No one familiar with the famous story of the unfortunate sailors who were shipwrecked on Boon Island in December 1710 and fought to survive for weeks, with no fire, on the frigid, rocky, wave-smashed ledges would consider volunteering to repeat their ordeal. No human at least.

But believe it or not, to a purple sandpiper, these kinds of seemingly inhospitable ledges are its preferred winter home. Purple sandpipers breed in the High Arctic of eastern Canada, Greenland, Scandinavia, and western Russia, and move south to rocky shores of eastern North America and Europe for the winter.

Here in North America, the largest numbers winter along the ice-free coasts from Maine north to Newfoundland and Labrador, though small flocks target rocky outposts including human-made rocky breakwaters interspersed on more sandy shores, even south occasionally to North Carolina. The person who gave them the name “purple” might be considered optimistic or creative, as most of us would describe them as generally more dark gray when we see them during the winter.

It is amazing on a bitterly cold winter day to be scanning the rocky edges of islands with a telescope, eyes are tearing up from the cold and wind, and see a flock of small birds wheel up and land on the dark rockweed. In the winter when so many other sandpiper species are basking in the sunshine of more tropical climes, purple sandpipers are dodging waves and finding invertebrates to eat right here in Maine, with the rest of us!

On the Pacific Coast of North America, there is a very similar relative of the purple sandpiper called the rock sandpiper that has essentially the same habits—in fact, there have been ornithologists in the past who considered purple sandpipers and rock sandpipers the same species. While our purple sandpipers are sometimes joined by wintering ruddy turnstones, rock sandpipers over on the Pacific Coast are also often found together with two other Pacific specialty birds: the black turnstone and the surfbird.

One of the most amazing bird discoveries in Maine was that of a surfbird last week at Biddeford Pool — a first for Maine and one of only very few records for the East Coast of North America. Not surprisingly, the bird was with a flock of purple sandpipers and ruddy turnstones.

Surfbirds are amazing migrants. They breed in the upper elevations of interior Alaska and the Yukon and then spread themselves along the entire Pacific Coast from southern South America north to British Columbia. Despite the fact that some of them make very long migratory flights, apparently a few get off track now and then and end up on the Atlantic Coast. Or perhaps not many birders regularly scan through flocks of purple sandpipers in the freezing cold of dead winter?

Maybe after this more recent find, more will!

March is the month of many things:

Spring’s official entrance, the (hopeful) receding of snowbanks, and the progression of the season from lions to lambs.

But for sports fans, March is one thing: madness.

March is the month for basketball, brackets and hoops action. While many are celebrating (or commiserating) over their brackets, one tournament was equally focused on what happens off the court, as well as on.

The Wiscasset Parks and Recreation’s men’s league championship was held over the course of one day, Saturday, March 21, instead of over the entire month. The tournament featured close games throughout the day (including a nail-biter at the end), but the tournament wasn’t just about the teams dueling for the trophy.

The money raised by donations and for entry into the three-point shooting contest went to Woolwich’s Wilson family, whose 2-year-old son, Derek, was recently diagnosed with leukemia.

At the end of the day, the donations poured in like three-pointers, and the tournament raised more than $200 for the family, according to Wiscasset Parks and Recreation’s Jay Reith.

On the court, the action started at tip-off and lasted until the very last seconds of action. The final game was held at 9 p.m. on Saturday between Ship's Chow Hall II and Mike's Log Cabin.

In the end, Ship's II was able to hold on and eke out the championship win with a 60-59 overtime victory. Ames Supply came in third place behind Mike's Log Cabin.

In the three-point shooting contest, it was Matt Hinkley who had the shooter's touch to win, with Jimmy Davis as the runner-up.

The public is invited to attend the Member Gathering and Annual Meeting of the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT) on April 7 at 5:30 p.m. at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath. Join land trust staff, board of directors, and friends as we celebrate the land trust's progress with a special focus on fish passage restoration in Woolwich and Arrowsic. Presentations include never seen before, professional videos and time lapse photography documenting the work at each restoration site!

Alewives are anadromous fish (they spend a majority of their adult lives in the ocean but return to fresh water to spawn) and serve as a vital link in the Gulf of Maine food web. Two fresh water locations in the Kennebec Estuary, Nequasset Lake in Woolwich and Sewall Pond in Arrowsic, act as spawning grounds for these little but ecologically crucial fish. The renovation of the fish ladder at the Nequasset Dam and the replacement of the Route 127 culvert at Sewall Pond enables alewives to more effectively reach spawning waters and produce the next generation.

KELT is pleased to welcome Nate Gray, Marine Resources Scientist with the Maine Department of Marine Resources, to set the stage for the fish passage project presentations. He will share the essential role that alewives play in the coastal ecosystem and why restoration efforts like those at Nequasset Dam and Sewall Pond are significant. Next Alicia Heyburn, project manager for the Nequasset Fish Ladder Project, will share information about the beginnings and successful overhaul of the fish ladder. Finally, Karen Robbins and Erin Witham, the project leaders for the Sewall Pond Alewife Restoration Project, will share information and a video detailing the restoration at Sewall Pond with a one-of-a-kind wildlife culvert.

This is the perfect occasion to learn more about the land trust's work and get an update on the lands acquired in 2014. A social gathering for members will include hors d'oeuvres and a wine and beer tasting by Now You're Cooking and Mariner Beverages.

Please RSVP to this event by contacting Becky Kolak at bkolak@kennebecestuary.org or calling 207-442-8400. The Maine Maritime Museum is located at 243 Washington Street in Bath.

For more information, visit www.kennebecestuary.org.

Dresden Sno-Valley Riders SC members will have their monthly business meeting on Tuesday, April 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the Old Town House on Route 197.

We will be having our election of officers for the 2015-2016 season, decide if we will have meetings during the summer or any other events, gather the paperwork for the Grant-in-Aid and have our Pot-O-Gold drawing (remember you have to be present to win if your name is drawn) as well as any other issues that members wish to discuss.

All members are urged to attend this meeting.

The owner of a boat that recently dragged its mooring and is beached said that with any luck, it will be out of Pemaquid soon.

James Sheehy, owner of both Boothbay Harbor's Westward and Pemaquid Harbor's Columbia said with any luck, both ships could soon be leaving.

The Columbia recently dragged its mooring on Wednesday, March 18 during a wind storm. It is now grounded on the muddy banks near Pemaquid.

“(The Columbia) dragged her mooring a little bit, but it was checked out by people (in Bristol) and everything checked out OK,” he said. “The plan is to to pull her out with the next big tide.”

Sheehy said obstacles in Pemaquid Harbor mean the ship will need a lot of water underneath it to navigate through.

Sheehy said the ship has garnered attention from a potential buyer, who showed interest in bringing the Columbia to the Great Lakes.

While the ship is still grounded, the Coast Guard confirmed that the Columbia wasn't leaking any chemicals, such as oil, into the water. Sheehy said the ship is essentially watertight, except for a spot on the deck when it rains.

The Westward, which has been in Boothbay Harbor, might not be much to look at, but the ship's isn't going to sink, Sheehy said.

“The hull is still in perfect condition,” he said.

The Westward broke free from its mooring in January 2015 before running aground in Boothbay Harbor. The ship also broke its mooring in 2013.

Sheehy said the Westward would hopefully be Portland-bound soon.

“It's been a tough couple of years with those ships, but things are starting to turn around,” he said.

Related:

Sheehy’s ‘Columbia’ runs aground near Pemaquid

Weather keeps Westward and Ernestina-Morrissey in port

Westward moves, but not out of Boothbay Harbor yet

Westward is Portland-bound

Westward waits in Boothbay Harbor

Barge out

Large boat recovered after mooring breaks

Back by popular demand Hidden Valley Nature Center (HVNC) in Jefferson will offer an introductory Chainsaw Safety class specifically for women on April 18 and 19. This class is part of HVNC’s ongoing commitment to excellent forest-related training. Chainsaws can be amazingly effective, and efficient tools when used properly. This hands-on class is aimed at providing women with enough knowledge and practice to make operating a chainsaw safe and rewarding.

Day one of the class is a half-day session. Students will be introduced to safety clothing and equipment, basic saw mechanics and maintenance, and will spend time becoming familiar with basic chainsaw uses like bucking logs.

Day two will be a full day of hands-on learning. Students will continue to gain comfort with basic operations and safe practices. In addition, students will learn about and practice safe tree felling practices.

This class is designed to provide women a comfortable setting in which to learn about safe chainsaw operation. By the end of the class students will have the knowledge to be able to properly maintain their saws, use them safely to buck firewood, fell trees, perform trail work, and more.

Whether you cut your own firewood, volunteer at a local land trust, operate a farm, or perform landscaping this could be a great class for you! Women of all ages (16-plus) and experience levels are encouraged to attend. The cost is $130 for HVNC and partner organization members, and $150 for non-members. Some scholarships are available. Write to andy@hvnc.org for more details.

For more information about this class visit the events page at www.hvnc.org. HVNC’s 2014 chainsaw safety classes are sponsored by MOFGA and Jonsered chainsaws. An open enrollment class for men and women will be offered on May 9 and 10.

Over the past month Hidden Valley Nature Center hosted nearly 40 teenagers on their first winter camping experiences. The Chewonki School brought over 20 of its students to HVNC for a three-night back country camping trip. Students and trip leaders made camp at four locations spread out across HVNC.

“I think seeing other people out (at HVNC) for day trips made the students proud to be out winter tent camping — it was a first for most of them,” said Becca Abuza, one of the trip leaders.

“We send students all over Maine for these kinds of experiences, but having HVNC in our backyard is a great asset for many reasons,” said Greg Shute, Chewonki’s director of outdoor programs.

Teens to Trails, a nonprofit organization, facilitated a one night winter camping trip for six students from Ellsworth High School. The students trekked to HVNC’s most remote hut with Maine Guide David Butler.

Peyton Cole was one of the students on that trip.

“The trip was a great experience. And I’d like to go again,” Cole said.

That’s exactly the kind of response that HVNC, Teens to Trails, Chewonki and others are hoping for.

According to HVNC’s Director Andy McEvoy, that’s the value of a place like HVNC. “A place like this that is within easy driving distance for so many people, and isn’t as intimidating as somewhere like Baxter, is the perfect jumping off point for new campers and adventurers.”

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.

It stares at Gabby Chapman every single day.

The sophomore has seen it so many times she knows it by heart.

1980. 17 feet and four inches. Venus Pinkham.

Someday, with a little luck, there will be another student 35 years from now looking at Chapman's name in the Wiscasset High School record book, if she has anything to do with it.

Chapman and her teammates will begin their march toward school records and the state meet April 28.

But for Chapman, the record has been in her sights for a while.

“I walk past it every day,” she said. “My hope is that this year, or eventually, I break the girls long jump record.”

She wouldn't be the first Chapman to enter the Wiscasset record books: her older brother Joe claimed the long jump record two springs ago when he uncorked a 20-foot, 10.5 inch jump. That record has been eclipsed — 2014 graduate Dale Peaslee broke it at the state meet in 2013 when he leaped 21-and-a-half feet — by a jumper who learned from the elder Chapman, track and field head coach Warren Cossette said.

While Gabby Chapman tries to take home the top spot in the Wiscasset record books, there will be plenty of other athletes to watch on this year's track and field team, including several returning athletes.

Cossette said in his 21 years as the head coach he has developed a routine as the season progresses for his athletes to be in peak shape in time for the state meet.

“We look to improve individually: The beginning of the year we start by building up strength,” he said. “Then in the middle (of the season) we want to pick up speed then taper to the end. It's worked for us for a lot of years.”

Cossette said this year's team, which on Thursday, April 2 had its second practice, isn't yet completed, but is already full of talented athletes. Cossette said in addition to Gabby Chapman, who sprints and long jumps, there are a number of standout athletes.

“We have (sophomore) Brandon Goud coming back to run the 1,600 and 3,200 (meter races),” Cossette said. “We have Sam (Storer), who's going to be running long distance this year.”

For Storer, a junior, and Goud, the mission is the same: improve gradually and make it to state. Goud and Storer competed a year ago at the Mountain Valley Conference meet, but both said their goal was to make it even further.

Storer said he doesn't have his eyes set on school records; he just wants to take the next step.

“Last year I did the 200 and 100 (meter sprints), but I think this year I am going to try to do the mile,” he said. “My goal is just to make it to states.”

Goud, who also runs cross country and was picked as a second-team all-conference runner in the fall, returns to the long distance scene.

“I definitely want to make it to state, and run a sub-five (minute) mile, if possible,” he said. “But mostly, I want to make it to state.”

Last year Goud missed the state cut by the narrowest of margins; something he hopes to rectify this year.

But it won't just be the long distance runners to watch out for, Cossette said: shot put thrower Andrew Lincoln, sprinter and jumper Ayanna Main, 400-meter specialist Colin Viele, 800-meter runner and thrower Brian Dunning and several others figure to round out the squad to give Wiscasset a good balance throughout the events.

“This is a talented, very talented group,” Cossette said. “Next year we could be even better; we have a pretty good following (at the middle school).”

On Saturday, April 4, the CLC YMCA gymnastics team traveled to the Old Town YMCA for the team’s final regular meet of the season against the host team and Waterville YMCA.

“Our girls have had a fantastic season that culminated with this meet in Old Town,” Coach Janice Cormier-Hay said. “We are heading into the YMCA State Meet in two weeks and our gymnasts are prepared and excited. They are improving and polishing their routines thanks to all their hard work in the gym over the course of this season.”

Individual results

Abby Harrington of Nobleboro, Level 2, age 5-7, came in 1st on vault with an 8.85, 4th on bars with a 7.4, 1st on beam with an 8.75, 5th on floor with an 8.2, placing 4th all around.

London Hunter, Level 2, age 5-7, came in 6th on vault with an 8.4, 6th on bars with a 6.8, 6th on beam with a 7.8, 2nd on floor with an 8.55, placing 6th all around.

Kate Campbell of Boothbay, Level 2, age 8-9, came in 1st on vault with an 8.8 PB, 4th on bars with a 9.0 PB, 5th on beam with an 8.7, 3rd on floor with an 8.7 PB, with a PB all around score which places her 3rd all around with a score that qualifies her for the Northeast Regional Meet.

