An event that celebrates neighborhood safety and community partnerships with police drew people of all ages to the Wiscasset town office lawn Tuesday, Aug. 6. Activities included a bounce house, touch the trucks area, dunk tank, games and raffles and food to buy, which will benefit the DARE program. Families also gathered around for a canine demonstration with Lincoln County Sheriff’s Sgt. Kevin Dennison. 

After the demonstration with the dog he works with, Dennison said he has always enjoyed working with dogs. “I’ve had dogs growing up ever since I was a little kid, so this has always been a dream of mine. I’ve been fortunate with the Sheriff’s Office where they allow me to work with canines. It’s a really good job where you can go out there and at the end of the day when you search for a lost kid or a lost Alzheimer's patient and you are actually able to find them, it’s a really good feeling to work with the dog and to be able to do that for people.”

Asked what he loves about doing these types of demonstrations for  the public, Dennison said: “This actually isn’t new to me. I have been able to do canine demonstrations at every school in the county. When I do Dining with a Deputy, I will ask to bring in the dogs and educate the kids with a canine demonstration. It’s a great thing to be able to do.”

Group 2 was in action Saturday night, Aug. 3 at Wiscasset Speedway. While some divisions have struggled to maintain respectable car counts, Wiscasset's Wood Pellet Warehouse Late Model Sportsman division remains one of the largest an most competitive in the state. Twenty-seven cars pitted for the evening's 50-lap main event,  Liberty's Josh St Clair charged up from his 10th starting position and took the lead from Frank Moulton early in the race and then held off several contenders to claim the victory. It was his first win since 2017. Point leader and four-time champ Chris Thorne of Sidney made a nice charge up from his 17th starting position but would settle for 2nd. Mark Lucas of Harpswell was the only driver to stay in the top five for the entire race. He stayed in the thick of the fight for the entire 50 laps and took home the final spot in victory lane and the 3rd place trophy. Former champion Will Collins of Waldoboro started 13th and finished 4th. Fayette's Logan Melcher, a two-time winner himself this season, rounded out the top 5 after starting 18th. The race was slowed by four cautions. Seventeen of the twenty-six cars that started the feature finished on the lead lap.

In other action, it was a profitable night for the point leaders of the three support divisions. Outlaw Mini point leader Jimmy Child of Leeds led wire to wire in the 25 lap feature for the Kennebec Equipment Rental Outlaw Minis. He was joined in victory lane by Scott Trask of Richmond and Jason Kimball of Pittston. The 30 lap feature for the K&A Property Services Modifieds was a battle of attrition with just two cars finishing the race. Adam Chadbourne of Woolwich padded his point lead with his 4th win of the season. Brian Treadwell matched his career-best in 2nd place and Richard Jordan of Kingfield took home 3rd. In the Norms Used Cars Strictly Streets, point leader Zach Emerson of Sabattus bested the seven or 11 cars that were able to take the green for 25 lap feature. He started back in the field, but patiently worked his way to the front and secured his 3rd checkered flag of the season. Ryan Ripley of Thomaston took 2nd followed by Craig Robbins of Montville in 3rd. The flex race of the night was the new entry level division called Road Runners. The win went to Justice Pierpont of Jefferson.

Wiscasset Speedway returns to action Saturday, Aug. 10 with Group 1 in action. The Maxwells Market Super Streets will have the main event with a 35 lap feature. Plus there will be in action the ServPro of Biddeford Saco Pro Stocks, the Cahill Tire 4-Cylinder Pros, the Thunder 4 Minis and special guests NELCAR Legends. For more information and race day schedule, go to www.wiscassetspeedway.com

OFFICIAL FINISH 8/3/19

GROUP 2

WOOD PELLET WAREHOUSE LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN (50 laps)

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KENNEBEC EQUIPMENT RENTAL OUTLAW MINI (25 laps)

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K&A PROPERTY SERVICES MODIFIEDS (30 laps)

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NORMS USED CARS STRICTLY STREETS (25 laps)

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ROAD RUNNERS (15 laps)

Summer in Maine is prime time for art shows, exhibitions, and spending time on the water – among so many other activities and pastimes. At Lincoln Arts Festival’s annual Arts & Yachts Exhibition and Sale held at Hodgdon Yacht Services on Southport Island, you can find these three – the only difference is rather than spending time on the water aboard a vessel, visitors can check out a few yachts out of the water – along with some very cool models of various sizes.

This four-day Lincoln Arts Festival event kicks off on Thursday, Aug. 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. with a reception featuring harpist Suki Flanagan playing delightful background music as artists, sponsors and members of the public enjoy appetizers and beverages and a sneak peek of this year’s exhibition!

Inside, local artists and artisans, including four new exhibitors, will have their work on display – and most works will be for sale. To make things interesting, several people will be demonstrating on Saturday, aka Interactive Day.

Each year, many of these artists and artisans spend all or part of Saturday/Arts Interactive Day demonstrating their art. Leslie Muir-Volpe explained live demonstrations are part of the Lincoln Arts Festival’s mission to bring the arts to Lincoln County and have artists on hand to discuss and/or demonstrate their work.

“It fits right into the mission of the nonprofit,” said Muir-Volpe. “Every year more artists have offered to participate as the response from the public has been so enthusiastic.”

This year’s first-time exhibitors are Andre Benoit, artist, plein air painter, assemblist sculptor using re-purposed wood; Lois Glaser, fine art photographer of nature, landscapes and abstracts, and does real estate photography; Jim Miller, metal work; and Tom Stainton, Tumblehome Yachts, marine-themed heirloom products for kids, boat wagons and rockers.

Returning are Elise Andersen, Andersen Studio, handcrafted artwork in ceramic, fiber, paintings and prints; Hilary Bartlett, artist, soft, swirling watercolors to bold swaths of highly textured acrylic inks; and does handbuilt fairy houses;  John Butke, artist, paintings inspired by Maine landscapes' ever-changing colors and forms; Jill Butke, fiber artist-weaver, unique hand-woven cotton and wool wearables; Rick Dickinson, traditional American Impressionist, original oil paintings in a classic New England style;  Ann Hedgcock, artist and potter, high-fired stoneware and porcelain; functional, whimsical, sculptural; Sue Heil Kibbe, fine artist, plein air oil and pastel; Don Josephson, American Expressionist painter; Barbara, Jeanne and Nora Lally, fiber, jewelry, botanicals, and more; Dick MacDonald, stained glass artist, mirrors, lighting, gifts and more; studio open year round;  Leslie Muir-Volpe, fiber artist, miniature quilts, punch needle embroidery, unique fabric keepsakes; Suzanne “Sanny” Norton, jewelry, necklaces and wire sculpture adorned with sea glass, shells, beach stones, wall hangings, painted furniture; Lynne Seitzer, artist, oils, pastels, watercolors, ink; John M. T. Seitzer, artist, oils, acrylics, pastels, mixed media, watercolors, 3 D; Brian Shaw, custom woodworking, furniture, cabinetry and architectural millwork; Ursula Smith, weaver, handwoven textiles for the home; Rhoda Weyr, jeweler, fine jewelry and wall hanging designs in gold, silver, copper, gems, shells and glass; Tom Whittle of Stony Creek Rods; Betsy Wing, author, translator, visual artist specializing in fiction and monotype prints; Jess Wrobel, Textiles and Decor, handmade, vintage, primitive.

This year’s creative demonstrators: Morning-only demonstrators will be Jim Miller, metal working and Rhoda Weyr, wire-wrapped jewelry making. Afternoon-only artists: Elise Andersen, Andersen Ceramics; Andre Benoit, collage assemblages from reclaimed wood; Brian Shaw, woodworking,  Ursula Smith, weaving – table-top loom, and Tom Whittle, bamboo rod making. Doing what they love all day Saturday are Jill Butke, weaving – floor loom; Rick Dickinson, oil painting; Lois Glaser, photography; Don Josephson, painting; Leslie Muir-Volpe, punch needle embroidery and quilting; Suzanne “Sanny” Norton, wire and sea glass assemblages; John M.T. Seitzer, oil painting; and Jess Wrobel, rug hooking.

And what about those yachts? This facet of the event is organized by Jody Lunt. Area shipyards represented this year are, from Boothbay Harbor Shipyard/ Bristol Marine, President Eric Graves with a closed loop film of the Ernestina-Morrissey construction project and possibly of the work also being done there on the Bowdoin.

From Southport Island Marine, Doug Goldhirsch will have a gorgeous sailboat on a trailer to ooh and ahh over. And the  Paul E. Luke Boatyard of East Boothbay is bringing a Soapstone Tile Fireplace for use on boats, for ambience and as a heat source.

Ed Hamilton will have models of a Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter (sailboat), a Wesmac 46 lobster boat, Blackwatch 30, and two rowing dinghies. One will be a model, the other full size on a trailer.

Displaying their own models: Jon Dunsford is bringing his seven-foot, four-masted schooner model of the Charles Norman (originally built in Bath in 1894). This beauty is representative of the 12 four-masted schooners built in Boothbay. Tom Ogg returns with his model sailboats and some are remote controlled.

And, speaking of remote controlled models, Lunt said there will be a special added feature: Sailing some of the remote-controlled craft in the cove at Hodgdon Yacht Services. However, Lunt noted, “This is all weather dependent. If it’s windy or rainy the boats can’t be operated. And, if the tide is out ... that’s a problem too.”

So, let’s all work on manifesting a gorgeous weekend, people! Hours are Friday, Aug. 16 and Saturday, Aug. 17, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, Aug. 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Lincoln Arts Festival’s Art & Yachts event is at 100 Ebenecook Road, Southport or 43° 49′ 45.768″ N | 69° 40′ 36.6852″ W.

Until a February day her senior year at Wiscasset Middle High School, Lindsey Gordon had only been on commercial flights and her great-grandfather Al Rainville’s helicopter he used to land on her Wiscasset lawn and give the family rides in.

Then Wiscasset’s Mark Welborn, her Junior ROTC lieutenant colonel, suggested she go up with Lisa Reece, a longtime pilot at Wiscasset Municipal Airport.

The winter 2018 single-engine plane flight over the snow-covered Midcoast, including over the Kennebec River and Sagadahoc Bridge, was a hit with Gordon. “It was awesome, like nothing I’d ever done before. When you’re in that small, compact plane, it’s amazing.”

More flights and lots of talking followed and, with Reece’s encouragement, Gordon took aviation camps.

Sitting with Reece in the hangar Reece and husband Steve Williams own at the airport, the 2018 WMHS graduate recounted how she has been learning and gaining inspiration from Reece’s mentoring. “Total female motivation right here,” she said about Reece, of Georgetown.

For Reece, it’s been a chance to do something she considers important: Encouraging someone’s interest in flight and, when it’s a girl or woman, she can show, by her example, the sky’s the limit.

“I’ve always felt when I’m flying, I have this passion ... this skill, and I need to share it. I need to pass it along.”

Reece recalled being interested in aviation growing up, but knowing little about it and thinking it was out of reach. “I thought you had to be a man. I thought you had to be really, really smart, really rich, and in the military. I had no idea what general aviation was.”

In and after college, she checked out some programs, but, except for one introductory flight, decided she couldn’t take it up due to her college loans. Then when  she went to work at L.L. Bean, the company gave her a scholarship of about $1,000 to go after her pilot’s license. She’d spent the summer flying with Williams, her eventual husband. “I’ve said I don’t know what I fell in love with first, flying or Steve.”

Encouragement from pilot and instructor Virginia Geiger to fly also helped wipe away Reece’s childhood belief a woman couldn’t do it. “There was an example there, like, you can do it ... So by the time I got ready (to become licensed), it wasn’t even an issue.”

She has passed the encouragement and example along to numerous student pilots and now Gordon. Even showing a young child into a plane and the pilot’s seat, you don’t know where that experience could lead him or her if it sparks an interest, Reece said. “You don’t what that’s going to turn into. So it’s so important to keep doing that.”

Gordon has been great to mentor. “She’s so positive,” Reece said. “And she’s so game for anything. It’s like, ‘We’re doing this!’”

“I always say on the intercom, ‘Woohoo,’” Gordon said.

“I know flying is going to always be one of my favorite things to do ... I can do it on the side. It’s a passion of mine. My other passion is working in the Air Force, serving my country. So I’m meeting my passions in the middle.”

The future dentist said she might one day combine her passion for flight with her career in orthondontia. The sophomore at Norwich University, the military college in Vermont, wants to serve in the Air Force and is hoping the Air Force will pay for her schooling in dentistry. She is in the college’s Air Force ROTC. 

