I love to walk, and Bridgton is a wonderful walking town. My daily loop takes me down Main Street through Shorey Park and the Highland Lake Beach. Sometimes I’ll feel even more energized and tackle either the Creamery or Church Street hills, or go farther afield to the Stevens Brook Trail that meanders down to Long Lake. But my favorite new walk is through Pondicherry Park to Hannaford.

On days when the weather is nice and I don’t need anything too heavy I head out behind the Magic Lantern, over the Bob Dunning Bridge and into the woods. The trails are well-marked, wide and dry, and the park is instantly calming and serene. Aside from a few red squirrels and forget-me-nots, it’s just me and the trees. Between the short walk down Elm Street and the shorter one up Willett Road, its all park. Fifty-five acres of wilderness, right in downtown Bridgton. And it’s ours, thanks to the efforts of the LEA, Loon Echo, volunteers and donors.

Pondicherry Park belongs in perpetuity to the residents of Bridgton, ours to enjoy forever. It’s been a beautiful spring, why not take a walk in the woods?

Ride together

As fuel costs rise and emissions continue to build, the idea of a more wallet- and earth-friendly transportation system doesn’t seem so radical. Are you interested in helping create a rideshare/public transportation/electric-vehicle charging station in the area? The Bridgton Transportation Committee is looking for new members with fresh ideas.

The group has been meeting since November to further these and other goals, and would welcome your input. They gather at the Community Center on Depot Street on the last Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. Call 647-3116 for more info.

A very special run

On Wednesday, June 6, at 8 a.m., if you see a pack of Bridgton’s finest racing through town, they won’t be chasing a perp. For the 27th year, Bridgton police will be taking part in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics.

Our late Police Chief Bob Bell was a key player in bringing the run to Maine, and patrolman Phil Jones represented Maine at the International LETR Conference in Canada. If you would like to support the Special Olympics and honor the runners and athletes you can donate through the BPD; just make checks payable to Special Olympics Maine and drop them off at the PD on Chase Street.

Batter up!

It’s baseball season, and Bridgton Rec is taking a road trip to Hadlock Field in Portland to see the Portland Sea Dogs take on the Harrisburg Senators on Thursday, June 21.

The bus leaves Bridgton’s Old Town Hall on North High Street at 4 p.m. and returns at about 9 p.m. The game starts at 6 p.m. Space is limited and tickets are $5 per person. FMI or to sign up, contact Tom Tash at the Bridgton Town Office at 647-8786 or Corinne Davis in Sebago at 595-8173.

…and suit up

Like the blooming of lilacs, the return of campers and the opening of the Gazebo, Bridgton Rec’s sign-up for swimming lessons is a sure sign of summer. Generations of local children have taken their first lap in Woods Pond, and this year will be the same.

Registration forms are out now for the limited openings, which fill up quickly. Lessons consist of two 3-week sessions, the first running from June 25-July 13 and the second from July 23-Aug. 10.

The deadline for the first session’s sign ups is Friday, June 15.

Forms can be found and submitted in the Bridgton Town Office, and you can call Rec Director Tom Tash at 647-8786 for more information.

Market news

As I mentioned last column the Bridgton Farmers’ Market is open and running every Saturday from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. through November. The market is bigger and better than ever this year with eighteen vendors and a wide variety of fresh vegetables, fruits, local meats and cheese, flowers, seedlings, fresh roasted coffee, fresh baked pastries and pies, jams, jellies, hand-made natural soaps and more.

New this year the vendors will be accepting SNAP/EBT thanks to their generous community sponsors: Lake Region Rotary, Birthwise, Down East Inc./Magic Lantern, Reny’s, Chalmers Insurance and Norway Savings Bank. So even if you are on food assistance you can still buy your family fresh, healthy goods from local farmers, which is great news all around.

Fireworks fund

Bridgton’s annual Independence Day fireworks display is a beloved tradition, and it is in peril. Budget cuts and belt-tightening continue to chip away at the town’s budget, which has whittled the fund down to nothing.

Local volunteers are raising money to keep the tradition alive, and you are being asked to help. Please join them at the Bridgton Fourth of July Pancake Breakfast at the Masonic Hall on Route 117 (Harrison Road) on Saturday, May 19, from 7 to 10 a.m. The menu includes pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, coffee and juices and only costs $6 for adults and $4 for children. And if you can’t make breakfast but still want to help save our fireworks you can make a tax-deductible donation to the Bridgton Community Center’s Fireworks Fund, by dropping a check off to the BCC on Depot Street.

Old Homeschool Days

Many parents have chosen to home-school their children, and look for creative and cultural opportunities to socialize their children. If you are a home-schooling family, Bridgton will be the place to be from Wednesday, June 6, through Saturday, June 9, as the Lakes Region’s first “Old Homeschool Days” kicks off.

Beginning Wednesday, there will be a picnic at Narramissic (www.bridgtonhistory.org), along with kite making, a pie eating contest, games, and other activities. On Thursday there will be a used curriculum sale, and Wind Over Wings (www.windoverwings.org) will give a “Bird Brains” presentation, which will include a common raven, red-tailed hawk, golden eagle, and American kestrel. At night there will be a dinner, and a presentation by Pastor Paul Veit on “Creation vs. Evolution.” On Friday there will be an Academic Fair, a group dinner and a talent show. Saturday will have classes on “Getting Started in Homeschooling” and “Homeschooling Your High School Student.” The event will conclude with a luncheon, and Sue Thomas (www.suethomasproductions.com) as the keynote speaker.

Families can come for one day, or for all of them. For more details, go to www.oldhomeschooldays.com. If you have any questions, please contact Nancy Grigg at 647-4459. Pre-registration is recommended to ensure space is available.