Walk to end Alzheimer’s raises over $35,000

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Nearly 300 participants joined the Kennebec Valley Area Walk to End Alzheimer’s in the fight to end Alzheimer’s disease on Saturday, October 5, at the RiverWalk at Head of Falls, in Waterville. Participants raised $35,000 to fund Alzheimer’s care, support and research programs.

Fundraising for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s continues through the end of the calendar year. Donate to a team or individual participant at alz.org/walk.

In Maine alone, there are more than 28,000 people living with the disease and 69,000 caregivers providing unpaid care. In the United States, more than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, the sixth-leading cause of death and the only disease among the top 10 causes that cannot be cured, prevented or even slowed. Additionally, more than 15 million family and friends provide care to people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s®

The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Since 1989, the Alzheimer’s Association mobilized millions of Americans in the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk®; now the Alzheimer’s Association is continuing to lead the way with Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Together, we can end Alzheimer’s – the nation’s sixth-leading cause of death.

Alzheimer’s Association®

The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s research, care and support. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s. Visit alz.org® or call 800.272.3900.

Vassalboro selectmen’s October meeting rescheduled

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Vassalboro selectmen have moved their next meeting from the usual Thursday, which would be Halloween, to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29, so that board members can fulfill any Halloween obligations.

China board votes to give Buckshot Power Sports $25,000 loan

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Buckshot Power Sports in China. (image source: Facebook)

by Mary Grow

After the Oct. 10 China selectmen’s special executive-session meeting, Town Manager Dennis Heath reported the four board members attending voted unanimously to give Buckshot Power Sports a $25,000 loan.

The loan will come from China’s TIF (Tax Increment Financing) fund’s revolving loan fund. The loan was recommended by the TIF Committee’s loan subcommittee and by the TIF Committee.

Kennebec Valley Council of Governments assists the China committee managing loans, and a consultant working with KVCOG was involved in reviewing the loan application. Heath said the final document incorporates recommendations from the consultant.

Selectmen’s approval was the last step in the application process. Heath expects Buckshot Power Sports owner Mike Rackcliffe and KVCOG personnel will now finish the paperwork so Rackcliffe can get the money.

TIF funds come from taxes paid by Central Maine Power Company on its north-south power line through China and its substation in South China. Under state law and regulations, TIF funds may be used for a variety of economic development purposes.

More information on China’s TIF, including application forms for TIF grants and revolving loans, is on the town website.

China TIF committee OKs funds for causeway project

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Would need voter approval if selectmen agree

by Mary Grow

China’s TIF (Tax Increment Financing) Committee members agreed on several recommendations to selectmen at a workshop session Oct. 14. One involves spending TIF money (and will need approval from voters if selectmen approve it). The rest are plans for reallocating money among projects to better balance needs with approved funds.

The spending recommendation is to add $250,000 to the $750,000 voters allocated in 2017 for the causeway project, the new bridge and related improvements at the head of China Lake’s east basin. Town Manager Dennis Heath, who oversees finances for the committee, estimates that much will be needed to finish the work.

If selectmen approve, the additional money could be moved for bookkeeping purposes from the category of matching funds for grants (none has been spent in four years).

The exact amount needed for the causeway work is uncertain; Heath and committee members are waiting for engineering plans for walkways, replacement railings, shoreline improvements and other amenities.

There was agreement that the committee should oversee finishing the causeway work as soon as possible and move on to other projects.

One potential project, committee members decided, could be expansion of internet service, or, considering the speed of technological change, its successors; they named the new category “digital communications technologies.” The Maine legislature recently approved adding broadband and related communications to TIF-eligible projects, so China voters will need to approve adding the new category to the town’s TIF document.

Other proposed rearrangements would increase annual allotments for China Community Days, recreational trail work, Thurston Park and the China School Forest. The increases don’t require offsetting decreases, because the TIF account had unallocated money, Heath said.

The allotments do not automatically spend money. Organizations submit applications that TIF committee members review and, on the committee’s recommendation, selectmen review. Town meeting voters then approve or reject annual TIF spending recommended by selectmen.

Tod Detre submitted an application of behalf of the Broadband Committee at the Oct. 14 workshop, and Four Seasons Club President Tom Rumpf said his application for trail work is ready. The next regular TIF Committee meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4.

