Happy Spring

Hallelujah. I remain skeptical that this cold won’t still be here through April, but at least it is a ray of sunshine amidst piles of dirty, demoralizing snow. I imagine all the flower bulbs below, bursting with energy and just waiting for Mother Nature’s starting gun to go off. They’ll be busting out all over, and I have a feeling that once we finally get a thaw spring will be upon us fast and furious. Let’s hope…

Big Night

On a warm, wet spring night very soon Mother Nature will treat us to one of the highlights of spring in Maine, and the Lakes Environmental Association is offering you the chance to participate.

We are not the only creatures waiting for the thaw this spring. Many of our amphibious friends have spent winter burrowed underground, barely breathing, waiting for the warmer days of April to coax them from their subterranean slumber.

As anyone who has a vernal pool on their land can tell you, the diversity of life in and around them is astounding. Tree frogs, spotted salamanders, dragonflies, even the tiniest fairy shrimp all depend on these rich wetlands, and April’s warm nights signal to them that it is time to mate.

After the thaw, on a night when temperatures settle into the 40s and a light rain falls, tens of thousands of frogs and salamanders crawl from the woods. They slither and clamor en masse to the closest vernal pool for a “big night” of frenzied breeding, and many of them must cross dangerous roadways to reach it. This is where humans come in…

You might have seen volunteers in years past, standing by the roadside in the rain with flashlights and wondered what they could possibly be doing. We can never know the exact date of this yearly bacchanal since all the conditions must be perfect, but we do know that it will be sometime in April. Big Night is a thrilling natural event, and a wonderful way to introduce your children to the cycles of life. It is also a selfless act of kindness, because it only occurs on a cool, drizzly night and you will be getting wet. But it is a truly special night to be a part of, as hundreds of other nature lovers brave the chill to help these creatures cross the road and procreate.

The LEA will host its annual Big Night Road Watches during the month of April. Staffers will hold Big Night Training Workshops on Thursday, March 27, at 7 p.m. at the LEA Lakes Center, 230 Main St. in Bridgton.

These workshops help prepare volunteers for the actual Big Night experience. Attendance at a Big Night Road Watch Training is strongly suggested for all new participants.

This program is part of the Caplan Family Environmental Education Series at LEA, sponsored by Hu and Ray Caplan and their family. For more information on this and other programs in this series, call 647-8580 or visit the LEA website at www.mainelakes.org.

After Party

The Bridgton/Lake Region Chamber of Commerce is a great resource for small businesses in the area, and they also throw fun parties. You are invited to join members at this month’s After Hours, which is a mix-and-mingle with other locals.

Carmen Lone and the crew at the Bridgton Community Center are hosting, and the party starts at 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 27. Everyone is welcome, and the Chamber does not conduct formal business at these events. Just come out and have fun.

Hale and Hearty

We are lucky to have a local health-care system dedicated to community outreach. Bridgton Hospital is hosting two educational programs this spring, and invites the public to participate.

“Pump It Up” is a series focusing on heart failure, and runs from April 24 through May 8. The free classes will be on Thursdays from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Hospital’s Conference Room, and will address symptoms and solutions to issues related to this disease. Pre-registration is suggested but not required.

The hospital is also hosting the series “Inspiration Living with COPD” on Thursday, April 10, and Friday, April 18, from 3-5 p.m. Qualified specialists will help sufferers learn treatment options and lifestyle changes that can help control symptoms. Again, pre-registration is not required but is suggested. Please call RNs June Inman or Nancy Murphy at 647-6050 for more information and to register for either seminar.

‘Listen’ to Shannon

Congratulations to Oxford Hills junior Shannon Fillebrown for winning this year’s Lake Region’s Got Talent contest at the Magic Lantern. Fillebrown wowed the crowd with her soaring rendition of Beyonce’s “Listen” and was rewarded with a $300 cash prize, a modeling and talent consultation, a photo shoot, spa package and flowers. Runners-up were the Orphan Girls, and third place went to Christian Martin. Also, winners in this annual contest are the actors from Lake Region Community Theater, who reaped $2,000 from the fundraiser. They will use proceeds to stage this summer’s production of “Annie.”

‘IC’ Update

If spring seems to be taking its sweet time getting here this year, you aren’t alone. For some perspective: Ice went out on Moose Pond on March 23 in 2012, while in 2014 there is still 30 inches of ice covering the inlet. Bad news for ice fishermen using hand-cranked augurs, but good news for people playing the Ice Out game.

The snowman still stands sentinel on the Moose Pond Causeway, and you can buy tickets through March to guess when he’ll lose his footing and succumb to spring’s slow but steady onslaught. Ice Out is one of the BCC’s biggest annual fundraisers, with proceeds going to support community projects year-round. The ice is officially out when IC’s sensor falls into the pond, and whoever guesses the correct date wins half of the total 50/50. Tickets are available all over town at Hayes True Value, Black Horse Tavern, Campfire Grille, the Chamber of Commerce and the Community Center. The deadline for entries is April 1st at midnight. Get your tickets soon though, because spring is fickle and a few hot days could spell the end of IC’s winter reign.

The Greater Bridgton Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce welcomes new office manager Rée Gonzalez to town. Rée lives in Naples and has worked with the Maine Civil Liberties Union and for the LGBT Community Center in New York City. She is a Big Sister volunteer, a host for the Fresh Air Fund and an animal activist.Courtesy photo