About Kennebec County, ME

February 4, 4-6 p.m. "The Class," Tournees French Film Festival, free, Jewett Hall, 46 University Drive, University of Maine, Augusta. FMI: 207.621.3487, www.uma.edu.

February 4, 7:30 p.m. Language Arts Live, reading and performance by Brian Kim Stefans, poet, professor of English and creator of acclaimed Web-based work that influenced new-media poetics, free, Chase Hall, Bates College, 56 Campus Avenue, Lewiston. FMI: 207.786.6326, www.bates.edu.

February 5, 7-9 p.m. Folk/Blues Concert with Phil Poirier, benefit for barn raising efforts at Washburn-Norlands Living History Center, $5/donation, Treat Memorial Library, 56 Main Street, Livermore Falls. FMI: 207.897.3631, www.treat.lib.me.us or www.norlands.org.

February 6, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Advanced Fly-Tying Class with Edward "Muzzy" Muzzerol, easier-to-tie flies and advanced techniques, materials supplied, bring vise and tools, $25/person, call to register, Sportsman's BARR, 39 Maine Avenue, Gardiner. FMI: 207.588.0888, www.sportsmansbarr.com.

February 6, 10 a.m.-noon, Auditions for "A Hairy Tale," contact for a list of roles and decide which ones you want to audition for, The Waldo Theatre, Route 202, Waldoboro. FMI: 207.832.6060, www.thewaldo.org.

February 6, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Grand Opening Celebration and "Fun"raiser, new recreation area, ski, snowshoe and walking tours of new trails, lessons, demos, trailside food and hot beverages, bonfire, free but donations in support of trails welcome, Quarry Road Ski Trails, Quarry Road off North Street, Waterville. FMI: 207.680.4744, www.centralmaineskiclub.org.

February 7, 12:30-2:30 p.m. Skowhegan Parks and Rec Winter Carnival, fun and games for the whole family, games, vendors and activities inside with snowshoeing, wagon rides and more outside, free, minimal fee for some activities, Skowhegan Community Center, 39 Poulin Drive, Skowhegan. FMI: 207.474.6901, www.skowhegan.org.

February 8, 8:15 p.m. Adam and The Waxmen, soul, funk, blues and rock band, $15/person, Slates Restaurant, 167 Water Street, Hallowell. FMI: 207.622.9575, www.slatesrestaurant.com.

January 29, 5-7 p.m. "Pixels," Opening Reception featuring imagery including but not limited to the digital world, L/A Arts Gallery 5, Lyceum Hall, 49 Lisbon Street, Lewiston. FMI: 207.782.7228, www.laarts.org.

January 29, 7 p.m. The Androscoggin Valley Community Orchestra Winter Concert, led by Paul Ross, Franco-American Heritage Center, 46 Cedar Street, Lewiston. FMI: 207.783.1585, www.francoamericanheritage.org.

January 29-31, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, "Visiting Mr. Green," prices vary, check Web site for free parking, Public Theatre, 31 Maple Street, Lewiston. FMI: 207.782.3200, www.thepublictheatre.org.

January 30, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Indoor Yard Sale, benefits 7th grade girls' basketball team's quest to purchase warm-up jackets, Mt. Blue Middle School, Outer Middle Street, Farmington. FMI: 207.778.3511, www.route2.com/mbms.

January 30, 7:30 p.m. Auryn Quartet, Berlin based quartet featuring selections by Beethoven, $10/adults, $4/seniors and students, Olin Arts Center, Bates College, Lewiston. FMI: 207.786.6135, www.batestickets.com.

January 30, 7:30 p.m. Chiharu Naruse with Ben Noyes, piano and cello, $16/adults, $14/seniors, free/21 and under, Franco-American Heritage Center, 46 Cedar Street, Lewiston. FMI: 207.783.1585, www.francoamericanheritage.org.

