Winslow Community Cupboard to benefit from Hannaford shopping bag promotion

Hannaford “Fight Hunger” Reusable Shopping Bag. (Image courtesy of Hannaford Bros. Company, LLC.)

Looking for an easy, effective way to support a local food pantry? For the month of July, Winslow Community Cupboard food pantry will receive a $1 donation from each purchase of the $2.50 reusable “Fight Hunger” Shopping Bag sold at the Hannaford supermarket located at 140 Elm Plaza, Waterville, ME.

Every dollar donated will go directly to assist food-insecure children, seniors, and other adults in Winslow, Waterville, Clinton, and Benton—more than 225 families in all, with demand still steadily rising.

Those unable to purchase the Hannaford “Fight Hunger” Shopping Bag, or who wish to make a direct donation, may do so by mailing a check payable to “Winslow Community Cupboard” to: Winslow Community Cupboard, 12 Lithgow St., Winslow, ME 04901. Credit card or PayPal donations are also greatly appreciated at this link: https://winslowucc.org/winslow-community-cupboard/

“Winslow Community Cupboard” food pantry is a ministry of Winslow Congregational Church, 12 Lithgow Street, Winslow, which has served the local community since 1828.

For more information, please contact Winslow Community Cupboard at Winslow Cupboard@Gmail.com.

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS: Be careful what you say

Growing your businessby Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

A true story. One of our relatives in a nearby town was having trouble with her furnace and needed a repair person. She called the man that had been taking care of her furnace for years. He came over and found that all he had to do was reset the furnace and everything would be fine. He said that there would be no charge and showed her the switch so next time she could reset the furnace herself. He was not gone 15 minutes when the furnace conked out again.

Not wanting to bother the repairman again that night she and her daughter, who was visiting, decided to add more blankets to their beds, tough it out and call the repairman in the morning.

The next morning the daughter called the repairman, and he proceeded to blast her for bothering him, read her the proverbial riot act for bothering him, but in the end, with some persuasion grumbled he would come later that day.

He never showed up!

Whereupon the daughter called another company, they sent a man out right away. There was something wrong with the furnace, it was missing a part. They fixed it in 30 minutes, handed her the bill and went on their merry way.

Now here is where the story gets interesting.

The daughter was very active on social media, especially Facebook…I think you can see where this is going.

The daughter promptly got on Facebook and told the story including naming names and recommending that no one should ever use this repairman again. Her post went out to over the 200 people to whom she was connected!

Wow! What repairmen should have realized was that in this new world order people are connected, and people talk to each other, especially when they have been poorly served enough to be angry.

Just imagine for a minute the kind of negative publicity this repairman is now getting!

But the real point here is that no person or company, or organization, should ever talk to their customers the way this repairman did. Nor should any person serving the public ever complain about doing a job for a customer.

The rule of thumb pre-social media used to be that if a customer has a complaint, he is going to tell a number of people and in the end, about 100 people would hear about it. Now in these days of social media that number increases to literally hundreds if not thousands of people. And if the story is bad enough it could go viral, then millions of people could see it.

Those of us in business should always appreciate our customers and the business they send our way. The minute we stop doing that, and let the customer see, that is the day your business will stop growing. And that my friends is no way to be growing your business.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: The plight of the magical lightning bug

Fireflies in a forest.

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

One night last week, after I did my usual bedtime reading, and my wife was playing the mind games on her tablet, I turned out the light and rolled over to get some sleep. Suddenly, my wife said, “there’s a lightning bug in here.” I looked up, and sure enough, there he was on the ceiling.

I didn’t want to crush it, because we are seeing fewer and fewer of them. So, I managed to corner it, pick it up with a piece of paper, and send it on its way, outdoors.

Now we rewind to a year ago when we were sitting by a campfire when we noticed a lightning bug. Notice I said “a,” like in one, uno, solo. It was the first lightning bug I had seen in a while. I remember when I was growing up, we used to go visit relatives in Canada, and sometimes go to a camp where we would see hundreds of lightning bugs flying around in a field. We used to capture them in a jar. You just don’t see that anymore.

