

He said he thinks the problem is a reflection of the changing times, seen in the attitudes and interests of young people in the state.

“No one knows this stuff anymore,” he said. “Used to be, that’s what all us kids did growing up; messed around with old boats, fixed cars. That’s just what we did. But people just don’t do that anymore.”

When he worked at Goudy & Stevens back in the early ’80s, he was surrounded by a different class of worker in the boat yards; men who took pride in their work and really cared about the craft.

“That kind of thing doesn’t exist anymore. The job isn’t who you are anymore. You just don’t see people getting really good because they want to.”

His daughter posted a bunch of help wanted ads for him back in January. He said the response was great. He was getting four or five inquiries every day but in the end, he wasn’t able to find anyone.

“It just seems like such a mystery. Seems like when I was that age, there was a bunch of us interested in it. I was just fascinated with all this stuff. I wasn’t the only one. But these young guys just aren’t into it anymore.”

Kass said that he never wants to actually retire completely, but in 10 years or so he’d like to have someone step in and take over where he could take some time off if he wanted to.

“There is such a good opportunity here. I could teach someone so much more than a boat school could, if they’ve got the interest.” He hopes that something will work out, that someone with the ability and interest will find his or her way down the peninsula.

In a world of fiberglass, Kass has managed to keep his heart and his craft in wooden boats.

“I live and breathe this stuff,” he said. “I live next door, I walk over; it’s all I think about.”

When asked what he would want to be doing in a different life, he said without hesitation, “Oh, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

For the 10th year, a Damariscotta fuel and propane company is sponsoring the Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association.

According to Colby & Gale’s president, Robert Clifford, it is important for his company and others to support organizations like SVCA which play an important role in protecting the natural resources of the Lincoln County area.

“Businesses with such community orientation are so important to the success of SVCA’s mission, which is to conserve the natural and historic heritage of the Sheepscot Watershed,” SVCA Board President John Atwood said.

Atwood said Colby & Gale’s longstanding support is “significant and greatly appreciated. He recently presented Clifford with a certificate commemorating Colby & Gale’s support.

“My family and I fish and boat on our local rivers and we appreciate the efforts of organizations like SVCA which keep our waters clean, ensure that wildlife has habitat in which to live and provides public access for people to enjoy the outdoors," Clifford said. "SVCA has been doing this work for many years and Colby & Gale is pleased to support their efforts.”

For more information, call the SVCA office at 207-586-5616 or find SVCA on Facebook: www.facebook.com/sheepscot.

PORTLAND — The Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative Thursday afternoon announced the appointment of Matt Jacobson as its new executive director.

Marianne LaCroix, who has served as acting executive director for the MLMC for the past two years, will remain on in a supporting role, according to a media release.

"The Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative is vital to promoting Maine's lobster industry to the world," said Gov. Paul R. LePage in the release. "Matt has a track record of accomplishment in business growth and development, and we look forward to his efforts to lead the Maine lobster industry into a new era of marketing and profitability."

The primary objective of the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative is to increase awareness and demand for whole live Maine lobster as well as value-added Maine lobster products. The MLMC supports that objective by promoting the core values of the Maine lobster industry.

"I'm tremendously excited and proud to support an industry and product that is so quintessentially Maine," said Jacobson in the release. "I've loved Maine lobster all my life and now I have the privilege of working directly with the remarkable men and women who sustainably harvest this iconic Maine food. It will be an honor to share my enthusiasm for Maine lobster with the world."

Jacobson brings to his new position more than 20 years in sales, marketing and senior leadership positions, most notably in connection to business and economic development in Maine. From 2006 to 2011, Jacobson served as president and CEO of Maine & Company, a nonprofit business consulting and development organization. Between 2008 and 2009, Jacobson ran for governor, co-hosted the Jacobson & Katz: Inside Maine Business television show and wrote a guest column for MaineBiz magazine. From 2000 to 2005, Jacobson built the Canadian National Railway's intermodal business into a $1 billion a year enterprise.

"Matt is an outstanding selection for executive director of the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative," said Patrick Keliher, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources and a board member. "His successes in business leadership, international relations, and marketing make him a perfect fit for this important position. This industry needs someone who can think critically, build consensus, and take initiative to set and accomplish new and ambitious goals. Matt definitely brings those accomplishments to the table. He also has a strong background in marketing Maine to the world, which will be critically important since Maine and lobster are so closely connected in people's minds."

