Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! You know you have a big meal ahead of you, so why not move in the morning? Bridgton Recreation is offering free fitness opportunities on Turkey Day. Start off with some pick up basketball at 7:45 a.m. If you’d prefer to dance that day, yours truly will be offering a Zumba class for all levels at 9 a.m. followed by Bridgton Recreation Director Gary Collello leading his PROJECT SWEAT class, designed to work every major muscle group and then some! That class begins at 10:15 a.m. So throw the bird in the oven, then throw yourself into exercise! Guaranteed to make your day a little sunnier, despite the wintry mix of weather forecasted for the day. At least the wintry weather goes with the beautifully lit holiday themed Causeway…

Local Holiday Fun at Jewlz

Please join Jewlz Salon in Naples for its third annual Holiday Extravaganza on Friday, Dec. 5, from 5-8 p.m.

They will have many vendors selling their amazing products. This is a great opportunity for those special gifts on your Christmas list. At 5 p.m., they will be handing out their overstuffed giveaway bags, with refreshments and drawings to follow.

Holiday Basket Raffle

Naples Public Library is holding a fundraising Holiday Basket Raffle. There are three baskets chock full of goodies to be raffled off: A child’s, family’s, and a his and hers (huge box, not basket). The his and hers and the children’s baskets are on display at the library, while the family’s can be seen at the Black Bear Cafe? in Naples. Tickets are $1 each or six for $5. The drawing will be on Saturday, Dec. 20, at noon (winners need not be present).

Arts Alive in Naples

Last weekend I had the pleasure of seeing “Lend Me a Tenor,” presented by the Lake Region High School Drama Club. What fun it was! Great performances by all actors and just overall entertaining. The audience could not contain their laughter.

Lake Region Community Theatre will be busy these next few months. First, the company is holding auditions for “The Days Are As Grass.” Auditions will be held Thursday and Friday, Dec. 4 and 5, from 7-9 p.m. at Songo Locks School. The roles that need to be cast include eight women and men, ages mid-30s and up. Please be prepared to do a cold reading from the script. Show dates are from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1 and will be performed at the Magic Lantern Theatre in Bridgton. For more information, contact Peter Allen at 518-0481 before 9 p.m. please.

People with all sorts of talents can try out for this year’s Lake Region’s Got Talent Contest. Singers, dancers, magicians, actors, jugglers, whoever. If you have a talent, they want to see you! Open auditions will be held at the Center Stage Dance Studio on Route 302 in Raymond (in the Raymond Shopping Center, next to the post office), from 3-5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6 and Sunday, Dec. 7, from 1-3 p.m. A sound system will be available where you can insert a CD or plug in your iPod.

Performances of the show will take place beginning Jan. 11, with finals and callbacks running on Jan. 18, 25, and the final showdown will be held Feb. 8, all at the Magic Lantern in Bridgton. There is a one-time $15 audition fee. Winners will share up to $1,000 in prizes. For more information, again, contact Peter Allen at 518-0481 before 9 p.m.

Weather or Not in Maine

Two nights ago I watched Shawnee Peak making snow, and yes it was frigid! Today it’s 50 degrees. Fear not the white stuff is coming both Mother Nature and man-made. So when it snows, many of us ski (except me!). Just a reminder that there is still time to sign up for Pleasant Mountain Ski Club. The PMSC is a great organization that makes skiing accessible to school aged children. Please go to the group’s website at www.pleasantmountainskiclub.org and print off the form and mail to the address below. Registration fee is $25 per child up to 2 and then if you have three of more children, registration is $55 per family. You can purchase prepaid tickets and equipment and prices are on the website. After Nov. 30, the registration fee goes up to $35 per child with no family discount offered. There are limited scholarships available for tickets only. Contact Laurie Hale for any additional information you may need on the program at 693-6922. The club is also always looking for additional volunteers for bus monitors and snowboard and ski instructors.

Correction

A baby boy pictured in last week’s column was incorrectly named as Nathan. His name is Noah Bretton. My apologies for this error, a man’s name is important!

The Veterans Day service at the Naples Village Green was an honorable occasion.  Local firefighters attend to a training burn on Route 302 on Sunday, coincidentally right next door to the Naples Fire Department.Songo Locks School teachers Danielle Johnson, Holly Patenaude and Akaila Scorza ran in Sunday’s Santa Hustle road race in South Portland. Also pictured is Camden Scorza.