Glass Creations- Monday, August 24th and Wednesday, August 26th
10:00-12:00 $50 both days or sign up for one day $25, if you’d like
8 years and up-Learn how to work with many different styles of glass to create pendants, magnets, a nightlight, and a small slumped project.  Materials will vary depending on what your child is interested in

Art Day- Thursday, August 20th
10:00-11:30 Painting Pottery,
12:00-1:30 Creating with Glass
$25 for one part of the day or stay for both and bring a peanut free lunch for $45

Story Time-Fridays @ 10:15-11:30-Just drop in $7/painter includes the pottery

8/21 The Teddy Bear’s Picnic by Jimmy Kennedy & The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear-Paint a bear bisque

8/28 Great Snakes by Fay Robinson & The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash-by Trinka Hakes Noble- Paint a unique snake bisque

DIVA NIGHT- Just for ladies 21 and over
Friday, August 14th and 28th 6:00-10:00pm ~Get a group of friends together to learn how to glass fuse or come paint pottery.  You may also bring your own beverages and feel free to bring munchies, too.  This has been a blast this summer and we’re looking forward to another fun night this Friday.  Call to reserve your table by Thursday, if you’re planning on six or more friends.

Doodlebugz is open Mondays 10-3, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays 10-5 & Saturday 12-5~ Drop in any time during open hours to glass fuse or paint pottery-never any studio fees & lots of choices of projects.

For more information, to reserve a table or to register for one of the programs, call 603-749-1049

“It is always wonderful to be recognized by the press and your peers,” said Lawton, whose career began with cabinet making nearly 30 years ago. “I’ve grown a large design/build firm and won awards, but now from my home office in Maine I enjoy consulting and designing with homeowners who are looking for personal service, unique design ideas and a low-stress remodeling experience. It’s a calmer pace and I like giving each project my personal attention.”

Lawton’s Best of Accent design was the final transformation of a 1970s suburban remodel. The designer employed semi-custom cabinets (always looking for ways to maximize budget without sacrificing function and style), as well as his signature custom window, which faces the home’s backyard. Rich dark woods, granite countertops, a wet bar, and wine storage offer functionality and visual appeal. A bronze accented marble tile backsplash and marble tile flooring are luxurious finishing touches.

“My move to Maine has been wonderful,” he said. “While I still consult on commercial projects in cities including Boston and Miami, most of my work is with Merrimack Valley, Southern New Hampshire and Southern Maine homeowners. I love helping homeowners bring a residence or second home alive with new ideas.”

Lawton’s award-winning kitchen will be featured in the August issue of Accent Home & Garden magazine.

Based in South Berwick, Maine, with a studio in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Lawton serves homeowners throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine with his 30 years of experience in kitchen and bath design. http://www.peterlawtononline.com

Their new name, Relish, refers to things that give pleasure, zest, or enjoyment and the name seems apt.  The redo of the restaurant has given it a lighter more open and contemporary feel, yet it has not lost the intimacy and warmth that has made this space the setting for so many comfortable, lingering meals.   I have been a fan of Chris and Linda from back when they opened Big Night in Dover.  They have a talent for creating a dining environment where the decor, the music, the lighting, the service and the food all work together to create a nourishing experience for both body and soul.

They describe Relish as an “upscale gourmet diner” with a menu that continues their tradition of eclectic well-prepared dishes that rely on fresh ingredients and vivid flavors.  The new menu includes an array of salads and appetizers with the big change being a selection of main dishes all under twenty dollars.  As before, the menu will change often and each night include some specials.   Some samplings from their current menu include roasted beets with Baby Boucheron goat cheese, arugula and sherry vinaigrette; cod cakes with basil mustard sauce and Memere’s cole slaw; and pan seared yellow fin tuna with grilled marinated eggplant caponata and baked polenta.  Chef Chris Prunier says they have kept the Margaux Bar Steak on the menu since it’s a favorite of many of their regulars.

Chris and Linda gave me at tour of the redone restaurant and their bright airy kitchen.  They had their soft opening of the new restaurant last week and are happy with the reception the new concept has received.  They have plans to start serving a “chef just wants to have fun” Sunday brunch in the fall.  I was there on their day off so didn’t get to have a meal but I’m looking forward to it.  See you there.

Relish, 404 Main St., South Berwick, ME 03908, (207) 384-8249

Serving dinner nightly Tuesday – Saturday from 5:30 pm.  Remember to call for reservations on weekends.

The owner, Roxanne Roberge was there and happy to fill me in on what’s happening.  It’s going to be a convenience store that focuses on take out foods.  In addition to the usuals like milk and snacks, they will have all kinds of meals for take-out, including pizza, breakfast sandwiches, rotisserie chicken, subs and wraps, salads, and homemade entrees every day.  They will have a call-ahead drive up window so you can put in your order and drive though to pick it up.  It will be open all day, seven days a week.

