the236diner.com

Some random gossip and musings over coffee:

Enough with the rain!  I’ve lived in New England my whole life so I’m used to rolling with the weather punches, but this is over the top.  The biggest crop in my garden is a herd of juicy slugs, all my shoes are wet, and my house feels damp and dreary and everywhere I go people are complaining about the weather, so of course I join right in.  As a New Englander I know this only makes it worse.  The cardinal rule of surviving New England weather is that you never acknowledge how bad it is; that would be like making eye contact with an attacking dog.  Instead you are supposed to stoically go about your business and when people bring up how bad the weather is, the only concession you make to acknowledging it is to bring up a time when the weather was worse.   So next time someone starts talking about the weather I’m going to say “I remember that June a few years back, when we had torrential rain for three days and our driveway washed out and it cost a fortune to repair.”  I feel better already.

So in that spirit, summer is here!  Hot Summer Nights kicks off tonight with Slaid Cleaves. Based on the amount of press this is getting all over New England, I’ll bet there will be a big crowd.  The concert will take place in the auditorium at Marshwood High School so concert goers can stay dry.

On July 4th you can catch Cormac McCarthy and MAINESQUEEZE at Summer in the Street in Market Square in Portsmouth, NH from 5:30 - 9:30 PM. It’s free and there will be dancing.  (There are also rumors that the sun may make an appearance.)

On Sunday, July 5, Sunday in the Gardens Concerts at Hamilton House  kick off with Harvey Reid.  (Again, more rumors of sun.) Check out the calendar to the right for all the details about all the concerts in this series.

Jennifer Houghton tells us that The Little Hat Company’s South Berwick Long Sleeve T’s are again available online. The SoBee Tee’s were one of the best sellers at their retail store so they are excited that they are available online.  They have all sizes in red, green, and blue.  Get your shirt and show your South Berwick pride!

Speaking of the weather, a bright spot is that I have the best crop of wild strawberries ever.  They are like tiny jewels of flavor just waiting to be picked when I go out to tend my herd of slugs.

This from the crew at Hot Summer Nights who want you to be dry and comfortable:

Unless there is a complete weather reversal….

Tonight:  Hot Summer Nights, July 2 - Slaid Cleaves (with Dan Blakeslee opening)
6:30-8:00  at Marshwood High School Auditorium
Pizza and drinks will be sold prior to the show.

Come support our “homegrown” musicians!

Don and I have been trying to eat closer to home. For us that means relying more on foods that are grown or produced nearby, food purchased directly from the producer when possible, and buying as many of our foodstuffs as we can from independent, locally owned retailers.  We are not foregoing things that come from far away, like olive oil, coffee,  spices, wine, and certain fruits like mangoes and avocados, but when we buy these things we try to choose fair trade and organic.  The other requirements for our local eating is that it has to fit within our frugal budget and it can’t take too much time to search out or prepare.  Most of all though, we have to love the food and enjoy eating it.

So last Friday it was off to North Berwick in search of local food options.

First stop was Carpe Diem Coffee on Route 9, on the right a little ways beyond Pratt & Whitney.  Carpe Diem is a locally owned coffee roaster and distributor.  You can purchase Carpe Diem coffee by mail or in local retail outlets, such as Nature’s Way Market.  At the Carpe Diem company store in North Berwick you can buy the coffee directly from the owners.  Our favorite brews are two of their fair trade organic selections, French Roast and Foggy Morning Blend.  Another plus of going to the company store is that we bring bring back our Carpe Diem coffee bags and they refill them and give us a discount for reusing the bags.  We like that, one less thing in our PAYT bags for the transfer station and less plastic used.  Best of all, the coffee is really good.

Next stop was the North Berwick Farmer’s Market at Town Hall in the center of town.  While I was at Carpe Diem, a tremendous thunder storm had raced by, dumping what seemed like buckets of rain and with some dramatic bolts of lightning.  When I got to the Farmer’s Market, the vendors were setting up a second time after having been forced into their cars and trucks by the storm. As they cheerfully set about resetting up their booths and drying things off, shoppers streamed into the parking lot.   I left with a jar of local honey, a big bunch of cilantro, beet greens, garlic scapes, and some Buddha’s Burning Buns Granola, made in South Berwick, and was on my way.  This new farmer’s market offers a nice selection, it is worth checking out.

Next stop was Riverside Farm Stand. I had intended to pick my own strawberries there but the storm had rained out that possibility.  I was able to get some just picked berries and some fresh asparagus though.

Then I was back in South Berwick with a quick stop at Nature’s Way Market for some locally grown hot house tomatoes, some Stoneyfield Yogurt, and some organic black beans.

Here’s how that food appeared on our table:

The official breakfast of the 236 diner:
Carpe Diem coffee, Burning Buddha’s Buns Fruit & Nut Granola, with lowfat plain yogurt and freshly picked Maine strawberries from Riverside Farm.  yum!  I have granola and yogurt almost every day, but it is never as good as when I have fresh, just picked fruit.

Asparagus and Black Bean Burritos
We made this up because we had some leftover tortillas and the cilantro from the Farmer’s Market cried out for something with a Mexican flair.

I pan roasted a diced onion, about a cup of frozen corn, and the asparagus in two inch cuts in some olive oil, salt and pepper until they were tender and slightly caramelized.

I made a salsa with a diced tomato, black beans, finely chopped jalapenos, chopped garlic, a big bunch of chopped cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper.

