Time to help ?a neighbor

The Caring Community of Gray-New Gloucester is a group of citizens providing assistance to individuals and families in the towns of Gray and New Gloucester.

If you know someone who would like to make a donation to the Holiday Assistance Program or to sponsor a family, please contact Donna Rand at drand5@maine.rr.com or 671-4458.

A hometown Christmas

On Saturday, Dec. 18, from 6-8:30 p.m., the Crossroads Community Church on Lewiston Road in Gray invites you to celebrate the holidays with them! There will be lattes and hot chocolate, miniature horses, carolers, live music, goodie bags (for kids), poetry readings, candy making, face painting, prize drawings, take-home crafts and family holiday photos. Everything is free, a fun event for kids of all ages!

Library holiday news

Now is the time to sign up to decorate a holiday book tree for Gray Public Library! Trees are provided and you pick the theme of your favorite book and create the decorations. Great for groups, organizations and families. Trees will be on display in the library through December.

The library will be hosting an open house on Saturday, Dec. 11, from 12 -2 p.m. to showcase all of the new and exciting changes to the children’s, young adult and technology areas. Light refreshments will be served.

The library will close at 12 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 24, and will remain closed for the holiday weekend. It will reopen on Tuesday, Dec. 28, at 10 a.m. It will also be closed on Saturday, Jan. 1.

Endowment supports local projects

Do you have an idea for a project that would make Gray a better place to live? Maybe it’s arts-related, something to do with the schools, creating a new recreational resource, or doing something no one has ever thought of. Where do you go for money to support your exciting new idea?

You could write a proposal to Gray Community Endowment, whose mission is to provide strategic leadership and resources to make Gray a healthy, vibrant and sustainable community. The organization invests the endowment funds with the Maine Community Foundation and each year uses some of the income to make grants to local nonprofit groups.

Your gift of $10, $50, or $100 or more will help grow the endowment so the organization can give larger grants and support more local projects each year.

Checks can be made out to Gray Community Endowment and mailed to P.O. Box 1376, Gray, ME 04039, or you can donate online at www.gcemaine.org.

For more information, visit the website, call 657-4935 or e-mail agass@maine.rr.com.

Ice fishing derby

Jan. 29 is the date for the 2nd Annual Crystal Lake USO Ice Fishing Derby.

The primary mission is to support Maine military members, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and local community schools!

Sponsors and prizes are pouring in, and the event is expected to dwarf last year’s. In addition to the all ages derby, and a youth under 15 derby, helicopter rides will be available and, weather permitting, there will be dog sled rides.

And the fish… This year they are stocking five times the amount of brook trout used last year. Each of these 500 fish measure between 10-24 inches. Also, this year tagged rainbow trout will be introduced. Only 10 of these fish will be stocked but they range between 25-30 inches. The derby start time will be earlier this year and the prizes have increased to over $10,000!! Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs, a statewide program supporting the education of children learning to fish, will be present to help support this event.

Enjoy an amazing outdoor family winter event on beautiful Crystal Lake in Gray. If you would like to sponsor, volunteer or just attend, go to www.crystallakederby.com for more information.

21 Reasons and GNG Coalition

The Gray & New Gloucester Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition is working with 21 Reasons under a mentoring grant. The next meeting of the group is scheduled for Dec. 16 from 8:30-9:45 a.m. at Fiddlehead Art and Science Center at 25 Shaker Road in Gray. Anyone is welcome to attend, learn more and perhaps volunteer. The group can be reached by e-mail at GNGCoalition@mcd.org.

Get food, give food

On Friday, Dec. 17, Gray Community Pantry at the First Congregational Parish House in Gray is open from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Anyone in need is welcome.

Donations are also welcome, such as peanut butter, tuna fish, pasta sauce (no glass jars), canned fruit and veggies, breakfast and baking items and toilet paper. Items can be dropped off at the Town Hall or at the church on Tuesday, Thursday or Friday mornings from 10 a.m.-noon. For more information, call 657-4279.

New subcommittee

The School Board has authorized the creation of a public relations/communications ad hoc subcommittee. The purpose of this subcommittee is to make recommendations to the School Board regarding the public relations/communication needs of the district. If you have interest in this topic and are willing to invest your time and talent in this work, please call 657-3335.

Closed for ?the holidays

Gray Town Office will be closed Thursday, Dec. 23, at noon, Friday, Dec. 24, and Friday, Dec. 31. The Transfer Station will be closed Friday, Dec. 24, at noon, Saturday, Dec. 25, and Saturday, Jan. 1.