NGTV Channel 3 Playback Schedule

The New Gloucester Cable TV Committee has started offering rebroadcasts of town board and committee meetings on its local access television station channel 3. The playback schedule by meetings is as follows: Board of Selectmen on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 10 a.m.; Land Management Planning on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 10 a.m.; Planning Board on Mondays and Thursdays at 10 a.m.; other meetings or events on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 7 p.m. Note that only the most recent regular meetings are rebroadcast.

Would you like to learn how to run a camera and tape meetings? Volunteers are needed. Additionally, the Cable TV Committee could use more members. If you’re interested in either or both of these opportunities, contact Committee Chair Bob MacGregor at 926-4441, pondhouse@securespeed.us.

Historical Society Members to Meet

The 73rd annual meeting of the New Gloucester Historical Society will be held on Thursday, Jan. 17 beginning at 7 p.m. at the Meetinghouse, 389 Intervale Road, next to the Town Hall. All members are invited and encouraged to come.

Creative New Gloucester Reception

Creativity abounds in New Gloucester. From Shakers to contemporary artists, musicians and designers, our town has a long heritage of creative people, organizations and enterprises. Some of these artists are familiar to many with names such as Thomas Moser and Chris Becksvoort. But there are many other talented painters, woodworkers, potters, dressmakers, musicians and other craftspeople who live among us and who add to the vitality and vibrancy of our community.

Connecting and celebrating the arts, culture, and creative enterprises in our rural community is the goal of the Creative New Gloucester Committee. As a first step, this committee is conducting an inventory of artistic and cultural assets in the community. This inventory will be used to create a Web-based directory that will help others discover and connect with these talents.

During the month of January, the Creative New Gloucester Committee will have on display at the New Gloucester Public Library samples of work of local artists and links to area musical events, such as the New Gloucester Coffee House. On Wednesday, Jan. 16, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., the Creative New Gloucester Committee will be hosting an evening for local artists and musicians to connect with each other, as well as with members of the community, at the public library. Food and refreshments will be served, and members of the committee will be making a brief presentation at 7 p.m. on the importance of a creative economy, along with plans for continuing to support and connect local artists and other creative enterprises. Please join us for an evening of creative connection.

Welcome, Neighbor Resumes

Our town’s version of the old-fashioned welcome wagon concept involves assembling packets of invaluable information to be given to newcomers. Last year the Welcome, Neighbor group launched the project by soliciting businesses and civic organizations for informational materials and mementos to be inserted into 25 packets. The stash stored at the town office has dwindled to merely two, so the group is resuming its efforts to collect enough materials to assemble 40 packets this time around.

All businesses, civic groups, and faith-based organizations located in New Gloucester are encouraged to participate. Those businesses and groups that were included in the initial batch of packets are invited to contribute to the next set. You will be contacted soon to find out if you’d like to participate this time around. If you wish to get a jump start on the process, you may want to start putting together 40 of your inserts. If you didn’t get it on the first batch but now want to join in, please e-mail Beth Blakeman-Pohl at abpohl@securespeed.us.

SAD 15 Public Forum

Parents and other community members within Scholl Administrative District 15 are urged to attend an important public forum on Wednesday, Jan. 23 at the Gray-New Gloucester Middle School cafeteria from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

The first of two subjects to be discussed is the possibility of school consolidation with Union 29 (Poland, Mechanic Falls and Minot) to fulfill the obligation under state law to regionalize into a school district of at least 2,500 students. SAD 15 currently has an enrollment of 1,980 students and does not meet the state criteria to remain intact as a district comprised of only Gray and New Gloucester. The second topic centers on how the $10 million Renovation and Upgrade Bond that was passed by voters in Nov. 2005 will impact the 2008/09 school budget.

More in-depth information will appear in this column next week.

Town Meetings:

Jan. 14: Cable TV, 7 p.m., Meetinghouse

Jan. 15: Planning Board, 7 p.m., Meetinghouse

Jan. 16: School Board, 6:30 p.m., Meetinghouse

Jan. 17: Historical Society, 7 p.m., Meetinghouse

Jan. 18: Story Time, 9:30 a.m., Library

Inside New Gloucester