Assistance with Medicare Part D

The 2008 open season for those newly eligible and those wishing to change their enrollment in the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program begins on Thursday, Nov. 15 and continues until the end of December.

Once again this year the Southern Maine Area Agency on Aging is offering assistance at the Gray Public Library to anyone in the region who is seeking information about the program or is considering a change to their present enrollment.

The assistance will be offered in the reference room of the library on Thursday afternoons from 1-3 p.m. For more information and/or to assure timely assistance, call agency volunteer Phil Ohman at 657-5446 for an appointment.

Christmas Holiday Assistance

If your family is in need of assistance this Christmas, please contact Donna Rand at 657-4795 or Andrea Harvey at 329-8188. Forms are also available at the Gray Town Hall and the Gray Public Library. Please make your requests by Nov. 26.

Christmas Fair

The American Legion Auxiliary will hold its annual Christmas Fair on Sunday, Dec. 2 at the American Legion Hall at 15 Lewiston Road in Gray from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tables are $15 and there will be a food concession. The hall is handicapped accessible. To rent a table or for more information call 428-3737.

Special Guest to Light Up Tree

Gray’s Annual Tree Lighting will be held at the Gray Town Office on Sunday, Nov. 25 at 2 p.m. Enjoy some caroling with the Red Hat Ladies and the Gray-New Gloucester High School Chorus. Gray’s talented Elyse Doyle will also perform.

Enjoy the wagon rides, cookies and hot chocolate while waiting for the big red fire truck to bring the special guest who will light up the tree and get the holiday spirit rolling around Gray.

Do You Have a Porcupine on Your Gift-Giving List?

The Friends of the Maine Wildlife Park are continuing their fund-raising work with “That’s for Porcupines.” Their goal is to replace the row of concrete cages with more habitat-friendly environments for the animals which live there, including the porcupines, skunks and fisher. If you would like to put the porcupines on your holiday giving list, donations are gratefully accepted at: Friends of the Miane Wildlife Park, P.O. Box 1231, Gray, Maine 04039. All donations will go wholly to the animals. Administrative costs for the group are paid for by proceeds from the Snack Shack and dues.

Pennell Institute

If you would like to serve on the Community Economic Development Committee as it examines possible futures for the Pennell Institute, download an application from the town Web site: www.graymaine.org.

If you would like to know more about it first, call any committee member listed on the town Web site or call me at 657-6649 or e-mail jeannegraydove@yahoo.com. If a commitment to the committee isn’t your cup of tea, but you’d still like to participate just come on down to the next meeting on Dec. 5 at Stimson Hall downstairs at 6 p.m. and see what the committee is planning. All meetings are open to the public. As the committee embarks on this project we will have some professional staff support in the form of town planner George Thebarge, who will guide us as we consider proposals for Pennell Institute’s future.

Town of Gray Honors Citizens

At the Annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony on Friday, Nov. 16, the Gray Town Council presented awards to community members who have “serving hearts.” The Evelyn Morrill Durgin Award was presented to Dick Prince. The award is named for “Binnie” Durgin who exemplified a lifetime of service to the town of Gray.

Prince was honored to receive the award, and recalled that he and Binnie went way back. They worked together in her father’s fields during haying season, making just $1 a day.

Prince, in typical fashion didn’t talk so much about himself, but directed folks to check out the new benches at the Civil War Monument in the Village and say thank you to Jeannie and Gary Smith who procurred them for the town. One of the benches says “Never Forget” and the other bench says “All gave some, some gave all.”

Dick Prince is a vetaran who has been a member of the American Legion for 62 years. His wife Beverly has been a member of the Ladies Auxiliary for 58 years. He served as Sergeant-at-Arms for five years and has been the Post Adjutant (administrative officer) since 1972.

Former Council Chair and longtime committee volunteer Gary Foster was honored to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to his father, Clifton Foster. The younger Mr. Foster listed many of his father’s achievements, including serving in the Maine Legislature, working on the Pineland transition and the building of the Dunn School in New Gloucester and as an original founder of the “Gray News” in 1969. He served on the Zoning Board of Appeals for 19 years, and 40 years ago was part of the original “bypass committee.”

“Cliff” Foster joked that he wasn’t a native of Gray, having only moved here in 1961. Commenting on his long list of accomplishments he simply offered that he “enjoyed doing every single thing.”

Committee of the Year was Zoning Board of Appeals, made up of Chair Barry Watson, Kathy Wood, Debby Flanigan, Vincent Palange II and Kyle Coolidge. The committee was cited for its commitment and its efficient and professional handing of the issues.

Jason Wilson presented the Organization of the Year Award to Bruns Bros., citing the owners for not only growing a successful and respected business, but for their dedication to supporting the town they live in. Wilson especially cited their efforts during the ice storm of 1998. I personally can tell you from years of typing community reports for local newspapers that Bruns Bros. are always in the thank-you list from our community groups.

I was honored when Councilor Tracy Scheckel surprised me with the Volunteer of the Year award for my work as chairperson of the Village Master Plan Advisory Committee. I accepted the award on behalf of the committee and all their hard work.

I’ll take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who has shared their experience, knowledge and opinions. I’ve enjoyed working with this committee. The award is bittersweet, because the committee officially disbanded the same week. The Village Master Plan is an easy read and is online at www.graymaine.org, click on “town plan” on the home page.