The race itself is still a couple of weeks away, but it’s not too early to start planning for the 37th annual Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race.

If the race provides your yearly allotment of paddling you want to get out on the water (if you can find some) and limber up a bit.

At the very least, you may want to register now … if you tend to make this a race-day decision, planning ahead can save you a lot of money.

Prerace registration will be accepted until 1 p.m. on April 18 – the day before the race – and the fee is $17 for those who choose to register early.

For those who don’t, the fee will be $27 per paddler. That’s the kind of price increase that could have provided a nice little postrace lunch, for those who do, indeed, pay early.

The 161/2-mile race begins at 8:30 a.m. in Kenduskeag Village and ends in downtown Bangor. All participants must be at least 12 years old, and participants under 16 must have an adult in the boat with them.

Registration forms are available at the Bangor Parks and Recreation office at 647 Main Street, at Cadillac Mountain Sports, the Old Town Canoe store, or the Ski Rack in Bangor.

For more information, contact Bangor Parks and Recreation at 947-1018 or check out the department’s Web site at www.bgrme.org, following links to “recreation.”

Stamp contest winner named

Jeannine Staples of Topsham took first prize in the 2003 Maine Migratory Waterfowl Stamp Contest last week.

This year’s subject was the green-winged teal.

Staples’ acrylic scene featured a male green-winged teal in spring plumage feeding on the Muddy River, which flows through Topsham. An old duck blind sits on the bank, and there are still bits of snow and ice alongside the water. Staples produced the painting based on a photograph she had taken. She worked on the painting intermittently for two months.

The piece received the highest score from the panel of seven judges.

“I wanted to keep it simple. I started out with a drake and hen, but then decided to just focus on the male,” Staples said.

This is the fifth time that Staples’ work has been honored as the Maine Migratory Waterfowl Stamp. Staples will receive a cash award of $1,000 and a sheet of 10 stamps with her design on them.

Designs were judged on originality, artistic composition, anatomical accuracy and suitability for reproduction as a stamp and print.

A Maine Migratory Waterfowl authority is required of anyone over age 16 who hunts waterfowl in the state.

Next year’s subject will be the Barrow’s goldeneye.

To submit an item for publication in the Outdoor Notebook, send e-mail to jholyoke@bangordailynews.net, fax to 990-8092 or mail information to Outdoor Notebook, Bangor Daily News, PO Box 1329, Bangor, Maine, 04402-1329.