Lions name speech contest winners

Pictured are Lion Mike Kay, Speak-Out chairman, first place winner, Taylor Kruse, a junior at Skowhegan Area High School, second place winner, Victoria Broadley, also a Junior at SAHS, and King Lion Diane Chamberland, of Skowhegan Lions Club. (Contributed photo)

The Skowhegan Lions Club recently completed its annual Speak-Out Contest at the Margaret Chase Smith Library Center, in Skowhegan. Lions Speak-Out gives high school students a forum to present a prepared speech on a topic or issue of their choosing and to defend their ideas when questioned.

Alewife restoration project to receive grant award

Kennebec River (source Maine Rivers)

Maine Rivers, as part of the Alewife Restoration Initiative, has been awarded $200,000 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundations’ (NFWF) New England Forests and Rivers grant program. The New England Forests and Rivers Fund strives to restore and sustain healthy forests and rivers that provide habitat for diverse native birds populations, as well as freshwater and diadromous fish populations. Since its founding in 1984, NFWF has supported more than 16,000 projects that protect and restore our nation’s fish and wildlife species and the habitats they need to thrive.

The goal of the Alewife Restoration Initiative is to remove impediments or install fish passages at the barriers that prevent native alewives from accessing China Lake’s spawning habitat. The project will improve the connectivity between China Lake, the Sebasticook River and the ocean, and is expected to restore an annual run of between 800,000 and 950,000 adult alewives. The restoration of the Vassalboro’s nearby Webber Pond alewife run already provides revenue to the town of Vassalboro, in 2017 this totaled more than $18,000. The China Lake run is expected to be at least twice the size of the Webber pond alewife run.

For more information about the Alewife Restoration Initiative: Landis Hudson, landis@mainerivers.org phone: 207-847-9277.

Lawrence Jr. High student visits State Senate

Contributed photo

Adrian O’Connell, of Benton, served as an honorary page in the Maine Senate on Thursday, March 15. During his visit he met with his state senator, Scott Cyrway (R-Kennebec). The honorary page program gives students from third grade through high school an opportunity to participate in the legislative process for one day’s session in either the House or Senate. For more information about the program, please contact Senator Cyrway’s office at 207-287-1505.

It’s Spring; time for Vidalia Onions!

By ryan griffis – originally posted to Flickr as Vidalia Onions, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link

Versatile Vidalia onions are coming into season and will arrive in Palermo on May 17. They’re big, sweet, and juicy, and you can order a 25-pound box of them for only $27. In a cool, dark place, Vidalia onions can keep for up to six months, especially if they do not touch one another. That gives you lots of time to bake them caveman-style in the embers, grill them wrapped in bacon and topped with cheesy crumbs, or caramelized and baked into rich quiches.

As long as your imagination is ignited, why not order some? Call Connie Bellet at 993-2294, or e-mail pwhitehawk@fairpoint.net. Be sure to include your phone number in your message, as we will call you as soon as we unload the onions off the truck. Payment needs to be received by April 27, and may be sent to: Living Communities Fdn., P.O. Box 151, Palermo, ME 04354.

If you go in with your neighbors (or plan to do some serious canning), you can get four boxes for $100. Proceeds from this sale go to the Palermo Community Center and the Palermo Food Pantry. Your community support is highly appreciated!

Free community Easter egg hunt planned

The Winslow Baptist Church will be hosting a community Easter egg hunt on Saturday, March 31, at 10 a.m., at the park on Daillaire and Halifax streets, in Winslow. Rain location will be a the Winslow Elementary School. There will be thousands of eggs to gather.

This is a free event open to all children ages pre-K through grade five.

There will be free coffee, juice and doughnuts for all.

Maine Maple Sunday on tap March 25

Raider Sugarhouse

The 35th Maine Maple Sunday will take place on Sunday, March 25. Sugarhouses throughout Maine will provide tours, free samples and demonstrations on the process of transforming maple sap into maple syrup. Locally, Raider’s Sugarhouse, located at 148 Bog Road, in China, will have an open house from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. A family operation, they are in their fourth year of producing quality maple syrup. Dress warm and wear boots as the sugarhouse is located about 500 feet from the main road via a tote road and is accessible only on foot. Restrooms are available. FMI: 968-2005.

Obituaries, Week of March 22, 2018

CHARLOTTE L. PAGE

SOUTH CHINA – Charlotte L. Page, 89, of South China, passed away on Friday, March 9, 2018, at her home. She was the daughter of Thomas and Myrtle (Pollard) French, who ran French’s Market Garden, on Rte. 32, in South China, for many years.

