My daughter told me there was one week left until fall is here, but she didn’t have to tell me. I could tell by the cooler days and nights, the fewer bugs and fewer tourists. I’ve said it before, but September is really the very best month of the year in Maine. Last week, we had a 95 degree day, perfect for those who needed that last beach day under their belt.

Grow Your Own

Thanks this year to Crosswalk board president Nancy Vose, members of the Songo Garden Club, and master gardener Pat Griffin for successfully taking 14 Lake Region families from soil preparation to harvest.

Each family got their own garden bed behind the Naples Town Hall and was taught about composting, soil preparations, pest control and how to have a bountiful harvest. Hundreds of pounds of food were gleaned for their families from their work.

The grant that was received for this work will also help these families and five more Lakes Region families to learn about how to preserve their food. These classes will be taught by an educator from USM Cooperative Extension. Next year, Crosswalk will teach 14 more families about these same lessons on how to provide for their families and they will also expand their garden bed project at Brookhollow Apartments. This was the first year and they look forward to moving ahead to teach more and more people about how to grow their own food and thereby provide more local families access to healthy local food year-round.

Crafters Wanted

The Hollyberry Christmas Craft Show on Nov. 2 is quickly approaching. The event is looking for new and interesting crafts and products. Fee is only $35 for a space and $10 extra for the table if you do not have one. All proceeds benefit LRHS Project Graduation 2014. The registration deadline for craft vendors is Oct. 5. For more information, contact Rachel Legere at 595-5135 or r.legere@hotmail.com.

Waiting Patiently

The first laptop training session for parents and students of School Adminstrative District 61 middle and high school students was packed. Obviously there is much anticipation and excitement about the new 11-inch MacBook Air laptops the students will receive. Perhaps the excitement is even more palpable because there has been a delay in the disbursement of the computers. The cases have yet to arrive, and the tech team, rightly so, will not give them out without the protective cases. They are due in this week, so let’s hope they come in on time. I can’t wait to check it out and I’m sure that is the case with the students, too, pun intended!

Awana Program

Cornerstone Gospel Church in Naples on Route 114 is starting an afterschool program for kids ages K through Grade 5 on Sept. 27 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. The program has been described to be similar to Vacation Bible School, but year-round. It will run every Friday. For more information, contact the church.

New Town Secretary

Stop by the Naples Town Office and introduce yourself to our new town secretary, Kate Matthews. The position was most recently held by Harriet Condon, who has moved over to the bookkeeping position.

Brew Fest

It’s one of the biggest local events and it’s coming soon. The 10th Annual Maine Lakes Brewfest is Saturday, Sept. 28, at Point Sebago Resort from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. There will be 30-plus brewers and vintners, lots of local food vendors, and two live bands. The event is held under a huge tent and will proceed rain or shine. Tickets are available online at www.mainelakesbrewfest.com. For more information, contact the event sponsor, the Greater Bridgton Chamber of Commerce, at 647-3472.

Public Safety Day

Always held the last Saturday in September, this year’s event, sponsored by the Casco Fire and Rescue, will be held Saturday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Head down to the Central Station, located at 637 Meadow Road in Casco, to enjoy the many scheduled activities, including monster fire truck rides, an ATV safety course, a smoke trailer, and more. There will also be an opportunity to donate blood at the event.

Local Soldiers Deployed

Members of the 133rd Army National Guard are being deployed to Afghanistan, including several soldiers from the Lakes Region Area including Adam Davis, son of Lake Region High School Teacher Linda Davis. There was a big farewell ceremony at the Portland Expo on Aug. 10 with Gov. Paul LePage and Sen. Susan Collins among the officials in attendance. The soldiers were sent down to Mississippi before leaving for Afghanistan sometime in September. The soldiers will be given a four-day pass to say goodbye to loved ones before heading out.

Congrats!

Congratulations to Jimmy Allen and his wife, Cynthia Bianco, owners of Cap’t Jacks Restaurant and Naples Marina, who are celebrating their sixth year of marriage. The couple got married at Camp Takajo in Naples.