The Boothbay Harbor House of Pizza in the Meadow Mall, 185 Townsend Ave., in Boothbay Harbor will host another fingerprinting and identification session for children on Saturday, Aug. 25, from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

The event, which is free, is being conducted by the Missing Children Alert Program, a Maine-based nonprofit with offices in various states. Contributions and volunteers make their programs possible.

The event will include the taking of a passport-type photo of the child, along with their fingerprints, which are put on a card with all other pertinent information. The parent keeps the card and information regarding the child's identity to supply to the proper agencies and law enforcement offices in the event the child should ever turn up missing.

For more information, call 1-800-330-2461 or the House of Pizza at 633-3468.

Hidden Valley Nature Center has organized a 7-plus mile nature walk along a half-marathon trail, guided by Director Gary Hayward on August 28 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The walk will begin at 131 Egypt Road in Jefferson. A donation of $5 is suggested.

For more information, visit www.hvnc.org, call 586-6752 or email gary@hvnc.org.

Hootenanny’s innovative music and movement program is a time for grandparents, children and caregivers to celebrate our culture’s music through song, dance, rhythms and games.

On Monday, Aug. 27, at 9 a.m., Derek DeGeer will bring his music and movement program to Spectrum Generations Coastal Community Center, 521 Main St., in Damariscotta for an introductory end of summer workshop. Bring the grandchildren, your dancing shoes and singing voice.

No experience needed just a willingness to be silly and have fun before school begins for another year.

This year's Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta is scheduled to begin with the Volunteer Grower’s Weigh Off on Saturday, Sept. 29.

Last year, local Maine artists carved and painted almost 60 giant pumpkins, which were displayed from Wiscasset to Newcastle and Damariscotta, drawing admirers from all over New England and beyond.

The giant gourds for this year's event will be delivered on pallets the evening of Thursday, Oct. 4. They will be available for carving, painting, and decorating on the following Friday and Saturday.

The size of the pumpkins, subject to the vagaries of Mother Nature, may range anywhere from small giants of about 200 pounds up to maximas of 600 pounds and up.

Organizers are seeking Maine artists to transform these giant pumpkins into creative, fabulous art works. Many of last year’s artists will be returning this year, but more artists are needed to make these giant pumpkins come alive. 

For more information, or to sign up, contact Nancy MacKinnon at 677-2257 or gowethaflo@aol.com.

When Nancy O'Brien MacKinnon is teaching the next generation of swimmers, she uses herself as an example of one of the biggest points she tries to impress on them: Swimming is a lifelong sport, both for fitness and competition.

“I say, 'Look at me. I'm still doing it.'” At 59, the retired Verizon worker and former private chef is doing a lot these days, from painting artwork, to managing a gallery, to being a lifeguard, and taking on her new job as head coach of the Boothbay Region YMCA's Dolphins swim team.

With members ranging in age from 6 to 18, the team takes part in two swimming leagues. The program emphasizes personal development.

Participants will have the benefit of MacKinnon's considerable background in swimming. Among her accomplishments, she has held Maine and New England top-10 records for her swimming times in individual events, and was part of a Maine team that set a national record. The Seekonk, Mass., native belongs to Maine Masters, a sanctioning body for swimming competitions.

But beyond helping team members explore the competitive side of swimming, MacKinnon hopes to also impart an enjoyment of the physical activity itself. “Swimming is very relaxing,” she said. She loves the feeling of streamlining off of the pool wall.

The mother of two grown sons used to be an assistant coach for the Wiscasset Unsinkables swim team. Working with young people keeps her young, she said.

“Kids take to things a lot quicker,” she said. “They're less fearful. They learn very quickly. It's amazing.”

MacKinnon and husband Ross MacKinnon moved to New Harbor from Woburn, Mass. The family had vacationed in Boothbay, “so we knew the area was beautiful. And we wanted desperately to get out of the city, to a more friendly atmosphere, a community-type atmosphere,” she said.

After retiring early from sales and management at Verizon, she graduated from culinary arts school and worked as a private chef. MacKinnon is also a painter, using acrylics on canvas, and this summer she's been managing the gallery at Pemaquid Lighthouse Park.

“I've been able to pursue my life's passions,” she said. “I've been very blessed.”

MacKinnon and the Y's aquatics director, Shane Pennington, encourage both new and experienced swimmers to join the Dolphins. “We want people to come and enjoy the sport, and have a good time,” Pennington said.

For more information regarding the swim team, call the Y at 633-2855.

The Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum is hosting an old-fashioned ice cream social on August 25 on the 1, 2 and 3 p.m. trains. Musical entertainment will be provided by local songwriter, Jud Caswell, for the special ice cream social trains. Come and enjoy a dish of ice cream with toppings after having a train ride to Alna Center Station.

Regular trains will run at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m., and 4 p.m. Regular tickets are $7 for adults; $6 for seniors and members; & $4 for children under 12; children under 3 are free. For ice cream social trains add $1 to each fare.

The museum is always looking for volunteers. We are in need of people to help in our gift shop, with marketing, grass cutting, track crews, machining, and a variety of other tasks including cooking and baking. The Wiscasset, Waterville, & Farmington Railway Museum is run entirely by volunteers. To join our work crews, simply show up on any Saturday. One does not need to be a member to volunteer.

The Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum is at 97 Cross Road in Alna.

For more information, visit www.wwfry.org or call the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum at 882-4193

The deadline for submissions for the September 6 edition is Friday, Aug. 31 at 4 p.m. 

The Boothbay Register and Wiscasset Newspaper offices will be closed on Monday, Sept. 3, in observance of Labor Day. We will reopen at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 4.

The First Fridays Arts Tour highlights the art of the Boothbay Region. From June through October this free, self guided tour offers fresh art exhibits, open house receptions and artist demonstrations. Enjoy the variety of up to 17 galleries and studios all located within minutes of one another. Every gallery is open for regular business hours and many offer extended hours for evening receptions. 2012 Fridays are June 1, July 6, Aug. 3, Sept. 7, Oct. 5. 

This event is at various participating galleries and studios; see website for full list.

Studio 53 Collectives’ Artists Dick Alden and Donna Denniston will give a stone sculpting demonstration in the parking area of Studio 53 Fine Art Gallery on August 11 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Alden carves larger sculptures from mostly Maine granite and Vermont marble, evoking a sense of rhythm, balance and harmony. Denniston works primarily in alabaster which she transforms into graceful natural sculptures. Many of their sculptures are on display in the gallery and in the new sculpture garden on the waterfront. Studio 53 Fine Art Gallery is open every day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 53 Townsend Ave. Boothbay Harbor. More information and art can be viewed at www.studio53fineart.com.

Coming back from a Fisherman’s Island tour last August, we noticed that there were hundreds of laughing gulls fluttering in the air above the spruce trees as our boat passed Spruce Point. We might have just passed it off as simply “gulls circling in the air” had we not taken a closer look. Through the binoculars, we could see that the gulls were snapping up flying ants. 

These aerial ants emerge throughout Maine by the millions in late summer. All of our smaller gull species including the black-hooded, laughing and Bonaparte’s gulls as well as ring-billed gulls are particularly adept at catching flying ants. Occasionally you’ll even see some of the larger herring gulls, the one most people refer to as the “seagull,” trying to get their share of the feast. 

We’ve often wondered if the fall migration of one of our most dramatic and mysterious species, the common nighthawk, evolved to take advantage of the bounty of flying ants in our area in order to fatten up for the long migration ahead of them to South America. 

Common nighthawks are fairly large birds, shaped like small falcons with long, sharply pointed wings. Despite their name, they are not closely related to hawks at all. And, sadly, they are also not very common in our area anymore, either. Common nighthawks are closely related to the whip-poor-will, another species that has plummeted in numbers over the last 50 years. Whip-poor-wills and common nighthawks are in a family of birds called the “goatsuckers,” so named because people once thought that their huge, wide mouths provided them a means for sucking milk from the udders of goats. Hard to believe now, but remember, before people understood migration, they also thought that swallows spent the winter under the mud of lakes and ponds. The real reason that these birds have such wide mouths is so they can swoop around in the evenings catching insects.

