Kennebec County retired educators support the classroom

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The Kennebec Retired Educators Association (KREA) awards two $150 grants to two educators in Kennebec County for classroom use. The grants will supplement expenses for student-centered, inter-disciplinary projects and may be expended for materials used in the classroom, speakers’ fees, project development expenses, etc.

Grant description and applications have been disseminated to every principal in all 60 elementary, middle, and high schools in 31 cities and towns in Kennebec County. The principals have made them available to the classroom teachers.

“Students and teachers remain our primary focus long after we leave our classrooms,” says George Davis, of Skowhegan, chairman of the Innovative Classroom Grant Committee and retired principal of Winslow High School.

Grant applications are to be submitted by October 31. The winning applicants will be notified in early November and will receive the grant money at that time.

Fresh Florida citrus delivered to your door

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The Palermo Community Center and Food Pantry is sponsoring a safe annual fruit sale. The oranges, grapefruit, mandarins, and more go from the tree to the shipper in mere hours and arrive at your door ­ – or anywhere in the continental U.S.A. you send them. Shipping fees are only $6.95 a box – no matter how big the box is. You can do all your Christmas shopping with a few clicks of a mouse!

For those not online, it’s possible to order by phone: 1-800-468-3168. Use code 1018996. On a computer, go to: Florida Indian River Groves to see the catalogue of fruit boxes. This sale lasts until November 13, and you have a choice of Thanksgiving or Christmas delivery. Either way, the fruit is bundled up in foam against the cold and bumps along the way. If you need help, please call Connie at 993-2294.

MHS: Music in a coronavirus world

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The Messalonskee High School band practicing outside, at the school, in Oakland. (contributed photo)

by Colin Hickey
MHS English teacher

Try playing a saxophone outside when the temperature is 47 degrees. It’s not easy, and it’s not particularly pleasant. But for members of the Messalonskee High School band program, playing outside has become a necessity in the year of the pandemic, a year in which the music could have died.

“It is doable,” Messalonskee band director Andy Forster said of the outside venue, “but your finger dexterity slows down quite a bit and tuning your instruments is just something you don’t worry about because you need room temperature to do that.”

Forster, though, accepts the inconvenience of playing in chilly weather, and he is willing to adapt in sundry other ways as well. For example, he runs 100 feet of cable outside from the Performing Arts Center so he can hook up a wireless mic to the sound system he reconfigured to work both inside and outside the auditorium. To set it up, he comes to school even earlier than in the past – another inconvenience he accepts as the price of keeping the music alive.

What he cannot preserve, at least for now, is the ability to practice and hold performances inside. The concerts and other musical events that used to fill the fall calendar have all been erased this year, and the sad reality, he said, is they might not return until next fall at the earliest.

But Forster said, “If you focus on what you can’t do, you’ll be stuck and paralyzed and once you do that, the students have lost. They’ve lost everything.”

So instead of bemoaning the losses, Forster celebrates what he can do. “I can be grateful that I work in this (school) district in that I get to see my kids and have my classes,” he said, sitting in his band room as he talked through his mask.  “I’m grateful for the opportunity to be creative. That is not the case throughout the state.”

Forster talked of school districts in which music teachers have had to switch to teaching science and others in which they have become designated substitute teachers.

“It is all shades of bad,” he said of such situations. “As a music teacher, I can’t support any of those decisions.”

Forster realizes that he and his music program face many challenges ahead. As winter approaches, the temperatures will dip to the point in which playing outside no longer will be an option, but Forster already has plans to overcome that frigid reality.

He points to bundles of wooden rhythm sticks in his band room that he ordered. His vision is to distribute those percussion pieces to his students to transform them into a huge rhythm section spread safely across the Performing Arts Center. Forster said he has yet to write the arrangements and create the routines, but the instruments and the determination to put them to use are in place.

Such an approach to making music avoids the dangers caused when blowing into mouth pieces or, in the case of vocalists, breaking into song. Those two methods generate the aerosol emissions that epidemiologists say is a prime way to spread the corona virus and thus methods they warn to avoid at all costs.

Forster, who is married to a physician and has a brother in the medical field, understands full well the danger that his beloved music can generate. At the same time, he also understands that it’s vital to keep his students involved with music, and that gets back to his commitment to adapt rather than bemoan.

Along with his plan for the extensive rhythm section, Forster talks of shifting from performance to creation as the focal point of his program. Instead of playing in front of an audience, he will teach his students how to compose and arrange music – music, he hopes, they one day  will be able to share with classmates and others in a world without the need for masks, a world once more filled with beautiful sounds.

St. Anthony Soup Kitchen continues to creatively serve community

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Volunteers prepare meals at the St. Anthony Soup Kitchen, in Skowhegan. These photos were taken prior to the pandemic. (contributed photos)

The cars continue to line up and roll through, while others walk up wearing masks.

The images of this weekly labor of love look different than they did just eight months ago, but it’s Thursday night, which means a free dinner is available to all who need one thanks to the volunteers at St. Anthony’s Soup Kitchen, in Skowhegan.

