Snowy Day Musings

Hey Everyone,

At this point, I think we can safely say that winter is here! Soft snow is falling this morning, which is a great change after this weekend's ice storm. I hope everyone was able to stay warm, and that you've all been able to get power back on at your homes. Winter at The PORT is shaping up to be a lot of fun, so keep in touch as we plan outings and events to keep everyone busy.

Trailblazers had our last December session on study skills yesterday, wrapping up with a trip to the Portland Art Museum. We worked through a couple of different activities designed to help us learn about gathering relevant information, taking good notes, and summarizing.

Next up for Trailblazers is Creating Comics in January, when a local graphic novelist will conduct a series of workshops culminating in a finished comic. If you're interested in signing up, click here and then follow the link "Trailblazers for Teens".

We're also getting geared up for our next PORT Outdoors trip on January 24th & 25th. We'll be heading out to the Poplar Stream Falls Hut in the Carrabassett Valley, which is the newest of the Maine Huts. Check it out -- they'll serve us hot supper and breakfast, give us bunks to sleep in, and provide a great winter hangout. More info will be forthcoming, so stay tuned!

I hope we'll see you all at The PORT soon, but for now, happy holidays!

Sarah

Gift Wrapping a Success

Hey PORT blog persons,

This past weekend we wrapped presents at LL Bean on Saturday night. The activity as a whole seemed to go very smoothly. Thank you to everyone who showed up on time for their wrapping slot, and tried their best to make all of the presents look great. This week at the teen advisory board meeting, one of the main topics of discussion will be the winter hut camping trip in January. We are currently looking for leaders for this trip to plan the drive, map out hikes once we reach the cabin, and create a gear list for participants. If you or someone that you know is interested in leading our trip, please feel free to email either Sarah or I at our coconet addresses.
Recently, one of our goals here at The PORT has been to increase attendance after school. Now that the winter months are upon us it is important for students to know that The PORT is always open after school from 2:30 to 6 Monday through Thursday, and 2:30 to 7 on Friday. We hope to continue to see our regular crew, as well as some new faces as the cold and dark winter continues.

See you soon,

Duddy

Weekend Update

Hey Everyone,

Happy post-Thanksgiving! Hopefully everyone enjoyed the long weekend and ate a lot of good food.

This is just a quick note to let you know about our next PORT event: LLBean gift-wrapping! The PORT will be at the LLBean flagship store, near the entrance by the big boot, this Saturday, December 6th, from 3pm to 9pm wrapping presents.

Gift wrapping is a great opportunity to raise both funds and awareness for The PORT, and we hope you'll support us. If you have Christmas gifts to buy at Beans, please come on Saturday and let us wrap them for you. We get to keep any tips we earn! If you have a passion for wrapping presents, this is your opportunity. Shoot me an email (sarah_davenport@coconetme.org) or swing by The PORT to sign up for a time slot.

And with all this damp weather, just a reminder that we're open every day after school. There's nothing like a game of pool to keep away the winter chill.

See you later.
Sarah

Hey everyone,

Duddy here. Just wanted to give a little update on some things that are going on at The PORT in the next couple of weeks. Because Freeport schools do not have class next week on Wednesday we will be having a middle school movie afternoon at The PORT. The teen center will be open from 12 to 4 pm, and the movie will be shown at 2 pm. There will be popcorn and drinks available at the usual PORT prices. Also, we are already beginning to plan for our next PORT outdoors trip. Sarah and I have been researching the new self-sustaining hut that is located in the woods near Sugarloaf, and it seems like it would be the ideal destination for our next trip. The hut is solar powered and contains a bunk house, as well as a fully serviced dining area. We could go hiking during the day, and then retire to the hut for the night to eat dinner that is fully provided for us, and just hang out. If you're interested in this awesome trip, it's going to be happening sometime around the weekend after finals week. Also, if you have any friends that have recently completed a fall sport and are looking for something to do after school, BRING THEM TO THE PORT. We're open from 2-6 Monday through Thursday, and 2-7 on Friday. It's warm down in the basement, we have all kinds of games, and best of all, we have a big screen tv to brighten your day on a dark winter afternoon.