Jacobson was formally introduced to industry stakeholders for the first time at the Lobster Advisory Council's meeting July 16. His first official day on the job will be Monday, Aug. 18.

The first step to dig for clams is to find a clam.

Once said clam has been spotted, it's best to dig a seven- to eight-inch hole alongside it and begin gingerly and cautiously searching with fingers, because clams can be sharp, Shellfish Warden Jon Hentz told a group of onlookers Thursday, July 17 at Reid State Park in Georgetown.

The group of 30 crowded around the warden as he demonstrated how to search for, find and dig up clams during a Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT) exhibition on digging for clams.

“The important thing is to first dig a hole, a good deep hole,” said Hentz, who has been a warden for 24 years. “Then you want to be careful, because you can cut yourself on the shell.”

Hentz also showed how a small plastic ring is used to properly measure clams. The clams that fit through the ring are thrown back into the mud and sand; the ones that don't fit are served with water and butter.

Ruth Indrick, KELT project manager, was also on hand to demonstrate how water samples are collected throughout the state where shellfish are harvested.

“These tests are done throughout the state, looking for things like red tide,” she said. “If (red tide or bacterial abnormalities) are found, it will be posted all around that no clams can be taken.”

But, on a sunny July afternoon, the KELT clam digging event was sign-free and clam diggers young and old were able to dig up a peck-a-piece on the clam flats.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine recently partnered with the Central Maine Bassmasters to provide a day of fishing for six of the organization’s Big/Little Matches. On June 7, the Bassmasters anglers donated their time, gear and expertise as they each took a match out on their boat on Cobbossee Stream.

The catch of the day, a 19-inch bass, was reeled in by 10-year-old Destinee, the youngest of the Littles fishing.

“She caught 10 fish! She baited her own hook, cast her rod and reeled in every one of those fish all on her own. She did a great job,” said Wayne Morey, the Bassmasters angler who took Destinee and her Big Sister, Valerie King, on his boat. Destinee’s 19-inch bass won her a new rod and reel, also donated by the Bassmasters

There were prizes all around, as the anglers aimed to make the day both fun and educational. There were smiles all around as well, as the Bigs and Littles enjoyed the sunshine and what was for many, a new experience.

Big Brothers Big Sisters changes the lives of 560 children in Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Penobscot, Somerset and Waldo counties facing adversity for the better, forever by providing strong and enduring, professionally supported 1-to-1 relationships. To find out how you can start something great for a child today by volunteering or donating please call 207-236-BBBS (2227) or email info@bbbsmidmaine.org.

Here's a summer read of local and ecological interest for readers of Maine, “Bob Hines: National Wildlife Artist,” by Dr. John Juriga.

Why? Hines would not only create the famed 1946 duck stamp, he would also have an extraordinary partnership with Rachel Carson bringing awareness of nature and conservation to the forefront.

Bob Hines was a legend in the world of wildlife art. Although he had no formal art training, Hines became an artist whose 1946 Duck Stamp was the first to sell more than 2 million copies. In 1948, Hines left his hometown of Fremont, Ohio, and moved to Washington, D.C. to join the federal government working for the National Wildlife Service.

That is where Hines met Rachel Carson. At first he was not happy to learn his boss would be a woman. However, after a few months, Carson and Hines developed a cordial working relationship that evolved into a successful professional collaboration.

When they met, Carson was writing “The Sea Around Us.” She asked Hines to illustrate her book about marine life along the Atlantic coast.

Hines traveled with Carson from Maine to Florida Keys working with fresh, live specimens. His pencil drawings illustrate Carson’s “The Edge of the Sea.”

His biography, “Bob Hines: National Wildlife Artist,” was written by Dr. John Juriga and was published in 2012.

“During the summer of 1951, Hines joined Carson in the Boothbay Harbor, Maine, area to initiate their collaboration on what would become ‘The Edge of the Sea.’ Following the commercial success of ‘The Sea Around Us,’ Rachel had requested a leave of absence from her employment at the US Fish and Wildlife Service allowing her to travel and research her forthcoming book,” Juriga wrote. “As she made her way along the beaches of the southern states during the spring of 1952, Carson planned to meet Hines in the Florida Keys, where he was to be on assignment documenting the endangered Key deer.