Central Maine at peak foliage

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The foliage is in its peak at Pine Grove Cemetery, on Grove Street, in Waterville. (photo by Roland D. Hallee)

The foliage as seen from Blueberry Hill, in Mt. Vermon, looking east over Great Pond and Long Pond, and the Belgrade Village. (photo by Roland D. Hallee)

MDOT to do pavement preservation work on Rte. 202

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The Maine Department of Transportation is planning pavement preservation, including guardrail improvements, beginning at Route 202 and extending west 6.14 miles to Route 137B, then extending north 1.04 miles to Route 201.

The Department of Transportation in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act is seeking information from consulting parties that would likely have information/knowledge of, or concerns with historic properties adjacent.

Under Section 106, the town is considered a consulting party and will receive National Register Eligibility and the Determination of Effects on historic properties within the project area for review and comment. If the town knows of any party or person interested in becoming a Section 106 consulting party for review of effects on historic properties, please have them fill out and return the Consulting Party Request Form (available at the town office.)

If you have any information, comments or concerns in regards to historic properties, please contact the point person at Julie.Senk@maine.gov or at 16 State House Station, Environmental Office, Augusta Maine 04333.

This is intended to obtain information and concerns regarding historic properties. If you have any questions or concerns about the project, please contact the Project Manager, Douglas Coombs at Douglas.Coombs@maine.gov.

Not all heroes wear capes

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Colby Rumpf, left, and Brooke Allen, who are both in the JMG program and were freshmen at the time, running an eighth grade JMG blood drive. (contributed photo)

Local family, service group, sponsor blood drives every two months

by Laurie Rumpf

I never knew how much blood was needed. I would see the blood drive signs along the road or they would have a drive at my place of work years ago. In addition, I’d always think…they have enough blood, they don’t need mine. Boy was I wrong!

Back in 2003 my dad, Stephen Dickens, was diagnosed with leukemia. They discovered this by a random urine test for his job as a diesel mechanic. His oncologist told him that he wouldn’t really have to worry about it for another five years. He had regular visits for lab work in those five years. In addition, pretty much to that day…five years later my dad was at the Alfond Cancer Center, in Augusta, having chemo treatments. He ended up at MaineGeneral, in Augusta, from there they transported him to Maine Medical Center, in Portland. He was a patient there for a month.

We were with him that whole time. My mom lived there with him that whole time. My sister, brother or myself were always there with him. We watched him receive so many blood transfusions and platelets. The bad blood cells would kill it just as fast as he’d receive it. It was a rollercoaster month for all of us. In the end, he lost the battle with leukemia. But all those transfusions gave us an extra month with my dad. What a precious gift that was!

As the nurses would hook up each pint of blood I promised each one of them, “I’m going to pay that back!” After my dad passed, I went to Penney Memorial Church to a blood drive. After that I was hooked. It was my therapy to help me heal from losing my dad. So every 56 days I’d look for a local blood drive. My family wasn’t far behind me. We all would donate. None of us had ever donated before.

So a year after my dad had passed away we decided to all meet at the Portland Red Cross Donor center and we all donated blood together. There were eight of us that day. After that I decided I’d like to sponsor a drive each year on the anniversary of my dad passing away. So each year we’d get more and more people. My daughter Sasha Rumpf turned 16 and brought a lot of her friends. All first time donors! I was so proud of her and all of her friends! A lot of my friends had also jumped on the bandwagon. I think the most we had was around 52 people show up. We had so many that some had to wait over three hours! It was amazing to see though. All these people waiting around to save lives! Truly amazing!

My husband and daughter received a letter that they had a high platelet count so they wanted them to come to Portland to donate platelets.They now both donate platelets.

We now host the blood drives at the South China American Legion. We usually get pizza donated from Tobey’s or Fieldstone. We have so many that show up at each drive — I’m truly humbled to see this. The community pulls together! From the legion hosting it, my family and I running it, local stores donating pizza and all the amazing people that show up to give up their time and donate their blood to help save someone’s life or to help give someone some extra time with a loved one.

Our last drive was hosted by my 16 year old son, Colby Rumpf, in the Leaders Save Lives program. If you host a blood drive while you’re in high school and have 25 donors you earn a Red Cross cord for your graduation! He tried this last year and was short a few people. So he tried it again this year and he had 32 units of blood!