For a short two-week period in mid-August it is possible to sometimes see dozens of southbound-migrating common nighthawks in the early evening, silently careening back-and-forth across the sky, their long wings rocking this way and that, quickly changing directions as they feed. 

Just a few days ago, a fellow birder from Eastport reported watching a group of nighthawks and gulls feeding together on an insect hatch above the shore there. 

The Bonaparte’s gull is also a common feeder on flying ants during its own southbound migration. Unlike some of the other gulls that nest in the state though, Bonaparte’s gulls, which are only a little bigger than a common tern, nest in the vast boreal forest of Canada and Alaska. They have the surprising habit of nesting in trees instead of on the ground like most other gulls. Bonaparte’s gulls begin heading south to Maine by late July and early August and are a common fall bird in the bays and estuaries in the Boothbay region, even into the winter in some years. 

One of our favorite places to see Bonaparte’s gulls is the waters around Barter’s Island, especially from the Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Porter Preserve and Gregory Trail and at Oven’s Mouth Preserve. We recommend a visit – and keep an eye on the sky for that fascinating bird behavior.

The third Corinthian Stonington to Boothbay Harbor ocean race finished at Burnt Island off Boothbay Harbor on July 31 after a run of 332 nautical miles from a start by Stonington, Connecticut and a course around the Nantucket Shoals. 

Overall honors – and a large lobster – went to a local Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club boat, Apparition, skippered by Ken Colburn. One other local boat, Panache, skippered by Bob Scribner, participated. The race and festivities concluded with an awards ceremony and a lobster bake at the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club.

Commodore Marianne Reynolds and race operations officer John Chapman thanked the many volunteers who supported the race. This major ocean race, nicknamed the Lobster Run because of the Maine destination, is conducted every even-numbered year.

Starting Tuesday Sept. 3, the Boothbay Railway Village will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with steam train rides offered at 11:30 a.m., and 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30 p.m. Weekend hours of operation remain the same with the museum being open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and train rides being offered between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Visitors can enjoy museum exhibits and its exceptional antique automobile collection along with the crisp late summer and early fall weather. The Boothbay Railway Village will be hosting a Children’s Day on September 15 offering free admission to children under 16.

Additionally, on October 6 and 7, in cooperation with the Boothbay Information and Chamber of Commerce, the museum will host a highlight of the season. The Fall Foliage Craft Fair attracts thousands of visitors and is a unique fair with both the museum exhibits and food and craft vendors and steam train rides.

The Boothbay Railway Village is at 586 Wiscasset Road, Route 27 in Boothbay.

For more information, call 633-4727 or visit www.railwayvillage.org.

Midcoast's largest festival for pets, Woofstock 2012, has changed venues this year, and will be hosted at the Damariscotta River Association at 110 Belvedere Road in Damariscotta, on Saturday, Sept. 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Now in its 8th year, Woofstock has been held at the Lincoln Home and at the Round Top Farm in previous years, but due to space constraints and the ever-growing size of the event, the Damariscotta River Association site was selected this year. Located on the scenic Great Salt Bay, the Damariscotta River Association offers beautiful views, ample parking and plenty of room for people and pets to gather. 

Woofstock 2012 opens at 10 a.m. with a parade of breeds, followed by a Flyball demonstration by Flyball MAINEiacs at 10:30 a.m., an agility demonstration at 11 a.m. with Positively Best Friends, Agility Run-Throughs from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Rally Obedience with Right on the Mark Dog Training at 12:30 p.m., Canine Good Citizen testing at 1 p.m. and Disc Dog at 2 p.m. Canine Good Citizen testing will also be offered throughout the day at the table for Kennebec Valley Shetland Sheepdog Rescue.

From noon to 2 p.m., the Holy Mackerels will be playing live music, a first for Woofstock. "Its such a fun event, and the Holy Mackerels came highly recommended by (Woofstock sponsor) King Eider's Pub, so we thought it would be a great match" Animal House co-owner and Woofstock Coordinator Aubrey Martin said. Holy Mackerel vocalist and guitarist Mark Stover said he is a huge pet lover and supporter of the Lincoln County Animal Shelter, which prompted them to accept the gig. The scheduled lineup for the The Holy Mackerels includes Mark Stover, Arthur Webster, Gabe Tonon, and Ronny Arsenault. 

King Eider's will be serving up the food for Woofstock attendees. Known for their wide selection of dishes, Eider's created a Woofstock menu which includes vegetarian and vegan options and gelato for dessert. 

Also new this year at Woofstock is the option for childcare at the Kids' Craft Tent. For a small donation, caregivers will watch 6-week-old to 10-year-old children, while parents make their way around the festival. The tent will have fencing and a security feature to ensure safety for the children. The tent is also open to parents who opt to stay, and includes animal-related crafts and games, including "Make Your Own Pet Rock," which is back by popular demand. 

Woofstock vendor and rescue spaces were reserved at a record pace this year, Martin reports. "We have over 40 pet-related vendors this year, including a whole area on tick prevention and Lyme disease (and other tick-related illnesses). There will be 14 rescues and shelters in attendance, all offering services such as micro-chipping, face painting, a dunk tank, and pet games. All proceeds from Woofstock are split between the 14 rescues and shelters. The individual organizations also keep the profit they make at their own tables. Plus, they get an opportunity to meet with people interested in adoption, volunteering and fostering, which is really beneficial."

The rescues and shelters scheduled include Lincoln County Animal Shelter, Humane Society of Knox County, Maine Greyhound Placement Service, Kennebec Valley Shetland Sheepdog Rescue, Mainely Dogs Rescue, Second Chance Boxer Rescue/New Life Boxer Rescue, A Paw in the Door, New England Border Collie Rescue, CT Underhound Railroad, Lucky Pup Rescue, Almost Home Rescue, Catahoula Rescue, Inc., Maine Australian Shepherd/Mini Aussie Rescue, and SOME Pit!

Woofstock 2012 is presented by The Animal House & SUDS! Grooming, a long-time advocate of rescue and adoption, and located at 15 Coastal Marketplace in Damariscotta. They are an award-winning business and feature healthy food and supplies for companion animals, including the largest selection of remedies and homeopathy in the state. 

For more information, including a list of vendors, directions and schedule of events, visit www.woofstockmaine.com.

The weather was perfect for the 8th Annual Westport Island Shore Run or Maine’s Best Little 10K Road Race, which took place on August 19 beginning at 9 a.m. Fifty-six runners took to the field under a clear blue sky in this 10K road race onbridge-accessible Westport Island. It was the largest turnout of runners in the race’s eight-year history. There were also many participants in the 3.5-mile "Fun Walk."

The race benefited the Westport Island Volunteer Fire Department, whose members directed traffic and provided logistical support at the race. Over the last eight years, the race has generated over $10,000 in proceeds for the department.

The overall women's winners of this year’s race were: 1st place was Susannah Beck from North Yarmouth; 2nd place was Julia Merton from East Longmeadow, Mass.; and 3rd place was Megan Hempstead from Jamaica Plain, Mass.

The overall men's winners of this year’s race were: 1st place was Wes Danforth from Winthrop; 2nd place was Andrew Novis from Medford, Mass.; and 3rd place was Bradley Whitaker from Wiscasset.

Our 2012 sponsors included: Maine Yankee; Boothbay Region Boatyard; Sheepscot River Mooring and Marine Service; Water Doctors; Abbott; Wiscasset Ford; Rynel; Newcastle Chrysler Dodge Jeep; Bath Savings Bank; Ames True Value Supply; Norm's Used Cars; Sharon Drake Real Estate; Shaw's; Westport Island Community Association; the Hampton Inn of Bath; and the Maine Running Store.

Scottish conservationist John Muir would routinely walk with friends in the Sierra, taking more than an hour to cover a mile of linear distance. His fascination with everything natural in his path slowed progress to a crawl. To his old friends, this seemed a normal part of the Muir experience. To his new acquaintances, the walk seemed like an exercise in patience.

