The
South Berwick Citizen
An
unofficial website for South Berwick, Maine
www.southberwickcitizen.org
Archive of Town Council Meetings
Archive of Planning Board Meetings
Bulletin Board Archive
"Making the Point" in South Berwick the Development of an Immigrant Neighborhood
The Next Communities Initiative
A New Jewett Publication with a South Berwick Connection
Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission to Conduct Regional Visioning Sessions
Budget Meetings: Watch the Process
Draft
Comprehensive Plan Posted on Town's Web Site
2004 Old Berwick Historical Society Project Listings
Maine SAD Tentative Timeline for Budget Process
The Next Communities Initiative
Presentation by Sally Pachulski in celebration of National Library Week
"Justifying
Growth Caps" Visioning Meeting and Workshop Offered by SMRPC
Planning Session for the New South Berwick Library
Public Hearing for Granite Woods Subdivision
Citizen Input Meeting on New Library
New Library Organizational Meeting
Traffic Study Volunteers Needed
New South Berwick Farmer's Market Seeks Growers and Vendors
The
Town of South Berwick is Looking for Families to
Pilot a New Composting Plan
CasinosNO! Rally in South Berwick
Peace Potluck in South Berwick
Hazardous Waste Collection - October 12
Budget Meetings: Watch the Process
August 24 Walking Tour: The "Night of Terror" in 1870
Livable Communities Event, August 23
KEYS Region Community Forum
If you live and/or work in the towns of Kittery, Eliot,
York
or South Berwick (KEYS), you are invited to the
KEYS Region Community Forum to explore
the possibilities for our region's future, and to find inspiration for
working together toward improved quality of life and
community spirit in our towns.
Saturday, April 30, 2005
8:30 am to 12 noon
This will be an opportunity to hear each other's thoughts,
and engage with the groups that meet in our area.
Go to www.keysregion.org to learn more.
Possibilities are sketched in the plans that are posted under the topics in the left hand column on the homepage.
Details about the event and the registration form are linked under "What's New" in the right hand column.
Please join us! Register today!
(This event is free of charge.)
"MAKING THE POINT" IN SOUTH
BERWICK
THE DEVELOPMENT OF
AN IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORHOOD
On Thursday, October
28, local historian Peter Michaud will present a lecture exploring the
history of Salmon Street (now lower Main Street) and South Berwick's ethnic
neighborhood.
Sponsored by the Old Berwick Historical Society, the talk is entitled "Making the Point," after the neighborhood's nickname, "Hog Point."
The program will be held in the upstairs lecture hall of the First Parish Federated Church at Main and Academy Streets, at 7:30 pm. Admission is free and everyone is welcome. Refreshments will be served.
Michaud, a site manager for Historic New England who has led many walking tours of nearby Salmon Falls Mill Village in New Hampshire, will trace history and show slides of the Maine side of Salmon Falls.
The spot was one of the earliest areas settled in the 1600s, when English pioneers made use of water power for sawmills and gristmills. In the early 1800s, with the rise of the Salmon Falls Manufacturing Company across the bridge in Rollinsford, hundreds of young people left their country farms in Maine and New Hampshire to work in the cotton textile mills. Irish immigrants later joined them, and finally, by the early 1900s, the neighborhood grew into a vibrant French Canadian commercial district.
Two Boston and Maine railroad lines used to cross into New Hampshire there, and an electric railway line terminus allowed passengers to ride the trolley from South Berwick to the Seacoast.
Today the Point is a residential neighborhood known for two popular restaurants, Fogarty's and Hot Dog Heaven, as well as for beautiful views of the falls, over which there is still a bridge carrying freight trains and the Downeaster Amtrak line. The town of South Berwick recently completed road and sidewalk improvements.
The Old Berwick Historical Society speaker series for 2004 is entitled, "A Village of Villages," and has been made possible by a grant from Kennebunk Savings Bank.
Throughout each year on Thursday evenings the Old Berwick Historical Society presents speakers at 7:30 pm at the First Parish Federated Church lecture hall. The programs are supported by membership dues and donations from over 300 businesses and families around the Seacoast and southern Maine.
More information on all the Old Berwick Historical Society's programs is available by calling (207) 748-0074.
Looking east about 100 years ago along the principal street of the Point
neighborhood of South Berwick, today part of Main Street by Fogarty's
Restaurant. Photo from the collection of the Counting House Museum.
posted Septemeber 12, 2004
"The
Next Communities Initiative"
The Southern Maine
Regional Planning Commission announces "The Next Communities
Initiative," a workshop series to be offered this fall in
cooperation with the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve and
the New England Environmental Finance Center (NEEFC). The Next Communities
Initiative aims to stimulate innovative thinking about managing growth
and is open to any community members, business leaders or municipal officials
who are interested in playing roles in shaping the future of their towns
and the Southern Maine region.