“You’re 100% living the military lifestyle, 24/7 ... I knew I was going to like it. I didn’t know I was going to like it as much as I do. I think it’s the perfect fit for me. You have to stick to a plan, follow the procedures.”

Her mentor observed, “It’s like flying! You’ve got procedures, you stick to a plan.”

Besides learning piloting of single-engine planes, Gordon – who said her father Matt worked mowing Wiscasset’s airport as a teen – is into flying without an engine. She goes gliding, or soaring. If she could only soar or fly single engine, which would win? “I will always love soaring, it’s just so peaceful, but with single engine, you can do so much more. You can go farther. It doesn’t depend on, “Oh, I have to land now because my altitude’s slowly dropping.”

A believer in one goal at a time, Gordon was about to go for her gliding license and will “definitely” work toward her single engine private pilot’s license. That’s not all. “I’m hoping to go all the way to commercial.

“So it’s a good fallback plan. If dentistry doesn’t work out, I can work for Delta,” she said, starting a laugh. Reece joined her in it. 

“You could be the flying dentist,” Reece said.

Tuesday, Aug. 20

From 10 to 11 a.m. discover the Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Linekin and Burley preserves. This leisurely paced 1-2 mile hike will be led by Linda Burley. The group meets at the trail-head parking lot on Route 96, East Boothbay, and registration is not required. FMI: BRLT Environmental Educator Tracey Hall at thall@bbrlt.org or 633-4818.

Wiscasset Middle High School’s varsity soccer teams began practice this week for the fast approaching Mountain Valley Conference season which begins in just two weeks.

The Wolverine boys are practicing from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, while the girls practice 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. The girls have strength conditioning practices at the community center pool and gym scheduled for 5:30 a.m. Tuesday and 6 a.m. Thursday.

This Saturday, Aug. 24 the girls will take part in the annual “Kickoff Classic,” a round robin soccer tournament at Richmond Middle High School. The abbreviated games are 25 minutes long and played on the Patrick R. Coughlin fields behind the school at 132 Main St.

Coach Duane Goud said the Wolverines’ first game is set for 9 a.m.; the tournament concludes at around 2 p.m. About 10 high schools are participating. Todd Souza is returning again this season to serve as assistant soccer coach.

Both the boys’ and girls’ teams will compete at the Class C level this season. This is a change from last year when the girls were at the lower D level. The Maine Principals Association sets the designations which are based on student enrollment. The Wolverine girls had played at D since 2017.

The classification impacts the heal standing determining which schools qualify for the postseason tournament and who they’ll play. Most of the other MVC members are C high schools.

WMHS will host two pre-season games; the first is Thursday, Aug. 29 with Temple Christian of Waterville. The girls play at 6 p.m., and the boys, coached by Chris Cossette assisted by Devin Grover, take the field under the lights at 7:30.

On Sept. 3, the Wolverines will scrimmage Richmond; the boys play at 5 with the girls’ game following at 7. WMHS and Richmond don’t play each other during the regular MVC soccer season. Looking ahead to the regular season, the Wolverine girls open at home against the Hall-Dale Bulldogs at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5. The following afternoon, the boys begin their season with a long bus ride to North Anson where they’ll play the Carrabec Cobras.

WMHS assistant principal-athletic director Warren Cossette said the annual homecoming games will be Saturday evening, Sept. 28 against Buckfield High School, a class D school which joined the MVC this year.

Boothbay Region High School students are once again invited to play on the Wolverine boys’ soccer team, added Cossette. One BRHS student played on Wiscasset’s summer soccer team.

WMHS and BRHS are again combining their cross-country running programs. Cossette said WMHS boys and girls will travel with the Boothbay Region Seahawks competing as individuals, although the combined high schools are scored together as one team.

Cossette is coaching the Wolverine runners assisted this season by Josiah Winchenbach, WMHS’s track and field coach.

The combined teams are set to run Friday, Aug. 30 at the Cougar Challenge at Dirigo High School. The teams will depart at 1 p.m. The first regular MVC meet is Friday, Sept. 20 at Monmouth. All of the meets are away and most begin at 4:15 with the girls’ race being held first.

On Saturday, Aug. 24, Waldoboro selectman Abden Simmons will be racing in the Enduro at the Wiscasset Speedway to benefit the Waldo Theatre. It’s a 100-lap race designed to provide entry-level racers a chance to get into auto racing.

The public is invited to pledge whatever amount they choose for each lap Abden drives and all proceeds will go to The Waldo. Abden is setting out to drive all 100 of them. The car is a Ford Focus that Mr. Wilshire of Friendship won and asked Abden to race.

The green flag for race night is 6 p.m. The Enduro is the last race of the evening. Pledge forms are available at The Waldo’s website: waldotheatre.org or can be made at the track. The Waldo board is grateful to Abden for racing for the theatre. All funds raised will be used to continue restoration work.

Full Moon Paddle

Midcoast Conservancy will host a full moon paddle at its Hidden Valley Nature Center (HVNC) in Jefferson on Sunday, Sept. 13, from 7-9 p.m. Space is limited by the number of boats available, and pre-registration is required. More information and registration is available online at https://www.midcoastconservancy.org/events/full-moon-paddle-on-little-dyer-pond-5/

Race through the Woods

September is almost here, and that means that Midcoast Conservancy’s 9th annual Race Through the Woods at Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson, on Sunday, Sept. 29, is coming soon. Registration is open and prices go up on Sept.1.

Racers will have two course options to choose from: a thirteen mile half-marathon, and a 5.5 mile race; both courses navigate through deep forests and beautiful trails.

Race fees are $35 for the half marathon, and $25 for the 5K until Sept. 1.

To register, go to https://www.midcoastconservancy.org/events/race-through-the-woods-2/

Fall Timber Frame Construction Workshop

Space is still available in the fall Midcoast Conservancy Timber Frame course at Hidden Valley Nature Center, from Oct. 11-14. The course is a four-day, hands-on experience, where eight students will have the opportunity to build a complete timber frame and participate in every step of the process from harvesting trees to raising the finished structure.

Tuition is $450 for Midcoast Conservancy and MOFGA members, and $500 for all others. Scholarships may be available. Complete information and registration is available online at www.midcoastconservancy.org.

To register, go to https://www.midcoastconservancy.org/events/fall-timber-frame-course-2/

For more information: midcoastconservancy.org or call (207) 389-5150.

Making Woolwich’s Nequasset Park more Americans With Disabilities Act-accessible will have to wait for funding. The select board and park committee will pursue state matching grants but potential monies won’t become available until next year.

The park is behind the municipal building and includes a swimming area, boat launch and picnic area. The most recent improvements have included new picnic tables and a trash receptacle. Last summer, improvements were made to the parking lot. Parking spaces for people with disabilities were moved closer to the water and paved paths were added leading to the swimming area. The town spent $13,054 of a $15,000 grant and was reimbursed $10,066 from the state, which included $2,601 to develop an engineering plan.

Town officials want to improve an ADA ramp providing access into the lake, add swimming floats and increase security monitoring around the bathroom.

Park Committee members Sue Ellen Whittaker and Joan Jordan hoped the other improvements could have been done this year but understand only so much money was available. The committee and select board want to use as few tax dollars as possible. “Originally, we planned to get everything done this year but the new grant we applied for was turned down,” Whittaker said.

“The problem as I understand it, is we didn’t spend the full $15,000 of the previous grant but I’m not sure the state knew we intended doing this as a two-step project,” she added. Whittaker thinks it will take another $20,000 to finish the ADA improvements and add the swim floats.

The park was constructed in 1995 by Jack Shaw & Sons of Woolwich. The board hired the park’s designer, Pine Tree Engineering, Inc. of Bath, to plan the ADA improvements.

Chairman David King Sr. said he worries about maintenance. “We’ve got to think about the town budgeting for the park’s future maintenance,” he told Jordan and Whittaker when they met with the board for a workshop at the town office Monday, Aug. 19.

“We’re definitely heading in the right direction as far as making the park ADA compliant,” Selectman Jason Shaw told the Wiscasset Newspaper afterwards. “We wanted to do this in phases using mostly grant monies as they became available. We also want to be careful as far as which grants we apply for and what the future obligations are to the town.”

“We don’t want people swimming off the dock at the boat launch area, or diving off the bridge on the George Wright Road. That’s why we want to add the swimming floats,” added Shaw.   

The 15th annual Westport Island Shore Run 10K Road Race took place under overcast but clear skies on Sunday, Aug. 18. A spirited group of walkers, led by a pack of cute pups on leashes, completed the 3.5-mile "Fun Walk.”

“Maine’s Best Little 10K Road Race” had a great group of runners took to the road for this exciting race on a USATF-certified beautiful course that wound through scenic pine and fir tree forests and over two bridges spanning inlets to Heal Cove and Montsweag Bay.

The race benefited the Westport Volunteer Fire Department, whose members directed traffic and provided logistical support. Over the past 14 years, the race has generated over $20,000 in proceeds for the department. It is estimated that this year's race raised over $1,200 for the firefighters.

This year, the first place female winner of the 10K race was Ariel Perry of Portland; William Strachan of Terrebonne, Oregon was the first place male winner. Theresa Hendrix of Scarborough was the second place female finisher; Andy Smith of Wiscasset was the second place male finisher. Nora Bradford of Westport Island was the third place female finisher; Rob Polishook of New York, New York was the third place male finisher.

This year, our race sponsors were Wayfair; Maine Yankee; Sheepscot River Marine Service; Bath Savings Bank; Ames True Value Supply; Newcastle Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge; Norm's Used Cars; Crossroads Coffee; the Westport Community Association and the Hampton Inn of Bath.

Many thanks go to our volunteers, including Mike Kraynak, Robin Axelrad, Marcy Whitney, Jordan Whitney, Adam Whitney and Matt Segal. Thanks also goes to Jim McCorkle of 5K Sports Management who timed the race again this year for the 15th time.

For more information about this year's race, and all of the results, go to westportisland.org

The Wolverine girls’ soccer team finished with a respectable 1-2-1 record at the annual “Kickoff Classic” at Richmond Middle High School Saturday. Wiscasset Middle High School seniors Lily Souza and Cara Viele were named to the All-Tournament Team. Viele also won the juggling contest that followed the tournament.

The opening round featured Wiscasset and Richmond on the lower field. The longtime rivals met twice this summer with the Bobcats winning both games. They prevailed again, shutting out the Wolverines 1-0.

Abby Johnson scored from inside the 18-yard line about midway into the 25-minute game. The goal came on the last of three consecutive corner kicks. Wiscasset defense held the Bobcats to five shots, three of those coming in the final seven minutes. Richmond’s defense fended off just two Wolverine drives.

A scary moment came with nine minutes left. Wolverine midfielder Gwen Webber got struck in the face with the ball and had to be helped off the field.

The Wolverines had to wait an hour before they took the field for their second game. Lincoln Academy, the team they were scheduled to play, was a no show. Wiscasset’s next opponent was Madison High School clad in pink t-shirts. The Wolverines and Bulldogs battled to a scoreless tie with three shots apiece. Five minutes into the game, Souza recorded the first of three saves in the net. Ellie Pratt and Kylie Peoples made some nice defensive plays along with the Rego sisters, Jasmine and Jade.

About 10 minutes in, Pratt was upended in a collision with a Madison player and had to be helped to the sideline. The Wolverines put together two nice drives in the closing minutes. Viele hooked up with Eliza Paradis on the right wing. Soon after, Alisha Wright found Viele open in the middle. The whistle ending the game sounded just as Wiscasset was finding its rhythm.

After a short break, Wiscasset was back in action against Winthrop. Aaliyah Wilson-Falcone scored the first of her three goals for the Ramblers 90 seconds into the game. Wiscasset’s best scoring opportunity came off the foot of Viele, a direct kick from 40 yards out. The Rambler keeper bobbled the ball in the goal mouth but regained control of it. At that point, it was still a 1-0 ballgame. Wilson-Falcone’s other goals were in the game’s final minutes.

Kateleen Trask and the Potter sisters, Natalie and Carolyn, played well both defensively and at midfield for WMHS. The Wolverines followed up the loss by playing their best game of the day, shutting out Oceanside High School 3-0. Webber scored first and then Viele followed up with a pair of goals. 

“It was a really great way for our girls to finish the tournament,” Assistant Coach Todd Souza said afterwards.

Coach Duane Goud and the Wolverines will host Temple Christian for a scrimmage game at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29.

