Community News – All Souls’ Walk scheduled for Oct. 23

The Brick Store Museum will once again make spirits come alive for one afternoon for its 18th annual All Souls’ Walk on Saturday, Oct. 23.

The 18th annual All Souls’ Walk, hosted by the Brick Store Museum in Kennebunk, is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 23. Courtesy photo

The popular Halloween event features continuous tours through Hope Cemetery beginning at noon, with the last tour departing at 3 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person, children younger than 12 are admitted free.

The narrated historical walks begin at the Brick Store Museum at 117 Main St., Kennebunk, and cover a half-mile loop through Kennebunk’s Hope Cemetery, lasting approximately 75 minutes. Costumed interpreters portray the historical figures, and share their stories of love, loss, and fate. Not too spooky, it’s a perfect activity for the whole family. Participants visit more than a dozen gravesites and learn local history through the fascinating and often tragic tales of residents from bygone eras.

Tours conclude back at the museum, where guests are invited to enjoy the event’s Fall Arts Fair and view the museum’s new exhibitions. All Souls’ Walk is sponsored by Kennebunk Savings Bank, Dock

The Brick Store Museum in Kennebunk will host the 18th annual All Souls’ Walk on Oct. 23. Courtesy photo

Square Emporium and Port & Shore Realty.

“The museum especially thanks Hope Cemetery for once again hosting the All Souls’ Walk this year,” said Cynthia Walker, executive director, in an Oct. 7 news release. “In addition to the in-person tour, the museum will be premiering a smartphone tour of the walk in which visitors can watch videos of all of the actors while touring the cemetery at their leisure.”

For the safety of all guests and actors (who cannot wear masks during the program), masks for walking tour participants are required. To control the flow of tours, tickets must be purchased in advance at the Brick Store Museum, or online at www.brickstoremuseum.org. Few standby tickets may be available that day. In the event of inclement weather, a rain date will be announced.

Wells Rotary Club announces Operation Warm

The Wells Rotary Club recently launched Operation Warm, a service project to provide winter clothing for children in need within the greater Wells community.

Earlier this year, the club was awarded a $2,000 grant from Rotary District 7780. The grant, along with the support of club donors, will help to provide winter coats and snow pants to children in need. Community partners included in this service project include York County Community Action Corporation, Operation Warm (a nationally known nonprofit that supplies children’s coats) and Renys of Wells.

The Rotary Club of Wells will host a warm clothing drive on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2, with the collection site being at the polls at the Wells Junior High School Gymnasium, 1470 Post Road. The club is asking the community to consider donating new socks, mittens, gloves and winter hats for children ages three months to eight years of age. A table and collection box will be available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the polling site.

“We are truly grateful to our Rotary District 7780 and its leadership for giving us the resources to launch this project and help us meet the basic needs of children within our community,” said Danielle DeFelice, club president, in an Oct. 8 news release. “In addition, the community at large can help us to make a positive impact by donating mittens, socks and hats when they come to vote on Nov. 2.”

Residents who may not be able to make it to the voting site on Nov. 2 can also visit https://secure.givelively.org/donate/operation-warm-inc/team-up-with-rotary-club-of-wells to make a donation toward the clothing initiative. A donation of $25 buys a child a warm winter coat, mittens, hats, and pair of socks. Donations can also be made at the Wells Rotary website, www.wellsrotary.org.

Portside Real Estate Group announces new hires and promotions
Portside adds employees to their Kennebunk, Falmouth, and Yarmouth offices

Portside Real Estate Group announces additions

Nate Mayo

Nate Mayo joins Portside Real Estate Group’s Kennebunk office as an associate broker . Mayo has over five years of experience in the real estate industry. Prior to Portside, he worked as a top producer at a large franchised agency and previously spent four years traveling the country as a surveyor and engineer.

“There is a refreshing perspective here at Portside,” said Mayo in Oct. 5 news release. “With so much energy and resources invested back into the local communities, it gives me the opportunity to really help people.”

Sarah Carson joins Portside Real Estate Group’s Falmouth office as an associate broker. Carson h has over four years of experience in the real estate industry. Kelly Statczar joins Portside Real Estate Group’s Yarmouth office as a sales agent. Statczar will join Portside’s 12-month program designed to jumpstart new agent’s real estate careers while working alongside a top Portside agent.

Graves Library hosting session with Grisham

Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library will host a Virtual Lunch Conversation with New York Times bestselling author John Grisham on Thursday, Oct. 21 from noon to 1 p.m.

Parent-teacher groups in RSU 21 recently came together with members of the community and businesses in Arundel, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport to bring picnic tables to all six schools in the district. Many students are already using them, like the Sea Road students pictured at a recent lunch. RSU 21 courtesy photo

Grisham has authored more than 40 books, making him a master of the modern legal thriller. Nine of his novels have been turned into films, including “The Firm,” “The Pelican Brief,” “The Client,” and “A Time to Kill.”

His latest book, “The Judge’s List,” will be released Oct. 19. The Graves Library session will be among a limited number of virtual launches nationwide. The $50 ticket includes the event link and a copy of the book with a bookplate signed by Grisham.