A close friend of mine practiced a modern version of the Muir mile, in his typical Andrew manner. Just when you thought you were making progress toward your final destination to lay your head down and contemplate tomorrow’s activity, the car would rapidly decelerate to marvel at the size of the trees or to stretch one’s legs by mucking through a wetland, looking for a diminutive gray tree frog. 

As the years passed, I became accustomed to the likelihood that, at any moment, progress would be halted for a glimpse of a snapping turtle nest or a tree with an active nuthatch cavity. We once stood along the shore of Fourth Machias Lake watching a red-breasted nuthatch enter and exit its home in a poplar for nearly an hour. Can you imagine anyone sitting for more than an hour watching a single bird fly in and out of a nesting cavity? 

These stewardship lessons were not limited to the woods of Maine. Moving water equally captured our imaginations, making our progress equally slow. Our enthusiasm for the Maine woods and its waterways had no boundaries because we were beginning to understand the stewardship connection between humans, rivers and lands. 

We once sat on a pile of cedar logs above the confluence of the Big Black River and the St. John River, discussing for several hours the dynamics of logging practices and their impact on the rivers, streams and brooks. It didn’t matter that thousands of our close friends, Prosimulium mixtum and Simulium venustum or Simulium jenningsi lingered, adding their singular comments in chorus. It wasn’t a river trip without black flies.

Years later, I stood alone at the same spot and looked over an area that had grown back in my absence from the St. John River. I thought long and hard about forestry and ecology, but those thoughts drifted away with the northwesterly winds. What remained was a canoeist pondering his own impact on the woods and waters of Maine, wishing his stewardship mentor had survived to help discuss the next steps.

A hot August sun made a perfect afternoon for an ice cream social on August 25 at the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum in Alna. Senior citizens, small children and their parents, as well as a dog enjoyed the cool treat, plain, for the dog, and with assorted toppings for the humans.

Among those taking a train to the social was train buff Walter Smith, 78, a minister visiting from Lisbon, N.Y. Smith’s father, who had a career as a station master for the New York Central Railroad, instilled in his sons a lifelong interest in trains. “It was considered bad form for a railroad man to like trains, but he did,” Smith said.

Smith, a museum member, praised the many volunteers who work to give the place a sense of “being in 1920.”

“It’s a wonderful reproduction. These people have done a magnificent job,” he said.

For more photos, check out the album of the event.

Fall/Winter Hours

Monday through Thursday, 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday, 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon; Sunday, closed.

Annual Shutdown Week

August 25 to September 3

Fall soccer

Registration going on now

After-school adventures

We have limited openings in our after-school adventures. Registration and calendars are due now.

Crafters wanted

Crafter for our WCC Annual Autumn Craft Show Saturday, October 20. Spaces still available. For more information, call Bonnie at 882-8230.

Fitness classes

Get up and Move Weight Loss Challenge. Next session begins in September. Hall’s Olympic Martial Arts Center is offering this program at the Wiscasset Community Center. New class begins every 6 weeks, 3-team challenge.

WCC Fitness Punch Card. Includes Zumba, Wake-up Call, and Step it Up, Evening Water Aerobics, Hall’s Workouts Wednesdays and Fridays (in September), Kickboxing with Kristina, and Yoga with Murielle and Pilates with Corey Sha. Enjoy the convenience of choosing your classes with no expiration date. Call for more details.

Zumba – Zumba with Debbie will be held at the WCC Gym on Wednesdays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Thursdays, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. with instructor Denise Click, Wiscasset Community Center and Saturdays from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., Wiscasset Community Center with instructor Denise Click. Pre-registration rates and walk-in rates are available. For more details call the front desk.

Yoga – Wednesday mornings 7:45 to 9 a.m. Instructor Murielle Corwin.

Pilates – Friday mornings 7 to 8 a.m., instructor Coreysha Stone

Karate – Mondays, Little Ninjas 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.; Tao Karate 5:45 to 6:45 p.m.; Friday evening combo, 5 to 6 p.m.

Note – Water Zumba and Evening water ex, Wake-up call, Step it up, and Kickboxing will not be offered in August but will resume in September. Call for more information.

Pool programs

Monday Morning Splash and Friday Fun Splash. These programs are especially designed for preschool children 3 to 6 years old. This program is designed to introduce the beginning swimming skills in a fun-filled environment. The young swimmers will be introduced through fun and games, how to get their face wet, go under the water, float on their front and back, and much more. Parents are welcome to sit poolside and watch their little swimmers learn, play and make friends in the comforts of our warm pool. The focus is to build a love for swimming. Program offered on Monday mornings 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. and Friday mornings 9:30 to 10:15 a.m.

Red Cross Swim Lessons – we offer year-round swim lessons for ages four years and older. Our W.S.I. certified instructors are eager to work with your child. Also available are private and semi-private lessons.

Water Aerobics – Morning Aerobics meets Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.

To keep programs going, please pre-register.

On August 26, Midcoast United's U12 soccer team started its fall season with a 3-1 win against Cumberland at Cumberland.

From the onset, Midcoast applied great pressure; midfielder Simon Spear’s early shots on goal went wide. With Timmy Chappelle in the Midcoast net and a seasoned defense (Ella Spear, Bayly Gaughan, Ethan Carmolli, Partick Gudroe, Will Shaffer and Avery Stewart), any chance Cumberland had was quickly rebutted with ease. Rookie Jack Buthy, in his first game with Midcoast, showed a great read of the game, ably assisting the veteran midfielders. 

After many shots on net, Midcoast’s Shaffer scored the first goal of the match on a penalty kick. Midcoast secured the lead with a nice pass from Spear to Shaffer for a 2-0 lead. Keeping the momentum going, the Midcoast crew put together another series of passes leading to Shaffer’s third goal. 

Cumberland finally had its chance getting by the Midcoast defense with a shot that keeper Chappelle attempted to save with a tip over. The game finished with a 3-1 Midcoast win. 

The next game for the U12 team will be Sunday, September 9 at 1:30 in Freeport at the Hunter Road fields.

A fun-filled evening of food, drink, music, photography and just plain mingling with friends will take place Saturday, Sept. 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the lovely waterfront home of Louana and Ted Frois, on Westport Island. The occasion is the fourth annual "Champagne on the Sheepscot" event to raise money for the Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association to protect the Sheepscot watershed.

On August 6, a group volunteers and staffers gathered at the office in Newcastle to address invitations to the event to some 800 members and friends of the non-profit organization.

Tickets are $40 per person. For $125 you can become a patron of the event, which in addition to the food and all the festivities includes public acknowledgment of your name or business. As of August 27, 81 individuals and local businesses had agreed to be patrons. A response to the invitation is requested by September 9.

Volunteers will prepare the tasty hors d'oeuvres, and champagne and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided. Local students from Lincoln Academy have volunteered to serve as wait staff at the event, as an opportunity to help them fulfill their school's community service requirement.

Throughout the evening, three accomplished local student musicians will entertain the guests: keyboardist Mitch Boucher, a senior at Lincoln Academy; keyboardist Richard Kinney, a seventh-grader who is home schooled; and singer Cayleigh Hearth, a ninth-grader at Lincoln Academy. They will perform both classical and popular music in different areas of the property, including in a newly-built sunken garden designed and built by master stonemason Chris Tanguay, one of the many masonry projects he has built on the property during the past three years.

In addition, photographs of the Sheepscot watershed area will hang in the Frois' home, and guests at the event will vote to determine the three most popular. Cash prizes of $100, $50 and $25 will be awarded to the winners. The photographic entries must be received by 4 p.m. on August 31 at the Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association office at 624 Sheepscot Road in Newcastle, ME, 04553. Two entries per person are allowed – color or black and white. Each photograph, (ideally eight-by-ten-inch format), must be mounted on 9x11 foam core (black or white.) Thanks to the generosity of Art sake Framing in Damariscotta, located on 155 Main Street in the back parking lot under The River Grill, entrants may get their photos mounted and shrink wrapped for a reduced rate of $6. The title of the image and the photographer’s name, address, phone number and e-mail address must be printed legibly on back.

