A scholarship is being established in memory of Barbara R. Pillsbury, who initially served as a classroom teacher in the Kennebunk school system and ultimately became the first female superintendent of MSAD 71.

The scholarship will be awarded to a member of the 2023 graduation class of Kennebunk High School.

After graduating from Kennebunk High School in 1955 and then from Gorham State Teachers College in 1959, Pillsbury returned to the Kennebunks where, for the next 42 years, she worked as a classroom teacher, reading teacher (The Roving Reader), special education teacher, first female special education director and assistant superintendent.

At the culmination of her career, she was named the first female superintendent for the MSAD 71 school system. Prior to her death, Pillsbury was also honored by the establishment of the Barbara R Pillsbury Library at Middle School of the Kennebunks.

Alumni and friends are encouraged to send contributions by May 1, 2023, to Barbara R. Pillsbury Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o L. Wiewel, Kennebunk High School, 89 Fletcher St., Kennebunk, 04043.

For more information, email Val Marier at valmarier@me.com.

Christmas in Kennebunk is Nov. 26

The 39th annual Christmas in Kennebunk is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 26 at Tibbett’s Plaza. During the day, participants are encouraged to visit the Brick Store Museum. The museum will offer free admission from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. From 10 a.m. to noon, visitors can meet Matt Tavares, local author/illustrator of the holiday book, “Dasher.” Tavares will read, draw, host a Q&A session and sign books.

Kennebunk Free Library is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.  and will host a card-making center from noon to 4 p.m. Members of the Kennebunk High School Chamber Singers will perform carols until Santa and his elves arrive at 5 p.m.

Following the tree lighting, the Waterhouse Center will open for public skating and a chance to skate with Santa.

“Join the community for one of the warmest traditions,” said Kennebunk Events Coordinator Linda Johnson in an email. “Families have been coming to this downtown event for generations; please make it a tradition of yours.”

For more information, email Johnson at ljohnson@kennebunkmaine.us or call 207-604-1341.

Christmas Prelude preps for 41st year

The 41st annual Christmas Prelude (Dec. 1-11) will soon see the town decked out in lights and greenery and a return to the traditional Preludes of the past, with some new events.

“We are excited to be back,” said Kennebunkport Business Association President Ashley Padget, of Alisson’s, in a Nov. 14 news release. “More than anything, I’m looking forward to the return of our traditional events like the Hat Parade and tree lightings, and a new twist to the Walk to Bethlehem and Santa’s arrival by lobster boat.”

Last year’s changed Hat Parade route is no more, and while there will be a Prelude Family Festival on the second Friday, it will wrap around traditional events like the Dock Square tree lighting and fireworks.

According to the business association, the first Friday tree lighting will be back and better than ever as the countdown begins at 41 this year. The re-imagined Santa’s arrival by lobster boat is another event planned to be bigger and better.

“We are super excited,” said the Nonantum’s Tina Gordon. “Santa’s getting on the boat after noon – he’ll go up and down river from 12:30 to 12:45 p.m., landing at the Nonantum at 1.”

Also returning this year are the craft fairs Prelude is known for – places to find hand-crafted gifts.

Following its success in 2019, the Kennebunkport Business Association is also working to bring a little Midweek Magic back to Christmas Prelude.

“We are working hard to build Midweek Magic events for travelers looking to extend their stay, and locals hoping to enjoy a less hectic celebration,” said Padget.

Midweek merriment includes a Cookie Crawl, house tours of the decorated White Columns, a Merry Market at Maine Art Hill, cookie decorating, art classes and the return of the Walk to Bethlehem on Dec. 7 and a Storybook Christmas for children on Dec. 8.

All of the events have been made possible through the support of local sponsors, including Kennebunk Savings, Kennebunk Outfitters, Alisson’s Restaurant, Best of Everything, White Barn Inn, Kennebunkport Resort Collection, H.B. Provisions, Batson River Brewing & Distilling, Squish KPT, Historic Inns of Kennebunkport and the Nonantum Resort.

Christmas Prelude has been presented 41 years by the Kennebunkport Business Association, an all-volunteer group that works to plan the events all year long.  For a full schedule, visit www.christmasprelude.com.

Fine Arts Show with Crafts set for Dec. 1-4

Maine Women in the Arts joins the Prelude festivities with its biggest show of the season, the annual holiday Fine Arts Show with Crafts. The show features a variety of original fine art by local artists including paintings, photography, and pottery.

In addition, the show offers a selection of handmade crafts made by the artists including jewelry, ornaments, cards, home décor, wood carvings, prints, books authored and illustrated by members.