Eliza Wood-Orff, Level 2, age 8-9 - came in 2nd on vault with an 8.75, 6th on floor with an 8.6, 8th on beam with an 8.1, 6th on floor with an 8.25, placing 8th all around with a score.

Makayla Pinkham of Boothbay, Level 2, age 8-9, came in 7th on vault with an 8.4, 10th on bars with a 7.4, 6th on beam with an 8.65, 7th on floor with an 8.15, with a PB all around score, placing 10th all around.

Emory Shadis of Damariscotta, Level 2, age 8-9, came in 9th on vault with a 7.7, 11th on bars, 7th on beam with an 8.55 PB, 7th on floor with a 6.8, placing 11th all around.

Morgan Bathgate, Level 2, age 10+, came in 6th on vault with an 8.0, 2nd on bars with an 8.4, 4th on beam with an 8.4, 1st on floor with a 9.35 PB, placing 1st all around with a score that qualifies her for the Northeast Regional Meet.

Charlotte Hilton, Level 2, age 10+, came in 5th on vault with an 8.3, 3rd on bars with a 7.7, 2nd on beam with an 8.6, 3rd on floor with a 9.0 PB, placing 1st all around.

Grace Campbell of Boothbay, Level 2, age 10+, came in 2nd on vault with an 8.7, 4th on bars with a 6.6, 4th on beam with an 8.4, 4th on floor with an 8.15, placing 6th all around.

Kadence Rogers, Level 3, age 8, came in 3rd on vault with an 8.7, 3rd on bars with a 9.1 PB, 2nd on beam with an 8.75, 1st on floor with a 9.15, placing 1st all around with a score that qualifies her for the Northeast Regional Meet.

Sarah Goldrup of Waldoboro, Level 3, age 8, came in 2nd on vault with an 8.8, 5th on bars with an 8.3 PB, 3rd on beam with an 8.7, 2nd on floor with an 8.75, placing 4th all around with a score that qualifies her for the Northeast Regional Meet.

Jhordaynia Ebanks, Level 3, age 6-7, came in 4th on vault with an 8.6, 3rd on bars with an 8.7 PB, 5th on beam with an 8.3, 2nd on floor with a 9.05 PB, placing 4th all around with a score that qualifies her for the Northeast Regional Meet.

Reece Instasi of Waldoboro, Level 3, age 9:  came in 4th on vault with an 8.8, 1st with a 9.4 on bars PB, 1st on beam with a 9.1 PB, 1st on floor with a 9.1 PB, placing 1st all around (PB) with a score that qualifies her for the Northeast Regional Meet.  

Makenna Dunstan, Level 3, age 8, came in 7th on vault with a 7.7, 4th with an 8.4 PB on bars, 7th on beam with a 7.6, 6th on floor with an 8.2 PB, placing 7th place all around.

Nicole Hammond, Level 3, age 9, came in 6th on vault with an 8.55, 8th with a 7.3 on bars, 6th on beam with an 8.05, 8th on floor with an 8.0, placing 9th place all around.

Madalyn Mercer, Level 3, age 10, came in 1st on vault with a 9.1 PB, 3rd on bars with an 8.8, 4th on beam with an 8.45, 1st on floor with an 8.75 PB, placing 1st all around with a score (PB) that qualifies her for the Northeast Regional meet.

Kayla Reardon of South Thomaston, Level 3, age 10, came in 4th on vault with an 8.7, 4th on bars with an 8.5, 1st on beam with a 9.1, 3rd on floor with an 8.4, placing 3rd all around with a score that qualifies her for the Northeast Regional meet.

Emma Markowitz, Level 3, age 10, came in 4th on vault with an 8.45, 5th on bars with an 8.4 PB, 5th on beam with a 7.6, 4th on floor with an 8.05, placing 7th all around with a qualifying score for the Northeast Regional meet.

Dakota Gregory of Newcastle, Level 4, age 10, came in 2nd on vault with an 8.0, 1st on bars with an 8.9, 1st on beam with a 9.15, 2nd on floor with a 9.05, placing 2nd all around with a score that qualifies her for the Northeast Regional Meet.

Erica Johnson of Nobleboro, Level 4, age 10, came in 6th on vault with a 7.6, 3rd on bars with an 8.7, 5th on beam with an 8.3, 5th on floor with an 8.7 placing 4th all around with a score that qualifies her for the Northeast Regional Meet.

Ava Carmolli of Edgecomb, Level 4, age 11-14, came in 4th on vault with a 7.9, 8th on bars with a 6.9, 4th on beam with an 8.5, 3rd on floor with an 8.75 PB, placing 8th all around with a score that qualifies her for the Northeast Regional Meet.

Leah Wilcox of Warren, Level 4, age 11-14, came in 5th on vault with a 7.5, 3rd on bars with an 8.3 PB, 6th on beam with an 8.35, 2nd on floor with an 8.85 (PB), placing 5th all around with a score that qualifies her for the Northeast Regional Meet.

Maddy Russ of Damariscotta, Level 7, age 11-13, came in 3rd on vault with 8.7, 1st on bars with a 9.25, 2nd on beam with a 9.1, 1st on floor with a 9.15, with an all around score (PB) that qualifies her for the Northeast Regional Meet.

Reed Gulden of Walpole, Level 7, age 11-13, came in 2nd on vault with an 8.8, 3rd on bars with an 8.2, 1st on beam with a 9.2, 3rd on floor with an 8.6, placing 2nd all around, with a score that qualifies her for the Northeast Regional Meet.

Emma Hall of Damariscotta, Level 7, age 11-13, came in 1st on vault with a 9.2 PB, 4th on bars with a 7.8, 4th on beam with an 8.2 and 2nd on floor with a 9.0 placing 3rd all around with a score that qualifies her for the Northeast Regional Meet.

Katie Colomb of Alna, Xcel Platinum, came in 4th on vault - 8.4, 2nd on bars -8.75, 3rd on beam with an 8.7, 2nd on floor with an 8.7, earning an all around score that qualifies her for the Northeast Regional Meet.

Despite the lingering snow and cold this year, migrant birds are returning. American woodcock have come back and started their mating dances. Yellow-bellied sapsuckers are back, too, and tending their rectangular sap “wells” all along the coast. The list of returnees goes on and on: wood ducks, killdeer, chipping sparrows, red-winged blackbirds, common grackles, palm warblers, eastern meadowlarks, and more!

In all the excitement of ticking off the arrival dates of birds that were gone from us since last fall, the last sighting of those hardy, reliable souls that spent the winter with us is often forgotten. Our own feeders are still graced with a small flock of pine siskins whose shrill rising “scree” call is a sound we do not typically hear in the neighborhood except in winter (although pine siskins do breed sparingly in parts of Maine).

They will disappear at some point over the next days or weeks. Will the last day they are here be one that finds us busy with the distractions of life so that their final appearance of the year in our yard will go unnoticed?

Some years we have had common redpolls at the feeders well into April, and some people are still reporting them at their feeders this year. Redpolls have a long journey yet ahead of them, to their subarctic and Arctic nesting grounds. On a recent trip to southern Maine, we heard the sweet songs of an American tree sparrow floating out from a brushy ravine — another winter visitor that will leave us in the next couple of weeks for its breeding area in northern Canada and Alaska.

Flocks of Bohemian waxwings, the larger cousin of our resident cedar waxwings, are lingering in places where there are still crabapples remaining from last fall. Soon they will be gone and headed back to the land of grizzly bears in northwestern Canada and Alaska, where the bulk of the population spends the summer.

The panoply of winter sea ducks and other water birds are leaving us, too, even though many of them have just started displaying their dazzling breeding colors rather than the drab costumes of winter. Red-necked grebes, horned grebes, and red-throated loons are all excitedly gathering and moving north.

The three scoter species — surf, black, and white-winged — the males in their elegant black costumes adorned with various degrees of gawdy orange, yellow, or white, are beginning the long journey north to places like the Northwest Territories, where the lakes and ponds may not open up until June.

Several snowy owls are still around in several locations in Maine as of early April — clearly, they will not be with us much longer before the draw of the Arctic breeding grounds will send them on their way.

As the birds of spring, arrive don’t forget to say good-bye to those faithful birds of winter — that is, if winter ever leaves us!

Comanche, built at Hodgdon Yachts is one of the newest participants in the 6th annual Les Voiles de Saint Barth, which takes place April 13-18, 2015.

Over 80 boats and 1,000 sailors are expected to compete at the event, which has been a not-to-be-missed competitive gathering since its creation in 2010. 

A unique combination of sportsmanship and conviviality that makes for excitement both on the water and ashore attracts a growing number of competitors each year.

Among them are some of the leading names in the sailing world and they make an exceptional line-up at the event, which is firmly anchored as one of the Caribbean's major sailing meets.

When it comes to regatta headlines, nothing beats having participation from Comanche, the newest and most sophisticated racing machine, built at Hodgdon Yachts in East Boothbay.

Designed by the French team of VPLP Design/Guillaume Verdier, the 100-foot pre-preg vessel, which features a state-of-the-art pre-preg carbon fiber hull, was launched in October 2014.

Comanche's first race was the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in December 2014. Following a close race, the boat crossed the finish line shortly after Wild Oats XI. This proved that the sailing yacht has huge potential in both medium and strong winds, with serious acceleration. 

"We'd like to extend our best wishes to Comanche and all of the boats participating in Les Voiles de Saint Barth," said Ed Roberts, Hodgdon's Global Director of Sales and Marketing. "It's sure to be an exciting event that we'll be watching closely."

The schooner Ernestina-Morrissey has arrived in Boothbay Harbor.

The 156-foot Massachusetts schooner, which was originally launched in 1894, will undergo $6,000,000 repairs at Boothbay Region Shipyard.

The ship left New Bedford State Pier in New Bedford, Massachusetts at approximately 8 a.m. on Sunday, April 12. It arrived about 24 hours later on Monday, pulled by the tug boat Jaguar.

Eric Graves, shipyard general manager, said last November that the Ernestina-Morrissey isn't just a big contract for the shipyard, but a big deal too.

Not only is the $6,000,000 contract the largest the shipyard has handled since it received new ownership, but the new contract is a sign of an improving economy and a new chapter for the shipyard, Graves said.

“It's definitely the biggest contract we've had in the last 10 years,” he said in November. “It's great for us, and for the town.

“This will be the biggest scale restoration we've done, and it feels pretty good to be able to work on it again.”

To say the Wiscasset High School boys varsity baseball team came close to winning a state title a year ago is an understatement.

The team came within two outs of bringing Wiscasset its first team championship in two decades.

But, instead of reminiscing over what might have been, head coach Mike Bowles said the team is ready for another shot at a trophy.

If this team is to go on a similar run (last year it played a Class C regular season schedule then almost ran the table in a Class D playoff schedule) it likely won't be sneaking up on anyone, Bowles said.

“We might not be able to sneak up and bite anyone, like we did last year,” he said. “But I'm excited for the new season, to see what it brings.”

Bowles said that while the team is largely unchanged, it will have a different strength this season.

“I think our leadership is going to be (our) strength this year, I really do,” he said. “The juniors and seniors who were on the team last year know what it takes (to win), they've been there. And you see some of the younger guys taking direction from them.

“Some teams say their strength is hitting, or pitching or fielding, but I really think our strength is leadership. Our guys know what's expected of them, and they know what they have to do to be successful.”

Of the team that lost in the state finals to Bangor Christian a year ago, only three seniors have graduated, while eight players return. Wolverines will also pull from a slew of young players, and some who are returning to the diamond after a few years, Bowles said.

“Those eight guys have that playoff experience, they know what it's like playing in those pressure situations,” he said. “They know that if they play all-out, they can win a lot of games.”

On the field, the Wolverines should again feature a pair of aces.

Daren Wood and Tyler Bailey, both of whom started and won playoff games a season ago, return for another season. Bowles said the team is trying out several players to add to its pitching depth.

Also returning for one more year are seniors Tyler Flavin and Matt Craig, the latter of whom is coming back from a knee injury to patrol centerfield.

“It looks like it's going to be a good mix of new players and returning guys,” Bowles said. “It looks like we've got a few (underclassmen) who could step right in.”

Bowles said that should Wiscasset make the playoffs, some of the teams the Wolverines beat from the Western Division in the playoffs a year ago (Richmond and Valley) along with Searsport could make noise. Without a regular season game against those opponents, it can be hard to know what the team is about to face, Bowles said, but so long as the team keeps its current attitude, he said the Wolverines should again do well.

“People take more pride — they don't want to let the next guy down,” he said. “That's something that didn't develop until late last year, but it's already there to begin the year. And that's huge.”

One of winter's lingering gifts? The sun-hardened snowbanks lining the fields surrounding Wiscasset High School.

Where normally teams would be practicing in late-March or early April, this year teams have had to wait for the vestiges of winter 2015 to melt away.

No problem, said Wiscasset High School softball coach Glenn Powers.

While the team wasn't able to take the field until Monday, April 13, the Wolverines have a head-start from last year, when Powers was a new coach. Now, what the team has lacked in outside training, it makes up for with experience and expectations, Powers said.

“I think this should be a pretty good year,” he said. “(Monday) is actually our first day outside. We still have some snow in the outfield, but it's good just to be outside; to finally have some BP outside.”

Powers said the team had to learn his system a year ago, and had to learn to trust him, while this year there's a familiarity between coach and team.

“Last year, they were getting used to (the system),” he said. “This year, there's more cohesion. They trust me so we're already on the same page.”

Powers said that while the team lost several seniors — including its ace, Abby Dunn, and backstop Brianna Goud — there are some young players to keep an eye on.

“We have three returning seniors, no pitchers, but we do have a freshman pitcher who's pitched well,” Powers said.

Those three seniors (Tylan Onorato, Kayla Gordon and Charlene Reed) form the core of Wiscasset's strength, Powers said.

“Our infield with Kayla, Tylan and Charley should be excellent,” he said.

Eventually, the team will need to find a replacement for Dunn on the mound, Powers said. Two early candidates include the freshman August Moore and Onorato.

“We should be able to start off well with our infield defense,” he said. “The hope is that August gets comfortable and throws consistently and can start some games, and Tylan has really come along.”

Powers said the hard-throwing Onorato features live stuff that could help make the transition from the infield to the pitching mound.

