Stuff the Ambulance

Starting Saturday, Dec. 1, the Gray Fire Rescue Association will be sponsoring a food drive. They want to “Stuff the Ambulance.” Please bring non-perishable food items or personal/home-care items to the Central Fire Station at 125 Shaker Road in Gray. Donated items will be delivered to the Gray Food Pantry on the week of Dec. 19.

Food items needed include canned meats, fish, tuna, fruit, soups, milk, vegetables, cereal, peanut butter and jelly, meal helpers, rice mixes, pasta, rice, mac and cheese, juice, dry milk, dry potatoes, condiments, canned meals (ravioli, spaghetti, etc.), snacks, coffee, tea, cocoa, baking items, mixes, personal and home-care items, diapers size 4/5/6 and wipes, toothpaste and toothbrushes, shampoo and conditioner, laundry detergent, dish detergent, other cleaning items, deodorants, toilet paper, paper towels, pet food, facial tissues and other personal care items.

Christmas Assistance

The Caring Community of Gray New Gloucester is preparing for Christmas and welcomes monetary donations as well as individuals, civic groups or businesses interested in sponsoring a family or individual for Christmas. Donations can be sent directly to CCGNG, PO Box 1244 Gray, ME 04039. For more information, please contact Christina Foster at 233-0828 or email her at winkers92@yahoo.com.

Winter Parking Ban

From Nov. 15 to April 15, between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m., no vehicle shall be parked at any time on a public way, public street or within a town-owned parking lot, due to snow removal. Vehicles in violation of the ordinance (Section 502.3) will be towed at the owner’s expense.

Nutcracker Spectacular

The Studio for Living Arts ballet students bring the magical tale of the Nutcracker to life at the annual “Nutcracker Spectacular” performance on Dec. 15, at Windham High School at 1 p.m. This unique show also combines dance performances to holiday classics by students from our jazz, tap, and hip hop classes. Tickets are $14 for reserved seating. FMI, www.studioforthelivingarts@yahoo.com, 657-3006.

Shoebox Giving

You can fill a shoebox with cheer for a child this holiday season. Stop by and pick up a shoebox at the Gray Recreation Department’s office (or find your own.) Fill it with items for a child, you pick age and gender. It can be filled with candy, school supplies, toys, toothbrush, hat, mittens, etc. Return by Thursday, Dec. 13, to Gray Parks and Recreation. All shoeboxes go to local Gray/New Gloucester children in need. Call 657-2323 if you have any questions.

Senior Holiday Potluck

Join the Fifty Forward group for a senior holiday potluck Wednesday, Dec. 12, or (snow date of Dec. 19) from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Henry Pennell Municipal Complex, second floor. The day will include a Chinese Auction, so please plan to bring a wrapped gift valued at less than $5.

The group will also collect new, unwrapped toys for Gray Parks and Recreation and feel free to bring a friend or two along.

More information about Fifty Plus is available on www.grayrec.com.

Beautiful Music

On Thursday, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m. at the Gray-New Gloucester High School, Libby Hill Road in Gray, the High School Band and Chorus will perform its winter concert.

Safer Biking and Walking in Gray

The Gray Community Endowment is partnering with the Gray Parks and Recreation Department on an initiative to identify and develop bicycle and pedestrian friendly paths in the region. In addition to feasibility research, the Bike-Ped Advocacy Committee is seeking input from citizens of all ages to help formulate a Bike-Ped plan for the community. Go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/57BDSW5 to complete the survey. Paper versions will also be placed in the Gray Public Library, at Pennell, and at Fiddlehead. The survey will just take a few minutes to complete.

The group has a goal of raising a $500,000 endowment, which will yield about $20,000 per year in funds they can grant locally. The endowment will continue to grow year after year. A donation to the GCE for the endowment stays with the community for the long-term. Grants from the fund will be used in the town to improve the quality of life for everyone who lives here. Cash, real estate, or stock, just about any type of asset can be donated. Check to see if your employer has a policy of matching gifts. Consider making a gift (a bequest) in your will. The endowment’s assets are managed by the Maine Community Foundation (MCF), a statewide public charity. MCF invests the money for GCE. On an annual basis, MCF reports on the growth of the assets and the interest GCE has earned that can be used for local grant making. The GCE Board decides how to use the funds through an annual application process. If you have questions feel free to call Anne Gass at 657-4935 to learn about the Gray Community Endowment and the Bike-Ped Initiative.

Get Your License Online

State of Maine Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, 2013 Hunting and Fishing Licenses will be available at the Gray Town Office and online beginning on Dec. 1. Go to www.graymaine.org.

It’s Coming

The next meeting of the Gray SnoWolves 2012-13 season is Tuesday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m. at the State Police Barracks on Route 26. Lots of trail projects and grooming equipment to ready for the upcoming winter. FMI, www.graysnowolves.com.

Holiday Tips

A great way to wrap gifts and recycle is to use either old newspaper or brown bags from the supermarket. Asking for paper can also ease the guilt of forgetting the reusable bags once you’re in the store and realize that you forgot them. Bows of paper cord or twine and some rubber-stamping can make for some nice eco-friendly packages. Come January when it’s time to retire the Christmas tree, the Gray Transfer Station is making that job easy and charitable. There will be no charge to dispose of Christmas trees for the months of December, January, and February. However, monetary donations will be accepted in lieu of the disposal fee with all monies benefiting the Gray Food Pantry.

Hello Santa

North Pole Calling is a program designed for children in grades K-2 to have the opportunity to receive a personal phone call from Santa Claus. Santa will be more than happy to strike up a short conversation and wish each child a very Merry Christmas. You must complete a form for this program and return it to the recreation department before Dec. 14. Forms are available at www.grayrec.com or call or visit the Gray Recreation Dept. at the Henry Pennell Municipal Complex on Main St. in Gray, 657-2323.

The Christmas Spirit arrived in Gray the Sunday after Thanksgivng, when Santa Claus lit the tree at the Gray Town Hall. The crowd braved the frigid temperatures that night and was rewarded with a wonderful evening of holiday sights, sounds? and treats.