Anyway, lightning bugs can make summers magical, but there is more to learn about these beauties.

First off, lightning bugs are actually fireflies. Fireflies are cute and elegant by day, but downright dazzling after darkness falls. But behind their charming facade, fireflies are fascinating little insects. Consider the following facts:

Firefly

They are beetles, not flies. Fireflies are nocturnal members of Lampyridae, a family of insects within the beetle order Coleoptera, or winged beetles. Yes, they are officially beetles.

They are alchemists, poetically speaking at least. While they don’t actually turn base metals into gold, they do create light as if by magic. When a chemical called luciferin (note the same Latin root as Lucifer) inside their abdomen/tail combines with oxygen, calcium and adenosine triphosphate, a chemical reaction occurs that creates their spectacular light.

Firefly light is incredibly efficient. The light produced by the firefly is the most efficient light ever made. Almost 100 percent of the energy in the chemical reaction is emitted as light; in comparison, an incandescent light bulb only emits 10 percent of its energy as light, the other 90 percent is lost as heat.

The main reason lightning bugs flash is to attract mates. Among most but not all species of North American lightning bugs, males fly about flashing while females perch on vegetation, usually near the ground. If the female sees a flasher and she’s ready to mate she responds by flashing right after the male’s last flash. A short flash dialogue takes place as the male flies closer and closer, and then, if all goes well, they mate.

They come in a rainbow of colors. Well maybe not the whole spectrum, but they do come in yellow, light red, green and orange.

They taste disgusting. Not that we were planning on snacking on fireflies anytime soon, but for predators that might like a light meal, beware the lightning bug. Firefly blood contains lucibufagins, which sounds like something out of a Harry Potter book but is actually a defensive steroid that tastes really awful. It is similar to that found in some poisonous toads. Predators associate the bad taste with a firefly’s light and learn not to eat bugs that glow.

However, their numbers are declining. If you’re seeing fewer fireflies each summer, you’re not alone. Evidence suggests that firefly populations may be on the decline, most likely due to a combination of light pollution, pesticide use and habitat destruction. For example, according to Smithsonian.com, if a field where fireflies live is paved over, the fireflies don’t migrate to another field, they just disappear forever.

What’s going on? Bees are on the decline; butterflies are suffering, could fireflies be facing tough times as well?

The scientific and citizen consensus is “yes.” Malaysia even holds an international symposium dedicated to conservation of the firefly. Scientists have for years been warning that the world’s estimated 2,000 species of fireflies are dwindling.

And is it any wonder? As the manmade environment continues its undying march into the natural world, where are these things supposed to live? Fireflies breed and exist in the woods and forests, along lakes and streams, in dense gardens and unruly meadows. Where are they supposed to do their firefly things when those places are paved over and built upon?

All of it doesn’t bode well.

“Fireflies are indicators of the health of the environment and are declining across the world as a result of degradation and loss of suitable habitat, pollution of river systems, increased use of pesticides in agro-ecosystems and increased light pollution in areas of human habitation,” notes the Selangor Declaration, a firefly advocating document. The decline of fireflies is a cause for concern and reflects the global trend of increasing biodiversity loss.”

Fireflies are part of our heritage; they are an iconic creature and have played a role in many, many cultures. They are the epitome of summer evenings, for many of us they served as an introduction to the wonders of nature. If we lose the fireflies, we lose an important invisible thread that connects us to the magic of the natural world. And as a species, we can’t afford to lose that right now.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Complete the golfing adage: “You drive for show, but putt for….”

Answer can be found here.