For more information, or if you wish to attend and have not received an invitation, contact Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association at 586-5616 or svca@sheepscot.org.

Dance Classes in Jazz, Hip Hop, Ballet, Pointe, and Creative Movement will begin Friday Sept. 7, at Great Salt Bay School in Damariscotta. Additional classes will be held throughout the week at Mobius in Damariscotta and at Sheepscot General in Whitefield.

Teachers Melanie Pagurko and Michele Cox are gearing up for another fun exciting year of dancing as they prepare for numerous classes for ages three to adults and ability levels. Come join the fun.

For more information or to register, visit www.dancemaineia.com or call Melanie at 380-1726.

National and local sports stars will be coming to the region for the 22nd annual Boothbay Charities Classic golf tournament, lobster bake and sports auction to benefit the Special Olympics Maine. 

The events will start with the lobster bake at 4 p.m. and silent sports auction at the Boothbay Railway Village on September 21. The auction will be available for public viewing and bidding from 3:30 through 7:30 p.m. The auction is free to attend, open to the public and will feature sports memorabilia autographed by famous sports figures including Jim Rice, Dennis Eckersley. Emmit Smith, Jim Palmer, Rob Gronkowski, Steve Young, Dave Cowens and others.

Golfers will be teeing off at the Boothbay Country Club on September 22 at 8:30 a.m. Team openings and individual positions are limited but still open to be paired up with a celebrity golfer. Event sponsorship as well as individual hole and tee promotion is still available. The golf tournament entry fee is $200 per golfer, which also includes a ticket to the lobster bake. Lobster bake tickets are $40 per person. If interested in attending or volunteering for either event, call Brenda Blackman at 633-5149 or Ken Marston at 633-3914. To donate or to inquire about this year’s auction items, call Tom Erskine at 633-6103. 

Special Olympics Maine is a year-round athletic training and competition program for persons of all ages with intellectual disabilities. In Maine there are 3,200 athletes who participate in the program. All proceeds from this event will benefit Special Olympics Maine.

Starting this football season, www.SunJournal.com and www.TheForecaster.net will carry audio broadcasts from high schools in Androscoggin, Oxford, Franklin and Cumberland counties.

Sun Media Group and MBR.org, the state’s leading online sports broadcaster, will partner this season to expand the delivery of live game coverage in Maine.

Live video streams of select in-season games will also be shown.

"It's an exciting time to be covering sports in Maine," MBR Radio Division Program Director Matt Boutwell said.  

"This will help expand coverage for those who can't get to the games, and continue to bring Maine's high school sports coverage even further into the 21st century.”

For a full broadcast schedule, visit MBR.org.

A whimbrel is a large brown shorebird that's almost as big as a laughing gull, with a distinctive long, down-curved bill and black stripes on the head. Whimbrels nest in the tundra of Canada and Alaska and winter along coastlines anywhere from the southern U.S. through Central America and the Caribbean to southern South America. 

Here in Maine, southbound birds can be seen from late July through September, stopping at salt marshes and mudflats to probe for worms and crabs, and occasionally in blueberry fields or other open areas to feed on berries and perhaps grasshoppers or other large insects. This latter habit is one that they shared with a smaller close relative that once occurred in Maine at times in large numbers, the now-extinct Eskimo curlew. 

The last Eskimo curlew ever documented by a photograph was seen in 1962 in Texas. The last undisputed record of the species on Earth was shot in Barbados in 1963. But Maine’s last record was of a bird shot near Schoodic Point in 1929. Eskimo curlews were regularly shot in the hundreds or even thousands to sell at big city markets. In southern Maine during the late 1800’s, hundreds were occasionally shot when weather forced migrating Eskimo curlews to congregate in open fields, fetching top dollar for the gunners working for swanky restaurants in Boston hotels.

Whimbrels also were once popular with market hunters. However, they tended to be more wary and their migration was more spread out – so they were spared from complete extinction. 

One of the mysteries that the whimbrels continued to keep was where birds from different migratory stop-over locations were coming from and going to. With the invention of new satellite transmitter technology small enough and sturdy enough to affix to a bird the size of a whimbrel, a collaborative tagging project began with a few whimbrels at a stop-over location in Virginia. 

These birds have been followed for a number of years, showing amazing – and sometimes sad –  results. Last fall several birds made their way through or around major hurricanes, migrating well out to sea from the southeastern U.S. coast. Amazingly, the birds made it to the Caribbean but sadly, two of these whimbrels landed on Guadeloupe where there is still a shorebird hunting tradition and both were killed shortly after arriving.

This summer, the whimbrel researchers traveled up to the Mackenzie Delta region of the Northwest Territories and tagged birds on their nesting grounds. The birds traveled the thousands of miles from the Mackenzie Delta across Canada to the Maritimes to fatten up. Then they set out over the ocean, headed toward Africa. After as many as six straight days of constant day-and-night-flying, they were still many hundreds of miles from land. The winds blowing across from Africa pushed them steadily toward northern South America where they made landfall. One of them had flown non-stop for over 4,000 miles!

The most recent whimbrel following this route, nicknamed Pingo by the researchers, flew smack into the still-forming hurricane Isaac last week. Many of us watched the daily map with trepidation to see if Pingo could survive the brutal winds after already having flown for many days without rest. Amazingly he somehow had the stamina to get around Isaac and fly another 400 miles to land safely on the coast of Brazil late last week. 

Whimbrels can be seen along the entire coast of Maine, including in the Boothbay region. Usually we see several on the annual fall Boothbay Region Land Trust trip to Damariscove Island. If you see one, wish it luck!

When Debbie Speed of Wiscasset started Zumba over three years ago she didn’t realize the impact it would have on her life. Today she is nearly 100 pounds lighter and feels terrific. She attributes her weight-loss success to her Zumba workouts.

“Zumba has been a huge help in my weight loss and a really huge help in helping me to tone! It is a very exhilarating cardio workout for sure,” she said.Speed is hoping to share her success of Zumba by offering a free class on Sunday, Sept. 9 from 5 to 6 p.m. at St. Philip’s Church in Wiscasset.

Speed admits to having a weight problem most of her life. She confesses to having won a silver dollar in a fattest baby contest.

“I have always been a meat and potato girl,” she said. She has never been fond of salads so she has just cut back on what she eats. Teaching three to four Zumba workouts a week allows her enough exercise to still eat the foods she enjoys.

“What really tears me up is seeing overweight young people,” Speed said. “I just want to take them and get them moving. I wish I had Zumba when I was young. It’s so much fun.”

“Ditch the Workout – Join the Party,” Zumba’s slogan, sums it up perfectly. The workout is basically made up Latin-style dance moves, so participants feel like they are at a party rather than a workout.

A recent report published on the American Council of Exercise website concludes that Zumba is a very effective workout.

In his report on the site, John Porcari, Ph.D., of the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse’s Department of Exercise and Sport Science writes, “It’s a total-body exercise – a good, high-energy aerobic workout. Zumba fitness is also good for core strengthening and flexibility gains because there are lots of hip and midsection movements.”

Zumba workouts can burn 500 to 800 calories in an hour-long workout, depending on intensity and an individual's weight, fitness level and muscle composition. Also, Zumba helps reduce stress, burns fat; builds endurance and coordination; strengthens heart and lungs; and increase circulation, said Speed.

Last September, Speed completed the Zumba Basic 1 course to become a certified instructor and has been teaching since January. She has also complete Zumba Basic 2 course and is now also certified to teach in Zumbatomics, a program geared toward 4 to 12-year-olds.

Currently Speed offers the following classes: Sundays at St. Philip’s Church in Wiscasset, 5 to 6 p.m.; Wednesdays at the Wiscasset Community Center, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. (this class will change to the Wiscasset Primary School sometime this fall, so call the Wiscasset Community Center for details); and Fridays at Mobius in Damariscotta, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Speed will also arrange for free Zumba demonstrations for organizations. For additional details, call her at 882-5265.

When attending Zumba class, students will want to make sure they wear comfortable clothing and sneakers and always bring water. It is also recommended that students bring a small hand towel as you definitely work up a sweat.

