Music festival ?at Shaker Village

The Maine Festival of American Music in its sixth season will be held at Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, off Route 26, New Gloucester from July 6-9. Presented by the United Society of Shakers, Sabbathday Lake and in collaboration with the Portland String Quartet, America’s Musics: A Rich Tapestry for the 21st Century will be comprised of several diversified concerts and a chamber music workshop.

For details and ticket information, see www.shaker.lib.me.us; call 926-4597 or email usshakers@aol.com.

Learn about GPS technology

Take an introductory course in GIS/GPS technology as part of the Taste of 4-H Science series. Students will be exploring this topic at the New Gloucester Public Library, 389 Intervale Road from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8.

The class, free of charge, is open to all youth grades K-12, and any participant under 9 must be accompanied by an adult. Pre-registration is encouraged, so contact Suzan Hawkins, 926-4840, or srhawkins@maine.rr.com soon.

Happenings at Shaker Village

Saturday, June 4:

• Shape Note Singers will be gathering for their annual sing-along from 1 to 4:30 p.m. The sing-along is open free of charge to the public.

• An Herbal Primer Workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The workshop covers all the basics of herb growing from starting seeds to using what you grow. The fee is $40 and pre-registration is required.

Saturday, June 11:

R & R Spinners and blacksmith Tim Greene will demonstrate their respective crafts beginning at 10 a.m. The demos are free and open to the public.

Proper layout procedures, techniques and tricks to constructing dovetails will be the theme of a hands-on workshop. Two sessions will be offered by instructor Chris Becksvoort, master craftsman. The fee is $35 and pre-registration is required.

All activities will be held at the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, off Route 26, New Gloucester. For more information, call 926-4597 or email usshakers@aol.com.

Community garden

Ready-to-sow 12-foot-by-15-foot garden plots in New Gloucester’s community garden are now available for a cost of $20 for New Gloucester residents and $35 for non-residents. Organizers are planning to offer educational workshops over the course of the summer on topics having to do with growing, harvesting, preparing, and preserving fresh produce.

In its second year, the community garden is located at Opportunity Farm on Gloucester Hill Road. Last year over 1 ton of fresh, organic produce was donated to local food pantries. For more information, contact Bob Fowler at bobfowlerinmaine@gmail.com, or 926-6195.

Field day

A Maine Youth Field Day will be held on Saturday, June 18 at the Royal River Rod and Gun Club, Fish Hatchery Road in New Gloucester, with a rain date of Sunday, June 19. This Youth Field Days gives children ages 10-15 years of age the chance to learn outdoor skills in a safe, structured, fun-filled environment. On-site check in is at 8 a.m. and activities should finish by 1:30 p.m. All events and lunch are free of charge.

Children will be taught target shooting skills and safety with .22 caliber rifle; they will also have the opportunity to learn archery, shooting a bow and arrow at assorted targets. Other activities include learning wilderness safety and survival skills and experience using a map and compass.

A parent or responsible adult must accompany all participating children. Space is limited to the first 50 applicants. For more information and application forms, please contact Lou Haskell, 655-7757 or louhask@maine.rr.com.

History Barn ?Open House

The next monthly New Gloucester History Barn Open House will be held on Saturday, June 4 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. directly behind Town Hall on Route 231. Historic photos and vehicles will be on display. The subsequent Open House will take place on Saturday, July 2 and will feature a public reading of the Declaration of Independence.

Upcoming election

Voting will be held at Memorial School, 86 Intervale Road, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 14. There will be a MSAD 15 Budget Validation Referendum question, and an election to fill the open seat on the MSAD 15 board of directors. Incumbent Gary Harriman is the only candidate for this position.

Incumbent Nathaniel Berry and challenger Mark Stevens are vying for the open seat on the board of selectmen. A candidates’ forum recorded on May 19 will be telecast on public access cable Channel 3 on June 3-5 and June 10-12 at 7 p.m. DVD copies will be available at the public library.

Go to the town’s website www.newgloucester.com to view sample ballots and to obtain an absentee voting application, if needed.

Amateur violinist Adrian Bean plays in a string quartet at last year’s Master Class workshop as part of the Maine Festival of American Music at Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in New Gloucester. The quartet performed a spirited 1893 Dvorak composition. (Photo courtesy of NGTV)