After sprinkling some grated Monterey Jack cheese on a tortilla and heating it for a few seconds in the microwave, I topped it with layer of the roasted asparagus mixture and a generous amount of the salsa and rolled up the whole thing burrito style.

It was lighter and fresher tasting than a traditional restaurant style burrito and the asparagus gave it an unexpected flavor that blended well with the more traditional corn, beans, and cilantro.  I will make this again.

Portobello and Garlic Scape Pesto Flatbread Pizza
I wasn’t going to buy the garlic scapes. which are the first green growth of garlic that farmer’s trim off to encourage further growth.  The farmer convinced me I should try them, and a quick internet search back home showed me that these are a much anticipated spring treat that I was lucky to be able to purchase.  They came with a sheet of recipes, including one for garlic scape pesto.  It is made exactly as a basil pesto, a blend of olive oil, pine nuts, salt, Parmesan cheese, but with chopped garlic scapes in place of the basil.  It looked like guacamole when it was made and had a light fresh garlic scent.

I made some pizza dough and let it rise while we went off to do some shopping for a home maintenance project.  A quick stop at Nature’s Way Market on the way home netted us baby Portobello mushrooms and some goat cheese to complete the pizza.

When we got home the pizza dough was ready. I rolled it out flatbread style, thin and irregularly shaped, and spread a layer of garlic scape pesto over it and topped it with some sauteed portobellos and some goat cheese.

The garlic scape pesto was wonderful; garlicky but with a freshness that is different than mature garlic.  Now I have another spring food to look forward to!

Carpe Diem Coffee Roasting Co
150 Wells St, North Berwick, ME

North Berwick Farmer’s Market
Town Hall parking lot, North Berwick, ME,  Every Friday, 3 - 6 PM

Riverside Farm Stand and Greenhouse
Rt 4 North Berwick ME, 207-676-2648 (Call for info on pick-your-own strawberries, they are opening the field in between the rains)

Historic New England, Hamilton House, South Berwick, Maine
Sundays in the Garden Concert Series
Sundays in July at 4 p.m. in the garden at Hamilton House

The beautiful gardens and sweeping view of the Salmon Falls River provide a picture perfect setting for these relaxed late-afternoon concerts.  Pack your picnic basket and lawn chair and come prepared to enjoy some of the Seacoast’s most popular musical performers.

Sunday, July 5 - Harvey Reid kicks off the series.  A well loved local musician, Reid has performed extensively and garnering national recognition as one of the true treasures of American acoustic music.  Reid’s music includes a range of influences from folk to rockabilly and a vast repertoire of traditional and contemporary songs, which he weaves seamlessly together with his own compositions and wry humor.

Sunday, July 12 - David Peloquin and Bob Webb bring their “Good Music for Hard Times” Concert to the garden.  Peloquin and Webb will offer American folk and popular music from our collective past, a celebration of all the great music created by regular American folk during the past 150 years. Peloquin and Webb perform with nearly 80 years of experience between them and present a varied and unusual repertory from the American song bag, performed in harmonizing tenor and baritone voices, with accompaniment on guitars, concertina, and America’s “own” musical instrument, the 5-string banjo.  “Good Music for Hard Times” is a presentation unlike any other and one that’s not to be missed!

Sunday, July 19 - Local favorite Jon Nolan will perform. Former frontman of the Newmarket, NH, based indie band Say Zuzu, Nolan is renowned for his rootsy pop sensibility.  His music has been called a smart and introspective combination of Americana, pop, and roots rock anchored in stirring and emotive vocals.  Nolan’s most recent recording, When the Summers Lasted Long, has received praise from fans and critics alike.  Nolan’s acoustic performance in the garden is a unique opportunity to see a singer-songwriter legend in the making.

Sunday, July 26 - Cellist/singer-songwriter Kristen Miller concludes the series. Miller electrifies her antique cello to redefine the instrument in the tradition of folk, rock, and world music. In her live performances, Miller uses digital recording to layer earthy cello timbres with percussion, spoken word, and singing. The result is a rich tapestry of harmony, rhythm, and deep melodic contour that Billboard writer Bobby Borg calls “hauntingly, charmingly, brilliant.”

This year’s concert series is sponsored in part by Kennebunk Savings Bank.  Proceeds help support the Hamilton House and gardens.  Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, $4 for Historic New England members and children, free for Historic New England Garden and Landscape Members.  In case of rain, concerts are held in the garden cottage.

Hamilton House is open for tours Wednesday- Sunday until mid-October.  Tours begin at the garden cottage on the hour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  House tours are $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, $4 for children, and free to Historic New England members.  The price of the house tour is not included with concert admission.

Hamilton House is located on Vaughan’s Lane, adjacent to Vaughan Woods State Park, a mile off Route 236 in South Berwick.  The site is one of 36 house museums owned and operated by Historic New England, the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive regional heritage organization in the country.  For more information, please contact the South Berwick Office of Historic New England at (207) 384-2454 or visit www.historicnewengland.org.

Monday, June 29
Town Council
6:30 PM - Council Chambers
AGENDA
Supporting Documents
Town Council/Board OF Assessors
JUNE 29, 2009 – Council Chambers
6:30pm Special Town Meeting
To vote on the following warrant article:
To see what sum the Town will vote to appropriate and expend from the
Undesignated General Fund Balance to cover the unexpected overdraft in
the Highway budget for 2008/09.
Town Council Recommends: $60,000 from Undesignated General Fund.

