WINTERPORT, Maine — The Area 6 Spring Meeting of the Pine Tree Quilters Guild will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, at the Samuel Wagner Middle School on Mountain View Drive in Winterport. A potluck supper is planned with participants requested to bring a supper item of their choice. Beverages will be provided and a $3 donation is requested to help with costs. For more information, call 223-5424 or visit khrislachance@yahoo.com.
Union reps, Dems to discuss GOP proposals
NEWCASTLE, Maine — The Maine Education Association and Maine State Employees Association representatives will host a meeting and presentation with Lincoln County Democrats at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 16, at the Newcastle Community Room on the River Road. All Lincoln County Democrats and others concerned about Republican proposals to cut state employees’ pay and pensions are invited to participate. For more information, call 633-2978.
Methodists serving turkey supper in Searsport
SEARSPORT, Maine — The Searsport United Methodist Church invites the public to a feasting and fellowship at the monthly turkey supper at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 14, on Main Street in downtown Searsport. The price is $8 for adults and $4 for children. All proceeds go toward the ministry of the church. For more information, call 548-2239.
Spring birding fest set for Cobscook Bay area
BARING, Maine — The Down East Spring Birding Festival in Maine’s Cobscook Bay area is accepting registrations for its eighth event, to be held May 27-30.
Guided bird walks, boat rides and presentations will be available for advanced, intermediate and beginning birders. Over two hundred different bird species have been spotted during the festival’s first seven years.
Participants can sign up for the whole festival for $65, and there are day passes available for $15, $25 family, for residents of Washington County, Maine, and Charlotte County, New Brunswick. The birding festival begins at noon on Friday, May 27, at the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge in Baring.
Saturday, May 28, will offer a free day of activities at Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge. In addition to a series of morning hikes, which begin at 6:45 a.m., children’s birding activities will start at 10 a.m. with Stephanie Allard. The festival is also offering the opportunity to observe live raptors up close during two presentations at 11:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. with staff and birds from the Chewonki Foundation.
Saturday will also feature a medicinal and edible plants walk at 2 p.m., a presentation on global warming and bird migration at 3:30 p.m. by Dr. Herb Wilson of Colby College, guided eagle and osprey viewing with Andy Slater at 5 p.m., and evening hikes with MNWR staff beginning at 6 p.m. All events are free, though pre-registration is requested.
For more information or to register for the Down East Spring Birding Festival, visit www.downeastbirdfest.org, or call 733-2233.
New ranger station at Saint Croix Island open to public
CALAIS, Maine — On Memorial Day weekend, the new energy-efficient ranger station at Saint Croix Island International Historic Site in Calais will open to the public.
The National Park Service, directed by the site’s 2009 Facilities Development Plan, began
constructing the visitor contact facility last spring.
The new ranger station contains public restrooms, a small book-sales area, an information desk and administrative and staff offices. It also contains interpretive panels from the former Downeast Heritage Museum’s exhibit on Saint Croix Island.
The new ranger station will be open Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day. Hours of operation for the new facility are 8:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. in July and August, and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in May, June, September and October. The park is open until dusk.
Washington County weight loss program tallies 3,252 pounds
MACHIAS, Maine — Participants in the Washington County: One Community Biggest Loser Contest lost a total of more than 3,252 pounds, a final tally of contestants revealed last week.
A total of 413 participants on 61 teams finished the 12-week competition. Participants competed in weekly challenges and reported weekly weigh-ins. All participants stayed in touch with their teammates via Facebook.
The “Biggest Loser” was teacher Samuel Leavitt, who lost 26 percent of his body weight — 100 pounds — since November. Leavitt was surprised with his awards in his classroom at Washington Academy last week.
People can still follow the competition and join on Facebook where WC:OC will continue to motivate individuals and families toward the goal of better health and wellness in Washington County. WC:OC will be providing more We Can! (Ways to Encourage
Children’s Activity and Nutrition) events, trainings and information.
As a result of implementing We Can! initiatives such as The Biggest Loser Wellness
Competition, WC:OC was awarded with The Maine Governor’s Council on Physical Activity’s Maine Fitness Runners-Up Award in the community category.
WC:OC will be hosting another Biggest Loser competition next year.
Energy-efficient refrigeration project to keep blueberries chilled
MACHIAS, Maine — The Maine Wild Blueberry Company has completed one of the largest energy-efficient refrigeration equipment conversions in Maine’s history, replacing its previously existing Freon refrigeration units with a highly efficient ammonia system.
Efficiency Maine provided an incentive of $300,000 to assist Maine Wild Blueberry with the nearly $900,000 investment. The system took about six months to install and yearly savings to the company in electricity costs are estimated to be more than $171,000. The previous Freon refrigeration system cost the company $306,000 in annual electricity costs.
“While our new equipment will generate terrific energy savings year after year, Efficiency Maine’s incentive was a ‘make-or-break’ factor in our payback calculation and our decision to make this new investment in Washington County,” Joe Comeau of Maine Wild Blueberry Company said in a prepared statement.
The Maine Wild Blueberry Company produces and sells dried and frozen blueberries. It adds additional processing and cold storage capacity for the fruits with its sugar infusing process and an air-drying line. Founded in Machias in 1983, the company is a subsidiary of Oxford Frozen Foods Limited.
Door prizes, refreshments at Overeaters Anonymous event
SEARSPORT, Maine — Members of Overeaters Anonymous host the May Marathon Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at the first Congregational Church on Route 1 in Searsport. Registration is from 9:30 to 10 a.m. OA is a fellowship of individuals who, through shared experience, are recovering from compulsive overeating. There is a suggested donation of $5. A raffle, door prize and refreshments will be available. For more information, call Linda at 848-5012.
Physician to cover ways to prevent skin cancer
BELFAST, Maine — Dr. Jeff Sedlack of Waldo County General Hospital will discuss “The Sun, Your Skin, Cancer & Vitamin D” from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 25, at the Education Center next to the hospital.
Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers, and Dr. Sedlack will share what to look for on your skin and when to head to see a doctor.
Printed information about sunscreens, a body mole map, Maine Skin Cancer Facts and steps to take for protection from the sun will be available at the talk. For more information, call Toni at 930-6763.