Celebrate the Fourth

Join the New Gloucester Community Market to celebrate July 4 with live music, a barbecue and community potluck from 12-1 p.m. The market is open Sundays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is located on Route 100 in the Amvet parking lot, New Gloucester. For more information, see www.newgloucestergardens.com or call 926-5919.

Speak, Fido

Have you ever wondered what your pet was thinking? Call animal communicator Louise Poppema of Cumberland. Through telepathy, she has been conversing with animals of all types for over 10 years – wild ones, domestics, mammals and birds.

Poppema, a licensed mental health counselor, was one of the featured speakers at Open Gates Equine Rescue annual Open Barn June 19. She read a synopsis of her conversation with one of the rescue horses named Patches derived from having asked the six-year-old Appaloosa cross many questions to discover behavior patterns, overall health and general well-being.

On her website, Poppema explains how the process works by writing, “When I communicate with an animal, I need to know its name, its age and sex, and the name of its person. I also need to know what the animal looks like. The animal can be physically present or I can use a photograph. The animal can be alive or dead. Then mentally, I call the animal by name and ask it questions. I wait for whatever answers pop into my head. I write both questions and answers down.”

She has conducted a scientific study with a graduate student at Tufts Veterinary School to assess the validity of the information she has received from animals. The two-person team designed and performed a preliminary study, the results of which indicated a 69 percent rate of accuracy in her communications.

To Poppema, animal communicating is not a business. She describes it as “a passion from the heart,” which explains the name of her practice, “Head to Heart.” For more information, see http://headtoheart.net or call 829-3356.

Hunter safety course

Royal River Rod & Gun Club on Hatchery Road in New Gloucester is hosting a Hunter Safety Course in July. This two-day course will be held on Thursday, July 8, from 6 to 9 p.m. for classroom work and a home study assignment, plus on Saturday, July 17, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for hands-on training. Class size is limited. For full details and registration, call Lou Haskell at 655-7757.

Vacation Bible School

The New Gloucester Bible Church, located on Route 100 in New Gloucester, will host a “Solar Express” Vacation Bible School from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., July 12-16. Features will include arts & crafts, Bible lessons, fun & games, gymnastics, a penny contest, snacks and songs. The school is for children ages 4 through 12, and it is free of charge. There’s no need to register, just show up. For more information, call Pastor Dan at 926-3140.

Help develop new county charter

Most everyone who lives in New Gloucester knows David Lunt. But did you know that he is an elected member of the Cumberland County Charter Commission? For the past two years, he and his colleagues have been busy drafting a charter, which will be voted on during the Nov. 2 election. Currently Cumberland County operates without a charter.

Charter commissioners believe that if the proposed charter passes, voters would enjoy greater transparency and accountability in government. Residents would benefit from new and innovative programs and services, such as the successful Community Development Block Grants, which utilize previously unavailable federal funds accessible to smaller communities and the new nationwide 9-1-1 service, which brings affordable, top-notch emergency response to participating communities.

A draft copy of the proposed charter can be found online at www.CumberlandCountyCharterCommission.org. Several public hearings have been scheduled, as listed on the website. Public input will be accepted until July 30. If you have any questions or comments, please direct them to Lunt at 926-3877.

Strawberry Festival a huge success

The 2010 New Gloucester Strawberry Festival has come and gone and was a huge success thanks to many people. The New Gloucester Historical Society, festival sponsors including Hodgman’s Frozen Custard (a festival sponsor for 33 years) and Pineland Farms-Gillespie Farms Division, the Berry, Berry Good Band, the First Congregational Church and the more than 30 volunteers helped make the festival another fun event. See you next year!