Art in the Park
Art in the Park takes place from Sunday, July 15 to Wednesday, July 18. Resident artists, Carol Douglas, Ed Buonvecchio, Russel Whitten, Christine Tullson Mathieu, Mary Byrom, and Anthony Watkins will paint whatever catches their eye and represent a variety of styles. Ocean Parkers can also commission the artists to paint pets, kids, cottages, or any combination thereof.  We will post at Jakeman Hall where the artists can be seen, and all are welcome to talk to the artists as they paint. They will start painting Sunday afternoon or Monday morning. All paintings will be displayed at the Wet Paint Sale on July 18, including all that were commissioned.  All sales will go through the Ocean Park Association. Unsold paintings will be kept in Jakeman Hall until the end of the year.  We will then return any unsold paintings to the artists.

July 15:  Artists arrive in Ocean Park!
July 16, 4:00-6:00 pm:  Meet the Artists Reception at Jakeman Hall
July 18, 5:00-7:30 pm:  Wet Paint Sale at the Temple

Fairy Garden
The Fairy Garden is located across from Jordan Hall on Temple Avenue. It consists of miniature houses for the fairies, built of all natural materials. The garden is open to builders and visitors all summer. On July 5, 10:00 am-noon, everyone is invited to join in building fairy houses. Wear your fairy wings and come to the party!

Healthy You Series

Joe Harrigan is a life-long martial artist who teaches an Evidence-Based Taiji (Tai Chi) and Qigong program developed by Dr. Yang Yang. Qigong practice encompasses the Taiji form, Qigong exercises, standing/sitting/lying down meditations and partner training. During the hour-long class all aspects of the practice will be touched on. And you will take-away some simple, yet profound, movements you can immediately use to get the benefit of this centuries old practice that the Harvard Medical School says, "This gentle form of exercise can prevent or ease many ills of aging and could be the perfect activity for the rest of your life." Classes will be held every Thursday morning at the Rec Hall from June 28 through August 23, 9:00-10:00 am. Cost: $5.00 per session.

Historical Series
The Ocean Park Education Committee is presenting the following programs at 7:30 pm on Fridays. See Calendar of Events for details. Be sure to visit the Ocean Park History Room in Porter Hall which is open after each Sunday Temple service for one hour.

July 6 and August 10, 7:30 pm: Ocean Park Historical Rm. Open house--- Porter Hall
August 30, 7:00 pm: Walking Tour of Old Ocean Park Square-------- Library deck

Let's Talk About It
Let's Talk About It, a facilitated book discussion program, has been a staple of Ocean Park and local libraries throughout Maine. This season's theme is "Liberating Imaginations: Readings in Modern Irish Fiction" and is supported by the Ocean Park Association, the Maine Humanities Council, Maine State Library, and the Maine Community Foundation. The books are available for borrowing at the OPA office. Participants are invited to any one or all of the programs. All meetings are on Thursdays from 11:00-12:30 in Jordan Hall. Our returning discussion leader is Jeff Aronson, an educator and independent scholar from Vinalhaven, Maine. Cost: $5.00.

 

 

 

 

 

July 12: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce; July 19: The Country Girls, by Edna O'Brien;
July 26: The Collected Stories, by John McGahern; August 2: Antarctica, by Claire Keegan; August 9:  A Star Called Henry, by Roddy Doyle.

 

Let's Move Zumba
Drop in for Zumba classes every Monday/Wednesday/ Friday from June 25 through August 31 from 9:00-10:00 am. Zumba is an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow Latin-inspired calorie burning dance fitness-party taught by Nancy Greenblatt, a licensed Zumba instructor.  Come to one or all sessions.  All classes are held at the Rec Hall with the exception of July 11 and August 8 which will be held at Jordan Hall.  No class on July 4. Cost: $5.00 per session. 

 

Technology Workshop
Do you have an Apple iPhone, iPad or iPod? Want to make friends with SIRI; use the Health app to track your steps; enhance your photo with filters or lighting features, even take a screen shot from a website? Ocean Parker Suzanne Liacos-Dix will review some of the new Apple updates, answer questions, and offer some tips & tricks at the "Tech Talk" workshops to be held at Jakeman Hall from 9:00-10:00 am on July 12 & 19 and on August 9 & 16. Cost: $5.00.

 

Tuesdays in the Park at Jordan Hall
A variety of programs are presented Tuesdays at 7:30 pm in Jordan Hall unless otherwise noted.  Cost: $5.00.

July 10: The Gulf of Maine and The Rising Ocean. Join Gayle Bowness from the Gulf of Maine Research Institute for a 90-minute interactive presentation to explore the data behind sea level rise. Together we'll explore models projecting impacts in your community and case studies of resiliency from across the globe.

July 17: Color Preferences. Creating an environment sensitive to one's color preferences at Jordan Hall. Presented by Mary Taggart who has worked in the field of décor and style for over 20 years and is the owner/editor-in-chief of Ottawa at Home magazine in Ottawa, Canada.

July 24: Summer Gardening. Do you love to eat just picked fresh vegetables? Join Leigh Mundhenk for an interactive presentation on how to build raised beds, fill them with the proper soil and nutrients, choose and plant the right plants, care for your garden, and the most fun of all...harvest your vegetables. Please bring your gardening questions.

July 31: Effects of Combat: Soldiers and Society. Cancelled due to illness.

August 7:  Seacoast Ministry Story of Rev. William Turner. Presented by David Jackson. David will share the early Seacoast ministry story of Rev. William Turner, a Bar Harbor, ME Baptist minister who sailed from island to island counseling, marrying, burying, and sharing the Word with local fishermen and farmers. Rev. Turner, his family and descendants, including David Jackson, are Ocean Parkers today.

August 21:  Neighborhood Watch, a presentation by Helene Whittaker about the local Neighborhood Watch program that meets at the Old Orchard Beach Police Dept. on the 2nd Thursday in March, June and September, and the 1st Thursday in December.

Thursdays in the Park
These programs are presented Thursdays at 7:30 pm in Jordan Hall unless otherwise noted. Cost: $5.00.

July 12:  Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge
Racing the Tide: Nesting Ecology and Conservation of Maine's Tidal Marsh Birds presented by Bri Benvenuti from the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge. Rising sea levels, tidal flooding and climate change threaten the population of tidal marsh birds throughout the Northeast such as the Saltmarsh Sparrow.  Join us as we discuss the conservation of tidal marsh birds in Maine, and how we can protect these unique species and their habitat. 

August 16:  Heroin in Your Community. Engage in a healthy discussion of effective strategies and resources regarding drug abuse. Learn about current trends, facts, prevention, and recovery support. Presented by Bill Paterson, a Prevention Specialist, and former Faculty and Drug Free Communities Director at the University of New England.

Other Program Links:

Educational Bureau ~ Memorial Library ~ Special Educational Programs