Free Lunch

A free lunch is being offered for kids and teens this summer, weekdays until Aug. 16 (excluding July 4). No application is needed. It will be served at the Gray-New Gloucester High School, 10 Libby Hill Road, from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and at the Liberty Family Foundation, 23 North Raymond Road, from 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

The Summer Food Service Program is supported by the Preble Street Maine Hunger Initiative in partnership with the Liberty Family Foundation and School Administrative District 15. It is sponsored by the SAD 15 School Department Food Service Program.

Archery and Taxidermy

Visit the Maine Wildlife Park, Route 26 in Gray, on Saturday, July 6, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., to join Ron Fournier, certified Firearm and Archery Safety Instructor for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and for the UMaine 4-H Camp and Learning Center in Bryant Pond.

Staff from the UMaine 4-H camp will set up targets, showcase a variety of bows and provide instruction so you and your kids can try your hand at archery. Go to www.umaine.edu/bryantpond for more information.

From July 9-14, the Wildlife Park will have on loan The Final Charge locked moose display. This is a massive, museum quality display showing two huge bull moose with locked antlers, created by taxidermist Mark Dufresne of Nature’s Reflections Taxidermy in Gray. Most often exhibited at the L.L. Bean flagship store in Freeport, this amazing display is on loan for visitors to view and photograph up close.

On the following Saturday, July 13, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Trails End and Avian Taxidermy will be presented. See a variety of examples of this delicate art with local taxidermists Dana Soucier and Tom Berube representing the Maine Association of Taxidermists. Soucier will demonstrate the process of mounting a mammal and Berube will demonstrate how to mount waterfowl, both from start to finish. Go to www.trailsendtaxidermystudio.com or www.tomsavian.com for more information.

Park entry fees apply. To learn more about these programs, call the Maine Wildlife Park at 657-4977; or go to www.mainewildlifepark.com.

Hope Elephants

The Gray Recreation Summer Camps will be holding a Penny Drive for the rehabilitation and educational facility for injured and retired elephants located in Hope, Maine.

Once the drive is complete, the campers will count all the coins and travel to Hope to visit the elephants, learn more about them, and present a check to the nonprofit organization.

Your assistance with this fund-raising effort is welcome and appreciated. Donations jars are at the Henry Pennell Municipal Complex, 24 Main Street in Gray, and at all summer camp locations.

For more information call the Gray Parks and Recreation office at 657-2323, ext. 117.

Church News

Vacation Bible School will be held, Monday, July 8, through Thursday, July 11, from 9 a.m. to noon in the Parish House at the First Congregational Church, Gray, next door to McDonald’s. It is free and open to all children ages 4 to sixth-grade. Donations for snacks will be appreciated. Enjoy fun, games, stories, music, crafts and snacks while you make new friends.

On Friday, July 12, a First Congregational Church family outing will be held at the Maine Wildlife Park (all children must be accompanied by an adult at the park – everyone will be responsible for their own group rate entrance fee – and lunch.

For more information, call 657-4279.

Perfect Longest

Day 5K

The second annual 5K on June 21 had perfect weather and 150 participants (up from 121 last year) and more than 100 spectators. There were more than 25 participants in the fun run at 7 p.m., followed by the main race at 7:15 p.m.

Adam Zukowski finished a close first place at 18:55.4 breaking his own course record of last year (19:15). Kyle Rhoads was a close second at 18:58.4. Laura Campbell finished first in the women’s division at 21:50. Runners ranged in age from 7 to 74.

Fun was had by all with lots of baked goods, camaraderie and a celebration of the longest evening of the year. Thanks to everyone, Libby Hill Trails raised funds that will help pay for trail maintenance and other trail projects.

Full race results are available at www.libbyhill.org.

Holiday Schedule

On Independence Day, July 4, the Gray Town Office, Public Library and Transfer Station will be closed.

Out to Supper

The American Legion Auxiliary Post No. 86 Gray will hold its monthly Bean Supper at 15 Lewiston Road on Saturday, July 6, from 5-6 p.m. On the menu are pea and kidney beans, chop suey, cole slaw, hot dogs, breads and dessert. The meal costs $8, $15 per couple over 12 years of age; $2.50 for 5- to 12-year-olds; children under 5 are free. Any questions, call Nancy True at 657-2661 (cell 653-3886) or the Legion hall at 657-4884.

Open House

The Gray Public Library will hold an open house on Saturday, July 13, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the library to explain the current expansion program, which was approved by voters last November.

The project involves nearly doubling the available space in the library, adding meeting rooms, enlarging the Children’s Area and Young Adult Room, increasing the efficiency of heating and air conditioning, improving lighting and creating an Adult Reading Room. The cost will be $1.5 million or less.

All are invited, and refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Ray Clark, chairman of the Trustees of the Gray Public Library, at 657-5886.

New Director

The Gray Public Library is pleased to welcome new director Joshua Tiffany. A native Mainer who returned home in 2005, Joshua comes from the Scarborough Public Library where he was Head of Circulation. He has worked in public and academic libraries since 2001 with stints at Providence Public Library, Brown University Library, Portland Public Library, and South Portland Public Library. He received his MLIS from San Jose State University in 2011.

Joshua is very eager to meet the new community so please stop by and say “hello.”

Veteran’s Meet

The July get-together of the Southern Maine Squadron of the Sampson AFB Veterans Association will be at noontime, July 11, at The Dolphin Marina, 515 Basin Road, Harpswell.

This is an informal get-together, for lunch, of veterans who survived basic training at Sampson AFB, their wives/companions/guests. Sampson was known as Sampson Naval training center 1942-1945, then Sampson Air Force Base 1950-1956.

All Veterans are welcome to join. Contact Bob Sawyer at 657-4909 or Roy Tassinari at 784-5691 or 833-6324 with questions.