“Hines overlapped his Service assignment with an opportunity to work with Carson in this habitat of mangroves and coral coastline. During their time together on the Keys, Rachel confided to Bob that she had decided to resign from her position in the Service so that she could devote her time to writing fulltime.”

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Carson's death, Hines' 20th, and the 80th anniversary of the duck stamp.

The book is available at Amazon and the publisher's website: www.beaverspondpress.com.

Brandon Sprague, 17, of Edgecomb and his basketball teammates won 71-67 in overtime Saturday morning, July 19, outside Orlando, Florida, to make the final four in the 2014 American Athletic Union (AAU) Boys Basketball Super Showcase’s division for high school sophomores, his mother Anita Sprague said.

The win by the Saco-based, Maine Elite Basketball Club against Nike Florida sets Sprague’s team up for a morning game on Sunday, July 20, his mother said. Winning that game would take the team to the championship game Sunday afternoon.

Anita Sprague described the tournament as a national event with teams from around the country. To get this far, her son’s team suffered a three-point loss in its first game, on Wednesday, July 16, to E1T1 Elite Blue 16 of Florida; then won its next three: 49-31 against World Class Basketball, an Illinois team; 61-43 against TNBA South of Florida; and 52-39, over another team from the Sunshine State, the Brandon Blue Bolts 16, Anita Sprague said.

Her husband, Brandon’s father Gregory Sprague, was with his son at the tournament while she was staying home minding the couple’s business, Four Seasons Automotive in Edgecomb.

Asked how her son and her husband were feeling going into Saturday’s round,  she said: “They’re ecstatic. They are through the roof.

“And I’m bummed because I’m not there.”

Her son is a past Wiscasset Christian Academy student who was home-schooled this year. He played varsity basketball in 2013 for Wiscasset High School and plans to again this year when he is a junior. He has not decided where he will study in his junior year. His mother said he is playing this summer in Wiscasset High’s summer basketball league.

His teammates in the Florida tourney are Portland High School’s Amir Moss, Joe Esposito and Austin Phillips; Cheverus’ Gatouch Pan; Westbrook’s Demetrious Hoskins; Sanford’s Haris Lynn; Yarmouth’s Musseit M’Barack; Massabesic’s Dan Amabile; Brandon DiLucchio of Kennett, New Hampshire, and Alexsander Medicina of Serbia, Anita Sprague said. A teammate from Deering, Ben Williams, was unable to attend the tournament, Sprague said.

Brandon Sprague of Edgecomb and the Maine Elite Basketball Club took another win in Florida Sunday morning, July 20, moving the team on to Sunday afternoon’s championship game in the 2014 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Boys Basketball Super Showcase’s division for high school sophomores.

Sprague’s team won 57-44 over NOLA of New Orleans, the 17-year-old’s mother Anita Sprague said.

“I’m super-pumped,” she said.

Her son’s team would face the Boston Warriors in the finals, Sprague said. That game was set for 1 p.m. Sunday.

Sprague plays on Wiscasset High School’s summer basketball league. The former Wiscasset Christian Academy student was home-schooled his sophomore year.

When Brandon Sprague of Edgecomb and the Maine Elite Basketball Club played in the Amateur Athletic Union’s Super Showcase in Florida last year, the team was knocked out in one game. On Sunday, July 20, Sprague, 17, and his teammates won the championship for their age division.

“Feeling awesome right now. This is a huge accomplishment,” Sprague said in a telephone interview from Tavares, Fla., about an hour after the win.

In a 64-49 win over the Boston Warriors, Sprague’s team won this year’s 16-year-olds division, for players who were high school sophomores in the last school year, Sprague’s mother Anita Sprague said. “Super exciting,” she wrote in a text message minutes after the victory at The Big House in Tavares, outside Orlando.

Her husband, Brandon’s father Gregory Sprague, was at the game watching it all. On a pride scale of 1 to 10, he said afterward, “I’m about a 15.”

Father and son said the whole team worked well together. In fact, Brandon Sprague said getting to be at the tournament with his team was the best part of the competition that started on Wednesday, July 16.

“We were like a family down there,” he said Sunday.

