Demolition day

A fiery sunset provided the backdrop for the demolition of the former public works building located in the Upper Village. The firm Almighty Waste was awarded the contract. Contributed / Pamela Ames

Public invited to join weekly conservation explorations

The Habitat Bunch invites members of the public to join Royal River Conservation Trust staff and professional experts in weekly explorations of conserved lands in the Royal River watershed. The next walk is from 10-11:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, at the Intervale Preserve.

On this outing, the group explore the Interurban trails in the Lower Village. They will follow the Interurban rail-bed trail and talk about various plans for trails to be developed in the future.

Organizers urge people to park along the shoulder of Church Road, not in the Congregational Church parking lots. Contact Carrie Ridgway at carrie@rrct.org or 615-7824 for more details on the walk.

Farmyard storytime

Listening to storybooks being read while surrounded by farmyard critters is a special treat for children and their caregivers. Join in on this new spin on storytime.

This family program is offered from 10-11 a.m. Dec. 13 at the Pineland Farms Education Barn. Note that due to the nature of a working farm, featured farmyard animals may change. The fee is $6 per person and pre-registration is required. The number of participants is limited. Select your time slot and number of tickets at shop.pinelandfarms.org/collections/all-classes-events.

To locate the Education Barn, proceed along Farm View Drive off Morse Road. Take a left on Valley Farm Road. At the Smokehouse Visitors Center (white silo) on the right-hand side, take the right turn immediately after the Smokehouse down to the Family Farmyard. The Education Barn is the largest barn in the farmyard.

Guests over age 2 are asked to carry a facial covering with them when visiting Pineland Farms. Facial coverings are required during educator-led experiences when social distances cannot be maintained. During most on-farm experience, participants will not need to wear a mask. Contact the Education Department 650-3031 or education@pinelandfarms.org with any questions you may have.

Donate blood Dec. 15

The American Red Cross invites you to help small patients overcome big battles during their Heroes for Babies campaign. The local blood donation location is The Commons, 59 Pineland Drive. Schedule your donation between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Dec. 15. Call Cheryl Jalbert at 688-4800 or go to redcrossblood.org to sign up.

Open house canceled

The New Gloucester History Barn open house scheduled for Dec. 4 has been canceled.

Last call for surveys

The Charter Commission is issuing a final reminder to complete its public survey if you have not already done so. The survey will close at the end of the day Monday, Dec. 6.

The commissioners thank all of those who have completed it and encourage each respondent to ask at least one additional voting-eligible resident of New Gloucester to fill out the survey at newgloucester.com.

Patti Mikkelsen can be contacted at mikks@maine.rr.com.