From the organizer of the Waldoboro Day 5K and the Icy Elf 5K comes what might be New England’s hardest half marathon.

The inaugural Waldoboro Half Marathon is Saturday, Sept. 21. The race will start at 10 a.m. at Moody’s Diner, finish at Odd Alewives Farm Brewery, and feature 1,400 feet of Waldoboro’s finest, steepest hills.

The race is the brainchild of Lucas McNelly, organizer of the Waldoboro Day 5K for the past three years.

“Waldoboro has a history of being a difficult place to run, and my goal is to embrace it as what makes the town unique. We always say that if you can run well in Waldoboro, everywhere else is easy,” McNelly said. “My original idea was to do this as a kind of casual group run, and when I told a few runners about it and saw how excited they were, I quickly realized it had the potential to be much more than that.”

With the tagline, “No Hills. Just Frills,” this race is not for the inexperienced. To qualify, runners must have completed a half marathon in 2:15 in the last two years. Organizers will also accept a verifiable training run.

No water stations will be set up on the route. Runners are encouraged to carry their own fluids, set water out along the course, or have their own personal water stations, if they have friends or family willing to provide one.

It is strongly encouraged that participants game-plan the course in advance.

All runners who are 21 or older and complete the course will receive a free beer from Odd Alewives Farm Brewery. The first finisher will receive a $100 gift card to Moody’s Diner. For more information or to sign up, go to runsignup.com/Race/ME/Waldoboro/WaldoboroHalfMarathon or find the event on Facebook. There is a $10 entry fee.

Wiscasset Middle High School’s Wolverine soccer teams played a pair of scrimmage games with Temple Christian Thursday evening, Aug. 29 at Thomas College in Waterville. The host Bereans won both games, 2-0.

The games’ location was changed from WMHS to Waterville due to field conditions following a soaking rain. The teams played four 20-minute quarters on the college’s artificial turf field, a new experience for the Wolverine boys’ and girls’ teams.

Assistant Coach Devin Grover said the Wolverine boys’ best scoring opportunity came early in the second period. Jordan Espeut’s shot from the 18-yard line was turned away by Temple Christian’s goalkeeper.

Espeut is one of several Boothbay Region High School students on the Wolverines’  roster this season.

The Bereans’ first goal came just before halftime. They scored again in the third quarter on a corner kick.

A scorebook wasn’t kept but Grover said Temple Christian held a 18-6 shot edge. Wolverine goalie L.J. Travis had about 16 saves.

The WMHS boys’ and girls’ teams have one more scrimmage game before the Mountain Valley Conference soccer season opens. They’ll host Richmond High School on Tuesday, Sept. 3. The boys play at 5 p.m.; the girls, at approximately 7:30.

The MVC season gets underway at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5 with the Wolverine girls hosting Hall-Dale High School. The Wolverine boys open the season with a home game against Carrabec set for 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11.

WMHS Assistant Principal-Athletic Director Warren Cossette announced changes to the boys’ schedule following Telstar High School’s recent decision to drop soccer for lack of interest. The WMHS boys are away at Dirigo at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13; hosting Hall-Dale at  6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 16 and away at Lisbon at 4 p.m. Sept. 18.  

For Mike Griffin and Linda Fortunato, the annual Boothbay Region YMCA Harbor Fest 5k race took on a special meaning. After Sunday’s run, the couple from Rochester, Massachusetts were to be married. 

Although the bride and groom did not win the 5k, their officiate, Chris Harmon of Westbrook, won the half marathon in 1:15:56, well ahead of another wedding party member, Mike Grasela of New Bedford, Massachusetts, whose time was 1:22:35. Caitlyn Germain of Spencer, Massachusetts was also in the party and was the women’s half marathon winner in 1:35:26.

In total, 11 finishers were invited guests at the wedding set for 5 p.m. that day. “After I take a nap,” said Harmon.

It was not a coincidence. The wedding guests were members of the Susi running club and had become friends at Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.

In all, 300 runners were signed up for the event, according to race director Casey Clark Kelly. The pair of David (20:19) and Nicole (22:32) Hughson of Charleston, Massachusetts finished first in the men’s and women’s divisions of the 5k race. Shaun and Ali Craig of Monmouth planned to race the 5k by pushing their daughter, Frankie, 2, in her stroller.

Bowdoin College graduates April Menez and Ava Alexander reunited to run together. “We are excited,” said Menez.

Complete lists of runners and times and age groupings are attached.

The combined Seahawks and Wolverines cross-country teams opened the running season at Medomak Valley High School’s Panther 2-miler. The boys placed second overall behind the Eagles of Lincoln Academy and the girls placed fifth.

Will Perkins was a Seahawk among a flock of Eagles and managed to secure second place in 10:49.4. Perkins was about 27 seconds behind Eagles’ Jarrett Gulden and 27 seconds ahead of Eagles’ Josiah Smith. Seahawks Nathan Chatterton and Graham Harris helped keep more Eagles out of the top 10 by placing 9th and 10th, respectively, in 11:52.48 and 11:55.39. The rest of the results: Fox Elder, 12th, 11:59.79; Mason Erhard, 18th, 12:12.9; Ryan Russell, 19th, 12:13.48; Gryffin Kristan, 23rd, 12:47.1; Lucas Hardwick, 26th, 13:09.52; Ryan Amaral, 42nd, 14:16.67; Dustin Manson, 45th, 14:32.1; Quinn Ranta, 50th, 14:58.33; Gavin Carlson, 56th, 16:00.19; Owen Barter, 62nd, 17:31.11; and Nate Benoit, 63rd, 17:35.1.

Glory Blethen found herself between two Leavitt Area High School Hornets. She narrowly missed fifth place and escaped seventh in 13:55.43. Grace Campbell and Ava Schlosser placed 17th and 19th, respectively, in 15:14.7 and 15:18.18. Leni Elder placed 31st in 16:59.31; Zada Smith, 39th, 18:22.21; and Delly Clarkson, 46th, 19:19.73.

The Seahawks return to MVHS for their first full cross country meet of the season on Friday, Sept. 6.

Wiscasset Speedway has spent much of the 2019 season celebrating its 50 years of racing history. More history was made this past weekend as Ben Ashline of Fairfield put his name in the record books by doing something no other driver had done. Near perfect weather greeted fans as they packed the stands on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 1 for the Boss Hogg 150. The race was the highlight of a busy doubleheader weekend at Maine's fastest track. Saturday night, Aug. 31 showcased Group 2 divisions with the 5th annual Outlaw Mini Madness as well as the Late Model Dash for Cash. Sunday's big pro stock race was originally created in 1991 by (then) track owner and racer Dave “Boss Hogg” St. Clair as a 100 lap race. The race was revived in 2013 by current owners Richard and Vanessa Jordan to pay tribute to St. Clair. It was then bumped up to a 150-lap race two years ago.

Ashline had already brought home the first place trophy for the Coastal 200 Late Model race back in May, becoming the first repeat winner of the Memorial Day weekend classic since Scott Chubbuck in 2000. Ashline lined up for Sunday's BH150 presented by LLP Transport on the outside of the front row to lead a 19-car field to the green. He and polesitter Dave Farrington (a 2015 Coastal 200 winner) were poised to chase history along with Chubbuck, who started right behind them on row two. Farrington and Ashline traded the lead back and forth over the opening laps with Chubbuck and last year’s runner-up Garrett Hall giving chase. Chubbuck remained in contention until he came to a stop in turn 2 with a flat tire. Again, Ashline and Farrington fought over the lead with Ashline taking charge of the race over a long green-flag run. Positions behind Ashline changed hands as Hall moved into second and Farrington faded back as far as fifth. Wiscasset Pro Stock champion Nick Hinkley made a strong charge from the back of the field from 17th up to 3rd. On a lap 120 restart, Hall snookered Ashline to grab the lead. Behind them, Hinkley turned his attention to holding off defending BH150 champ Mike Hopkins. Just a few laps later the two made contact heading into turn one with Hinkley making contact with the wall. The drama continued to ramp up as Hall and Ashline battled it out for the lead with the laps winding down.

Hall tried his best to hold off Ashline, but the battle came to a climax on lap 141 as Ashline tried to move inside of Hall entering turn three. The two made contact with Hall careening into the wall, ending his hopes of a victory. Farrington, who had moved back into 3rd took some front end damage as well. Ashline would be forced to restart at the back of the pack, but with lapped cars being pulled out with 10 laps to go, Ashline would restart 5th. Farrington took the restart at the point with 10 laps to go.

Brandon Barker, who had quietly moved into contention, started to his outside. The final 10 laps were intense with Ashline flying up the outside and Hopkins making a late charge. With just four laps to go, Ashline charged around the lead pair and into the record books as he stretched out a half straightaway lead and the victory and the $5.000 winner’s check. Hopkins took home the runner-up trophy with Kevin Douglass sneaking in to snag the 3rd place trophy. Barker and Farrington rounded out the top five.

In Sunday's support action, the K&A Property Services Modifieds turned out an eight-car starting field for their 30-lap feature. Point leader and defending champ Adam Chadbourne suffered his first misstep of the year as he tangled with Wayne Allard on the opening lap, sending Chadbourne's car into the backstretch wall and handing him his first DNF of the season. West Bath’s Nick Reno took advantage and cruised unchallenged to his fourth win of the 2019 campaign. Former champ Allen Moeller of Dresden celebrated his 65th birthday with a runner-up finish. Allard went on to pick up the third-place trophy.

The G.O Motorsports Nelcar Legends made their final appearance of the season with a 25-lap tilt. Former champ Austin Teras held off Colby Meserve in the closing laps to secure the victory. Meserve chased him across the line for second, matching his personal best at Wiscasset. Chris Burgess of Buxton made a charge up from the back of the pack, but had to settle for third. Winterport's Jason Trundy took the checkers in the 20 lap Road Runner feature.

Saturday night’s spotlight feature was the annual Outlaw Mini Madness 50-lap race presented by Kennebec Equipment Rental. Teammates Kyle Willette and Zach Audet led the 16-car field to the green. That’s as close as anyone would get as Audet easily handled challenges on a pair of restarts and led wire to wire for the win. It was his second victory in the event. Chelsea’s “Cowboy” Dan Trask kept him within striking distance, even pulling up to challenge a couple of times, but would settle for second. Willette finished in third, a full straightaway behind the leaders.

Late Model Sportsman had a double bill on the program with the regular 40-lap feature along with the annual 20-lap Dash for Cash to end the program. In the regular feature defending champ, Andrew McLaughlin rebounded from a couple of weeks of tough luck to grab his third win of the season, outrunning the stout 23-car field. He was joined in victory lane by D.C. Alexander and Ryan St. Clair. For Alexander, it was his first podium finish at Wiscasset. The Dash for Cash is a special feature only for any non-winners in the ultra-competitive Late Model class. Brandon Fowler of Rome took advantage of drawing the pole position and ran away to an easy win. Rookie Shawn Austin of Norridgwock fought hard for a runner-up finish. Tyler Robbins of Montville took third.

In the 25-lap feature for the Norms Used Cars Strictly Streets, Jonathon Emerson of Sabattus picked up a long-awaited win, holding off his father and point leader Zach Emerson. For the third generation racer it was his third win of the season, but his first since week two of the season. The two were joined in victory lane by Dan Brown who collected the 3rd place trophy.

Wiscasset Speedway returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 7 with Chamber of Commerce Night. The track will host Wiscasset area chamber members. The program will feature action in the Group 1 divisions, Thunder 4 Mini, Maxwell’s Market Super Streets, Cahill Tire 3-Cylinder Pros, and ServPro of Biddeford Saco Pro Stocks. Racing action beginning at 6 p.m. Admission fee is just $5 for grandstands and $20 pits. For more information and official race results, go to www.wiscassetspeedway.com

Lily Platt scored two goals leading Hall-Dale to a 5-0 soccer win over the Wolverines at Wiscasset Middle High School Thursday night, Sept. 5 in the Mountain Valley Conference season opener for both teams.

Wolverine goalie Lily Souza finished the game with 24 saves. She gave up just one goal in the first half, with the Bulldogs holding an 18-1 shot edge. About three minutes before halftime, Hall-Dale’s Iris Ireland’s shot from the left careened off the near goal post. Before the Wolverines could clear the ball away, Sarah Benner got to it, fired from outside the 18 and scored.

The Wolverines made two nice runs earlier in the half. The first came at the 23:00 mark. Brianna Orr carried the ball down the right side but lost possession just outside the 18-yard line.

