Alpaca farm opened for visitors

Sunshine Alpacas of Maine on Flaggy Meadow Road, Gorham, hosted open farm days last weekend.

The farm, owned by Shawn and Lora Malloy, attracted about 100 visitors over Saturday and Sunday. The Malloys have 32 alpacas, five llamas, two Shetland Sheepdogs, rabbits, a parrot, chickens and fish.

“People say we’re the Gorham zoo,” Lora Malloy said.

A baby alpaca named Ellie May, which weighs 19 pounds, was 8 days old Sunday. The average adult alpaca weighs between 125 and 215 pounds.

Besides caring for the animals, the Malloys also process a variety of fibers into yarn in their mill at the farm for other producers around the country. Shawn Malloy said they have about 150 clients and have processed 3,500 pounds of fiber in the past year.

Lora Malloy said one of their alpaca yearlings won championships at shows in Pennsylvania and Colorado. She said they sold half interest in the alpaca for $15,000.

The Malloys bought their farm in 2003, moving from a home in White Rock. The farmhouse was built in 1771 and the barn, built before the house, is the oldest in Cumberland County.

The farm has been marketing its yarn at shows but plans to sell to stores in the future.

New First Parish program begins

The First Parish Congregational Church is sponsoring a “Wondering Wednesdays” program at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays at the church.

“We will explore various issues concerning faith, God, doubt, life and death and the meaning of both. We will have guest speakers, but the focus will be your questions,” said Lynn Kalloch, a church spokeswoman.

The first series begins with two classes concerning Christian relations to other religions.

“If other religions are true, what does that say about the truth of yours. If God is revealed in the Buddha, how can the revelation of Christ be a unique event? We will ponder these and many other issues. This preparation for our study of Christian/Jewish relations with Professor Abraham Peck, head of the Department of History, University of Southern Maine, later this month. Sessions are open to all. Come, bring your friends and neighbors, thoughts and questions,” Kalloch said.

Rummage sale

There will be two days of bargains at Cressey Road United Methodist Church (off Route 25 and one mile from Gorham Village), on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 19 and 20.

The annual fall sale, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., on Oct. 19, and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Oct. 20, is sponsored by the United Methodist Women. Items will include clothes, dishes, small appliances, furniture, books, puzzles, toys, indoor plants, knick-knacks, Halloween costumes and more.

Items will be marked down Saturday and a grocery bag can be filled for $1 at 11 a.m.

Sunday school under way

Fall Sunday School classes started last month at St. Anne’s Catholic Church, 299 Main St.

For a schedule or more information, call Sister Jackie Moreau, parish catechetical leader, at 839-4857 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. weekdays.

Vets meet

Gorham Memorial Post 10879 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars will meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in the West Gorham Fire Station, Route 25.

U.S. taxpayer debt

The Bureau of Public Debt reported on Sept. 26 that the U.S. public debt was $8,994,357,848,983.46

Cutline (alpaca 1) (alpaca 3)