Two Lancaster fundraisers planned for American Cancer Society Relay for Life

LANCASTER— The "Heart and Sole Mates" are a Lancaster team who will participate in the upcoming American Cancer Society Relay For Life event which is a 14 hour walk to raise funds for cancer research. All funds raised will stay in the New England region.
One of their main fundraisers will be a Penny Sale on May 24. Tickets will be on sale from 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. at the Lancaster Town Hall. Drawings will take place beginning at 6 p.m. and you must be present to claim your prize. Hand made quilts, a digital camera, trak phone, gift cards and bonds are just a few of the over 100 items to be offered. Coffee and munchkins will be on sale as well as homemade goodies. Any questions please call John or Reta at 788-2070.
The Pony Pitch and Plop Tournament will be held on Sunday, May 18 starting at 10 a.m. at the Lancaster VFW on North Main Street. The Pony Pitch is $5 to play—draw partners. The Pony Plop (cow chip bingo) will begin at 1 p.m., $10 per ticket and only a maximum of 100 tickets will be sold. It will be a randomly drawn grid and the prize will be half the amount raised from ticket sales. Hamburgers, hot dogs and cold beverages will be sold and this will be held rain or shine.

Relay For Life captain's meeting May 19.

— A Relay for Life Team Captain’s meeting will be held at Ed Fenn Elementary School on Main Street in Gorham on Monday, May 19, at 6 p.m. All team captains are encouraged to attend.
The Relay, to benefit the American Cancer Society, will be held at the School on June 20, and 21. For more information, please call 466-3360.

Garden Club planting flowers on Main Street

BERLIN — UOC Garden Club will be working with the Main Street Program on Thursday, May 22, at 5 p.m. planting flowers designed by the club, in the Main Street wooden planters. The color theme for each of the planters is “Cherry Burst”. If anyone is interested in helping, please meet in front of T-Birds on this day.

Ventriloquist Donna Marie and Her Friends to perform musical show at St. Kieran Arts Center

BERLIN — Popular children and family entertainer Donna Marie, an accomplished ventriloquist, singer and dancer, will perform a unique musical and whimsical show featuring a bright array her hand-made Puppet Friends at St. Kieran Arts Center on Friday, May 16, at 7 p.m. Tickets for this special performance are $6. for adults and $3 and students and children and are available at the door.
Donna Marie has a unique rapport with children, drawing them effortlessly into her magical world where all sort of wonderful creatures reside and where outrageously funny things happen.
Ventriloquism never stops amazing children or adults. Donna Marie and Her Friends provide that amazement and a whole lot more. With a fast-paced repertoire of singing, dancing, yodeling and a flair for comedy, her performances capture the imagination of audiences of all ages.
Donna Marie has appeared on many stages and television programs throughout New England and Canada. She has performed for the Disney Channel and has become a favorite at schools, conventions, state fairs and at other community and family events.
Copies of her most recent book, “Ventriloquism: How do you do that?” will be available for purchase following the performance.
“We are looking forward to gathering both children and adults together for some Friday night fun at the Arts Center. Donna Marie is one of several programs scheduled this season for the entertainment of the entire family. Come find out how Ventriloquists “do what they do” and watch the puppets tell their own fabulous stories!” states Arts Center Director Joan Chamberlain.
This special performance is made possible through the sponsorship Story Land, with support by the NH State Council for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Stanton and Elizabeth Davis Fund, The Falcon Fund and the Jean & William Hallager Fund of the NH Charitable Foundation.
Upcoming events include Royal River Philharmonic Jazz Band on June 12, and Le Vent du Nord in Concert on June 26. The new art exhibition “Art Teachers and Students” is currently on display and the opening of a new exhibition, “The BIG ART Show”, a large format exhibition, will be held on Thursday, June 5 from 5-7 p.m.
For more information and a brochure of all events, contact the Arts Center office at 752-1028, 155 Emery Street or visit: www.stkieranarts.org.