For tickets or more information, visit the Graves Library website, www.graveslibrary.org.

“We are honored and thrilled that Mr. Grisham is graciously donating his time so that 100 percent of funds raised will benefit the library’s ongoing operations,” said Graves Library Director Mary-Lou Boucouvalas in an Oct. 4 news release.

Part-time Kennebunkport resident Billy Shore will interview Grisham, followed by questions submitted by attendees. Shore is the founder and executive chair of Share Our Strength, the parent organization for the No Kid Hungry campaign.

“John and his wife Renee have been generous supporters of our nonprofit’s mission,” said Shore in an email. “His willingness to make himself available to help our favorite library shows he is not only a great storyteller, but a philanthropic one as well.”

Event sponsors include Spinnaker Trust, Kennebunk Savings Bank, Partners Bank, Kennebunk Beach Realty, Fine Print Booksellers, Pack Maynard Realty, Mutasia, Inc., Cider Mill Press, The Climate Initiative, Rosemary and Billy Shore and John and Mary Mills. In-kind sponsors include Tourist & Town, Volk Packaging and Doubleday Books.

Kennebunk Free Library wreath fundraiser returns

Students at Kennebunkport Consolidated School recently attended bus safety lessons with RSU 21’s Transportation Department and Consolidated School Officer Shane Brooks. Each of the district’s schools will participate in the program. Students are learning about how to safely cross the street, making sure to get a signal from the bus driver first, what rules to follow on the buses and how to evacuate in the event of an emergency. “I think this shows how we are teaching our students to be respectful, safe and prepared to ride the bus,” said Director of Operations Richard Terwilliger-Smith, in an Oct. 5 email. Transportation Trainer Cindy Messier said, “Bus safety lessons have been extremely successful and the kids are having a blast learning about bus safety, too.” Above, staff members who ran the Consolidated School lessons, from left, Dennis J. Duprey, driver, Messier, Scott Pipher, driver and president of the RSU 21 Transportation Employees Association, Jennifer Owens, driver, Jim Paiva, driver; and Consolidated School Resource Officer Shane Brooks. RSU 21 courtesy photo

Kennebunk Free Library is accepting orders from individuals and businesses for wreaths that will be delivered to the library for pick-up on Saturday, Nov. 20.

Made at Wreaths of Maine in Waldoboro, the handmade, double-sided 23-inch balsam wreaths, centerpieces and sprays, are featured as front-door ornaments and gifts.

There are multiple options to choose from ranging from $30 to $42, as well as a 33-inch wreath suitable for larger windows and doors for $60. Every wreath is handmade by a wreath-maker and decorated. All proceeds benefit the library. Orders are accepted through Nov. 10 at noon.

To place an order online, visit kennebunkfreelibrary.square.site, pick up a form in the library, or print a form from the library’s website. Kennebunk Free Library is located at 112 Main St. in Kennebunk. For more information, call 207-985-2173 or visit kennebunklibrary.org.

Hannaford dietitian to lead session on immune supporting foods

Kennebunk Free Library will host Megan Patten, Hannaford dietitian, for a nutrition talk focusing on immune supporting foods. The presentation, scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19, will focus on how the immune system works and lifestyle steps that can assist the defense system. Participants will learn specifically about certain nutrients in foods that can help prepare the body’s immune response, as well as dietary recommendations to support the body.

Depending on conditions at the time, the program may be in-person at the library or offered on Zoom. Check the library website the week of the program for information.

For more information, call 207-985-2173 or email us at kfl@kennebunklibrary.org.

An evening of Sinatra at Town House School

Musicians Dana Pearson and Mark Gunter, with guest saxophonist and flautist Mary Kennedy, will perform an evening of Frank Sinatra songs on Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. The set list includes such tunes as “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning,” “That’s Life,” and “Fly Me to the Moon.”

Songs Sinatra Sang is part of Mid-Week Music, a new concert series presented by the Kennebunkport Historical Society and staged at the Town House School at 135 North St. in Kennebunkport.

The concerts are held one Wednesday every month. Tickets are $15 in advance and at the door for the general public, and $12 for Kennebunkport Historical Society members. The BYOB event is for people 21 and older. Masks are mandatory for all. For more information and tickets, visit www.kporths.com/buy-tickets, email info@kporths.com, or call 207-967-2751.

Upcoming shows include Original Compositions with guest vocalist Janet Wentworth (Nov. 17) and A Mid-Week Music Christmas (Dec. 8).

Rosary Rally at Franciscan Monastery

The public is invited to a public Rosary Rally on the grounds of St. Anthony Franciscan Monastery at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 16. The monastery is located at 26 Beach Ave. in Kennebunk.

Sponsored by the America Needs Fatima campaign, local organizer Peter McNelis said Father John Bacivicius will speak in the chapel and those gathered will walk across the grounds to the statue of Mary, where the rosary will be said. The event is part of a national campaign with a target of 20,000 rallies that day.