Powers said he is trying different players behind the plate, where Goud played a season ago.

Wiscasset went 2-14 a year ago, and like the boys team, played a full Class C schedule but missed the playoffs by one spot. Again scheduled to take on Western Class C opponents, Wiscasset will have to compete against larger schools in the conference.

That is, as soon as the snow's gone from the outfield.

The Wiscasset Community Center is holding its second semester of "Wellness U" on Saturday, April 18. The subject is walking health and classes are centered around walking. Just getting out and walking can be an easy way to increase your wellness.

The event runs from 8 a.m. until noon. Classes range from core strengthening to protecting yourself from ticks by the Midcoast Lyme Disease Support and Education group. Members of the Wiscasset Ambulance Service will be on hand to take blood pressure readings and teach "hands only" CPR. A community walk will start at 10:30 a.m. and Healthy Lincoln County is participating with free pedometers for participants. There is no cost for this event.

WCC members can take advantage of a wide range of programs that are free to them as a part of their membership. For more information, go to www.wiscassetrec.com and click on the Wellness U icon or call 207-882-8230.

The 2015 Boston Marathon will be both the first and last one for long distance runner Charlie Ault of Damariscotta. Ault, 60, ran his first marathon in 1978. He has ran in nine including ones in Chicago, Montreal and New York City. For most marathoners, running from Hopkinton, Massachusetts to the Boston Public Library’s entrance on Boylston Street is the ultimate race.

“This is something I’ve always wanted to do,” Ault said. “It’s my 10th and last marathon. I qualified for Boston by running a 3 hour 45 minute qualifier in the Bay State Marathon in Lowell. And after that I decided this would be it.”

Ault has been an avid road racer since he was 13. His first race was a 14.3 miler around Maranacook Lake. He ran cross country while attending both Winthrop High School and Gould Academy and Ripon (Wisconsin) College in the 1970s. He also trained with an elite long distance runner from 1973 to 1975 while working at Fisherman’s Wharf in Boothbay Harbor.

Ault said four decades later, his legs still feel those summer training sessions with Mark Sisson.

“I got a chance to run with him and my calves still hurt from those runs. He’s like a two hour 16 minute marathoner,” he said.

For Ault, there is no special preparation for the race. He believes it’s important for all marathoners to put in the proper road work prior to the race. Ault ran two 20-mile training sessions last month. He also ran about 35 hours per week, which included one 10-miler in preparation for the marathon.

“You need to get up to two 20 mile runs a month before the race,” he said. “About four weeks ago, I went out with full sweats and a blowing snowstorm and ran for three hours.”

This year’s Boston Marathon starts at 8:50 a.m. on Monday, April 20 with 15 mobility impaired racers traveling the famed road course. The Boston Marathon has over 36,000 entrants.

Ault will start at 11:15 a.m. with 7,500 racers in Wave Four. The starting times are based on the entrant’s division and qualifying times.

During the race, Ault expects to focus on the race’s history. The Boston Marathon began in 1897. The races traditionally draws a prestigious international field. Last year’s winner was Keb Keflezighi of California. He ran the course in two hours, eight minutes and 37 seconds. The previous 12 winners came from Kenya and Ethiopia.

“I’ve only seen the race on TV,” Ault said. “It’s a tough race to qualify for because the field is so good. I’ll probably be reflecting on all the great racers like Bill Rogers, Frank Shorter, and Johnny Kelley who have made this such a prestigious event.”

While the marathon includes runners of various genders, ages and abilities, Ault says they all have one thing in common. Once a marathoner reaches mile 20, the last six are based on determination.

“No matter how good you are or how much you train, the last six miles are all about getting it done,” Ault said. “Whether you are 2-hour ten-minute or 5-hour 20-minute runner, it doesn’t matter. Once you hit mile 20, you have to dig deep.”

Ault also hopes his training running along the local Midcoast landscape has prepared him for the Boston Marathon’s biggest obstacle.

“When I get to Heartbreak Hill, at mile 21, I hope my running the hills in Nobleboro pay off,” he said.

While this Ault’s last marathon, it’s not his last race. He plans on focusing his efforts in competing in middle distance races in the future.

On Thursday, April 16, don't miss the Special Olympics Maine annual state swim meet. Close to 400 Special Olympics Maine athletes, representing 45 local Maine teams from across the state, will compete at the Tarbell pool at Bates College in Lewiston from 9:15 a.m. until 4 p.m. Local schools participating include Boothbay Region, Great Salt Bay and Wiscasset.

Awards will be presented throughout the entire day. Athletes will compete in a variety of aquatics events; everything from the assisted 10 meter swim to the 100 meter freestyle and relays.

This is a very exciting event involving some incredible athletes. In past years the aquatics competition was held in conjunction with the annual Special Olympics Maine summer games. However, it has grown to be such a popular event that it is now held separately as a state competition. Police officers from Lewiston and Auburn will also be on hand to award medals.

The Tarbell Pool is adjacent to the Bates Ice Arena. Bates College is located just over the Veterans Memorial Bridge coming from Auburn. After crossing the bridge, go through three sets of lights. After the third light you will be able to see the pool on your right. Look for signs promoting the event.

For further information on Special Olympics Maine or this event, please contact the state office at 207-879-0489 or Lisa Bird at 207-839-5578.

Fishermen's Festival.

Ayuh. Just the mention of this annual event gives rise to tales of competitions past, complete with good natured ribbing and boasting and a bit of off color roasting.

The competitions begin at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 24 with the Miss Shrimp Princess Pageant. The event will be held at the Opera House at Boothbay Harbor where five young ladies, ages 9-12, will compete for what frequent emcee Andrew Morley has called, “the most coveted title on the peninsula.”

Plan to get there early as most of the town turns out to cheer the girls on. Tickets are $5/adults and $2/kids.

Reigning Miss Shrimp Princess Ciara Pitcher will make her last royal appearance as both performer and presenter.

Post pageant, local establishments like McSeagull's, Mine Oyster and Mr. C's will have musical entertainment for the over-21 crowd.

Come 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, the competitions begin with the Cod Fish Relay Races for high school, and Small Fry races for elementary school, aged teams. First up will be the high school — four-person teams will take turns donning foul weather gear and tucking a cod fish under each arm before taking off at break neck speed along the course. First team with all players back wins.

It's hard to know which is funnier: the expressions on the faces of the contestants or the spectators!

Bait shoveling commences immediately after. A barrel of bait is emptied onto Commercial Street to be removed and placed in another container. Will last year's champion Mark Carter return to retain his winning title?

At 9:30 a.m. it's time for the Lobster Crate Races. Contestants — young and um, mature — demonstrate their agility running across the tops of seaweed-filled lobster crates strung together between a docks and a boat stern. Last year's races got quite exciting: three competitors each ran 320 crates, requiring a second heat to determine the winner; 2014's overall champ was Rowan Kristan.

Come 10:15 a.m., it'll be time to rev up those lobster boat engines for the trap hauling competition. The Carter family has been winning this event for many a year. In 2014, with a time of 2:49, Matt Carter and Nick Page won the event aboard All Out.

Boat captains and their sternmen race to their boats, untie the vessels and head out to the inner harbor to bait traps then race back to their starting positions. Can't you hear the shouting, whooping, hollering and clapping now?

Make way ladies, gents, and kids for the Tug of War starting at 11 a.m on Commercial Street. Teams vie for championship status. Here's another event where the facial expressions of contestant and spectator are pictures worth a thousand ... laughs? Will it be a slow pull or a brief one? Will Yereance & Son return to brag another year? And, when it comes to bragging rights, how about that Sea Pier Women's Team? When have they not won? History has demonstrated this team will return to defend its title!

The youngins (third and fourth graders) will take to the street next for some pulls of their own. Last year there was a seventh and eighth grade pull as well!

After all this activity, everyone is powerful hungry.

Luckily the fish fry is being served up inside at Mine Oyster on Pier 1 — $5 a sandwich till they're gone — all proceeds to benefit Fishermen’s Memorial Fund. Satisfy your hunger while listening to tunes by Dave and Chris Gagne.

Mine Oyster is the venue for the two hour oyster shucking competition beginning at 1 p.m. in the raw bar. There will be different categories for competition and everyone that enters gets a prize. And, here's something special for oyster lovers to savor: three oysters paired with three wines for $10.

And, come nightfall, local establishments will have musicians tuning up for music and dancing. At press time, The Dyer Neck Gang was booked to rock Mr. C's on Townsend Avenue and Gang of Thieves at Mine Oyster. Watch for complete music listings next week.

The final day of Fishermen's Festival, Sunday, April 26 starts with the annual trip to Burnt Island Light Station aboard the Novelty at 12:30 p.m. Passengers depart from Pier 8 for a tour of the island with interpretors and solo. Any unsold tickets will be available at the pier.

Island visitors may return to the mainland, or stay on board the Novelty for the Blessing of the Fleet.

At 1:30 p.m. the community pays tribute to the fishermen who have lost their lives at sea in a most moving memorial service; a bell tolls as each of the names are read (by local area clergy), at the Fishermen’s Memorial on Atlantic Avenue.

The Blessing of the Fleet follows the memorial service around 2:15 p.m. Fishing boats pass by local clergy at Boothbay Harbor Fish Pier, and circle the inner harbor. Look for the newly crowned Shrimp Princess on the lead boat, her final duty of the weekend.

Head to Herringbone’s on Pier 1 after the blessing for some post-festival fun beginning at 4 p.m.

Yes, the roots of many a great tale can be traced to Fishermen's Festival weekend.

Beloved by locals, Fishermen's Festival is the celebration of our region's fishing and lobstering heritage; of our sense of community, to welcome spring and set our sights on the new season ahead — and exercise those bragging rights whenever the mood strikes!

For a complete schedule of events, visit www.boothbayregister.com.

Here in Wiscasset, we’re fortunate to have several first rate nature trails to enjoy, all within a five-minute drive of downtown. One of the more interesting is Cushman Mountain Preserve, owned and maintained by Chewonki Foundation. Hiking it carries you high over Cushman Cove and the Back River, offering a fine view from its summit.

The trail’s northern entrance is a few miles south of the Wiscasset Municipal Building. Driving from that direction, turn left onto the Birch Point Road (Route 144) and follow the road until you come to a sharp turn. Bear left there and onto a short side road that once served as the entrance to the former Central Maine Power-owned Mason Station. You’ll have to park your vehicle on the side of the road because there’s no parking area.

The trail begins on a small gravel road that runs gradually downhill and roughly eastwards towards the river. You’ll pass a small inlet on the left called Boom Cove, so named because raw timber was once stored here in log booms for a nearby lumber mill that operated in the late 19th century.

Later this same cove served as an ice pond where ice was sawed by hand into huge blocks and then sold commercially to markets as far south as New Orleans. Today, mallards, black ducks and cranes can often be seen enjoying the cove’s calm waters.

Just past the saltmarsh the trail begins running uphill and soon divides. Here you’ll see a small stone monument to the late Margaret Stetson of Wiscasset who donated this property to the Chewonki Foundation in 1999. Chewonki subsequently acquired the adjacent 29-acre Cushman meadow. It was from Stetson’s uncle, Erastus Foote Jr., that the high ridge that overlooks the river got its earlier name, Foote’s Mountain.

Following the left path takes you to Birch Point and the site of a former dam. The trail carries you past a mucky weep spring where the ground is spongy year-round. After crossing a small gully you’ll come to a large meadow. Not too many years ago this entire area was all cleared pastureland.

Crossing the meadow, bear right through a small stand of birch trees that eventually opens and offers you a nice view of the river and the former Mason Station. It’s from here that you’ll see what remains of the former wooden and earthen dam that once spanned the mouth of Boom Cove. Pilings on the opposite shore mark the remains of the Sturges Lumber Mill where in the late 19th century timber was sawed into planking.

To get to the summit of Cushman Hill, also known as Foote’s Mountain, return to the fork in the road by the stone memorial and follow the road as it winds its way eastward. For a short distance it runs beside a brook as it gradually rises. You’ll see an old stone impoundment where the brook was once dammed for a holding pond.

The road ends at a series of crisscrossing trails left behind by a skidder during what was a fairly recent logging operation. Be advised, from this point the trail is unmarked and so it’s a good idea to carry along a compass or GPS devise. To reach the summit bear right, this will carry you up a steeper grade that leads to a series of still higher hills that in Colonial times were known as “Bakers Mounts.”

If you stay on the beaten path overlooking the river you’ll come to four rather sizable cement blocks in the middle of the trail. These cement blocks once served as the footings for an observation tower. In the early 1900s, Erastus Foote Jr. had a lookout tower erected here. From its top he could enjoy a bird’s eye view of his property and the surrounding area. After Foote died the tower went unrepaired and was eventually taken down in the late 1930s or 1940s. Today towering northern pines trees surround the site.

It’s important to keep your bearing along the way. The path you want runs roughly south/south west and parallel to the river. The main trail splits in several places, the easiest way is to bear left. Somewhere close to the summit is a benchmark left by a U.S. Geological Survey team. (Neither I, or Dean Shea of Wiscasset who accompanied me on this hike were able to find it; although it’s shown on the topographical map.)

The trail eventually dips downwards and brings you out at the other end of Route 144 just short of the Westport Bridge. This path overlooking the river is roughly a mile or so and is still referred to as the Old Indian Trail. According to the legend the Wawenocks made a seasonal pilgrimage to hunt, fish and drink from a spring not far from the inlet said to have magical and curative powers. The woods here still abound with white tail deer, fox, raccoon, wild turkey and bobcat. Maybe the animals, too, come to drink from the fabled enchanted waters. The morning of our hike we saw evidence of both deer and moose at the higher elevations.

The 117-acre Cushman Preserve is open year-round offering both enjoyable hiking and snowshoeing. No motorized vehicles of any kind are permitted. Whatever you carry in, you should carry out. You can download a trail map by visiting www.wiscasset.org and clicking on “Community Trails” under the “Visit” tab.

Meg and Victor Atkins were doing a lot of smiling as they walked along Alna’s Head Tide Road on April 18. They have walked the same stretch of road every morning they could for about 40 years. On Saturday, with binoculars and attentive ears, they struck nature lovers’ gold.

