A new director

Upon the retirement of Joan Tremberth, who served the MSAD 15 Director of Adult and Community Education for 12 years, Ron Brann is taking the reins. He has extensive experience in marketing and tourism, served on the SAD 15 School Board of Directors and has held adjunct teaching positions in business in area colleges.

Brann joined the district on July 23, and has hit the ground running in order to compile and publish the Fall Course schedule. The publication is packed with more than 75 offerings covering just about every topic imaginable, including several new classes and some free programs. Currently, there is a broad array of health-related training including newly added Dental Assisting and EKG Technician. In the vocational discipline, an area that Brann hopes to expand, there is a welding course being offered.

The program also provides GED classes and testing for those who need it. Brann made a point to note that the requirements for GED Certification will be changing in 2014. Although the changes have not been made public, he believes that the requirements will be more stringent and encourages folks to try to complete the course by the end of 2013.

The full brochure for the fall course offerings is available now at www.msad15.org

2012 Crossroads Challenge

The Patriot Soccer Club holds its Annual Crossroad Challenge Tournament, Columbus Day weekend, Oct. 6 and 7. Last year, 89 teams registered.

The participating teams consisted of both Division 1 and 2 teams. All tournament brackets are nearly full. Please contact the tournament director for more information on which divisions may still have openings.

The Patriot Soccer Club has sole decision-making authority for acceptance into the Crossroads Challenge. The Patriot Soccer Club will do its best to accommodate all teams. For additional information, contact either Tim Anketell, tournament director, at crossroadchallenge@patriotsoccerclub.org or President Penney Ward at president@patriotsoccerclub.org.

Do you want ?to be a Scout?

Cub Scout Sign-Up is on Monday, Sept. 17, 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Russell School, 8 Gray Park, Gray. Come check out Scouting for first grade to fifth grade.

A call for apple crisp

Apple crisp donations are needed for Homecoming on Saturday, Sept. 22. GNGHS’s Annual Apple Crisp Event is taking place very soon. Can you bake a pan or two? You may drop them off Friday evening, Sept. 21, at the snack shack in back of the High School, 10 Libby Hill Road, Gray, during the football game or Saturday morning, Sept. 22. This event is very well received in the community and greatly anticipated.

Please label the bottom of your dish for easy return or use a recyclable container instead for fewer worries and no tracking. For more information, email gngboosters@gmail.com. Please RSVP so they can plan on how many.

GNG High School Homecoming 2012

Homecoming this year is Sept. 21-22, at G-NG High School. It begins on Friday evening with a home track meet against Cape Elizabeth, Lake Region and Yarmouth and then a football game against Mountain Valley (kick off is at 7 p.m.). A bonfire will follow the football game. Saturday’s events include the much-talked-about Homecoming Float Parade. Who will win first place this year?

Many delicious food items are sold by each class. Four soccer games: JV Boys at 1 p.m. (Middle School), Varsity Boys at 3 p.m. against Waynflete and the Junior Varsity Girls at 1 p.m. (MS), V Girls at 3 p.m. vs. Poland. JV Field Hockey will play against Falmouth at 1:30 and Varsity at 3 p.m. The snack shack will be open through all events.

Beep beep

The third annual Touch-a-Truck, where kids get a chance to get behind the wheel and explore their favorite vehicles including a fire truck, garbage truck, wrecker and more, is on Saturday, Sept. 15 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., rain or shine, in the Gray Shop ’n’ Save parking lot (Route 100). Enjoy a hot dog lunch while you’re there (all food donated by Gray Shop ’n’ Save) and enter a raffle to win goodies from local businesses. This fundraiser benefits the Gray Community Food Pantry, the suggested donation is $2 per person with nonperishable food and personal care items also accepted.

Watch town meetings live and on demand

On Sept. 4, Gray Town Meetings started being streamed live online and available on-demand as well as broadcast live regularly on GCTV Channel 2. Go to www.graymaine.org and click on the IQM2 link to tune in to the live stream. There will be an archive of meetings that can be watched anytime and at any agenda point.

From the Tax Assessor

Tax bills were scheduled to be mailed the last week of August. The first half of the 2012-2013 tax is due Oct. 2, 2012 and the second half is due April 2, 2013. The tax rate was set at $15.85 per one thousand dollars of assessed value, which is a 2.6 percent increase over the 2011-2012 rate. Taxpayers having questions about the assessed value should contact the assessor at (207) 657-3112 or jbrushwein@graymaine.org.

A new feature has been added to the town’s website under Town Departments, Tax Assessing, which allows users to obtain information on real estate sales within Gray.

For the veterans

The Gray American Legion Post No. 86 is sponsoring a Golf Tournament to support Kieve Veterans Camp. This fundraiser will take place at the Falmouth Country Club on Oct. 1 at 11 a.m. sharp. The fee is $500 per four-person team and includes a steak/chicken dinner. There are also sponsorship opportunities available. For more information, contact Joe Hanson at Joehansen70@gmail.com or call 650-3904.

Catholic Church Services in Gray

The Parish of the Holy Eucharist will celebrate Mass at St. Gregory’s Church, 24 North Raymond Road in Gray at 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoons and 8:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings.

Gray Economic Development Director Beth Humphrey and MSAD 15 Adult and Community Education Director Ron Brann put their heads together toward more collaboration between the entities.