No Umbrella News

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Anni’s Market

Kingfield, ME
(207) 265 2765
www.annismarket.com

June 25th - The Annual Clifford Park Assault Mountain Bike Race
Location: Clifford Park, Biddeford, Maine
Schedule of Events
7:30-9:30: Pre-Registration ($20+$4 one day license)
10:00: All Expert, Sport, and Singlespeed Racers
10:30: Kids Race (free)
12:30: The Red Cross MTB Challenge ($5 for two attempts)
1:00: All Novice & Tandem Racers
More info at http://www.capeablebikes.com/

Saturday, August 5
Race: Megunticook Lake Race
Time: 10am
Location: Megunticook Lake, Camden
Type: FW, 5.5 miles
Point Series: FW Series 8 of 12
Registration: 8:30am ($10 - first 50 get a T-shirt)
Contact: Jeff Kuller/Camden Parks & Recreation
Phone: 236-3438
Email: snowbowl@midcoast.com

Race: Fort Knox Festival Boat Race
Time: 12pm
Location: Penobscot River, Verona Island
Type: FW
Point Series: FW Series 7 of 12
Registration: 10:30am ($15)
Contact: Bucksport Chamber of Commerce
Phone: 469-6818
Website: www.bucksportbaychamber.com/

Race: Dead River Race (New!)
Time: 10am
Location: Lower Dead River, West Forks
Type: WW downriver, 8 miles
Point Series: 2006 ACA New England Division WWOC Championship
Contact: Andy Webb
Phone: 663-4475
Website: www.riverdrivers.com
Other info: Requires intermediate experience

Race: Southside Tavern Sundowner
Time: 6pm
Location: Kennebec River, Skowhegan (above the dam)
Type: FW, 5 miles
Registration: 4:30-5:45pm ($10 - first 100 get a T-shirt)
Contact: John Alsop
Phone: 474-6073
Website: www.neckra.org/RaceInfo-Sundowner.jpg
Other info: Cash prizes.

Race: Marsh Island Canoe Race
Time: Mass starts between noon and 1pm
Location: Penobscot River, Riverfront Park, Old Town
Type: FW, 15 miles
Point Series: ???
Registration: 3-6pm beginning July 5
Contact: Valerie Osborne, Old Town Public Library
Phone: 827-3972
Email: Valerie.Osborne@old-town.org
Website: www.canoehullabaloo.com/canoeraces.htm
Other info: There are five portages in this race. Cash prizes.

Race: Potato Blossom Festival Regatta
Time: 5:00 pm
Location: Aroostook River, Ft. Fairfield
Type: 6 mile FW
Point Series: FW Series 6 of 12
Registration: 3:00 pm ($10)
Contact: Tom Towle
Phone: 472-3882
Email: N/A
Website: www.potatoblossom.org
Other info: Race will be part of a two day triathalon

Race: Chief Werumbo Fun Race
Time: 11am
Location: Androscoggin River, Durham boat launch
Type: FW, 6 miles
Registration: 9am ($12)
Contact: Faye Brown
Phone: 353-5771
Website: www.moxiefestival.com
Other info: Lunch is included with registration. Pre-register by July 6 for a T-shirt.
Part of Lisbon’s Annual Moxie Festival

Race: ACA Whitewater National Championship
Time: various
Location: Deerfield River, Zoar Gap, Charlemont, Mass.
Type: WWDR - 8 miles, WWSP - 1.2 miles
Registration: 11:30am - Pre-registration ($12), race day registration ($15)
Contact: Charlie Brackett
Phone: (603) 585-7167
Website: www.canoe-newengland.org
Other info: July 5 is a practice day. Races begin July 6.
ACA Nationals registration forms, etc.