Charlotte was no stranger to hard work. As a child she worked on the family farm. Following her marriage to Paul H. Page, in 1948, she continued to work on the farm, as well as at Hazard Shoe Factory, and C.F. Hathaway Shirt Factory, in Waterville. She assisted Paul in various ways in his business ventures of chainsaw repair, logging, plowing snow for the town of China and Page Construction Co.

She was active in LAPM and LEA, serving as president of each for a year, and was also involved in the Order of Amaranth where she served as Matron.

She and Paul enjoyed 18 winters in Florida and they traveled extensively to many states over the years, including to Virginia, where they were honored to be chosen to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Her passions in life were caring for her family, cooking, gardening, knitting and reading.

She is survived by her husband of almost 70 years, Paul H. Page, of South China; sons Gordon P. Page Sr. and wife Debbie, Joseph P. Page and wife Mary Jane, and Stephen M. Page, all of South China; sister Mary Wentzel, of Vassalboro; many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

On March 11, there was a private service at her home for family and a few close friends. It was officiated by Pastor Bill Meyer and arrangements were made by Lawry Bros., of Fairfield. There will be a spring interment at Chadwick Hill Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to Hospice at MaineGeneral Community Care, 10 Water St., Waterville, ME 04901.

PAUL A. REID

WINSLOW – Paul A. Reid, 78, passed away Wednesday, March 7, 2018, following a long, courageous battle with cancer, at Mt. Saint Joseph’s, in Waterville. He was born February 6, 1940, the son of Arthur and Dorothy (Gerald) Reid.

He received his GED from Waterville High School and furthered his education at the University of Maine at Farmington.

His greatest passion was reading and reminiscing about childhood memories. Paul could always put a smile on your face.

Paul is survived by his wife Kim; children, Brian Reid, of South Carolina, Sherill and partner Norman Pelkey, of Waterville, Penny Goodale and husband John, of Vassalboro, Paul and wife Loretta, of South Carolina; stepchildren, Jackson Nadeau, of Lewiston, David Nadeau, of Caribou, Yvonne Kibbin, of Georgia; nine grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his daughter, Vicky Reid; and his parents.

Arrangements under the direction and care of Dan & Scott’s Cremation & Funeral Service, 445 Waterville Road, Skowhegan, ME 04976.

Memorial donations may be made c/o Sherill Reid, 80 Front St., Waterville, ME 04901.

CHERYL SOCQUET

VASSALBORO – Cheryl Socquet, 71, of Vassalboro, passed away Thursday, March 8, 2018, following a brief illness.

Hers was a life well lived, almost entirely for the sake of family and friends for whom she was unfailingly the rock and the glue, a scrupulous confidante and gentle adviser, a steady guide and earnest supporter. She always gave much, much more than she took, and left an indelible mark on everyone she touched.

She leaves behind her husband, Lee Sr.; her children, Katrina and husband Keven, Peter and wife Liana, Gary, Angela and Lee Jr. and partner John; her grandchildren, Autumn, Sonja, Kayla, Nicholas, Braden, Julia, Jessie and Thomas; her great-grandchildren, Olivia, Naveyah, and Braylyn; her brother Robert and wife Linda; her sisters Kathy and husband Wayne, and Linda and husband Tom; nieces, nephews and cousins almost too numerous to count.

An online guestbook may be signed and condolences expressed at www.gallantfh.com.

JOHN T. BOUCHARD

WINSLOW – John T. Bouchard, 78 of Winslow, passed away on Friday, March 9, 2018, following a brief stay at Mt. St. Joseph, in Waterville. He was born in Waterville on December 21, 1939, to John and Marguerite (Boudreau) Bouchard.

He was raised in Fairfield and graduated from Lawrence High School, class of 1958. He joined the Marine Corps in March of 1959, and was honorably discharged in March 1963. He was proud to be a Marine and wore the uniform with honor. Following his discharge, he worked for the state of Maine for a short time.

On May 30, 1966, he married Jean (Caron) and started their life together.

They settled down in Winslow where they raised their three children. He enjoyed taking several trips with his family and supported his children in their numerous activities ranging from coaching, driving bus for the hockey team, watching dance recitals and just being a spectator. He loved to cheer on the Winslow Black Raiders football team, sitting in his usual spot on the bleachers for years.

John was employed at the Waterville Post Office as a letter carrier for over 30 years. After retiring, he had a few part-time jobs including a self-employed small engine repair business at his home. He always stayed busy whether it be mowing lawns, working in his shed and going for a walk. He was a usual site in the neighborhood taking several walks a day. On occasion, he would meet members of his class for lunch to socialize and stay in touch. John was also a member of the Bourque-Lanigan American Legion Post #5, in Waterville.

