Bid on behalf of the Bay at Friends of Casco BayA? s Thirteenth Annual Auction on Friday evening, May 6th, 2005. Many of the auction items have a nautical or outdoor theme. As one auction attendee remarked, A?¬This is the only auction where I can get fine artwork for my home and bottom paint for my boat!A?® You can bid on a stay at a cottage on IrelandA? s west coast, a Portland City Fireboat ride for ten, a Butterfly centerboard sailboat, an LL Bean family camping package, airplane tours of Casco Bay, a catered seaside brunch, and a week at Fish Camp for a child 7 to 12 years old.

The auctionA? s waterfront location is Portland Yacht Services at 58 Fore Street, site of this yearA? s Portland Flower Show. There is plenty of free parking. Call 799-8574 to register or you may register at the door. The cost is $25 per person or you can reserve a table for 8 at $175.

Starting at 5:30 pm, you can bid on Silent Auction items in 12 categories, including restaurant gift certificates, vacation getaways, artwork, gardening and boat supplies, and much more, while you enjoy live music, delicious hors dA? oeuvres, and a cash bar. The Live Auction with Auctioneer Bill Seretta follows at 7:15 p.m. For a preview of auction items, visit the Friends of Casco Bay website www.cascobay.org.

Auction expenses are underwritten by Peoples Bank, Hilton Garden Inn, Smith & Sons Excavating, Oakhurst Daily, Verrill & Dana, LLP, East Coast Yacht Sales, and Blue Rock Stone Center, so all auction proceeds will go to support the environmental work of Friends of Casco Bay. Since 1989, Friends of Casco Bay ~ Casco Baykeeper has been dedicated to improving and protecting the environmental health of Casco Bay.