Town Council to follow town meeting
New Business
1. Administrative
A. Waive formal bid process for used equipment purchase.
B. Execute overlimit permit agreement with MDOT.
C. Authorize Council transfers for 08/09 budget overruns.
D. Adopt Personnel Policy changes.
E. Write-off uncollectible taxes.
F. Review Fuel Assistance Fund.
G. Accept resignations from Conservation Commission and Historic District Commission.
H. Reappoint board/committee members.
I. Establish subcommittee for board appointments.

Friday, July 3
Town Offices Closed: Independece Day Observed
All Day
Transfer Station Open
7:00 AM

Saturday, July 4
Transfer Station Closed
All Day

Fire In South Berwick Nursing Home
WCSH
Firefighters are called to a fire at the Berwick Estates Nursing Home on Portland Street…

Strawberry Festival still a sweet treat
Seacoastonline.com
Derek Small, left, of the Wildlife Encounters Traveling Zoo gets some help returning a 13-foot Burmese python to its cage Saturday during the South Berwick …

Wiles, Fickenscher finish first at Strawberry Festival race
Seacoastonline.com
Nobody has dominated the Strawberry Festival 5-Mile Road Race like Nathan Huppe. The two-time defending champion and …

Buckets of berries: Strawberry fest draws 25000-strong crowd
Foster’s Daily Democrat
An estimated 25000 people descended on downtown South Berwick Saturday for the 32nd annual Strawberry Festival, …

Police use Taser on man with knife during Strawberry Festival
Seacoastonline.com
A 25-year-old suicidal man held a knife to his throat Saturday afternoon on Main Street in front of thousands of …

South Berwick police Taser suicidal man as he holds knife to his throat
Foster’s Daily Democrat
A police officer used a Taser Saturday to quickly subdue a man holding a 12-inch blade to his own throat

Yesterday, I posted a plea from the Bolduc family for help finding their lost dog, Riley.  Last night I got this happy news:

We found Riley!!!!

Riley wandered from Old County Road in South Berwick all the way to McAfee Lane in Wells. We figure it’s a good 5-7 mile trip.  What a journey and if only he could tell us what he was thinking and doing for the last 48 hours… He’s home safe and sound now and back with all of his family that love him.  Mr. Handsome is all clean from his bath and sleeping soundly on his bed next to a new rawhide bone.

Apparently, Riley wandered onto a porch on McAfee Lane in Wells and spent the night there last night. The nice people that lived there fed him hamburgers and gave him fresh water and a place to sleep. They contacted the Wells PD, who talked to our friend at the York PD, who called us. What a wonderful end to a potentially sad story. We are truly grateful to all of you that helped spread the word that Riley was missing and that went looking for him day and night. We are so lucky for all of you!  Without you we would not have our big baby back. And a huge thanks to Mike and his wife for their generosity - We are lucky to have had such honest caring people find Riley.

The sweetest festival ever : South Berwick Strawberry festival has …
Foster’s Daily Democrat
It’s a heaping helping of old-fashioned Americana, topped off with a sprinkling of modern environmental …

Marshwood Education Foundation raises $10K for grants
Seacoastonline.com
The Marshwood Education Foundation raised more than $10000 at its first fund-raising dinner held recently at the Regatta Banquet and …

Slaid Cleaves at Slates Maine-bred singer/songwriter looks forward …
Morning Sentinel
We had a garage band together in South Berwick in high school and he moved on to Nashville and I moved to Texas, but we get together a couple times a year.

Not enough blustery days in South Berwick: Low wind speed ends …
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Ra Power Solutions, a Cape Neddick-based renewable energy company, recently completed a study indicating wind speeds are insufficient to …

Welcome to the world of Sarah Orne Jewett at Pontine Theatre, June …
Foster’s Daily Democrat
This performance will be part of South Berwick, Maine’s Strawberry Festival. Sarah Orne Jewett was born in the village of South Berwick on Sept. 3, 1849. …

Art exhibit mixes creativity with history
Seacoastonline.com
“This house is so ornamental,” said South Berwick, Maine, artist Allan Breed. For artists like Tuveson and Breed, who put together many of their works of …

County government braces for up to 40 layoffs
Journal Tribune
York County government has declared a fiscal emergency that could mean as many as 40 layoffs spread over …

This note from the Bolduc family was in my inbox this morning:

Our 3-year old English Mastiff is lost! He was last seen on 6/23 on Old County Road in South Berwick. He could be anywhere, so please keep your eye out for our Riley!!

He’s very friendly and will come if you call him. He is brindle (black, brown and white)colored, weighs 190lbs. and has a silver choke collar on w/no tags. He’s never ran off, so where not sure where he’d end up and Old County Road is surrounded by woods so he could have headed in any direction.  He’s probably near the area of Bennett Lot Road, Emery’s Bridge Road, Ogunquit Road, Mountain Road, Josiah Norton Road & Mt. A. and South Berwick, North Berwick, Cape Neddick, Wells, Ogunquit and York

Please forward to any of your friends or family in these areas - hopefully someone will run into him soon!  PLEASE help us find our baby! We miss him already and need him back.  Call Kari @ 617.308.1721 if you’ve seen him or have him. Or call your local police department.

Thanks for reading this and any help you may provide!

Kari, DJ and Callie

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been really curious about what’s been happening in the storefront on Main Street that was recently vacated by Sobo Book & Bean.  Every time I walk by lately I’ve been peeking in and seeing the transformation inside: new paint, shining floors, a new arrangement of the counter, more open space, and a new sparkle.

