Skowhegan woman earns national recognition

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Amber Lambke

In the last 20 years, the face of corporate leadership has begun to change – and many of those new faces are women. From boardrooms to balance sheets, female CEOs are making a powerful impact, reshaping industries once dominated by men. Their rise marks real progress, but it’s not yet the finish line. Women are still vastly underrepresented in top executive roles, particularly in the country’s most influential companies.

To spotlight the women changing that narrative, MarketBeat.com, a financial media company, surveyed 3,021 people to uncover the most inspirational female leaders in the country. The aim? To celebrate both household names and hidden heroes – leaders whose stories deserve a wider audience.

Amber Lambke, of Skowhegan – Co-Founder & CEO; Maine Grains

Amber Lambke co-founded Maine Grains, a company revitalizing the local grain economy by producing stone-milled flour and other grain products. Operating out of a repurposed jailhouse in Skowhegan, Maine Grains supports regional agriculture and promotes sustainable food systems. Lambke’s leadership has positioned the company as a model for community-based food production. She was ranked 111th in the country.

Housed in a Victorian-era jailhouse the Somerset Grist Mill / Maine Grains sources grains from local farmers, and has fostered the creation of a CSA and a farmer’s market that provides local produce to area residents. Maine Grains specializes in freshly milled, organic and heritage grains for stoneground flour and rolled oats, selling to bakers, brewers, and chefs throughout the Northeast. Their restaurant, the Miller’s Table at Maine Grains information below.

The gristmill is also home to the Maine Grains Dry Goods Store, The Miller’s Table cafe, Happyknits yarn shop, the Skowhegan Farmer’s Market, and the Maine Grain Alliance teaching kitchen.

The business is located at 42 Court Street, in Skowhegan, Maine

Spectrum Generations seeks subcontract for older and disabled adults with local providers

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Spectrum Generations, Central Maine’s Area Agency on Aging, provides community- based services through the Older Americans Act (OAA) Title III, parts B, C, E, and D. Spectrum Generations serves Kennebec, Somerset, Waldo, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc Counties as well as the towns of Brunswick and Harpswell. The mission of Spectrum Generations is to promote and advance the well-being and independence of older and disabled adults, with the support of their care partners, to live in their community of choice.

To best serve local communities, Spectrum Generations seeks proposals to subcontract Older Americans Act services with local providers. Those services include:

OAA Title IIIB

– Money Minders
– Community Center Activities for Older Adults
– Telephone Reassurance
– Adult Day Services
– In-home Supportive Services (chore, personal care, and homemaker

OAA Title IIIC

– Home Delivered Meals
– Congregate Dining
– Nutrition Counseling and Education

OAA Title IIID

– Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.

OAA Title IIIE

– Care Partner Support Groups and Training

Refer to Older Americans Act service definitions and reporting requirements for information on these services.

Single-year grant agreements will cover a period of one fiscal year, beginning October 1 and ending September 30. Providers must be familiar and compliant with rules and policy sections of the Office of Aging and Disability Services, Maine Nutrition Standards, the Older Americans Act, and standard terms and conditions required by Maine employment law and contracting guidelines.

Providers must also demonstrate the capacity to continue quality services in the case of delayed state payments or reduced award amounts due to state contractual amendments. Federal Funds through the Older Americans Act are often not received until January for contracts starting in October and typically include 2 to 3 amendments during the contract year. Award amounts are based on service type, service area, and units of service.

Any services provided by a subcontractor must fall within Spectrum Generations planning and service area listed above, though they need not cover the entire area. Providers must meet all requirements and submit all data prior to receiving payment. Providers may not means test or subcontract services.

Interested organizations must submit a Letter of Intent by June 23, 2025. Submissions will not be accepted after the closing date. Submissions should demonstrate the capacity to meet all requirements herein as well as the regulatory requirements from the sources listed above. Current subcontractors are not required to submit a letter of intent for those services currently under contract.