I am so very proud of my family, my friends and last but not least the community that I live in.

Please watch for our blood drive posters throughout the community and my posts on Facebook. We host drives right around every 56 days! Our next drive will be on November 16, 2019.

I hope to see you there!

2019 Waterville Youth Football grades 3-4

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Coaches: Left to Right – Tom Ferris, Craig McInnis, Chris Rancourt. Top Row Players: Zaiden Thoopsamoot, Charlie Ferris, Larson Ronco , Layne Ferran, Cam McInnis, Jameson Dow, Reid Morrison, Gideon McGee. Bottom Row Players: Jayden Rancourt, Isaac Gilman, Wyatt Jones, Logan Cimino, Michael Palmer, Blake Kenyon, Mason Pelletier, Quincy Nesbitt (Photo by Missy Brown/ Central Maine Photography)

Kennebec Federal Savings seeks video contest entries from teens

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Kennebec Federal Savings is now accepting submissions from local teens for its “Lights, Camera, Save!” video contest. Organized by the American Bankers Association Foundation, the contest is a national competition that encourages teens to use video to communicate the value of saving money and to inspire their peers to become lifelong savers. Last year’s local First Round Winner was Ely Yang, then a senior at Winslow High School and a student in the Mid-Maine Technical Center’s Mass Media Communications program.

“This wonderful competition offers Maine students a unique opportunity to tap their creativity, learn about saving and using money responsibly, and communicate those key lessons to other young people,” said Allan Rancourt, president of Kennebec Federal Savings. “A sound financial education is critical to a successful future, and we are excited to participate in a contest that spotlights that message.”

To participate in “Lights, Camera, Save!,” local students ages 13 to 18 are asked to create a short video (90 seconds or less) that spotlights the importance of saving and using money wisely. They must then submit a link to the video to Kennebec Federal Savings by December 3, 2019, along with a completed entry form.

Kennebec Federal Savings will host the local first round of judging and select a local winner. The local winner will then advance to the National Competition, where the first place, second place, and third place winners will be announced by the American Bankers Association Foundation on Wednesday, February 26, 2020. The top three national winners will receive cash prizes of $5,000, $2,500, and $1,000 respectively, to fund their savings goal. Each winner’s school also will receive a scholarship for a teacher to attend the Jump$tart National Educator Conference.

Videos will be judged on their quality, message, content, and faithfulness to the criteria set forth by the contest’s official rules. Get the official rules and submission packet online at www.kfsavings.com/news.aspx.

To learn more about the “Lights, Camera, Save!” competition, please visit www.LightsCameraSave.com.

Shine-On Oakland benefits school food pantries

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Colby Charette with some of the food recently collected during the Shine-On Oakland Day that will go to the Oakland School Food Pantries.The Shine-On Cass Foundation again partnered with the town of Oakland’s summer festival “Oakfest,” which featured three days of community events. (Photo courtesy of Monica Charette)

by Monica Charette

Oakland’s “ShineOn Oakland Day,” on July 27, collected a bus load of donated school snacks, bringing awareness to child food insecurity and the support needed for local families through Oakland School Food Pantries. The ShineOnCass Foundation again partnered with the town of Oakland’s summer festival “Oak­fest,” which featured three days of community events including an outdoor movie night, food and art vendors, local bands, a car show, triathlon and a “stuff the bus” event, where Oak­fest attendees climbed aboard a school bus to donate snacks that will be distributed to local students in need this fall.

The ShineOnCass Foundation organizes a kindness event to both support local families and give children the experience of giving back to the community as part of “ShineOn Oakland” Day at Oakfest. In addition to collecting hundreds of snacks, Foundation volunteers also hosted a “Kindness Matters Bookmark Project” where kids created positive messages on bookmarks to be placed anonymously in books in local libraries to help spread kindness. For information about the Kindness Matters Bookmark Project and other ShineOnCass initiatives, visit shineoncass.org.

The ShineOnCass Foundation was created to honor the spirit, continue the work, and encourage others to live the legacy of Cassidy Charette, whose kindness and passion for others Shines On. Cassidy was a 17-year-old Messalonskee scholar and athlete, and a devoted community volunteer who died in a hayride accident in 2014. The organization’s mission is to educate, inspire and empower youth to make their world a better place through volunteer charitable activities.