The other night at a South Berwick Networking meeting I got to meet Wendy Reppucci, who along with her spouse, is opening The Early Bird, the new coffee shop that is going into the spot.  It sounds like the Early Bird is a perfect addition to that stretch of Main St.

Here’s the latest update from Wendy Reppucci:

We’ve revived the cozy space at 241 Main Street with a cheery facelift.  The Early Bird will be open for business on Strawberry Festival weekend.  We’ll open with a limited menu then - our Grand Opening is planned for July with our full menu in place.   We’ll feature fresh, preservative-free Bagels, a great selection of organic, fair trade coffees (roasted in Maine) and teas, a variety of fresh Egg & Cheese Sandwiches, including our own Green Eggs & Ham specialty sandwich, Kimmi’s Best Biscotti (made right here in So. Berwick) and many other fresh and natural offerings.  Soft-serve ice cream and Root Beer floats will coming soon too!  We’ll be offering complimentary WiFi access at the Early Bird.

We’ll be open seven days a week, and yes, we will be open early!  Our hours are Monday-Friday from 6:00 am - 2:00 pm and Saturday-Sunday 8:00 am - 2:00 pm. The Early Bird will also be open Thursday evenings for Hot Summer Nights concerts, so come visit us and grab an ice-cream or an iced-coffee to enjoy during the show.  We have the best coffee in town!

Feel free to email us with any questions, comments or to just say hello at: earlybird241@yahoo.com.

This is great news for the center of the village.  Early coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and WiFi!  Best wishes to the the Reppucci’s and the Early Bird, I can’t wait to do some early morning coffee and blogging there.

Johnson, Sylvia
Sylvia Ann Johnson, 76, of South Berwick, Maine, died Saturday, June 20, 2009, at her home on Witchtrot Road.

Holton, Mary
Mary E. Holton, 79, of South Berwick, Maine, died Saturday, June 13, 2009 at her residence.

Tuesday, June 23
South Berwick Transportation Feasibility Study
7:00 PM - Auditorium Hall
Consultants will be presenting draft recommendations and gathering input.
Some of the latest draft information and plans are posted on the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission’s web site:

• Phasing Plan (6/17/09)
• Proposed Plan (6/17/09)
• Concept Drawing (6/17/09)
• Existing Conditions (6/17/09)

Wednesday, June 24
Tri-Berwick Meeting
6:30 PM - Berwick Town Hall
Members of the South Berwick Town Council will meet with the elected officials and Managers from the communities of Lebanon, Berwick and North Berwick and our State Legislators to discuss regional and state concerns.

Taste of the Seacoast, the Seacoast’s dining magazine and website, recently published an article highlighting what some area restaurants are doing to be green.  South Berwick’s Fogarty’s Restaurant was featured for their successful efforts to reduce the amount of waste they create.

Read the whole article:  Going Green, Preserving the Environment, One Step at a Time

…The Recycler: At Fogarty’s restaurant in South Berwick, Maine, you might say that everything old is new again. Fogarty’s has been a landmark eatery for fifty years, and according to owner Larry Fogarty, is now returning to its thrifty Yankee roots.

“Our entire staff has a commitment to being green,” he says. “Much of this is just common sense—like our grandparents used to do—you use it up, make it last, or find another use for it. We first started making changes when we noticed how much trash we were producing every week. We were horrified! We’ve now reduced that amount from two dumpsters every week to one dumpster every other week….

Fogarty’s Restaurant, 471 Main Street, South Berwick, Maine. (207) 384-8361

Thursdays, June 25 and July 23, 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Hamilton House, South Berwick, Me.
Phone: 207-384-2454

Admission: Free to Garden and Landscape members, $6 Historic New England members, $12 nonmembers
Please note: Registration required

Take part in a special opportunity to learn about the landscape and gardens at Hamilton House with Historic New England’s Piscataqua Region Landscape Manager Gary Wetzel. Imagine the changes in the land as wilderness yielded to a busy commercial waterfront, then to farming, and finally, to formal gardens. Learn about the flowers, trees, and other plants at Hamilton House and hear how Wetzel and gardeners Mimi Demers and Kathy Gray create and maintain the beautiful formal gardens. Garden and Landscape tours available for private groups by special arrangement. Call 207-384-2454 for details.

South Berwick Strawberry Festival green, red, delicious
Foster’s Daily Democrat
The Strawberry Festival Committee has added green to the red of its strawberry for this year’s event.

Scene: Slaid Cleaves returns to South Berwick on July 2
Seacoastonline.com
Slaid Cleaves never gets too big to come back home and play a free concert on the Central School lawn in South Berwick, Maine in the height of summer. …

Seacoast Christian School in South Berwick graduates class of 2009
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Seacoast Christian School held commencement exercises at Curtis Lake Christian Church on Monday, June 8, for the senior class of 2009. …

Special South Berwick meeting on June 29 to approve snow removal …
Foster’s Daily Democrat
After residents begrudgingly approved $250000 in extra snow removal costs last year, they will again be asked to …

Kittery, SAD 35 schools talk teamwork
Seacoastonline.com
With their budgets recently passed against the backdrop of a struggling economy, two local school districts are starting to …

First Annual Fair Tide Golf Tournament
The Links at Outlook,  South Berwick, ME
Thursday, June 18 at 1PM
$100pp includes 18 Holes of Golf with Cart and GPS
Contests and Prizes; Award Dinner Ceremony
Raffles and Auction Items During Dinner
Or, Join for Dinner, Raffles and Auction for $25 at 6PM
Contact Diana Flynn at 207-451-0020 or flynngolf@comcast.net to Register