The show begins with an opening reception Thursday, Dec. 1, 5 to 7 p.m. at the Masonic Lodge, 10 North St., Kennebunkport. The reception offers early shopping opportunity, refreshments and live holiday music. The show continues through the weekend: Friday, Dec. 2, 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 3, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 4, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The show offers the annual MWA raffle to support a scholarship. Each of the participating artists (about 40) offers an item to create a basketful of handcrafted items.

For more information, visit www.mainewomenarts.com.

Hauser awarded Rhodes Scholarship

photo credit Lyndsie Schlink / Wake Forest University

Alice Nell Chandran Hauser, daughter of Bryan and Emma Hauser, is a Kennebunk High School class of 2019 graduate and a Wake Forest University class of 2023 senior. She has been awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to study at England’s Oxford University beginning in the fall of 2023. She is majoring in philosophy and piano performance, with a minor in history.

She was among 32 Americans chosen by the Rhodes Trust on Nov. 12 from among 840 candidates endorsed by 244 different colleges.

Hauser plans to pursue a master of science in refugee and forced migration studies and a master of philosophy in law, with the ultimate goal of promoting justice for populations in need.

“It is unbelievably humbling to receive such an immense honor and investment in my future,” said Hauser in a Nov. 14 news release. “I am so grateful to everyone who has helped me follow my passions.”

Hauser is also a Stamps Scholar—a recipient of one of Wake Forest’s prestigious cost of attendance Signature Scholarships awarded to exceptional incoming freshmen on the basis of merit.

As a tutor and board member of Wake Forest’s Student Association for the Advancement of Refugees, Hauser has worked to help those who have crossed international borders to find safety in the Winston-Salem community.

“I am excited to gain a greater understanding of which systems and structures promote and preclude access to justice for asylum seekers experiencing human rights abuses,” she said. “Conducting specialized legal research in close proximity to the Oxford Global Leadership Initiative will provide the knowledge and leadership abilities I will need to be an effective advocate.”

As a Leadership and Character Ambassador and Principled Pluralism Fellow at Wake Forest, “Alice has demonstrated the impressive ability to hold together the courage of her convictions with genuine openness and empathy toward others,” said Michael Lamb, professor and executive director of the University’s Program for Leadership and Character. Alice listens to comprehend, not just to persuade, and she genuinely wants to understand what others think and why. She lives out her values with passion, humility and integrity.”

Hauser’s interests outside of the classroom have focused on the law, including internships at the Major Crimes Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Lawyers Without Borders, and other legal organizations.

She received a Richter Scholarship for independent research and traveled to Germany, Austria and Switzerland during the summer of her junior year to study composer and pianist Johannes Brahms. She also received the Christian Cappelluti Memorial Scholarship, awarded for outstanding musical merit and promise and the David W. Hadley Prize for Historical Writing. She is the captain of the Wake Forest University ultimate frisbee team.

Thanksgiving dinner returns to Stevens Center

The complimentary Thanksgiving dinner returns to the Dorothy Stevens Community Center this year. The center is located on Thompson Road in West Kennebunk.

The free turkey-and-all-the-fixin’s main meal, plus pie and other desserts, will be served on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24 from noon to 2 p.m.

The event has been a fixture in the West Kennebunk neighborhood for many years. It was interrupted by the pandemic in 2020, when organizers provided a delivered meal, said Barbara Weeman. In 2021, the meal was held on a drive-through basis.

This year, places will be set for dining inside. Delivery is also available, said Weeman. To sign up, call 604-2577. Take-out is also available.

Tree lighting planned in West Kennebunk

West Kennebunk will start the holiday season with a Christmas tree lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3. Santa will light the tree outside the Dorothy Stevens Community Center on Thompson Road. The Kennebunk Twirlers will perform and Santa will help serve refreshments inside.

Former intelligence officers schedule November meeting

The November meeting of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers will feature retired ambassador Robert Cekuta, who has a background in energy resources, sanctions, and security issues. The public discussion on Nov. 19 will address the topic of Russia’s ambitions of regaining the former Soviet Union.

Cekuta has been a top-level US diplomat, having been ambassador to Azerbaijan and serving in other embassies in Berlin, Tokyo, Baghdad, Albania, Yemen, and Vienna. In his presentation, Cekuta will address Russia’s threat to the countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia, many of which are rich in oil, gas, and uranium and other resources and are working to maintain their independence they won just over 30 years ago. The region has other threats from the Chinese, and Iran including Turkey’s evolving role along with terrorism, extremism, and drug trafficking. The US has its own interests there and some of these countries want more active engagement from the United States.

