First Friday features N.E. Town Duo

The N.E. Town Duo will perform at the next Freeport First Friday event, April 4, starting at 6 p.m. at the Freeport Community Center. The concert is followed by dinner.

N.E. Town is Rob Babson and Sandy Pardee, who have been playing together as members of the Delta Knights Band for 16 years. Several years ago they formed a duet to bring their favorite soul, folk, R&B, blues, swing, and rock to people who shared their love of great songs.

This month’s dinner will be prepared by chef Jennie Gwilym, of Catering to You. She plans a meal of roasted salmon, rice pilaf and asparagus, with brownie sundaes for dessert.

Seating is limited. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 on Friday. Call Kim Hudak, 865-3985, ext. 202, for tickets. Freeport First Fridays are a joint project of MASISTA (Maryellen and Sam In Support of The Arts) and the Freeport Community Services, building community with good food, good music and good neighbors.

First Parish

Church activities

The study group at First Parish Church Congregational, 40 Main St., meets in the parlor on Sundays from 9-9:40 a.m., for lively and wide-ranging discussions. The new topic starting on March 23 is “The nature of human mortality and life after death.”

Also, on Thursday, March 27, the Couples and Singles group is planning a potluck lunch in the dining room at noon. Historian Paul Cunningham will present an illustrated program, “Freeport, Past and Present.” The public is invited. Those attending should bring a casserole or salad.

The church is looking for singers to join the choir. Exceptional singing talent is not required. If interested, contact Brenda at 615-5444.

Book sale

preview April 4

Friends of the Freeport Community Library will host a Friends Preview Night Friday, April 4, from 5-7 p.m., to kick off the library’s annual book sale, which runs from April 5-10.

Those who attend the preview night will have first choice at the selection of books and movies for sale. Anyone who has contributed to Friends of the Freeport Community Library during the past year is eligible to take advantage of the sale preview. Others who would like to shop that night can do so with a $10 donation to the group at the door.

The book sale features a large collection of fiction and nonfiction adult and children’s books, audio books and movies in great condition. Regular hours of the April 5-10 book sale are Saturday, 10 a.m.-p.m.; Monday, 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m.;Tuesday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Wednesday, 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m.; and Thursday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Water quality volunteers needed

Friends of Casco Bay is looking for volunteers who don’t mind getting their hands wet when they monitor water quality at one of 40 sites around the rim of Casco Bay.

Training for new water quality monitors is set for Saturday, April 12. A five-hour session, a hands-on introduction to EPA-certified sampling methods, will be held at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Participants will learn to test for dissolved oxygen, a measure of how much oxygen is available to marine life, as well as water temperature, salinity, water clarity, and pH. Volunteers work in teams to monitor at 7 a.m. and at 3 p.m. on 10 selected Saturdays from April through October. Volunteers must be 16 or older, although parents and children may work together.

For more information, see http://cascobay.org/water-quality-monitoring/ or contact Peter Milholland, citizen stewards coordinator, at pmilholland@cascobay.org, or 799-8574.

Wolfe’s Neck Farm has veggie CSA

During the past two years, Wolfe’s Neck Farm’s Teen Agriculture Program has offered eight local teens the opportunity to spend the growing season cultivating a foundation of skills vital to any small-scale farming operation. In the process of learning to farm sustainably, they have successfully grown and supplied local food pantries with some 10,000 pounds of fresh produce.

To help support this program, as well as give this year’s teens a valuable learning experience in bringing produce to market, the farm is offering a limited number of community supported agriculture, or CSA, shares. Last week, shares were opened to members of the farm and now there are only seven shares left.

Starting in early July, the crew will be harvesting and packing CSA boxes for 12 to 15 weeks of sustainably grown produce. Vegetables will vary with the season. In the early summer there will be beans, greens and roots, continuing with tomatoes, cucumbers and summer squash as the season progresses. In the fall, potatoes, onions and winter squashes will be available.

On Fridays, the teens will spend the morning harvesting fresh produce, which will be available for pickup from 1-3 p.m. Self-serve pickup also can be arranged. Frozen meats and fresh eggs will also be available. The shares will be available until sold out. Visit www.wolfesneckfarm.org/agriculture/vegetable-csa-shares.html.

Health workshops at YMCA

The Casco Bay YMCA, 14 Old South Freeport Road, will host a six-week Living Well For Better Health Workshop, starting next month.

Living Well workshops teach how to better handle pain and fatigue, tips for eating well, fun ways to get and stay active, skills on how to talk to your doctor and family about your health, and much more. Developed at Stanford University School of Medicine, the Living Well workshops are proven to work. The workshops meet for 21?2 hours a week on Tuesdays, April 29-June 10, from 1-3:30 p.m.

To register or learn more about this and other upcoming classes, call Maria DeFabritiis, 396-6583.

Teams launch bottle drive

The Freeport High School baseball and softball teams will hold a bottle drive in Freeport, Pownal and Durham on the morning of April 5. The teams will be going door to door asking for donations. Residents can also leave bottles on front porches in bags marked for the ball teams or they can bring bottles to a trailer that will be at the Freeport High School parking lot from 9 a.m.-noon.