Fair Tide Golf Tournament Raffles
Gift Card to Green Alliance (save over $1000s from business members)
Two $60 gift cards from car wash on Rt 236 in Eliot (two separate raffles)
$50 gift card to Shipyard Brew Pub, plus tee shirt and hat
Atlantic Laser Services in York $75 treatment (two separate raffles)
Feeling Package and children’s books “Lets Make Faces” and “Charlie” from Elaine Case
$25 Gift Card to Warren’s
Acupuncture session by Avi in Portsmouth, NH
Life Coach, 2 Hour Free Session by Karen Davis
Mary Kay Gift Donation by Nancy Merrill
Silver Bracelet donated by artist at Just Us Chickens in Kittery
Patrice Sweet Home Interior Design- Free Consultation
Personal and Business Coaching and Leadership Training 2 hour session by John Butruccio
Four 1 1/4 pound Lobsters from Taylor Lobster, Eliot
Childlight Yoga Package from Lisa Flynn

Silent Auction Items
Rounds of Golf at The Links at Outlook
$100 Gift Certificate to Fox’s Restaurant, Nubble Light
4 Sea Dog Tickets
$100 Franman Transportation

Grown by our neighbors and picked in season!
Fridays 3-6pm Rain or Shine!
June 12 - October 2009
North Berwick Town Hall Parking Lot

Buy from these local food growers and producers, including several from South Berwick:

Berry Best Farm, Lebanon, Me: fresh picked fruit and jams
Borealis Breads, Wells, Me: whole grain breads, pastries, cookies
Buddha’s Burning Buns, S. Berwick, Me: cookies, granola and dry mixes
Catch a Piece of Maine, Portland, Me: lobster rolls, salad and cooked lobster meat
Cricket Corner Soapworks, NH, herbal soaps and salves
Dan’s Delectable Bee Barf, S. Berwick, Me: honey and fruit
Farmfield Greenhouses, Lebanon, Me: annuals, perennials and hanging baskets
Juniper Ledge Farm, S. Berwick, Me: organic veggies, herbs and some pastries
Kelly Orchards, Acton, Me: apples, cider, peaches, berries, fall squashes and pumpkins
Little Cottage Baking Co., Sanford, Me: fudge, peanut brittle, and sweets
Outlaw Farm, Rochester, NH: free-range Hereford beef
Spiller Farm, Wells, Me: wide variety of veggies and fruits
The Coop Co-op, N. Berwick, Me: free-range eggs
Tic-Toc Farm, N. Berwick, Me: variety of veggies, fruits and flowers
Zach’s Farm, York, Me: sweet corn, melons, veggies, and flowers

Marshwood Education Foundation in collaboration with the Hackmatack Playhouse is hosting “Anything Goes” on Saturday, July 11th at 8PM.  Tickets are $20.00 each and can be bought from Hilda Howell at 384-2908 or jimhilda@msn.com.

This lively musical features our very own Marshwood Music Director, Tanya West, and Stacie Cocola, English teacher. Stacie’s husband, John Payne, and Michael Aldrich, MHS student and star of many MHS productions are also performing.

Join us for a fun evening and bring family and friends.

Hackmatack Playhouse
538 School St
RT 9 Beaver Dam
Berwick, ME 03901 207-698-1807

Looking for a way to volunteer, with benefits?

LL
L
Hackmatack Playhouse is looking to trade tickets for handyperson carpentry work (fix screen doors, windows etc).  Please contact Hackplayhouse@aol.com or call 207-698-1807.

Kittery Point apprentice lobster man and sixth grade Berwick Academy student Mark Hoyt gives students from Louisville, KY a lesson on the business of lobstering.

Underprivileged Louisville Students Experience a New England Adventure

What started out as a pen pal program between Berwick Academy Upper School students and a group of underprivileged middle schoolers from Louisville, KY back in 2007, has since blossomed into an extraordinary exchange program between the two schools. Thirteen sixth grade students arrived in Maine this past Saturday with their teacher, Berwick alum, Rachel Davis. The students traveled from Louisville to South Berwick where they are staying for a week-long adventure. Berwick Academy Upper School students and Dean of Student Life, Jen Onken, have put together an incredible agenda for the children during their stay.

Students from Louisville, KY get their first taste of fresh lobster.

Among the activities planned for their stay was a visit to Pepperell Cove Wharf in Kittery Point, ME which took place yesterday, Monday, June 15.  Upper School math teacher Charlene Hoyt and her husband Scott graciously offered a tour of their lobster boat, SLOW MOCEAN, which was tied up to the wharf for the kids to explore.  Their son Mark, a sixth grade student at Berwick Academy, is an apprentice-licensed lobster man with 50 traps of his own, personal ID tags and buoy color. Mark, his brother Alex, a ninth grader at Berwick Academy, and their dad Scott explained all that is involved in the lobster fishing business to the kids, most of whom have never eaten lobster. Students then headed to the Hoyt’s home with 30 fresh lobsters to cook up and enjoy.  A traditional down east meal was the evening’s menu. Continue reading →

The Town’ s Economic Development Committee (EDC) has released a report with recommendations for economic development strategies for South Berwick. Last the EDC began a process to assist them to get a better understanding of what people in the community want for economic development, and to provide a strategic direction for the Town.  The EDC hired Planning Decisions, Inc., a consulting company to assist with their efforts.  The EDC did in-depth interviews of citizens about their feelings about economic development in the community and then followed up with a public workshop to prioritize their findings.  The Committee, with the help of the Planning Decisions, Inc. then looked at the actual economic development facts of the Town, to see what was realistically achievable in the economic development arena.