The Next Communities Initiative consists of three interactive workshops to be led by Evan Richert, Richard Barringer, Theo Holtwijk and Jack Kartez, all of whom are faculty members of USM's Muskie School of Public Policy. The three all-day workshop sessions will be held on the first Saturdays of October, November and December, 2004 at locations in South Berwick, York and Wells. The target audience for the workshop series consists of people active in their communities who are interested in learning about and applying smart growth principles and techniques. These include municipal officials, business leaders, real estate professionals, conservation groups, and students.
Through a combination of presentations, interactive activities, and field sessions, participants will learn about the consequences of uncontrolled development, strategies for managing growth and tools to apply to reduce growing pains and protect the quality of life in their communities. Each workshop builds upon previous material to culminate in the Next Communities capstone project during the last workshop.
All participants must agree to attend all three workshops. There is a $25 enrollment fee, but a limited number of scholarships are available for participants who may have financial needs. Participants who are working towards college degrees or professional accreditation may be eligible to receive up to 2.4 CEU credits from the University of Southern Maine.
To register or
to get more information about the Next Communities Initiative, please
go to the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission web site http://www.smrpc.org
or contact David Versel at the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission
at 324-2952 or dversel@smrpc.org.
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A New Jewett Publication
with a South Berwick Connection
A booklet of rare, out-of print works by Sarah Orne Jewett -- all written while she lived in the Jewett Eastman House (now the town library) on Portland Street between 1854 and 1887 -- is now available in time for the 150th anniversary of the building this year.
"Sarah Orne Jewett At The Jewett Eastman House," edited by Terry Heller, has been published in a numbered, limited edition of 100 copies by the Jewett Eastman Memorial (JEM) Committee.
The booklet is now available at the library and South Berwick Pharmacy. Price $10.
The publication is dedicated to Marie Donahue, a founder of the JEM Committee and a devoted scholar of Sarah Orne Jewett.
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Connecting
Communities:
Planning in Southern Maine
A Series of Workshops and
Visioning Meetings for the Region
The people of southern
Maine have spoken emphatically--there will not be a resort casino in Sanford.
With the dust settling from the casino question, the Southern Maine Regional
Planning Commission (SMRPC) and many of our member communities have been
asking the question of "now what?" Are there types
of development and economic growth which can provide for meaningful employment
and affordable housing without compromising the character we have to come
enjoy? Do we have a common vision for this region? Are there strategies
and ideas we might employ to reduce the tension and acrimony of some of
our most recent land use debates? How do we get to that place?
The underlying reasons for casino backers to have wanted the project-job losses and high taxes-have not gone away. The things that casino opponents felt were already bad-traffic, not enough housing, sprawl-still exist. Though few dispute this fact, no coordinated strategy exists to address these and other problems. At this point in time, SMRPC feels very strongly that a regional vision is needed to guide future planning and economic development activity in Southern Maine.
A great deal of regional information has been generated as a result of the casino question, and nearly every town in the region is either updating or has recently completed a Comprehensive Plan. In addition, there has been an increased sense of the need to work regionally on the variety of issues which concern southern Maine. In fact, a regional plan for this area has not been developed since 1992. As the Council of Governments for 39 communities in this region, SMRPC believes the time is appropriate to once again lay out a vision and plan for the region.
The Maine State Planning Office has permitted SMRPC to begin this process by shifting some of the grant funding we were awarded to address casino impacts. We propose to undertake a series of topic-based forums at locations throughout the region beginning in February 2004. These sessions will engage many different constituencies in our region and will provide an education on relevant issues and also produce a series of vision statements on a variety of planning topics including Growth Management, Public Services and Transportation. Our hope is that this exercise will lay the groundwork for updating the Regional Plan.
Sessions and topic areas are scheduled as follows:
Topic Area Dates
Southern
Maine Housing Roundtable
Wednesday, 2/25 Saco City Hall 2-5
PM
This roundtable will be bringing
together leading housing professionals from the entire Southern Maine
region (York and Cumberland counties) to discuss current housing problems
and strategize about potential solutions. SMRPC is co-sponsoring this
event along with the Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG) and
the Institute for Real Estate Research & Education at the University
of Southern Maine.
Rural Economic Development
Wednesday, 3/3 Cornish Town Hall 7:00
PM
The issues and concerns of rural York and
southern Oxford County are somewhat different than the rest of the region.
What are the strengths of this region and what might an economic development
strategy focus on? Issues and resources related to small business development,
tourism and housing will be addressed.