“Going to a Zumba class is like going to a big dance party! You work out, but have so much fun! There are just so many benefits. I love being able to share my love of Zumba with my students,” Speed said.

Common nighthawks are fairly large birds, shaped like small falcons with long, sharply pointed wings. Despite their name, they are not closely related to hawks at all. And, sadly, they are also not very common in our area anymore, either. (Full article)

Below, nighthawks migrate south on the evening of August 31.

A festive lobster bake will kick off the Boothbay Charities Classic starting Friday, Sept. 21 at 4 p.m. under the big top at the Boothbay Railway Village, Route 27, Boothbay. 

A fundraiser to benefit the Special Olympics of Maine, the lobster bake will feature succulent seafood, a sports auction, and a chance to mingle with celebrities. This year marks the 22nd celebration of the Boothbay Charities Classic, and the bake routinely draws a variety of locals and sports stars to the event. Non-golfers who wish to attend the bake can purchase tickets by contacting Brenda Blackman at 633-6280. Tickets for the bake are $40, or included in the fee for playing in the celebrity golf tournament the following day. 

During the bake, guests can bid on items at the silent auction that runs through dinner, or stay for the live auction which starts around 6 p.m. The auction is free to attend and will feature autographed sports memorabilia from sports legends: Steve Young, Emmit Smith, Rob Gronkowski and many more. For questions or donations of auction items, contact Tom Erskine at 633-6103. 

Special Olympics Maine is a year round athletic training and competition program for persons of all ages with intellectual disabilities. In Maine there are 3,200 athletes who participate in the program. Each year the Boothbay Charities Classic raises $30,000 for Special Olympics. All proceeds from this event will benefit Special Olympics Maine.

Ed and Marie Bosarge of Southport are platinum sponsors of the 22nd annual Boothbay Charities Classic Golf Tournament. They join other locals such as gold level sponsor the Manuel Gordon Foundation, and bronze level sponsor Oberuch Electric.

Local and nationally known sports legends and hall of famers are making arrangements to meet in Boothbay for the 22nd annual Boothbay Charities Classic Golf Tournament, Lobster Bake, and Sports Auction. September 21 and 22 are the dates for this exciting event and all proceeds will go to benefit Special Olympics Maine. Whether it’s football, baseball, hockey, racing or golf, we will likely have something for the sports fan in you.

Celebrities attending the 2012 tournament will include: Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champ Otis Sistrunk; Super Bowl champ Earl Morrall from the Colts/Dolphins; Wilbur Wood, knuckleball pitcher from the Red Sox and White Sox; Dan Sullivan from the Colts; Tom Mack NFL Hall of Famer from the Rams; Stump (Carl) Merrill; Wayne Soares from ESPN/Comedy Network; Dick Lamby of the Bruins/St Louis Blues; Tom Yewcic, quarterback and punter for Patriots; Maury Youmans from the Bears; “Spaceman” Bill Lee of the Boston Red Sox; Two-time Super Bowl champ Robin Cole; Boston Bruins great and two-time Stanley cup winner Ken Hodge; Olympic and Pro snow boarder Seth Wescott; Miami Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian; Gino Cappelletti Boston Patriot 1960-1970 and five-time AFL All-Star; Tom Matte, All-American out of Ohio State and 12-year NFL career with the Baltimore Colts; and more. This list will be updated as the event nears.

Sadly, one of our long- time supporters of the tournament will no longer be with us. NFL star Ben Davidson, who has been part of the golf classic for several years now, died on July 2 at the age of 72. Davidson is best known for his 11-year football career playing for the NFL Green Bay Packers, NFL Washington Redskins, NFL Oakland Raiders, AFL Raiders, and WFL Storm. Davidson later went on to try his hand at acting and appeared in “Conan the Barbarian,” “M.A.S.H.,” “Necessary Roughness,” and a Miller Lite commercial. Ben Davidson loved being part of the annual Boothbay Charities Golf Classic for Special Olympics and he will be sadly missed.

Team openings and limited individual golfer positions are still available for the Saturday morning golf tournament, which includes guaranteed pairing with a celebrity, an awesome goodie bag provided by tournament sponsors, and a seat at the Friday night lobster bake and sports auction. If you are interested in participating please contact Brenda Blackman at 380-7770 or call Ken at 633-3914. You can also call these numbers if you are just interested in the lobster bake, which begins at 4 p.m. The sports auction is open to the public at no charge.

In addition to winning $10,000 for a hole in one sponsored by J.Edward Knight Insurance, we are holding a $10,000 Putt For Dough, along with other great prizes to be awarded at the Boothbay Charities Classic played at the Boothbay Country Club on Saturday. Leon Blackman Carpentry & Seafood Sales is sponsoring the Putt For Dough cash award contest. Participating golfers can purchase three preliminary round putts that will be taken at the turn. Successfully holing any legal attempts will qualify the finalists for a playoff to determine the one golfer who will put for $10,000 on the 18th green during the awards ceremony. Current and former professional golfers are ineligible.

A silent sports auction will be available for public viewing and bidding from 4 through 7:30 p.m. on Friday the 21st at the Railway Village under the big top (results will be announced later that evening). Live auction begins at 6 p.m. All fans are welcome. The Lobster Bake will take place under the big top at the Railway Village on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. and is a great opportunity for the public to mix and mingle with the celebrities. Chicken is also available. Auction is free to attend. Call to purchase tickets to Lobster Bake.

Businesses and individuals willing to make donations, volunteer time, or to participate in the tournament are extremely appreciated, and crucial to the continued success of this event. Major sponsorships as well as individual hole and tee sponsorships are also still available. For more information please contact Brenda at the above mentioned numbers. If you wish to donate an item to the auction, please contact Tom Erskine at 633-6103. 

Here are a few of the items available at this year's auction: Footballs signed by Emmitt Smith, Marshall Faulk and Rob Gronkowski; jerseys signed by Dennis Eckersley, Steve Young and Cam Neely; baseballs signed by Jim Rice, Jim Palmer and Carlton Fisk; a basketball signed by Dave Cowens; A hand turned Walnut osage and orange wooden bowl by Ocean Point Woodturning Wooden Bowl Gallery, Lou Landry, Master Woodturner.

Special Olympics Maine is a year round athletic training and competition program for persons with intellectual disabilities of all ages. In Maine there are over 3,500 athletes who participate in the program. This year is expected to be a record breaker.

Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta is pleased to again invite all chefs, bakers, and wannabe Food Network stars to enter the fourth annual Pumpkin Dessert Contest. This yummy event will be held on Saturday, Oct. 6, at Skidompha Library in the atrium area. All types of pumpkin desserts – pies, cakes, cookies, muffins, shortbreads, puddings, crisps, clafoutis, cobblers, tarts, candies, mousse, soufflés, ice creams, tortes, trifles, crème caramels, flans, semifreddos, crepes, strudels – are eligible but they must include fresh, frozen, or canned pumpkin. Pumpkin pie spice alone does not count. 

If flour is used in the recipe, it must be King Arthur Flour.  Each contestant will receive a free dough scraper and a bag of flour from King Arthur Flour. Contestants are required to drop off two of their desserts – one for judging and one for tasting. All contestants must provide their own plates, platters, and decorations if desired, as well as serving utensils. Just drop by Nails by Gail on Center Street in Nobleboro for your free flour and scraper. In addition, each winner will receive the beautiful King Arthur Baker’s Companion cookbook

Desserts must be dropped off at Skidompha between 10:30 a.m. and 11:45 a.m., on October 6. Contestants and the public will then be asked to leave, and the doors will be closed at noon when the judging begins. King Arthur Flour Baking Instructor and former Bremen resident, Jessica Meyers, will be this year’s special judge. Winners will be announced at 1:45 p.m. Prizes are as follows: First Place – $150 and King Arthur Baker’s Companion Cookbook; Second Place –  $100 and King Arthur Baker’s Companion Cookbook; Third Place – $50 and King Arthur Baker’s Companion Cookbook.