Lincoln County Historical Society opens season (2025)

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Colonial Maine Living History Association reenactors honor veterans on Memorial Day, at the Pownalborough Court House, in Dresden. The event begins at 11 a.m., on Monday, May 26. (photo courtesy of Bob Bond)

The Lincoln County Historical Association (LCHA) is kicking off its 2025 season with a range of engaging events that invite the public to experience history in different ways. Highlights include a Memorial Day ceremony, a visit from historical archaeologist Tim Dinsmore, new hands-on experiences at the Old Jail, and Community Day offering free admission to three historic sites on Sunday, June 1.

Seasonal programming begins on Monday, May 26, at 11 a.m., with a Memorial Day observance at the Pownalborough Court House, in Dresden, where visitors can join historical reenactors in honoring nine veterans of three different wars buried in the Old Court House Cemetery. The event will include flower placements on graves, a brief prayer, and a ceremonial flag-raising, followed by guided tours of the 1761 Pownalborough Court House.

On Saturday, May 31, historical archaeologist Tim Dinsmore will be at the Chapman-Hall House, in Damariscotta, from 12:30 to 4:00 p.m., to talk with visitors about his archaeological work at the site. This informal opportunity gives guests the chance to learn about the goals and findings of the excavation, and ask questions about historical archaeology.

Sunday, June 1, marks LCHA’s annual Community Day, with free admission to all three historic sites: Pownalborough Court House (1761) in Dresden, Chapman-Hall House (1754), in Damariscotta, and the Lincoln County Museum & Old Jail (1811), in Wiscasset.

At the Old Jail Museum, families can engage in new hands-on activities that bring 19th-century daily life to life for younger visitors. Children will explore what it was like for the jailer’s family in the early 1800s, making for an interactive and educational experience.

Seasonal hours begin after these special events, and all sites will be open during weekends through the summer. Pownalborough Court House will be open Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Indigenous Peoples Day. Chapman-Hall House will be open Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. through October 12, and the Old Jail Museum will be open Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. through September 28.

For more details, including event information and seasonal programming, visit www.lincolncountyhistory.org or follow LCHA on social media. Facebook: Lincoln County Historical Association (Maine) and Pownalborough Court House Museum, instagram: @historicallincolncounty.

Support Maine 4-H with a paper clover donation at your local Tractor Supply

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The Jolly Juniors 4-H Club hosting a bake sale during the Paper Clover Campaign at the Tractor Supply Co. store in Ellsworth. Pictured left to right: Leah, Samantha, Brenda Jordan (Club Leader), and Cassidy.

The bi-annual Paper Clover fundraising campaign is in full swing at Tractor Supply stores across the state. Imagine a generation of young people in Maine equipped with the skills to lead, innovate and build a brighter future. This vision becomes a reality through the long-standing partnership between 4-H and Tractor Supply Company. Since 2010, this effective collaboration has raised over $24 million nationwide through the Paper Clover campaign, directly impacting the lives of countless youth by providing them with invaluable life and work-ready skills.

Donations to the Paper Clover campaign make a local impact, with 100 percent of the funds raised in Maine directly benefitting Maine 4-H youth and providing vital resources for hands-on learning experiences, leadership development and community engagement. These funds also directly support Maine’s 4-H Camps and Learning Centers, offering transformative opportunities for young people to connect with the outdoors, build confidence and develop essential life skills.

This spring’s campaign, which runs through May 5, holds special significance as Maine proudly declares 2025 the Year of Youth in Agriculture, a statewide initiative celebrating and supporting the young individuals shaping the future of our agricultural landscape. The initiative underscores the role 4-H plays in cultivating the next generation of farmers, producers and agricultural advocates. The Year of Youth in Agriculture will feature various events, educational opportunities and leadership development programs including the upcoming Northeast Livestock Exposition (NELE), taking place at the Windsor Fairgrounds from Friday, May 16 to Sunday, May 18. This event will showcase the talent and dedication of young livestock exhibitors, many of whom are Maine 4-H members.

Maine 4-H provides experiential opportunities for young people to develop essential skills in animal science, crop production, and sustainable farming practices. The Paper Clover program directly supports these local programs, helping to ensure a vibrant future for Maine’s agricultural sector.