Transportation
Thursday, 3/11 Saco City Hall 7:00
PM
A goal of this meeting will be to have a focused discussion about ways to develop a process for reviewing large developments that have a regional impact on highway capacity, mobility, maintenance, and other transportation issues. The Maine Department of Transportation's Regional Advisory Transportation Committee (RTAC) will host the event following the regular RTAC meeting.
Environment
Wednesday, 3/17 Wells Reserve 10AM -12PM
The casino debate raised many questions about our ability to respond as a region to a large scale development proposal and how we respond in the future. Are there areas which deserve special recognition because of their natural resource value? How do we address this in a strong home rule environment? This session will attempt to come to some consensus on these questions.
Justifying Growth Caps
Monday, 4/12 Massabesic High School 7
- 9 PM
Wednesday, 4/14 South Berwick Town Hall 7 - 9
PM
Residential growth caps have
become a widely used tool by rural municipalities in York County to slow
the pace of growth within their borders. While many citizens applaud their
use, growth caps are coming under increased criticism on many fronts,
and many towns' caps may now be illegal due to recent changes in state
law. These two parallel sessions are aimed at having an honest dialogue
about the pros and cons of growth caps, and what alternatives may exist.
A representative from the Maine State Planning Office will be on hand
to offer the state's perspective on this issue.
Post-Casino Economic Development
Tuesday, 4/13 Sanford Town Hall 7:00
PM
What do residents want for economic development? We know they don't want a casino. What can we do to capitalize on our strengths and promote quality economic development while retaining our character? From Pine Tree Zones to the "Creative Economy" new ideas will be discussed.
Please call SMRPC for information
at 324.2952. Specific invitations to many of these workshops will be forthcoming
soon.
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Budget Meetings: Watch the Process
Learn about the town's
budget as it's being put together. During the months of January and February,
the Town Council and the Town Manager will hold a workshop at Town Hall
to discuss next year's budget. The public is welcome to come and observe.
Although members of the public are not permitted to speak at the workshops,
there are opportunities to express your views to the Town Manager and
members of the Council before and after each workshop.
A schedule
of the budget meetings are listed below.
January 21, 2004 (Wednesday) 6:30 - 8:30 PM - Town Council chambers
January 28, 2004 (Wednesday) 6:30 - 8:30 PM - Town Council chambers
February 4, 2004 (Wednesday) 6:30 - 8:30 PM - Town Council chambers
February 11, 2004 (Wednesday) 6:30 - 8:30 PM - Town Council chambers
February 25, 2004 (Wednesday) 6:30 - 8:30
PM - Town Council chambers
Maine SAD 35 -
Tentative Timeline for
2004 Budget Process
January 4:
Newsletter announcing timelines
with survey attached
January 21:
Public input session
February 24:
Public input session
March 3:
Superintendent's Budget presented
March 20:
Workshop, 8 - 1
March 31:
Budget Workshop
May 5:
Board approval of budget
May 26:
Tentative Public Hearing
June 14:
Tentative Referendum Date
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2004 Old Berwick Historical Society
Our theme in 2004
is "Village of Villages," reflecting the fact that many of this
year's programs focus on the town of South Berwick and its many historical
facets.
Except where indicated otherwise,
Old Berwick Historical Society programs are free and the public is invited.
Refreshments will be served. Many programs are in the handicapped accessible
upstairs lecture hall at the First Parish Federated Church at Main and
Academy Streets.
January 22 - 7:30 pm - (Federated Church)
"BADGES OF LOYALTY AND ALLEGIANCE" Archaeologist
Dr. Emerson "Tad" Baker explains how artifacts discovered at
the Chadbourne site reveal a mixture of local ties to Puritanism, Catholicism,
and English royalty in the 17th century.
February 26 - 7:30 pm - (Federated Church)
"UNSETTLED PLACES"
Brad Fletcher explores the dimensions of 17th century life and settlement
along the Piscataqua frontier.
March 25- 7:30 pm - (Federated Church)
"IN SMALL THINGS FORGOTTEN"
Using slides and costume, Peter Lamb takes us on an architectural and
historical tour of early 19th century cottage industry buildings and other
small accessory structures of our region.
April 22- 7:30 pm - (Federated Church)
"EXTRAORDINARY PORTLAND STREET: FROM STAGECOACHES TO SARAH
JEWETT"
Wendy Pirsig and Mary Vaughn trace over 200 years along one of
southern Maine's most traveled byways.
May 20 - 6:30 pm - (Hamilton House)
OBHS ANNUAL MEETING ABOARD THE GUNDALOW
The Capt. Adams' first visit to South Berwick! Walking tours of the
old shipyards of Pipe Stave Landing on the shores of the Hamilton House.
For OBHS members-- new members welcome.