January 31-February 2, all day, Winter Games, Maine Special Olympics, celebrating 41 years of changing attitudes and changing lives, Sugarloaf USA, 5092 Sugarloaf Access Road, Carrabassett Valley. FMI: 207.237.2000, www.sugarloaf.com.

January 31, 1-3 p.m. Winter in the Woods, Family Winter Fun Day, enjoy a winter afternoon of cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the 10-acre field or on one of the trails, volunteers available to help begineers, free refreshments, bonfire, Kennebec Land Trust, Curtis Homestead Conservation Area, Bog Road, Leeds. FMI: 207.377.2848, www.tklt.org.

January 31, 2:30-4 p.m. Wine Tasting with your Valentine, Annual Maine Music Society benefit, test your palate with an array of wines and hors d'oeuvres, gift basket raffle, Graziano's Italian Restaurant, Route 196 and Village Street, Lisbon. FMI: 207.353.4335, www.grazianoscasamia.com.

February 1, 6 p.m. Mt. Blue High School Jazz Band's benefit dinner, pasta buffet with bread and salad, accompanied by music from the jazz band, $12/adults, $10/Mt. Blue district students, The Homestead Bakery, 186 Broadway, Farmington. FMI: 207.778.6162, www.homesteadbakery.com.

Check out all the lakefront property listings for sale in the area by clicking on the boxes below:

Search for lakefront properties in the Belgrade Lakes Region $150k to $300k

Search for lakefront properties in the Belgrade Lakes Region $300k to $450k

Search for lakefront properties in the Belgrade Lakes Region $450k to $700k

Search for lakefront properties in the Belgrade Lakes Region over $700k

January 21-23, all day, Snodeo 2010, chili cook-off, casino night, family ride and cook-out, vintage snowmobile display, demos, dances, radar run, poker run, helicopter rides, turkey bowling, Rave X Freestyle Show, snowmobile parade, fireworks, pig roast, various venues throughout Rangeley. FMI: 207.864.7336, www.rangeleysnowmobile.com.

January 22, 6-8 p.m. The Inspired Hand IV, Opening Reception, biennial exhibition of work by members of Maine Crafts Association, ceramics, metal, fiber, stone, wood and mixed media, Atrium Art Gallery, USM Lewiston-Auburn College, 51 Westminster Street, Lewiston. FMI: 207.753.6500, www.usm.maine.edu/lac/art/.

January 22, 7:30 p.m. Hope for Haiti-Caribbean Opera Star Phillip Mentor and Grammy Award Winner Paul Sullivan in a Red Cross Benefit, 100% of proceeds will benefit Haiti Relief efforts by the American Red Cross and Water Projects International, $10/person, Unity Centre for the Performing Arts, 42 Depot Street, Unity. FMI: 207.948.SHOW, www.unityme.org, www.waterprojectsinternational.org.

January 23, 10 a.m. "Templates" author Ronna Flaschner will talk about her new novel, free, light refreshments, Reading Room, Lithgow Public Library, 45 Winthrop Street, Augusta. FMI: 207.626.2415, www.lithgow.lib.me.us.

January 23, 10 a.m. Trees on Skis, visit Wishing Well Farm in Norridgewock and ski around to see native trees in their winter setting, call for directions, hosted by Warren Balgooyen, sponsored by Belgrade Regional Conservation Alliance, 171 Main Street, Belgrade Lakes Village. FMI: 207.495.6039, www.belgradelakes.org.

January 23, 4:30-6 p.m. Beans, American Chop Suey Supper, benefit for Knights of Columbus Charities, $6/adults, $3/12 and under, St. Louis Church, 80 Third Avenue, Auburn. FMI: 207.784.9087.

January 23, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Suzanne Vega in concert, $15/adults, $5/students and seniors, Olin Arts Center, Bates College, 75 Russell Street, Lewiston. FMI: 207.795.7496, www.batestickets.com.

