Out to Eat

A public supper featuring baked beans, casseroles, salads, homemade breads, desserts and beverages will be on Saturday, Jan. 24. The meal will be at the First Congregational Church, Route 115, in Gray starting at 5 p.m. Cost for adults is $8, children under 12 are $4. The venue is handicapped accessible. Contact 657-4279, day of supper 657-3279.

Cold Fish

The Crystal Lake Ice Fishing Derby, presented by Liberty Family Foundation, will be on Saturday, Jan. 31, at Camp Gregory, 24 North Raymond Road, Gray. The primary mission of the Crystal Lake Ice Fishing Derby is to support Maine military families, Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and community schools.

The 2015 derby promises to be filled with fun, family, and prizes galore and a chance to win a new Ford truck. There will be an All Ages Derby (6 a.m. – 2 p.m.), Kids Derby (7 a.m. – 2 p.m.), Kid Zone with sliding hill, dog sled rides, bonfire area (complete with hot cocoa and cider, music), horsedrawn hay rides, ice skating rink and snowshoes for use, Yellow Ribbon Tent, Patriotic Ice Shanty Competition and Polar Plunge that will benefit the Doyle family from New Gloucester. Baby Carter Doyle is currently fighting an unknown illness at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

You can purchase tickets at L.L. Bean, Freeport; Dag’s Bait and Tackle, Auburn; Gray True Value; Pat’s Pizza, Windham, and American Legion Post No. 86 in Gray.

In the event of unsafe ice conditions, an alternate date of Feb. 28 has been reserved. For more information, go to www.crystallakederby.com.

Aaarg

Discount Portland Pirates tickets are available now. Help Support Gray Recreation Department, $3 of each ticket sold goes toward a scholarship fund.

Open gym for basketball – Moms, dads here is your opportunity to practice basketball with your children. Children must be between the ages of 5 and 10 years of age. Wednesdays from 5:45 to 7 p.m. at Newbegin Gym. Fee: $2 per person.

For more information, contact 657-2323 or www.grayrec.com.

Movie Time

Movies in the Gray Public Library “theater” are free and open to all. Here are some scheduled movie show times. Saturday, Jan. 17, at 1 p.m., “Dolphin Tale 2” (PG); Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 6:30 p.m., “Get On Up: The James Brown Story” (PG-13); Thursday, Jan. 22, at 2 p.m., “The Good Lie” (PG-13); Saturday, Jan. 24, at 1 p.m., “The Boxtrolls” (PG); Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 6:30 p.m., “Lucy” (R).

For more information, call 657-4110.

Dancers Bring ‘Nutcracker’ To Local Schools

Studio for the Living Arts Dance Complex in Gray has been committed to providing arts experiences and arts education to area dancers for the past 22 years. Each December a cast of more than 100 dancers age 6-adult perform in the studio’s production of “The Nutcracker.” The cast is made up of students from the school as well as local dancers who audition for parts in the ballet.

“The Nutcracker “ is a holiday classic of a young girl named Clara who is given a gift (a nutcracker) and later that evening dreams of encounters with mice and soldiers in a battle. Her nutcracker turns into a prince and they journey through the Kingdom of Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets.

Last month the studio’s dancers visited the Dunn Elementary School in New Gloucester to share the Nutcracker story and perform excerpts from the show. Following the presentation, some dancers returned with students to the classrooms for a question-and-answer period.

Each year the studio hopes to expand their area school presentations to share this wonderful holiday classic.

For more information about the studio and its offerings, visit online at www.studioforthelivingarts.com.

Anyone for Bridge?

Come play bridge. Beginners welcome starting on Friday, Jan. 23, at Pennell on the second floor, from 6-8 p.m. $5 per couple/per night, includes a beverage and snack.

Doggie Deadline

All dogs aged 6 months or older must be registered by Dec. 31 each year. If the dog(s) is no longer in your possession, please contact the Town Office at 657-3339, ext. 108. Please bring your dog’s current rabies certificate with you at the time of registration. Fees for neutered/spayed dogs are $6 per year. Non-neutered/non-spayed dogs are $11 per year. A $25 per dog late fee will be charged after Jan. 31.

Volunteer Awards

The Town of Gray Annual Volunteer Recognition Reception was held on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at Spring Meadows Country Club. 2014 recipients were: Donnie Carroll, Lifetime Achievement Award; Jason Wilson, Evelyn Morrill Durgin Award; Shad Hall, Volunteer of the Year; Library Expansion Committee, Committee of the Year; Little Sebago Lake Association, Organization of the Year. Thanks to all, your efforts are greatly appreciated.

Members Sought

The School Administrative District 15 Board of Directors is seeking community volunteers to serve on a Gray-New Gloucester Capital Improvement Committee. An electronic application form is now available for interested residents on the SAD 15 website, www.msad15.org. Additional applications may be obtained at the Superintendent’s Office at 14 Shaker Road in Gray or by calling 657-3335.

Holiday Closures

Municipal offices are closed on Martin Luther King Day, Monday, Jan. 19. These include the town office, transfer station, public works and library.

We’re Accredited

At its October meeting, the Committee on Public Secondary Schools reviewed the decennial evaluation report from the spring visit to Gray-New Gloucester High School, and voted unanimously to award the school continued accreditation in the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

This is a difficult and challenging process as schools must take time to carefully review and examine their strengths and needs to improve learning for their students.

Eric Klein, principal of the Gray-New Gloucester High School says, “I am exceptionally proud of the students, staff, and community of Gray-New Gloucester High School for their unbelievable efforts to complete the NEASC Accreditation process. This represents almost 10 years of work to make GNGHS one of the best schools in the state, reflected by the committee’s recent report and 32 commendations which acknowledge MSAD 15’s commitment to our students’ education.”

“The eight recommendations are likewise noteworthy, for they represent areas of continuous improvement where we can further support our students. Many of them are already part of our strategic plan as we continue our work to develop a proficiency-based diploma that will meet the needs of our students in the 21st Century.”

“I would like to once again thank the students, parents, and staff of the entire district for their support during the past two years of the NEASC accreditation process.”

Dancers from Gray-based Studio for the Living Arts recently performed for 300 elementary students at Dunn School in New Gloucester.Courtesy photoDancers from Gray-based Studio for the Living Arts perform excerpts from the Nutcracker “Waltz of the Flowers” at the Dunn School in New Gloucester. Courtesy photo