BELFAST, Maine — Volunteers are needed for the first annual Walk MS Belfast on Sept. 24, being held by the Greater New England Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Belfast will become one of 12 Maine communities to host an annual walk to raise funds that will help provide programs, services and advocacy for the 3,000 Mainers diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The walk also will help support scientific research for those working to find a cure for the inflammatory disease of the central nervous system.
Volunteers are needed to serve on the Walk MS Belfast organizing committee. To get involved contact Steve Faloon at 907-4008 or email him at steve.faloon@nmss.org.
Barbara Bush Foundation announces awards
ROCKLAND, Maine — Barbara Bush announced that the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy’s Maine Family Literacy Initiative awarded $25,000 to RSU 13 Adult and Community Education.
Beth A. Gifford, executive director of Literacy Volunteers of Mid-Coast Maine, accepted the award from Bush at a ceremony held in Biddeford on June 15. The grant will be used to expand an adult literacy program to include intergenerational learning in the areas of health, technology and literacy. The project will focus on parental literacy as well as key developmental stages of early childhood.
Camden to hold Festival of Independence
CAMDEN, Maine — Camden will celebrate the Fourth of July this year with an array of family-friendly activities running from July 1-4.
The highlight of this year’s Festival of Independence will be the underwater and above-water
fireworks display in Camden Harbor on July 3. At that time, the Camden Rotary Club will present a free concert to the public called “Music by the Sea,” which includes three different ensembles
performing a wide range of American music.
“The fireworks will be even better than last year,” said Steven Marson, owner of Central Maine
Pyrotechnics, who will put on the display. “There will be twice as many ‘shape’ fireworks
than last year, the kind that create images like stars and flowers. This year’s fireworks will also burn longer in the sky, about 8 or 9 seconds compared to the regular burn time of 3-5 seconds. When they explode, they send plumes of water into the air, creating an array of colors.”
For a full schedule, visit www.camdenme.org.
Owls Head Transportation Museum plans car and airplane show
OWLS HEAD, Maine — The Owls Head Transportation Museum will offer the chance for people to relive the days of fuzzy dice and big fins at Fabulous 50s, Sensational 60s Car Meet and Antique Aeroplane Show on Saturday and Sunday, July 2 and 3. Bands will play music and visitors can vote for the best car. Owners of pre-1991 vehicles are welcome to exhibit at this events free. Admission is $12 for adults, children get in free. For more information call 594-4418 or visit www.owlshead.org.
Mussel festival to benefit medical air service
BAR HARBOR, Maine —- A wine and mussel festival that will double as a fundraiser for a nonprofit air taxi medical service is scheduled to take place this weekend at a local winery.
Bar Harbor Cellars on Route 3 near the village of Salisbury Cove will host the annual Wine & Mussel festival from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 25. The festival will benefit Angel Flight Northeast, a nonprofit organization that offers air transportation free of charge to people who need to get to medical appointments.
The suggested donation for those attending the festival is $15.
The event will feature gourmet dishes prepared by chefs from several area restaurants, including
Chart Room, Seafood Ketch, Cafe This Way, Galyn’s, Town Hill Bistro, Seawall Drive-In, The Pines, Red Sky and Reel Pizza. Live music, door prizes, a silent auction and a ladder golf tournament also will be featured.
Sponsors include Hollander & DeKoning Mussel Processors, Performance Food Service Northcenter, Maine Shellfish, Bar Harbor Cellars and Atlantic Brewing and Mount Desert Spring Water. There will be a cash bar at the festival.
Camp Forest receives $1,000 grant
BROOKS, Maine — Camp Forest, a wilderness day and expedition camp, recently received a grant for $1,000 from the Maine Community Foundation to provide staff training. Maine Community Foundation partners with nonprofits to strengthen Maine communities. Staff will receive archery, lifeguard, wilderness first aid and CPR training and more. This grant will help the state mandated certification process. Learn more about Camp Forest on the web www.campforestmaine.com
Castine Town Band to hold musical gala
CASTINE, Maine — The Castine Town Band will celebrate our nation’s birthday with a musical gala at 4 p.m. Monday, July 4, on the Town Common, Court St. in Castine. The hourlong summer concerts are free and are sponsored by private donations. In case of rain, concerts are held in Emerson Hall, across the street from the Town Common. The remaining summer concert schedule is as follows: 6 p.m. Friday, July 15, at Wilson Museum, and Fridays July 29, Aug. 12 and 26, at the Castine Town Common — the Aug. 26 concert starts at 5:45 p.m. For more information, call 326-9138 or email jeanmiller@rnsmte.com.
MDI Y to host fishing camp
BAR HARBOR, Maine — The MDI YMCA’s “Learn to Fish Camp” will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday, Aug. 1-5, at the MDI Y in Bar Harbor. Each morning, campers visit local watering holes like Craig Pond, Little Long Pond, Hamilton Pond and more, learning about ecosystems and the various species of fish that live in them. The campers practice catch and release — all catches are returned to their natural environment. For more information, call 288-3511.
Ayurveda yoga classes available
LIBERTY, Maine — The Ayurveda Yoga Center will offer yoga camp sessions for adults and teens from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, July 11-15, at 61 Stevens Pond Road in Liberty. A second session will be held from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, Aug. 1-5, and will focus on therapeutics for neck, shoulders, low back, sacrum and hips. Each week will consist of yogic posture and breathing practices, chanting, meditation and relaxation. Classes will also explore some of the principles of ayurvedic medicine — the sister science of yoga. All levels of experience, from beginner to advanced, are welcome.
All sessions will be taught by Deborah Keene, a graduate of the Kripalu School of Ayurveda and certified Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist.
Registration is $85 per session and $150 for both sessions. Early bird registration discounts are available and space is limited. For more information or to register, call 589-4254 or ayuyoga@fairpoint.net.
Grand Lake Stream to celebrate the Fourth of July
GRAND LAKE STREAM, Maine -The town of Grand Lake Stream will hold its annual Fourth of July celebration from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, July 4. The event is free and perfect for the entire family. A list of the day’s activities include races, parades, prizes, concerts and pie eating contests. For more information, visit www.downeastlakes.org/visitors-guide.