Sprague, who was homeschooled as a sophomore, played varsity basketball for Wiscasset High School in 2013 and plans to again this year, his mother said. He currently plays on the school’s summer league.

Maine Elite Basketball owner and coach Chris Binette called Sprague a smart player, who follows Binette’s directions and does well up against larger players. Throughout the tournament that opened July 16, Sprague and the rest of the team surprised audiences and the opposing teams, Binette said. People weren’t expecting such a strong team from Maine, he said.

“We’re the little engine that could,” Binette said.

Anyone looking for great exercise, excellent company, and a good outdoor sport should drop by the Great Salt Bay Elementary School after 3 p.m. on Sunday afternoons and/or Wednesday evenings at 5 p.m. 52 Pick-up, Damariscotta’s own Ultimate Frisbee collective, has been there every Sunday for the last several years to play a low-key, high-energy game. Now, with the additions of our new summer folks, we’re playing on Wednesday evenings as well.

Everyone is welcome: 52 Pick-up players, men and women, range in age from 10 to 60, and come from a variety of professions: educators, the self-employed, scientists, lawyers, slackers, engineers, parents, artists, Web designers and more. We all show up for good exercise, excellent end-zone socializing, and a love of the game.

Ultimate Frisbee is known for its unique combination of athleticism, fairness, and an idiosyncratic joy of playing. Where else would you find players throwing themselves at full speed into deep snow for a diving end zone catch? And in what other sport do players call their own fouls? Ultimate Frisbee is unique particularly for something called “spirit of the game,” defined as a dedication to fairness and self-governance in the midst of intense competition. There are no referees.

Anyone interested in coming out to play with 52 Pick-up in Damariscotta can contact Jason Anthony at 207-677-2354. We play every Sunday at 3 p.m. during the heat of summer, 2 p.m. in winter. Games are held behind Great Salt Bay Elementary School on Route 1B in Damariscotta. Everyone is welcome, regardless of experience or age. Children are welcome, whether they want to throw a Frisbee or play on the excellent new GSB playground.

Wiscasset High School soccer coach Chris Cossette has teamed up with Todd Souza, director of the Wiscasset Community Center and Karl’s Kids of the Damariscotta-Newcastle Rotary Club to run a six-week Summer Soccer Skills program.

The program runs until August 6 and participants may sign up at the Wiscasset Recreation Department. Participants in grades 6 through 10 are developing a better understanding of the game and skill sets to ensure a successful experience in their middle and high school years. The focus is to build upon each player’s skills and field awareness, while developing a team environment for success. This is the second year Coach Cossette has volunteered his time to implement this program in Wiscasset.

Summer Soccer Skills is a free program that is funded by Karl’s Kids Organization. Karl’s Kids is a foundation that is run by the Damariscotta-Newcastle Rotary Club. Karl’s Kids goal is to make sure all children under the age of 18 in Lincoln County have the opportunity to be involved in athletics and to pursue an active lifestyle. The organization helps grant the children sports equipment such as soccer balls, cleats, shin guards, etc. For more information on how Karl’s Kids can help someone you know, visit www.karlskids.org or call Charleen Foley at 207-522-4369 or email karlskidsorg@gmail.com.

Gather your paddles and oars for the 21st annual Southport Rowgatta on Saturday, Aug. 9 at 8:30 a.m. at the Newagen Town Landing on Southport Island.

An annual fun and fundraiser for our Boothbay YMCA (all person-powered crafts that are safe and seaworthy are welcome) and participants may join as either individuals or in teams of up to six members. Refreshments for all and a variety of prizes in many unique categories make this a fun event for spectators and paddlers alike.

Contact the Y at 207-633-2855 to register or for further information.

Al Miller, the The Theater Project’s founder and artistic director, is directing a shortened version of Shakespeare's final play, “The Tempest,” at the gazebo on Brunswick's Mall, as part of the first ever, “Shakespeare on the Mall.”

It will be performed August 8-10 at 6:15 p.m. using natural lighting and live sound. There will be no amplification, artificial lighting or recorded sound. The performance is free to the public.