“The birds are popping,” Meg Atkins said. “We’ve been so lucky. Yesterday, there was a ruby-crowned kinglet, and this morning, just by the dam, five tufted titmice. They looked as if they were checking each other out.”

The Newburyport, Massachusetts couple walk to the Head Tide area from the home Joe Barth built them decades ago.

In the couple’s early years of trips to their Alna home, their children were young so there was less time for the walks up the road; now the couple are retired and enjoying every opportunity to take in the diversity they said exists near that part of the Sheepscot River.

Birds are believed to be attracted to spots with small bridges, like the bridge near Head Tide Dam, Victor Atkins said. And the variety of trees there attracts diverse species of birds, they said. When a reporter caught up with them on Saturday’s walk, husband and wife identified one bird after another, by its look, song or call.

They consider themselves naturalists more than bird watchers, Victor Atkins said. In Massachusetts they serve as Audubon field teachers, meeting with school groups.

Just as the couple were glad to be done with a winter that brought them nine feet of snow in Massachusetts, they said the birds in Alna were finally getting a spring that was late in coming. The frozen ground had made it hard for the birds to get at the bugs they eat, Meg Atkins said.

“They were hungry,” her husband said.

The reverberation of engines in the air, the scent of exhaust, and the palpable excitement of both fans and drivers alike marked Wiscasset Speedway’s opening day, April 18.

Starting the racing action was a 50-lap Prostock feature. The #05 of James Osmond dominated the heat and started the feature at the pole. Osmond powered to the lead, and for over 30 laps led the pack. It looked like it was Osmond’s race to win. Behind him were the #01 of Andy Saunders and the #15 of Nick Hinkley. 

Moving up from fifth was the #1 of Jeff Burgess. Burgess slowly worked his way through the pack, eventually battling the #01 of Saunders, who had briefly taken the lead from Osmond on a lap-25 caution, for second. Burgess used cautions to his advantage and looked for his opportunity to take the lead. His chance came during lap 34 when he was able to take the inside track and get under Osmond. The pair battled for first, but by lap 35, Burgess had taken the lead and did not relinquish it for the remainder of the race. Burgess took the checkered and Osmond placed second. This was Osmond’s career best Prostock finish for the 2013 Driver of the Year. Rounding out the top three was Saunders.

“Well, we were patient at the beginning of the race and waited,” Burgess said after the race. “We picked our way up through and followed James Osmond. He made one mistake and I was able to get underneath him. I’d like to dedicate this race to my father-in-law, Gary French. He is suffering from terminal cancer but he was able to be at the race today. I’d also like to thank my sponsors Ed Trask Drywall, ProKnee, and Burgess Racing and Fabrication.”

The Outlaw Super Series Tour visited Wiscasset Speedway for a 50-lap event.

“This will give the fans something new to watch,” Tour promoter Derek Mingo said. “You can race what you bring, and using tires and weighting, the playing field is leveled. This is the second year of the series.”

Starting at the pole was the #81 of Kris Watson. Behind him were the #38 of Joey Doyon and the #17 of Chris Matchet. Watson took the lead and although Doyon was hot on heels, he developed mechanical problems which took him out of the running.

Matchet was able to get a brief lead on a lap 13 restart, but Watson quickly reclaimed his lead. Waston gained a several car length lead and for the remainder of the race, despite cautions, kept ahead of the pack. Watson placed first, Matchet took second, and Dan McKeage of the #43 placed third.

The next crowd pleaser was a 20-lap Thunder 4 feature. Starting at the pole was Gerard Cote of the #05. The #5 of Ryan Chadwick and the #04 of Curtis Anderson were behind him. Cote was quick off the start and led the race to start. Coming from behind was the #28X of David Stone Jr.

Stone passed Anderson for third during lap one. 

Chadwick challenged Cote for the lead during lap three and the duo raced door-to-door with Chadwick ultimately passing for first place. In a caution free race, the trio maintained track running order, leading the rest of the pack around the track. Chadwick clinched the win with Cote placing second. In third place was Stone. 

“I bought a new Harley, and I’m not sure I will run a full season,” Chadwick said after the race. “I might though. I do like to win, so we’ll see how it goes. I was glad to see the end of the race with the rain getting harder during the final laps. I’d like to thank Hammond Mechanical, D&S Excavation and K&A Property Services.”

The final two features, the Super Street Series and The New England Four Cylinder Prostock series, were rained out. Placing in the Super Street Heat were the #1 of Adam Chadbourne in first. In second, the #32 of Tasha Dyer. The #2 of Josh Bailey placed third. In the New England Four Cylinder Prostock series heat, the #24 of Jeff Prindall came in first. Jacob Hendsbee of the #27 placed second. In third was the #98 of Kamren Knowles. The heat finishes will be used to handicap and set heat order for the next race in those divisions.

Wiscasset Speedway resumes racing action on April 25 with its group two line up of divisions: Late Model Sportsman, Strictly Street, Outlaw Mini, and the new Modified division. The flex race of the week will be the super-fast Nelcar Legends Tour. Pit gates open at 10 a.m. Grandstand gates open at noon and racing begins at 2 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, visit www.wiscassetspeedway.com.

Official Results

PROSTOCK (50 LAPS)

1. #1 Jeff Burgess, East Madison

2. #05 James Osmond, Wiscasset

3. #01 Andy Saunders, Ellsworth

4. #99 AJ Picard, Palmyra

5. #15 Nick Hinkley, Wiscasset

6. #96 Wyatt Alexander, Ellsworth

7. #13 Nathan Tribbet, Richmond

8. #32 Mike Orr, Wiscasset

9. #9 Dylan Turner, Freedom

10. #5 Bill Pinkham, Wiscasset

DNS #77 Maggie Ferland, Auburn

THUNDER 4’S (20 LAPS)

1. #5 Ryan Chadwick, Wiscasset

2. #05 Girard Cote, Oxford

3. #28X David Stone Jr., Alfred

4. #48 Michael Harrison, Durham

5. #04 Curtis Anderson, Richmond

6. #11 Cam Childs, Leeds

7. #55 Craig Pyy, NA

8. #31 Leandra Martin, Richmond

9. #28M James Record, Oxford

10. #26 Michael Golding, Pownal

11. #74 Aaron Sevigny, Windsor

12. #54 Noah Haggett, Wiscasset

13. #58 David Greenleaf, Brunswick

14. #3 Alison Glasier, NA

OUTLAW SUPER SERIES (50 LAPS)

1. #81 Kris Watson, Hermon

2. #17 Chris Matchet, Skowhegan

3. #43 Dan McKeage, Gorham

4. #14 Dave St. Clair, Liberty

5. #19S Duane Seekins, Stockton Springs

6. #55 Shawn Hamel, Bangor

7. #33 Trey Brown, Winterport

8. #04X Zach Bowie, Poland Springs

9. #38 Joey Doyon, Winterport

10. #19 Zach Audet, Skowhegan

11. #17S Bobby Segar Jr., Winterport

12. #29 Kyle Moore, Frankfort

13. #30 Dylan Street, Old Town

Level 7 gymnasts from the Central Lincoln County YMCA Junior Olympic team recently returned home with honors from the USAG Maine State meet held at The Alfond Center in Waterville. After a strong regular season the team was part of more than 100 gymnasts competing from private top notch gymnastics training centers across Maine.

“I am so proud of how our girls competed. The gymnasts in the age groups they competed in were strong and talented and the judging were tough,” Coach Janice Cormier-Hay said.

Meet highlights: Maddy Russ was selected for Maine’s Super 7 Team, a Junior Olympic Level 7 Regional Meet, to be held in Rhode Island in May and earned a first place All Around finish. Katie Colomb was selected for the Maine Super 7 Team for the Xcel Platinum Regional meet to be held in May in Shrewsbury, Masschusetts and earned a first place finish All Around honors.

First place honors for Maddy Russ of Damariscotta, Level 7, Age 11 competing with 9-11 year olds, were earned on the floor exercise with a 9.25, balance beam with a 9.5 (PB) and floor exercise with a 9.5. Maddy took 2nd place honors on the uneven bars with a 9.1. She came in 1st overall with a personal best all around score of 37.35 for the season.

Third place honors for Reed Gulden of Walpole, Level 7, Age 11 competing with 9-11 year olds, were earned on the vault with a 9.05 (PB), balance beam with a 9.3 and floor exercise with a 9.325 (PB). Reed earned an 8.1 balance beam for 4th place. She was 4th overall in her age division.

The third level 7 gymnast on Y’s USA Gymnastics team, Emma Hall of Damariscotta, was injured and unable to compete.

Third place honors for Katie Colomb, Xcel Platinum, Age 14-plus, were earned on the floor exercise with a 9.05, 4th place honors on vault with an 8.75, balance beam with an 8.75 and 5th place with an 8.75. Katie placed 3rd all around with a personal best all around score of 35.3.

Third place honors for Erica Johnson, Level 4, Age 10, were earned on the uneven bars with a 9.15, she came in 8th place on floor exercise with an 8.55, 9th on balance beam with an 8.65, 10th on vault with an 8.4. Erica placed 6th all around.

Sixth place honors for Ava Carmolli, Level 4, Age 11-plus, were earned on the balance beam with an 8.825, 7th on vault with an 8.275, 9th on uneven bars with a 7.9 and floor exercise with an 8.55. Ava placed 7th all around.

Third place honors for Kadence Rogers were earned on the balance beam with a 9.325 (PB) and uneven bars with a 9.225. She came in 6th on floor exercise with a 9.1 and 11th on the vault with an 8.65. Kadence placed 5th all around with a personal best all around score.

The Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber’s third annual Hacker’s Ball Golf Tournament will be held Friday, May 8 at the Brunswick Golf Club, 165 River Road in Brunswick. Proceeds from individual and team registration fees and company sponsorships benefit the chamber’s various education initiatives that reinvest in the communities.

Individuals, teams or companies interested in becoming a sponsor should register by May 4 at www.midcoastmaine.com/calendar/event/6890. Tournament sign-in the day of the event begins at 8 a.m. and the scramble format with shotgun start tees off at 9 a.m.

Brunswick Golf Club hosts an 18-hole championship golf course, wonderfully maintained with tree-lined fairways and immaculate greens. Golf tournament participants will also enjoy raffles for great local prizes, breakfast, lunch, and appetizers, and longest drive, closest to the pin, and putting and chipping contests.

At a special challenge hole sponsored by Northern Benefits and LeaderBoard of Boston, participants can also purchase a chance to launch their ball with the LeaderBoard AirCannon for a chance to win a seven-night stay for two at one of RCI’s 3,000 resorts.

The Hacker’s Ball is presented by the Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber, produced by their young professionals networking group, Midcoast Edge, and is sponsored by Bath Savings Institution, Brunswick Golf Club, Dead River, Hancock Lumber, LeaderBoard of Boston, Northern Benefits, Norway Savings Bank, PFBF CPAs, and Sitelines PA.

Additional sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting Nick Favreau or Amanda Leland at midcoastedge@midcoastmaine.com or www.facebook.com/midcoastedge.

SMMC champions the growth, success, and quality of life in the region. The Chamber serves the communities of Arrowsic, Bath, Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Brunswick, Dresden, Edgecomb, Georgetown, Harpswell, Phippsburg, Richmond, Topsham, West Bath, Westport Island, Wiscasset and Woolwich.

Midcoast Edge is the young professionals networking group of SMMC. It is open to any individual roughly ages 21 to 40-plus that lives or works in the southern Midcoast Maine area and is looking to make personal and professional contacts.

As a child, Al Freiheit remembers those memorable trips to the ballpark with his father and grandfather. The two older Freiheits shared their passion for baseball by taking him to Major League Baseball games in Boston and New York City.

The Freiheits lived in Manchester, Connecticut, a town located 125 miles from New York City and 95 miles from Boston. Every Father’s Day, they either traveled north to Fenway Park or Braves Field in Boston. Or they traveled south to Yankee Stadium, the Polo Grounds, or Ebbets Field in New York.

The Father’s Day trips began in 1948. The first time was a game between the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was a memorable experience for Al — a nine-year-old with a growing passion for the baseball. He remembers Johnny Mize and Willard Marshall hitting home runs that day.

The sights and sounds of a big league baseball game left a lasting impression on Freiheit.

“I loved it,” Freiheit said. “In those days, it was a totally different experience. You were much closer to field. You got a good look at them walking out to the clubhouse in center field. And you could call out to get an autograph.”

Baseball was special for his family. Al’s father was scouted by the New York Giants. Al played baseball for Denver College in the late 1950s. Baseball played such a big part in the Freiheit household that they often attended games when they visited friends and relatives.

“Anytime we went to Philadelphia, Chicago or Washington, D.C., we always tried to go to one or two games,” Freiheit said. “By 1961, I had seen games in all the big league ballparks. Those old parks were great. They were smaller that the ones now, and most of them didn’t have a bad seat.” 

His favorite park was Braves Field in Boston. The Braves played in Boston from 1915-1952. The venue was especially accommodating to fans who enjoyed watching batting practice.

Freiheit likened the Braves Field experience to watching a game at Hadlock Field in Portland. But Fenway Park isn’t one of his favorites. He likes Fenway’s quirkiness of the Green Monster — the 37-foot left field wall —- or the Pesky Pole located 302 feet from home plate in right field.

But the quirkiness doesn’t make up for Fenway’s design flaws, he said.

Fenway Park was built in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium. Freiheit said the park’s design makes a difficult place to watch a game.

“Fenway is terrible. They should have done something with that place years ago,” he said. “When they refurbished it they should have wiped out every seat. They’re uncomfortable and don’t face the field.”

While Fenway’s viewing experience is poor, according to Freiheit, the park does hold a memorable personal experience for him. Freiheit met Detroit Tigers pitcher Jack Morris there in the 1980s. Freiheit was watching a special batting practice in the relatively empty park. 

Red Sox third baseman Wade Boggs was in the midst of winning one of his five American League batting titles, and taking an unusual batting practice. Boggs placed towels in the outfield at 200, 250 and 300 foot intervals. He tried hitting the various targets during practice.

Morris also watched Boggs.

“If everybody prepared like him, I’d be pitching ‘A’ Ball,” the Tigers’ hurler told Freiheit.

Another old park steeped in history also holds a special place in Freiheit’s heart: Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. The Dodgers played there from 1913-57.