Race: Sebec Lake Canoe Race
Time: 10:30am
Location: Sebec Village, Maine
Type: Racing class 8 miles. Recreational class 4 miles.
Registration: Entry Fee: $10 Youth/Junior $15 Adult
Contact: Peter Wright
Phone: 368-2140
Email: petew@vicfirth.com
Other info: All participants receive a t-shirt. Please join our 4th of July celebration: breakfast, road race, parade, canoe race, chicken bbq, activities, and live music

Race: Sheepscot River Race
Time: 1pm
Location: Wiscasset Waterfront, Wiscassett to Sherman Lake, Newcastle
Type: FW, 6 miles
Point Series: FW Series 5 of 12
Registration: 11:30am - Pre-registration ($12), race day registration ($15)
Contact: Scott Shea
Phone: 865-4189
Email: info@seaspraykayaking.com
Website: seaspraykayaking.com/
Other info: The race has been reversed in 2006 due to a dam being washed out at
Sherman Lake last fall. All pre-registered racers will receive a T-shirt.

Saturday, June 24th at 1:00pm. All canoeists and whitewater kayakers are encouraged to participate in this year’s paddling race from Graham Lake Dam to the Ellsworth Marina. The 4-mile course with a relatively short portage has mixed flat and whitewater and is appropriate for paddlers with confident flatwater skills. Registration is $15/person in advance or on race day — event t-shirts are available to the first 35 paddlers. A rare scheduled release from Graham Lake will guarantee course quality, possibly making this the only predictable DownEast run this summer! Bring a little extra cash to enter our watersports raffle, with a variety of runners-up prizes and an Old Town canoe as the grand prize.

This year’s Salmon Run is organized by the Union River Watershed Coalition with help from local paddling clubs and volunteers. More help is needed, so even if you’re not a paddler, you can help with the event and still get a free t-shirt (parking, registration, raffle tickets, on-shore safety, portage guides, refreshments, & clean-up). Registration forms and more details are available at www.unionriver.org, or call Tammy Kelley at 667-3947 for more information. Life jackets must be worn by all paddlers, more rules and suggestions to be posted on our website. There’s plenty of room for spectators at several locations along the river, too - hope to see you there

City of Waterville

7th Annual - Voices of the Kennebec Festival

Saturday, June 3, 2006
12:00 - 6:00 pm
Head of Falls
Front St., Waterville

Rain or Shine - Free Admission
All events held under tent - Chairs limited; please bring your own

Featuring ethnic foods, music, dance and children’s activities on the shores of the Kennebec River.

Music By:

12:00 p.m. - Red Hawk Medicine Drum

1:15 p.m. - Boréal Tordu

3:30 p.m. - Dunlap Highland Band of
York County, Maine

4:30 p.m. - Alan Shavarsh Bardezbanian
Middle East Ensemble

Children’s Activities:
The children’s activities will be provided by the Children’s Room of the Waterville Public Library.

Special Thanks: Roger E. Hallee, Waterville Public Library, Waterville Morning Sentinel , Are You Ready To Party & Waterville Parks & Recreation Crew

For More Information Call Waterville City Hall: 207-680-4233

Red Bull & AtlanticKayaker.com have teamed up to put together a big kayak event at the Reversing Falls.
The event will include a Freestyle competition on the Greasy Chicken & Cookie Monster as well as a Boater Cross. It will be free to compete all you’ll need to do is sign a couple waivers. The City and the Coast guard are on board with us.
Red Bull will have an big setup including a DJ both and huge sound system among other things.
The City of Saint John are excited that we chose the Reversing Falls for this event. They will be including it in their tourism brochere and the local media will be on board as well. We will have alot of spectators due to the fact that it is in a Urban Center. Great Exposure for our Sport. More Details to follow including a website and event signup next week. I can’t wait. This is huge. Keep you schedule open and be at the Reversing Falls on June 17 & 18th.

May 13-21 is National River Cleanup Week! Get involved by participating in the Card Brook Clean Up!

The Union River Watershed Coalition, is hosting the 11th annual Card Brook Clean Up on Saturday May 20th from 9am - 12pm. It will be based out of the Holiday Inn parking lot on Route 3 in Ellsworth, where groups will disperse to different areas of the brook and the public boat launch. Card Brook highly contributes to the health of the Union River, so we hope you can join us and community members in getting your hands dirty cleaning trash and litter out of Card Brook! Trash bags, gloves and snacks will be provided along with a scavenger hunt with some fun prizes. Come with close toed shoes that you don’t mind getting wet and the willingness to help out and have fun. We hope to see you there, and please, spread the word!

YOU ARE INVITED:
Rally for Maine Mountain Heritage Area to Feature Panel on National Designation.