With 8:56 left, Kylie Peoples got off a nice shot from the left side, but Hall-Dale’s goalie Bethany Ives was there for the stop.

Souza’s best save came in the first 10 minutes of action when she charged from the net blocking Madisyn Smith’s shot. Wolverine Paige Davenport make a super defensive play late in the first half, running down Ireland, who broke free with the ball inside the penalty area.

Hall-Dale’s second goal, Smith unassisted, came 90 seconds into the second half. Platt scored the next two at 29:47 and 8:28. Isabelle Bourque got the final goal with about five minutes left in the game.

Gwen Webber did a good job in the Wolverine backfield filling in for Ellie Pratt, who was sidelined with an ankle injury following the scrimmage game with Richmond. The Wolverines were also minus starter Cara Viele.

A large crowd was on hand for the start of the game which began with WMHS Principal Chuck Lomonte singing the national anthem. There were no player introductions.

The Wolverines take the field again on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at Lisbon High School and host Monmouth at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12.

Fourteen upperclassmen are on this season’s Wolverine team. Seniors are Souza, Viele, Pratt, Natalie Potter, Kateleen Trask, Kaitlyn Main and Jade Rego. Juniors include Davenport, Eliza Paradis, Webber, Kayla Cossette, Peoples, Riley Trask and Zoe Waltz.

Sophomores are Orr, Latisha Wright, D’Nisha Dawkins, Jasmine Rego and Naomi Wood. Freshmen are Carolyn Potter, Kaylee Colby, Antonina Parsons and Angelina Haggett.

Grover Auto & Tire owner Danny Grover’s late father Buster won the Sportsman Championship in Wiscasset Speedway’s first season in 1969. His wife, Danny’s mother Elaine, was the first woman at the track to race with the men. Saturday night, their son, a past driver at the speedway, showed fellow Wiscasset Area Chamber of Commerce members around.

Many had never been. “My first time in any speedway, actually. I’m looking forward to it,” Water Lily Flowers and Gifts owner Datvik Deirkrikorian said as warmups continued. “Noisy, but that’s natural,” she added, smiling.

The light shrouds they gathered under in the grandstand building were once part of the track lighting, announcer-promoter Ken Minott told them. 

From greeters to the tech garage, 50 to 60 people, most of them volunteers, run race night, Richard Jordan said. He and wife Vanessa got the track in a 2012 foreclosure auction. He recalled for WACC members a weekday afternoon, days after the auction, when volunteers were all over, bush-hogging the infield and doing other cleanup to help the track reopen. “This is a community project. We love racing, and we love to share racing.”

WACC Administrative Assistant Pat Cloutier asked if she volunteered, could she drive one of the golf carts.

“Certainly,” Jordan said.

In an interview, Grover said he feels connected to the track. “And these owners are doing a good job preserving the history.”

The Seahawks and Wolverines combined cross-country teams kept momentum going at Medomak High School Sept. 6. Both teams placed second with the boys only six points behind Class B Morse High School and the girls behind Class A Brunswick High School.

“As predicted the flat course, cool weather, and fast competition led to some amazing times. There were a ton of lifetime personal records set and some rather impressive milestones that were achieved,” said Coach Nick Scott.

Stars of the events were Will Perkins who placed first for the boys in 16:50.88 and Glory Blethen for the girls who placed second in 21:12.68. Scoring low points to keep the boys just out of reach of Brunswick and Medomak were: Nathan Chatterton, 10th, 18:39.22; Connor Robertson (Wiscasset), 11th, 18:51.43; Fox Elder, 12th, 19:06.08, Graham Harris, 13th, 19:26.33; Lucas Hardwick, 15th, 19:54.34 15; and Mason Erhard, 18th, 19:57.98.

Rounding out the rest of the boys’ roster were Brian Gagnon, 31st, 22:19.98; Quinn Ranta, 35th, 23:21.34; Gavin Carlson, 38th, 24:14.94; Zack Rollins, 44th, 25:48.52; Nate Benoit (Wiscasset), 49th, 27:33.34; and Owen Barter, 50th, 28:14.21.

“Congratulations to Will Perkins, who became just the second runner in Boothbay school history to break the 17 minute mark … What makes it more impressive is that he did it running by himself, out front from start to finish.”

Chatterton put in an awesome effort running under 19 minutes for the first time and beating his personal record by about one minute, Scott said, also highlighting Robertson’s first high school race coming off an injury which made preseason training impossible.

Scoring low points for the girls were Grace Campbell, 12th, 23:31.69; Ava Schlosser, 15th, 24:17.81; Lily Yeaton (Wiscasset), 18th, 25:07.74; Zada Smith, 20th, 25:56.19; Leni Elder, 21st, 26:15.95; Emerson Harris, 22nd, 26:31.41; and Delly Clarkson, 26th, 29:21.43.

Also breaking personal records were Carlson (-0:14), Smith (-0:25), Yeaton (-1:28) and Campbell (-1:27) and Hardwick (-2:22).

Said Scott, “Congratulations to Brian Gagnon, Emme Harris, and Zach Rollins who all ran in their first ever cross-country race. Overall it was a great night for cross country and everyone should be quite proud of how well they ran.”

The next event is the Southern Maine XC Classic at Gorham on Saturday, Sept. 14.

The weekend of Sept. 6-8 was exciting and special for Beverly Graham, her son Duey and his daughters and their families from Maine. They attended the unveiling of the 11-foot bronze statue of Otto Graham, an NFL Hall of Famer who won seven championships as quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. Graham played in 10 championship games in his 10-year career with the team.

Otto’s wife, Beverly, now 95, stood by the statue Saturday, Sept. 7 with another Browns great, fellow Hall of Famer Jim Brown, as the cover was lifted off the statue outside FirstEnergy Stadium where the Browns play their home games. In the crowd cheering the unveiling were Duey of Boothbay Harbor, his daughters, Lauren Graham of Southport and Lindy Graham of Yarmouth, their respective husbands, Bar Clarke and Marc Anton, and Beverly’s great-grandchildren, Isabel Harkins, Finn Harkins, Graham Anton and Alex Anton.

The Graham contingent arrived in Cleveland on Friday, Sept. 6 and were provided with a tour of the Browns’ training facility in Berea, just outside Cleveland. They were also given a private tour of the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio where they viewed the various archived items of Otto, Jim Thorpe’s Carlisle Indians school sweater, Pat Tilman’s Army Ranger uniform, and Tom Brady’s draft card, among many other items.

Before the unveiling ceremony, the Graham group attended a brunch put on by the Browns. Following the ceremony, everyone enjoyed the kids events at the stadium’s Dawg Pound amusement area.

“Finn and former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar really hit it off,” said Duey. Kosar and Finn did some interviewing together for television, then when the group attended a team alumni dinner Saturday evening, Kosar mentioned Finn in his alumni speech.

Duey also said everyone got to meet Jim Brown, considered one of the greatest NFL running backs of all time, and many other Browns alumni.

On Sunday, the group watched the Browns take on the Tennessee Titans, which was probably the low light of the trip as the Browns lost, 43-13. Duey said, after the game, his mom was chatting with Geraldo Rivera and her grandson, Ryan, while awaiting her ride back to the hotel. She said, “I’ve never seen so many penalties in my life.” At that moment, the TV commentator said, “Today was the most penalties the Browns have had in one game since their first game loss in 1951.”

“Ryan turned back to his grandmother who attended every game Otto played and quipped, ‘Well Grandma, I guess you have,’” said Duey. The 1951 Browns did not lose again that season.

The group flew home to Maine early Monday morning following a Sunday night dinner at a restaurant with an arcade and a bowling alley.

The Morris Farm Trust is celebrating its 20th annual Tour de Farms bike ride on Saturday, Sept. 14. There is a 15-mile Family Ride visiting farms in Whitefield. There are longer rides --- a Scenic Ride of 46 miles and Exploration Ride of 59 miles, visiting farms in Wiscasset, Whitefield and Newcastle. Registration is currently open at morrisfarm.org

The day starts at 8 a.m. at The Morris Farm, Wiscasset. Any purchases riders make at farms along the way will be taken back to the Morris Farm for them. Registration for riders includes an event shirt and barbecue lunch featuring local foods, at the Morris Farm, following the ride.

The Family ride is $30 for individual riders, but $85 flat fee for a family/group of three or more people. The Scenic and Exploration Rides are $80 for individuals and this year we’ve introduced a team flat- rate of $300 for four or more riders. Also new this year is a student rate of $25 for individual riders and a team rate of $90 for teams of four or more people. Friends of riders may join our after-ride barbecue for a donation of $15, without participating in the ride, itself.

The Morris Farm is both a working farm and an education resource for the communities of Midcoast Maine. A nonprofit, educational membership organization, the Morris Farm Trust promotes the values of sustainable agriculture and stewardship of the earth through education, demonstration and community involvement while enhancing food security in the greater midcoast area. All proceeds from the Tour de Farms benefit the Morris Farm Trust’s education programs.

Visit morrisfarm.org, call 882-4080 or email info@morrisfarm.org for more information.

The Wolverines’ Payton Blagdon scored with 20 seconds left in regulation Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 11 to force overtime, but the combined Wiscasset /Boothbay Region high school team had to settle for a 3-3 tie with visiting Carrabec. The game was the Wolverines’ Mountain Valley Conference season opener.

With 31 ticks left in the first half, Carrabec scored first. The goal came on Beau Mergist’s shot from inside the penalty. The ball was deflected by Wolverine goalie L J Travis off the near goal post and bounced into the net. Adam Hodson had the Wolverines’ first shot. It came minutes after the opening kickoff but was wide right. Wiscasset/Boothbay continued to dominate play through the first half, outshooting their guests, 8-3.

With 10 minutes left until the half, Matt Eckert made a nice defensive play, running down Carrabec Brandon Smith, who had broken free with the ball inside the 18-yard line.

Luke Carey’s unassisted goal six minutes into the second half gave Carrabec a 2-0 lead. The Cobras’ two-goal advantage was short-lived, however. Fifty-nine seconds later, Jordan Espeut scored from outside the 18-yard line, chipping the ball into the net over the head of Carrabec keeper Adam Lawrence.

The Wolverines nearly tied the game at the 26:22 mark. Adian Foley took a nice shot from the right side low to the far post, but Lawrence was there for the save. Four minutes later, the Wolverines were whistled for tripping inside the penalty area. Carey hammered home the penalty kick, putting his team up 3-1.

Then, with 19:43 left in regulation, Espeut netted his second goal scoring again from just outside the 18. The Wolverines dominated the final 10 minutes of play. They had three corner kick opportunities, one from the left side, two from the right, but were held scoreless until Blagdon rebounded a loose ball and fired from just inside the 18. Lawrence charged, but missed the ball rolling behind him and into the net.

Carrabec had the only shot in the first five-minute OT. Travis went low, scooped the ball up and cleared it away. Midway through the second OT, Hodson carried the ball through two defenders, fired and just missed wide left.

Tempers flared in the final minute of play resulting in a player from each team being ejected for unsportsmanlike behavior.

In the closing seconds, Carrabec’s Carey took the game’s final shot but missed wide left.

The Cobras started the day with an 0-2 record in the MVC following losses to Winthrop and Monmouth. Although they have 14 players on their roster, only 11 made the trip to WMHS which meant they had no substitutes.

The Wolverine roster includes seniors Josh Jones, Espeut and Billy Pinkham; juniors John Hodson, Foley, Eckert and Brian Foye; sophomores Travis, Mason Davenport, Garrett Cossette, Dillion Leeman, Chance Blagdon, Gavin Loupe and Adam Hodson; freshmen Payton Blagdon and Karter Cooper.

Wiscasset/Boothbay will play Dirigo High School in Dixfield on Friday, Sept. 13 at 3 p.m., returning home to host Hall-Dale Monday, Sept. 16.   

While it may look like the Lincoln County Rifle Club (LCRC) in Damariscotta is closed due to the construction on upper Main Street, it has remained open all season and has been active with sport shooting matches, training for area law enforcement personnel, and target practice by its members.

To show the public just how active it is, the LCRC is hosting its 10th annual Open House and Ladies Day on Saturday, Sept. 21, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the club’s facilities at 431 Maine Street in Damariscotta. The event will feature informative talks on gun safety and personal protection, demonstrations throughout the day by experts in the field of shooting, and an opportunity for participants to try several shooting sports in a safe and welcoming environment.

