Time to Say Goodbye

This is my final Inside Bridgton column, and I would like to extend a sincere thank-you to all of the readers who have followed me since 2007. It is bittersweet as I love Bridgton and the staff at Lakes Region Weekly, but it is time to put down the pen. My bar, the Depot Street Tap House, is thriving and with summer looming I just don’t have the time to give the column the attention it deserves. I began my journey with Current Publishing in 2005 with my column “Dispatches From New Orleans,” reporting on the five months I spent in the Lower Ninth Ward after Hurricane Katrina. Then-editor David Harry championed my story and gave me free rein to tell our readers about the devastation first hand. When I came home he created this column for me, and I have been contributing ever since. David, Ben Bragdon and John Balentine have been great editors to work with and I am proud of the Lakes Region Weekly’s focus on supporting the diverse communities in southern Maine.

Much positive momentum is building in Bridgton, and it would not be possible without the vision of our town planners and amazing volunteers. Whether you are a longtime local or a summer resident, I hope you agree that we have a very special town here. It is geographically gorgeous, architecturally significant and filled with wonderful people who truly love it. I am so excited by the direction it is headed, with the downtown revitalization, relocation of the Rufus Porter Museum, and rebounding property values. Please continue to join me as we welcome our summer friends and mount many exciting events including the Village Folk Festival, Shawnee Peak Bluegrass and BikeMaine. Here’s to a sunny summer and a bright future for Bridgton. I’ll see you around town!

Ole!

Local bar and restaurant owners are hosting their first bar crawl of the year on Cinco de Mayo. Join the Tap House, Campfire Grille, Black Horse Tavern, BHOP, Beef n’ Ski and Standard Gastropub on Tuesday, May 5, for a night of carousing and cervezas.

After raising more than $5,000 for the Bridgton Fuel Collaborative in the first two crawls, the group has chosen to endow a scholarship for a local student pursuing a degree in hospitality and restaurant management, to be administered by the LRHS Vocational Center. All proceeds will go to this fund, so you can help us improve the future of a local scholar.

The party starts at 7 p.m. with a group photo on Depot Street, and you are encouraged to wear your most festive Mexican attire. Shuttles will drive patrons safely to and from each venue and then home, to ensure a safe night is had by all. There will be contests and prizes at each stop, and an afterparty at Campfire Grille. Tickets are $20 and are available at all participating businesses. Please join us as we shake off Spring Fever and celebrate Cinco de Mayo!

Glitz and Glam

Ah, prom. Weeks spent nervously waiting for Mr. Right to ask me out, frantically searching for the perfect dress, then spending the evening in the parking lot of the Opryland Hotel swigging Boone’s Farm. Oh wait, that was my experience in the ’80s…I hope local teens are better behaved than I was, but I doubt it!

The Bridgton Hospital Guild Thrift Shop, conveniently located on Main Street adjacent to Reny’s, has a fabulous assortment of prom dresses now on sale for just $15. In every color imaginable, both short and long, sparkly, iridescent, simple and frilly, they are all there in a wide assortment of sizes. Skipping Prom? They are also fabulous for bridesmaids and other special events. The best part? All of the dresses are only $15 through April, and you’ll be helping out a great cause with your support.

The Bridgton Hospital Guild is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to benefit the local hospital through fundraising venues including the thrift store and the Twitchell Cafe?, located on the campus of Bridgton Hospital. Funds raised during the year also are used to provide scholarships to area students interested in pursuing healthcare careers.

Support For Scholars

A fine example of the good works done by the Hospital Guild is the annual scholarship program. The Guild has announced that applications are being accepted for $1,000 scholarships to be awarded to high school seniors at Lake Region, Oxford Hills and Sacopee Valley who will be furthering their education in the healthcare field. The applications are available in the guidance office at each school or can be received by contacting Sue Strong, Scholarship Committee, 274-8515.

The Guild also has announced $1,000 scholarships for full-time employees of Bridgton Hospital who are continuing their education in the healthcare field. Contact Ms. Strong for an application at 274-8515. The deadline to receive applications for all scholarships is April 30.

Love Your Mother

Earth Day is upon us, and the annual town-wide cleanup is under way. Every year the Community Center partners with local nonprofits and service groups to give Bridgton a deep cleaning, and every year I am amazed by how much garbage has piled up. We’ve pulled tires, bicycles and even a shopping cart out of Stevens Brook! It is so lame that some people are such slobs, but fortunately we aren’t afraid to get mucky and slog in to pull it all out.

Please join us for a few hours or all day on Tuesday, April 22. This is a fun event for the entire family, and a great way to put the shine on Bridgton before the summer assault of visitors. Just come to the Community Center on Depot Street after 8 a.m. with gloves, sturdy boots, rakes, whatever you’ve got. We’ll provide you with trash bags and other tools, and deeply appreciate your help keeping the scene green!

Spring Has Sprung

One of the most dramatic additions to the Bridgton landscape in the last decade is Pondicherry Park, a 60-plus acre wilderness preserve right in the middle of downtown. A collaboration between Lakes Environmental Association and Loon Echo Land Trust, the park has been endowed in perpetuity to town, and is open year-round as a lovely respite to the hustle and bustle.

LEA hosts seasonal events throughout the year, and it is time for Spring In the Park. Join naturalist Mary Jewett on a walk in Pondicherry to discover signs of the season, including waterfowl arriving inbound from down South, native trillium and jack-in-the-pulpit popping up through the duff, and possibly a black fly or two. The hike is on Wednesday, April 23, at 10 a.m., and Jewett asks that you register first. A $5 suggested donation is requested from non-members. Please sign up by contacting her at mary@leamaine.org or 647-8580.

Earth Day volunteers