June 19 - 10:00-3:00
OLD BERWICK HOUSE AND GARDEN TOUR
Back by popular demand. Don't miss out-- plan a delightful day of
touring that also benefits local history programs and the Counting House
Museum. Tickets $20 - Discounts for volunteers. Info rmation 207-384-4039
and 384-0000.
July 11 - 1:00 pm - (Counting House)
WALKING TOUR OF QUAMPHEGAN LANDING
Join archivist Wendy Pirsig for a walk around the Counting House neighborhood,
and discover its lost seaport, stagecoach hub, and textile center, as
well as the sites of the 1850s "rum rebellion." Approx. 1 hour.
August 7-13 (dig), August 16-20 (lab)
ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG
Tad Baker leads our tenth season of exploration of Humphrey and
Lucy Chadbourne's 1600s house site in South Berwick. Work at the site
or in the artifact lab at the Counting House. OBHS membership requested.
Information (207)748-0074.
September 23 - 7:30 pm - (Federated Church)
"SARAH ORNE JEWETT'S JOURNEY ON THE WHITE ROSE ROAD"
Landscape historian Nancy Wetzel traces Jewett's firsthand account
of land and community in late 19th century Tatnic, including today's Orris
Falls Conservation Area.
October 28 - 7:30 pm - (Federated Church)
"MAKING 'THE POINT'
Local historian Peter Michaud explores the history of Salmon Street
(now lower Main Street) and South Berwick's ethnic neighborhood.
November 18 - 7:30 pm - (Federated Church)
"COMETH DOWN TO YE GREAT MILL WORKES"
OBHS members Rick Coughlin and Norma Keim present their research
and slides on South Berwick's intriguing Rocky Gorge (Great Works) from
the mid-1600s to the present.
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posted Septemeber 12, 2004
"The
Next Communities Initiative"
The Southern Maine
Regional Planning Commission announces "The Next Communities
Initiative," a workshop series to be offered this fall in
cooperation with the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve and
the New England Environmental Finance Center (NEEFC). The Next Communities
Initiative aims to stimulate innovative thinking about managing growth
and is open to any community members, business leaders or municipal officials
who are interested in playing roles in shaping the future of their towns
and the Southern Maine region.
The Next Communities Initiative consists of three interactive workshops to be led by Evan Richert, Richard Barringer, Theo Holtwijk and Jack Kartez, all of whom are faculty members of USM's Muskie School of Public Policy. The three all-day workshop sessions will be held on the first Saturdays of October, November and December, 2004 at locations in South Berwick, York and Wells. The target audience for the workshop series consists of people active in their communities who are interested in learning about and applying smart growth principles and techniques. These include municipal officials, business leaders, real estate professionals, conservation groups, and students.
Through a combination of presentations, interactive activities, and field sessions, participants will learn about the consequences of uncontrolled development, strategies for managing growth and tools to apply to reduce growing pains and protect the quality of life in their communities. Each workshop builds upon previous material to culminate in the Next Communities capstone project during the last workshop.
All participants must agree to attend all three workshops. There is a $25 enrollment fee, but a limited number of scholarships are available for participants who may have financial needs. Participants who are working towards college degrees or professional accreditation may be eligible to receive up to 2.4 CEU credits from the University of Southern Maine.
To register or
to get more information about the Next Communities Initiative, please
go to the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission web site http://www.smrpc.org
or contact David Versel at the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission
at 324-2952 or dversel@smrpc.org.
ˆBack to top
Presentation
by
Sally
Pachulski
in
celebration of
National
Library Week
At
the South Berwick Public Library
37
Portland Street, South Berwick, ME
Wednesday,
April 21, 2004 at 7:00 PM
For
more info: 207/384- 3308
Public
invited! Free admission
South Berwick, ME
resident, Sally Pachulski will give a spirited, moving and eye-opening
presentation, including slides, about the work she's done in Honduras.
Can your small acts make an
impact? We all recognize need in our community and worldwide. Because
the magnitude of need often seems overwhelming, we frequently feel that
the small amount of assistance we are able to offer could not possibly
make any difference.
South Berwick resident Sally
Pachulski will talk about an incident several years ago that changed her
way of life. Learn how Sally, with help from the people of South Berwick
and people across the state of Maine, mobilized to help a small nation
dealing with disaster and the lessons that were learned.
Refreshments will be served.
Presented by the Friends of the South Berwick Public Library who meet
the third Wednesday of the month and are always looking for new friends!