To learn more about Maine 4-H or to enroll, please visit the program website or contact 207.581.3877, 1.800.287.0274 (in Maine) or extension@maine.edu

Local students go to state house to support girls’ sports and spaces

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Bianca Wright, of Benton, speaking before the Maine Judiciary Committee, in Augusta. (contributed photo)

Female student athletes from across the state came to Augusta to testify in favor of bills to protect women’s sports and spaces. Most Mainers recognize these bills are commonsense policy that needs to be passed.

Dozens of brave girls came to testify in front of the Judiciary Committee. They shared their stories of how they’ve been negatively impacted by Maine’s current practice that allows biological men to compete in girls’ sports and invade women’s spaces.
“The vast majority of Mainers believe the rights of biological girls and women must be upheld. It’s up to us as legislators to protect these girls,” said Sen. Sue Bernard, R-Aroostook. “These bills will ensure privacy, safety and fairness for all Maine girls and re-affirm the protections that have been afforded to women since the passage of Title IX in 1972.”

Zoe Hutchins, of Fairfield, speaking before the Maine Judiciary Committee, in Augusta. (contributed photo)

Vassalboro Community School counselors are there for support, Part 2

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VCS counselors Jamie Routhier and Gina Davis. (The Town Line file photo)

by Mary Grow

(Click here to read part 1 of this story!)

Vassalboro Community School (VCS) counselors Jamie Routhier and Gina Davis share responsibility for assisting any among the school’s approximately 420 students who need support with social or academic (or both) problems, and teachers and administrators who need advice in challenging situations.

In addition, the two counselors oversee a variety of programs run wholly or partly by outside groups, programs they imported – or created – to meet a perceived need.

One program Routhier and Davis mention with pride is called Colby Cares About Kids (CCAK): a collaboration with Colby College, in Waterville, to match Colby students as mentors to VCS students in grades two through eight.

In the spring of 2025, the two reported, there are 22 Colby mentors, seven young men and 15 young women, working with an equal number of students, half of them boys and half girls.

Mentors are trained in the fall and spring. They visit weekly and engage in varied activities with the students – reading together, walking on the trails around VCS, just talking.

Each mentor stays with his or her student until the mentor graduates or leaves the CCAK program. Each year’s program ends with a celebration at Colby, in May.

Another program is titled Hardy Girls/Healthy Women, created in Maine in 2000. Its website lists four characteristics it promotes for girls and nonbinary young people: curiosity, critical thinking, coalition-building and challenging the status quo.

A newly introduced program for students in grades five through eight is titled Sources of Strength and comes through the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Routhier says it is aimed at showing student leaders personal (physical and mental health) and social (family support, positive friendships) resources to get through hard times.

Body safety lessons, involving experts from the state department of education and the Maine Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers, teach students how to cope with sexual abuse. Routhier cited a state law requiring all Maine K-5 schools to have “a written policy for child sexual abuse prevention, education and response.”

Another safety program is the Maine State Police’s Online Safety Presentation, designed to help students better understand the risks associated with online sharing.

The two programs that take the most time for the counselors are the FoodBag program and the Cares Closet, which distribute food and clothing/household supplies, respectively. Both are in constant use, therefore in need of constant restocking.

Anyone considering a donation to the FoodBag or the Cares Closet, or seeking more information about any of these VCS programs, is invited to email Jamie Routhier, jrouthier@vcsvikings.org or Gina Davis, gdavis@vcsvikings.org.

The number of Vassalboro families using one or both programs varies; Routhier said it is typically 20-plus. Routhier and Davis created a needs assessment form and invite families to sign up at the beginning of each academic year, but new enrollments during the year – and withdrawals if a situation improves – are welcome.

The FoodBag operates with assistance from Good Shepherd Food Bank, the Vassalboro Parent-Teacher Organization and the school’s JMG (Jobs for Maine Graduates) program. Food is organized and distributed to meet each family’s needs.

Distributions are monthly, usually before a long weekend or vacation week, including a bag at the end of the school year. In the 2024-25 school year there were two November distributions, as the PTO helped send complete Thanksgiving meals to 24 families.