Attendees will have the opportunity to tour the club’s grounds and facilities, including the indoor, outdoor, and personal protection ranges, and talk with members about the club’s many activities and benefits of membership. Throughout the day live fire exercises, including handguns, rifles, and shotguns, will be available to interested attendees. For those who wish to shoot, gun and range safety presentations are required, and eye and ear protection will be provided. All skill levels are welcome — from beginners to expert — by the LCRC instructors who are experienced in firearm and range safety. Those under the age of 16 may participate in the shooting activities, but must be accompanied by an adult family member and take the gun safety training program.

Participants will come away from this event with a basic knowledge of how to handle a firearm safely, differences in various types of firearms, and an introduction to the LCRC and the many events and opportunities it has to offer. There is no charge for the event, and a limited number of free gun locks will be available to participants. The LCRC Open House sponsors have generously provided a number of door prizes for some lucky participants.

For more information about the club, its activities, or membership, and to get updates on events, visit www.lincolncountyrifleclub.com

Allan Crocker, athletic director at Boothbay Region High School, and BRHS Principal Dan Welch have announced that the school’s girls’ soccer program has canceled the rest of the season’s varsity schedule due to safety concerns due to the low number of players.

In a letter to parents Sept. 12, Welch said Coach Matt Brewer will continue to hold practices and Brewer and Crocker will be working to arrange junior varsity contests throughout the fall. The soccer players will also be eligible to join other sports teams if they so choose.

Below is the letter to the parents of the BRHS soccer players:

Dear Parents,

I wanted to let you know that our girl's soccer game today was cancelled due to lack of available players. Mr. Brewer has informed Mr. Crocker and myself that he has safety concerns moving forward with the season. The three of us met with the team this afternoon to discuss these concerns and plans for the future.

Factors contributing to these concerns included the grade level of many of our players compared to other teams in our conference, the large size of the playing field, and thus significant wear on our athletes from playing an entire game with no subs, the length of a formal contest of 80 minutes, and the sometimes physical nature of the sport.

Therefore, we will not be competing at the varsity level for the remainder of the season. Mr. Brewer is still offering to keep the team together for practices and he and Mr. Crocker will be working to arrange junior varsity contests throughout the fall. Also, all of the team members will be permitted to join another fall sports team if they so choose. If there is still enough to have a junior varsity season then these student-athletes will be eligible to earn their BRHS letters, after season awards, and such.

I completely understand that this may be disappointing and upsetting for some. I can assure you though that we have not taken this decision lightly and your student's well-being is of our utmost concern.

I apologize if I have missed any parent's email so please feel free to forward this along.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions or concerns.

Thank you

Dan Welch

Principal

Boothbay Region High School

Alna’s and Waterville’s Peter Love has been coming to Head Tide Dam and its swimming hole since 1971. He was 12 when his parents got a piece of land off Lothrop Road. Now it’s his. And though the Army veteran no longer swims there, he still visits the dam and has been viewing it regularly this summer with the fish passage project underway. 

When Love, 60, parked and went to look at it from the Head Tide Road bridge Friday night, it was his second visit that day. He’s also been trying to pinpoint the Sheepscot River’s head of tide and has been tracking it. “I thought that today being a full moon, it’s usually a higher high tide. So I came down here at noon to see if I could catch it. I still can’t find the point, but it’s on my bucket list.”

He obliged the Wiscasset Newspaper’s questions on the bridge in the shade and setting sun. Across the silent river from the bridge was the century-old, town-owned, concrete dam and its new concrete at the enlarged opening where an abutment had been. A steel overlook West Alna Welding is making, and the overlook platform, will be added in phases, Midcoast Conservancy Senior Watershed Manager Maranda Nemeth told the Wiscasset Newspaper in emails Friday.

The conservancy, The Nature Conservancy and the project’s originator, Atlantic Salmon Federation, have partnered on the project, part of a larger effort to help fish navigate the Sheepscot.

What does Love think of the new look in progress? “It is what it is. I’ll get used to it. To me it doesn’t look any better or any worse,” and it’s an improvement over the “disarray” of recent years, he said.

With demolition in the river done and the river bed now reshaped to attract flow to the dam’s new wider, deeper opening, the white sandbags that formed a work area are out of the water, in keeping with permit requirements to finish the in-water work by Sept. 30, Nemeth said.

The new support walls, anchored to the dam on one side and ledge on the other, will hold the overlook and railing, Nemeth said. SumCo Eco-Contracting, LLC has started building a retaining wall by “puzzling together” the foundational piers and granite blocks from the mill the dam powered, she said.

“The last mill on this site burned down in 1949 but many remnants of the foundation of the mill persisted. The next steps will be to complete the mill foundation retaining wall, access trails, parking lot, kiosk, and landscaping. The pieces are coming together and work is expected to be completed this fall.” A date for a dedication will be announced, she said.

By using pieces left from the mill’s foundation, the wall be “similar and emulate the essence of the mill,” Nemeth said. “But (it) will also be a functional retaining wall for the river bank slope. For the past few years, the river bank below the parking lot had been eroding out with many trees falling in. The retaining wall will stabilize that bank slope for generations to come and also allow visitors to more closely see and interact with the historic relics.”

Besides Alna’s Jeff Verney who did excavation, another man with local ties has worked on the project. Nemeth said Dan Jewett grew up near the dam and now works for New Hampshire’s VR Concrete that did the concrete. “(He) was very excited to work directly on the Head Tide Dam as it is a part of his family history and personal childhood. Plus he was able to make visits to his parents,” she added.

Lily Souza recorded 17 saves for the Wolverines but the Mt. Abram High School Roadrunners were a 4-0 winner in Mountain Valley Conference soccer action Saturday afternoon at Salem.

Wiscasset Middle High School’s defense held the hosts scoreless until 13:46 of the first half. Charlotte Mitchell then slipped behind two Wolverine defenders and centered a pass to Lily Day, who fired and scored. Mitchell and Day are among nine freshmen on the Roadrunners’ roster.

The Wolverines got off the first shot of the game five minutes after the opening kickoff. Natalie Potter, who continues to improve at midfield, found Brianna Orr open. The speedy Orr took off with the ball down the right wing, passing off to Kateleen Trask in the middle of the field.

The drive culminated in a WMHS corner kick taken by Gwen Webber that nearly put the Wolverines on the scoreboard.

A few minutes later, Latisha Wright shook off a Roadrunner defender and found Trask open. Trask got off a good shot, low to the far post, and just missed wide left.  

With a little over eight minutes until halftime, the Roadrunners lit up the scoreboard again on a corner kick, with Madison Phelps picking up the goal. Trask got off another nice shot from inside the 18-yard line four minutes into the second half, but goalie Haley Bate was there for the save. At 34:27, Daisy Guster, another freshman, made it a 3-0 ballgame netting a break-away goal. Two minutes later, Camryn Wahl scored to salt this one away for the Roadrunners.

The Wolverines had a couple scoring opportunities in the second half. With 20 minutes left to play, the Roadrunners were whistled for holding just outside the penalty area. Webber’s shot on goal was a good one but was caught by Bate and was punted down field.

Late in the game, WMHS failed to convert an indirect kick in front of Mt. Abram’s goal.

Along with Webber and Potter, Zoe Waltz,  Jasmine Rego and Kylie Peoples played well defensively for the Wolverines. The loss dropped the Wolverines to 0-4. Mt. Abram improves to 3-0-1. The tie came against Telstar.

The Wolverines will host Spruce Mountain at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17 and then play an away game with Winthrop Sept. 19.

If you see a former Boston Red Sox, Bruin or New England Patriot on Sept. 27 and 28, you’re probably attending the 29th edition of the Boothbay Charities Classic. Once again, a host of retired athletes are heading to Boothbay for the annual Special Olympics Maine fundraiser. In 2018, the celebrity golf tournament and lobster bake raised $65,000.

Co-chairman Tony Krason has been involved with every BCC since it began in 1990, even when it was the Windjammer Classic and held in June, not September. Krason describes this year’s format as similar to past ones. The lobster bake and silent auction begin at 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27 at Boothbay Railway Village. The live celebrity auction follows at 6 p.m. hosted by WMTW anchorman Steve Minich and WGME morning anchorman Jeff Peterson. On Saturday, the celebrity golf tournament tees off at 8:30 a.m. Twenty-two teams with one celebrity and four golfers will play a round at Boothbay Harbor Country Club in Boothbay. The tournament includes hole-in-one and putt for dough competitions.

But every year, the showcase event is the charity auction. This year’s follows a pattern similar to past ones. The silent and live auction have dozens of donated sports memorabilia, game tickets and special sporting and non-sporting events. Among this year’s top items are a baseball bat used by retired Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz and an autographed football helmet signed by 15 Pro Footballl Hall of Famers including Ted Hendricks and Steve Largent.

But the auction offers more than items prized by sports fans from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. Both auctions have locally donated items for trips, excursions and specialty gift baskets. “There is something for everybody. We have gift baskets from Pinkham’s, Gimbel’s and other local businesses. There are trips, tickets to games, restaurants and stays at inns,’” Krason said. He was one of the original people who developed the concept of a charitable event in the Boothbay peninsula. In 1990, it was a project to promote Windjammer Days in June. Krason and then-Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Barb Hampson recruited several key community members to begin the WCCO. 

“We wanted to bring attention to Windjammer Days and raise money for a cause. A committee was created which included Hampson, Ken Marston, who ran a sports pub, Tommy Blake whose family owned the country club, Mary Brewer, who was the Boothbay Register’s managing editor and ... husband Butch operated a clam and lobster bake business, and Jane Good from Southport. That’s how it began. We raised $1.500 that first year, but it has grown to what it is now,” Krason said.

About 15 years ago, the WCCO ended. The country club wasn’t available due to its expansion from a nine- to 18-hole golf course. The next year, the event returned with a new date and new name. It became the Boothbay Charities Classic. The golf tournament moved to September and the Chamber of Commerce is no longer involved. But for Krason, a couple important ingredients remain in the BCC’s successful recipe: Special Olympics Maine and strong community support. 

“I’m overwhelmed each year from the generous support from such a small community. It makes all the work worthwhile,” he said. “This charity helps train athletes here and all over the state.”

The BCC provides money for training 4,700 Special Olympians in Maine. 

The Seahawks’ and Wolverines’ combined teams ran a hard meet at the Southern Maine Cross Country Classic in Gorham Sept. 14. Events were split into freshman/sophomore and junior/senior categories with seven for each boys’ team and four for each girls’ team.

The freshman and sophomore boys placed 18th out of 22 teams racing against 27 teams and 217 athletes overall. The junior and senior boys placed 10th out of 21 teams facing 26 teams and 442 athletes overall.

Wiscasset freshman Connor Robertson was the first Wolverine in his event to cross the finish line, placing 20th in 18:03.88. Senior Will Perkins was the first Seahawk to finish, placing 19th in 16:49.64.

The freshman and sophomore girls raced against 25 teams and 128 athletes and the junior and senior girls against 27 teams and 140 athletes, but neither placed as a team due to a short roster.

Finishing first for the freshman and sophomore event was sophomore Ava Schlosser who placed 69th in 24:02.96. Junior Glory Blethen was the first Seahawk to finish in the junior and senior girls event at 14th in 20:40.03.

The results: Boys Freshman/Sophomore: Connor Robertson, 20th, 18:03.88; Gryffin Kirstan, 60th,19:19.74; Ryan Clark, 146th, 21:56.19; Ryan Amaral, 148th, 22:00.71; Brian Gagnon, 160th, 22:29.35; Gavin Carlson, 187th, 24:17.73; and Nate Benoit, 198th, 25:40.69. Boys Junior/Senior: Will Perkins, 19th, 16:49.64; Nathan Chatterton, 89th, 18:22.66; Graham Harris, 107th, 18:35.91; Fox Elder, 109th, 18:38.33; Mason Erhard, 117th, 18:51.7; Nate Gilliam, 273rd, 21:14.85; and Quinn Ranta, 309th, 22:02.96.

Girls Freshman/Sophomore: Ava Schlosser, 69th, 24:02.45; Emerson Harris, 76th, 24:42.89; Leni Elder, 85th, 25:25.64; and Reese Hesseltine 124th, 30:46.20. Girls Junior/Senior: Glory Blethen, 14th, 20:40.03; Lily Yeaton, 60th, 23:48.48; Zada Smith, 98th, 25:43.52; and Delly Clarkson, 136th, 29:35.19.

The 4-0 Hall-Dale High School boys soccer team dominated the Wiscasset Middle High School Wolverines under the lights on Monday, Sept. 16 in Wiscasset.