Contacts for media: Sammie Haynes 207/384-3234 or
Charline Parsons, Librarian 207/384-3308
ˆBack to top
The
Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission
will be offering a workshop and visioning meeting
on
Justifying
Growth Caps
Wednesday, 4/14 South Berwick Town Hall 7 - 9
PM
Residential growth caps have become a widely used tool by rural municipalities in York County to slow the pace of growth within their borders. While many citizens applaud their use, growth caps are coming under increased criticism on many fronts, and many towns' caps may now be illegal due to recent changes in state law. These two parallel sessions are aimed at having an honest dialogue about the pros and cons of growth caps, and what alternatives may exist. A representative from the Maine State Planning Office will be on hand to offer the state's perspective on this issue.
ˆBack to top
Planning
Session
for the New South Berwick Library
Saturday,
February 28th, 9 am - 1 pm
with a brunch break around 11:00
Spring
Hill Lodge
Pond Road, South Berwick
We encourage anyone
with an interest in a new library
for South Berwick to come and contribute your perspective.
RSVP to Patti Mitchem, 384-2195 or to Sandy Agrafiotis, 676-2728 or email: pmitchem@wildnauer.com
Agenda:
Update on Status of New Library
Report by Fundraising Committee
Making a Compelling Case for Supporting the New Library
… Defining the Problem and the Challenge
- What is the need?
- What stands in
our way?
… Defining the Vision
- What benefits
will the new library bring to the community?
- What's in it for
individual stakeholders?
Brainstorming potential supporters/influentials
How can we make the new library a reality?
- Developing a plan to
move ahead on activities to gain support
Develop steering committee
Molly Colman, nonprofit consultant and chair of the Capital
Fundraising Committee, will facilitate.
Hope to see you there!
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South
Berwick
Democratic
Caucus
Vote for the Presidential Candidate of Your Choice!
Sunday, February 8th
South
Berwick
Community Center
Registration
opens 3:30 pm
Caucus
at 4:00 pm
Independents
and new voters can
register and enroll at
the door
For more information call 748-3299
posted January 2, 2004
Granite
Woods Subdivision
Public
Hearing
Tuesday,
January 13th, 2004
7:00
P.M at Town Hall
The South Berwick
Planning Board will hold a Public Hearing for the proposed 71-lot Granite
Woods Subdivision, located off of Belle Marsh and Earl's Roads.
The public is invited to voice their
concerns regarding this subdivision - the largest to come before the South
Berwick Planning Board since Agamenticus Estates.
Educate yourself and read the
latest Planning Board report on
the Home page. You can also read past reports regarding Granite Woods
on the Planning Board page of this web
site.
posted November 18, 2003
CITIZEN INPUT MEETING
ON NEW LIBRARY
On Dec. 10, 2003. 7:00
PM, 3rd floor of Mnicipal Building, the Building Committee along with
the architectural firm of Sheerr, McCrystal and Palson of New London,
N.H. is holding an open meeting for South Berwick people to come and look
at some tentative plans for the new library.
It is hoped that many people will
come with questions and concerns and suggestions. The architect will have
large architectural renderings mounted on foamboard that will show possible
interior layouts as well as exterior possibilities.
For those people who aren't aware,
the land the library will be built on is the Day property adjacent to
the ski area on Powderhouse Hill.
posted November 17, 2003
Board of Assessment Review
The Board of Assessment Review will be meeting on Wednesday, November 19, 2003 at 7 PM, in the council chambers on the second floor of Town Hall.
Post a CasinosNO! Sign
Many South Berwick residents have asked
how they can urge their fellow citizens to vote Nov. 4 against letting
casinos into Maine.
The statewide group CasinosNO! is doing
a fantastic job of spreading the word through TV ads, signs, and literature
that many of you have been circulating around town so effectively. However,
we are up against a big-time, well-financed Las Vegas Goliath that is
outspending us as fast as they can.
The South Berwick CasinosNO! committee
was given a small number of signs to put up at the major intersections.
Shortly after doing so, most of them were stolen, from both traffic islands
and private property, even people's front lawns. This situation has occurred
in other towns as well. Everyone who knows of a stolen sign is urged to
report it to the police.
There are ways to confront this situation:
-- Make your own sign! Homemade signs are very powerful.
-- Anyone artistic want to make a BUNCH? Please let us know.
-- PARADE with signs at downtown rush hour
traffic jams. Can you help for an hour or two? Please reply to this email.
If we get enough volunteers, we will be parading in small groups on Thursday
and Friday late afternoons (possibly also Saturday mornings). SoBo Books
has generously offered free coffee at the completion of each day¹s
parade. (Please patronize SoBo, which is also selling CasinosNO! t-shirts
and offering literature.) The parade signs say:
IF YOU THINK
THIS
TRAFFIC IS SLOW
WHAT
WILL IT BE LIKE
IF
THERE'S A CASINO
We think the parades will bring a few laughs
and lots of NO votes among the thousands of drivers who get clogged here
every day!
