STRATTON – On August 10th, The Dead River Area Historical Society of Stratton will sponsor a golf tournament at Moose Meadows, a par-3 golf course located beside Nash Stream on Route 16, to benefit the museum’s Handy-Cap Access Project. Starting time is 9:30 a.m. The fee is $25.00, which includes green fees and lunch. There will be a 50/50 raffle. Anyone with an auctionable item is encouraged to donate it for a silent auction as well. For more information, please call Mary Henderson at 246-2271.

United Soccer Academy is coming

AUBURN – The United Soccer Academy will be held at the Lewiston-Auburn Youth Soccer Association facilities behind the Auburn Middle School. The Academy will run from July 28 through August 1. The academy is open to all players ages 5 and up. The groups are broken down into morning sessions for the 5, 6 and 7 year olds, beginning at 9 a.m. and running through 11:30. The older groups will go from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The academy is under the direction of Mike McGraw and assisted by several local coaches, college and high school varsity players from the L-A area. Instriction is open to any player, beginner to advanced. Players are asked to bring a soccer ball with their name on it, regular athletic clothing, soccer shoes and shin guards. Players are also asked to bring a morning snack, a lunch and a water bottle.

Coach Butch Dow will instruct the goalkeepers. He has trained with some of the best goalkeeping coaches in the world, and welcomes and specializes in coaching middle school and high school goalkeepers.

Any soccer players who have yet to sign up may do so at 8:30 a.m. on July 28. Those who have signed up should also arrive early to check in. For any questions, please call Mike McGraw at 782-4339 or email him at: [email protected].

Bethel Area Chamber to host the 17th Annual Maine State Triathlon Classic

BETHEL – On Sunday, August 3rd, all triathletes, novice and experienced alike, are invited to compete for fun and some terrific prizes in the beautiful 17th Annual Maine State Triathlon Classic, which begins at 8:00 am.

A sprint triathlon, the first leg is a 1 km swim at Songo Pond, just 3 miles south of Bethel village on Rte. 5. The transition to the 25K bike leg happens in a field just across from the Lakehouse. The bike leg is mostly flat, south on scenic Rte. 5 and then back to Bethel on Vernon St., past forests and farms before entering the historic Bethel village streets. The bike to run transition occurs on the athletic fields at Gould Academy. The 5 km cross country run is mostly shaded on the cross country ski trails of the academy, with the finish back on the fields at Gould. The course has been described as one of the most scenic in Maine. All competitors are invited to travel to the Bethel area the evening prior to the race for a reasonably priced pasta feed and pre-race meeting, which occurs from 5-7 p.m. Accommodations are plentiful and Sunday River Ski Resort serves as the host hotel. Registration for the event can be done on-line at Active.com, or by calling 800-442-5826 and the chamber staff will take the reservation and credit card information. Registration closes on August 2nd.

As an added value for families, a non-competitive Kid’s Triathlon for ages 8-14 is being organized by the Bethel Outing Club and will be held on Saturday, August 2nd at 3:00 pm. Applications for that event can be obtained by calling the chamber at 800-442-5826.

Waterford Fall Foliage Race changes date

The 5K held in Waterford every year will be a true fall foliage race this year. Due to scheduling conflicts, the race will be held on Sunday, October 12. The weather should be a little cooler than some of the past races, and with luck, the foliage will be nearing its peak.

The one-mile fun run will start at 11:30 a.m., and the 5K will start at noon, at the Waterford Commons in the Flat. The race will be out and back to the Bear Mountain Inn, with prizes, medals, and door prizes awarded after the race. The chili cook-off, run by the Bridgton Chamber of Commerce, will provide free chili for the runners, and will have chili for sale during the contest. Money raised from this race goes to the Tony Waldeier Scholarship Fund, which has given out over 30 scholarships in the past 7 years.

Registration forms will be found in the local shops in the Oxford Hills area, or there is on-line registration at active.com. For more information on that, call or email Goerge Ames at 583-2603, [email protected]. Pre-registrants will receive a free long sleeve t-shirt, and there may be shirts for sale on race day.