The original plan was for it to open early this summer but the constant rains put them behind schedule on the masonry work they needed to do on the exterior.  The day I was there workers were finishing the work to enclose the building.  Roxanne was working on ordering materials for fitting out the interior.  She says they are working toward a mid to late August opening, but given the weather challenges it may be a little later.

It will be great to have one more local food option in South Berwick and one more business in the downtown area.  It is encouraging amidst all the bad economic news that South Berwick has entrepreneurs who are starting businesses and stepping up to provide goods and services that we need.

Don and I went on Saturday morning and got one of the Early Bird’s fresh blueberry muffins and some good Sumatran coffee.   The muffin is worth the trip.  If the 236 Diner was a real diner, these would be just the kind of muffins we would serve.

We especially enjoyed sitting at the table by the front window in the vintage orange swivel chairs, basking in the sun watching people come and go.  It was nice to see so many South Berwickians coming in, but also fun to see two bicyclists taking a break from a trip along the East Coast Greenway-Eastern Trail.

The Early Bird Cafe, 241 Main St., South Berwick, Maine.

Monday-Friday from 6:00 am – 2:00 pm, Saturday-Sunday 8:00 am – 2:00 pm, also open Thursday evenings for Hot Summer Nights concerts.

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

Saturday, April 11, 2009 3:30 PM

I went into town on Saturday afternoon to South Berwick Pharmacy and Nature’s Way Market.  Cars were coming and going and there was a choice of parking spots.

Tuesday, April 14, 2008, 8:25 AM

During a quick trip to the Post Office and Nature’s Way Market I hit downtown during the morning rush hour around Central School.  There were school buses, lots of pedestrians, and turning traffic near the school but there were plenty of parking spaces near the business block.

Uppermost on Mark’s mind these days is the high cost of fuel.  Last winter was a tough one for P. Gagnon’s customers, but it was no less difficult for P. Gagnon & Son.  Fuel deliveries to the company come in 10,000 gallon lots, so last winter meant a delivery cost of $30,000 and who knows what it will cost next winter.  Mark explained that higher fuel prices don’t translate into higher profits for a local distributor.  He also stresses that this is a very tough time for customers and says P. Gagnon is willing to work out solutions with those who are having a hard time paying for fuel.

Dominating Mark’s desk is a computer monitor open to live information on fuel trading which shows the price for oil fluctuating every few seconds.  “It can make you crazy” says Mark, “I shouldn’t keep looking at it, but I can’t help it.”  His advice to homeowners is that the biggest opportunity right now is in conservation.  An investment in conserving fuel can bring meaningful returns in fuel savings.  Small measures like sealing air leaks, extra insulation, and turning down thermostats can make a difference.  Programmable thermostats that assure that heat is turned down when you don’t need it are well worth the modest investment for the equipment.  In the past it often took many years to recover the cost of new equipment but now, even for a larger investment such as a new efficient boiler, the time it takes to recover the cost in savings is significantly reduced.

P. Gagnon & Son has begun offering biofuel, which is a blend of plant based oil and low sulfur heating oil that is cleaner burning and helps conserve the use of traditional heating oil.  Mark feels the jury is still out on whether it is a truly more sustainable alternative to traditional fuel.  Information is starting to come in about how the production of crops for biofuel may be resulting in deforestation of environmentally significant regions and driving the conversion of food crops to biofuel crops.  Mark says he is talking with customers and following information and will continue to assess how to provide sustainable alternatives to the community.

Mark’s enthusiasm for South Berwick comes through as he discusses growing up here and now raising a family here.  P. Gagnon & Son supports many local organizations through donations and by supporting volunteerism among employees, many of whom are volunteer firefighters.  Mark’s thoughtful opinions about downtown, economic development, and the town’s future reflect his deep knowledge about and connection to the community.

In this age of global companies it is easy to be cynical about business, but as I get to talk with people like Mark Gagnon, I realize what an asset it is to have locally owned businesses in our midst.  It is obvious talking to Mark that P. Gagnon & Sons has two bottom lines.  It is in business to make a profit and remain successful but it is also deeply concerned with making this a good community in which to work and live.  To a locally owned company like P. Gagnon & Son, South Berwick is not just a number on a spreadsheet or a pin on a map, but a community of friends and neighbors, a community that reflects the family legacy, and the community whose past and future is important to the owners.  We are very fortunate to have so many locally owned businesses who contribute to the well being of this community in so many ways.

Check out P. Gagnon & Son’s newly launched website to learn more about the company’s services, energy saving tips, and community involvment.

You’ll find an assortment of food, baked goods, handmade products, organically grown produce and much more.  Go on Tuesdays and you’ll see two South Berwick residents.

Buddha’s Burning Buns, owned by South Berwick resident Jane Adams offers cookies, muffins, breads, granola & other assorted baked goods.  You can also find Jane’s products at Nature’s Way Market.

South Berwick resident Hope Murphy‘s booth, fuZing!, showcases her unique fused glass jewelry.  These one of a kind pieces shimmer with color and pattern.

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