“Everybody was your friend there,” Freiheit said. “The usher would tell us come back in the seventh inning and let you sit closer.”

Wrigley Field in Chicago is another favorite.The Cubs’ home field is the second oldest active major league park. It was built in 1914.

“There is not a bad seat in the house. And watching a game from right field, you feel you’re right on top of the action,” Freiheit said. “The field is being renovated this year. And it’s on my list to go back to.”

Yankee Stadium was a frequent stop on Freiheit’s visits to major league parks in the 1950s. While the stadium was the largest of the old parks, it still proved to be a memorable experience.

“What else can you say about it. It’s Yankee Stadium, and that about sums it up,” he said.

In the mid-1960s, the old parks started to vanish. Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis gave way to Busch Stadium as did similar parks in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and New York. For Freiheit, the advent of modern ballparks wasn’t a sign of progress.

“The newer stadiums like Shea in New York, and Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, were just too big. It was like watching a game from eight miles away,” he said.

These modern stadiums were constructed for a dual purpose. These stadiums also hosted football games. Among the worst was Oakland’s O.co Coliseum (formerly Oakland Coliseum), according to Freiheit. Candlestick Park in San Francisco wasn’t much better.

“A friend told me not to go (to Candlestick) because it would rain, and he was right,” Freiheit said. “By the fifth inning it rained so hard they reeled down a big plastic sheet in front of the right field bleachers.

In 2013, San Francisco replaced Candlestick Park with AT&T Park. Freiheit said the new park is a wonderful place to watch a game.

“It has that old park feel in a modern setting,” he said. “The field is tucked into the city, which is a major plus. Baseball is getting it right with new fields. It started in the 1990s when Baltimore built a baseball-only stadium.”

Freiheit and his wife, Joan, have lived in Maine since 2011. They enjoy watching Portland Sea Dogs at Hadlock Field. The Freiheits buy a 10-game package each year and sit in the right field stands. Freiheit recommends the location and to focus on third base.

“From there you can see everything without moving your head,” Freiheit said.

The Freiheits are also avid college football fans. They watched their son play in the 1980s and their son-in-law is a coach at Bates College. The Freiheits have visited college stadiums in the Ivy League, New England Small Conference Football Conference and the Big East.

Wiscasset's home opener is happening a little sooner than scheduled.

The boys and girls varsity baseball and softball teams will host Boothbay Region High School Friday, April 24 at 4 p.m.

Originally, the teams were scheduled to travel to Boothbay to open the season, but because Boothbay Region High School's fields are still too wet for play, the games were moved to Wiscasset.

According to the National Weather Service, there is a 40 percent chance of rain after 11 a.m. in Wiscasset, with temperatures expected to be near 50 F.

Wiscasset baseball won the season series a year ago on its way to a 7-9 regular season finish. That record placed the Wolverines fourth in Class D West. Boothbay baseball missed the playoffs, but features a new look and a new outlook this season.

Playing at the same time, the girls teams will square off for the first time since a 10-0 Wiscasset win in May 2014. Like the baseball team, the Boothbay Region Seahawks softball team missed the playoffs in 2013-14. The Wiscasset Wolverines narrowly missed the Class D playoffs a year ago with a 2-14 record; they finished eighth in the West, while only the top seven teams move forward.

Following their games against Boothbay Region, the Wiscasset Wolverines will be tested early.

Both baseball and softball will stay at home April 27 to face off against the Lisbon Greyhounds.

Lisbon's softball team is coming off a 6-10 season in which the Greyhounds qualified for the playoffs. Follwoing them, the April 29 match-up against Oak Hill (8-8 in 2014) is the Wolverines only match-up against a Class B opponent. Following their match-up with Oak Hill, the softball team will host St. Dom's (2-14 in 2014) on May 1.

For the boys team, the early season represents an early-season test.

Following Friday's game against Boothbay Region, the team will host Lisbon April 27. The Greyhounds are coming off a successful campaign in 2014 in which they finished 10-6 and were the fifth seed going into the Western Class C playoffs. Then, the Wolverines will travel to face Oak Hill (12-4 in 2014), which finished 12-4 in Class B to secure the fifth seed in the Western playoffs. Then, Wiscasset will return home to face St. Dominic's, which finished in third place in Western Class C a year ago. The Saints went 12-4, but one of those losses came at the hands of the Wolverines.

All games begin at 4 p.m. and home games are played at the high school fields next to the recreation center.

There is likely a more conventional way to open a season than a walk-off suicide squeeze.

But that's how Wiscasset High School boys baseball team started the year on Friday, April 24.

Playing at home due to Boothbay Region's fields being wet, both Wiscasset teams opened the year with a win, but in very different fashions.

On the baseball diamond, the Wiscasset Wolverines (1-0 overall) picked up where they left a year ago with a narrow, 2-1, walk-off victory. Starter Tyler Bailey, who won the Western Class Finals game for Wiscasset a year ago, didn't surrender a hit to Boothbay Region (0-1 overall) in seven innings of work.

Bailey also knocked home the winning run.

With both teams locked in a 1-1 tie, Wiscasset was able to get two runners on base in the bottom of the eighth innings. Boothbay Region intentionally walked Daren Wood to load the bases, which set the stage for Bailey.

With one out, Bailey pushed the pitch up the first base line while Grant Hefler sprinted from third. By the time Boothbay Region was able to recover the ball, Hefler had crossed the plate and given Wiscasset its first victory of the 2015 season.

With temperatures slinking back into the 30s near the tail end of the game, the cold became a factor as neither team was able to mount an offensive threat. Bailey said the cold did affect him for a while.

“In the middle, my arm was getting a little tired because it was so cold out,” he said. “Near the end I felt pretty good, and I actually wanted to go another inning, but it made sense not to go for another.”

Wood and Tyler Flavin pitched the eighth inning instead, and despite a lead-off walk, Wiscasset was able to escape without surrendering any runs.

In addition to the game-winning RBI, Bailey pitched seven innings without allowing a hit, and 16 strikeouts. But when he was on the mound, he said he wasn't thinking about a no-hitter.

“I didn't really think about it; I wasn't really focused on that, I was just worried about (getting outs).”

For Boothbay Region, the close loss contained some highlights.

Pitcher Nick Burge pitched the entire game for the Seahawks, and Wiscasset wasn't able to muster much of offensive threat.

Boothbay Region Coach Josh Garneau said he was impressed with his team's effort.

“I thought they played real well,” he said. “They competed, they made a lot of smart plays in the field, which is what we have been working on, pitcher Nick Burge pitched a great game — threw strikes and kept them off-balance with his off-speed pitches. Had a couple rallies, (if we) get a little more timely hitting, we should be all set.”

Garneau said Boothbay would continue to work on its hitting. The Seahawks were able to score on Bailey when Julian Aponte reached on a fielding error, and reached home after two subsequent Wiscasset errors.

The two games this season between Wiscasset and Boothbay Region will simply be flip-flopped. Wiscasset will travel to Boothbay Harbor on May 26.

The Little League Pledge is a historical document, written in the mid-1950s by an official of Little League. The text of the Little League Pledge has remained unchanged since its inception:

I trust in God
I love my country
And will respect its laws
I will play fair
And strive to win
But win or lose
I will always do my best

Lincoln Little League is pleased to be part of this rich history, providing opportunities for area boys and girls to learn good sportsmanship and other valuable life lessons through participating in baseball and softball.

Opening Day is set for Saturday, May 2 at the Central Lincoln County YMCA baseball field and the Great Salt Bay softball field. Little League baseball and softball games begin at 9 a.m. and are scheduled throughout the day. Come on out and catch a game or two and enjoy some concessions while you cheer on local boys and girls.

There was a bustle at Wiscasset Speedway as a pit area full of drivers and crew prepared for five exciting races to please the fans gathered in the grandstands. Despite a nip to the air, hundreds were at the track, to both watch and participate in short track racing.

On the line up were the group two division, including Outlaw Mini’s, Late Model Sportsman, Strictly Streets, and Wiscasset’s newest addition, Modified. The flex race of the week were the super-fast Amsoil Nelcar Legends.

The Outlaw Mini class was the Spotlight feature of the week. The Mini’s competed in a thirty-five lap event. Heat winner, Cody Tribbet, of the #13 started at the pole. Behind him was George Fortin of the #9. Fortin leapt to the lead early in the race, and looked out his rear view mirror at his competitors trying to catch up for the remainder of the race.

Starting in third was the #10 of Jimmy Childs. Childs lost position to the #34 of Justin Trombley during lap one. Trombley looked for his opportunity to claim second, but couldn’t gain an advantage over Tribbet until lap twenty-five, when he managed to get underneath Tribbet and complete the pass for second. Fortin had a commanding lead, and Trombley did not have enough time to challenge Fortin for the win. Fortin took the checkered, with Trombley placing second. Tribbet rounded out the top three.

“I pulled the car out of the trailer from last year at 7:00 this morning,” Fortin said. “I put two tires on it, and came out on top. We had won the last race last year. It is a good feeling to take the win. It is good to get back in the seat after a long winter. I want to thank all my sponsors, including Roger’s Reliable Auto, Wolf Den Racing, and Jim’s Nissan.”

Twenty-two Late Model Sportsman cars cruised onto the track, in what proved to be an action packed thirty five lap feature. The #25 of Will Collins started at the pole with the #15 of Nick Hinkley and the #04ME of TJ Watson behind. The action was heated from the start, with cars vying for position. Door to door racing ensued with everyone wanting to claim a win.

Collins pulled away from the pack, and Hinkley dropped back, allowing Watson to claim second. Chris Thorne of the #17 soon passed Hinkley from his fourth place starting position, and advanced up the track to challenge Watson. Thorne passed Waston during lap five, and a caution the following lap gave Thorne the opportunity to challenge Collins for the lead. It was heated side by side race, when a second caution put an end to the chase. The restart saw more door to door racing, but Collins ultimately took the lead once again.

Behind the leaders, Hinkley and Watson battled for third. Hinkley completed a pass before another caution was thrown during lap eight. When racing action resumed, Collins got a good start, and after a two lap battle, Thorne found himself dropping to third place as Hinkley had the inside track and advanced to second.

There was plenty of track action, with the field packed full of competitors. Starting in fifteenth place was the #26 of Andrew McLaughlin. McLaughlin proved himself to be a force to be reckoned with as he navigated through lap traffic towards the front of the pack.

Ahead, Thorne and Hinkley battle for second. Thorne heads to the outside and by lap twenty gets ahead of Hinkley by a nose, the pair determinedly race for several laps with one going ahead of the other. The fifth caution of the race during lap twenty-six saw Hinkley in second place, but on the restart Thorne gained advantage and went under Hinkley for second.

Excitement mounted as a chase for third began. The #4 of Ben Erskine is neck and neck with Hinkley, and McLaughlin close behind. Erskine slides sideways coming out of turn four during lap thirty three, and McLaughlin swooped up and in a close quarter battle, Hinkley and McLaughlin fought for position. It was anybody’s race for third.

Collins had the lead, and Thorne was unable to complete a pass during the final laps. Collins led the field across the finish line, making it his second Late Model win at Wiscasset. Thorne took second. In the heated battle for third, the duo of Hinkley and McLaughlin were nose to nose, with no clear leader. When the pair flew under the checkered, the #26 of McLaughlin was four one hundredths of a second ahead of Hinkley, an exciting finish for third.

“We worked on the car quite a bit over the last month, and finished it up last night,” Collins said post-race. “It was a good race and the car ran great. It was good racing with Chris because he races hard and clean. Thanks to my mom and dad, Randy, Andy, MG, and Guy. I also want to give a big thank you to my wife! I currently have no sponsors and I’m looking for them.”

Starting their 2015 Season at Wiscasset Speedway were the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour. Twelve Legends cars competed in a twenty five lap feature event. Starting at the pole was the #19 of Kevin Girard. Behind him were the #84 of Matt Grant and the #38 of Mathew Bourgoine. Bourgoine was the 2014 champ, who won at least once at every Maine racetrack he competed at last year.

The first lap saw the only leader change in the top three, with Bourgoine taking second on the inside. There were two cautions during the race, but Bourgoine was unable to take the lead despite his efforts. Girard took the win, and thanked his pit crew, family, and sponsors, including Mainly Plumbing. Bourgoine placed second. Grant took third.

The newest class at Wiscasset Speedway are the Modified division. A thirty lap feature was a crowd pleaser. The #5 of Mark Lucas was the heat winner and started at the pole. Gary Thorne of the #20 and the #85 of Jairet Harrison were behind.

During lap five, the #61 of Shawn Austin passed Harrison for third. From the start, Thorne and Lucas put on a show. The pair battled it out for the lead until Thorne spun out on the back stretch during lap fourteen causing a caution. The #96 of Scott Chubbuck moved to third.

When racing began on the track once again, Thorne spun coming out of turn two, and Harrison spun behind him. The #8 of Richard Jordan advanced to third. The restart saw Lucas once again leap to the lead, but behind Chubbuck and Jordan battled for second. Jordan got the inside track and by the time Jordan was heading down the backstretch during lap nineteen, he had secured second.

Behind, Thorne was navigating through the field back to the front, but was unable to reach the top three, and finished in fourth. Taking the win was Lucas. Lucas raced the Pass tour last year and was two points away from taking the Pass Modified championship. Jordan placed second. Chubbuck took third.

“It was a fun start,” Lucas said. “I was having a good time racing Gary Thorne until he got hung up on the track. I figured from the start he was going to be the one to beat, but that’s racing. Glad to see that many cars show up, and hope to see more in the future. I want to thank my crew and Lucas Auto Repair.”

Wrapping up the racing action for the evening was a twenty five lap Strictly Street feature. Heat winner, Corey Morgan, started at the pole with the #83 of Dan Brown in second. Starting in third was the #51 of Kyle Hewins. There were several restarts during lap one, with no full lap completed. Kyle Hewins suffered a right front tire down, causing a caution. He went to the pits and lost his third place start, with third going to the #55H of Kurt Hewins.

When action resumed, and the race restarted, Morgan shot to the lead. Brown dropped in behind him. Kurt Hewins saw an opportunity to get under Brown and take second during lap two, and Brown slipped to third. A caution during lap eight saw an exciting restart, as Brown and Kurt Hewins race door to door for second. During lap nine, Kurt Hewins went sideways on turn three, giving Brown the number two spot and the #01, of Billy Childs Jr., third place.