John is survived by his wife of 51 years, Jean; his three children, Thomas Bouchard and his wife Rose, Karen Carpenter and her husband Brian, and Mark Bouchard and his wife Esther; grandchildren, Erika Bouchard and fiancé Joel, Justin Bouchard and fiancée Kelly, Michael Carpenter, Malea Bouchard, Marissa Carpenter, Dylon Bouchard, William Alger and Victoria Bouchard; two brothers, Reginald Bouchard, Leo Bouchard and wife Linda; and one sister, Lucille Beaulieu.

He was predeceased by his father John, his mother Marguerite; two brothers, Francis Bouchard and David Bouchard; and grandchild Jeremy Carpenter.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 24, 2018, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 26 Monument Street, Winslow. A celebration of life will be held at the VFW in Winslow after the service.

An online guestbook may be signed and condolences expressed at www.gallantfh.com.

Memorial donations may be made to Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, www.alzfdn.org.

ALLEN A. RISINGER

FAIRFIELD – Allen A. Risinger, 69, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, March 10, 2018, at his home. Allen was born on August 12, 1948, the son of Augustine and Parmelie.

He worked as a mechanic for Central Maine Motors for 37 years until his retirement four years ago. He was a jack-of-all-trades, loved working in his home garage for hours, he was an avid hunter, and loved his family and all the time spent with each one of them.

Allen was predeceased by his parents.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Paula; children, Paul (Brenda), Randy (Michele), and Heidi Dow (Jason); 14 grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; his siblings, Phyllis, Diane, Sonny, Marilyn, Clifford, and Mike; and many nieces and nephews.

An online guestbook may be signed at www.lawrybrothers.com.

JULIETTE T. VEILLEUX

WINSLOW – Juliette (Judy) Veilleux, 88, died on Monday, March 12, 2018, at Mt. Saint Joseph Nursing Home, in Waterville. Juliette was born in Waterville on May 30, 1929, to the late Placid and Georgiana (Trahan) Gagne.

She grew up in a family of six children, with four sisters and one brother. From an early age she learned the importance of family. From , in Waterville, she grew to be a compassionate, caring and giving person, with a strong faith in God. She was dedicated to her faith and continued to go to Mass every Sunday until she was no longer able, only a few months before her death.

She married Gerald J. Veilleux, on August 16, 1947. Together they would raise eight children. Family was her life. She was amazing to watch. Though tiny in stature her children were no match for this tough little lady. She ran their house like clockwork, all the while volunteering to bake for classes, attending games and school events, and was never too busy to help a family member or a friend in need. Her house was immaculate, believing indeed that “cleanliness is next to godliness.”

She especially loved holidays and would spend hours decorating so that the ‘kids’ would be excited when they arrived to see what she had done.

She was a fun-loving person, full of life and always on the go. Her giggles were contagious and often took little more than a sip of a margarita and the flood gates would open. She was quick with a joke and loved to tease, especially her sister Anita. The two could hardly sit beside each other before the laughter and bantering began. She and her siblings remained close as adults and Juliette treasured the times they were together – always fun, always laughter, and always food.

Juliette was a tremendous cook and she loved it. She took great joy in feeding anyone and everyone who happened to be at the house at suppertime. And you had better have an appetite. Refusing seconds meant you didn’t like the food and she may well have cooked something else for you right then and there. She had many great recipes but her famous peanut butter fudge surely tops the list. And though many have tried, there are very few who can make it “just like Mem.”

Along with the full time job of raising her family, she also worked for a time as an LPN at the Waterville Osteopathic Hospital, caring for others as she did her family. As the children got older she went to work at Stern’s Department Store, in downtown Waterville, at the cosmetic counter. She was the ‘face’ of the department, women wanting to buy whatever she used so they could get their skin to be as beautiful as hers. She loved working there and made many dear and life-long friends.

She made close friends wherever she went – from Maine to Florida. The number of lives she touched immeasurable.

She was predeceased by her parents; her husband Gerald; son “Pete,” daughter Linda, daughter-in-law Amy; grandson Drew, and infant grandchild.

She is survived by her sisters Anita Farrell, Marge Cacioppo, and her husband Dino, brother in-law Joseph Veilleux, sister-in-law Bernadette Bizier; her children: Jean (Wayne), Doug (Michelle), David (Jody), John (Victoria), Michael (Danielle), Jeffrey, daughter-in-law Theresa Veilleux; 17 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; and many, many, nieces and nephews.

Please visit www.veilleuxfuneralhome.com to view a video collage of Judy’s life and to share condolences, memories and tributes with her family.

Memorial donations may be made to the Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter, 19 Colby St., Waterville, ME 04901.