FINANCIAL FOCUS: Declare your financial freedom; how to achieve it

by Sasha Fitzpatrick

Submitted by Sasha Fitzpatrick, EdwardJones Financial Advisor

We just celebrated Independence Day. And as we make progress in moving past the COVID-19 pandemic, more of us enjoyed Fourth of July activities. However you observe the holiday, it’s important to recognize all the liberties we enjoy in this country. But you may still need to work at one particular type of freedom – and that’s financial freedom. How can you achieve it?

There’s no one instant solution. But you can work toward financial independence by addressing these areas:

Retirement savings – Approximately 45 percent of Americans think the ideal retirement involves “enjoying my well-earned freedom,” according to the March 2021 Edward Jones/Age Wave Four Pillars of the New Retirement study. But when you’re retired, the risk to this freedom is obvious – the paychecks have stopped but the bills haven’t. Furthermore, you could spend two or three decades in retirement. That’s why it’s so important to contribute as much as you can afford to your tax-advantaged retirement accounts, such as your IRA and your 401(k) or another employer-sponsored plan. At a minimum, put in enough to earn your employer’s matching contribution, if one is offered. Whenever your salary goes up, try to increase the annual amount you put in your 401(k) or similar plan. And if appropriate, make sure you have a reasonable percentage of growth-oriented investments within your 401(k) and IRA. Most people don’t “max out” on their IRA and 401(k) each year, but, if you can consistently afford to do so, and you still have money you could invest, you may want to explore other retirement savings vehicles.

Illness or injury – If you were to become seriously ill or sustain a significant injury and you couldn’t work for an extended period, the loss of income could jeopardize your ability to achieve financial independence. Your employer may offer disability insurance as an employee benefit, but this coverage is typically quite limited, both in duration and in the amount of income being replaced. Consequently, you may want to consider purchasing private disability insurance. Keep in mind that this coverage, also, will have an end date and it probably won’t replace all the income lost while you’re out of work, but it will likely be more expansive and generous than the plan provided by your employer.

Long-term care – Individuals turning 65 have about a 70 percent chance of eventually needing some type of long-term care, such as a nursing home stay or the assistance of a home health aide, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. And these services are quite expensive – the average annual cost for a private room in a nursing home is more than $100,000, according to Genworth, an insurance company. Medicare typically covers only a small part of these expenses, so, to avoid depleting your savings and investments (and possibly subjecting your grown children to a financial burden), you may want to consider long-term care insurance or life insurance with a long-term care component. A financial advisor can help you choose a plan that’s appropriate for your needs.

By addressing these areas, you can go a long way toward attaining your financial independence. It will be a long-term pursuit, but the end goal is worth it.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Edward Jones, Member SIPC.

Sasha Fitzpatrick can be contacted at EdwardJones Financial Advisor, 22 Common St., Waterville, ME 04901, or at sasha.fitzpatrick@edwardjones.com.

Erskine Academy third trimester honor roll 2021

(photo credit: Erskine Academy)

Grade 12

High honors: Abbygail Blair, Everett Blair, Johnathan Blair, Nomi Bouwens, Samantha Box, Anthony Chessa, Ashley Clavette, Nolan Cowing, Joleigh Crockett, Cody Devaney, Abigail Dumas, Amelia Evans, Addison Gamage, Margaret Gamage, Avril Goodman, Avery Henningsen, Haley Laird, Isabela Libby, Emily Lowther, Chiara Mahoney, Jonathan Martinez, Gavin Mills, Michael Nicholas III, Brian Ouellette Jr, Olive Padgett, Courtney Paine, Annaliese Patterson, Aiden Pettengill, Anna Pfleging, Sydni Plummer, Harry Rabideau, Kristin Ray, Joshua Tobey and Dylan Wing.

