Nature Trail Update

The nature trail, lovingly created by Patricia Lyons and her sixth-grade class many years ago, has fallen into disrepair due to time, weather and vandalism. But an up-coming project hopes to reverse the decline.

This project has the approval of the Portland Water District and the Sebago code enforcement officer.

Participants will be meeting at 9 a.m. on Nov. 1 at the gazebo on the elementary school grounds. Any and all volunteers will be welcomed.

Each adult will be paired with two children. Organizers would like to know the names of helpers in advance, if possible, so children and adult group can work effectively.

Most groups will be working at removing small branches and trees. Cut branches will be moved off to the side, added to the fallen limbs and left to decompose. So, there will be little hauling to do.

Trunks will be used as directional borders for the paths, thus preventing further destruction of the under story. The Portland Water District is giving the project a large quantity of special mulch for the paths, which will need to be spread.

If you would like to be involved, but not hands-on, there are other ways to help. If you are adept at field identification of trees, plants, fungus or birds, organizers would love help with that. A GPS map is being made of the trails, putting trees on the map would enhance its educational value. Those who can bring tools please do, or if you cannot come, they will pick them up. Tools needed include clippers, pruners, wheel barrows, hammers, tree saws (regular and long-handled).

This is a beautiful area, and an asset to the community. We all look forward to being able to enjoy it again.

Call the Sebago Elementary School at 787-3701 if you’d like to volunteer.

Family Bingo Night a Big Success

I hear through the grapevine that the family bingo night at Sebago Elementary School was a big success. Belinda Rumage bought the prizes for the event. Parents provided snacks and drinks. In all, 90 people attended. Betsy Maher brought her three young sons, Raymond, Jarod and Liam. They all had a great time. They had many different variations of the usual Bingo themes to make sure that all the children in attendance would be certain to receive prizes. This was so popular that more are going to be planned for the future. The hour went by way too fast.

Lake Region Middle School News

Sebago reader Vanessa Wallace shared the good news that some of our Sebago scholars who attend Lake Region Middle School made National Junior Honor Society. Among them are Rowan Wallace, Daniel Harmon and Lindsay Nason. Congratulations kids. Well done.

The eighth-grade field hockey team has put five more games under its belt with three wins, one loss and a tie.

Sebago Fourth-Graders Get WET

As part of the recent National Project WET Water Education Day, Ms. Quinlan, two chaperones and the fourth-grade class at Sebago Elementary School went on a water festival at Poland Spring last week. Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) hosted Sebago and five other towns with the object to teach all involved how to keep our drinking water clean.

Six stations were set up, most outside, on a rainy, overcast day just perfect for the experience. The first Sebago station taught the children about water tables, via a topigraphical model. They learned how pollutants such as oil dripping from cars, animal waste, etc. gets washed by the rain into the water via streams and rivers. Food coloring represented the pollutants.

The second station was titled Microbiotic Mayhem. Here the children were either bugs, who live in clean water, or stressors. Five kids played environmental stressors, who caused the pollution. This was played out as a game of tag, along a “stream;” those bugs being tagged, became bugs who were more tolerant and able to survive in polluted waters. Inside the beautiful Poland Spring Museum, students made water filters with pebbles, soil, and hay. The results were amazing. The more filter materials, the cleaner the water. Abby Perry’s water looked very clean after the water went through her well-built filter. Bag lunches were provided with Mike Noble singing environmental songs. Everyone sang along while eating.

I believe this trip was a valuable one for all those who had the luck to be in attendance. The calculators in the goodie bags were a big hit on the bus ride home, too. Alex Langadas asked great questions during the event.

Service Awards

Don Olden Sr., chairman of North Sebago United Methodist Church, presented four church members with certificates for their dedicated years of service. They are Bev Cox, Roby Dyer, Dot O’Donnell and Art Kimball.

Sebago Calendar

Friday, Oct. 26:

• Storytime at Spaulding Library, 9:30 a.m.

• Scholastic Book Fair at Elementary School (last day ends at 2 p.m.)

• Halloween Party at Town Hall, 6-7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 27:

• Hunters Breakfast 4:30-10:30 a.m., Town Hall

• Bean Supper, North Sebago Methodist Church, 5-6:30 p.m.

Thanks, and News Needed

Many thanks again to all who contributed to this week’s column. If you have news, or know of someone who does, please be sure to call or e-mail me all the details. Nothing is too small to write about. We are all newsworthy in Sebago. Have a great week.