Based on their research, the EDC developed three guideposts for the economic development strategy for South Berwick:
1. Any strategy for South Berwick must be multi-faceted, and address all four community goals:  Reduce residential property taxes; Create new jobs and economic opportunities for residents; Make the community desirable for people to live, shop, and work; Create a sustainable community — energy-efficient, environmentally and economically sound.
2. Any strategy must not only be consistent with, but strengthen, the character of South Berwick. Whatever is done cannot take away from the residential attractiveness, the in-town charm, the historic feel, the natural beauty, the quality of schools of the existing community.
3. Any strategy must be realistic, and meet the straight-faced test. People want to see their tax dollars used effectively, no matter what the purpose.

Based on the research and input from citizens, the EDC., with the help of Planning Decisions, Inc. developed recommendations of the following strategies for economic development.

The Economic Development Committee believes that a local economic development strategy must build on the recognizable strengths of the community.

Strategy 1 – Enhance the downtown
This has several components:  1. Encouraging the clustering of professional offices in the downtown area; 2. Attracting visitors to the downtown – looking particularly at nearby Berwick Academy; and 3. Enhancing the general quality of life downtown.

Strategy 2 – Market South Berwick as a destination for tourist day trips, for student and parent activities, for weddings, and for small business meetings.
This strategy involves linking together, branding, and systematically promoting what mostly already exists in the community – namely, outdoor recreation centers, history, gardens, restaurants and lodges, and bed and breakfast inns.
The benefits of this strategy are increased spending for local businesses; and higher positive name recognition for the Town – which can have spillover benefits in business attraction, attraction of students to the schools, and attracting new residents.

Strategy 3: Be ready for the next large employer – create development-ready sites on Route 236.
There is privately-owned land on Route 236 that could be appropriate for such business development. The Town should assist interested owners to obtain state grants to bring roads and utilities to business park sites. The park should be designed to have an attractive and professional work, because it will be a gateway and image for the community as a whole, and not just the businesses within. The Town needs to be ready
for the next economic recovery.

This is a link to the full report, South Berwick Economic Development Priorities, June 5, 2009, which includes more specific details about each of the strategies.  The full report is 50 pages, however the recommendations are included in the first ten pages, with the rest collateral materials and specific information from interviews and research.

The EDC’s monthly meeting, which is open to the public, will be held Wednesday, June 17, 6:30 PM in Meeting Room 2 at Town Hall.  They will be discussing the strategies and selecting priorities on which to work.  

News from your Library for the week of June 15, 2009, brought to you by Friends of the South Berwick Public Library.

Knit-erature Book Group will meet Monday, June 15, at 7 p.m. Knitters, stitchers and crafters of all interests are invited to come and work on their projects and discuss their current reads.

Children ages 2-16 are invited to sign up this week for South Berwick Public Library’s “Be Creative @ Your Library” Summer Reading Program. Stop in at the Library to get details on special summer activities such as drop-in craft days, camp fire sing-alongs, story times, and book discussions for children in grades 3-5, grades 6-8, and grades 9 and up to talk about their favorite books.

The first 200 children to register will receive a Portland Sea Dogs ticket, and there will be other prizes throughout the summer such as book bags, book marks and items from the treasure chest. As a special incentive, Muddy River Market Place is donating a free kid’s meal to all children who read a library book for 20 minutes a day for 30 days.

Summer Reading Program events include:
Wednesday-Friday, June 17-19, 1-3 p.m. Create sidewalk chalk art at the Library.
Monday, July 13, 10 a.m. Explore South Berwick History @ the Counting House, grades 8 and up, families welcome.
Monday, July 13, 6:30 p.m. Family Song Time with Sammie Haynes. Songs by the campfire for all ages and sizes.
Monday, July 20, 6:30 p.m. Sing-along @ the Campfire with Boy Scouts & Girl Scouts. All ages. Rain date July 22.
Thursday, July 23, 1:30 p.m. Boston Museum of Science presents “Super-Cold Science.”
Wednesday, July 29, 10 a.m. Explore South Berwick History @ the Counting House, ages 4-8, families welcome.
Thursday, July 30, 10 a.m. A Picnic in the Jewett Gardens. Story for ages 3-6 but all ages welcome.
Monday, Aug. 3, 1 p.m. Explore South Berwick History @ the Counting House, ages 9-13, families welcome.
Monday, Aug. 10, 1 p.m. Sarah Orne Jewett Stories for Children.

The Library is open Monday and Wednesday 1-8 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Friday 1-5 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

Monday, June 15
Town Council
6:30 PM - Council Chambers
On the Agenda:
Unfinished Business
1. Administration
A. Adopt Post-Construction Stormwater Management Ordinance and associated Zoning & Subdivision amendments.
New Business
1. Administration
A. Set date and sign warrant for Special Town Meeting for budget overruns.
B. Authorize Police Grant Application for ATV enforcement
C. Take action on renewal of liquor license for Pepperland Café.
D. Obtain direction on LD 1432: creation of a recreational saltwater fishing registry.
E. Adopt amendment to the Personnel Policy.
ADJOURN TO WORKSHOP
Supporting Documents_6-15-09.pdf

Monday, June 15
Town Council Workshop
Council Chambers
Goals Workshop Agenda-following the regular Town Council meeting
Town Council Chambers
Purpose of meeting: to generate consensus around a short term and long term vision for the
Town for the manager to create a work plan around. (Council goals should not be a list of managerial tasks.)
Format: Where this workshop begins at the end of a regular council meeting, this first workshop will focus on Councilor & Manager goals and concerns. Staff will collate findings for prioritization at a second meeting.

