Durham kindergarten ?pre-registration open

The form to pre-register Durham students for kindergarten for the 2013-14 school year is now on Durham Community School’s website at dcs.rsu5.org. Residents who have a child who will attend kindergarten next year should fill out the form now so the school can plan for its upcoming budget.

Children must live in Durham and be 5 years of age on or before Oct. 15, 2013, to qualify. Registration will take place in the spring with screening in early May. By pre-registering now, residents will be on the school’s list to receive the registration packet and information when it becomes available in the spring.

Rec program offering ‘Self-Care for Women’

This January, the Regional School Unit 5 Recreation and Community Education program for adults is offering a four-part series called “Self-Care for Women.”

The series will be facilitated by Freeport resident Maddy Vertenten, and in it, women will learn about resources and create daily practices for making self-care a priority.

Vertenten has been facilitating women’s circles since 2005 after personally experiencing how her own self-care strategies positively impacted the relationships with her young children and husband, and her own sense of well-being.

The classes, which will be held on Jan. 22, 29 and Feb. 5 and 12 will run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. the cost is $85 for residents of Freeport, Pownal and Durham. For more information or to register, visit www.rsu5-rce.org.

Department of Labor sets job fair

The Maine CareerCenter, part of the Maine Department of Labor, is holding a job fair at the Lewiston CareerCenter on 5 Mollison Way on Tuesday, Jan. 8 from 9 a.m.-noon.

About 35 employers, all with available positions, will be at the fair ready to hire jobseekers. There is no charge to attend the job fair.

For more information on the job fair, visit www.mainecareercenter.com or call the Lewiston CareerCenter at 753-9005 or 800-741-2991.

Christmas trees ?for a cause

The Freeport Rotary Club is holding its annual Christmas tree and wreath sale at the Freeport Fire Station on Main Street on weekends through Dec. 23.

Members of the Rotary Club will be out selling trees and wreaths on Friday evenings from 4-6 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. The trees come in a variety of sizes from four to 10 feet tall and the wreaths are available both decorated and undecorated.

The money raised from the tree sale will benefit both the Freeport Fire Department along with the Rotary Club, which will use the funds helping with local causes such as: scholarships, Freeport Community Services, and fuel assistance for those in need.

Durham farm?wins award

Two Farmers Farm in Durham, which is owned and operated by Kelsey Herrington and Dominic Pascarelli, recently won a $1,000 Sam’s Club gift card and all expense paid trip to a SCORE educational summit in 2013.

Two Farmers Farm produces a diverse selection of organically grown vegetables year round. To develop their plan and identify their markets, Herrington and Pascarelli launched the farm in winter 2011 by growing salad greens and working off the farm to earn the additional money needed to expand their venture. Having identified the market opportunities and having secured enough farmland to successfully grow their business, Two Farmers Farm will sell a diversity of organic produce through farmers markets, distributors and direct wholesalers beginning spring 2013.

This expansion will benefit from receipt of a $1,000 Sam’s Club gift card, in addition to training through SCORE, an organization dedicated to helping small businesses grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship.

“Working with SCORE has provided a foundation to help grow our business successfully,” said Herrington. “The access the Sam’s Club grant provides the tools for business and the additional SCORE training will help us make our expansion a success.”

Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park offers winter programs

Freeport’s Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park is offering nature programs at 2 p.m. each Sunday through the winter.

Park visitors are invited to enjoy the park with their families and learn something new from the park’s staff.

Programs start at the circle of benches at the end of the second parking lot and may include walks, talks and activities in a beautiful natural setting. The programs, which are based on the park’s natural surroundings, will last about one hour, weather permitting.

No reservations needed except for group use, and the nature programs are free with park admission. Admission is $1 for ages 5-11; $3 for Maine residents ages 12-64; $4.50 for non-residents ages 12-64; $1.50 for non-residents 65 and older.

Children under 5 and Maine residents 65 and older are free.

The upcoming programs include:

Winter in the Woods, Dec. 23: Increase your understanding and appreciation of some of the ways in which plants and animals survive winter.

Plants Alive in a Cold World, Dec. 30: Learn the strategies of the park’s plants for surviving winter.

For more information, or to arrange for group visits, call 865-4465.

Shortened weeks ?at town offices

In celebration of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, the town offices in Pownal and Durham will have adjusted holiday schedules in the coming weeks.

In Pownal, the town office will be closing at 2 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 24, and will be closed all day on Christmas Day, Tuesday, Dec. 25. The office will resume normal hours on Wednesday, Dec. 26 at 8:30 a.m. The following week, the office will cose at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 31, and will remain closed all day on Tuesday, Jan. 1. The office will resume normal hours on Wednesday, Jan. 2 at 8:30 a.m.

The Durham Town Office will be closed all day both Monday, Dec. 24 and Tuesday, Dec. 25. The office is normally closed on Wednesdays, so it will resume normal operation on Thursday, Dec. 27 at 9 a.m. The following week, the Durham offices will close to the public at noon on Monday, Dec. 31 and be closed all day on Tuesday, Jan. 1 and Wednesday, Jan. 2, reopening on Thursday, Jan. 3 at 9 a.m.

In Freeport, the town offices will be closing on Monday, Dec. 24 at 3 p.m. and will be closed all day on Christmas Day. The town offices will be open for normal business hours from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 31 and will be closed on Tuesday, Jan. 1.