Volume 3 Issue10 O

ctober 2009fortherecord@

hallowellrecord.com

Page 7

Nancy P. McGinnis Contributing Writer

H A L L O W E L L S U P P O R T S P A N N I N G T H E A G E S A C C E S S I B L E R E S P O N S I V E . P R O V E N L E A D E R S H I P A N D D E D I C A T I O N.

DOT MITHEE

“ALL CANDIDATES MAKE PROMISES, BUT FEW DELIVER. I DELIVER.” Mayor

for

Summer—what there was of it this year—is behind us. The nights are get-ting cool, days are crisp, and the foliage is splendid… time for the Fall Festival of Art and History in Historic Hallowell on the Kennebec. Presented annually by a shoe-string nonprofit group called ‘Celebrating Hallowell’, this year’s event is coming right up on Saturday, October 17th.

Organized as an old fashioned, fam-ily-oriented event, the Festival is a com-munity wide-celebration held each fall-- a traditional time to acknowledge the abun-dance of all the resources that enrich our lives: the river, the history, architecture, as well as the creative talent of those who live and work here. While the Festival has been taking place since the mid-90’s, this will be the ninth year that citizens, business owners, and visitors have been invited to help transform Hallowell into ‘scarecrow city’ as part of the fun.

Prizes of “Hallowell Bucks”, donat-ed by the Hallowell Area Board of Trade and redeemable at its member businesses, will be offered for the best judged entries (including a special ‘I Made It Myself’ division for kids 10 and under), as well as those receiving the most votes in the ‘People’s Choice’ category. Be sure to vote for your favorites on the 17th – each vote costs a nickel, with proceeds support-ing next year’s festival.

During the first two weeks of Octo-ber, Hallowell will be become ‘Scarecrow City’, with all competing scarecrows in place no later than noon on Friday, Octo-ber 16th. Registration is free but must be received no later than October 15th. Pick up an entry form with complete scarecrow details at businesses around town, or visit www.hallowell.org. Turn in your com-pleted form at Dom’s Barber Shop, where proprietor Patti Burnett has graciously agreed to host Scarecrow Central’ infor-mation and hospitality headquarters again this year.

Local individuals, businesses and or-

ganizations will contribute to the weekend in many ways. Their support of the Fes-tival has allowed the organizers to con-tinue to keep the events free or minimal cost for everyone to enjoy. You can help by pur-chasing Cele-brating Hallow-ell Scarecrow City calendars, buttons, long sleeved T shirts and sweat shirts, and lim-ited edition baseball caps, all available at Dom’s Barber Shop during the Festival. Slates bakery is offering a free small cof-fee and cookie to anyone wearing a Fall Festival shirt on the 17th.

The Kennebec Valley Art Associa-tion has sounded a call for local artists to set up their easels, and paint or sketch in

downtown Hallow-ell on the 17th, cre-ating a sidewalk art show in action. On the outside deck at the Periwinkle, or indoors at the Har-low if the weather necessitates, kids are invited to cre-ate their own art by decorating a kid-sized pump-kin to take home. You can learn more about the Historic Hallowell commu-nity heritage proj-ect, and how you can get involved, at the Hubbard Library. At the Hallowell Public

Works garage at the south end of town, community volunteers will host an Open House at North Bay Re-

cycling, where residents can tour the facil-ity and learn more about what we can all do to conserve our resources.

On Saturday afternoon at City Hall, meet the 2009 Hallowell candidates at a public forum sponsored by Row House Inc. and moderated by Gerry Mahoney. Present will be mayoral candidates Dot Mithee and Charlotte Warren; and Ed Cer-vone and Christy Cross, running for the city councilor at-large seat.

Check out the ‘Museum in the Streets’ self-guided tour (pick up a bro-chure at numerous downtown locations including Dom’s Barber Shop) and see if you can identify the downtown im-ages in the Fall Festival photo scavenger hunt—three winners will be selected from correct entries to win a quart of organic Maine maple syrup. Browse the shops, galleries and restaurants, enjoy great art, music, food and drink around town as you enjoy the day.

The festivities will conclude with another annual tradition, the Fall Festival bonfire. Mike Laflin and his family will once again generously donate the firewood and set up the huge bonfire by the scenic Kennebec River. And again this year, weather permitting, students of Hall-Dale Japanese teacher Naoto Kobayashi will return with another dramatic performance of ‘Taiko’ – Japanese traditional drum-ming-- at the bonfire, a not-to-be-missed sight and sound spectacle. Afterward, the students will coach anyone in the audi-ence who would like to give it a try. Per-cussionists of all descriptions, with all lev-els of experience, are invited to bring their instruments for an impromptu percussion jam and drumming circle around the blaz-ing fire. And if the skies are clear that evening, you will have an unforgettable opportunity to view the night sky through high-powered telescopes, guided by John Meader of the Northern Stars Planetarium.

For detailed events listings, visit www.hallowell.org or look for posters in downtown store windows. For more infor-mation, please call 622-1350.

FALL FESTIVAL

Under his direction, students of Hall-Dale Japanese teacher Naoto Ko-bayashi give an unforgettable taiko performance at the Fall Festival bonfire last year.

Photo courtecy Nancy P. M

cGinnis

Photo courtecy Nancy P. M

cGinnis

John Meader of Northern Stars Planetar-ium will be back with high powered telescopes to offer guided celestial tours by the riverbank