Annual Tree Lighting

A crowd of more than 100 people enjoyed the festivities at Gray Town Hall on Sunday. Donnie Carroll, master of ceremonies, introduced local talent including the Gray-New Gloucester High School Chorus, our own singing Town Manager Deb Cabana, and local high school student and vocalist Elyse Doyle.

Bradley Fogg read the traditional “Night Before Christmas,” and “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.” Santa arrived via fire truck and was lifted high into the air in the bucket of the ladder truck to strike the magical candy cane to the tip of the town’s holiday tree to light the tree and kick off the holiday season in Gray.

Several wagonloads full of spectators enjoyed a ride through town courtesy of Heather Phinney and Ernie Rogers. Everyone enjoyed piping hot chocolate and

wonderful cookies served by the Gray Fire and Rescue Department.

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.

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 volunteer Phil Ohman at 657-5446 for an appointment.

Is Gray Ready for Entrepreneurs of the Future?

I read a blog called BoomtownUSA by Jack Schultz that highlights economic success stories of small towns, mostly in the midwest. Last week I saw three news items about the younger generation, which now that I’m pushing 50 means my kids’ generation. The gist of it is that we tended to move to where the jobs were but the new generation will find a job where they want to live.

Schultz says that, “These next two generations are going to figure out where they want to live and then find a job when they get to their ideal location. And, unless you have exceptional quality of life attributes like the bike trails, entertainment, recreational amenities, etc. you are going to be overlooked for those areas that do offer those amenities.”

It’s something to think about in Gray, a gem of a small town surrounded by major urban areas.

Do you think we’re sitting on a gold mine here? To encourage economic success in the future, what about Gray could attract these new-style entrepreneurs who will demand quality of life. Our little town might actually be a gold mine for these new quality of life entrepreneurs. It’s just something to think about as Hannaford, the development at Exit 63 and Pennell Institute are on the town’s current agenda.