Tickets to taste the dessert entries will be sold for $5 for three selections, with tasting beginning after the winners are announced. The ever-popular Pumpkin Pie Eating Contest will again be held immediately following the 2:15 p.m. Pumpkinfest Parade, on Saturday, Oct. 6. Contestants are divided into two categories: ages 12 and under, and ages 13 and over. Winners will be awarded a Pumpkinfest T-shirt and bragging rights for the next year.

To register for the Pumpkin Pie Eating Contest, pick up a registration form at Nails By Gail or go to www.DamariscottaPumpkinfest.com. On the site, select the “Events” tab, then click on “Pumpkin Dessert Contest.” At the bottom of the description, click to download the registration form.

Fall/Winter Hours

Monday to Thursday, 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. (Pool closes at 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 p.m. on Friday)

Fall Soccer

Registration going on now

After School Adventures

We have limited openings in our after school adventures. Registration and calendars are due now.

Crafters Wanted

Crafter for our WCC Annual Autumn Craft Show Saturday, October 20, Spaces still available for more information call Bonnie 882-8230.

Zumbatomic

Ages 4-12, starts Monday, Oct. 1, 4 to 4:30 p.m. Call for details.

Fitness Classes

Get up and Move Weight Loss Challenge. Next session begins in October. Hall’s Olympic Martial Arts Center is offering this program at the Wiscasset Community Center. New class begins every six weeks, three-team challenge.

WCC Fitness Punch Card. Includes Zumba, Wake-up Call, and Step it Up, Evening Water Aerobics, Hall’s Workouts Wednesday and Friday (in October), Yoga with Murielle, and introducing Tai Chi to our fitness pass.  Enjoy the convenience of choosing your classes with no expiration date. Call for more details.

Zumba. Zumba with Debbie will be held at the WCC gym Wednesday 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.; Thursdays, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., instructor Denise Click, Wiscasset Community Center; and Saturday, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., Wiscasset Community Center, instructor Denise Click. Pre-registration rates and walk-in rates are available.  For more details call the front desk.

Yoga. Wednesdays, 7:45 to 9 a.m., instructor Murielle Corwin. New class starts September 12.

Wake-up call. Monday and Friday mornings 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. This is a multifaceted cardio step class with Lorna Weber.

Step-it up. Wednesday evenings 6 to 7 p.m., WCC gym with Lorna

Karate. Mondays, Little Ninjas 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.; Tao Karate 5:45 to 6:45 p.m.; Friday evening combo, 5 to 6 p.m. New session starts Sept 12.

Gymnastics. New session meets on Tuesdays from September 18 through December 4. Flip for Tots (ages 3-5), 4:30 to 5:15 p.m.; Flying Kids:  (ages 5-7), 5:15 to 6 p.m.; and Tumbling Kids (ages 8-12), 6 to 7 p.m.

Pool Programs

Monday Morning Splash and Friday Fun Splash. These programs are especially designed for preschool children 3 to 6 years old. This program is designed to introduce the beginning swimming skills in a fun-filled environment. The young swimmers will be introduced through fun and games, how to get their face wet, go under the water, float on their front and back, and much more. Parents are welcome to sit poolside and watch their little swimmers learn, play and make friends in the comforts of our warm pool. The focus is to build a love for swimming. Program offered on Monday mornings 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. and Friday mornings 9:30 to 10:15 a.m.

Red Cross Swim Lessons. We offer year-round swim lessons for ages four years and older. Our W.S.I. certified instructors are eager to work with your child. Also available are private and semi-private lessons.

Water Aerobics. Morning Aerobics meets Monday through Friday 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.

The Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association has achieved land trust accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance.  This distinction is the result of a three-year effort, involving the entire board and staff, to review and update the operations of the association and demonstrate that it complies with national standards for land trusts.

“Going through the process of becoming accredited has been the single most valuable experience for the Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association's board and staff in preparing for our next phase of growth as an organization,” Board President Honor Fox Sage said.  

The association was founded in 1969 to both conserve land and advocate for the environment.  This was, and still is, an unusual combination of goals for a land trust in Maine to adopt.

The association has been involved in such issues as nuclear power, industrial plants that threatened ground water quality, new road proposals, alternative energy proposals and bridge design and placement on Route 1, the major artery crossing our watershed. It is not an easy task to take positions on the important development issues of the day while remaining a trusted conservator of land and holder of conservation easements.

While advocacy is an important aspect of its work, land conservation is the primary mission.  The association has worked with many conservation-minded landowners to protect 3,569 acres of working farms, forests and important habitat in over 50 conservation properties including seven preserves open to the public for low-impact recreation.

Most recently, the association has been a leader of the new 12 Rivers Collaborative, a group of 10 local land trusts seeking to accelerate conservation of the forested landscape from the Kennebec to the St. George.

Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association was awarded accreditation this August and is one of only 181 land trusts from across the country that has been awarded accreditation since the fall of 2008.  Accredited land trusts are able to display a seal indicating to the public that they meet national standards for excellence, uphold the public trust and ensure that conservation efforts are permanent.  The seal is a mark of distinction in land conservation.

“The accreditation seal lets the public know that the accredited land trust has undergone an extensive, external review of the governance and management of its organization and the systems and policies it uses to protect land,” Commission Executive Director Tammara Van Ryn said.

“The Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association is excited to have received this distinction and will proudly display our accreditation seal,” Executive Director Maureen Hoffman said. “While this seal shows that the  Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association has been doing excellent work, we intend to continue to improve and work hard to support our community.”

Parent/toddler swim lessons are specially designed for infants or toddlers and their parents. This program is catered for children between 6 months to 4 years of age. Our focus is getting young children comfortable with the water through games and play. Parents will be introduced to proper holds, and creative approach to various aquatic skills. An adult must accompany each swimmer.

The schedule is Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m. instruction (eight weeks) 11 to 11:30 a.m. and open swim September 11 through October 30; and Saturdays, 10:30 to 11 a.m. instruction (eight weeks) 11 to 11:30 a.m. and open swim, September 8 through October 27.

The 8-week session costs $32 for members and $45 non-members

Waterworks

The Wiscasset Community Center offers both morning and evening aerobic classes in the water. These programs offer participants of all fitness abilities, a program that will benefit all parts of the body. You will tone and firm your muscles, increase your flexibility and range of motion, improve your cardiovascular strength, with concentration to breathing, and stimulate your circulation and have fun doing it!

Water’s natural resistance, buoyancy and therapeutic qualities work wonders trimming and toning the body at the same time refreshes and relax the participant emotionally. Does your back bother you, or are you sore after a long day in the garden? The first water aerobics class is free. You can sign up for once a week or as many as five times a week. Class meets Monday through Friday 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., eight-week session.

Red Cross swim lessons

Tuesdays – 3:30 to 4:15 p.m., September 11 to October 30, Level 1-3

Tuesdays – 4:15 to 5 p.m., September 11 to October 30, Level 3+ - 5

Thursdays – 3:30 to 4:15 p.m., September 13 to November 1, Level 2

Thursdays – 4:15 to 5 p.m., September 13 to November 1, Level 3-4

Monday Morning Splash – 10:15 to 11 a.m., September 10 to October 29, Level 1-2

Friday Morning Splash – 9:30 to 10:15 a.m., September 7 to October 26, Level 1-2

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The educational programs at Seeds of Knowledge have been well received by families around the Midcoast area. In order to provide learning opportunities to more students, enrichment classes will now be offered at GSB in Damariscotta in addition to Wiscasset. Seeds of Knowledge will begin its fall programs for students in grades K-6 with “Adventures in Geometry.” This captivating workshop will be offered the week of September 18th with a variety of engaging activities to help students better understand the mathematical concepts.

“The Dirt on Dirt” workshop will be offered the following week. Students will learn how soil serves a variety of purposes in our world and is vital to our survival. Demonstrations and hands-on investigations will help children explore the properties of soil. An erosion experiment will lead into a discussion of soil loss caused by natural and man-made disasters. Children will learn practical steps people are taking to conserve our precious soil. This workshop will be offered on Tuesday, September 25 at the Wiscasset Scout Hall from 9 a.m. to noon for homeschoolers and in the afternoon at GSB from 3 to 5 p.m. Wiscasset Primary students will be able to take this class on Wednesday, Sept. 26 from noon to 3 p.m. on “Early Release” day.