“We're doing this with a cast of seven, playing eleven parts,” Miller said. “I'm excited to be doing Shakespeare live on the mall. The gazebo is not all that different from the stage in Shakespeare's Globe Theater, where there was no roof, no recorded sound and no lighting. We're going back to the basics, which are a good script, good actors and, we hope, an interested and lively audience. I encourage the audience to bring folding chairs or blankets to sit on, and they are welcome to bring food and drink.”

The play will last an hour and 15 minutes without an intermission. Miller is optimistic about the potential of this venture.

“The gazebo cries out for a Shakespeare production. With Bowdoin's art museum, the summer music festival and Maine State Music Theatre all Brunswick is lacking is live Shakespeare to make it a complete summer cultural center. By doing the show with natural lighting and live sound, we come close to the original Shakespearean theater."

The Brunswick Mall is located on Maine Street in Brunswick.

For more information, call The Theater Project at 207-729-8584 or visit the group's website, www.theaterproject.com.

Hidden Valley Nature Center’s cofounders Bambi Jones and Tracy Moskovitz attended the American Tree Farm’s Annual Convention in Pittsburg, Penn., July 17-19. They were there to receive their 2014 North East Regional Outstanding Tree Farm Award. Three other regional winners were also recognized.

Tom Martin, CEO and president of the American Forest Foundation and the American Tree Farm System presented the award to Jones, Moskovitz and Hidden Valley Nature Center (HVNC) in Jefferson, Maine “for their outstanding forest stewardship practices and their unique educational opportunities and outreach efforts.”

Jones and Moskovitz gave a presentation which featured the many nature based programs, the strong community support from local and national businesses, the vast contribution from hundreds of volunteers, and exemplary forestry practices.

Bambi’s 92-year-old father made the trip from Cleveland. “This showed me aspects of the nature center I wasn’t aware of. I didn’t even know that Bambi was an accomplished bulldozer operator.”

Andy McEvoy, Hidden Valley Nature Center’s director, has played a large part in HVNC’s expansion and recent successes. He was unable to attend the event because on the four day high school timber frame class underway at the same time at the nature center.

HVNC will celebrate the award on September 6 with a full day of forestry related events, demonstrations, talks and walks and games. The annual Live Edge music festival will follow. It will be a full day of fun for the whole family and it’s all free (except for the delicious food offered) and open to the public.

HVNC in Jefferson is a nonprofit education and recreation center hosting many diverse opportunities to explore the outdoors. For more information about HVNC’s events, or to find out how you can support HVNC visit www.hvnc.org, write to info@hvnc.org, or call 207-200-8840. 

Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site will continue its summer lecture series on Pemaquid’s Place in the Colonial World with an evening program entitled, “The Indian Canoe Routes of Maine,” on Monday, Aug. 4 at 7:30 p.m. Narrating this fascinating story will be Maine educator David Cook.

The lecture will focus on the importance of the birch bark canoe to Maine’s Native Americans and how they constructed these lightweight marvels. His talk will include the story of the transport of the captive John Giles from Pemaquid to an encampment on the St. John River. To further illustrate his talk, Cook will draw on his own experiences of paddling and carrying across the headwaters of Maine’s primary rivers, as well as a unique crossing of the Bay of Fundy.

Cook is a resident of Winthrop and has taught history/social studies at the high school and college level since 1970. During his teaching career he has emphasized the pre-contact and early European colonial period of Maine history. From his childhood growing up in Milo, David has been fascinated by nature as well as artifacts from the distant past. His early interest intensified with the local discovery of the oldest known Native American fish camp in Maine.

Sponsored by the Friends of Colonial Pemaquid, this program will take place at The Contented Sole Restaurant, adjacent to the museum. Admission is $5, and free for members. Membership applications will be available. Visitors are encouraged to return to the grounds of Colonial Pemaquid on Wednesday, Aug. 6 for the final evening lantern walk of the season at 8 p.m. Rain date is Thursday, Aug. 7.

Colonial Pemaquid is located off Route 130 in New Harbor, approximately 12 miles south of Route 1 and 3 miles north of the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse.

For more information, visit www.friendsofcolonialpemaquid.org, or you may contact the park manager at 207-677-2423.

