Nomination Papers Available

If you have ever considered being more involved in the town, now is your chance. The June elections will be here before you know it, and nomination papers for several boards and committees will be available at the Town Clerk’s Office beginning March 17, with a filing deadline of April 28, at 4:30 p.m. You do not need to have experience, just a passion for wanting to be involved.

The Town Council has three seats open this year; Area 2, Area 4 and the At-Large seat which all expire in 2017. The Budget Committee has three At-Large seats open, one that expires in 2016 and two seats that expire in 2017. The Planning Board has a whopping six out of seven available seats open this term; Area 1, Area 2, Area 3, Area 4 and two At-Large seats. Lastly, there is one MSAD 6 Director At-Large position open with a term to expire in 2017.

For more information call Mary Chapman at 642-4678 or email her at mchapman@standish.org. You can also pick up your application at the Standish Municipal Office, 175 Northeast Road.

Bee Talk and Perennials

The Wildridge Garden Club is excited to host Alison C. Dibble, Ph.D., a conservation biologist and pollination ecologist from the University of Maine, Orono, who will be speaking about bees and their importance to us on April 8 at 7 p.m. (weather date April 15) at the Standish Town Hall. Her talk will feature a summary of the 270 species of native bees in Maine, their importance as pollinators, and recognition of their potential role in crop pollination given the decline of the introduced honeybee due to Colony Collapse Disorder.

She will offer practical tips on how to enhance bee habitats in the home garden and around the farm, and where to look for more resources. She will emphasize bumble bees, which are easy to recognize and are starting to fly in early April. This event is free and open to the public. Please note that Dr. Dibble is driving down from Blue Hill, so if the weather is bad the event will be planned for the following Tuesday, April 15.

On Saturday, May 17, the Wildridge Garden Club will be holding its annual plant sale at George E. Jack school. It starts at 8 a.m. and runs through noon. In the past, they have sold out before noon, so the early birds will find the best selection of perennials and a few other items dug from members’ own gardens. Advice is free and the plants are priced reasonably.

Save the date of June 14 for a trip to the Maine Botanical Gardens with Wildridge Garden Club and Standish Recreation. This trip will be open to the public. Please “stay tuned” for more information.

The Wildridge Garden Club is a nonprofit organization with the objective of promoting gardening. They have monthly meetings with various speakers scheduled throughout the year. For information about any of these events, or to learn how you can get involved with the garden club, please call Sandy Truslow at 642-3658.

Spring Rec Programs

Linda Brooks and her faithful sidekick Marcy Parmenter in the Standish Recreation Department are always working to bring you quality programs at very affordable prices. What’s happening this spring? They are accepting registrations for the 2014 Summer Camp; all new adult yoga classes (Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m., begins April 1); expanded adult Zumba classes (Mondays, 5 p.m and Thursdays, 6 p.m., begins March 24); Tumble Tots (Tuesday and Thursday mornings, 8:45 a.m., begins April 1) and Mad Science “Sensational Science” (Wednesdays, 3:30 p.m., begins April 2).

Mark your calendars now for the following events: The annual Standish Recreation Breakfast with the Easter Bunny and the Lions Club Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 12, at the Standish Municipal Center; breakfast will be served from 8-10 a.m. with the egg hunt taking place from 9-11 a.m.; April vacation camp will be held April 22-25 at the George E. Jack School for grades K-6; and the grand opening of the Johnson Field Playground will be celebrated on Saturday, May 3, at 4 p.m. with dinner, a fire and a DJ. Fun for all!

‘Fiddler’ Auditions

Auditions for the musical “Fiddler on the Roof” will be held at Schoolhouse Arts Center on Sunday, April 13, and Monday, April 14, from 6-8:30 p.m. Please bring sheet music and come prepared to sing a Broadway-type song. An accompanist will be provided. Bruce Avery will be directing “Fiddler on the Roof” at Schoolhouse Arts Center and performances will be held from July 3-27. Schoolhouse Arts Center is located at 16 Richville Road (Route 114) in Standish, just north of the intersection of Route 114 and Route 35. For more information, contact Schoolhouse Arts Center at schoolhousearts@gmail.com or 642-3743.

Building Fund

The Standish Historical Society has set up a building fund to raise enough money to purchase additional space to house its growing collection. They have outgrown their second-floor museum space at the Old Red Church and have actively been searching for additional space during the past two years. If you have had the opportunity to visit the second-floor space at the church, you know that it is not handicapped accessible or heated so it is not available to the public, researchers or archivists for most of the year. If you would like to donate send donations to the following address: Standish Historical Society, P.O. Box 228, Standish, Maine 04084. For more information, call 642-5170, email standishhistoricalsociety@gmail.com or visit oldredchurch.org.

This outstanding group of student athletes recently attended the Southwestern Maine Activities Association’s (SMAA) Leadership Summit held in Scarborough. From left, are Kelsey Parkin, Elizabeth Bushey, Shayla Farley, Kialeigh Marston, Ed Maxwell, Max Salevsky, Jessie Ray, Zach Dubiel, Ben Malloy and Antonio Bruni.