On May 19th at the University of Maine at Farmington, Annie Harris, executive director of the Essex National Heritage Area in Massachusetts (image right), will offer observations about the value of national heritage area designation in support of local heritage conservation and development projects. Harris will present her remarks as part of a panel discussion titled “National Designation … or is there a better way?” Vaughn Stinson, chief executive officer of the Maine Tourism Association, and Patrick Strauch, executive director of the Maine Forest Products Council, will look at the question from tourism and landowner perspectives. Richard Barringer of the Muskie School of Public Service will moderate the panel.

The panel is part of a day long conference intended to provide an opportunity for residents of the Maine Mountain Heritage Area (Oxford, Franklin, Somerset, and Piscataquis Counties) to review initiatives of the Maine Mountain Heritage Network and to offer opinions about the national designation opportunity. National designation of the Maine Mountain Heritage Area could result in as much as $1 million per year for ten years in new federal funding for the region to support heritage-based projects and marketing.

Other panel topics include: ways to coordinate land conservation and recreation development in the Maine Mountain region; approaches to revitalizing the area’s towns and villages; and new strategies for stimulating development and marketing of “signature” products for the region. (For more information on these panels, see “Breakout Panels” below.)

There is no charge for the conference, but to reserve a seat and a box lunch, participants must register by May 10th online at www.mainemountains.org. All are invited.

To learn more about national heritage areas, go to http://www.cr.nps.gov/heritageareas

Event: MaCKRO Race (Maine Canoe & Kayak Racing Association)
Event Title: North Branch of the Dead River Canoe and Kayak race
When: Saturday, May 13th
Where: Eustis, Maine.
Time: Race start 11:00 AM. $12.00 registration begins at 9:00 at the Chain of Ponds starting point. Contact person: Forrest Pelletier 207-246-2082 or Diamondcorner@adelphia.net
Website: www.eustismaine.com

2nd Annual Sandy River Paddlefest, June 3 2006, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, American Legion field, Rt 4 & South Main St., Strong, Maine. Rain or shine.
Come experience the Sandy river for a day long celebration of Strong’s greatest natural resource.
At Strong : Breakfast,
Opening Ceremony,
Free Fly casting & tying instruction,
Free family fishing day, No license required,
IFW to stock river with TROUT,
Games, Races, Photo Contest,
Wildlife Artist’s & Vendors,
Canoe or Kayak 9.5 miles os easy flat/quick
class 1 drop, to Fairbanks bridge/beach for
Free Canoe & Kayak Demo’s,
Shuttle available to bring people AND boats
back to Strong for the Firemen’s Chicken BBQ,
Everything is FREE, EXCEPT Food and Donation to Shuttle Service.
The Sandy River is one of the most pristine and peaceful rivers in all of Franklin County. It is also under utilized. The Sandy River Paddlefest hopes to create a greater appreciation for this resource by promoting clean recreation on the river.
For info on Sponsorship, vendors, and parcipitation,
Please call : Gary O’Brien at
778-9214 or E-mail skiyaka@usadatanet.net
Heidi Richards 684-2073

In early summer 2005 Dud Dean Angling Society (DDAS) approached the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (MDIF&W) with an idea to include a piece in the 2006 Open Water Regulations book that provides tips on how to properly document a trophy fish in preparation for a carving replica that will allow the fish to be released unharmed. DDAS member & fish carver Mike Butler was instrumental in seeing this project through, working with MDIF&W Director of Information & Education Marc Michaud to come up with the proper instructions. DDAS wishes to extend our thanks to MDIF&W & Marc Michaud for recognizing the value of such an addition to the law book!

Preparing For A Catch-Photograph-And-Release Carving

Plan ahead! Keep a soft tape measure and camera in your fishing gear. Take a few pictures of the fish to help record distinguishing characteristics and color. Measure the fish’s length (from the center of the tail to the snout) while handling the fish out of water as little as possible. Then follow the Tips for Catching and Releasing Fish in this book. The information is all that a carver needs to make a replica of the catch you made and the fish is available to be caught by another lucky angler.