The teams are also selling Sea Dog ticket booklets for $20. Both teams are raising money for bus food for their away games as well as other “extras” like summer ball.

Amnesty club hosting documentary

Freeport High School’s Amnesty International Club is hosting a movie night on Thursday, April 3, in the Freeport Performing Arts Center, 30 Holbrook St., at 7 p.m.

The featured film is journalist Jeremy Scahill’s 2013 documentary, “Dirty Wars,” which was nominated for an Academy Award and is about Scahill’s investigation into U.S. military conduct in the Middle East. Admission is free, and proceeds from refreshments will go to the club to help prevent human rights abuses around the world.

Meditation

time offered

Meditation is a practice of techniques to quiet the mind, still active thoughts and cultivate concentration that leads to a calmer mind, clarity of thoughts, reduced stress and a sense of peace. Weekly meditation groups are offered at Freeport Yoga Co. on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:15-8 p.m. The group provides a quiet and supportive space for connection with others who share an interest in meditation. No previous experience is necessary to attend, and all are welcome. This is a donation-based offering. Register at www.freeportyogaco.com, or email info@freeportyogaco.com, or call 319-3395 for more information.

Town boards looking for members

The Town Council Appointments Committee is looking for people interested in serving on the town’s boards and committees (Appeals, Assessment Review, Coastal Waters, Cable TV, Conservation, Hunter Road Fields, Library, Planning, Project Review, Shellfish, Solid Waste/Recycling, Traffic and Parking and Winslow Park). Vacancies occur throughout the year and the town maintains a reserve list of candidates interested in filling future vacancies.

Those who would like to serve on a committee can fill out an application available on the www.freeportmaine.com, (under Council & Boards/Other Boards & Committees) and return it to the town manager’s office or jhanselman@freeportmaine.com.

K-9 Cassie, trainer making progress

The Freeport Police Department has announced that Officer Matt Moorhouse and K-9 Cassie have been moving through their training quickly and will start their drug training early. The department has decided to train Cassie on drug detection for cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, crack and methamphetamines. The K-9 team has had several successful tracks both in town and in neighboring towns.

Thrift shop seeks volunteers

Freeport Community Services is seeking the help of volunteers in its Thrift Shop and Estate Annex. There are flexible shifts during the week and weekends for anyone who enjoys helping the community. Those interested can call Debbie at 865-3985, ext. 206.

Earth Day bookmarks

Earth Day is April 21. The Freeport Community Library is celebrating by inviting participants to design an Earth Day bookmark that will be used in the Children’s Room of the library. Designs should show what is loved about the earth. Participants will receive a special chocolate thank-you. Designs are due by April 4.

Dance to benefit youth chorale

A dance party with the Time Pilots, for the benefit of Wescustago Youth Chorale, will be held Friday, March 28, from 7-10 p.m., at Harraseeket Inn, Freeport.

There will be a cash bar and raffles that night include “Beer for a Year” donated by Shipyard, tickets to Bobby McFarrin donated by Portland Ovations, and more. Funds raised will support the scholarship fund for singers in the 80-voice auditioned choir, which has members ages 8 to 18 from 12 area towns. For a full listing of raffle items, see www.wescustago.wordpress.com, as well as information about purchasing tickets.

Tickets are $15, and are also available online at Eventbrite.com, or at the door.

Chorale in concert

Wescustago Youth Chorale and the University of Southern Maine Chamber Singers will perform in a joint concert Wednesday, April 2, from 7-8:15 p.m., at Sacred Heart Church, 326 Main St., Yarmouth. Admission is by donation. USM Chamber Singers director is Dr. Robert Russell; Wescustago Youth Chorale directors are Amanda Mahaffey and Lise Dunn. For more information, see www.wescustago.wordpress.com or call Leigh Palmer, 846-0705.

AARP tax prep help

AARP will provide free tax preparation assistance for low- to moderate-income households, with special attention to those 60 years old, through April 9, on Wednesday mornings at the Freeport Community Center. Assistance is available by appointment only. Call 865-4743, ext. 120 to schedule.

YMCA fundraiser next week

The Annual YMCA Adaptive Services Auction will take place on Wednesday, April 2, from 6-9 p.m., at the Hilton Garden Inn, 5 Park St., Freeport.

The event raises money for the Y’s Adaptive Services Program, which enables people who have lost movement through illness or accident to return to as normal a life as possible. The service is open to all regardless of ability to pay. The Adaptive Services program now includes the Livestrong at the YMCA cancer survivorship program. The evening will include a silent and live auction, hors d’oeuvres wine bar and more. Tickets are $40 single, $70 pair, or $45 single, $75 pair at the door the night of the event. Tickets can be purchased at any branch of the Y of Southern Maine or at http://www.ymcaofsouthernmaine.org/casco-bay-ymca/auction.kiii

Upcoming meetings

Freeport Town Council, Tuesday, April 1, 6:30 p.m., Town Council Chambers.

Freeport Planning Board, Wednesday, April 2, 6 p.m., Town Council Chambers.

Sandy Pardee, left, and Bob Babson will perform as the N.E. Town Duo at the next Freeport First Friday. Carol Taylor of Harpswell, Friends of Casco Bay volunteer water quality monitor, measures salinity.