January 24, 3 p.m. Mike Miclon, juggling and physical comedy, "laugh till you cry" fun for all ages, $10/adult, $5/children, The Waldo Theatre, Route 220, Waldoboro. FMI: 207.832.6060, www.thewaldo.org.

Check out all the current lakefront property for sale in the area by clicking on the boxes below:

Search for lakefront properties in the Belgrade Lakes Region $150k to $300k

Search for lakefront properties in the Belgrade Lakes Region $300k to $450k

Search for lakefront properties in the Belgrade Lakes Region $450k to $700k

Search for lakefront properties in the Belgrade Lakes Region over $700k

January 14, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 69th Annual Maine Agricultural Trades Show, up-to-date farming equipment, networking, learn how locally grown products are harvested and processed, Augusta Civic Center, 76 Community Drive, Augusta.
FMI: 207.287.3491 or 207.626.2405, www.getrealmaine.com

January 15, 6-8 p.m. Collection 4: Selections from Alumni Collections, Opening Reception, Bates College Museum of Art, Bardwell Street, Lewiston.
FMI: 207.786.6158, www.bates.edu/museum.

January 15-16, 7 p.m., 17, 2 p.m. "Inspecting Carol," $15, Great Falls Performing Arts Center, 30 Academy Street, Auburn. FMI: 207.783.0958, www.laitshappeninghere.com.

January 15, 7:30 p.m. Andreas Staier, German keyboard virtuoso, world's most respected performer on the Fortepiano, the earliest form of piano, $12/adults, $6/students and seniors, Olin Arts Center, Bates College, 75 Russell Street, Lewiston.
FMI: 207.786.6135, www.batestickets.com.

January 16-17, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Bobcat Baseball Camps 2nd Annual Bates College Baseball Winter Clinic, with head coach Edwin Thompson, staff and players, 9 a.m.-noon, skills clinic for ages 7-12, 1-4 p.m. for ages 13-18, $40/day or $60/both days, space limited, register on-line, Gray Cage 1, Bates College, Lewiston.
FMI: http://collegebaseballcamps.com/calendar.cfm?ID=256&src=CBC.

January 16-17, noon-2 p.m. ACAT Theatre Auditions for "Love Song," show in March and "I Ought to Be in Pictures," show in June, presented by Aqua City Actors Theatre, Waterville Opera House Studio Theater at The Center, 93 Main Street, Waterville Opera House Studio Theater at The Center, 93 Main Street, Waterville.
FMI: 207.873.5381, www.acattheatre.org or www.operahouse.org.

January 16, 6:15 p.m. doors open, show at 7, "Zelda and Zoe's Spirits of Suspicion," presented by Mystery for Hire Dinner and Entertainment, $36.95 includes show, buffet, tax and gratuity, Marco's Ristorante Italiano, 12 Mollison Way, Lewiston. FMI: 207.783.0336, www.marcositalian.com.

January 16, 7:30 p.m. Midcoast Symphony Orchestra, conducting by Music Director Rohan Smith, showcasing music of Aaron Copland, Ralph Vaughn Williams, Igor Stravinsky, Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Ottorino Respighi, $15/person, Franco-American Heritage Center, 46 Cedar Street, Lewiston. FMI: 207.846.5378, www.midcoastsymphony.org or www.francoamericanheritage.org.

January 17, 3 p.m. Frank Glazer, dean of Maine pianists, performs Beethoven's early Op. 2 and Op. 7 Sonatas, free, Olin Arts Center, Bates College, 75 Russell Street, Lewiston. FMI: 207.786.6135, www.bates.edu.

January 17, 4-6 p.m. Skowhegan Sno Hawks Snowmobile Club Chinese Auction and Dinner, spaghetti, garlic bread, salad, drink, dessert, plus over 35 auction items, $5/person, discount for families, Elks Club, 21 Silver Street, Skowhegan.
FMI: 207.474.3111, www.skowhegansnowmobileclub.com or www.maineelks.org/skowhegan-madison.