White Mountain Café welcomes photography of Jerry and Marcy Monkman

GORAM— The White Mountain Café, on Main Street in Gorham, will debut the mountain and wilderness photography of critically-acclaimed photographer Jerry Monkman, Saturday night, May 17, from 7 to 10 p.m. There is no admission, and all are invited to attend, meet Jerry and his wife Marcy, view Jerry’s photography, and enjoy coffee, cappuccino and desserts. .Copies of the Monkmans' prints, posters, and books will be available for purchase.
Beginning Saturday, the walls of the White Mountain Café will feature a permanent display of the Monkmans' works, focusing on photography of Mount Washington and the Presidential Range. Jerry and Marcy's posters, prints and books, will continue to be available for viewing and purchase during regular cafe hours.
Known for their conservation work in New England's backcountry, the Monkmans have spent the last fifteen years artfully documenting the mountains, forests, and coastlines that define the region. In 2002, they were awarded a communications award by the Northern Forest Alliance in recognition of their "vision and excellence in chronicling the story of the Northern Forest through photography.
"It is a dream come true to have my photos on permanent display in the North Country, as the White Mountains are the place where Marcy and I first got excited about wilderness and photography. It is not an exaggeration to say that the Whites were our inspiration for creating our business EcoPhotography, where we focus on using photography to further land conservation in New England. We are also excited to be part of the White Mountain Café, which is doing such a great job at creating a sense of community in Gorham."
Together, Jerry and Marcy Monkman are the authors of six books, including "White Mountain Wilderness", "Discover the White Mountains of New Hampshire", and "The Colors of Fall". They will have copies of their books on hand, which will be available for purchase and signing by the authors.
There will be door prizes given away, included a 20” x 24” reproduction of Monkman’s stunning photograph, Mount Washington at Dusk.
Jerry Monkman’s work has appeared in publications worldwide and their client list includes National Geographic Adventure, Audubon, Men's Journal, The Washington Post, Outdoor Photographer, L.L. Bean, Princess Cruises, and The Nature Conservancy. For more information on Jerry and Marcy Monkman, see their web site at http://ecophotography.com/
The White Mountain Café, located in Gorham, in the heart of the Northern White Mountains, serves a variety of hearty breakfast sandwiches, bagels, wraps, paninis, quiche, and soups, along with an enticing variety of baked goods, including muffins, scones, croissants, cookies, and cakes. The cafe prepares a variety of beverages, including organic coffee, espresso, cappuccinos, and lattes, and features more than a dozen flavors of smoothies, iced coffees, and many frozen specialty drinks. Inside the White Mountain Cafe, complimentary broadband wi-fi is available with every purchase.
For more information, see www.whitemountaincafe.com.