That's all for now,

Duddy

Trailblazers for Middle School

Hey Everyone,

We wanted to take this opportunity to update you on a special program The PORT has for middle school teens. Trailblazers is for students in grades 6-8. Trailblazers meets three afternoons a month, usually at least one early release day, and we focus on a different activity each month. So far this fall, we've had sessions on sailing and orienteering, and November's theme is hiking.

For yesterday's early release, we took a group hiking on Morse Mountain in Phippsburg. Highlights of the trip include a great view of the Maine coast, playing on the beach near Popham State Park, and finding a hidden letterbox among the rocks. It was a beautiful day for a hike, and we would definitely recommend checking out this hike if you haven't been there before. We're looking forward to a Leave No Trace workshop next week to round out the month of November.


Upcoming Trailblazers programs will focus on study skills, creative writing, snowshoeing, and music. If you'd like more information, or if you want to sign up, check out the Freeport Rec & Community Ed website, call us at The PORT (869-1036), or just stop in. Trailblazers runs for the entire 2008-2009 school year, so don't miss it! Whether you come for just one month or for the whole year of activities, you can look forward to good friends, new experiences, and a great time with The PORT.

See you soon!

Warren Miller Film!

Hey Port Crew,

I'm psyched about our upcoming expedition to Portland to see the new Warren Miller extreme skiing movie! If you've never been to one of these films, you are missing out... And you should make up for it by coming with us on November 21st.

Check out this trailer for the movie.

Going to a Warren Miller movie isn't like just going to any movie. It's an event. There are big giveaways, fun vendors, crazy emcees, and sometimes a skier from the movie shows up. Just for buying a ticket, you get coupons for a free lift ticket to Sugarloaf, Sunday River, Smuggler's Notch, and Waterville Valley.

So here's the deal. We'll meet at The PORT by 6:00 on November 21st, and we'll drive you to Portland to see the 6:30 show at Merrill Auditorium. Afterwards, we may swing by Starbucks for a hot drink before heading home.

Sign up at The PORT by November 14th, so we can get the group discount on tickets. Group tickets cost $25 a person, which will be due at the time you sign up.

If you are psyched about skiing or snowboarding, or if you want to watch people do amazing stuff on skis or snowboards, or even if you just want to have a rockin' Friday night, don't miss this trip!

Later,
Sarah

Acadia Trip

Hey PORT bloggers, Matt here,

This past weekend the first trip of the PORT Outdoors group took place. On Saturday morning at the crack of 8 AM we began the journey to Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor Maine. Although there were several reports of inclement weather in the area we as a group decided to depart for the trip. Upon reaching the park the group split into a boys and girls camp, and each of the participants set about erecting their tents. That afternoon we enjoyed an exhilarating bike ride along the famous Carriage Pass, and then ventured into the picturesque town of Bar Harbor. Ice cream and candy were purchased and eaten by many of the campers, and a good time was had by all.

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At the onset of evening we returned as a group to the campsite and set about creating a large fire while cooking dinner and imbibing a tremendous amount of pasta and s'mores. At that time a park ranger visited our campsite and informed us of impending dangerous weather conditions in the area. In an effort to keep all participants safe for the night the group as a whole retired to Christine's house in South West Harbor, where we spent the rest of the evening telling stories and playing board games.
As a whole the trip was a success. All participants seemed to enjoy themselves. However, we are interested in having new and exciting faces at our future trips. If you or any of your friends are interested in attending a future PORT Outdoors trip, don't hesitate to visit the teen center after school.

Until next time,

Duddy

Welcome!

Hi everyone! Welcome to The PORT Teen Center blog. We'll keep this updated with events, photos, and information about everything that's going on at The PORT. Look for posts from both staff and teens.

For now, we just wanted to let you know a little bit about who we are and what we do. The PORT is a youth-driven teen center with a safe, enriching and dynamic atmosphere. The PORT strives to be a hip, chem-free alternative for the social life of teens in Freeport, Pownal, and Durham. If you are interested in a place for hanging with friends, doing some homework, playing ping pong or pool, or just watching some tube after school, stop by the PORT. Our friendly staff are always available, and admission is 100% free.

We're open from 2:30-6:00 Monday through Thursday, and 2:30-7:00 on Friday. We'll also have additional hours on event nights and on school vacation days.

See ya there!