Library celebrating jazz, poetry

National Jazz and Poetry month will be celebrated on Friday, April 26 at 7 p.m., at the Freeport Community Library.

Live jazz will be performed by vocalist Nancy Bowker, harmonica virtuoso Thom Hanes, and British guitarist Jamie Pearson, accompanied on piano by Wren Pearson. Poetry readings by Maine poets Gary Lawless and Terry Grasse will follow with Merriconeag student Skyler Samuelson, who competed in last month’s statewide Poetry Outloud contest. A uniquely composed duet will be performed by poet/thespian Pam Blake and daughter Robin Jellis, a professional cellist and Portland Conservatory of Music professor. The evening will wrap up with an open-mic opportunity for audience members to share a poem. A light buffet is included and admission is free.

Benefit yard sale April 27

There will be a yard sale on Saturday, April 27 from 9 a.m. – noon at the Freeport Middle School Gym, 19 Kendall Lane to benefit the sixth grade Space Camp trip in Huntsville, AL. Items for sale include toys, clothing, furniture, tools, household items, books and more. Tables are available to rent for $25.

Grange hosting

bean supper

There will be a public baked bean supper on Saturday, April 27, from 5 -6 p.m., at the Harraseeket Grange No. 9, 13 Elm St., Freeport. The supper is all you can eat, with three kinds of home-baked beans, hot dogs, biscuits, brown bread, potato salad, pasta salad, cole slaw, pies and beverages. Adults eat for $7, children under 10, $3 and children under 3 eat for free.

For more information, call 865-3363 or email nrc6@comcast.net .

Port Teen Center

raises $10,000

The Port Teen Center’s Sitting Pretty Auction raised more than $10,000 to support local youth. They expressed their thanks to the community, artists and local businesses that sponsored the auction in its fifth year.

Posted roads reopen

On March 8, the town had posted certain town roads to limit heavy loads. Those roads are reopened as of April 17. For information or questions, contact the public works department at 865-4461.

Kids sought for boatbuilding project

Freeport Historical Society and Compass Project are looking for eight to 10 Freeport-area kids, 12 years or older, to spend a week building a replica of a skiff that was used as a work boat at Pettengill Farm. The plan is to use photo documentation from Mildred Pettengill to guide the skiff’s size and lines and use as much lumber as possible from Pettengill Farm.

The historical society also is looking for donors to contribute to this project. All donors will have their names on a plaque on the skiff and will be invited to the launching party, which includes a “maiden voyage.” For more information, contact Christina White, director of the Freeport Historical Society, at 865-3170. Tax-deductable donations can be made online at www.freeporthistoricalsociety.org or can be sent to 45 Main St. Freeport, ME 04032.

Local store moving, changing name

Freeport Knife & Kitchenware has moved after 22 years to a new location on the corner of Bow and Depot streets. Along with the relocation, is a name change – the store is now called Casco Bay Cutlery & Kitchenware.

Decorate a chocolate umbrella

Wilbur’s Chocolate Factory, 174 Lower Main St., invites people to decorate a molded chocolate umbrella with candies and chocolate, Saturday, April 20 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The cost is $5 per umbrella. Call 865-4071 for more information.

Monthly tea

tasting on May 1

Jacqueline’s Tea Room, 201 Main St., is hosting a free monthly tea tasting on May 1 from 6-7 p.m. There will be five varieties of tea to sample. The gift shop will be open and 100 varieties of tea will be for sale. For more information, call 865-2123 or visit www.jacquelinestearoom.com .

Beacon Hospice

needs volunteers

Beacon Hospice needs volunteers to visit patients and families in the Freeport, Brunswick and Bath areas. The organization is about to begin their spring hospice volunteer training, a seven-week free training course to prepare those interested in visiting terminally ill patients and their families living at home or in facilities. Time and location of training is flexible and built around the needs of the volunteer. References, a background check and medical screenings are required. Contact Donna Teague, Volunteer Coordinator at 772-0929 for more information and an application.

Compost bin giveaway

The town of Freeport is offering a free compost bin to 10 Freeport residents on a first-come first-served basis who have never successfully composted. In exchange for the free compost bin, residents must agree to attend a Recycling Committee meeting on Oct. 23 to share their stories of success and/or challenges with committee members. It will be an informal meeting with refreshments provided.

Instruction on composting is available by contacting Suzanne Duplissis, recycling center manager and master gardener. Sign-up forms are available at town hall or at the recycling center. Submit the completed form in person at the recycling center on Hedgehog Mountain Road or mail it to Recycling Center, Town of Freeport, 30 Main St., Freeport, ME 04032.

‘Cinderella’ continues this week

The Freeport Family Performing Arts is presenting “Cinderella, The Story You Never Knew,” directed by Tim Ryan and Jake Junkins, at the Freeport Performing Arts Center on Holbrook Street. The Pumpkin Cast performs April 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m., April 20 at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and April 21 at 2 p.m. The April 18 show is pay-as-you-go night. Tickets are $5 for 12 and under, $10 for adults or $25 per family. Visit freeportfpa.com for more information.

Women’s Club

meeting April 19

The Freeport Women’s Club will meet on Friday, April 19 at 1 p.m. at the Freeport Community Library. Dr. Ed Corbitt, horticulture professor at Senior College, University of Maine, will speak on “Plant Explorations in India and South Korea.” Refreshments will follow the program and visitors are welcome.

Community Night scheduled

The Freeport Community Center will host Community Night on Thursday, April 25, at 6:30 p.m. for a community discussion and opportunity to share thoughts and ideas. Community Night is a tradition begun in the 1970s to create a forum for residents to express concerns and bring change. There will be snacks and socializing from 6:30-7 p.m., followed by a discussion of programs that support the community and help identify what is lacking. Moderator is Lesa Andreason. For more information, see www.fcsmaine.org.

Theater of Awesome presents comedy

The Freeport Theater of Awesome presents “The Early Evening Show,” a blend of wild improvisations, comic sketches, upbeat music and spectacular finales, at its theater at 5 Depot St., on April 19, 20, 26, 27 at 7:30 p.m. For tickets and information, go to www.awesometheater.com.

Shellfish license renewals due

Commercial shellfish license renewals must be submitted to the Town Clerk’s office no later than the last business day in April. The renewal license fees are: Resident Commercial $200, Non-Resident Commercial $400, Resident Student Commercial $25, and Non-Resident Student Commercial $50. There is a water testing surcharge of $30 per license. The application must be accompanied by payment of 50 percent of the required license fee. The remainder of the fee must be paid no later than the last business day in May. To be eligible to purchase a renewal license, a person must have been licensed the previous year and must have completed conservation work as determined by the Shellfish Conservation Commission. For more information, go to www.freeportmaine.com.