Honors: Mara Adams, Brooke Allen, Philip Allen, Alyeska Anderson, Isabella Bishop, Christopher Bourdon, David Bourgoin, Trevor Brockway, Emma Burtt, Saydi Cote, Joshua Cowing, Jacob Devaney, Phillips Gidney, Patrick Hanley, Hailey Haskell, Braydon Hinds, Paeshance-Rae Horan, Emma Hutchinson, Keith Knowles, Kaylah Kronillis, Sierra LaCroix, Colby Lloyd, Hailey Mayo, Elek Pelletier, Allison Roddy, Acadia Senkbeil, Hanna Spitzer, Riley Sullivan, Riley Toner, Jake Williams, Ryan Williams and Mollie Wilson.

Grade 11

High honors: Isaac Baker, Maylien Beermann, Autumn Boody, Lilian Bray, Emily Clark, Liberty Crockett, Colby Cunningham, Michele De Gugliemi, Isabella DeRose, Luke Desmond, Kaden Doughty, Emma Fortin, Josette Gilman, Samantha Golden, Trace Harris, Grace Hodgkin, Rachel Huntoon, Grace Kelso, Mallory Landry, Aidan Larrabee, Lili Lefebvre, Hunter Marr, Calvin Mason, Wes McGlew, Rebecca Morton, Brady O’Connor, Adam Ochs, Abigail Peaslee, Devon Polley, Lilly Potter, Sarah Praul, Letizia Rasch, Paige Reed, Riley Reitchel, Parker Reynolds, Mackenzie Roderick, Abbey Searles, Andrew Shaw, Hannah Soule, Natalie Spearin, Hannah Strout – Gordon and Lily Vinci.

Honors: Julia Barber, Alana Beggs, Jacob Bentley, Jack Blais, Daniel Cseak, Alexander Drolet, Abigail Dutton, Kelsie Fielder, Wyatt French, Jenna Gallant, Larissa Haskell, Isaac Hayden, Emma Jefferson, Hunter Johnson, Tanner Klasson, Shawn Libby, Isavel Lux Soc, David Martinez – Gosselin, Malcolm Martinez, Kaden McIntyre, Patrick Merrill, Julian Reight, Daniel Tibbetts, Hannah Torrey and Samuel Worthley.

Grade 10

High honors: Hailey Acedo-Worthing, Carson Appel, Abigail Beyor, Eve Boatright, Katherine Bourdon, Breckon Davidson, Nicole DeMerchant, Lillian Dorval, Loralei Gilley, Alivia Gower, Cooper Grondin, Elizabeth Hardy, Grady Hotham, Grace Hutchins, Olivia Hutchinson, Beck Jorgensen, Kaiden Kelley, Meadow Laflamme, Zephyr Lani-Caputo, Dale Lapointe, Dinah Lemelin, Brenden Levesque, Malachi Lowery, Lily Matthews, River Meader, Nabila Meity, Maddison Paquet, Timber Parlin, Kayla Peaslee, Jonathan Peil, Gabriel Pelletier, Sophia Pilotte, Kaden Porter, Ingrid Ramberg, Alexis Rancourt, Cadence Rau, Samantha Reynolds, Sarah Robinson, Ally Rodrigue, Noah Rushing, Emmalee Sanborn, Sophie Steeves, Daniel Stillman, Emma Stred, Jacob Sullivan, Mackenzie Toner, Emma Tyler, Lauren Tyler and Damon Wilson.

Honors: Kassidy Barrett, Angel Bonilla, Zane Boulet, Alexis Buotte, Caleb Buswell, Grace Ellis, Hailey Farrar, Alyssa Gagne, MaKayla Gagnon, Brianna Gardner, Carson Grass, Acadia Kelley, Brady Kirkpatrick, Casey Kirkpatrick, Matthew Knowles, Emmet Lani-Caputo, Joseph Lemelin, Gwen Lockhart, Brooklyn McCue, Gage Moody, Angelina Ochoa, Ethan Ouellette, Angelyn Paradis, Michael Perez, Casey Petty, Kathleen Pfleging, Karen Potter, Conner Rowe, Jarell Sandoval, Zuriah Smith, Kiley Stevens, Paige Sutter, Aidan Tirrell, Colby Willey, Katherine Williams and Joseph Wing.