Exploring Earth: “Ecosystems and Endangered Species” is a 6-week enrichment program that begins the week of Oct. 8. Through an in-depth study of four ecosystems, children will discover how each living thing on Earth has a crucial role on our planet and will learn how living things are dependent on one another for survival. This 6-week program will be provided for homeschoolers on Tuesday mornings from 9 a.m.-noon at the Wiscasset Scout Hall; Tuesdays afterschool in Wiscasset from 3 to 5 p.m.; and Thursdays afterschool in Damariscotta from 3 to 5 p.m.

For more information about the programs, times and locations, and to register, visit www.seedsofknowledgeec.com or call 841-2704.

The ferry boat Prudence was built in Boothbay Harbor more than 100 years ago at a shipyard that no longer exists. Passengers can still take a ride in this historic vessel on the Penobscot River in Bangor.

Christened the Madeleine when built in 1911 by Irving Reed Shipyard, the ferry boat has been registered in service with the federal government every year since. Current owners of the boat (she's had a few) and historians are proud to note that the Prudence is one of the oldest steamboats in the nation that has been in continuous service.

Descendents of Irving Reed attended the boat's 100-year anniversary celebration in Hyannis, Mass. last year and have put together a book of photographs, articles and historic documentation culled from a number of sources about the Prudence. 

Hy-Line Cruises, the second largest passenger ferry service in Hyannis, sold the Prudence to Downeast Windjammer Cruises in Bangor last year. Since May, the boat has been touring the Penobscot River. Hy-line is celebrating its 50th anniversary and its owners spent a great deal of time finding a home to retire “the old gal” that launched the company.

“She's a beautiful boat,” Murray Scudder, the operations director at Hy-Line said. However, the boat is too expensive to continue to maintain and there is not nearly the same degree of interest from tourists to see the Kennedy compound as there was when his father and uncle launched the passenger ferry service, he added. “She's perfect for Maine.”

Brothers Richard and Robert Scudder bought the Prudence in 1962. At the time they ran a service station in Hyannis and many of their customers wanted to see the Kennedy compound from Nantucket Sound. The two brothers used the Prudence as a sight-seeing vessel and later expanded to offer ferry service to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket after purchasing other boats. 

“If you learned how to land a single screw vessel, you could handle anything,” Scudder said, recalling his own experience navigating the waters behind the Prudence helm from 1980 to 1982. He agrees that such a large boat (57 feet long) with just one shaft and propeller could be difficult to maneuver, but maintains the boat was well made. He said the boat functioned as a training vessel for many employees.

Captain Steve Pagels of Downeast Windjammer Cruises is the proud new owner of the Prudence. Pagels navigated the waters with her all the way to Bangor from Hyannisport.

“She is a special piece of history,” Pagels said. “Just having a vessel that survived over a century, it's remarkable.”

Maneuvering such a boat requires some skill as all of its functions are mechanically driven. All of these devices are still in place and functioning: a rope around the shaft behind the wheel turns the rudder and a copper speaker tube from the wheelhouse shoots down into the hold. Pagels also pointed out the coal hatches and the original steam engine bed, the foundation where a steam-powered engine would have been placed.

What is the Prudence?

Called a “coastal steamer,” the boat currently runs on a 60 horsepower diesel engine. Boothbay Region Historical Society's Barbara Rumsey edited a collection of essays entitled “Historical Sketches, Vol. III,” in which Alden Stickney and Shirley Race contributed the essay “The Steamer Enterprise.” According to that essay, the Madeleine was originally gas-powered, but was built to look like a steam-powered vessel.

“The craftsmanship of these boats was phenomenal,” Freeport resident Tim Reed said during a recent interview. Reed is the great grandson of Irving Reed, owner and founder of the Boothbay Harbor shipyard that built the boat. 

Tim Reed knew about his family's ship building history in Boothbay Harbor, but had only learned about the existence of the Prudence last year. Tim and Donna Reed attended the boat's 100-year celebration and rechristening in Hyannis, Mass. hosted by Hy-Line Cruises. 

They traced the boat's history from its roots in Boothbay Harbor to Boston Harbor to Providence, R.I. to Hyannisport, Mass. and then finally back to Maine. Tim and Donna compiled all of their research, including many photographs and copies of the boat's original registration documents, in a book for Tim's father, Dennis I. Reed. 

Tim Reed said he had hoped to learn more about his grandfather Rodney Reed and great grandfather from their research, but has been unsuccessful. However, looking back through the porthole of time, Reed learned more about how these boats were made, and what it must have been like for the builders in the early part of the 20th century. “They did it all with hand tools; that alone makes it fascinating,” he said.

According to information Reed gathered from the historical society and other sources, Captain Frank Gethro commissioned the Madeleine to be built by the Irving Reed Shipyard in 1911. It was built then with just a single deck, but later a second deck was built onto it. Captain Gethro had started a ferry service in Boston Harbor. He ultimately used the boat to take day laborers and workers to Castle Island and other points throughout the harbor. In addition to passenger service the boat was used to haul supplies and equipment. 

Gethro died in August 1919 during steamship inspection drills aboard one of three ferries he leased from the city of Providence, R.I. He commissioned two other ferry boats to be built at the Irving Reed Shipyard before his death, the Frances and Loretta. The Madeleine suffered significant damage after fire erupted in the boiler room on July 4, 1920. 

The boat was sold the following March to Providence Island Navigation in Bristol, R.I., which paid to have it rebuilt at a local lumber yard, Wardwell Lumber. For the next 41 years, the boat re-named and re-christened as the Prudence, ferried passengers, livestock, automobiles and freight. According to Reed's research, the boat survived three hurricanes, following one where she was found hung up in an old oak tree. 

The boat was sold again to the Scudders who launched Hyannis Harbor Tours, a company they later renamed to Hy-Line Cruises. The company invested in a restoration of the Prudence in 1979 and contracted the Billings Shipyard out of Stonington to do the work.

The Irving Reed Shipyard: a thumbnail sketch

Irving Reed launched his Boothbay Harbor shipyard with his business partner Percy Adams in 1905. According to historians Stickney and Race, the yard built a number of steam-powered vessels and other boats for the next 60 years.

In 1917 the yard was sold and operated as the East Coast Ship Company. With Reed at the helm as superintendent, the company built many boats during the years of the first World War, including a 67-foot schooner called the Flying Cloud. Reed bought his shipyard back from the company following the war and ran it until his death in 1934.

Reed's son Rodney took over operations at the shipyard and re-named the company Reed Brothers. Throughout WWII, the younger Reed oversaw the building of plane re-armament boats. The shipyard continued after the war and made fishing draggers and pleasure cruisers. 

A fire burned the main building and several boats down to the ground in 1957, but that did not stop the shipyard from restarting. They continued to build boats up until the late 1960s when Robert Marsh purchased the property from Grace Reed, Rodney Reed's widow who had been running operations there since her husband's death.

Visitors to Boothbay Harbor will not be able to find the shipyard today, though there are many others still operating in the area. To learn more about the Prudence in its present location, visit the Downeast Windjammer Cruises website: downeastwindjammer.com. The Boothbay Region Historical Society also has books and original documents about the Irving Reed Shipyard, in addition to others that once graced these shores.

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Horses under saddle were passing through pockets of morning sun in the indoor arena at Sea-Vu Farm in Boothbay on August 24. The farm's trainer called out to riders with reminders on technique, and praise for them and the horses.

“OK, huge love to him. Huge love. He was awesome today,” Katie Yereance told Hali Goodwin, 10, as the Boothbay girl finished riding her horse CBMF Off The Charts. (Around the barn, he goes by Eskie.) Goodwin leaned forward to stroke his neck as Yereance told her, “Good job, babe.”

The easy pace of activity belied a serious undertaking involving nearly everyone at the barn that day. Horses and their riders, one horse-and-driver duo, and some of their family members were continuing to get ready for the Morgan horse breed equivalent of the Kentucky Derby. Instead of a race over a track to the finish line, however, the Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show encompasses several disciplines, most of which have nothing to do with speed.