Tuesday, June 16
Planning Board & Town Council (Joint Workshop)
7:00 PM - Council Chambers
1.      Discuss Shoreland Zoning
Documents
-Proposed deletion of Chapter 140 Articles. Prepared with memo cover sheet from Jim Fisk to John B. Schempf, Town Manager entitled “Existing Articles in Chapter 140 proposed to be deleted and repealed to be incorporated into a new Chapter 110 Shoreland Zoning”. (”v7jlf” and last dated April 10, 2009).
-Proposed Shoreland Zoning Ordinance - Chapter 110. Prepared with memo cover sheet from Jim Fisk to John B. Schempf, Town Manager entitled “Shoreland Ordinance, proposed”. (”v8″ and last dated May 26, 2009).
-Limited Residential Districts: Memo with Map illustration from Jim Fisk to the South Berwick Planning Board dated May 29, 2009.
-Purpose Statements for Floodplain and Minor Freshwater Wetlands. Prepared with memo cover sheet from Jim Fisk to the South Berwick Planning Board entitled “Additional purpose statements”, dated May 28, 2009.

Tuesday, June 16
Planning Board
7:01 PM - Council Chambers
Correspondence
1. Email from Josephine Collins per John B. Schempf dated June 3, 2009.
RE: South Berwick Zoning (45 and 49 Agamenticus Road - Map 29 Lot 27 - R2 Zone)
Old Business
1. Shoreland Zoning: Follow Up to Joint Workshop with Town Council.
2. CMP - Maine Power Reliability Program dated January 22, 2009.
RE: Ordinance Amendment. (Please refer to documents provided in the 6/02/09 Planning Board packet).
–Email correspondence from Bud Newell, TRC and Proposed Amendment Language dated March 10, 2009.
3. Our Lady of the Angels Church MSP#08-02; Our Lady of the Angels Parish (Greater Portland Diocese) - Major Site Plan Application. (Please refer to documents provided in the 6/02/09 Planning Board packet).
–Memo correspondence with revised plans from Thomas Harmon, Civil Consultants dated June 9, 2009.

Wednesday, June 17
EDC Meeting
6:30 PM - Meeting Room 2
Old Business:
1) Discuss Committee Charge in relation to the Economic Strategic Master Plan.
–Choose 1-3 economic driven findings per PDI report.
2) St. Michael’s/Young Street Property - Discuss Public Info. Mtg. 5/13/09.

Ten years of Hot Summer Nights in South Berwick!

(Note: July 2 opener with Slaid Cleaves and Dan Blakeslee will be held at Marshwood High School Auditorium)

On Thursday nights in July and August, residents of the area will once again be able to tote picnics,blankets and babies into the village to listen to music in the social, relaxed setting of downtown South Berwick. Most of the concerts start at 6:30 pm with opening acts, often students from the area, and continue until 8 pm.

Although the concerts are all free, and always will be, Hot Summer Nights welcomes donations. In order to keep the concerts free from pressure or guilt, Hot Summer Nights only solicits donations once during the season. This year, organizers are raising money to buy a PA system so they can offer even better acoustics at the outdoor venue.

Students from the incoming junior class at Marshwood High School will be on hand at concerts selling food and beverages.

More information on shows, musicians and rain announcements, and even a taste of the music is available on the brand new, interactive website at www.hotsummernightssobo.com.

The full schedule is as follows:
July 2, 6:30 PM- Slaid Cleaves (Americana); opener Dan Blakeslee (Note: will be at Marshwood High School Auditorium)

July 9, 6:30 PM - High Range (bluegrass); opener  James Gilmore (Marshwood High School grad)

July 16, 6:30 PM - Joyce Andersen with Brian Killough - (roots, traditional, rockin’!) ; openers Isa Burke and Lina Tullgren (Marshwood High School)

July 23, 6:30 PM - Chronic Jazz Syndrome  (jazz, obviously!);  opener Noah Landis (Berwick Academy)

July 30, 6:30 PM - Mango Groove (steel drums); Opener Amelia Hazen (Berwick Academy)

Aug 6, 5:00 PM - Sobopalooza (a performance entirely of young musicians - starts early!) 5pm – dark.

Aug 13, 6:30 PM - Baby Grand (classic rock) ; opener Avalon (from Berwick Academy)

Aug 20, 6:00 PM - PB&J  ( traditional and contemporary covers); opener Taygra Longstaff (Marshwood High School)

Marshwood grads celebrate
Portsmouth Herald
This Marshwood High School Class of 2009, one gets the impression, is slightly irreverent, greatly sustainable, somewhat mischievous, deeply caring and committed to change.

Class leaders urge Marshwood grads to conquer obstacles
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Hope, optimism, and change — mixed in, of course, with some silly string, beach balloons and air horns

Vehicles hit pedestrian in South Berwick, cyclists in Rye
Portsmouth Herald
A pedestrian and two bicyclists were struck by motor vehicles in two separate Seacoast communities Thursday night. A dispatcher with the South Berwick (Maine) Police Department said a pedestrian was transported to….