Northern New England Home & Garden Flower Show begins May 18

FRYEBURG, ME— The Northern New England Home, Garden and Flower Show will return to the Fryeburg Fairgrounds andcelebrate its seventh year May 16-18.
The Fryeburg show occupies six acres of the fairgrounds with outside displays and seven major exhibit halls. With all the trappings of a country fair in May including fair food, this event has a flavor that is festive and unique among home and garden shows. More than 200 exhibitors will fill the fairgrounds, showcasing the newest energy efficient products and services for the home and garden, indoor and outdoor displays, power equipment, fencing, boats, recreational sports equipment, commercial garden centers, landscape displays, crafters and artisans, Meet the Chefs cooking series, ongoing seminars and more.
“We have assembled a unique mix of quality exhibitors, speakers, artists, crafters and breathtaking landscape displays. Our exhibitors are here to help enlighten attendees to the newest energy saving products on the market, others to showcase their amazing talent in landscape and gardening expertise.” said Karla Ficker, show producer. “If it is information you seeking, plants or veggie seedlings to purchase, great garden crafts or you just want a fun way to spend a spring weekend, this event should be high on your weekend schedule”.
Show attendees will find a wealth of the latest information on energy efficient products and services for the home such as solar hot water heaters, geothermal solutions and even electric cars on display from Maine Electric Vehicles. Show attendees can learn the latest information at The Smart HomeOwner Seminar series, running throughout the show. These seminars feature experts talking on topics such as fifty ways to save money, energy and the earth and how to build an energy-star home.
Ten garden centers will be selling a wide variety of perennials, annuals, vegetable seedlings, shrubs, trees, hardscape products and organics. Special guest, Amy LeBlanc, owner of Whitehill Farm, E. Wilton, Me., and grower of heirloom tomatoes and herbs along with Cyndy Tibbets from Hummingbird Farm and Beverly Hendricks from Deerwood Farms of Waterford, Me., are among the featured presenters covering such topics as growing heirloom tomatoes, organic gardening talks, innovative and practical landscaping ideas, waking up the garden for spring, maintaining your gardens and much more.
New this year is a spectacular railway landscape display created by the Maine Garden Railroad Society. Miniature steam and diesel trains travel past tiny vignettes of scale buildings, vehicles and figures, complete with real waterfalls, trees, stones, trestles and bridges. A 32” X 30” scale model replica of the North Conway Railroad Station is at the center of this unique landscape display that combines soil, plants and technology into a unique visual and auditory presentation.
Now in its fourth year, Meet the Chefs is an integral part of the Home, Garden & Flower Show. An impressive list of great chefs of Maine and New Hampshire are lined up for the 2008 series. In addition, three lucky people will be chosen to preside over the kitchen in the “Chef for a Day” portion of the series. Along with the series emcee, Brenda Broder, these chefs will prepare their winning dishes in front of the Meet the Chefs audience, just like the professionals. Meet the Chefs plays to standing-room only crowds throughout the show and is one of the most popular events for show attendees.
Other highlights of the Northern New England Home, Garden & Flower Show include an artists building filled with an assortment of talented artists from photographers to glass artisans, showcasing their unique work and talents. Live music and great food fair abound throughout the fairgrounds, creating a festive Spring Fair ambiance. Parking is free, the grounds are handicapped accessible and The White Mountain Trolley will be available to provide complimentary transportation to bring show attendees back and forth from the parking lots to the fairgrounds.
The Fryeburg Fairgrounds is located on Rte. 5 in the center of Fryeburg, Maine. The 2008 Northern New England Home Garden & Flower Show runs Friday, May 16, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday, May 17, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday, May 18, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Admission is $8 general admission, $6 for seniors 65+, $4 for Youths 6-16 and children under 6 are free. Please note that all events and activities are subject to change.
For more information on the 2008 Northern New England Home, Garden & Flower Show, visit www.HomeGardenFlowerShow.com, or contact Karla Ficker, Show Producer by email at info@homegardenflowershow.com, or by phone at 1-800-359-2033 or 207-935-2845.

Dying bats in the Northeast remain a mystery

MADISON, WIS.— Investigations continue into the cause of a mysterious illness that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of bats since March 2008. At more than 25 caves and mines in the northeastern U.S, bats exhibiting a condition now referred to as “white-nosed syndrome” have been dying.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently issued a Wildlife Health Bulletin, advising wildlife and conservation officials throughout the U.S. to be on the lookout for the condition known as “white-nose syndrome” and to report suspected cases of the disease.
USGS wildlife disease specialist Dr. Kimberli Miller advises that "anyone finding sick or dead bats should avoid handling them and should contact their state wildlife conservation agency or the nearest U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service field office to report their observation.”
Large-scale wildlife mortality events should be reported to the USGS at http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/mortality_events/reporting.jsp.
The USGS National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis. has received nearly 100 bat carcasses mostly from New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. The syndrome affects species including the little brown, big brown, northern long-eared and eastern pipistrelle bats.
The condition was first observed in February 2007 in caves near Albany, N.Y. by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Dead and hibernating bats had a white substance on their heads and wings. In early 2008, “white-nosed” bats were once again seen at hibernation sites.
Scientists have collected environmental samples from affected caves and mines in Vermont, New York and Massachusetts in an effort to determine the cause of the deaths. Live, dead and dying bats were documented in and outside of hibernation sites.
The most common findings in the bats have been emaciation and poor body condition. Many of the bats examined had little or no body fat; some exhibited changes in the lung that have been difficult to characterize; and a majority had microscopic fungi on their bodies.
The white substance observed on some bats may represent an overgrowth of normal fungal colonizers of bat skin during hibernation and could be an indicator of overall poor health, rather than a primary pathogen. Scientists from a variety of agencies are investigating underlying environmental factors, potential secondary microbial pathogens and toxicants as possible causes.
Web sites for additional information: USGS National Wildlife Health Center: http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/white-nose_syndrome/ and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/white_nose.html

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