The 42nd annual North Nobleboro Day is August 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the North Nobleboro Community Hall on Upper East Pond Road. Along with outstanding food and chicken barbeque, auctions, raffles and homemade crafts, the North Nobleboro Community Association is proud to present the return of Debbie Myers and her band, Redneck Rodeo, from 10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

Myers has been singing professionally since the age of eight and started her career by her father's side. Gerry Myers was a founding band member of the Bunkhouse Boys and with him, Debbie honed her musical performance skills. By the late 1980s, she had three top 12 hit singles on the Canadian music scene, with one hit climbing all the way to number one on French radio. In addition to recording an album in Nashville with songs written by herself, her sister, Shirley, and Rod Nicholson, Myers has also performed on television, radio and in shows with Mickey Gilley, Steve Wariner, Highway 101, and Little Jimmy Dickens.

Redneck Rodeo features the talents of Brian Hallsey on drums, Tommy Thompson on steel guitar, Robbie Coffin (from Rockland) on electric guitar, and Jackson Gay on bass. Ronald Bouffard and Edward Howe have also performed with the band.

Myer's performing style has been likened to Reba McEntire, Whitney Houston and Patsy Cline, yet she remains firmly rooted in her Maritime musical heritage. The gifted members of her band are also strongly rooted in coastal Maine but have national recognition and awards in their resumés. In past years, Myers has received top honors at the 2006-2007 Maine Academy of Country Music awards as Best Female Vocalist and Entertainer Of The Year.

Don't miss what will surely be an outstanding show. Be sure to come early and stay late for great food, the auction (at 1 p.m.), trash and treasures, and locally made crafts.

The Boothbay Region Fish & Game Association will sponsor its 10th annual Saltwater Fishing Tournament on Saturday and Sunday, August 9 and 10.

A $200 cash prize will be awarded for the largest striped bass and largest bluefish respectively, with $100 and $50 going for second and third place in both categories. Kids (12 and under) can go for mackerel and harbor pollock, and compete for cash prizes of $50 and $25 for first and second place, and $10 for third through 5thplace. All Maine saltwater sport fishing regulations apply, and there will be a 12” minimum for bluefish entered.

Weigh-ins will be held at the Boothbay Lobster Wharf at 97 Atlantic Ave. (on the East Side of Boothbay Harbor) from 5 pm to 7 pm on both Saturday and Sunday, with food and beverages available for purchase. Fish will be judged by overall length, and in the case of a tie, the first fish entered will be declared the winner.

Local businesses are responding enthusiastically in support of this popular, family-oriented summer event, and there will be a number of great additional prizes for fish winners as well as door prize drawings for all who enter the tournament. A grand door prize of a brand-new kids' off-road bike will again be offered this year, sponsored by Rubicam Photography and Shark Six Charters.

Entry fee is $20 for adults, and kids can enter free of charge but must be accompanied by an adult holding a valid entry ticket. Adults may sponsor more than one child on a single ticket.

Tickets, tournament rules, tackle, bait, and up-to-the-minute fishing and hot-spot information are all available at Oak Street Outdoors (next to Oak Street Provisions) at 43 Oak St. in Boothbay Harbor, 207-633-1290.

Boothbay area businesses and individuals who would like to contribute prizes for the tournament are invited to contact Barry Gibson at 207-633-5929; email barrygibson6@aol.com; or send them directly to the BRF&GA, P.O. Box 408, Boothbay, ME 04537.

Proceeds of the tournament will benefit the Association’s Life Skills Scholarship Fund and other community programs.

The 62nd annual Olde Bristol Days is coming back to beautiful Fort William Henry. With all new events and activities spanning August 7-10, the festival promises to be bigger and better than ever.

“When I was a kid, it was all about the parade, kids games at the fort, and good food,” organizer Sheila McLain said. McLain grew up attending Bristol Days on a yearly basis.

In recent years, however, the festivities have suffered due to a lack of volunteers and a switch in location from Fort William Henry to Pemaquid Beach State Park, which resulted in reduced attendance.

This summer organizers have made a major effort to return the festival to its former glory. There will be a chicken barbecue and a performance by the Pete Collins Jazz band on Thursday, Aug. 7 at Pemaquid Beach as well as fireworks on Saturday, Aug. 10, but the rest of the weekend activities have returned to the popular location of Fort William Henry.

McLain wanted to ensure that there was a particular emphasis on activities for kids this summer, just like when she was growing up.

“Some of the best memories of my life are from age five to thirteen at this event,” McLain said.

