For thirty-six consecutive years, hundreds of volunteers have come together for a South Berwick tradition. Official Festival activities will take place only on the grounds of Central School, on Main Street, in the center of town. A stop at the Strawberry Festival Information Booth is a must to find out more about the day’s schedule for the entertainers, as well as where all the various activities are located and to purchase strawberry festival memorabilia.

Preparation of the strawberries start on Friday, the morning before the Festival at the Community Center, where over a hundred and fifty volunteers get together for a good old fashioned social to hull, slice, and sugar the berries. Other volunteers slice the biscuits, prepare the whipped cream and move everything under the Strawberry Shortcake tent so all will be ready for the Festival goers when it opens at 9:00 am.

The Strawberry Festival Committee is pleased to announce that they we are continuing to serve Strawberry Shortcake and Cheesecake on biodegradable bowls, plates and spoons. These items are made out sugar cane called Bagasse tableware. Bagasse is the biomass remaining after sugarcane stalks are crushed to extract their juices. Additionally, we will be recycling all of the hulls from the berries for anyone who would like them for composting. The boxes and the plastic containers for the berries will also be recycled.

Transportation to and from the Festival is FREE via an old fashion trolley ride. Running every 20 minutes, the trolleys provide free transportation to the Festival from parking locations at Marshwood Great Works School on Rt 236, Community Center on Norton St, Powder House Hill, and Agamenticus Field.

Strawberry shortcakes have always been a favorite of the Festival. They will begin serving at 9:00am until we run out. Last year we served up over 250 cases of fresh strawberries, 80 gallons of whipped cream and over 330 dozen biscuits. There will be 90 strawberry cheesecakes added to the menu and complimented with; you guessed it, strawberries. The costs of these items is only $5.00.

In addition to shortcakes and cheesecakes there is also a huge Food Court. There will be a pancake breakfast from 6:00 – 10:00. Throughout the day there will be various food items sold by local non-profit groups. The Fire Dept will be selling hamburgers, hot dogs, fries and cold drinks. The Community Pantry will be serving up frozen lemon aid. Knights of Columbus –fried dough, Masons–chicken BBQ and other assorted non-profit groups serving sandwich wraps, teriyaki, nachos, fruit cups, cotton candy and water.

The schedule of activities: Road Race
The day’s activities begin at 8:00am, a 5 mile Road Race and 2.5 mile Fun Walk, sponsored by the South Berwick Recreation Department and local businesses, kick off from Marshwood Middle School on Academy St.

Entertainment
Throughout the day, a variety of entertainers from around the area will be performing on two stages set up around the grounds.
• At the Central School Field Stage, Northern Explosion Cloggers, a great group of cloggers, go on at 9:00,10:00,11:00. All Together Now a Beatles tribute band at 12:30 – 3:30
• At the Central School Front stage, Bob & Maria Puppeteers at 9:00 and 10:00, Women of Note, an cappella group at 11:30 – 1:00; Funky Divas of Gospel 2:00 – 4:00 and Seacoast Men of Harmony at 11:30 – 1:30
• In the Field Area from 9:00 – 4:00 Wildlife Encounters. For the kids there will be a climbing wall, pony rides, a giant tiger slide, dunking booth, exotic animals exhibition, pony rides, a bungee jumping setup and much more.

Crafts
Over 100 juried artisans will be on hand to display and sell their hand-made wares, including clothing, pottery, wood products, jewelry, paintings, photographs, candles, jams and dips, furniture, and much, much more. These crafters will be located both at the side of Central School and in the area around the food court.

Please be kind to your pets and have them stay in the coolness of your home.

More at http://www.southberwickstrawberryfestival.com

Saturday, May 14,  AUTOworks, the Kittery, Maine shop owned by Stephen Kosacz will open for its 16^th Annual Garage Dance.  Join in the merry-making, featuring the wildly popular Ben Baldwin & the Big Note, and help support the Marshwood Education Foundation.

Saturday, May 14, 2011, 8 PM to Midnight
AUTOworks garage, 107 Government St., Kittery, Maine.

The event is BYOB -  Tickets are $30 each

Tickets are available at:
Bull Moose Music, Portsmouth, NH, AUTOworks, Kittery, ME, P. Gagnon & Son, Inc., South Berwick, ME
To purchase tickets or for more information, contact:  Mimi Abell at 603.969.9650 or mabell.mef@gmail.com

To learn more about the venue visit www.auto-works.com/dance.htm. To learn more about Marshwood Education Foundation, go to www.marshwood-education-foundation.org/

All to benefit Project Graduation–a safe, chemical free celebration for the Marshwood Class of 2011!!

Just a few of the items – 100 gallons of heating oil, many handcrafted items, original art work, certificates for massages, weekend get-away, teeth whitening, exercise club memberships, tickets for the Thomas Leighton, mulch and loam, The Links at Outlook Golf Course- foursome with cart, 1 cord of firewood, Hackmatack Playhouse passes, hand-made Adirondack chair, horseback riding lessons, auto detailing and many more items.

FMI, please contact Teri Riendeau 207-384-5000 or triendeau@comcast.net.

April 30, 6:30 PM to 11:00 PM • $25.00, Regatta Banquet & Conference Center, Eliot, ME

The Automated External Defibrillator has been proven to be a life saver for students, parents, staff and visitors to schools and libraries. This device can save a life by detecting and treating cardiac arrest in those critical first few minutes until rescue services are available, increasing the chances of survival to 70%. Every year 365,000 people in North America fall victim to cardiac arrest, including 7,000 children.

