Good reasons

21 Reasons Casco Bay will be holding an event on underage drinking prevention for the towns of Gray and New Gloucester Monday, May 12, at the Gray-New Gloucester High School Library from 6:30-8 p.m.

All youth and adults are invited to participate in this event, which is part of a national effort to increase community awareness on the issue of underage drinking, to identify how underage drinking affects our community, and brainstorm possible solutions. Free childcare, helpful resources, and delicious food will be available.

Smell the flowers

The month of May promises to have lots of fun on the Libby Hill trails. Look for the Wildflower event, which has self-guided happenings all through the month of May and a guided walk on May 31. Children will be able explore nature at out the Spring Safari event on May 31 and adults can check out a stonewall interpretive walk. Watch for more details at www.libbyhill.org.

After the most snow ever on Libby Hill, the melt down is in full progress. The trail stewards are out checking the trails and finding lots of small branches have fallen in the trails. They could use your help. If in the next month you are going out on the trails, bring a rake with you to rake or throw any branches 3 to 6 feet off to the side of the trails.

Trouble spots will be posted that need the most work over the next two weeks. If you would like to work with a group, a work group could be planned for some weekend morning. For more information, call Steve McPike at 657-2114.

Thanks Barbara and Howard

Attention all past players, parents and coaches of the Gray Soccer Club, now known as the Patriot Soccer Club. Please join us for a celebration of the 18 years of dedication and leadership from Barbara and Howard Hughes Sunday, May 18.

Stop by any time from 1-5 p.m. at Spring Meadows Golf Club, 59 Lewiston Road, to personally greet and thank them. If you cannot attend, we encourage you to send cards and pictures to Patriot Soccer Club, Hughes Celebration, P.O. Box

120, Gray, ME 04039 or e-mail support@cecisolutions.com.

A new read

The new book release to the Gray Public Library this week is “Sundays at Tiffany’s,” by James Patterson, a story about Jane Margaux, a lonely little girl. Her mother, a powerful Broadway producer, makes time for her only once a week, for their Sunday trip to admire jewelry at Tiffany’s. Jane has only one friend, an imaginary one named Michael. This is a heartrending story that surpasses all expectations of why these people have been brought together.

Gray Public Library hours are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Thursdays, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Fridays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturdays, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information, visit www.gray.lib.me.us or call 657-4110.

Lobster lessons

Hurray, the Maine Wildlife Park opened April 24! Here are some of the upcoming events at park that are sponsored by a great bunch of people called the “Friends of the Wildlife Park.” These folks have been instrumental in keeping this wonderful resource open for about 20 years now.

Saturday, May 3 – Maine Primitive Skills School: Explore survival skills, increase your awareness and proficiency in Maine’s wild places; try tracking activities; see how to make a bow drill friction fire making device, use milkweed to make strong rope, and more.

Saturday, May 10 – Learn about lobsters with Capt. Tom and crew from the Portland lobster boat Lucky Catch. See how that tasty treat gets from the bottom of the ocean to your dinner plate. Hear about lobster habits and conservation efforts while learning about hardshells, shedders, shorts, culls, and keepers.

The programs run from approximately 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Consider becoming a “Friend of the Wildlife Park” and volunteering at the park. There are opportunities for gatehouse attendants, tour guides, gardeners and store clerks in the snack shack and nature store. For more information, please call 657-4977, ext. 0.

Time to meet

Gray’s town meeting, Saturday, May 3, in Newbegin Gym at 9 a.m., is an open meeting for the townspeople, at which ballot items for the June 10 election are determined.

Residents, by majority vote at the town meeting can make additions and deletions to the budget, and literally decide what’s on the ballot in June. It truly is your opportunity to make your voice heard.

Whatever your concern; be it property taxes, recreation facilities, town services, community improvements, or road maintenance, town meeting is the place to be. Anywhere from 80 to 100 people attend. In a town of more than 7,200 people, town meeting attendance is representative of approximately 1 percent of our citizens, hardly a consensus. The Gray Town Council asks that you plan to attend and be heard at town meeting this Saturday.

The Gray Recreation Department and town will be hosting a town picnic on this day to offer babysitting services to school-aged children along with some good old-fashioned community fun. Food, beverages and activities are on the agenda.

While all Gray voters are welcome and encouraged to attend town meeting, the Recreation Committee asks that you RSVP if you plan to attend the meeting and the picnic, to insure proper staffing for childcare and enough food for the picnic. Please contact Dean Bennett at 657-2323.

Beans, beans

The monthly bean supper of the American Legion Post 86, will be held Saturday, May 3 from 5-6 p.m. at 15 Lewiston Road in Gray. The menu will include baked beans, chop suey, hot dogs, coleslaw, breads, desserts and beverages. The price is adults $6, children under 12, $2.50 while children under 5 eat free.

Jesse Madden, left, and his son Dillon find a bouncy treasure at the Gray Transfer Station