The Boothbay equines and their human partners qualified for the big event in Oklahoma through state and regional shows in recent months.

About 35 people, from competitors to spectators, will be making the trip. A discussion in the barn centered on what to expect, as many would be watching or competing in the event for the first time.

An “enormous” chute leading into the arena inclines downward, “so go in easy,” Yereance, 31, advised riders. The venue is so large, it will be difficult for the competitors to hear what people are saying from the sidelines. “It's a whole new ball game” from other events, she said.

The competitors were looking forward to not only the challenge, but the enjoyment of being there. “It's going to be fun and exciting,” Joanne Lewis, 66, said. “You have to go into it with the understanding that you're doing it for the experience, and that anything else that happens (in competition) is a bonus,” she said.

Lewis, who is Yereance's mother, will take part in the pleasure-driving cart competition with AMZ Tiger Lilly, or Patty. The Boothbay resident drives her horse twice a week; Yearance trains Patty daily.

Caroline Cadorette, 8, of Portland rides her equine partner, Pondview Pure Elegance, or Ellie, four days a week. “My horse and I have worked very hard,” she said while tending Ellie in the barn aisle.

After a good performance at one event, the horse just stopped rather than leave the arena. “She didn't want it to be over. She was very proud of herself,” Cadorette said.

Farm owner Dawn Murphy is proud of trainer Yereance, who took lessons from Murphy as a child. Yereance is “absolutely” the reason so many of the horses have qualified for the Oklahoma event, Murphy said. “She knows what she's doing. She has a lot of talent.”

Yereance, in turn, spread the credit around to the whole “amazing” team at the barn, from the staff to the clients.

For one young qualifier, Skyler Davis, 14, of Boothbay, who rides Sensational Touch, or Lucy, time at the barn has been fitting tightly into an exhausting schedule that includes work at Kaler's restaurant in Boothbay Harbor and field hockey practice. She's an entering freshman at Boothbay Region High School.

Some horse enthusiasts are born into it, and put on a horse not long after. But Davis got into it because her family once lived near Sea-Vu Farm. Seeing the horses made her want to try riding. At 5, she did, and has stuck with it since. “I like the rush it gives you when you're going fast,” she said.

Also scheduled to compete in Oklahoma are two local 18-year-olds and another mount at Sea-Vu. Christin Bailey of Boothbay and Kahla Vise will be in events with Bailey's horse, Sea-Vu Noble Aire, or Nicki.

The show runs October 6 to 13. It can be watched live-stream at www.morgangrandnational.com.

When most people think of the world’s great wildlife migrations they might think of herds of zebras and wildebeest crossing the African plains or the march of the emperor penguins across the Antarctic ice. 

But few could imagine that a truly stunning migratory phenomenon could have gone on over their heads last night while they lay in bed. But it probably did.

That’s because tens of millions of birds migrate south each fall night from their breeding grounds in the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska, given decent weather conditions. 

Somewhere between three and five billion – yes, that’s billion with a “b” – adult birds and their offspring pour out of the region each fall to spend the winters in points south from the U.S. to South America. On average, roughly 30 to 50 million birds pass southward over the border between Canada and the U.S. every night.

And most of these birds do migrate at night. Bird species that migrate mostly during the day are actually the exception. Only hawks and a few scattered other species migrate just during the day, though some birds like ducks, geese and shorebirds can migrate both day and night. But the bulk of the billions of birds that migrate south fly at night. That’s why most people don’t know it's happening.

However, there are some ways you can experience this incredible spectacle. One of the most satisfying ways is to go out on a clear fall night with a full or nearly full moon. Stare at the moon with a pair of binoculars and, amazingly, you can often see the dark silhouettes of flying birds flashing quickly across its face. Larger birds that are farther off are easier to see and will stay in the bright disk of the moon for a longer time, while small birds that are closer to you will flash by in a fraction of second.

Another way to experience the night migration of birds is simply to listen to the sky. If you can find a quiet place to sit or lay down and focus on opening your ears to the sounds drifting down, you will soon begin to notice very short “chips” and “cheeps.” You may even have passed off some of these sounds as crickets or bats in the past – but if they are clearly coming from the dark sky overhead – these are migrating birds.

Chances are your favorite birds are among those that migrate at night, and these are quite easy to identify by sound itself. For example, Canada Geese can sometimes be heard flying over at night and their honking calls are very familiar. 

Most of the calls of night-migrating birds, especially songbirds, are not easily recognizable to any but the most focused bird enthusiast or ornithologist. But an easy one for just about anyone to identify is the Swainson’s thrush, a smaller relative of the familiar American robin that breed across northern U.S. and Canada. When migrating at night, Swainson’s thrushes give a single call note that sounds like the “peep” of the tiny spring peeper frog, which is familiar to most people in the northeastern U.S. 

If you think you hear the sound of a spring peeper echoing down from the night sky over the next month or so, you actually will have heard a Swainson’s thrush bravely winging its way south through the dark on its way eventually to its wintering grounds in South America. Once you experience, through sight or sound, one of the world’s greatest migratory spectacles going on over your head, you will never sleep the same way again.

Three years ago, Amercian Cruise Lines added Boothbay Harbor to their tour of coastal Maine. Two ships, Independence and American Glory, dock at Wotton's Wharf on Thursday and Sunday, respectively. The ships began arriving in the region for the 2012 season on May 31. The final trip of the season will be on Wednesday, Sept. 26.

The Independence has a maximum capacity of 100 passengers (excluding crew members) and has consistently brought 80 to 100 visitors on Thursdays to the region. Two shuttles pick passengers up at the head of the gangway. One shuttle tours the downtown area and the other goes to Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. The 98 visitors on the September 6 trip were split about 50-50 between venue choices. Those opting for the gardens still have the option of going into town before returning to the ship when re-boarding the shuttle.

The 174-foot American Glory, which carries 49 passengers (excluding crew), arrives on Sundays. These visitors have the same options as those arriving on Thursday.

Ashley Turney, Shore Excursion and Entertainment Coordinator for the cruise line in Guilford, Conn., said they will be adding a puffin cruise, subject to the puffin season, as an option for their passengers.

“I was contacted by Capt. Fish Boat Trips about their puffin cruise,” Turney said. “We are always looking for something unique in the ports of call for our passengers. To be able to offer the Botanical Gardens, which is extremely popular, allows passengers to see something you just don't see much of on the Maine coast.”

Turney describes most of American Cruise Line's clientele as “baby boomers and up” who are educated, intelligent and looking to enhance their travel experience by learning about the places visit. Turney books guest speakers and musicians from the ports of call to talk about topics such as the lobster industry in Rockland or to play jazz piano. There is also a naturalist or historian on all of the cruise ships to better inform passengers about the areas they visit.

“Most of our passengers are from California, Texas and Florida. And they are intrigued by New England; for them it is a whole new world,” Turney said.

The coastal Maine tour is one of American Cruise Line's most popular tours and bookings for 2013 have already begun. Boothbay Harbor, according to Turney, has become a favorite port with their clientele.

“We have researchers who decide what harbors will be part of this tour,” Turney said. “A major reason Boothbay Harbor was added is because it is so picturesque and so typical of the Maine coast.”

Some of the passengers on board September 6 were also from Washington state, Arizona, Missouri and New Jersey. For some of those passengers, it was their first trip to Boothbay Harbor. Some had been to Maine before, but not the coast. For others, it was a second trip after 40 or 50 years.

Remarks from passengers heading for town or the Gardens: “It's just beautiful!” Or “It's 100 degrees in Branson (Missouri) and only 70 to 80 degrees here – just perfect.” And, “Loving it!”

Wotton's Dock Master Chuck Chaney said most every passenger returns to the ship with shopping bags from town.

“They love the botanical gardens and the shops – the women really like all of the clothing stores downtown,” Chaney said. “And, Dunton's Doghouse is pretty popular, too.”

As one female passenger said, “We're having fun. We're just good for the economy wherever we go!”