There were two additional cautions during race time. On both restarts, Brown and Morgan battled it out for the lead, with Morgan pulling ahead ultimately, even though Brown did edge ahead at times. 2014 Strictly Street champion Morgan took the win. Brown placed second. Childs took third.

“It’s going to be great racing this year,” Morgan said post-race. “It’s going to be a harder season for me, there were at least four guys who could easily have beaten me. Dan Brown almost had it. He had me there, but we whooped it out. He’s a great guy and a good driver, we’re going to have fun this year. The competition will be good for the fans too. I was to thank my sponsors, Nicely Built Racing Engines, Temp Setters, and The Sign Store.”

Wiscasset Speedway resumes racing action, May 2 with its group one lineup of divisions: Prostock, Napa Super Street, Thunder 4’s, and New England Four Cylinder Prostock. The flex race of the week are the Wicked Good Vintage Racers. 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.

Race fans and drivers can 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.

Official finish April 25

Outlaw Mini (35 Laps)

1. #9 George Fortin, Greene

2. #34 Justin Trombley, Winter Harbor

3. #13 Cody Tribbet, Richmond

4. #52 Dustin Damon, Buckfield

5. #10 Jimmy Childs, Leeds

6. #29 Shawn Kimball, Augusta

7. #61 Chris Morris, Poland

8. #19 Shane Kaherl, Jay

DNS #17 Matt Weil, Biddeford

Late Model Sportsman (35 Laps)

1. #25 Will Collins, Waldoboro

2. #17 Chris Thorne, Sidney

3. #26 Andrew McLaughlin, Harrington

4. #15 Nick Hinkley, Wiscasset

5. #4 Ben Erskine, Farmington

6. #51 Puncin St Clair, Liberty

7. #30 Ryan St Clair, Liberty

8. #14 Dave St Clair, Liberty

9. #04ME TJ Watson, Cundy’s Harbor

10. #87 Chuck Colby, Wiscasset

11. #33 Josh St Clair, Liberty

12. #2 John Kalel II, Orrington

13. #34 Tyler Robbins, Montville

14. #28 Steve Minott, Windham

15. #21 Shane Clark, Winterport

16. #13 Nathan Tribbet, Richmond

17. #6 Chris Bowie, New Glouster

18. #3 Richard Jordan, Kingfield

19. #00 Alex Waltz, Walpole

20. #7 Jay Bailey, Wiscasset

21. #5 Bill Pinkham, Wiscasset

22. #5X Leon Cray, Dresden

DNS #5X Mark Lucas, Harpswell

DNS Wes Turner, Montville

Modified (30 Laps)

1. #5 Mark Lucas, Harpswell

2. #8 Richard Jordan, Kingfield

3. #96 Scott Chubbuck, Bowdoin

4. #20 Gary Thorne, Sidney

5. #85 Jairet Harrison, Freeport

6. #61 Shawn Austin, Norridgewock

7. #39 Mike Brown, Hope

8. #33 Ron Bryant, Livermore

9. #3 Ed Trask, Augusta

DNS #60 Dana Reed, Shapleigh

Strictly Street (25 Laps)

1. #26 Corey Morgan, Lewiston

2. #83 Dan Brown, Peru

3. #01 Billy Childs Jr, Leeds

4. #55H Kurt Hewins, Leeds

5. #24 Jonathan Emerson, Sabattus

6. #22 Thomas Smith, Edgecomb

7. #11 Cody Verrill, Wiscasset

8. #51 Kyle Hewins, Leeds

9. #85 Chanler Harrison, Freeport

10. #00 Kimberly Knight, Chesterville

11. #02 Paul Hopkins, Camden

12. #14 Dave Brannon, Lisbon

13. #51X Bryan Robbins, Montville

14. #4X Travis Lincoln, Wiscasset

15. #36 Richard Spaulding, Lisbon

Amsoil Nelcar Legends (25 Laps)

1. #19 Kevin Girard Jr, Old Orchard Beach

2. #38 Mathew Bourgoine, Newport

3. #84 Matt Grant, Windham

4. #33 Alan Smith, Lincoln

5. #10 Ed Getty, Gray

6. #17 Terry Kirk, Durham

7. #00 Philip Brackett, South Portland

8. #72 Michael Humphrey, Cornish

9. #88 Pete Cannell, South Berwick

10. #92 Colby Meserve, Buxton

11. #8 Matt Chagnot, Derry, New Hampshire

12. #80 Dylan Varney, Windham

13. #33 Tylar Braunschwieg, West Newfield

You may or may not have noticed the explosion of sound recently in the woods by your house. Within the past few weeks there have been sounds not heard in Maine since late last summer. They are the calls and songs of our migratory birds returned to New England in time for the growing season. Each year they descend on fields, ponds, and forests in search of food, territory, and each other.

The path to learning more about these wonderful birds can be intimidating to the uninitiated. There are so many species to keep straight, there are binoculars and spotting scopes, and there is a whole language that can seem foreign. Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson has a remedy.

Join birder, naturalist and educator Jody Telfair-Richards on Thursday, May 7, 6-7:30 p.m. for Birding for Beginners part 1. Jody will give an engaging presentation to help acquaint you with the local species, and how we identify them. She will also present some fascinating information about migrations and the state of bird populations today. This presentation will be in HVNC’s new education center, The Barn.

Then, on Saturday, May 9, 7:30-10am, join Jody for Birding for Beginners part 2, a field tour. Jody will lead the group on a birding walk through hotspots at HVNC. In early to mid-May many of our favorite birds are returning, and some exciting species are just passing through on their way to points further north. The walk will be tailored to beginning birders with plenty of time to look and learn.

Interested persons can sign up online at www.hvnc.org/registration. Tuition is $10-$12 for each event and can be submitted online or the day of the course. Please keep in mind that the Barn is 1/3 mile from the parking lot and plan accordingly. Please come prepared for the weather, and bring any binoculars, scopes and bird guides you may have. There will be plenty to share if you don’t have anything. Just bring a sense of wonder.

For more information, visit www.hvnc.org, call 207-200-8840, or email info@hvnc.org.

This past week, as we were having breakfast at the kitchen table, we noticed some “flitting and sitting” in the lilac tree just outside the window. We turned and saw a ruby-crowned kinglet that seemed rather captivated by the activity inside the house (two humans, each with a bowl of cereal and a cup of tea — fascinating.)

Actually, there’s no way to know if the bird was peering at us or something else, perhaps its own reflection in the glass.

Regardless, it was an interesting twist, because for the few days leading up to this, we had been watching a ruby-crowned kinglet busying about in our yard, darting for insects and giving its distinctive song — a long, twittering jumble that starts soft and ends with a loud crescendo.

It’s the kind of song that makes you pause when cleaning up the gardens.

The uninitiated may, when looking at a ruby-crowned kinglet, dismiss it as a warbler. Interestingly, it’s more active, zipping about among branches and bushes, flicking its wings nearly nonstop. In fact, the wing-flicking is a more reliable identification clue than the ruby crown, which is seen in males only when the bird is agitated or alarmed.

The flash of the crown is quite a sight to see, appearing like a brilliant little red flame contrasting with the drab green of the bird’s overall plumage. Amazingly, ruby-crowned kinglets are also smaller than warblers, and appear large-headed. Look also for the white wing bar and yellowish edges to the wing feathers and tail. The white eye-ring gives the impression that they’re observing you, or at least that they know you’re observing them!

Ruby-crowned kinglets breed across the northern portions of the U.S. (and in the mountains out west) and throughout the boreal forests of Canada. Although they breed in northern and eastern parts of Maine, they’re more likely to be seen during spring and fall migration, when they are a common migrant throughout the state as they travel to and from their wintering areas in the southeastern U.S.

In spring, males begin the return to the breeding ground ahead of females. Now is a good time to listen for their rambling songs.

Because ruby-crowned kinglets are so tiny (according to studies of their metabolism, they use just 10 calories per day), they are able to feed where larger birds cannot, such as at the far tips of conifer branches, where they snatch seeds, insects and insect eggs. You might also observe them hovering over twigs as they hunt for caterpillars, aphids, spiders and the like.

Females tend to build their nest site high up in trees, even as high as 100 feet. It’s typically made close to the trunk, hidden and protected by foliage. They use grass, webs, feathers, moss and lichen, with a feather-lined cup at the top. A female typically lays six to nine speckled cream-colored eggs. Because the nests are hard to find and access (and breeding is largely in remote areas), not much is known about behaviors associated with nesting.

Fortunately, this time of year, ruby-crowned kinglets are not so difficult to see. In fact, if you’re fortunate, you may see one just outside your window — maybe even peering in.

Wiscasset’s Hanna Foye won her tennis match against Boothbay Region’s Angela Machon, 10-7, but it was the Seahawks who prevailed overall 3-1 over the host Wolverines Tuesday, April 28.

WHS Coach Sue Shorey said that Foye’s win came in the 2nd singles. The first singles match was rained out with Wiscasset High School’s Miranda McIntire leading her Boothbay opponent 4-3.

In the 3rd singles, Hannah Welborn of Wiscasset lost a close match to Anna Baumm, 11-9.

Boothbay Region swept the doubles. WHS’ Alisyn Richardson and Hayhlee Craig lost 10-6 to the team of Chloe Hoecker and Maddie Gaudette.

In the second match, the Seahawk team of Emma Rideout and Eve Dolloff defeated Sam Arsenault and Amanda Marcus by a score of 10-5.

Tuesday's match was the first of the season for WHS. Boothbay’s record is now 1-1 and the Wolverines are 0-1. Wiscasset’s next girls tennis match is scheduled for Wednesday, April 29 at Carrabec. On Friday afternoon the team will be at Oak Hill High School and on Monday, May 4, Wiscasset travels to St. Doms.

Tuesday afternoon’s blustery day aided some track and field participants while frustrating others at a six high school meet hosted by Wiscasset High School.

The April 28 meet, the season’s first at WHS, was actually under the supervision of Boothbay Region High School, who provided timers along with the official scorers. Other high school participating included Monmouth Academy, Carrabec, Winthrop and St. Doms.

WHS Coach Warren Cossette said several Wolverines performed well enough to qualify for this state meet.

Ayanna Main, a freshman, finished the day by placing in three events. She was second in both the long jump, 15 feet, and high jump at 4’6”. Main placed third in the triple jump, at 29’4”.

“She had a very, very strong day,” Cossette said.

Brandon Goud ran an outstanding race in the mile placing second with a time of 5:01. Goud led all runners for three laps before giving way to the winner in the final stretch of the race. Cossette said it was a new personal best for the sophomore who entered the meet with the goal of breaking the five-minute mark.

“He really surprised me and everyone else,” the coach added.

Colin Viele, another sophomore, had an impressive first meet as well with a second place finish in the 400-meter sprint with a time of 57.64 seconds. He placed 18th overall in the 1600-meter race crossing the finish line at 13:42.

Sophomore Gabby Chapman placed fifth in the 100-meter dash with a time of 15.14, and 8th in the long jump at 13’ 1/4”.

Keara Hunter, a sophomore, finished 6th in the high jump at 3’ 8" and had a respectable 12th place finish in the 100-meter low hurdles with a time of 23.63 seconds.

“I’m really proud of all of our kids,” Cossette said. “They’ve been working hard at practice and did an awesome job in their first meet.”

The Wolverines will host its second meet of the season on Tuesday, May 5.

The Spectrum Generations Golf Tournament, now in its 13th year, will be held at Natanis Golf Course in Vassalboro on Monday, June 8 and welcomes golfers at all levels to come out and enjoy the day. The tournament check-in opens at 11 a.m. and the shot-gun scramble start is at noon.

Tournament highlights include hole-in-one contests featuring the chance to win a brand new car sponsored by Central Maine Motors Auto Group, longest drive and closest to the pin competitions, and a putting contest. An awards banquet, barbecue and an auction will be included. There will be many opportunities to win great prizes.

The cost of the tournament is $75 per person and $300 for a foursome. Players will have the option to add a delicious box lunch by Cohen on the Meadows Catering.

This year’s tournament also features many sponsorship opportunities to promote your business while helping seniors and disabled adults remain healthy and independent at home. In-kind prizes, goodie bag and/or auction items are welcome and will be valued toward sponsorship opportunities. Volunteer opportunities are also offered at the tournament for businesses and individuals.

Early registration is encouraged for this popular golf tournament. Full information, including online registration and sponsorship, is available on the Spectrum Generations website at www.spectrumgenerations.org/golf. Paper registration forms are also available online or at any of Spectrum Generations Community Centers.

To register by phone or for more information about the tournament or sponsorship opportunities, contact Amanda Pelletier at 207-620-1677 apelletier@spectrumgenerations.org.

The Boothbay Region High School girls tennis team claimed its first victory of the season in Wiscasset, beating the Wolverines 3-1 on April 27.

Scoring for the Seahawks were Anna Baumm, Chloe Hoecker, Madison Gaudette, Emma Rideout and Eve Dolloff. Mackenzie Colby’s match was suspended, due to the rain.

Baumm, who was down 7 games to 9 against Wiscasset’s Hannah Foye, erased a two game deficit and came back to win the match 11-9.

For Boothbay’s doubles match, freshman Madison Gaudette captured her first win at the varsity level with teammate Hoecker. The duo defeated Wiscasset’s Alisyn Richardson and Hayhlee Craig 10-6.

Due to the court capacity in Wiscasset, each match was limited to one set for each match.

Coach Alex Arsenault said despite the shortened preseason and busy schedule, his team is already showing signs of improvement early in the season.

“They’ve been coming to net a little more. Being more aggressive, which I want them to do,” Arsenault said. “Their positioning is definitely a lot better now.”

 Boothbay vs. Winthrop

Boothbay suffered its second loss of the season, losing to the Winthrop Ramblers 5-0 at home on April 29.

Out of the five matches played on Wednesday, Boothbay’s singles player Angela Machon was the only match that went into third set. In girls high school tennis, most matches consist of three sets of play, with the winner determined by the best two out of three sets.

For Boothbay, the loss dredged up memories of last year’s playoffs when Winthrop knocked Boothbay out of the running, Arsenault said. This year the Ramblers will be the team to beat.