January 20, 5:30-7 p.m. Pecha Kucha Night/Gardiner Main Street Annual Meeting, nonprofit groups each present 20 slide images of their work and activities and talk briefly about them, network, share ideas, meet new people, learn about Gardiner Main Street's programs, refreshments, Johnson Hall, 280 Water Street, Gardiner. FMI: 207.582.3100, www.johnsonhall.org.

Check out all the lakefront property currently for sale in the area by clicking on the boxes below:

Search for lakefront properties in the Belgrade Lakes Region $150k to $300k

Search for lakefront properties in the Belgrade Lakes Region $300k to $450k

Search for lakefront properties in the Belgrade Lakes Region $450k to $700k

Search for lakefront properties in the Belgrade Lakes Region over $700k

Long Pond, in the Belgrade Lakes Region of Central Maine, is a prime location for a lakefront home or vacation getaway.

Located just 1 hour north of Portland, 1 hour south of Bangor, 3 hours north of Boston and twenty minutes or less from the capital city of Augusta, lakefront properties on Long Pond are easily accessible, yet feel like they are a million miles from civilization. At twelve miles long, it's situated in the towns of Mount Vernon, Rome and Belgrade.

This serene waterway of 2,714 acres is surrounded by majestic pines leading up to The Mountain, French's Mountain, and Blueberry Hill. The pond is divided by a narrows into two distinct basins. The southern or lower basin is the deepest with a maximum depth of 106 feet. It provides a perfect habitat for supporting cold and warm water fish.

The quality bass fishing due to both size and quantity of large and small mouth bass have made Long Pond a must among anglers. Land-locked salmon are plentiful during the spring run. Fishermen will also find northern pike, perch, crappie and pickerel here. A state-controlled stocking program guarantees excellent fishing from early spring until late fall.

Belgrade Lakes village is located on the north basin's eastern shore. Folks like to boat to the village for amenities. Others drive across Castle Island at the narrows.

Greg Fish of Mount Vernon wrote a letter to the editor of Down East magazine several years ago stating that "I have driven across Castle Island many times. Now, living as close as we do, we drive across often to get most anywhere. It's fun to see how busy it is on a spring or summer afternoon and how deserted it is in winter."

The water quality of Long Pond is considered above average. The Belgrade Lakes Association (BLA) is led by President Polly Parkhill Beatie. One of the oldest lake associations in the nation, the BLA was formed in 1908. Today, they conduct Invasive Plant Surveys, Courtesy Boat Inspections, Volunteer Lake Monitoring and work with the Lake Smart Program and Conservation Corps to provide landscaping services to property owners.

Numerous Lake Smart Awards have been presented to Long Pond property owners. This Maine DEP program encourages landowners to learn how to manage their home and yard to protect the water quality. The Conservation Corps of the Belgrade Regional Conservation Alliances (BRCA) completed 12 projects on Long Pond this past year. They work with homeowners, free of charge, to decrease erosion, and help filter storm water to decrease phosphorous runoff.

In the BRCA's fall 2009 newsletter, Executive Director Peter Kallin encourages folks to learn more about pervious pavers for such projects by checking "out the paver demonstration and rain garden at Day's Store next time you are in the village."

Find your way to Long Pond and you'll join the ranks of many famous folks who found their way here. Elizabeth Arden, who made make-up acceptable to "respectable" American women in the early 1900s, was among the property owners. She owned Maine Chance, an exclusive resort and health spa on the pond, in Mount Vernon. Her clientele included First Lady Mamie Eisenhower and famous movie stars.

You might not encounter the rich and famous, but you can still enjoy great hiking trails for all abilities, boat rentals, swimming, fishing, winter sports, restaurants, theatre, antiques and general stores in the Belgrade Lakes Region. Owning lakefront property here means listening to the loons and enjoying the breathtaking views while only a short distance from anywhere.

Want to know what lakefront properties are currently for sale on Long Pond? Just click on the box below:

Search for lakefront properties on Long Pond, Belgrade Lakes Region