May 2025 Newsletter

Extra, extra! Read all about it!

View this email in your browser Friends of Woodfords Corner News May 2025   this weekend, don't miss: SAT., MAY 3: Rescheduled Spring Clean-up at Trinity Park Saturday, May 3, 8am - noon Trinity Episcopal Church & Trinity Park, 580 Forest Ave, Portland Come on out to help clean up at Trinity Park and Church! Tools and racks provided, and you're welcome to bring your own tools as well. Mosey over to lend a hand! SAT., MAY 3: Join Neighbors for Jane's Walk! Saturday, May 3, noon - 1:30 pm Luminous Arbor, 651 Forest Ave Jane’s Walk is a global festival of free, volunteer-led walking conversations inspired by community activist Jane Jacobs. Join us to explore Woodfords Corner with personal observations, local history, and civic engagement, lead by local font of knowledge Jeff Levine!  Learn more and RSVP! >>> SUN., MAY 4: Levey Grows Plant Sale Sunday, May 4, 810am - noon Shalom Community Park, 400 Deering Ave, Portland Check out the newly completed Shalom Community Park and purchase some plants, too, in support of Levey Day School!   corner news Sign Up for the Spring 2025 Yard Sale Trail! After a wildly popular Yard Sale Trail last October, it's back for a second edition on May 17 (Rain Date: May 18). Register your yard sale for the Spring 2025 Woodfords Corner Yard Sale Trail!  Clean out your closets, cupboards, basements and garages and set up shop as a stop on in this neighborhood-wide yard sale. Focus on turning your pre-loved items into someone else's treasure, and leave the promotion/advertising to us!  Learn more and register your sale! >>> Pitch In This Spring & Summer! MAY 31: Deering Ave. Planter Installation Learn More + RSVP to Volunteer! JUNE – SEPT.: Planter Watering Just 30 minutes every 3 weeks Email us to sign up to volunteer! JUNE 7: 5th Annual Woodfords Community Garden Tour  Email us to sign up to volunteer! JUNE 13: Deering Ave. Crosswalk Mural Painting – sign up coming soon! Support FWC & Birth Roots: Join us at our 5th Annual Woodfords Community Garden Tour! Join neighbors and horticulture lovers from near and far for a self-guided tour of 10+ gardens throughout the Woodfords Corner Community – in Back Cove, Deering Highlands, Oakdale, and Deering Center. Enjoy an afternoon wandering the Corner's lovely hidden gems and visiting some of the our wonderful restaurants and markets. WHEN: Saturday, June 7, 2025, 1-4pm (rain date Sunday, June 8) WHERE: Throughout the Woodfords Corner community! TICKETS: by donation – suggested donation of $20 per attendee. Tickets can be purchased online or on tour day at Woodfords Plaza (651 Forest Ave). Pay what you can: less is fine; more is appreciated! We welcome ALL community members to join us, regardless of their ability to donate. Event proceeds to benefit the Friends of Woodfords Corner & Birth Roots! Get Your Tickets! Celebrating Neighborhood Champion Stephen Bither Much has been written about Stephen Bither in the last month, and all of it worth reading if you weren’t fortunate to have known him. FWC is grateful for his support to our budding organization over the years, as a neighbor, donor, and collaborator through the Woodfords Club and the Nichols Fund. We are especially grateful for Steve's role in making this past winter's nine FWC events at the Odd Fellows Hall possible, thanks to his advocacy for funding through the Nichols Fund. Thank you, Steve – you are the kind of neighbor we should all be! Congrats to Our Puzzled in Woodfords Corner Winners! What do lobster buoys, puzzle fanatics, and a whole lot of friendly competition have in common? The first-ever Woodfords Corner Jigsaw Puzzle Competition & Puzzle Swap, hosted by FWC at Odd Fellows Hall was a complete hit! 22 two-person teams came together on February 28 and brought their A-game (and sharpest eyes) for a high-stakes, high-fun, 500-piece puzzle challenge.  Read more about the event and competition winners! >>>   corner events There are myriad events, classes, and happenings in Woodfords Corner every week – check out our Community Calendar to view all that's going on! MAY 6: The Road to Tender Hearts with Annie Hartnett at Back Cove Books Tuesday, May 6, 6pm Back Cove Books, 651 Forest Ave, Portland Back Cove Books continues to bring brilliant authors to the neighborhood to discuss their latest works. This time, it's Annie Hartnett, author of novels RABBIT CAKE (Tin House Books, 2017) and UNLIKELY ANIMALS (Ballantine/Random House, 2022), will be at our favorite small book shop to discuss her new novel THE ROAD TO TENDER HEARTS. Learn More + Attend >>> MAY 10: Coveside in Bloom at Coveside Coffee Saturday, May 10, 9am - 1pm Coveside Coffee, 28 Vannah Ave, Portland We know Spring has sprung when Coveside Coffee begins offering their plein air markets, heralding in the warmer weather and fun for all (with coffee abound)! On May 10th, don't miss Coveside in Bloom, featuring vendors:  - Daisy Hutt Pottery (ceramics) - Farm and the Moon (clothing) - Fireball Bookbindery (prints, jewelry, clothing) - Mogs Art Studio (paintings, prints, etc.) - New Spoke Farm (seedlings and flowers) - Sari Rae (jewelry) - Sundew Sewing Co. (textiles, hats, etc.) - Wild Gardener Maine (native plants) MAY 18: Broadway on Deering at Levey Day School  Sunday, May 18, 5:30 - 6:30pm Levey Day School, 400 Deering Ave., Portland Levey Day School's annual fundraising event returns with Broadway on Deering, featuring a performance of Shrek the Musical Jr! Join them for this family-friendly show, and afterwards, step into their recreation of Times Square, complete with iconic sights and tasty street food. There will be auction items available for bidding, along with exciting raffles!  Learn More & Get Tickets >>> about fwc FWC is Hiring: Program & Operations Director Friends of Woodfords Corner (FWC) seeks a part-time Program and Operations Director to partner with an active board of directors and dedicated community of volunteers to serve as the sole staff person of this growing organization. This is an ideal opportunity for a people-person who loves community-building and working with volunteers, is a seasoned project manager and detail-oriented nonprofit administrator, and is passionate about helping Woodfords Corner thrive. Please help us spread the word to professionals who may be interested! Learn More & Apply! >>> Office Sublet Available! FWC is seeking a professional to sublet our furnished office space in the historic Odd Fellows building on Wednesdays! Please inquire by email to president@woodfordscorner.org. Available Wednesdays starting May 2025. $150 per month 651 Forest Ave, 2nd floor (above Back Cove Books), Portland, ME 04103 Lots of free street parking available. Corner office, 5 windows, street view Chair lift to second floor, no elevator. Waiting area with restrooms. Includes utilities, AC, heat, WIFI, refrigerator, coffee pot, tea kettle, microwave, whiteboard, desk, monitor, and seating for meetings. Some printer access and storage available. Welcome New Board Member, Deanna Massey! Dedicated FWC Volunteer DeAnna Massey has joined the Board of Directors! DeAnna moved to the neighborhood in June 2024, and one of the first things that stood out to her was the amazing sense of community here—something she didn’t really have when living in Boston. Not long after settling in, DeAnna got involved with the Events and the Green, Clean, & Sustainability Teams. We are delighted for her to join the Board as a next step, and she is looking forward to helping others discover FWC and all the great things happening right here in the corner! Welcome, DeAnna! Thank you to FWC Board Member, Jennifer Ceide! We are extremely grateful to and want to thank our board member, Jennifer Ceidi, for her long service to and leadership of FWC. Jennifer truly epitomizes the mission and culture of our organization. Jennifer has always embraced the FWC mission and been open to everything and everyone new and different. She is always enthusiastic and makes friends wherever she goes. While Jennifer moved to New Hampshire in 2023, she remained deeply involved as a board member until this past month. We will miss you, Jennifer! Learn more about Jennifer's Board service>>> Support Friends of Woodfords Corner! For 10 years Friends of Woodfords Corner has served as a voice for the Woodfords area and a catalyst for building a sustainable, diverse community. And we're just getting started – we have big plans for the coming years! Make a donation in honor of 10 years of Friends of Woodfords Corner, and help us be successful for many years to come! Donate Today! FWC & Main Street America In 2019 (a mere 4 years ago) Friends of Woodfords Corner became a Main Street Affiliate, and we thought it might be time to explain what this means for our organization and our community, and how how this makes us unique among many varied community groups in the Portland area! Learn more>> Join Our Team: Volunteer for Friends of Woodfords Corner! Join us in our efforts to foster a thriving, welcoming, and sustainable village hub in Woodfords Corner, and make an impact on your community! We're always looking for more volunteers for our committees and folks who want to serve as board members. Complete one of the forms, linked below, to inquire and learn more! Volunteer with FWC Inquire About Board Membership Friends of Woodfords Corner is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization that works to preserve the diversity and unique history of Woodfords Corner and foster a thriving, welcoming, and sustainable village hub.  Copyright © 2025 Friends of Woodfords Corner, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Friends of Woodfords Corner 651 Forest Avenue #2 Portland, Maine 04101 Add us to your address book Call us! 207-805-1151 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.