Hall-Dale kept action in the offensive end throughout, pinning the Wiscasset defense against its goal and scoring six unanswered goals in the first half.

Wiscasset’s defense had no answer for speedy left winger Camden Adams who repeatedly outran the defense crossing the ball to the central attackers and scoring a hat trick of three goals. Wiscasset goalie L.J. Travis made several valiant saves often without much assistance from his fullbacks who were exhausted with little help from a depleted bench. Wiscasset carried only three substitutes.

Late in the first half, Wiscasset coach Chris Cossette moved his defense forward which caught several of the Hall-Dale forwards offside. However, it did not stop the center of the Hall-Dale offense from breaking through for another five goals. Defenseman Jordan Espeut, from Boothbay, used his strong foot to pound the ball past midfield, resulting in two shots on Hall-Dale goalie Sam Sheaffer. 

Josh Nadeau, Aidan Beale, Camden Adams, Akira Warren and Logan Dupont completed the scoring for Hall-Dale.

In all, Travis made over 20 saves.

Wiscasset is 0-2-1 with the loss.

The Santa Maria, one of the three legendary ships of Christopher Columbus’s 1492 voyage, sank on Christmas Eve when the ship ran aground on a Haitian reef shortly after making its historic landfall in the Bahamas.

The Santa Maria lives on in its replica, the Nao Santa Maria, built to celebrate the 525th anniversary of the ship’s circumnavigation. And the ship will soon berth in Boothbay Harbor. The ship’s current port of call is Portland, and since its long tour of the Great Lakes, the ship has recently stopped at Georgetown, Prince Edward Island and Saint Andrews, New Brunswick. After landing in Boothbay Harbor, the ship will move on to Provincetown, Massachusetts and conclude its North American tour with two stops in New York.

Nao Santa Maria is a project of Fundacion Nao Victoria, which has also created other replicas including one of Ferdinand Magellan’s famed ship Victoria. The foundation seeks to spread the history of Sevillian and Galician shipbuilding. Learn more at https://www.fundacionnaovictoria.org/the-foundation/

According to Fundacion Nao Victoria, Nao Santa Maria weighs in excess of 200 tons, measures 92 feet long and 82 feet high from waterline to knob, and boasts nearly two miles of rigging. A textbook translation of the replica ship’s name is “not Santa Maria,” but the type of ship was referred to as a “nao” in the large cargo vessel’s heyday, so the name is a Spanish pun of sorts.

The visit will be more than just a pretty ship to look at. Sept. 25-29, locals and visitors will see the ship docked at Pier 1; and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., tours are available. Go to https://www.naosantamaria.org/en/nao-santa-maria/57-boothbay-mn-nao-santa-mar%C3%ADa-2509-2909.html

Fisherman's Wharf Inn will host a deck party on the ship from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26. Visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/santa-maria-in-boothbay-harbor-community-deck-party-tickets-70520714355

Proceeds go to the ship.

Ames True Value and Wicked Cornhole are holding the second annual Cornhole Classic at Ames True Value, Route 1, Wiscasset on Sunday, Sept. 22.

Registration starts at 11 a.m. and bags fly at noon. The entrance fee is $30 per team and all skill levels are welcome to register the day of the event. Cash prizes will be awarded based on participation. Proceeds will benefit the Lincoln Lodge #3 Masons. There will also be some raffle items.

For more information, contact Wicked Cornhole at 987-851-7600.

This year, as in previous ones, Midcoast Conservancy’s Race Through the Woods trail races will feature a Kids Obstacle Course, a fun and positive way to introduce younger kids to the unique experience of trail racing. On Sunday, Sept. 29, the kids’ race will follow the start of a half-marathon and a 5.5-mile race at Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Races will begin at 10 a.m.; the obstacle course race will begin about 10:30.

Trail racer and mom of three Erin Michaud said about the race, “Absolutely the friendliest, most encouraging staff I have ever met! Their children’s obstacle course is designed with children at heart and you can tell they believe in kids. It’s not a tiny little hay bale race field, it’s a full-blown confidence boosting, believe-in-you, race through the woods. My kids’ confidence grows by leaps and bounds every year! Thank you for building our children up!”

Designed to be challenging but mostly fun, the course includes a variety of obstacles and surprises. Once the competitive racing is completed, kids are encouraged to continue to run and play on the course. Parents are welcome to accompany their kids on the course, which is supervised by volunteers positioned along the trail for spotting, encouraging, teaching, and pointing the way to the finish line.

It is not necessary for parents to be registered racers for kids to sign up for the Obstacle Course race, which is free for kids. Steelhouse Oven wood-fired pizza will be available for breakfast and lunch, and Sheepscot Valley Brewing is providing beer for the event. To register, go to https://www.midcoastconservancy.org/events/race-through-the-woods-2/

The kids race is sponsored by Maine Helicopters, while the two other races are sponsored by First National Bank.

Eliza Paradis scored with 11:50 left in regulation for the Wolverines but it wasn’t enough as Spruce Mountain held on for a 2-1 win in Mountain Valley Conference soccer action under the lights Tuesday night at Wiscasset Middle High School.

Paradis’s goal came on Gwen Webber’s corner kick from the right side that led to a wild scramble in front of the net.

After spotting the Phoenix a 2-0 first half lead, the Wolverines made a spirited bid to tie the game in the final minutes. Wiscasset had its share of scoring opportunities outshooting the Phoenix 14-9 but just couldn’t seem to get the ball in the net.

Kateleen Trask had a pair of shots for Wiscasset 10 minutes after the opening kickoff. The first sent Phoenix keeper Emma Towers low to her right, she caught the ball and punted it away. The second on a pass by Kylie People’s was about a foot wide of the goal.

Later in the half Towers leaped and made a nice save on Webber’s blast from about 30 yards away.

Another missed WMHS opportunity was when Cara Viele broke free, sped with the ball to the right corner, and made a beautiful cross pass in front of the Phoenix net. Unfortunately none of her teammates could get to the ball and it was cleared away.

With 18:55 left until halftime Spruce Mountain lit up the scoreboard. Jaycee Cole crossed a pass to Jazmin Ryder who booted the ball into the corner of the net. Two minutes later, Cole broke free, carried the ball up the middle, and scored and just like that it was 2-nil.

Minutes before the break Natalie Potter crossed a pass to Viele, open on the wing, but her shot bounded wide right.

The Phoenix were whistled for an infraction 10 minutes into the second half setting up a direct kick from 30 yards away. Webber’s shot was a good one but again Towers was there for the save. Later, Kayla Cossette centered a pass to Viele. She slipped behind one Phoenix defender but her shot was deflected by fullback Abby Ortiz to Annabelle Collins who cleared the ball to the sideline.

With 13 minutes left to play, Cole broke free again but had the ball stolen away by Wolverine Ellie Pratt. She boomed the ball downfield. This eventually led to a pair of WMHS corner kicks, the second of which resulted in Paradis’s goal.

Wiscasset keeper Lily Souza finished with 10 saves. A huge one came in the second half on Cole’s breakaway. Towers had 11 saves. It was a well-played game and after the final horn sounded, both teams shook hands and exited the field to a well-deserved round of applause from the fans.

The win was the first one this season for the Phoenix who improved to 1-4-1; WMHS is 0-5 but improving.

Wiscasset will be at Winthrop High School Thursday, Sept. 19 to play the Ramblers.

On both ends of Wiscasset Saturday, people were raising money to help people pay household or other bills while fighting cancer. Organizers of the separately run events at Wiscasset Speedway near Alna, and Chad and Julie Jones’ sand volleyball court near Woolwich, raised a combined $1,352; and the one at the speedway had another round to go Sept. 28, night two of a silent auction.

Mikayla Warren, 16, said she and her father Mike Warren, who has leukemia and colon cancer, were already going to walk the speedway’s track Saturday to raise funds for Dean Snell Cancer Foundation. Then the Sept. 16 explosion in Farmington gave them further reason to walk. She and her father, who is retired from 30-plus years of area firefighting, knew the firefighters killed and injured. In their honor, the Wilton father and daughter walked in turnout gear Saturday.

Mike Warren later noted his son Johnathan responded with Chesterville Fire and EMS to the Farmington incident. Due to what happened to the Farmington firefighters, “I knew we had to do something” to honor them at Saturday’s event, Mike Warren said. So he brought his American flag and walked in turnout gear. “Every lap,” he said.

Mikayla, who plans to follow generations of her family into firefighting, continued her walk without gear, near family friend Merton Campbell, who carried her father’s American flag around the track when Mike could do no more laps. Campbell, who’d also been walking for another friend with cancer, added laps for Mike Warren. In all, Campbell, of Alna, said later, he did 21 laps.

It just shows how tight-knit and supportive people in the racing community are, Mike Warren, who oversees a speedy dry and cleanup crew at the track, said. “We’re all team Wiscasset.”

On the other side of town, under the same hot sun, Chad and Julie Jones and their family and friends were serving on the sand and on the grill for the same cause. When the Wiscasset Newspaper interviewed the family ahead of the first annual volleyball fundraiser in 2015, the foundation had given out more than $240,000, Dean Snell’s widow, Julie Jones’ aunt Sharon Snell, said then.

Saturday, Snell said her husband died 10 years ago Sept. 19. The 10-year-old foundation has now given out $610,000, she said. When the family started the foundation, “We could never have imagined that,” she said. And to have a new fundraiser at the speedway was just amazing, she said. She helped at that one and the one at the Olympic–sized sand court on Sukie Lane.

Nearly everyone interviewed at both events was related to or friends with people who fought or are fighting cancer, or they have had it. Cancer survivors Bonnie Colby of Wiscasset and Phillips’ Taylor Lane, a four-cylinder car driver at the track, walked it with Wiscasset’s Desiree Hilton, whose sons Brentley Ames, 2, and Jeremiah Ames, 1, traveled the track in strollers.

Sherry Scott said she has lost four relatives to cancer this year. She, daughter Aryanna, 7, and their friend and fellow Alna resident Teresa Williams walked the track together. It was getting hot out. Williams said she took a break before her third lap.

Austin and Kate Fridley’s sons Nolan, 5, and Wyatt, 2, played restaurant on the Jones’ lawn and their parents played volleyball in the sand. “We enjoy the sport and the company is good, and it’s a good cause,” Kate said.

Penny Shorette got the event at the speedway together. She handles the children’s activities in the grandstand on race nights. She said cancer has affected drivers and others in the speedway’s community, so she wanted to do something, and the foundation serves people in this area. Speedway co-owner Vanessa Jordan liked that about the cause, too. Interviewed separately, both said they would like to have the event again. “Maybe we can build on this,” Jordan said. Husband and track co-owner Richard Jordan walked the track. It’s a beautiful day, he said.

The Jones’ event raised $600, Julie Jones said; the one at the speedway, $752 after the walk and night one of the silent auction, with items ranging from lobsters to a front tire off the car Ben Ashline drove to victory in the Boss Hogg 150, Shorette said. The auction ends next race night, Saturday, Sept. 28, she said.

Learn more about the foundation at deansnell.org. Tax-deductible donations can go to The Dean Snell Cancer Foundation, P.O. Box 104, Brunswick, ME 04011.

Outside Ames True Value Sunday, as masons from Lincoln Lodge in Wiscasset prepared to cook food to sell at a cornhole tournament, mason Chuck Billings praised the Route 1, Wiscasset business and Wicked Cornhole for giving the lodge the event’s proceeds. “I think this is great.”

And the weather was good. “It couldn’t be any better. A little hot, but at least it’s not raining,” Billings said.

Wicked Cornhole’s Bruce Taylor said in a text Sunday night, “We raised over $800. Twenty-seven teams competed in (the) first tournament and 22 teams in (the second) tournament. Winners from the main event were John Clark and Vincent Grosso. Second place (finishers) were Kathy Greenlaw and Steve Bodlovick.”

During warmups earlier, first-time cornhole tournament team, The First National Bank’s Ann Clifford and Jean Moffatt, threw bags alongside experienced competitors. The bank, one of the event’s sponsors, is very involved in the community, they said. “So when Sumner (Averill, from Ames) came by, this was, no problem,” Moffatt recalled.

“We were all in,” Clifford said.

Wiscasset Middle High School alumni will gather Friday evening, Sept. 27 for their fifth annual Alumni Soccer Game. The co-ed game will begin at 7 p.m. under the lights and is part of the activities planned for homecoming weekend.

Devin Grover, WMHS class of 2012, said, the teams are made up of odd-year alumni versus even. Those who want to play should bring both a red and a white T-shirt and arrive about 30 minutes before game time.