Dud Dean Angling Society pursued this project to educate anglers that a viable alternative to the traditional way of preserving the memory of catching a trophy fish is available to them. In fact, many taxidermists today use fiberglass molds to create your trophy mount and can do so with the same measurements and pictures that fish carvers use. A fish of a lifetime released to be caught again can provide the same thrilling experience to a fellow angler if we allow that to happen. It’s a win-win outcome for all involved: the fish, the angler and the taxidermist/carver!

Dud Dean Angling Society was formed in 2005. The purpose of the organization is to lead the charge for a higher quality coldwater fishing experience in our state on three levels: the protection and proliferation of our unspoiled native salmonid waters; the protection and proliferation of our wild salmonid waters, and the identification and nurturing of our stocked waters that show the capacity to support hold-over salmonid populations. For more information about DDAS, please contact:

Kevin O’Brien, President
Dud Dean Angling Society
prbinc@gwi.net

April 14th Benefit: Dinner/Dance
Citizens against Pollution in Town
R.O.S.C. ( Resource for Social Change)
Funding for Emergency Legal Issues Regarding
GenPower-Athens

Somerset Academy, Somerset St. – Athens, ME.
Dinner: 5:30 – 7pm. & Dance: 7 – Until?
Spaghetti, Garlic Bread & Scrumptious Desserts

Featuring: Evergreen (Blue grass at its best)

Bring your friends
Have Fun Keeping your community Healthy and Safe.
If unable to attend, donations would be greatly appreciated.
Make checks payable to:

R.O.S.C./C.A.P.I.T.
38 Daggett rd.
Athens, Me. 04912

No Umbrella is hitting the road with…
The Paddling Picture Show!
Amateur northeast films coming to a college near you!

March 27 8:30 p.m. University of New England, Biddeford, ME
Screening will be inside the Harold Alfond Building

March 28 7 p.m. University of Maine Farmington
Screening will be at Lincoln Auditorium

April 6 9 p.m. The Rack - on the Sugarloaf Access Rd.
Carrabassett Valley, ME

April 13 7 p.m. UMaine - Orono
Screening will in Neville 101

April 18 7:30 p.m. Maine School of Law
246 Deering Ave, Portland, Maine

April 19 7 p.m. University of Maine at Presque Isle
Please call the school or check back here for exact venue

April 21 7:30 p.m. College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine

April 22 7 p.m. St. Michael’s College, Colchester, Vermont
Screening will be at the McCarthy Arts Center

April 27 7 p.m. Strand Cinema Skowhegan, ME

http://www.oilandwaterproject.com

Oil and Water is a new project in collaboration with the Biofuels Education Coalition. The dream of two kayakers, it combines a passion for the rivers and kayaking with a desire to motivate and educate youth to make sustainable lifestyle choices through alternative energy. The project is a combination of adventure, education, advocacy, media and friendships spanning across the world that promises to be a unique experience for all involved.

The Oil and Water Project is set to take off for its national biofuel awareness tour on March 25, 2006. This initial tour will extend until the 1^st of July at which time the trip will be traveling continuously south from Alaska to Chile. This is the first leg of a six-leg journey around the world.

This initial tour component of the trip will have 4 main focuses:

1) To reach youth and environmentally concerned people in America, the home country of the team, with the message of alternative fuel options, sustainable energy sources and awareness of the environmental and societal consequences of petroleum dependency.

2) To inform the public and media of the upcoming first leg of the journey set to span both Americas prior to its initiation in July so that continuous coverage and interest will be maintained throughout the trip. This will also serve to bring awareness to the various sponsors involved in the project through demonstration at various retail outlets and collaborating establishments nation wide.

3) To raise awareness of, and form partnerships with, various NGOs, youth groups and grassroots organizations involved in river/environmental conservation and biofuels/alternative energy sources advocacy across the country

4) To raise money for the project’s ongoing expenses through fundraising evenings consisting of demonstrations and film screenings specific to the journey and the kayaking passion of the team.