The AFIO meeting is open to the public and will begin at 2 p.m. on Nov. 19 at the Brick Store Museum Program Center, 4 Dane St., Kennebunk.

Library to host ‘Work(s) in Progress’ author

Author and humorist Andy Young will be at Kennebunk Free Library to discuss his latest book, “Work(s) In Progress” on Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 6 p.m.

According to an Oct. 28 news release, “Young has been an English teacher at Kennebunk High School for the past 20 years and is a product of the University of Connecticut. Prior to moving to Maine, Young worked as a radio play-by-play announcer for several minor league baseball and hockey teams, and in between those jobs he coached high school baseball, basketball, and soccer; tutored homebound students in algebra; washed dishes, cut grass, picked apples, dug irrigation ditches, sold shoes, and probably did several other jobs that he’s forgotten about. When he’s not working or sleeping, Andy likes to read, write, and bike, though he rarely tries doing all three at the same time. He and his three children live in Cumberland.”

The program is free and wheelchair accessible. Kennebunk Free Library is located at 112 Main St. in Kennebunk. For more information, call 207-985-2173 or email kfl@kennebunklibrary.org.

Atlantic Hall schedules annual Prelude Fair

Atlantic Hall will hold its annual Prelude Fair on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 7:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The event will feature a variety of items sold at the fair, many from local artisans, including handcrafted wooden lobster traps, wreaths/winter berry greenery, rope craft, handmade paper, wooden sculptures and wooden trays, photographs, jewelry, paintings, antiques, holiday gifts and decorations, oriental rugs, small pastries, cheeses, jams/jellies, and Atlantic Hall’s Old-Time Raffle.

Also, again this year, the fair will host Ed Wright, acoustic guitarist and Cape Porpoise resident, who will perform a mix of holiday music and familiar standards.

For more information, call Ed Briggs at 207 967 3357.

Maine illustrators on view at museum

The Brick Store Museum announced its newest exhibition, The Great State of Illustration in Maine, in collaboration with Illustration Institute, is on view through February. The exhibit features more than 80 historic and contemporary illustrators who call Maine home.

Maine illustrators in the exhibition include Dahlov Ipcar, Ashley Bryan, Barbara Cooney, NC Wyeth, Rockwell Kent, Edward Hopper and Francis Hamabe. Current illustrators such as Matt Tavares, Chris van Dusen, Melissa Sweet, Scott Nash, Nancy Gibson-Nash, Stephen Costanza, Tim Sample, and Wade Zahares have also shared work that adorn four full galleries of artwork to illustrate the work of Maine illustrators.

According to an Oct. 28 news release, the exhibit was curated by Illustration Institute, based in Portland, which works to raise audience appreciation of illustration in its many forms. The exhibit makes the case that residents are living in a Golden Age of Illustration in Maine, as there are more illustrators living in the state, either year-round or seasonally, than in any other time in history.

The exhibition is supported by the Davis Family Foundation, The Onion Foundation and the Perloff Family Foundation. Illustrator visits and programming will be announced on the Brick Store Museum’s website, www.brickstoremuseum.org, starting with a visit by Matt Tavares on Saturday, Nov. 26. The exhibition runs through February 2023. The museum is open six days per week and only closed Mondays.

Library announces featured artist for November

Kennebunk Free Library announced its next Speers Gallery exhibit, “Lone Scapes” by Andrea Roth Kimmich, featuring acrylic and oil paintings on wood custom selected for each piece.

The exhibit runs through Nov. 30.

According to an Oct. 20 news release, “Andrea is a trained classical pianist, with advanced studies in film and photography. She has also informally been, since childhood, a student of textile arts, mostly knitting and crocheting; later woodworking, printmaking and figure drawing. She enjoys dabbling in a variety of arts.”

“I feel such joy in making something from nothing, whether it’s a gazpacho made from produce picked up at a farm stand, a gypsy scarf made from a leftover wool, or a painting using some discarded paints and wood,” Roth Kimmich said in an email.

Her membership in Arts Organizations include: Ossining Arts Council, River Tree Arts, Maine Women in the Arts, and her work has been shown in a number of galleries in the greater New York area, as well as a few in southern Maine, with her first solo show in Maine in the Kennebunk Free Library’s Speers Gallery.

According to the library, “Andrea is delighted to have moved a part of her focus to Maine and its spectacular landscapes, and the Kennebunk Free Library is pleased to display the work of this talented artist.”

The public is invited to view the exhibit in the library’s Speers Gallery from Nov. 1-30 at 112 Main St., Kennebunk, during regular library hours when the gallery is not in use for library programs. For more information or current hours and gallery access, visit www.kennebunklibrary.org.

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