Rabies Clinic

The town of Standish is holding a rabies clinic at the Sebago Lake Congregational Church, Route 35 in Sebago Lake Village on Monday, Oct. 15, from 5-6 p.m. Cost of rabies shot is $8 per animal.

If this is a booster rabies shot for the animal; bring documentation of previous shot.

Dogs must be on leashes. Cats must be in cages.

West elected president

James West of Standish, has been elected president of the New England Water Works Association. West is the executive director of operations for the Portland Water District where he has been employed for more than 30 years.

Hip Hop offered

Standish Recreation is now offering after school Hip Hop for elementary school students. Classes for grades K-2 will be held on Mondays from 3:30-4:30 p.m.; and classes for grades 3-5 will be held on Tuesdays from 3:30-4:30 p.m. For pricing and schedules, contact Standish Recreation at 642-2875 or visit them online at www.standish.org/Public_Documents/StandishME_Recreation/index.

Time for a Reunion

Tracey Savage (Bricker) is organizing a 20th reunion for the class of 1987. It will be held at Verillo’s in Portland on Oct. 13. For more information, e-mail Tracey at sbricker@maine.rr.com.

Field Hockey Alumni Game.

There will be a Bonny Eagle Field Hockey alumni game on Saturday, Oct. 6. Former field hockey players of past Bonny Eagle teams are invited to come and play the current players. A light lunch will be held at noon. The game will follow at 1 p.m. at Mahoney Field at Bonny Eagle High School.

Standish Scene

Tuesday:

Line dance lessons with Sandy Pelletier from 7-9 p.m. Call 642-3363 for information.

Friday:

Memory Lane welcomes Riot Act to the stage.

Saturday:

Bonny Eagle varsity girls soccer 6 p.m. under the lights.

Memory Lane welcomes Riot Act.

Sunday:

New England Patriots games screened live at Memory Lane Music Hall on Blake Road.

Heidi’s Take:

A day of driving Massachusetts style

I am sure you can tell where I’m going with this already, but it must be discussed. Why does driving in Massachusetts so closely resemble a game of Russian roulette?

Last week I drove to Boston for a day of post- graduate education, and like always I was slightly excited to be going to one of my favorite cities. As I started my journey, I smiled at the idea of lunch time at Faneuil Hall, and a late-day stop at Mike’s Pastries in the North End for the anise cookies and other Italian treats I adore so much. Day dreams of hot pretzels from carts in Downtown Crossing and the smell of ocean air rolling off the harbor and into the city made my two-hour drive quite pleasurable. I was smiling like a fool, and trying to recall why it had been so long since I had been to Bean Town, and then I exited onto Route 1 in Saugus. Oh yeah, now I remember.

An icky feeling suddenly started to fill my body as I watched vehicles of all kinds come from angles of all directions wildly honking and changing lanes. As I crept along silently cursing the world’s worst drivers, I was really mad at myself. Everyone in the free world, or at least the East Coast, knows driving in this city is equivalent to playing chicken on the autobahn. What was I thinking driving down here? The closer I got to the inner-city, the more I felt I was in a real-life game of frogger. What is it with these people? I found myself screaming, “It’s called a blinker people, use it!” As if they could actually hear me.

Suddenly I heard incessant honking; the man in the Jaguar behind me was flipping me off because I did not run through the red light as the car in front of me had. I’m sorry, how rude of me. My dad has often told me the requirements for a Massachusetts driver’s license are simple. No fear and a new, expensive car. After all, he says, it is a no-fault insurance state.

No-fault insurance, huh? Gee what a shock a state with no-fault care insurance is ranked the third worst driving city in the United States. Shock of all shocks, Boston also currently claims the No. 1 spot for road rage in the country. Really, road rage, I can’t imagine why? Could it be the constant finger flipping, horn honking, no-signal lane swerving, or perhaps the 45 minutes it takes to cross the Tobin Bridge?

Needless to say, I did not venture out at lunch, or eat pretzels in Downtown Crossing. I did not make it to the North End and the only treat I got was making it out of the city alive, and with all the paint still on my car. So, today, I want to take a moment to thank you, Maine drivers. Thank you for using your blinkers, for waving me out into traffic, and for not flipping me that oh, so nasty finger when I stop at a red light. And the next time you get the urge to honk your horn for no good reason, remember the cute, little nickname we have for these out-of-state drivers, and resist.