The general outline of how these 4 objectives will be reached will vary from place to place but entails a general routine of 4 key visits:

1) Visiting a particular retail outlet in the morning (between 10-12 am) that is affiliated with the various sponsors of the project. This venue will be used for a mid-morning demonstration of the vehicle, biofuels education, and specifics of the project. At this demonstration Julia Wieck of Tonic Public Relations will coordinate local media be present (including local radio, newspapers and TV) in order to cover the story. The goal will be to have it aired in time to help promote the evening fund raising event. This demonstration will be approximately 2 hours in length. Collaborating NGO/grassroots groups will also be present to share in the message and to establish a partnership with the team.

2) Visiting a public middle school (aimed at 5^th to 8^th grade). These schools will have been previously sent a two-week curriculum covering four lessons on biofuels education and awareness of the Oil and Water Project. As part of this curriculum, classes will be challenged to make posters to show ways to conserve energy in their own communities. Winning posters will be chosen to go along with the trip to be present at a final competition toward the end of the primary tour. Students will be encouraged to ask the questions that have come up in their studies and encouraged to engage in the interactive website which will be ongoing throughout the trip.

3) The evening (7-12 pm) will consist of an event at a movie screening venue. This event will first entail vehicle demonstrations and tours outside the venue and a brief sum up of the project. Following, there will be a screening of two films: Tweaking the Nose of Terror (Alex Nicks Productions) and Dynasty (Young Guns Productions). These movies are both adventure whitewater kayaking movies which are newly released and of interest to a large audience of extreme sport and outdoor enthusiasts. There will be a charge for entry into this event (for the purpose of fundraising) as well as DVDs of the movie and paraphernalia of the Oil and Water project for purchase.

Four necessities of the National Biofuel Awareness Tour:

• Establishment of contacts in all locations along the length of the tour of collaborating NGOs, school groups and grass roots organizations that would be interested in hosting the visit. Ideally these groups should be specific to biofuels education, river conservation, alternative energy awareness and environmental advocacy. The role of these groups will entail meeting with the team in the morning at the stated retail outlet. Media generated by the project will bring exposure to local efforts and organizations present at the events.

• Help in organizing local venues willing to host a movie screening (seating at least 50-100 people) that will donate the venue for the evening on behalf of the cause. Ideally there will be a place where the vehicle can be parked outside and is easily accessible to the public.

• Ideas of media, especially freelance, that would cover the morning and evening event that may not be obvious to someone not from the area.

• A contact of 1-2 public middle schools that would be keen to engage in the curriculum and presentation by the team. This school will need to be able to participate for the 2 weeks leading up with a non-intrusive, 4 lesson curriculum for the children and a poster contest. We would encourage several schools to participate in the curriculum and follow up components but unfortunately time will only allow for 1-2 visits by the actual team per stop.

Below is a list of the tentative dates and route of the initial leg of the tour. If there are spots between destinations that are known to have keen and involved groups active in biofuel education and advocacy that people feel would be important for our cause, we are willing to add to the list to accommodate these partners along the way.

(East Coast Tour Dates … for full tour visit site)

April 20- Relix Magazine, Earth Day event.

April 22-24 S. New York Tour.

April 25 Dartmouth College

April 26 Burlington, VT

April 28 Lake Placid, NY

April 30 Montréal, Quebec

May 2- Ottawa, Ontario

May 4- Toronto

Thank you for your interest in the Biofuels Education Coalition and the Oil and Water Project. This is the first project of its kind and will no doubt prove to be an exciting and innovative initiative to be involved in. We are excited about the upcoming year and are looking forward to help spread the message to our younger generation. Please feel free to contact us regarding this tour and even if unable to be involved directly, any advice regarding pertinent groups, partners or schools would be very appreciated.

Thanks,

The Oil and Water Team and the Biofuels Education Coalition

Traveling Team:

Seth Warren 206-369-0042 seth@nrpw.com

Tyler Bradt 406-369-0934 tylerbradt00@aol.com

Ground Logistics:

Alex Mihailovic 416 897 7412 alex.mihailovic@wildmail.com

Public Relations:

Julia Wieck 970.385.0100 Julia@TonicMarketing.com

3rd Annual
Wild Game Dinner
Sponsored by
The Unity College Archery Club

Monday, April 10th
4:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

At the unity Community Center

Sample menu:
Bear and venison stroganoff, Beaver nuggets, Smoked turkey, Smoked salmon, Venison Sausage, Fried smelts and more….

