As I wrote in my last column, there are several initiatives and citizen referendums on the upcoming ballot that are inspiring much local debate. Unless you never leave your house or read a newspaper, you have surely heard about the proposed cellular tower off of Hio Ridge Road and the vote whether to save or rebuild the Old Town Hall. There are also other ballot issues on the table, and races for Selectman and School Board.

As with any municipal or national issue, you can complain about it all you want but the only way to make your voice really heard is to vote (or run for office, but that’s for another column.) These issues will impact the future of Bridgton, so please read up on the facts, decide for yourself, and come to the aforementioned Town Hall to cast your vote on Tuesday, June 10. I am staying neutral for the sake of journalistic propriety, but I will be there as a voting registrar, so stop by and say hi. Just don’t ask me my opinion about any of the issues, because I can’t talk about it there!

Help for Hunger

Preaching to the heathens is one thing, but actions speak louder than words. True Christian love is expressed by how we treat the less fortunate among us, and a local church is practicing what they preach.

The Lake Region Vineyard Church is holding a Food Ministry Distribution on Sunday, June 1, from 1-3 p.m. at 402 Main St., near the lower ball fields. Meals will be available to eat there or take home, and they will have bags and boxed foods as well. Everyone is welcome to attend, and all of the food is free. FMI call Dana Masters at 831-0737.

Glow For It

It is a clever name for a 5K, and a sight to see. Last year’s inaugural sunset race for North Bridgton’s library had runners bedecked in head-to-toe glow in the dark paint and dressed as butterflies, fairies and unicorns.

This family-friendly event will be held on Aug. 9 this year and also includes a one-mile walk and an “After Glow” party with a DJ and dancing. Early bird registration runs through June 1, and for only $20 racers receive a T-shirt, glow jewelry and free entry to the party. One lucky team will get free entry, and the largest team wins prizes and a trophy. This is a unique road race that supports a lovely little library, and your support is always appreciated. Check out the website www.glowforit.org for more info.

Love in Lovell

Grab your sweetheart and head to the hills for a night of spirited singing as the Valley’s local ensemble, Da Capo, brings their new show, “Seasons of Love,” to the Brick Church for the Performing Arts in Lovell.

On Sunday, June 1, they debut their tribute to all your favorite summer-themed love songs from pop, jazz, patriotic, Motown, and Broadway genres. Expect music from such masters as Cole Porter, the Temptations, Journey, and Foreigner. The show starts at 4 p.m., and the Brick Church is located on Christian Hill Road in Lovell. Tickets (at the door) will be $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under. For more information, call 207-925-1500 or go to www.lovellbrickchurch.org.

Sunshine For the Soul

We wait for the sunny days of summer all year, to warm our skin and soothe our soul. How nice to peel off the layers, both literally and figuratively, and let our bodies and minds exhale after hibernating for months.

“Tai Chi in the Park” is a summer tradition in Denmark, and dozens of devotees meet at the Route 160 Bicentennial Park every Monday from 9-10:30 a.m. throughout summer. It is a beautiful sight to see the graceful, fluid movements of the ancient art being practiced by all ages at the head of Moose Pond. It is free and open to everyone. This season’s series kicks off on Monday, June 2, from 9-10:30 a.m. In case of rain they meet in the Denmark Arts Center. For more information, call 452-2239 or check out www.taichiinmaine.com.

Gilroy Gardens

You might have noticed that the empty lot beside the Post Office has recently been staked off, and a fresh load of compost delivered. This is the beginning of another great project by the Gilroy Trust, a local charitable trust founded by the late Wardner and Frederika Gilroy and administered by Glenn and Leslie Niemy.

The Trust was also instrumental in upgrading the raised beds at the Bridgton Community Gardens last summer, adding 26 new plots to the project and doubling the growing space there. This new initiative hopes to not only provide fresh, organic produce to local families and food pantries, but the veggies will be grown by local teens, teaching them valuable lessons in planting, nurturing and harvesting healthy, sustainable agriculture.

As a resident of the neighborhood and a frequent walker, I am personally thrilled and grateful to Glenn and Leslie for all the effort they are putting into improving the greenspaces in Bridgton, whether they are huge farms or postage-sized like this one. It will be exciting to see how much can be produced on this small plot, while bringing a spot of sunny color to a formerly bland side street.

Garden Plots

What do local food pantries, happy pollinators and healthy eating have in common? They all benefit from the Bridgton Community Garden. The community gardens at the BCC added 26 new raised beds for 2013 summer season, and everyone is invited to get their hands dirty!

For several years the Community Center has partnered with Landmark Human Resources to grow vegetables and herbs in the Center’s Depot Street garden, providing healthy meals for the clients of both nonprofit organizations. The prolific gardens have also yielded thousands of pounds of fresh, free produce donated to the Bridgton Food Pantry. With the success of this project, and lots of sunny space still available, the BCC and local volunteers have worked to double the garden size and open the new beds to the public.

Community Garden members will be provided with seedlings and support through a variety of informational gardening and food preparation classes, and are invited to monthly garden parties and potlucks at the BCC.

Gardening will begin in June, with a kickoff planting party on Sunday, June 8. Each raised bed costs $25, which supports the expenses of maintaining the garden and includes compost and loam, seedlings, water and ongoing classes and support. Applications are available at the Community Center, and checks should be made payable to the BCC. To reserve a spot, call Carmen Lone at 657-3116. Several beds will be available on a needs-based level, so if you have a financial hardship please feel free to join us anyway.

Hayton featured at Gallery 302

Gallery 302 in Bridgton will honor one of its longtime members, Polly Hayton, the week of June 1-6.

Hayton, who died a few months ago, was a realistic painter of the New England scene. She focused on watercolors of landscapes, seascapes and architectural subjects.

Hayton worked for more than 45 years as an art teacher of both children and adults. She exhibited her work in Massachusetts, Maine and Florida and won many awards for her watercolors. Polly was a member of the Framingham Artists’ Guild, the Northshore Art Association, the Island Watercolor Society in Leesburg, Fla., and the Bridgton Art Guild.

Hayton’s watercolors will be on special display the first week in June and she will be honored at the Gallery’s reception Friday, June 6, from 5-7 p.m. Her family will generously donate all proceeds from the sale of her work to the Bridgton Art Guild. Gallery 302 is located at 112 Main Street in Bridgton. For more information, call 647-2787 or visit gallery302.com.

Local artist Janet Montgomery’s rendering of the new Gilroy Garden beside the Post Office shows a vibrant community space in full bloom. The Greater Bridgton Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce held its Annual Dinner Auction on Thursday, May 15, at Bridgton Academy. Members and friends came out to bid on the silent auction as well as the live auction items. Games, dinner and fun was had by all.