Arsenault said Boothbay is playing more consistently, however, his team needs to work on its service game and up aggression if players want to win more matches this season.

“By the end of the season we should be winning both singles and doubles. We really need at least one point from our doubles to really win matches more often,” Arsenault said.

Boothbay will face the Greyhounds at Lisbon on May 1. 

Spring turkey season starts on Monday, May 4 throughout the state, and for the first time in modern history, hunters will be able to turkey hunt in northern Maine. Youth hunters will have their own day on Saturday, May 2.

“Maine has some excellent turkey hunting,” said IFW game bird biologist Kelsey Sullivan. “Success rates are very good, the birds are lightly hunted compared to other states, and you can now hunt turkeys throughout the state.”

Wild turkeys are a wildlife success story in Maine. Once gone completely from Maine landscapes, they are now a familiar sight in all Maine’s 16 counties, thanks to a reintroduction and management plan started in the 1970s by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

With a valid Maine big game hunting license, turkey hunters can purchase a wild turkey permit for just $20 for both residents and nonresidents. This permit allows turkey hunters to take up to two wild turkeys in the spring, and an additional two turkeys in the fall. Legal hunting hours for turkey hunting stretch from ½ hour before sunrise and 1/2 hour after sunset.

While the turkey season is open throughout the state in all wildlife management districts, hunters should note that that there is a split season in northern Maine, as well as one turkey bag limit in WMDs 1-6 and 8. Hunters may take two bearded turkeys, but no more than one of these bearded turkeys can come from WMDs 1-6 or 8.

As this is the first year for turkey hunting in northern Maine, in WMDs 1-6, turkey hunters in are assigned to either Season A or Season B based on their year of birth. During “odd” numbered calendar years such as this (2015), hunters with “odd” birth years will be authorized to hunt during Season A (May 4-9, 2015 and May 18-23, 2015 this year); hunters with “even” birth years will be authorized to hunt during Season B (May 11-16, 2015 and May 25-30, 2015). All turkey hunters can hunt the last week (June 1-6, 2015).

During “even” numbered calendar years (2016, 2018, etc.), hunters with “even” birth years will be authorized to hunt during Season A; hunters with “odd” birth years will be authorized to hunt during Season B. Many turkey hunters are familiar with this split season as it was in place statewide prior to 2007. More information and WMD maps are available at www.mefishwildlife.com.

The department strongly encourages all turkey hunters to reach out to landowners before hunting. Please remember to ask first before accessing private land, and respect any and all requests of the landowners.

Mark your calendars for Sunday, May 31, 7:30-10:30 a.m., for Hidden Valley Nature Center’s annual pancake breakfast at The Alna Store. Anyone and everyone is invited to attend, regardless of whether you’re a member or not. In fact, if you’ve never been to HVNC or have thought about becoming a member this is a great opportunity to meet our community.

A $10 donation gets you a stack of pancakes (blueberry or plain) with coffee and a side. But, more importantly, your donation will help sustain the recreational and educational programming that HVNC provides to local families. This year Damariscotta Bank and Trust has agreed to match each donation dollar for dollar. So mark your calendars and bring a friend!

Local musicians Dan Townsend and Pixie Lauer will be playing some acoustic favorites throughout the morning. And, we’ll have a collection of HVNC-themed games designed and built by renowned game-maker Aaron Weissblum. There’s something for everyone!

In addition to great food and people, HVNC will have a collection of our handmade picnic tables and benches for sale. Each year staff and volunteers build creative, unique, and long-lasting outdoor furniture from wood harvested right at HVNC. These one of a kind pieces are a great fit for gardens, decks, and patios.

The Alna Store is a vibrant community hub open six days a week where neighbors and visitors gather to enjoy great food and great company. They generously donate their time to help support HVNC.

Interested in volunteering? Write to andy@hvnc.org or give us a call at the number below.

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.

Members of the Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association met April 14 to begin planning for SVCA's 7th annual "Champagne on the Sheepscot" fundraiser, to be held this September on Westport Island. The event site is a spacious property overlooking the Sheepscot River at Greenleaf Cove, with Barters Island across the river in the distance. A rocky ledge offshore is home to dozens of local harbor seals, who can often be seen sleeping there.

The event this year takes place Saturday, Sept. 12, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. So mark your calendars and plan to come and enjoy delectable hors d'oeuvres, drinks, live jazz and an art exhibition and sale.

Tickets are $45, or $125 to become a patron. For more information contact the SVCA at 207-586-5616 or svca@sheepscot.org. For more information visit our website at www.sheepscot.org or like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/sheepscot.

Gordon Campbell, president of the Wiscasset All Sports Boosters Club, wants to see red.

Red banners, that is.

The Wiscasset All Sports Boosters have been trying to cover the fields with local businesses’ banners in an effort to help support the high school's sports teams. So far, behind an integral effort of Tricia Goud, the baseball and softball fields are well covered with red banners; but there's always room for more, Campbell said.

“Our goal is to have banners going completely around the soccer field,” he said. “We'd love to be able to represent the whole town, and all of its businesses.”

The money that is raised from the banners is spent on new equipment for Wiscasset's sports teams, including new uniforms.

The boosters club has helped purchase sports equipment this year, but the money raised through advertisements, auctions and concession sales has also allowed the club to partner with Wiscasset High School's Andrew Lincoln to conceptualize and purchase a Wolverine mascot for the school.

Each season, the boosters club hands over $1,000 to offset the cost of equipment and uniforms, Campbell said.

Last fall, the boosters made room by selling vintage and retro Wiscasset sports gear during the soccer season, and even had an auction. The plan, Campbell said, is to fully reequip the sports teams with new uniforms.

“We've been working on a new uniform project, but uniforms can cost thousands of dollars (for all the sports teams),” he said. “That hits the wallet pretty hard, but it's a good goal (for the school and the boosters) right now.”

For the first year, the cost of a 4 by 10-foot banner costs $250, and the smaller 3 by 5-foot banners cost $125. After the first year, the cost drops to $125 per large banner and $75 for the smaller banners.

Campbell said the red banners represent a win-win for the community.

“It helps show off Wiscasset businesses, and it’s helping the kids,” he said. “There have been a lot of positive things going on. We just want to keep that momentum going.”

For more information, call the high school at 207-882-7722 or visit the boosters' Facebook site: www.facebook.com/pages/Wiscasset-All-Sports-Boosters.

1. #5 Ryan Chadwick, Wiscasset
2. #31 Leandra Martin, Richmond
3. #91 Jamie Heath, Waterford
4. #28X David Stone Jr, Sanford
5. #05 Gerard Cote, Oxford
6. #55 Craig Pyy, Gorham
7. #74 Aaron Sevigny, Windsor
8. #26 Michael Golding, Pownal
9. #3 Alison Glasier, Appleton
10. #58 David Greenleaf, Brunswick
11. #70 Roy Sevigny, Windsor
12. #28 David Stone Sr., Sanford
13. #54 Noah Haggett, Wiscasset

1. #24 Jeff Prindall, Lisbon Falls
2. #27 Jacob Hensbee, Whitefield
3. #98 Kamren Knowles, West Gardiner
4. #38 Ryan Hayes, Jefferson
5. #55 John Shorey, Alna
6. #99 Cameron Folsom, Augusta
7. #5 Cody Billings, Hartford
8. #15 Tyler Bailey, Wiscasset
9. #9X Brooke Knowles, West Gardiner
10. #42 Mike Kibbin, South China

1. #2 Josh Bailey, Wiscasset
2. #1 Adam Chadbourne, Woolwich
3. #02 Jason Curtis, Hollis
4. #5 Mark Lucas, Harpswell
5. #88 Jamie Norton, Farmingdale
6. #06 Zac Poland, Woolwich
7. #23 Brandon Sprague, Edgecomb
8. #32 Tasha Dyer, Arrowsic

1. #1 Jeff Burgess, East Madison
2. #01 Andy Saunders, Ellsworth
3. #15 Nick Hinkley, Wiscasset
4. #05 James Osmond, Wiscasset
5. #77 Maggie Ferland, Auburn
6. #13 Nathan Tribbet, Richmond
7. #99 Ajay Picard, Palmyra
8. #29 Kevin Morse, Woolwich
9. #96 Wyatt Alexander, Ellsworth
10. #32 Mike Orr, Wiscasset
11. #5 NA
12. #80 Dylan Turner, Freedom
13. #88X Westley Turner, Freedom

1. #97 Brian Hughes, Otisfield
2. #2 Kevin Waterhouse, West Paris
3. #7 Steve Reny, Boothbay
4. #420 Keith Smalley, Warren
5. #48 George Harding, Fairfield
6. #25 Mark Hughes, Milton Mills, New Hampshire
7. #22 Hal Clark, Brighton
8. #87 Jody Lewis, Boothbay

1. #? James Osmond, Wiscasset
2. #64 Scott Tucker, Winthrop
3. #71 Arthur Hannaford, Hollis
4. #0 Woody Davis, Glenburn
5. #86 Bob Guyon, Monmouth
6. #OJR Dean Grant, Detroit
7. #35 Dennis Fish, Livermore

The Wiscasset Conservation Commission is looking for volunteers; young and old to help spruce up the West Woods trail system. The spring cleanup, called Trails Day, will take place Sunday, May 17 starting at 8 a.m. Participants should meet by the kiosk in the Sortwell Memorial Forest parking area on the north side of Willow Lane, about 1.4 miles from the intersection of Willow Lane and Churchill Street.

Volunteers should bring small saws, branch clippers and trash bags, if possible. If you’re handy with a chainsaw you might bring one of those along as well. If you don’t have tools, a pair of work gloves and willingness to help is all you need.

Trails Day is under the direction of the Conservation Commission, which meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the hearing room of the town office.

“Wiscasset is fortunate to have this greenbelt of properties, one right next to the other, that are open for public enjoyment,” said Anne Leslie, commission chairman.

“We’re hoping to make more people aware of the opportunities the trail system offers for exercise and enjoyment of the outdoors. On Trails Day, townspeople can get to know these trails and lend a hand in maintaining them,” she added.

The West Woods trail system weaves through the Sortwell Memorial Forest, the Morris Farm, and town-owned properties behind the primary school, community center and high school. It traverses 200 contiguous acres of woods, field and wetlands. The trails for the most part are hard-packed and well-marked making them idea for hiking, running and mountain biking, as well as cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter, snowmobiling in designated areas. 

Users can access the trail network from two trailheads on the north side of Willow Lane and also through the Morris Farm, or the Wiscasset Community Center, both on Gardiner Road. Dogs are allowed on the trails but citizens are asked to keep them on leash on the Morris Farm property when livestock and children are present.

Just a few years ago David Marcus of Wiscasset took on the maintenance of the trail system as an Eagle Scout project. Along with blazing the trail system, Marcus built kiosks at the trailheads and added helpful directional markers. A downloadable map of the trail system is available be visiting www.wiscasset.org and clicking on community trails.

The Sortwell Memorial Forest is owned by the New England Forestry Foundation (NEFF) based in Littleton, Massachusetts, which manages it for sustainable forestry. It’s open to the public for non-motorized recreation.

In 1955 the late Daniel R. Sortwell of Wiscasset donated the forested land behind his home to NEFF. Twenty years later, his sister Marion Warland, also of Wiscasset, donated two abutting parcels bringing the total acreage of the preserve to a little over 90 acres. The land is abundant with towering northern pine, hemlock, birch and hardwood trees.

“This spring we are focusing on cleaning up the trails west of the village,” Leslie told the newspaper. “In years to come, we hope interested community members will help us maintain trails in other parts of Wiscasset too.”

The Maine Principal’s Association’s recent spate of big changes could mean several small changes ahead for Wiscasset High School.

With the decision to shake up the classes by adding a fifth class, the current class system will feel the aftershocks of the MPA's recent decision.

But, while Wiscasset will remain in Class C next year, the league could look a little different.

Beginning with the winter 2015-16 basketball season, Wiscasset will be playing in the new Class C. Sarah Ricker, Wiscasset High School athletic director, said the changes should benefit small schools who have to drive long distances for games.

“Before, we could play (out of conference teams), but we'd have to say 'We can play you, but it's only a scrimmage,'” she said. “Now, the Mountain Valley Conference constitution has to change to say now we can play other teams. Now, when we make the schedule, it will make those Heal Points count.”

That means next winter Wiscasset could be swapping a trip to Mt. Abram or Telstar for a game at Hyde Academy or Richmond.

Before, such games would have only counted as scrimmages; but being able to travel to Bath to face the now Class A Morse High School could give Wiscasset a boost in the Heal points.

Heal points award playoff spots to the top teams in each division, and factors such as opponent strength and classification earn extra Heal points. Even a loss to a large school such as Morse would grant the Wolverines added points.

Wiscasset would still play its Mountain Valley Conference rivals for 13 games a year with the remaining five regular season games having the option of being out-of-conference.

The basketball breakout will also change from the traditional east-west format to north-south in 2015-16. Wiscasset, as of April 1, will be the 16th of 21 teams in Class C south in terms of student count.

Newly-added Hyde (158) and Richmond (142) make up the last two spots in Class C's south region, while familiar foe Dirigo (314 students) and Hall-Dale (303) stay atop the head count leader board.

While the south league is new, it won't change the Mountain Valley Conference. Wiscasset will still be a member of the conference and will continue to battle the same teams for the conference championship.

Ricker said the Mountain Valley Conference has its own constitution and in the past few years has been closed to new teams joining. At an April athletic directors meeting, Ricker said most teams in the conference were open to the new rules, citing that it would better for the students to have less travel.

One of the concerns, Ricker said, was that the far-away schools might not be picked for additional games.

“It's best for the kids — it's potentially less travel,” she said. “Instead of playing Telstar twice, we play Telstar once and then maybe Richmond. It also allows the MVC schools to choose five schools that are at their competition level and this will give the Western Conference more schools to play.”

One change that will affect Wiscasset will be the baseball team. One of the scheduling oddities in recent years has been Wiscasset's baseball and softball teams playing a Class C regular season schedule before dropping down a class for the playoffs. That has allowed the Wolverines to rack up large amounts of Heal points, as the baseball team in particular has been successful at the Class C level.