In recent years activities for children appear to have waned, but this summer will feature all new old-fashioned kids games at Fort William Henry as well as a magician from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. The games were created and organized by Laurie Mahan.

“We are working really hard to make this more about the kids again,” McLain said. As always, there will be an annual water-slide sponsored by the New Harbor Fire Station.

One of the new events this year that will appeal to young and old alike are the Model Boat races hosted by Brent Benner of Walpole Model Boatworks. Brenner builds all the model boats and travels all over Maine to race them against each other at speeds over 20 miles an hour. 

At this year’s Olde Bristol Days he will be racing several classes of model boat, while the top three from each race will be entered in the “World's Fastest Race” at the end of the day.

The Vintage Car Show being held at Bristol School on Saturday, Aug. 9 is also unique to this year’s Bristol days. The day-long event will feature jazz and blues from the ‘50s and ‘60s, as well as a presentation of awards and trophies at the end of the day.

There will be live music throughout the day at the Fort on Saturday as well as all sorts of local vendors.

“This it the only annual celebration that the town of Bristol offers, so we are really hoping to bring it back in a big way this this year,” McLain said. “Next year we will be celebrating the town of Bristol's 250th anniversary, and we’ll hopefully doing a number of events throughout the year ... our hope with Olde Bristol Days this year is to get people excited about the anniversary.”

For more information, visit www.oldebristoldays.org.

Ocean Classroom Foundation will cease operations after nearly 20 years of successful education at sea. OCF is working diligently to meet program and other obligations through August 31, 2014.

"It is with deep regret that we conclude this voyage," said Peter Neill, OCF Chairman. "Ocean Classroom has served thousands of students through sea experience and academic excellence. We have navigated surely and safely for two decades from the Canadian Maritimes to the Caribbean, providing accredited semester programs, sail-training, service, community-building, and personal transformation to students from Maine, New England, and the United States.

“We have been recognized for seamanship and educational innovation and we have bettered the lives of young people through a unique encounter with the sea. We are grateful to our alumni, parents, clients, and donors for their long history of support and to our staff, educators, crew, and captains for their dedication and skills. We are aware of other organizations and ships that are similarly at work and we wish them well. We, however, have sailed our course."

The Ocean Classroom Foundation (OCF), founded in 1996, is a nonprofit educational organization building the next generation of ocean stewards through education under sail. Accredited and non-traditional programs are offered aboard three USCG certified schooners: Harvey Gamage, Westward, and Spirit of Massachusetts; along the Atlantic seaboard, from the Caribbean to the Canadian Maritimes.

Its offices and ships were once based in Boothbay Harbor, beginning in 2007, before its offices were moved to Damariscotta in 2012.

This Sunday, July 27, farms up and down the Midcoast will leave their gates open.

But instead of allowing the animals to get out, they will let people come in during the annual State of Maine Open Farm Day.

Farms throughout the state will open their barn doors and allow the public a glimpse at what goes on in the barnyard.

Several farms in Lincoln County will host Open Farm Days.

Morris Farm Trust on Gardiner Road in Wiscasset will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Lyric Meadow Organics Farm in Boothbay on Dover Road will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Farm-goers will get a glimpse of Morris Farm's goats, sheep, chickens and pigs as well as a look at what's growing in the fields and gardens. This year the Morris Farm Store will also be open.

Program Coordinator John Affleck wrote in an email that animal manager and Farm Camp Leader Olivia Barber will be on hand to show off some of the farm's animals and the Master Gardener Volunteers will give tours of the gardens.

Affleck also said the Margaret Ellis Community Gardeners will be on the farm to show off the property.

Lyric Meadow Farm is a certified organic farm that specializes in eggs, vegetables, and flowers. Farm owner and operator Mary Linda Rapelye will be on hand to show people around.

There are also alpacas, a horse, rabbits, ponies and a miniature pig which lives with the alpacas.

The alpacas are raised for their wool, which is sold in both raw roving and spun form. Activities will include pony rides, vegetable picking, meeting the animals, a pig-washing demonstration, and sipping lemonade under a big oak tree out front.

For more information about Morris Farm Trust, visit www.morrisfarm.org, or to find a list of other farms in the area that will be hosting an open farm day visit Get Real Maine's website.