Marshwood High School and Marshwood Middle School have the AED in place at this time. South Berwick-Eliot Rotary seeks to raise the funds to purchase AED’s for Central School in South Berwick,
Eliot Elementary School, Marshwood Great Works School, Eliot’s William Fogg Library and the South Berwick Library.

Hearty Hors d’Oeuvres • Cash Bar – Live and Silent Auctions

Tickets available at: Eliot’s Kennebunk Savings Bank, South Berwick Pharmacy, P. Gagnon & Son, Eliot Elementary School, Central School and Great Works School  in South Berwick

“The snow and ice are melting, birds are singing, people are getting outside, but we forget what is underneath all that snow,“ observes Pat Robinson, the Commission’s chair. Residents are encouraged to team up with friends and family to “adopt” a road and make it the cleanest in town. Last year, approximately 55 children and adults pitched in to remove a winter’s worth of trash from South Berwick roads.

Roadside trash often washes into rivers and streams where it can choke or disable wildlife, such as ducks, fish, turtles and birds. In one study, researchers found that 18 percent of all litter ends up in our streams and waterways as pollution. “Keeping our roads free of trash not only makes the town look good, it protects important resources like the Great Works and Salmon Falls rivers, as well as their streams and tributaries.”

The transfer station will accept trash from the clean up between 7 am and 6 pm. All participants should wear gloves and bright or reflective clothing. For more information call 384-3300 ext 336 (conservation commission voice mail) or email prnel@comcast.net. The South Berwick Conservation Commission works with the citizens of South Berwick to preserve community and regional natural resources and recreational opportunities that define the rural character of the Town of South Berwick.

Lina Tullgren (left) and Isa Burke, regulars at previous Sobopalooza concerts in South Berwick, will perform at the “Sobopalooza for the Library” teen concert on May 7 at Marshwood High School.

Two dozen of the most talented young people in town are tuning up for a musical extravaganza to raise money for South Berwick’s new library. The concert, called “Sobopalooza for the Library,” is Saturday, May 7, at 7 p.m. at Marshwood High School.

James Gilmore, Marshwood High School graduate, will perform tunes from his new CD at the “Sobopalooza for the Library” concert.

The benefit will showcase singers, songwriters, guitarists, fiddle and banjo players and a jazz pianist. The closing act will be 2008 Marshwood alum James Gilmore performing tunes from his new CD, “Free Questions For Answer.” Now a student at the University of Maine, Gilmore’s pop-rock album has been praised for its “confident vocals…narrative imagery” and witty, original songs.

All proceeds will benefit the Friends of the South Berwick Library’s Building Fund.

Sobopalooza refers to the youth event that debuted four years ago at Hot Summer Nights, the town’s summer concert series. Several of the performers, Isa Burke, Lina Tullgren, Jamie Meader, Rico Fabello and Gilmore, have opened for the likes of Slaid Cleaves, Marty England and PB+J at Hot Summer Nights.

“I love this group of kids for their extraordinary talent and passion for music, but also for the way they function as a young creative community,” said Chip Harding, a local music teacher and Sobopalooza mentor who is producing the show on behalf of the Friends of the Library.

“They support each other unconditionally, collaborate constantly and appreciate expression over superficial flash or technical ability,” he said. “It’s been a privilege to watch them grow as performers and as incredibly unique young spirits. With all these intangibles on the table, their performances are delightfully unpredictable and soulful beyond their years.”

Suggested donation for the acoustic show is $10/adults, $5/students. Tickets may be reserved by calling 384-5921, or purchased at the door.

“We’re delighted that so many young people are donating their time and talents to raise money for the new library,” said Friends president Patti Mitchem. “The library as the heart of the community is a reality, even now, as we all work to build a library that will truly serve the needs of all our citizens.”

The Friends have committed to raise $1 million to assist the Town in turning the former church building on Young Street into a library.

The Egg Hunt is for children preschool to first grade, ages 3-7 on Saturday, April 16th at 2:00 pm at The Great Works School. There is a $5.00 fee per family. Bring your own Easter Basket or bag.

There will be a Community Information Meeting with JCJ Architecture – A status report on library construction and presentation on Young Street Property Redevelopment potential. This is an opportunity to learn about plans to build our new library in the former St. Michael’s Church and current ideas to redevelop the site.

Friends of South Bewick Library is hosting the event as part of their effort to raise more than a $1 million to build a new library.

“We are hoping this is a day of fun for local players, whether they are beginners or have experience at the game,” says Cari Quater, Campaign Coordinator for the Friends. “The low buy-in allows the casual poker player to participate, knowing that some of the money will go back to the Friends.”

For a one-time $40 buy-in, players will be able to compete for up to $780 in prize money. The prize amounts will depend on the number of participants, and will be determined at the start of the tournament. The top nine players will win prize money. Players will rotate the deal themselves.

Players are encouraged to pre-register using the form at the top of the Friends’ website at www.friendsofsouthberwicklibrary.org, as there is a 100-participant limit. The player registration fee is $2 for the tournament. Players may show up beginning at 12:15 pm to register the day of the event, and all players should arrive by 12:50 pm.

Light food will be available for players and guests for $4 per person, and a cash bar will be available. The Friends welcome family and friends (ages 21+) of players to join us for the afternoon. Seating and board games will be available for guests.