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Friday, March 1, 2024 Volume 20 • Issue No. 9
Center for Wildlife Presents “Wild Lytes” Night Walk CAPE NEDDICK The Center for Wildlife (CFW) is excited to announce their inaugural Wild Lytes illuminated night walk event. This event is in partnership with NyteWalk Maine and will be held at CFW Thursday through Sunday evenings throughout the month of March, starting March 7. The event will feature a network of illuminated enchanted forest trails throughout CFW’s campus and will provide a night of fun for the entire family. CFW will have three, one-hourlong time slots available from 5:30-8:30 p.m., a family-friendly walk for all ages. Explore the illuminated forest walk and
ambassador animal village while connecting with nature like never before. “Par tnering with Ny teWalk Maine, who have now provided two highly successful seasons of illuminated night walks in Lebanon, has allowed us to provide a unique and exciting way for families to connect with nature and explore our community campus at CFW. We are hopeful this event will help bring out the inner child in attendees of all ages!” said Bob Dale, marketing and outreach coordinator at CFW. This is an outdoor program that includes navigation of forested, uneven terrain. A portion of CFW’s
trail and ambassador animal village are ADA accessible. Pre-registration is required for the event. As the largest and only wildlife center of its kind in the seacoast region, CFW admits more than 2,000 injured wild animals annually, fields 15,000 phone calls on its Wildlife Assistance Hotline (207-361-1400), and presents more than 400 environmental education programs to 10,000 community members. All of this work is accomplished with no state or federal funding. CFW is located at 375 Mountain Road in Cape Neddick. For more information and to reserve tickets, visit www.thecenterforwildlife.org/events.
Ogunquit’s New Plans Honor Old School By John Crommett Copy Editor, Weekly Sentinel OGUNQUIT Stage 1 demolit ion of Ogunquit’s Old Village School has now been completed. Demo began on Monday, February 26, and was swiftly concluded, with debris cleanup scheduled to finish over the next two weeks. During this period, the existing basketball court and playground on the property will remain temporarily closed, and will reopen once site cleanup is finished. The outdoor spaces are expected to remain accessible to the public for most of spring and summer, until new construction begins in late summer. Ogunquit Town Manager Matt Buttrick confirms that hazardous materials abatement
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at the school was conducted the week before demolition. Additionally, Central Maine Power disconnected its services from the building, and the nearby utility poles were removed. Construction management firm Landry French removed the front doors, the distinctive half-circle window, and the decorative trim from the school’s front lobby facade. The pieces are currently being stored offsite, with the idea being they will be integrated into the architectural style of the new building. The next steps include
restoring and replicating these original elements for integration, preserving and honoring the original school’s charm and historical significance.
The coat hooks and their wooden posts from inside the building were removed, and are also currently being stored offsite. Some of the hooks will find
new homes inside the new build, while others may play a part in future fundraising efforts for See SCHOOL on page 20 . . .
York County Eyes Dredging in Wake of Storms YORK COUNTY York County is looking at putting the dredge it owns to work assisting coastal communities with sand and dune nourishment after two devastating mid-January storms. County Manager Greg Zinser told York County Commissioners at recent meetings that it may be possible to get the dredge in the water by the fall. “I think it’s an opportunity to get the dredge going and address the critical need of the rebuilding of the beaches and dunes, primarily the dunes,” Zinser told commissioners. The storms are said to have created an estimated $20 million in damages to public infrastructure. York County Commissioners agreed in late 2022 to pur-
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chase a dredge with $1.54 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to help combat coastal erosion, nourish beaches with sand, and help keep waters navigable, an idea first advanced by the nonprofit SOS Saco Bay. The intent when the project was approved was that a new nonprofit entity, Southern Maine Dredge Authority, would be created and take ownership, but the authority was not fully
operational when the dredge was completed, so the county did. Complications with federal rules of disposition and the like are unresolved, so the county retains ownership. The situation is unlike other projects county commissioners supported with ARPA funds – including a teen center and a social services hub – where allocations were made directly to the nonprofits. While the need for sand
to combat erosion on Maine’s southern coast has been frequent and ongoing over the years, the two January storms that have destroyed the dunes in many locations and wreaked havoc on the beaches has heightened the need. At the York County Commissioners meeting on Wednesday, February 21, Zinser said there have been preliminary talks with a company experienced in dredge operations that could assist as a consultant. Further discussions were to take place this week. “One scenario is buying versus renting equipment, or contracting with another dredge crew,” Zinser told the board. “I’ve had several conversations See DREDGE on page 2 . . .
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