We need to send the message that Maine
will not allow itself to be purchased by Las Vegas casino developers.
If you do not have the time to volunteer Please DONATE. You can send a
check to P.O. Box 163, Portland, ME 04112. OR You can donate online at
www.casinosno.org
posted October 17, 2003
Organizational Meeting
for New Library
There will be an organizational meeting
of any and all people interested in working toward the new library on
Oct. 29, 2003
in the great room of the Municipal Building.
Whether you want to do a lot or can do just a little -
please attend.
The call is out for "large amount" fundraisers, smaller amounts
fundraisers, people to work on publicity and promotion, and people to
locate and sign on local artisans whose skills might be used within the
new library.
Posted October 17, 2003
Volunteers needed
for South Berwick Traffic Study
Dates have
finally been set for the origin/destination traffic
study for downtown South Berwick. The information from this study will
be used to help determine whether the town decides to pursue a bypass
road to divert traffic around the downtown area. This project has taken
on added significance now that there is the possibility of a casino being
built in southern Maine. A major increase in traffic is expected to result
from the casino project.
We need about 20 volunteers to help
with the survey on one afternoon and one morning later this month. Volunteers
will be stationed at various locations around town to observe and record
traffic movements. Volunteers will receive training and proper equipment
to do the job safely and efficiently.
The dates are:
Oct. 23 from 3 PM to 6 PM
Oct. 29 from 6 AM to 9 AM.
Please contact John Rudolph @ 384-5988
or j.rudolph@verizon.net and
let him know which of these dates you are available on. Even if you can
only come for part of one day, we still can use your help.
Thank you for your help with this
project.
Posted March 9, 2003
New
South Berwick Farmer's Market
Seeks
Growers and Vendors
The
South Berwick Farmer's Market is currently looking for Growers and Vendors
to provide locally produced foods and goods for the 2003 season. This
will be an outdoor market held at the Community Center in South Berwick,
every Saturday morning 9-11:30am, rain or shine, late-May to October.
Vegetables (including certified organic),
baked goods, herbs, vinegars, fresh flowers, garlic, plants, fruits, meats,
eggs, dairy products, honey, and some hand made products.
Applications for participation must be
received by March 31st to be considered for the 2003 Season. If you know
of a grower or vendor that may be interested please have them call or
email Stacey Scontras at 207-384-2093 scontras@attbi.com or Taintor Davis
Child at 207-384-5699 flwrchild@ime.net
If every household in Maine
and New Hampshire spent just $10 a week on local food and products, $500,000,000
would remain in the states' local economies.
As all local towns continue to grow,
it becomes increasingly important to protect our agricultural resources
and rural character by supporting local growers and producers.
Farmer's Markets are a proven way
to provide a vital economic link between the consumers and the growers/
vendors, to revitalize our town centers, to reduce environmental impact
of shipping foods bought conventionally, to invigorate secondary shopping
areas, and, are an educational opportunity about the foods you eat and
how they are grown.
WHAT:
South Berwick Farmer's Market
is accepting new Growers and Vendors for the 2003 Growing Season (Full
Season or Partial Season). Vegetables (including certified organic), baked
goods herbs, vinegars, fresh flowers, garlic, plants, fruits, meats, eggs,
dairy products, honey, and some hand made products.
WHERE:
South Berwick Farmer's Market will be held at the South Berwick
Community Center, near Routes 4 and 236. Hours of Market are: Saturday
mornings 9-11:30 rain or shine, late May-October.
WHO:
Applications for Membership are available from Stacey Scontras at 207-384-2093
or Scontras@attbi.com or from Taintor Davis Child at 207-384-5699 or flwrchild@ime.net.
WHY:
Local Farmer's Markets can help communities address nutritional needs,
improve biodiversity, help make local foods readily available, increase
agricultural land use, strengthen ties between the residents, create opportunities
for community outreach programs and education, stimulate local economic
development by increasing employment, encouraging consumers to support
local business, and keeping the food dollar within the local community.
Posted June 26, 2002:
Are you interested in helping to reduce the amount of waste that passes
through our Transfer Station?
Have you thought about composting?
Don't know where to start?
Don't have a good place for a compost bin?
We have an opportunity for you!
Announcing...
The
Food Cycler!
The Town of South Berwick is looking for several families to pilot a new composting plan. We will provide you with a supply of 100% biodegradable Food Scrap Bags for you to fill at home and bring to the Transfer Station. This will reduce the amount of waste we are hauling away and increase the amount of good organic compost available to our residents.
We will do the rest!