The Cares Closet provides needy students with “hygiene products, clothing, winter items, shoes and boots.” Its mission includes the program formerly called Christmas magic, giving families what Routhier calls “winter survival supplies” like warm clothes, books, games and craft supplies.

Routhier expressed gratitude to Vassalboro resident Amy Davidoff for her organizing help. Keeping clothing donations sorted by type, size, sex and season is time-consuming.

Routhier and Davis encourage teachers to refer any student they think could use anything in the closet. “We would rather be searching to replenish our supply than have it sit there when a family is in need,” Routhier said.

One more program, called the Civil Rights Team, was suspended for the 2024-25 academic year. Routhier said there is “a lot of student excitement” in favor of restarting it in the fall of 2025. As the title suggests, its goal is to empower students to understand civil rights and share their knowledge.

ShineOnCass hosts annual baby shower

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Goat yoga instructors Shawna Lachance, left, and Chelsey Oliver are assisted by Holly Lachance, Quinn Easler, and a newborn baby goat at the ShineOnCass Animal Baby Shower & PJ Party. (contributed photo)

More than 100 children dressed in pajamas came to Hart-to-Hart Farm & Education Center, in Albion, on Sunday, May 4, to welcome newborn farm animals (also in jammies), give back to their community, and honor the legacy of Cassidy Charette at the annual ShineOnCass Animal Baby Shower & PJ Party.

The event featured hands-on educational sessions, including teaching kids how to milk a cow, fetch eggs from chickens, card lamb’s wool, and stretch out at goat yoga. Children were able to hold the newborn babies, learn how to care for them, and experience a working, organic farm.

Hart-to-Hart Farm is a family-owned and operated organic dairy farm that offers a variety of summer educational programs for children, adults and families. The event is held each year in memory of Cassidy Charette, an Oakland teen who died in a hayride accident in 2014. Cassidy, known for her kindness as an active community volunteer, was also passionate about caring for animals as a long-time summer camper at Hart-to-Hart Farm.

Families attending the event donated money and a truckload of food and pet items gifted to Humane Society Waterville Area in honor of Cassidy, who was also a shelter volunteer.

For information about Hart-to-Hart Farm & Education Center, visit hart2hartfarm.org. To learn more about the ShineOnCass Foundation, visit shineoncass.org.

Palermo Historical Society celebrates 30 years

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PHS volunteer Michelle Glidden looks on with pride as Sawyer Cotter-Hayes works the grain grinder, full of Palermo-grown dent corn. (contributed photo)

by William Armstrong,
PHS President

To live in Palermo is to live among history, and this is true whether you know the history or not. It’s in the name and shape of our roads – Turner Ridge, Banton, Parmenter – and of the families who have lived here for generations. It’s in the houses, like the ones that survived the Branch Mills Fire of 1908 or the camps that surround Sheepscot Pond. It’s in the people, like local sons Millard Howard and Milton Dowe, who had so much love for this town that they each wrote a comprehensive history of it. That love and pride brought townsfolk together 30 years ago to found the Palermo Historical Society, and keeps us celebrating and preserving that history today.

We recently got to celebrate some local history with the third graders of Palermo Consolidated School, restarting a fond tradition. It was a delight to see the excitement and wonder in these kids’ eyes as they contemplated a 19th century life without electricity or iPads. Our intrepid volunteers demonstrated homesteader techniques like grain grinding, hand and loom weaving, and log cabin construction, and told stories of settlers working together to erect sawmills, grain mills, and churches (in that order!).

Our Society meets in the historic Worthing House, at 54 North Palermo Rd, right in the Branch Mills village. We love to collaborate with other local organizations, and are hosting Palermo’s American Legion Post #163 for a Memorial Day commemoration, starting at 11 a.m., on the May 26.

The society’s vice-president, Paul Hunter, is leading a popular monthly series on ancestry and genealogy in partnership with the Palermo Community Library – see their Facebook for more information. Later in June, we celebrate the anniversary of Palermo’s founding with our annual Founder’s Day Cookout, scheduled for June 21.