Grade 9

High honors: Isabella Boudreau, Heather Bourgoin, Robin Boynton, Elizabeth Brown, Kaleb Brown, Nolan Burgess, Nathalia Carrasco, Elise Choate, Brielle Crommett, Noah Crummett, Gavin Cunningham, Keira Deschamps, Hailey Estes, Kaylee Fyfe, Brayden Garland, Caleb Gay, Nathan Hall, Natalie Henderson, Stephanie Kumnick, Mackenzie Kutniewski, Carol Labbe, Sydney Laird, Logan Lanphier, Aidan Maguire, Richard Mahoney III, David McCaig, Alexia McDonald, Holden McKenney, Austin Nicholas, Jazel Nichols, Jeremy Parker, Nathan Polley, Kinsey Stevens, Lara Stinchfield, Reese Sullivan and Baruch Wilson.

Honors: Tristan Anderson, Leah Bonner, Wyatt Bray, Eva Carlezon, Megan Carver, Simon Clark, Marshall Clifford, Hunter Foard, Leah Grant, Tara Hanley, Bella Homstead, Kameron Kronillis, Sophie Leclerc, Kiley Lee, Brody Loiko, Jack Lyons, Carlos Michaud, Royce Nelson, Alejandro Ochoa, Alyssa Ouellette, Remy Pettengill, Keith Radonis, Gavin Rowe, Giacomo Smith and Haley Webb.

OBITUARIES for Thursday, July 8, 2021

DANIEL M. FOLLANSBEE

FAIRFIELD – Daniel M. Follansbee, 40, passed away on Friday, June 25, 2021, from injuries sustained in an ATV accident, in Jackman. Dan was born December 27, 1980, in Waterville, the son of Mark G. Follansbee and his wife “B”, of Fairfield, and Annette M. (Daigle) Follansbee and her companion Sean Callan, of Fairfield.

He is the husband of Jennifer L. (Morrell) Follansbee.

Dan resided in Fairfield for most of his life he was a graduate of Lawrence High School Class of 1999.

He owned and operated a construction company for many years. Dan enjoyed working with his hands as well as working with excavators and other large equipment. Dan was a true outdoorsman who loved camping, hunting, fishing, playing video games riding ATV’s, snowmobiles and spending time on his pontoon boat. He valued his family and friends and enjoyed spending time with them.

He will always be remembered for his outgoing personality and one liners.

In addition to his wife and parents, Dan is survived by his children Nicholas Follansbee, of Waterville, Pauline Follansbee, of Brunswick, Elijah Merrill, of Waterville, Drew Kiernan, of Bath, Tyler Kiernan, of Fairfield, and Brittanie Levesque, of Oakland; brothers Taylor Follansbee and wife Samantha, of Davis, California, Ben Roy, of Denver, Colorado, and Robert Roy, Jr., of Brunswick; many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Funeral services were held in the huneral home on Thursday, July 1, 2021, followed by burial in Friends Cemetery.

Arrangements are in the care of the Lawry Brothers Funeral Home, 107 Main St. Fairfield, where condolences may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the website at http://www.familyfirstfuneralhomes.com.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the family, c/o Jennifer Follansbee, 202 Norridgewock Road, Fairfield, ME 04937.

E. BARBARA MORRISON

PALERMO – E. Barbara Morrison, passed away on Saturday, June 26, 2021. She was the daughter of Fleda (Worthen) and Ernest Hines, both predeceasing her.

Barbara began her life in Brockton, Massachusetts. She attended Brockton High School where she received high honors. She went on to graduate in 1947 from the Massachusetts Memorial Nursing School, where she became a 50-year honorary alumni member.

Barbara served her country, with great honor, as a member of the elite group known as the Cadet Nurse Corp. for three years during World War II.