The Food Cycler bags are leak-proof,
retain odor and are
convenient. They hold a generous 1.5 gallons. Can be used free standing
or as a liner for an existing compost pail.
If you are interested, please sign
up with a Transfer Station employee or call the Town Manager's office
at 384-3300.
FoodCycler 100% Compostable Food Scrap Bag
Woods End Research, composting experts
since 1979, have developed the FoodCycler bag for clean and efficient
collection of food scraps.
FoodCycler offers
these many benefits:
- 100% biodegradable and environmentally
friendly, unlike degradable
plastics.
- FoodCycler is leak-proof, retains
odors, and is convenient to use.
- Made from natural materials:
100% post consumer recycled
paper
Cellulose moisture resistant
line
Printed with soy based
inks
FDA approved food grade
flues
- Free standing, or may be used as
a liner for existing compost pails,
and holds a generous 1.5 gallons.
- Ease of use encourages collection
of food scraps, reducing waste
to landfills and incinerators, benefiting the environment.
- Extensively tested in America, Canada
and European countries and
now used worldwide!
- Suitable for all home compost systems
and may be used in municipal
and regional composting operations.
Woods End Research
20 Old Rome Road Mt. Vernon, ME 04352
Phone 207-293-2457 Fax 207-293-2488
www.woodsend.org
posted October 17, 2003
CasinosNO!
RALLY
Saturday,
October 25, 2003
2
PM
at
South Berwick Town Hall
The band MAINESQUEEZE will perform at a rally on the lawn of South Berwick Town Hall on Saturday, October 25, at 2:00 pm. The free concert is presented in support of the CasinosNO! campaign in southern York County. (In case of rain, the rally will be held inside.)
Speakers
will include:
Maine District Attorney Mark Lawrence, Rep. Sally Lewin and South Berwick
Town Councilor John Rudolph.
Led by South Berwick singer Sammie Haynes, MAINESQUEEZE is a group of terrific local musicians who play Texas swing style music. The band members are donating their South Berwick performance.
South Berwick has an important role to play in the Nov. 4 election. Spread the word to vote NO on #3. Help keep Maine the way life should be!
Posted January 25, 2003
Budget
Meetings: Watch the Process
Many of us arrive at Town Meeting
each year to face the disappointment of not having a voice in how the
town spends our money. The truth is that the decision-making process about
the town's budget happens before Town Meeting. You have a chance to learn
about the budget as it's being put together. Every Wednesday at 5:00 p.m.
during the month of February, the Town Council and the Town Manager will
hold a workshop at Town Hall to discuss next year's budget. The public
is welcome to come and observe. Although members of the public are not
permitted to speak at the workshops, there are opportunities to express
your views to the Town Manager and members of the Council before and after
each workshop.
Also,
plan to attend the Budget Public Hearing on March 24 at 6:00 p.m. This
is a chance for you to present your ideas and ask questions about the
budget before the Council votes to recommend next year's spending plan
to the Town Meeting.
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Posted October 11, 2002
Peace
Potluck in South Berwick!!
The South Berwick Peace Vigil group
is hosting a potluck supper for peace-minded folks of Southern Maine from
5-9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19. We will gather at Sobo Books and Coffee
on Main Street. Please join us to learn about anti-war activities in the
Seacoast and to talk about ways, however small, each of us can contribute
to the peace campaign.
On hand will be one of the people
who recently spent time in Iraq, living with ordinary families who struggle
daily with severe deprivation imposed by the U.S., and will describe their
experiences and answer questions.
Please join us!! We would appreciate
an RSVP by mid-week just so we have an approximate idea of numbers. Please
invite your friends and neighbors to join us for the evening or even a
half-hour.
By the way, we vigil at the monument
every Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to noon and encourage you to join us when
you can. Men, women and children are welcome!!
We display an American flag and hold
signs saying Peace for Everyone, God Bless the World and Envision Peace.
Many, many passing motorists respond positively and seem to appreciate
our being there.
Together, we CAN make a difference.
Posted October 1, 2002:
Hazardous
Waste Collection
On Saturday, October 12th, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., the town will host
a Hazardous Waste Collection contractor at the Transfer Station.
The following hazardous waste products will be collected: oil based paints, paint removers, antifreeze, old gasoline, pesticides and mercury products.
Posted July 29, 2002:
The Mount A Challenge
Race
Day: Sunday, September 15, 2002
There is still plenty of time to register: Call 439-9498 or visit
www.mountagamenticuschallenge.com.
Click here to see an announcement (pdf file).
Posted August 14, 2002
Walking
Tour to Revisit 1870
"Night
of Terror" in
South
Berwick Village
SOUTH BERWICK, MAINE -- Coinciding
with the publication of a new booklet, "South Berwick Village and
the Fire of 1870" by Mary Rice Jewett and other local writers, the
Old Berwick Historical Society is holding a free walking tour of the historic
downtown.
