Spring Cleaning

Gray Spring Clean Up Days are: Friday, April 24, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday, Sunday, April 25-26, 7 a.m.-3 p.m., at the Gray Transfer Station, Seagull Drive.

You can bring: Carpeting – limited to the equivalent of one pickup load, mattresses and box springs, sofas, chairs, loveseats, televisions, computer monitors, refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, tires – limit four passenger size only – $2 each additional, $4 each additional on rim, automobile batteries, one pickup truck sized load each of branches and yard waste; usual disposal fees apply on additional loads. Wood waste, construction debris, and demolition material are charged at the usual rate. Stoves, washers, dryers, water heaters, and dishwashers are always accepted at no cost.

All vehicles must have a valid 2015 transfer station permit, strictly enforced. Visit or call the Gray Transfer Station at 657-2343 for more information.

At the Library

Now on display at The Gallery at the Gray Public Library: Primitive Pastimes by Kim Dubay, an amazing collection of fiber, collage and altered arts.

On Tuesday, April 28, at 6:30 p.m., Anne B. Gass, author of “Voting Down The Rose,” will be at the Gray Public Library to discuss her book about Maine suffragette Florence Brooks Whitehouse. Books will be available for purchase. Light refreshments will be served.

On Wednesday, April 29, at 2 p.m., a program entitled How Did You Find That?! will be presented to help patrons figure out librarians do what they do. For ages people have queried librarians with vague information and, almost as if by magic, the book is found. This 60-minute session presents the tricks and tips used by professional searchers in identifying materials.

Movies at the library are: Friday, April 24, at 2 p.m., “Peter Pan” (G), Thursday, April 30, at 2 p.m., “Blue Jasmine,” PG-13.

These events are free and open to all.

Leave the Car at Home

The town of Gray has been awarded a $31,088 grant from the Recreational Trails Program (RTP). This is federal money that comes through the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry.

The Bike-Ped Committee plans to use RTP funds to construct portions of the “Village Area Loop Trail,” which is intended to help people walk or bike around the village area off-road as much as possible.

If you’re interested in lending a hand to this effort, or have other bike-ped related ideas, the Bike-Ped Committee meets the fourth Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. in the downstairs of the Gray Library. Feel free to call Anne Gass at 657-4935 or Dean Bennett at 657-2323 for more information.

Get Involved

Nomination Papers are available for the offices of: Gray Town Council – two three-year terms to expire June 2018; MSAD 15 Board of Directors – two three-year terms to expire June 2018; Gray Water District Trustee – one five-year term to expire June 2020. Interested Gray residents may obtain nomination papers at the Gray Town Office during regular business hours.

All nomination paperwork must be received by the Town Clerk no later than Monday, April 27, at 4 p.m.

Elections will be held June 9 from 6 a.m.-8p.m., at Newbegin Hall. For more information, call the Town Office at 657-3339.

Go Out for Supper

A public supper featuring baked beans, casseroles, salads, homemade breads, desserts and beverages will be held on Saturday, April 25, at 5 p.m. The First Congregational Church of Gray will be hosting this meal. Cost for adults is $8, and children under 12 are $4. The venue is handicapped assessable.

Contact 657-4279, or on day of supper 657-3279.

On Saturday, May 2, from 5-6 p.m., Gray American Legion Unit 86 at 15 Lewiston Road, Gray, will be holding their monthly public supper. Adults $8, children under 12 $4.

Baseball, Softball and Golf?

The 13th Annual G-NG Baseball/Softball Golf Tournament fundraiser is Sunday, May 3, at 1 p.m., (registration starts at noon) at Spring Meadows Golf Club, 59 Lewiston Road in Gray.

Golfers can sign up individually for 0an 18-hole round of golf including cart, dinner and prizes for $85 or they can work to form a team of four golfers for $300 (a savings of $10 per golfer). Each golfer will also receive an additional free round of golf. The event will follow a shotgun start in a scramble format with one team score. This format allows for all levels of golfers to compete. Mulligans and strings will be available for purchase and a putting contest will be held along with a 50/50 raffle. Dinner and awards will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. Prizes will be given for first place gross (four $35 gift cards), first place net (four $30 gift cards), second place net (four $25 gift cards), longest putt (one $20 gift card) and closest to the tee (one $20 gift card). For more information about sponsoring the event and/or signing up as a golfer or team, please send an email to GNGgolfinfo@gmail.com or contact Sandy Carder 657-4715.

Run, Walk Around the Lake

The Patriot 5K Run, Walk, and Kids Fun Run is set for Saturday, May 16, at Crystal Lake, 24 North Raymond Road in Gray, beginning at 9 a.m., Kid’s Fun Run at 8 a.m. This year, organizers want to set a new benchmark by offering a $1,000 bonus to the runners capable of breaking the state’s 5K record. Participants can see the course, prizes and register at www.patriots5k.org. This year’s event will be capped at 1,200 runners and anyone registered by May 1 will receive a free event T-shirt and goodie bag.

Maine Wildlife Park Opens

The Maine Wildlife Park, located on Route 26 in Gray, opened for the 2015 season on Friday, April 17.

The brand new Canada lynx exhibit is sure to be a favorite with visitors this year. A formal dedication of the exhibit, funded in large part by the Friends of the Maine Wildlife Park, will take place at 11 a.m., on Friday, May 1.

The audio tour has been enhanced as a dynamic park touring tool with the launch of a new mobile web app. Using their smartphones and mobile devices, visitors will now have more information available than ever before.

For more information about any of these programs, call the Maine Wildlife Park at 657-4977; or online at www.mainewildlifepark.com.

Lions Speaking Competition

The Gray-New Gloucester Lions hosted the Regional Speakout oratorical competition on Saturday, April 10. First place winners from the Lions club level events in Windham, Portland, Falmouth and Cumberland competed at the regional level. Unfortunately, the G-NG candidate was ill and had to withdraw.

Madison Mauro, from the Windham club, took first place with her spirited talk on “Freedom of Expression.”

Second place winner, Ellie Sapat from Falmouth, had the audience smiling with her talk on “Happiness and Money.”

Cumberland’s Kaitlyn Megathlin took third place with her thoughtful presentation on “Restorative Justice,” and Jakob Hamlin from Portland displayed his knack for numbers with his talk on “Technology Today.”

For this competition, students develop a topic of their choosing and present a speech between four and six minutes long. At the conclusion, they are asked two questions crafted to demonstrate some reasoning or application of knowledge of their topic. A panel of three judges then makes the final, difficult decision.

Madison will now move up to state level and compete with winners from five other regions at the Annual Lions Convention on April 25 in Auburn.

Winners  of the Gray-New Gloucester Lions Club’s recent Speakout regional competition included, from left, Windham’s Madison Mauro (first place), Cumberland’s Kaitlyn Megathlin (third place), Falmouth’s Ellie Sapat (second place), and Portland’s Jakob Hammond (honorable mention).Courtesy photo