She worked as a public health nurse and at Goddard Memorial Hospital, also at the Veterans Administration Hospital, all in Brockton, Massachusetts.

In 1948, Barbara married the love of her life, Glenn H. Morrison. They had 54 years together before Glenn went home to his lord. Together they raised their three children, Aleta, Glenn A., and Mathew.

After moving to Maine in 1967, she continued her love for nursing at Thayer Hospital, in Waterville, where she worked for 20 years, giving of herself to others.

Barbara and Glenn were devoted members of the Getchell Street Baptist Church, in Waterville.

Barbara is survived by her children, Aleta Grenier and her husband Jeff, along with their children, Kristie Crist and her family, Travis Grenier and his family, Glenn A. Morrison and his wife Robin, along with their children, Alisha Haskell and her family, Heather Bragg and her family, Julia Morrison and her family. Mathew H. Morrison along with his son, Patrick Morrison and his family; 14 great-grandchildren; her nieces, Manon Wolle and her family, Mimi O’Neill and her family; her nephews, Craig Morrison and his family, Robert Morrison and his family.

Barbara was also predeceased by her two sisters, Louisa G. Hines and Ester G. Hill.

A committal service will be held at the Veterans Cemetery, Civic Center Drive, Augusta.

Arrangements are under the direction and care of Gallant Funeral Home, 10 Elm Street, Waterville.

An online guestbook may be signed, condolences and memories shared at http://www.gallantfh.com.

Gifts to honor Barbara’s memory can be made to Getchell Street Baptist Church where she was a devoted friend for over 50 years. Getchell Street Baptist Church, General Fund, 3 Getchell Street, Waterville, ME 04901.

J. TED L. BONSANT

WINDSOR – J. Ted Lawrence Bonsant, 77, of Weeks Mills Road, passed away on November 29, 2020, in Augusta.

Ted was a member of the U.S. Army 82nd Airborn Division, and the military police.

Burial with military honors took place on Thursday, July 1, 2021, at the Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 163 Mt. Vernon Road, Augusta. A memorial service was held July 1, 2021, at Windsor Fairgrounds, Windsor.

Arrangements are under the care of Plummer Funeral Home, 983 Ridge Road, Rte. 32, Windsor.

Condolences, photos and stories may be shared at http://www.plummerfh.com.

THELMA P. MATHESON

WATERVILLE – Thelma Proctor Matheson, 99, a resident of Waterville, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, at the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House, in Scarborough. Born in Waterville on January 3, 1922, Thelma was the daughter of Carl and Marianne (Gilbert) Proctor.

Thelma graduated from Waterville High School in 1939 and graduated with a BA in English from Colby College, in Waterville, in 1943. She was the first female drum majorette for the all-male Colby marching band and held this position for four years.

While at Colby she met the love of her life, Delbert Donald Matheson of Ipswich, Massachusetts. They married in 1946, designed and built their home in Waterville and raised their four children. Her children grown, Thelma returned to school to earn a master’s degree in Library Sciences from the University of Maine, Orono. She worked as the Audio Visual Librarian in the Media Center, at Waterville High School, for 17 years.

Thelma was a kind woman with a wonderful heart. Many of her children’s friends referred to her as “Mum”. She and Del loved to play bridge with their group of friends and Thelma enjoyed golf with the “9-holers.” She played many years of duplicate bridge; loved to read, do crosswords, and watch Jeopardy, on television. She was a life-time member of the Waterville Women’s Club.

Thelma was predeceased by her husband of 66 years and her daughter, Susan Matheson Lyles, of The Villages, Florida, and her brother Earl Reginald Proctor.

She is survived by her son, Don (JeNelle) Matheson, of Fort Collins, Colorado, and China; daughters, Jane Matheson, of Biddeford,; Deborah (Mark) Fabian, of Oak Hill, Virginia; and son-in-law Don Lyles, of The Villages, Florida; eight grandchildren; Ned (Melissa) Matheson and Peter (Lisa) Matheson, of Colorado; Amanda Lyles, of Seoul, South Korea; Jo (Shane) Jones, of Virginia; MollyJane (Ethan) Connor, of South Carolina.; Zack, Katie, and Nick Fabian, all of Virginia; four great- grandchildren, Raina and Ryder Jones, Blake Bozin, and Colter Matheson.