Update 9:30 am
Pedestrian struck by car in South Berwick
Portland Press Herald
A pedestrian was struck and injured on Main Street last night.
Emergency communicators this morning confirmed that a person was hit by a car at 180 Main St. (also known as Route 4) around 9 p.m. and injured. The person was transported to the hospital.
A South Berwick dispatcher said a press release with more information will be available later today.

Green Business in the Community
FREE outdoor family event on sustainable commerce, green art and more
Saturday June 13th, 11am-3pm, Haley Art Gallery, 178 Haley Road in Kittery, ME. off of Rt. 1 at the outlets.

The Green Alliance, a local green business union made up of 57 sustainable entrepreneurs, in conjunction with the Haley Art Gallery, is hosting its first annual Green Expo “Green Business in the Community”. The event is free and open to the public and will showcase local green businesses from biofuels to solar and geothermal,  to sustainable clothing merchants, a local green IT company, sustainable foods and much, much more.  Eco-art will be on display as well as a children’s recycled art activity and workshops on green energy systems such as solar, geothermal, biofuels and composting.

Seacoast residents and business owners Sarah Brown of the Green Alliance and Jackie Abramian of Haley Farm Gallery wanted to merge the concepts of green art and green commerce.   The Gallery owner approached Brown last winter with an offer of her gallery grounds to promote a green business and art event.  Brown was excited about an event that would allow the public to meet some of the green entrepreneurs in her growing green business union face-to-face and showcase some of their revolutionary practices and products.

The event will be competing with Market Square Day which both organizers feel is unfortunate but also allows them to offer an alternative to the crowds and a line-up of certified local green exhibitors.  “We encourage folks to go to Market Square Day in the morning before the crowds get overwhelming and then come on out to beautiful Kittery and sample a fully sustainable event.”  The event will boast green goods and services from the Seacoast community, recycled and environmental art, green workshops throughout the day, children’s activities and free samples from local sustainable restaurants.

The Gallery’s current exhibit Our Town – Our Community will be on view featuring works by Gallery artists Paul Burke, Dean Diggins, Donna Harkins, Robert Hollingworth, Paul Lewis, Ann Legg, Anthony Montanino, and Gail Sauter.

Haley Farm Art Gallery is a gallery of original artworks by local, national and international artists, a gift shop of artful handcrafts and Fair Trade items, and an ideal space for corporate events and gatherings.  It is located at 178 Haley Road in Kittery, ME. off of Rt. 1 at the outlets.  More info at 207-439-7612, haleygallery@comcast.net, or visit www.haleygallery.com.

The Green Alliance is a green business union that promotes those businesses in our community that are having the least impact on the environment.  Just a year old, the GA now has 57 green Business Partners across industries.  Every business in the GA undergoes a full sustainability evaluation, and gets rated and scored with the GA Report Card – all results and ratings are available to the public at www.greenalliance.biz

To spotlight the problem of invasive plants in the community, the South Berwick Conservation Commission will join forces with the South Berwick Garden Club to sponsor a cleanup of traffic islands in the municipal parking lot at the corner of Main and Norton Streets at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 20.

“This is an ideal opportunity for the community to come together to learn more about invasive plant species and how to identify and remove them,” said Pat Robinson, Conservation Commission chairperson. “At the same time, people will be working together to beautify a key location in town just in time for the Strawberry Festival.”

Invasive plants are non-native species that disrupt local ecosystems by crowding out native plants. Often imported for use in landscaping, invasive plants like Russian olive and oriental bittersweet grow rapidly and quickly spread to the natural environment. Species like Japanese barberry can form thorny, impenetrable thickets in forests, while purple loosestrife can degrade the wetlands we depend on to protect water quality and provide a habitat for birds and fish.

Individuals and groups are urged to come, learn about invasive plants, help with the plant removal and with mulching the area. Please bring shovels, pruning and weeding tools. For more information or to sign up to volunteer, please call Pat Robinson at (207)384-4243 or Zelda Kenney @(207) 384-2650.

Here’s a round up of voting results in South Berwick, Eliot, and Kittery:

SAD 35 voters approve $26.2m budget
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Voters in South Berwick and Eliot approved the Fiscal 2010 $26.2 million school budget Tuesday in the final portion …

Eliot elects two women, passes comprehensive plan
Seacoastonline.com
An incumbent and a newcomer - the only two women in a field of five candidates - were elected to the Board of Selectmen …

Kittery voters: Close Frisbee School
Portsmouth Herald
Voters granted approval to the closure of Frisbee Elementary School, the School Department budget and a $7 million construction and renovation bond for a pair of Kittery schools.

Kittery approves all warrant articles
Portsmouth Herald
Even in stark economic times, Kittery’s voters were willing to grant their approval to every item on the municipal ballot Tuesday.

These are the numbers from voting today in South Berwick on the MSAD35 budget.  These are only the South Berwick results, and do not include Eliots votes.  The final result will be based on both town’s votes.

Voter turnout: 485 voters plus 4 absentee ballots cast= 9.4% turnout

On the one question on the ballot, to vote yes or no to accept the $2.6 million budget that was passed at last week’s annual district budget meeting, the South Berwick results were:

Yes - 255     No - 230   Blanks - 0

We’ll have to wait to hear how Eliot cast there votes before we know the outcome.

Update:  7:20 am, June 10: Eliot voters approved the school budget 578-296, according to Foster’s Daily Democrat.  The budget is passed.