Led by program director Bradley Fletcher,
the tour is free of charge and begins 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, August
24, in the Post Office parking lot on Main Street. It will last about
an hour. The rain date is August 25.
Participants will discover the village's
history as both the commercial focus for a growing industrial town and
the scene of a devastating 1870 fire that destroyed the central village
on one side of Main Street.
"It was a night of fear--even
of terror--and of excitement and
suspense, and to many a time of sorrow and discouragement," one resident
wrote after the fire.
Among those deeply affected was the
family of author Sarah Orne Jewett, then a young writer 21 years old.
The family's home, still the centerpiece of South Berwick, was saved by
covering the sides with wet blankets.
Sarah's older sister Mary later wrote
about the village shops that were lost, and her essay along with other
contemporary writing, maps and photos, form the basis for the society's
new publication. The booklet costs $7 and is available at the Counting
House Museum, SoBo Bookstore, South Berwick Public Library, and at Old
Berwick Historical Society events.
"If one could only bring back
the picturesque look to the village street as it was before the disastrous
fire of 1870 swept away the buildings on the west side," wrote Mary
Jewett, "and see how much more harmonious to their surroundings they
were than the modern ones which replaced them, one would regret more than
ever that night of terror and loss which so changed the town."
Fletcher, an historian and Berwick
Academy history teacher, has written an introduction to the new publication.
On the tour he will make use of the 1870 census, detailed maps of the
1860s and 1872, and photos and archives from the society's collection
at the Counting House museum.
During the late 1800s, the rural lifestyle
extolled by Sarah Orne Jewett in her popular novels was coming to a close.
Five railroad lines crossed the town. Large factories like Portsmouth
Manufacturing Company and the Salmon Falls Manufacturing Company employed
hundreds of South Berwick workers in the manufacture of cotton cloth on
the Salmon Falls River. Also
in 1870, David Cummings brought a large shoemaking factory to town from
Chicago. The new industries drew immigrant workers from Ireland and French-speaking
Canada.
The walking tour is part of the society's
speaker series for 2002. The year-long program includes monthly evening
speakers, an archaeology dig, and summer exhibits at the Counting House
Museum, and is supported by the members of the Old Berwick Historical
Society.
More information on the society's
programs is available by calling (207) 748-0074 or 384-0000.
Posted August 14, 2002
Livable Communities Event, August 23:
Congressmen Tom Allen and John Baldacci
are pleased to welcome Congressman Earl Blumenauer of Portland, Oregon
to Maine. Congressman Blumenauer is the founder and chair of the House
Livable Communities Task Force and the Congressional Bike Caucus, and
a national leader on the issues of sustainable development, community
transportation planning, and livable communities.
On Friday, August 23, 2002, Congressmen
Allen, Baldacci and Blumenauer will hold a public "Conversation on
Livable Communities." The public is invited to share their questions
and thoughts at this event, which will take place at 2:00 pm at the Spring
Hill Lodge (117 Pond Rd.), South Berwick, Maine.
Congressman Blumenauer will share
some of his experiences in Oregon as well as discuss some of the federal
tools available to help communities in their planning efforts.
Please RSVP to Congressman Tom
Allen's Portland office (207-774-5019 or kate.dempsey@mail.house.gov).
Also call or e-mail us for directions. Please let our office know if you
need any special accommodations (the Spring Hill Lodge is wheelchair accessible).
ˆBack to top
Posted July 29, 2002:
Calling All Sewer Rate Payers
If the Sewer Board members have their
way, South Berwick will lose one of the last remaining grassy areas on
the Salmon Falls River. The Board has voted to install a long, diagonal
driveway along the entire lawn of the Sewage Treatment Plant. They maintain
that it is needed for safety reasons. But many of us do not agree, and
fear the new driveway will lead to increased traffic dangers.
If you are a rate payer and would
like to add your voice to those who oppose this change, please attend
the Sewer Board meeting this Monday, August 5, at 7:00 in the Town Hall
meeting room (2nd floor, end of hall).
Posted July 1, 2002:
Poetry
in the Park
MSAD#35 Family Literacy Program kicks off
a summer series entitled "Poetry in the Park" for family audiences,
to take place on the South Berwick Town Hall lawn, Tuesdays at 10 a.m.
from July 16 through August 20.
Guest poetry readers are still urgently
sought. Request for volunteers has been very poor. Readers may choose
their own material or anthologies of children's poetry will be provided.
Families of readers (adults and children) are welcome. Please call Tammi
Truax at 384-6276 or contact at Gruax@aol.com.
Thanks!!