“We’ll have regular soccer officials who officiate just like a regular game. It’s always a lot of fun but competitive too,” said Grover. For more information, contact Grover at 380-0289.

The homecoming dance in the gym will follow the game. The dance is from 8 to 10 p.m.

The Wolverines will host Buckfield High School in the homecoming game on Saturday. It starts with a tailgate party from 2:30 to 4:30 in the rear parking lot. The girls’ game kicks off at 5, with the boys’ contest followings at 7. Fireworks are scheduled for 9 p.m.

Folk singer Gordon Bok is hosting the 10th annual Working on the Water event. This is a gathering of mariners who come together for an afternoon of sharing personal experiences and inspirations of their unique livelihoods through song, poetry, and stories. 

Five ‘presenters’ take the stage for 15-20 minutes each and entertain a paying audience. Past presenters have included fishermen/women, captains of all manner of vessels, members of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, Marine Patrol, and others. 

This year we are especially interested in hearing from the women who are quietly working on the water. You must be currently making (or previously made) your living working on the water in some capacity, and all your material must be original and presented orally. Free admission for one guest per presenter. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 9 at 1 p.m. at Rockland’s Sail, Power, and Steam Museum. Admission of $5/adult - kids under 12 attend free.

The event is patterned after the highly successful Fisherpoets Gathering in Astoria, Oregon.  That event is in its 15th year and has expanded from six presenters at one venue on one night to over 80 presenters at five different venues over the course of a three-day weekend.  Working On The Water has attracted larger audiences every year and has spawned a similar event in Portland called Voices of the Sea, sponsored by the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath.

Interested people or those with questions can please contact Kathy Pease 207-236-2707 or music.timberhead@gmail.com by Oct. 18.  A list of those who have been on stage in the past is at Gordon’s website www.gordonbok.com/special.html  

Two Midcoast Conservancy hikes will give participants a chance to take in the glorious Maine fall foliage in October.

The first, on Thursday, Oct. 3 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Clarry Hill Preserve in Union, will offer a peek not only at leaves but also fiery blueberry barrens. Participants will hike 1.3 miles to the top of Clarry Hill to get amazing views; if it’s a perfectly clear night, the view may even include Mount Washington. This will be a moderate hike, and participants should come prepared with water and comfortable shoes. For more information, go to https://www.midcoastconservancy.org/events/clarry-hill-hike/

Friday, Oct. 18, join Midcoast Conservancy for a hike on Hogback Mountain in Montville from 2 to 5 p.m. At the summit, participants will break for a snack and take in the spectacular views; attendees are encouraged to bring water and binoculars. The hike, which will require moderate skill on some steep inclines, will total about five miles. After the hike, all are welcome to convene at Lake St George Brewing in Liberty for beer and pizza. For more information, go to https://www.midcoastconservancy.org/events/hogback-mountain-fall-foliage-hike/

To RSVP for either hike, contact Maine Conservation Corps land steward Jade Christensen at landmcc@midcoastconservancy.org or by calling her at (207) 389-5163.

Boothbay Harbor is one of few ports the Nao Santa María has graced since its voyage in the Great Lakes. When the replica ship landed at Pier 1 the afternoon of Sept. 24, dozens of locals and visitors to the region greeted it.

Nao Santa María project manager Ángel Rosa has been sailing with the ship since May 2018. Rosa said the Great Lakes were a wonderful experience, especially sailing with many tall ships, but he and the crew are happy to be back on the ocean.

“Usually, we don't do long navigations,” said Rosa. “The biggest one was across the ocean, the Atlantic. We were like six days from Spain to the Canaries, and then from there to Puerto Rico it was 23 days, (so) 29 in total ... That was amazing, the feeling of being in the middle of the ocean. Crossing the Atlantic in this replica was very meaningful, full of history. It was very, very special.”

Nao Santa María is only one of a few replica ships commissioned by the Huelva-based Fundacion Nao Victoria, an organization whose goal is to share the history of some of the most important 15th and 16th century Nao vessels and their navigation, said Rosa. Another Nao Victoria is being built for the 500th anniversary of Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe.

“Five naos left Seville in August 1519, but only one (survived) – the Nao Victoria. (Magellan) got killed in the Philippines, so he wasn't able to complete the course … and only 20 men came back out of 250.”

The upcoming Nao Victoria will be docked for three years – the length of the circumnavigation – in Seville, Spain next to the Fundacion's center, said Rosa.

The construction of the ship is part “old way” and new technologies, said Rosa. The ship is made from wood, but also has fiberglass construction for safety on the high seas and to prevent copious amounts of round the clock maintenance. The first Nao Victoria replica was constructed mostly as it would have been in the 15th and 16th centuries, and the consequences were, predictably, the same the original construction would have had: constant problems and maintenance, Rosa said.

“So this is perfect for me,” he laughed. “Some people will say, 'Oh, but you have power.' And I'm like 'What do you expect? We don't live in the 15th century.'”

Rosa said it is hard to pick just one favorite part of working and voyaging on the Nao Santa María. He said he and the crew are humbled to be part of spreading the history of ships, maritime voyages and culture.

“(I like) a little of everything. Being part of this historic ship, traveling, being to different parts of the world, showing this ship and meeting a lot of people interested in this history, sailing around in this replica is no common thing. So, I feel very lucky.”

Wiscasset Middle High School kicked off its homecoming weekend celebration by hosting its annual Red versus White alumni soccer game under the lights Friday night. White won 4-1. The game included about 30 returning Wolverines.

The co-ed teams were made up of odd-year alumni versus even-year ones. Two recent WMHS soccer standouts Matt Chapman, class of 2019,  and Grace Webber, Class of 2018, found themselves on opposite sides. Chapman anchored White’s defense, Webber played on the front line for the Red.

Also pressed into action were Wolverine soccer coaches Chris Cossette, Duane Goud and Todd Souza. Goud, who served as goalie for the White, made some nice stops in the net including one taken by Souza in the first half.

Other returnees included recent graduates Sarah Foley and Vanessa Dunn. Both played on the front line for the Red.

This year’s ballgame featured three sets of brothers, including Matt Whitaker of Westport Island and Tom Whitaker of Freeport, playing for the White. Both Whitakers played soccer for Wiscasset in the 1980s. John and Nick McLeod, representing the classes of 2011 and 2009, respectively, along with Devin Grover, ’12 and his younger brother Bryson, ’16.

Brother and sister Brandon and Brianna Goud played on opposite sides. Brandon, Class of  2017, played for the Red and Bri from 2014 for the White. Their father is Coach Goud.

Alumni from the 1990s included former Wiscasset High School standout T.J. Merry. He played a solid game in the Red backfield.

Some of the other participants were Sam Storer, Matt Hinkley, Mike Greenleaf, Jason Weatherbee, Cory Hodgdon, Zack Hartman and James Andretta going for the Red; and Matt Smith, Tylan Oronato, Russell Marr, Seth Hartman, Josh Gabriele, Brian Campbell and Ashton Benn for the White. Scorers included John McLeod with two, and Nick McLeod and Storer with one each.

Danny Averill of Wiscasset served as timekeeper.

Molly Bourget scored two goals and assisted on another leading Buckfield to a 3-0 win over host Wiscasset Middle High School Saturday night at the homecoming game. All three goals came in the first half.

The loss spoiled the Wolverines’ hopes of pulling off back-to-back Mountain Valley Conference soccer victories. Earlier in the week, WMHS won big, 6-0 over Dirigo High School at Dixfield.

The Bucks struck early, scoring just 41 ticks after the opening kickoff. Bourget headed the ball into the net on a corner kick off the foot of Lynn Szabo. Bourget’s second goal, unassisted from the right side, came at 24:23.

The third goal followed a collision near midfield resulting in a direct kick for the Bucks. Bourget chipped the ball to Katy Henderson, who scored with 19:05 remaining until the half. The Wolverines got off just two shots in the first half, compared to seven for the Bucks.

Wiscasset's first shot was a midfield blast from Ellie Pratt caught and punted away by Bucks keeper Ruby Cyr..

With three minutes left until the half, the Wolverines drove deep; Cara Viele took the ball to the right corner and crossed the ball to Kateleen Trask in front of the net. Trask got a shot off towards the far post, but Cyr, the goalie, got a hand on the ball and deflected it out of bounds.

Gwen Webber took the corner kick that followed (Wiscasset’s first of the game) but the ball carried wide and behind the net.

Wiscasset threatened to score early in the second half but Viele’s shot was high, wide left. Another shot by Bourget rattled off the goal post but was cleared to the sideline by the Wolverines’ defense. With 27:26 showing on the clock, sophomore Latisha Wright stole the ball from Bourget and carried it deep into Buckfield’s end. but again the Bucks’  defense held firm. Another shot came late from Wiscasset’s Eliza Paradis. Cyr shifted to her left, caught the ball and punted it deep.

Wolverine goalie Lily Souza played another solid game in the net and finished with 14 saves, Cyr had five stops. The loss dropped WMHS to 1-6. Buckfield Jr. Sr. High improved to 6-2.

Cougars collared

It was a different story at Dixfield Sept. 26 when the Wolverines shut out the Dirigo Cougars 6-0.

WMHS held a 16-5 shot edge and led 4-0 after the first 40 minutes of play. It was an afternoon for the seniors, who netted five of the six goals. Trask got the team’s first goal which came just three minutes into the game, Webber picked up an assist.

Viele scored next, booting the ball over the goalie’s head and into the net at 28:59. Webber’s unassisted goal at the 24:56 mark made it 3-0. Wright then joined the scoring parade when she rebounded a loose ball and scored with 10 minutes left until halftime. Ten minutes into the second half, Webber’s corner kick found its way into the net. A final goal by Viele iced this one away for the team, keeping the Wolverines’ slim chance for a class C south playoff berth alive.

Souza finished the afternoon with a pair of saves. Tori Bellegarde saved four. The Wolverines held a 10-2 edge in corner kick attempts. Dirigo’s one win this season came against Boothbay Region High School before the Seahawks dropped out of competition.

Coaches Duane Goud and Todd Souza and the Wolverines travel to Madison Wednesday, Oct. 2 to play the Bulldogs. On Friday, Oct. 4, WMHS will host Mountain Valley for a 3:30 p.m. game.

The Wolverines are ranked 18th in the Maine Principals Association Class C South standings.  

Wiscasset/Boothbay played hard but visiting Buckfield won 4-0 in Mountain Valley Conference Soccer action Saturday night.

The Wolverines held the Bucks scoreless through the first 20 minutes. Striker Caleb Hill then broke free, carried the ball inside the 18-yard line and fired, ringing the ball off the far post. Victor Verrill was there for the rebound, booting the ball into the net.

The goal came about three minutes after the Wolverines had driven deep. Aiden Foley fired a nice shot but the ball was pushed aside by Tyler Gammon, the Bucks’ goalkeeper. Gammon picked up a second save on a direct kick from Foley after the Bucks were whistled for roughing.  

Verrill’s unassisted goal just before the half made it a 2-0 ballgame. Buckfield held just a 7-3 shot edge through the first 40 minutes of play.

Six minutes into the second half, the Wolverines were whistled for a tripping infraction inside the penalty area. Goalie L J Travis then made the save of the game, diving to his left and pushing the penalty kick wide of the net. Two minutes later, at 34:14, the Bucks drove deep again. Zach Shields slipped behind two Wolverine defenders, lunged and scored with a shot off the side of his foot.  

With 25:32 left to play, Brian Foye of the Wolverines passed off to Jordan Espeut. Espeut cut to his left and fired from 30 yards away but missed wide.

The Wolverines had two more chances to avert the shutout. Their best opportunity came when Brian Foye fired just outside the 30. Gammon leaped and tipped the ball over the crossbar. Soon after, Espeut aimed for the far post and just missed wide left.

With 3:55 left, Verrill scored his second goal. Travis finished with a dozen saves. Gammon had six. Defensive standouts for WMHS were seniors Josh Jones and Billy Pinkham. John Hodson and Garrett Cossette played well on both sides of the field.

The Wolverines are still looking for their first win this season. They entered the game with an MVC record of 0-3-1.  The win improved Buckfield’s record to 4-4.

Coach Chris Cossette and the Wolverines have a 4 p.m. game Tuesday, Oct. 1 at home verses the Oak Hill Raiders. On Thursday Oct. 3, they’ll travel to Salem to play the Mt. Abram Roadrunners. Then on Saturday, Oct. 5, the team will be in Monmouth to face the Monmouth Academy Mustangs.

