All Creatures Invited

The 11th Annual Blessing of the Animals, in honor of St. Francis’ Feast, will be held at 9 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Sacred Heart’s Church Yard, 326 Main St., Yarmouth.

The event is sponsored by the Parish’s Church and Family Life Commission, which includes Sacred Heart Church as well as St. Jude Church of Freeport, Holy Martyrs of North America Church in Falmouth and St. Gregory the Great Church in Gray.

All pets and/or pet lovers are invited to attend the prayer service and blessing, with or without an animal friend present. A Divine Express Mailbox is also available for messages to their creator on behalf of the pets.

For further questions regarding this free and open-to-the public event, call 847-6890.

Save Those Books

Due to the expansion, the Gray Public Library staff is requesting that no book donations be made for the next three or four months. They currently lack the space to store donations.

Remember to check the monthly calendar for any scheduling changes at www.gray.lib.me.us, or call 657-4110.

Road Notices

Totten Road in Gray will be closed to all through traffic from Sept. 9 to Oct. 7 for bridge replacement.

Merrill Road construction began Monday, Sept. 17. There could be minor delays until the project is completed in two to three weeks.

For more information go to www.graymaine.org or contact the town manager at 657-3339.

NorthWoods Law Day

On Saturday, Sept. 28, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and 1-3 p.m., the Maine Wildlife Park on Route 26 in Gray will have Northwoods Law Day. Meet the Maine game wardens of the popular Animal Planet TV show “NorthWoods Law.”

For more information, call the Maine Wildlife Park at 657-4977; or visit www.mainewildlifepark.com.

Every Penny Counts

The communities served by the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce are collecting money to support the food banks in Casco, Gray, Limerick, Limington, Naples, New Gloucester, Raymond, Sebago, Standish and Windham.

Coins will be collected until Octoberfest, which takes place Saturday, Oct. 12, in the Buck’s Naked BBQ parking lot in Windham. Drop by the Gray Town Hall and drop a few coins in the collection box. You will also find jars throughout the community, then join the fun at Octoberfest.

Soccer Time

The Crossroad’s Challenge is a two-day tournament held over Columbus Day Weekend, Oct. 12 and 13, for boys and girls “classic” teams ages U9-U14.

U9 and U10 teams will play three games each either on Saturday or Sunday. U11 teams will also play three games spread out over Saturday and Sunday. U12-U14 “competitive” teams will play a minimum of three games with the opportunity to advance to the championship game.

In its 14th year, the Patriot Soccer Club’s Annual Crossroad Challenge is an extremely well-run tournament offering a fun and festive atmosphere. If you have questions, contact Tim Anketell, tournament director, at crossroadchallenge@patriotsoccerclub.org or 415-8986. Penney Ward, president of Patriot Soccer Club, is available at president@patriotsoccerclub.org, or 329-2652.

For Beginners Only

A fun introductory theatre class for students K-4 to learn the basics of acting. The children will have the time to act out an original play that they will help create, complete with fun song to unleash their creativity.

Laurel Jordan will be the instructor, the child only needs to sign up to attend. Grades 3-4, at Burchard A. Dunn School, Wednesday, Oct. 2 through Dec. 18 at 3:15-4:45 p.m. K-2 at Russell Elementary School, Friday, Oct. 18, through Dec. 13, 3:15-4:45 p.m.

A Lacrosse Intro Clinic is available for both boys and girls (Grades 3-8). LAX PROS of Portland Lacrosse coaches will be on hand to instruct basic fundamentals for newcomers to the sport of lacrosse. Open to any boy or girl that is interested in learning the basics. On Oct. 10, from 6-7 p.m. at the Gray-New Gloucester Middle School gym on Libby Hill Road. Balls and sticks will be provided for this introductory clinic but bring a water bottle and sneakers.

For more information, go to www.grayrec.com or call 657-2323 for more information.

Holiday Assistance

It’s the G-NG Caring Community time of year again. Folks in town are gearing up to help families in need in Gray and New Gloucester. If you know a family in need of a Thanksgiving meal, assistance forms will be available Oct. 3. The group is also in need of sponsors for Thanksgiving and Christmas and a fundraising coordinator. If you are interested, email Christina at winkers92@yahoo.com.

Homecoming

The Annual GNG High School Homecoming starts Friday, Sept. 27, at 4:30 p.m., with a cross country meet at 31 Libby Hill Road in Gray. Girls race at 4:30 p.m., boys at 5 p.m.

The Homecoming football game starts at 7 p.m. Right after the football game, there will be a bonfire with music and fun until about 10:30 p.m.

On Saturday, Sept. 28, the Homecoming Parade will be held. Be at the high school early so you get a good seat along the parade route. The parade will step off at 11 a.m. from the middle school parking lot and will include the High School Marching Band, floats for each class, and peewee sports teams from Gray and New Gloucester. The viewing area for the judges will be in the high school front parking lot.

Soccer, field hockey and more Homecoming events kick off at noon around the sports complex at the high school. Come play games, watch your friends’ sporting events, and enjoy just about every kind of food you can think of. Soccer Games start at 1 p.m. with a boys game, then girls at 3 p.m. Field hockey games start at 1 p.m. and are all afternoon.

The senior class is sponsoring the Homecoming Dance, to wrap up the weekend at 7 p.m.

A Hearty Meal

The American Legion’s monthly bean supper at 15 Lewiston Road will be on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 5-6 p.m. On the menu are pea and kidney beans, chop suey, cole slaw, hot dogs, breads and dessert. The meal costs $8 for those older than 12, $15 per couple over 12 years of age; $2.50 for 5-12 year-olds; under 5 free. Any questions, call Nancy True at 657-2661 (cell 653-3886) or the Legion at 657-4884.

On Saturday, Sept. 21, the Fourth Annual Touch-a-Truck was held at Gray Plaza. There were vehicles from all over, where kids could climb on and sit in the driver’s seat, along with many other events. All proceeds benefited the Gray Community Food Pantry. Above, Keenan Keith, of Gray, gets fingerprinted by Andrea Holman, a Rainbow Girl from Windham, as part of the Maine Mason’s Child Identity Program.Dominique Bizier, of Windham, tries out the mini-excavator from Skilling and Sons Excavation.