OTHERS DEPARTED

GAIL A. McGUIRE, 70, of Augusta, passed away on Friday, March 2, 2018, at the Fomfort and Care unit in MaineGeneral Rehabilitation and Long Term Care, at Glenridge Drive, in Augusta, following a courageous three-year battle with cancer. Locally, she is survived by a daughter, Laura Gosselin and husband Marc, of South China, and granddaughter Baileigh Gosselin, of China.

ROGER T. GILBERT, 84, of Augusta, passed away on Saturday, March 3, 2018, at Alfond Center for Health, in Augusta, following an extended illness. Locally, he is survived by adaughter, Karleen Goldhammer and husband Scott, of Vassalboro.

Homeschoolers perform Shakespeare this weekend

The Southern Maine Shakespearean Homeschoolers will be performing its annual show, Much Ado About Nothing, at the Cumston Hall, in Monmouth, on Thursday and Friday, March 22-23, at 6:30 p.m., with a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m.

The group is comprised of home schooled students as they learn the aspects of putting a play on the stage. Their director is Pastor Samuel Richards, of Winthrop.

Through their work they discover Shakespeare, but they also find interests and talents, and hone abilities and skills they never knew they had.

More information is available at someshakespeareanhs@outlook.com.

UPDATE: Maine News Center 6 did a recent report on the kids for their upcoming performance that can be found here.

 

WINSLOW: Robotics team invited to national final round

Winslow Public Library

The Winslow Public Library has announced that its Wonder League Robotics Competition team, the Winslow Coders, has made it to the national final invitational round. Out of 5,300 teams participating around the country, approximately 280 were invited to this round.

The Winslow Coders are a group of four Winslow children between the ages of 8 and 12. They have been working weekly since October at the library on this project. They had three story-based missions to do, each with three parts, between October and February.

“Although we struggled a bit at the beginning, the team really rallied and made it through the last two missions in record time.” said co-coach Samantha Cote, Youth Services and Technology Librarian. Added her co-coach, Maine State Library’s STEM Liaison Christina Dorman, “Their dedication has been very impressive. We’re so excited for them to have this opportunity.”

Dash & Dot, the small programmable robots used in the Wonder League Robotics Competition, are popular among educators looking to introduce coding and robotics through project-based learning. The library’s robots were purchased with its Ambrose Endowment funds, which are designated for use in children’s and young adult programs. Participants in the Wonder League, ages 6 to 12, develop problem-solving, growth mindset, and creativity skills while learning to code.

The top five teams in the 6-8 and 9-12 age categories all receive official certificates, competition T-shirts, and Dash robots. Wonder Workshop will award a $5,000 STEM grant grand prize to the winning team in the age 6-8 category and the winning team in the age 9-12 category.

Wonder Workshop was founded in 2012 by inventors, designers, programmers, and parents on a mission to transform coding into a creative tool for children, starting at age five. Within its first month, Wonder Workshop delivered robots to 37 countries. Today, Wonder Workshop’s award winning, hands-on learning tools are used by K-5 students in more than 12,000 classrooms worldwide. Wonder Workshop’s standards-aligned, teacher developed curriculum is designed to cultivate interests in STEM fields at formative ages for all students. For more information, visit http://www.makewonder.com.

The Winslow Public Library can be contacted by phone at 872-1978, on the web at www.winslow-me.gov/departments/library, on our Facebook page, or you can email Samantha Cote, Youth Services/Technology Librarian at scote@winslow-me.gov.

CHINA: Central Church to open in May in old Fairpoint building

Central Church (previously known as Kennebec Community Church) will be opening its doors on May 6, in the old Fairpoint Building, on Rte. 3, in South China.

The church is all about three things. Loving Jesus, loving others, and helping others love Jesus. The services are fun to go to. Most people, when they think of a church service, think of a lot of old songs played on an organ and a lecture from someone exceptionally boring.

Hannah Gow, creative director at the church, says, “Our services are alive. You come in and listen and sing along with our band worshiping our Lord and Savior.”

And then the congregation get to hear from their dynamic speaker and lead pastor Dan Coleman. “I promise, he’s funny and not boring to listen to,” said Gow. “He’s very clear and says what needs to be said. We don’t shy away from the truth here but we make sure how we communicate is easy to understand.”

They are not a church only reserved for a Sunday morning experience. “We love our community,” explained Gow, “and are constantly putting on events to show the community we are there for them. Some of these events include a free soccer camp, an Easter Egg Hunt event, a halloween Trunk or Treat event, and more!”

The Easter Egg Hunt event in China will take place on Saturday, March 24.

“I have never felt so connected to my community until I came and got plugged into this church,” said Gow. “It’s as if the church becomes a hub for the community. A safe place for people to connect but more importantly grow in their faith.”

And that’s what they want to bring to China. Something that is alive and a place that the community can come together.