Antelope, Bear, Beaver, Caribou, Goose, Moose, Mule Deer, Salmon, Smelt, Turkey, Venison

Students $5.00
Non-students $10.00
Contact Joe Saltalamachia 948-3997 ext.205
Roger Duval 948-3131 ext.287
Mike Chickering 948-3215 ext.439

Come enjoy something wild!

Tradition and Innovation
MAINE CANOE SYMPOSIUM
June 9-11, 2006

BRIDGTON, MAINE, April 1, 2006—The annual Maine Canoe Symposium, where paddlers of all ages and abilities learn “hands-on” from North America’s foremost canoeing professionals, will be held on Moose Pond at the historic Winona Camps in Bridgton, June 9-11.

Since 1986, this family-friendly weekend has drawn Americans and Canadians alike—young and old, beginners and experts—for a celebration of virtually every aspect of canoesport and camping. It’s an all-volunteer, non-profit, on the water and under the pines event.

This year, attendees will be choosing from over 75 programs: one-on-one skills instruction, workshops, demos, presentations, and a full menu of fun-filled activities that introduce children to canoeing and wilderness skills. Program leaders—headlined by Karen Knight and Bob Foote—include Maine Guides, ACA Instructors, national champions, authors, artists, explorers, and backwoods gurus. They’re a “who’s who” of canoesport.

First-time paddlers come to learn fundamentals: basic strokes, safety and rescue, choosing equipment, where to go. Seasoned paddlers try new or unfamiliar techniques: poling, “sit-and-switch,” double-bladed paddling, and the elusive Northwoods stroke. And while emphasis is on tradition, there’s no lack of innovation: rolling an open canoe, using freestyle strokes in whitewater, orienteering across water, and long-distance traveling with ultra-light gear.

On land, the workshops and demos cover everything from weather and map reading, boat and equipment building, yoga and strength training to photography, painting, journal keeping, camp cooking, and wilderness exploration.

Programs begin Friday afternoon and run through Sunday, enabling attendees to enjoy a variety of experiences—some that are just plain fun, like Saturday night’s campfire, Sunday’s war-canoe race, and the always popular auction and raffle.

Headlining evening events is a presentation by one of the world’s premier open boaters, Bob Foote, who will describe his 25 years of canoeing the Grand Canyon. Among other notable presenters and instructors are Karen Knight, former National Freestyle Champion; Willem Lange, Vermont Public Radio personality; Kirk Wipper, founder of the Canadian Canoe Museum; Rob Kesselring, author of “Daughter Father Canoe: Coming of Age in the Sub Arctic”; Gil Gilpatrick, Master Maine Guide, author, and innovative builder of outdoor gear; and Naomi Schalit, executive director of Maine Rivers, which is devoted to protecting, restoring, and enhancing river systems.

A variety of accommodations are available, including family-size wall tents, rustic camp-style bunkhouses, and plenty of scenic space for all who bring their own tents. Hearty “all-you-can-eat” meals are served cafeteria-style in the camp dining hall, where campers and staff mingle to share past canoeing experiences and future canoeing dreams.

Registration fees for the weekend are $80 for adults and $40 for children age 12 and under. Meals and accommodations are additional and vary according to preferred lodging and duration of stay. Family discounts are available.

To see photos and get a preview of all activities, go to

www.mainecanoesymposium.org
. To make reservations, contact Winona Camps at RR1, Box 868, Bridgton ME 04009, phone 207-647-3721. To contact the Symposium staff, e-mail

mcs@canoemaine.com

or call 207-892-3121.

For anyone with a love of canoeing, the Maine Canoe Symposium is a one-of-a-kind event not to be missed!

###

MCS Mission Statement: Established in 1986, the Maine Canoe Symposium is a volunteer-run, nonprofit weekend event held annually at Camp Winona on Moose Pond in Bridgton, Maine. The Symposium allows participants of all ages to develop an understanding and appreciation of the diversity of North American canoeing heritage and to develop canoeing and related skills through educational workshops, presentations, and hands-on instruction.

For more, contact: Kim Gass at 207-627-4429 or

kimjim@pivot.net
Charlie Hogg at 617-492-6557 or

jonnachas@verizon.net