Flags to fly

AUGUSTA – The American Legion and Sons of the American Legion will post 25,000 eight-foot tall American flags on Veterans Day, filling Capitol Park and flowing south through participating communities along the byways of I-95 and the Maine Turnpike to the New Hampshire border. The flags will follow the on- and off-ramps of I-95 and into participating host towns along the way.

Paul Swenson, founding sponsor of the Colonial Flag Foundation, administrators of the Healing Field Program, announced that it will be the largest Healing Field since the introduction of the programs in September 2002.

The temporary memorial will honor veterans and their service to the country, as well as to honor lives lost and to heal by encompassing the American spirit.

The flags will be posted by volunteers and sponsored for $15 by area businesses, individuals and Legionnaires. At the end of the event the flags will be taken home and flown or donated back to the “Flag in Every Classroom” program sponsored by the Maine American Legion. Event sponsors are being sought and volunteers are needed for set-up and take-down.

All proceeds will benefit state veterans programs. Contact information, details and sponsorship information are available at www.healingfield.org/maine.

Retirees to meet

AUGUSTA – The Maine Association of Retirees will hold its annual meeting for members and guests on Wednesday, May 23, at the Augusta Civic Center. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. and $2 per attendee will be collected at the door.

The meeting will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with lunch and music included. The speaker will be Marilyn Gugliucci, PhD.

Members are encouraged to call MAR at 1-800-535-6555 to reserve seats.

Birdathon set

FALMOUTH – The public is invited to join Maine Audubon’s annual Birdathon from Saturday, May 12, through Tuesday, June 5.

In its ninth year, the Birdathon is a bird-watching event in which individuals or teams secure per-species pledges, then search for and identify as many bird species as possible to support Maine Audubon’s work for wildlife conservation. This year’s goal is $50,000.

Birders of all ages and abilities are invited to participate.

Maine Audubon will host a free “birders’ breakfast” of coffee, juice and bagels at Portland’s best birding hot spot, Evergreen Cemetery, from 7 to 9 a.m. Saturday, May 19. Maine Audubon naturalists will be on hand to point out and identify birds.

For more information, visit www.maineaudubon.org, e-mail [email protected] or call 781-2330, ext. 231.