August means Palermo Days and the return of the 20th Maine Company B Civil War reenactors, camping out on our lawn. Our 30th anniversary season concludes in October with a new apple festival, organized in collaboration with PHS member and renowned apple expert, John Bunker. Mark Saturday, October 11, in your calendar for what is going to be a fun and hands-on celebration of all of what the humble apple provides us. All of our meetings and events are family-friendly and all are welcome.

The cornerstone of the Society’s achievements over the past 30 years is our dedicated membership, and there’s never been a better time to join us! Annual dues are just $5, and to commemorate our anniversary all new members receive a gift copy of Millard Howard’s definitive “An Introduction to the Early History of Palermo.” Members receive our seasonal newsletter, support our collection of antiques and artifacts, and guide our future. Our work in maintaining the historic Worthing House and grounds is never done, and we are always open to partnering with local businesses in pursuit of that goal.

The Palermo Historical Society was founded in 1995 with the express mission of preserving and cataloging our town’s history. That mission has taken many forms over the past 30 years, and our collection now includes books, maps, diaries, mementos, furniture, clothing, plateware, tools, all available to be viewed at our gifted home, the Worthing House, at 54 North Palermo Rd. We also have some especially rare treasures, like an antique barn loom (gift of Elsie Adams), one of the oldest telephones in Palermo (gift of Miriam Keller), the homemade diving helmet Milton Dowe used to walk across the bottom of Branch Pond, a working Edison phonograph with a collection of wax cylinder recordings (gift of Janet Potter).

To view any of our collection, please contact palermohistorical@gmail.com or join a meeting on the fourth Tuesday, at 6 p.m., March through October. You may get in touch with William Armstrong, PHS president, directly at armstrongpalermo@gmail.com.

EVENTS: Oakland Legion Memorial Day parade

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This year’s Memorial Day Parade will be on Monday, May 26, starting at noon.

Before the parade there will be a service held at Lakeview Cemetery At 11 a.m., to honor and remember those veterans who have passed.

For his many years of service Dana Wrigley has been chosen as your Grand Marshal. Also, many organizations will be in attendance. The Kora Temple Riders and Clowns, Military Vehicles, Oakland Middle School Band, antique cars and trucks, along with many others.

Sons of American Legion will be hosting their traditional BBQ starting at the end of the parade with burgers, hot dogs, beans and more at the Legion Hall.

The parade will be lining up At the Messalonskee Middle School. All participants are expected to arrive and line up beginning at 11 a.m. At noon it will proceed down Pleasant Street, continuing onto Main Street, from there to Memorial Hall for a ceremony and ending up at the Oakland Post Office. This will be one of the best parades in the area!

If your organization, class or group are interested in participating please contact Bonnie Audet at the Legion Hall and leave a message (207)-465-2446.

New Dimensions FCU announces 2025 scholarship winners

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Sofia DeRosby

New Dimensions Federal Credit Union (NDFCU) is proud to announce the recipients of its 2025 Scholarship Program: Sofia Derosby and Alan Crawford III. Each student has been awarded $2,500 for their college tuition this fall, recognizing their outstanding academic achievements, community involvement, and exemplary essays.

Sofia Derosby, a graduate of Messalonskee High School, will attend the University of Maine to pursue a degree in music education. Alan Crawford III, a Forest Hills Consolidated School graduate, will study computer technology, at Central Maine Community College. Both students impressed the scholarship committee with their academic excellence and strong recommendations.

Alan Crawford

Ryan Poulin, CEO of New Dimensions, expressed his pride in this year’s winners, stating, “We are excited to support these talented students as they take the next step in their educational journeys. Both Sofia and Alan demonstrate the qualities we admire: dedication, hard work, and a passion for learning. We look forward to seeing their continued success.”

For more information on New Dimensions FCU’s scholarship program, please visit https://www.newdimensionsfcu.com/resources/youth-scholarships/ or contact the Marketing Department at marketing@newdimensionsfcu.com.