The Wolverines entered the Buckfield game ranked 15th in the MPA Class C South standings. The top 11 teams qualify for the postseason tournament.

The Seahawks/Wolverines combination cross-country team kicked off the Boothbay Region High School homecoming week with its only home meet Sept. 27.

The meet was also the second straight year the Seahawks have hosted the Mountain Valley Conference Midseason event and was full of broken personal records and significant improvement for Seahawks and Wolverines since last year’s event.

Teams to attend were Monmouth Academy and Carrabec, Dirigo, Hall-Dale, Lisbon, Madison Memorial, Mount Abram Regional, Oak Hill, Richmond, Spruce Mountain, Telstar Regional, and Winthrop high schools.

The boys team won its meet outscoring Lisbon by 17 points. The girls team ran in the middle of the pack and was outscored by formidable opponents Monmouth Academy and Winthrop High School.

Will Perkins and Glory Blethen led their respective races, Perkins by nearly a minute in 17:10 and Blethen by just under half a minute in 21:37. Both were among a handful of athletes to best last year’s scores by significant amounts. Lily Yeaton improved her time on the Seahawk course by 3:10; Nathan Chatterton, -3:08; Delly Clarkson, -3:07; Lucas Hardwick, -2:55; Perkins, -1:53, Fox Elder, -1:22;  Blethen, -0:37; and Graham Harris, -0:37.

The meet also brought many broken personal records. Reese Hesseltine worked her record down by 2:05 since the past two meets. Ryan Russell bested his lifetime record by 26 seconds, Hardwick by 16 seconds and Gagnon by 19 seconds.

Caleb Leighton scored three goals leading Oak Hill to a 10-1 Mountain Valley Conference soccer win over the Wolverines Oct. 1 at Wiscasset Middle High School. Aiden Foley scored for the hosts.

Leighton’s first goal, a breakaway up the middle, came just six minutes into the game. The Raiders scored three more times before the half; Nico Soucy scored at 18:23 (unassisted) from inside the 18, followed by a headball by Brady Bangs on a cross pass from Riley Worth at 14:27.

The fourth goal happened when the ball deflected off a Wolverine and rolled into the net. The Wolverines’ first scoring chance came on a corner kick 20 minutes into the game. Foley took the kick, but a Raider got to the ball first and cleared it from in front of the goal. John Hodson took Wiscasset’s first shot from about 20 yards away but the Raiders’ Blaine Billings got a piece of the ball, deflecting wide of the net. Oak Hill scored five goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half; Leighton netted two of those, both unassisted. Oak Hill’s final goal came at 17:16.

With 27 minutes left to play, Foley ended the shutout. His shot from just outside the 18 found the right hand corner of the net. That put a charge in the Wolverines, resulting in three more shots on goal in the final minutes of the game. Wiscasset’s Brian Foye’s shot from 30 yards away carried over the crossbar. Hodson had a shot blocked by the goalie and Josh Jones missed wide right.

Wolverine goalie L J Travis had a long afternoon in the net. He recorded about 14 stops and had some nice punts downfield.

Injuries have reduced the Wolverines’ roster to just 14 players with a lot more soccer left to play. They have eight games left.

Wiscasset’s MVC record fell to 0-5-1. The Raiders improved to 5-4. 

The ninth annual Race Through the Woods, sponsored by First National Bank, at Midcoast Conservancy’s Hidden Valley Nature Center saw over 100 runners take to the trails for either a 5.5-mile course or a half-marathon. Perfect weather and a rousing crowd of cheering spectators made for a fabulous fall day in the woods Sept. 29.

The winners of the 5.5-mile race were Ben Fletcher, with a time of 38:53, and Julie Ambrosino, who crossed the line at 46:54. Second place finishers in the men’s and women’s races, respectively, were Steven Baer at 47:14 and Mary Carbone in 50:55.

After several years of taking second place, Tyler Lupien finally cracked the code and won resoundingly in a time of 1:36:21. First for the women was Susan Olcott, who finished in 1:48:32. Second places went to Tom O’Brien, with a 1:47:46 time, and Kendra Emery, in 1:52:48. Complete results can be found online at http://bit.ly/RTTWresults.

Winners were offered pies from Barn Door Bakery or gift certificates for an overnight in any of Hidden Valley Nature Center’s huts or yurts. Pre-and post-run pizzas were offered by Steel House Oven, to go along with beer from Sheepscot Valley Brewing. Lamey-Wellehan and Trail Monster Running also supported the event.

Twenty enthusiastic young trail masters took to the obstacle course that was sponsored by Maine Helicopter and created by Midcoast Conservancy’s team of AmeriCorps Outdoor Adventure members. The kids ran, tumbled, climbed and crawled their way through a maze of all-natural obstacles and came out smiling.

Midcoast Conservancy is grateful to race director Keri Lupien and all of the other volunteers who make this annual event possible and so much fun for all who participate. Registration for the winter Biathlon at HVNC will open on Nov. 1 so trail-loving racers are encouraged to check the Programs & Events page then to sign up for the event at https://www.midcoastconservancy.org/events/midcoast-conservancy-biathlon-3/

Matthew Chapman of Wiscasset Middle High School got a Red Sox Service Scholarship during a pregame ceremony at Fenway Park before the Red Sox-Tampa Bay Rays game July 30. The program awarded students from public high schools across New England with $1,000 scholarships toward their college education based on academic performance, financial aid eligibility and community service.

A total of 210 public high school graduates from Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine and Connecticut have been awarded scholarships this year, and nearly all of the recipients were on hand before the game to be recognized on the field.

Before the ceremony, awardees participated in a community service project in collaboration with Mayor Walsh’s office and the Boston Parks and Recreation Department. The group was to conduct a #Trashtag Challenge to pick up trash in five public parks and spaces throughout Boston.

The service scholarship program was introduced in 2010 by then-New Hampshire Governor John Lynch, Red Sox Principal Owner John W. Henry and Red Sox Foundation Board Member Linda Pizzuti Henry. It has grown to include more than 200 high schools.

Eliza Paradis paired up with Latisha Wright and scored the winning goal for the Wolverines in a 2-1 thriller over Mt. Valley at Wiscasset Middle High School Friday afternoon. Wright’s goal came with 62 seconds left until halftime after Paradis kicked the ball in front of the Falcons’ goal.

The win improved WMHS’s Mountain Valley Conference record to 2-8 and gives the Wolverines a slim chance to qualify for a postseason playoff berth. Mountain Valley High School entered the game with a record of 4-5 and ranked 12^th  in the class C standings. The top 14 teams qualify for the postseason tournament.

“It was a huge win for us,” Wolverine Coach Duane Goud told the Wiscasset Newspaper. “It really came together for us this afternoon.”

The Wolverines lit up the scoreboard first at the 16:23 mark when Cara Viele’s shot from 20 yards away went over the head of Falcon goalie Justice Gendron and into the net. The lead was shortlived; just 20 seconds later the Falcons tied the game. Sophie Ladd’s unassisted goal came from inside the 18 and as things turned out was the only shot Mountain Valley had in the first half.

The Wolverines had the advantage of a stiff breeze at their backs and dominated possession in the first 40 minutes. Late in the half, Brianna Orr just missed netting the tie-breaking goal when her shot bounced off the crossbar and out of bounds. Soon after, Natalie Potter found Viele open on the right side. Viele fired but missed wide right. Gendron then gloved two shots, one off the foot of Paradis and another by Orr.

The second half began with Wolverine Gwen Webber taking the first corner kick of the game at 33:30. Webber chipped the ball to the goal mouth. Wright got to it and fired but Gendron was there for the save.

Mt. Valley’s first corner kick came midway into the second half. Ellie LeDuc booted the ball to the goal mouth.  Ladd and her teammate Courtney Therrien raced to the ball but Wiscasset defender Ellie Pratt got to it first and cleared it to the sideline. The Wolverines then threatened again. Wright got off a nifty head-ball shot off Viele’s throw-in but Gendron was there for the save. Soon after Naomi Wood centered a pass to Paige Davenport but once again the Falcons’ defense held.

With 13:40 showing on the clock, Falcon Saydie Garbarini made a bid to tie the game. Her shot from inside the 18 just missed, with the ball carrying over the crossbar. Two minutes later, Alexis Therrien’s shot from inside the 18 sent Wolverine goalie Lily Souza to her knees to smother the ball. As the clock wound down Webber stole the ball, dribbled around the Falcons’ Garbarini and Madison Papianou sending a pass down field.

Souza was called on to make just one more save before the final horn sounded. She finished the afternoon with three stops. Gendron saved eight.

“You worked hard today. I’m really proud of all of you,” Goud told the Wolverines. Both teams left the field to a well deserved round of applause.

In Wiscasset harbor Saturday morning, the Wiscasset Newspaper found Terry Ashton, 44, of Wiscasset and Boothbay doing what he’s been doing since he was 11: Going fishing for lobster.

He used a skiff then; now, the 29-foot Osmond Top-Notch. His late father Charles Ashton had it built in 1994. On Saturday, as the frosty morning warmed into a sunny day, Terry Ashton’s girlfriend of 21 years, Maria Mcguiggan of Wiscasset, lowered loads of the bait, menhaden, or pogies, to Ashton on the dock.

The couple’s dogs, Dace and Puck, moved about dock, deck and ramp. 

“It’s warm now,” Ashton observed as he and McGuiggan prepared to head out with the dogs to work on the water.

If you’re looking for something to do between now and Oct. 31 with the kids that doesn’t involve candy or costumes, you should check out the Halloween Story Trail! This is the fourth year the Boothbay Region Land Trust has offered this seasonal event. Environmental Educator Tracey Hall decides what book will be featured and this year it’s “The Ugly Pumpkin,” written and illustrated by Dave Horowitz.

“The Ugly Pumpkin,” is reminiscent of the Hans Christian Andersen tale of “The Ugly Duckling” or “Rudolph” even – both are about not fitting in because you are different than everyone else around you – in appearance, personality … whatever. This colorfully illustrated book is about celebrating differences and finding that place of belonging. Maybe after reading this story, your family will choose a not-so-perfect pumpkin for this year’s jack-o-lantern! Maybe.

The book was published in 2005, so there’s a strong possibility your kids have already read it – you may even have a copy at home – but there’s nothing like reading something familiar in a novel way. Read it out loud together – and don’t forget to create voices for the characters!

Families who’ve visited the trail have told Tracey they enjoy reading a book while hiking. “Families say it’s a great activity for kids as it keeps their interest and motivates them to hike.”

I was curious about how Tracey chose each year’s books. Were they recommended by friends with kids; requests or suggestions from families? Nope. Before she walks the trail putting up the pages of each book, Tracey visits our local bookstore.  “I walk through Sherman's and see what catches my eye. They always put out a nice display of Halloween books.”

The Halloween Story Trail is set on a well-traveled path that winds its way through the forested area. There’s a carpet of pine needles and acorns under your feet – and plenty more acorns falling from the oak trees as you go! There are two mini-bridges and lovely views, including the areas of fallen and dead trees that create additional “seasonal atmosphere;” The trail takes you along Hodgdon Cove, past an autumn flower-filled field (say that three times fast); an apple orchard in the making, and a fresh water pond. 

Keep in mind the restrooms are open weekdays only, in the Land Trust’s white farmhouse/education center 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the Halloween Story Trail should be experienced during daylight hours only. And, yes, bring your pupsters along – just keep him or her leashed – they will enjoy just listening to their family’s voices as you read aloud.

Boothbay Region Land Trust’s base camp, if you will,  is at 60 Samoset Road in Boothbay Harbor. There are a few ways to get there. From the roundabout exit onto Corey Lane: Proceed 0.3 miles and continue onto Lakeside Drive. Proceed 1.4 miles and turn right onto Samoset Road. Continue .3 miles. Preserve parking is on the left. Or, since I was in Boothbay Harbor already, I took Route 27 headed to West Boothbay Harbor, took a right onto Lakeside Drive and then a left onto Samoset.

After you park and everyone piles out of the car, head over to the information kiosk, look left and you’ll see the cover of “The Ugly Pumpkin” mounted on a sign with a dayglow orange ribbon wrapped round it. Then set off on a journey with the Ugly Pumpkin as he travels out of the pumpkin patch to find the place where he belongs.

After you’ve finished the book (and maybe talked about it), keep the Halloween fun going! Sing a favorite song or two ... “Five Little Pumpkins sitting on a fence ...” or, I know! “They did the mash, they did the Monster Mash ...”