The 2022 New Gloucester Town Report was dedicated in part to Korean War veteran Wally Bragdon, center. From left are Select Board members Paul Larrivee, Peter Bragdon, Steve Hathorne and Dustin Ward. Patti Mikkelsen / For Lakes Region Weekly

Town report dedicated to Korean War vet, pantry volunteers

The 226th New Gloucester Town Report was dedicated to Wallace “Wally” Bragdon Jr. at the April 11 Select Board meeting in the individual category, while volunteers with the New Gloucester Food Pantry were recognized in the group category.

Bragdon, 93, is a lifelong resident of New Gloucester and an Army veteran who served during the Korean War. Bragdon helped make the veterans’ monument a reality and is one of the original members of AMVETS Post #6. He is still an active member of 45 years with the Kora Shriners in Lewiston and nearly 70 years with Cumberland Masonic Lodge #12 in New Gloucester. Bragdon also served the town as its postmaster for 21 years.

Members of the food pantry honored at the meeting included Bruce Macomber, Andrea Brown, Linda Gard, Beverly Cadigan and Cindy Brakey.

The annual town report was dedicated to the New Gloucester Food Pantry in the group category. Representing the food pantry at the April 11 Select Board meeting were, from left front, Bruce Macomber, Andrea Brown, Linda Gard, Beverly Cadigan and Cindy Brakey. Back row from left are members of the Select Board: Peter Bragdon, Paul Larrivee, Steve Hathorne and Dustin Ward. Patti Mikkelsen / For Lakes Region Weekly

The food pantry is run by the First Congregational Church, which also provides the utilities and volunteers that make the pantry possible. Located in a two-bay garage behind the church, the pantry is open from 8-9:30 a.m. the second and fourth Saturdays of the month and also responds to food emergencies. Supplementing large providers such as Good Shepherd Food Bank and the Gray Hannaford, several locals donate their surplus vegetables, fresh bread, eggs and baked goods, while others contribute monetarily.

Learn about livable communities

Join an informational session about livable communities at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 28, via Zoom to discuss what livable communities are, why they’re important and what are other towns doing about them.

Speakers include Patricia Oh, the statewide Age-Friendly coordinator for AARP Livable Maine; Donna Palmer, a founding member of Living Well in North Yarmouth; Effie Rorke, a consultant for Maine Council on Aging; and Larry Clifford, a consultant on how towns can use data to create and implement action plans. Email BLINGNewGloucester@gmail.com to receive a Zoom link to the event.

Patti Mikkelsen may be contacted at mikks@maine.rr.com.