A memorial celebration of Thelma’s life will be held at a later date when her family can all gather. Burial will be in St. Francis Catholic Cemetery in Waterville.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Thelma’s name may be sent to: Gosnell Memorial Hospice House, 11 Hunnewell Drive, Scarborough, ME 04074, or to Hospice of Southern Maine, 390 U.S. Route One, Scarborough, ME 04074.

Carrabec biology class thanks program presenters

contributed photo

submitted by Paul Thompson, Carrabec High School biology teacher

Julie Davenport, left, with Carrabec High School students during forestry presentation. (photo by Kelsey Creamer)

The Carrabec High School, in North Anson, biology students thank Julie Davenport and Jim Ferrante for their forestry presentation. Jim and Julie are foresters who work for the Maine Forest Service. On Tuesday, June 8, and Wednesday, June 9, they came to the high school and spoke to the biology classes. As well as describing the local forest ecology beside the high school, they also talked about the type of work they do as foresters.

This involves working with private landowners, logging companies, paper companies and others. Jim and Julie also talked about the education, training, and personal experience that prepared them to do what they do. This was a rich and necessary presentation for the high school students. As Julie and Jim related, there is a great need for people to do this kind of work.

There are, and will continue to be, many opportunities for people in this and related fields. It is a chance to stay in Maine, do meaningful work, and be outside while you are doing it. What could be better?

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine receives $10K grant to support program

Big Sister Paige Lilly and her “Little Brother” Hunter Stevens (Contributed photo)

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine has received a generous $10,000 grant from the Kay E. Dopp Fund of the Maine Community Foundation. The funding will provide critical social and emotional development needed to help build resilience and promote the mental health and well-being of the children of Maine through one-to-one youth mentoring.

Executive Director of BBBS of Mid-Maine Gwendolyn Hudson said the kindness of the Maine Community Foundation comes at a critical time.

“We are incredibly grateful for Maine Community Foundation’s support. Children have been among the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting their health and mental well-being,” Hudson said. “Providing our one-to-one youth mentoring services is critical now more than ever. This grant will help support the more than 500 youth we currently serve, and will help create, screen, train and support new mentors for the 100 children waiting to be matched with a caring, supportive, positive role model.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine’s long-standing, successful mentoring programs pair children, ages 5-14 (Littles), with caring, responsible role models (Bigs) in one-to-one friendships in seven counties throughout eastern, coastal and central Maine. They partner with parents, in conjunction with over 30 schools and hundreds of volunteers and generous partners in the community, to help children have higher aspirations, greater confidence, better relationships, avoid risky behaviors and achieve greater educational success.

To enroll a child, become a mentor or support BBBS of Mid-Maine, visit www.bbbsmidmaine.org or call 207.236.BBBS.

The Maine Community Foundation, headquartered in Ellsworth, with additional personnel in Portland, Dover-Foxcroft, Rockport, and Mars Hill, works with donors and other partners to provide strong investments, personalized service, local expertise, and strategic giving to improve the quality of life for all Maine people. To learn more about the foundation, visit www.mainecf.org.

Lake Association Annual Meetings 2021

Image Credit: chinalakeassociation.org

2021 Lake Association Annual Meetings

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THREE MILE POND
???

CHINA LAKE
Saturday, July 31 • 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.
China Middle School

WASHINGTON LAKES
???

WEBBER POND
SAT., AUGUST 14, 9 a.m.
Vassalboro Community School

ANNABESSACOOK LAKE ASSN.
???

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To be included in this list, contact The Town Line at townline@fairpoint.net.