Starting next year, the Wolverines will remain in Class C throughout the year and into the playoffs.

Ricker said that one of the reasons the schedule will be shaken up is because in some of the smaller conferences, schools often have to play the same opponents up to three times. Allowing teams to play outside their conferences would allow those teams to diversify their schedules.

“Expect us to play all the MVC teams, and an additional five games of the 18 will be (out of conference),” she said. “Those five games will be determined on the needs of the schools outside the MVC, their schedule needs and ours as well. Factors include distance, competition level, and assuring that schools in the East-West league, the Western conference and the independents all have a well-rounded schedule.”

Another factor was proximity, Ricker said. Teams such as Richmond or Hyde, which are both within 20 minutes of Wiscasset High School, haven't been regular opponents of the Wolverines.

“I think ADs are realizing, and schools are realizing, that we drive past a lot of schools that we can't play,” she said.

The Wolverines boys and girls track teams had a strong showing in the running events at Tuesday’s track meet hosted by WHS.

Gabby Chapman won the girls 100-meter (14.56) and 400-meter dashes (1:09.58), while Sam Storer and Colin Viele finished first and second in the boys 400-meter race with times of 56.85 and 58.68, respectively.

In the 1600-meter race, Brandon Goud lead all competitors from the race’s start to finish. Goud crossed the finish line in 4:56, a new personal best.

“We’ve only got eight kids but they’re all doing very, very well,” Coach Warren Cossette said afterward. “Everyone that’s competed has placed; and even though we’re only two meets into the season, I think everyone’s now qualified for the Mountain Valley Conference meet.”

Four high schools, Monmouth, Boothbay Region, Hall-Dale and Richmond sent teams for Tuesday’s meet. Boothbay Region won both the boys and girls meets, while WHS settled for fourth.

Wiscasset’s Ayanna Main placed second in the high jump at 4’8” behind Boothbay’s Angie Perkins at 4’10”. Main was also second in the triple jump 32’4.5 and long jump 14’10.” The Wolverines' Chapman placed third in the long jump at 14’6”.

In other events, WHS’s Max Sampson took second in the triple jump, 33’4” and third in the long jump at 16’ 7.” Angus Putnam showed a lot of improvement by placing fifth in the 3200-meter run, 13:08.

Keara Hunter placed fourth in the girls discus with a throw of 62’1”, seventh in the high jump and placed ninth in the 100-meter hurdles. Chapman placed sixth in the girls high jump.

Storer tied for third place in the boys 100-meter dash. Viele fourth in the 800.

Wiscasset will host its third meet of the season Tuesday, May 12 beginning at 3:30 p.m.

Last May, Shawn St. Cyr, a father of three and industrial arts teacher at Lincoln Academy in Newcastle, ran the 5K Run For Your Life Emergency Service Challenge course at the Camden Snow Bowl in 2014 not just once, but three times. That’s three times up and down the 1,200 Ragged Mountain, with stops to climb ropes, crawl through the mud under barbed wire, and haul bags of sand over fences. He amazed everyone with his drive, and on the last lap in (that makes it a 15K) — caked with mud and panting hard — he was grinning ear to ear.

The best part? A challenge to test one’s personal mettle.

The worst part? He forgot his bananas at home, and just about blacked out on the final leg for lack of glucose.

But he is doing it again this year, and might even take a fourth lap through the course. This, from a man who just started competing in obstacle course races two years ago. Now, he takes on Tough Mudders and other similar races through the summer and well into the fall with zeal, and a solid sense of humor. He doesn’t take himself too seriously, but he loves to train and excel.

He is even anticipating doing the World’s Toughest Mudder, a November race in the desert around Las Vegas. A 24-hour race.

St. Cyr’s first race of the season, however, is always the annual Run For Your Life Challenge at the Snow Bowl, a May 23 5K whose purpose is to raise awareness of the need for more involvement in local fire departments and emergency response, either volunteer or career. It is not a race just for firefighters and EMTs, although they host it. It is a race to heighten visibility of a community need for more public participation on their local emergency response team.

It is also a race that appeals to runners of varying abilities and backgrounds — teachers, cops, doctors, business owners — who like to tackle a rugged competition with a little more dimension than a road race.

“I really like Camden for my opening race,” said St. Cyr. “The hills are what really challenge me.”

“The plan this year is at least three laps,” he said in late April, after returning from a Habitat for Humanity service trip to Guatemala with 12 Lincoln Academy sophomores, juniors and seniors. “As long as the race runners don't mind me running another wave, I’m considering doing four.”

St. Cyr started training in March for the third annual Run For Your Life Emergency Service Challenge. He coaches wrestling at Lincoln Academy through the winter, and said that keeps him in shape until the end of February. Then, he turns his attention to training for obstacle courses.

“Two months before the first race, I try to run every other day,” he said. “On off days, I do circuit training and cardio. That involves two minutes with cardio, followed by one minute of push-ups, and two minutes cardio. The cardio can be running circles in the weight room to jumping jacks, jump roping and box jumps.”

He also incorporates power training moves — push ups, burpees, leap frogs — all for at least an hour.

St. Cyr maintains a weekly running average of 35 to 40 miles, divided by three short runs and a long run. His long run is 24-plus miles, often times “a lot of loops in Jefferson,” he said. 

He starts in Jefferson Village, where he lives, and runs different roads from there, including the North Mountain Road. 

“Two years ago, Camden was the first obstacle race I had ever done,” said St. Cyr. “The next weekend after that, I did a Tough Mudder. Last year, I had the bug.”

That bug sends him all over New England (the Tough Mountain Challenge at Sunday River), Vermont for Tough Mudders, and down to New Jersey, for more Tough Mudders. 

“It's the challenge I like,” he said.

He is not necessarily looking to be top dog, with the best time. For St. Cyr, it is the exhileration of finding his personal best.

“That's why I do multiple laps,” he said. “The first year, I did just one lap at each race. Once you're trained up, one lap can get easy. Generally going in, I pick the number of laps I think possible.”

Of all the obstacle course races he has done, however, the geography of Camden Snow Bowl remains his favorite.

“With the terrain Camden offers, it is definitely a challenging race,” he said. “The straight-up rates right up there with me. You run up a little bit, and sideways.”

But he is tuned in now, more than ever, to what his body requires to take on such a rigorous challenge. Last year, it hit home hard.  

“I just made it through,” he said. “I had forgotten my fuel. I was planning on eating, getting some glucose at the bottom of the mountain. I struggled in the first half of last lap.”

That fuel was the bananas and bars he had left in the car.

“I just completely forgot,” he said. “It hit me a half-mile in. I was really weak. I thought I might have had to bale the last lap.”

It was the same with water, although, “I did remember to grab a quick drink at the bottom.”

He recommends carrying glucose, in paste form or gummies, on the trail.

 “Usually I carry some with me,” he said. “And bananas give you a boost.”

His diet through his training months gets more involved as he nears the events. St. Cyr eats a regular diet — chicken, fish, and some red meat — but he ups the frequency: three meals, plus three snacks, a day.

Before a race, he will begin to load on carbohydrates, without consuming a lot of protein: “Tons of carbs, rice and potatoes and bread.”

“I don't watch what's on it,” he said.

For longer runs, he will make a pre-race drink and infuse it with supplements.

As his training ramps up (last summer he was running 350 miles a month, not including races), he will pay even more attention to what he is consuming, and when. 

His gear, on the other hand, is much more simple.

“I run in pretty cheap shoes, $50 Asics,” he said. “I run in those because I put a ton of miles on them in races, running through mud and uphill.”

By the end, they are literally run into the ground.

Prior to each race, he shops for another pair, a lot of the time at Famous Footwear. 

“I usually stop on the way to my race and buy a pair to wear after the race,” he said.

Those are his shoe goals. His personal goals are about pushing mind and body beyond perceived limits.

“It's all about finishing it,” he said. “When there is a clock, I get torn a little bit whether I want to pace myself to get in as many laps as I can, or go really fast and sacrifice a lap at the end.”

At the Camden Run For Your Life, he appreciates the ambience on the hill. He is hoping his wife will run a lap this year at Run For Your Life, and his children will be running the children’s course, which is new to the event this year for ages 4 to 12, and complete with tunnels, ladders and balance beams.”

He has some straightforward advice for other runners.

“Believe you can do it,” he said. “I have been amazed at some of the races where I have seen people finish I believe wouldn't have walked across the parking lot. It takes them a lot of time, but they have that want to finish.”

The comraderie on the course is paramount.

“ Everyone is there to help,” he said. “I'll stop at a station and help out people. Everyone is having fun, whether they are working or running.”

 And once you get to the top, it’s all downhill... except for a few more worthy obstacles.

Reach Editorial Director Lynda Clancy at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 207-706-6657

Wiscasset High School’s girls tennis team got a positive bounce winning back-to-back home matches over Dirigo High School and Monmouth Academy. Coach Sue Shorey said the wins improved the Wolverines to 2-4 on the season.

The Wolverines swept both the singles and doubles matches shutting out visiting Dirigo 5-0, Wednesday, May 6. Hanna Foye won the afternoon’s first singles match over Gina Kubesh 6-0 and 6-3. Miranda McIntire shutout Ariel Amberg 6-0, 6-0 in the second singles match and Maeve Carleton won the third singles 6-2, 6-2 against Kiley Palmer.

WHS swept the doubles as well. Brooke Carleton and Hayhlee Craig won 6-0, 6-1 over Dirigo’s Kayla Brooks and Selea Smith. The duo of Hannah Welborn and Samantha Arsenault outlasted Summer Kein and Nancy Melcher 7-5, 3-6, 7-5.

The weather was a bit blustery but clear and sunny when the Wolverines hosted Monmouth Academy Friday afternoon, as WHS came away with a 3-2 win.

The opening matches saw WHS’ Maeve Carlson defeat Samantha Blunden 10-1 in the third singles; while on the adjacent court in the second doubles, the Wolverine team of Alisyn Richardson and Samantha Arsenault were played well but eventually lost to Marissa Rioux and Kelsey Blanton 9-11.

Wiscasset forfeited the first singles but in the second singles Miranda McIntire won her match over Monmouth’s Sasiwimon Suda 10-1.

In the first doubles Hayhlee Craig and Brooke Carleton of WHS topped Heather Cyr and Emma Hill 6-0.

WHS’ Hannah Welborn and Amanda Marcus blanked Heather Cyr and Emma Hill 6-0 during an exhibition match.

Shorey and the Wolverines will travel to Madison Monday, May 11. They’ll host Lisbon Wednesday.

The Wiscasset Conservation Commission will lead a cleanup of community trails in the West Woods area of Wiscasset (forest west of the primary school, the Morris Farm, the Community Center, and the high school) on Sunday, May 17, 8 to 11 a.m.

“The hard winter was tough on the trails,” commission member Neal Larrabee said. “They need some TLC now that people want to get outside in the warm weather.”

There are miles of trails in Wiscasset for the public to enjoy but most are little used.

“We hope to draw attention to these peaceful places that are open for everyone’s enjoyment,” Dan Sortwell, another commission member, said.

For more information, call Anne Leslie at 207-882-5554.

Great horned owls do it. Northern cardinals do it. Rose-breasted grosbeaks do it — duet, we mean.

While we think of males as being the sex in birds that does most of the singing (and they are), increasingly, researchers are discovering more and more bird species in which the female also sings at least occasionally.

But the infrequency of these songs means that they have gone undocumented in many species, even by experts. Seeing and hearing it for yourself may take some concentrated effort.

An ornithologist studying northern cardinals found that while the males sang on average about 100 times per hour, the females sang about 10 times per hour and only during a few weeks prior to nest building. He devoted 45,000 minutes of observation and documented females singing only 207 minutes of that time!

In the species that have been studied, the female songs are often given back and forth with the song of her male mate in what has been termed a “duet.”

Although many people don’t realize it, they may actually have heard female song as part of a duet if they have ever listened to two owls calling back and forth. Owls are well known for mated pairs calling back and forth in the early part of their mating season.

Great horned owls can sometimes be heard doing this even in December or January, and in that species, it’s quite easy to hear that one bird’s vocalizations are higher than the other—those are the calls of the female (even though in owls the females are larger than the males).

Female rose-breasted grosbeaks sing occasionally and have even been found singing softly while sitting on the nest. Female songs do not generally seem to serve the same purpose as male song, which is typically for territorial defense or mate attraction.

Female songs and dueting behavior is instead thought to mostly serve as a pair-bonding mechanism, but it may also help in some species to keep fledglings near their parents. Several researchers have even suggested that female songs may sometimes serve as a way to bring the male back to the nest quickly in cases when danger is present — successful because the male may mistake the female song for an intruding male.

The list of birds in which female song has been observed or possibly observed includes many of the common birds any of us could see in our own backyards including gray catbird, American robin, house wren, American goldfinch, and Baltimore orioles as well as the previously mentioned northern cardinal and rose-breasted grosbeak.

Some species are reported to “duet,” but the female vocalizations are not characterized as songs, as they sound more like chattery calls. Carolina wrens, brown-headed cowbirds, and red-winged blackbirds all engage in this type of duet behavior. We often hear house sparrows doing this kind of duet in the spring although the male’s vocalizations don’t sound much like what we normally think of as a song but are more of a series of short, harsh notes.

Isn’t it wonderful that there are still so many discoveries yet to be made? Maybe you will be the first person to document female song in one of the birds in your backyard!

The Wiscasset Community Center (242 Gardiner Road) and the American Red Cross are conducting a certified lifeguard course beginning May 31. Upon completion of the course, participants receive certification from the American Red Cross in Lifeguarding, First Aid, CPR/AED for the professional rescuer and health care providers.

The course schedule is Sundays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the course completing Sunday, June 14. Please contact the W.C.C. for a complete course schedule and syllabus: 207-882-8230

Prescreening test: May 26 5-6 p.m. (or by appointment): Participants must meet the following requirements: pass a 400-yard swim test; swim 20 yards, retrieve a 10-pound diving brick from eight feet of water and swim 20 yards with the brick; tread water for two minutes using only legs; and be at least 15 years of age by June 14, 2015.

Costs of course (Fee includes all classroom instruction, pool time, Rental or textbooks and equipment): $125 for W.C.C. members and $150 for non-members

Go to the center's website to register: www.wiscassetrec.com.