“It’s going well. Our numbers increase every week,” said Aldea LeBlanc, coordinator of the kitchen.

St. Anthony’s Soup Kitchen located in the parish hall of Notre Dame de Lourdes Church on Water Street, offered a free, sit-down, hot meal for anyone in need every Thursday night prior to the start of the pandemic in March. The ministry is entirely volunteer run.

“The meals were suspended until early June when the soup kitchen resumed again,” said Nora Natale, office manager at Christ the King Parish, of which the soup kitchen is a part. “Most of the crew was more than ready to see our guests again.”

“The need is so great here,” said Fr. James Nadeau, pastor of Christ the King Parish.

The diners are currently not allowed in the parish hall due to the pandemic, but nobody involved was willing to give up this important ministry that has helped thousands of community members through the years.

Now, volunteers wear masks and practice social distancing, the meals are served in a drive-thru format in the parking lot of the church and other recipients participate through take-out service.

While the delivery methods have changed, what has not is the appeal of the meals, which have included pork chops, barbecue chicken, and many other delectable choices.

“We also provide a vegetable and fruit of some kind, as well as donated desserts and bread,” said Aldea. “The meals are served from 4:30 to 5 p.m. to anyone who comes.”

Established in 1991, the soup kitchen shut down briefly in 2017 while the parish sought funding and someone to lead it.

Aldea stepped forward, along with Steve Watrous, and the kitchen began serving meals again in November 2018.

Patrons not only come from Skowhegan but from surrounding communities such as Athens, Bingham, and Canaan.

The soup kitchen is funded through several source, including donors as well as partners like the Good Shepherd Food Bank, in Auburn, and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). Additionally, Walmart provides a $50 gift card each month, which is used to buy food or supplies, and Hannaford donates food for the meals, as well as bread for the guests to take home.

“If there is any food left over, it gets donated to a homeless shelter in Skowhegan,” said Aldea.

Like many ministries, St. Anthony’s has been diligently planning for the colder months ahead.

“There are two separate doors to the kitchen. One of our ideas is to have people come one at a time to pick up their food from one door and exit the other door,” said Aldea. “They could tell the volunteers what items they want so they wouldn’t need to touch any of the food items. Anyone who cannot pick up this way, we will bring the food to their car like we are doing now.”

Organizers look forward to the day when they can once again offer sit-down service and the in-person community it helps build.

In the meantime, regardless of the protocols they will have to adhere to, you can bet this dedicated group of volunteers will find a way to ensure the doors are open each Thursday.

“We welcome anyone,” said Aldea. “And we’ll always thank them for coming.”

For more information about the St. Anthony’s Soup Kitchen or to learn how you can help, contact the parish at (207) 474-2039.

Some teachers, administrators wear too many hats

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by Peg Pellerin

There are times when some folks wear too many hats and usually it’s not because they want to but because they are so good at what they do that they’re handed yet another hat to wear. Those handing over those hats forget that they can give someone many hats to wear but the individual has only one head.

There is no better example of this than in a school during the COVID-19 pandemic. I happen to be working in a hybrid school system where we have Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 days that alternate. Our teachers must make up lessons for both Cohorts as well as work for home on the days the students are not in school….plus homework for the days they are in school. We’re in week four of the school year and some parents as well as their children still haven’t figured out what they need to do even though everything is written out for them….plus the fact that the teacher(s) email, text and make phone calls, while they are preparing for the next set.

You know that part of getting an extra hat to wear because you’re good at what you do, well a teacher I work with was given an extra hat, today, to conduct a training in the near future on a Monday afternoon. She still has all her hair except for a few patches. Now I know what was between her fingers.

Another hat is remote teaching while also doing in-building teaching. No they aren’t done at the same time but at different times. More on this later.

Teachers also have duties such as conducting students coming from buses and parent drop offs to the designated areas (breakfast or classrooms), recess, hall monitoring, lunch, dismissal dividing the students for buses and parent pickups. Because of the pandemic, these have to be conducted at different entrances in the morning and exits in the afternoon in order to keep students social distancing.

Those teachers who are lucky enough to have an Ed. Tech. get a little help by having them assist with copying, putting learning packets together, laminating, assisting teachers while they are remote teaching by working with the in-building students or we put the extra hat and do the remote teaching after the teacher has given us the curriculum we are to perform with the students remaining home. Oh, yes, we also have the same duties as the teachers….plus, we check on teachers in our pods/wings to see if they need a BR break. When I see a teacher doing a little dance while teaching in front of the classroom, I know she is not entertaining the students. I get a “thank you so much” as she steps out of the room for a couple of minutes.

Teachers and Ed. Techs are not the only ones who wear several hats. The vice principal wore a custodial hat a couple of weeks ago and continues to do so whenever a custodian is out for the day/evening. There is so much that is asked of the custodians in a normal situation but now they must also sanitize every desk, chair, cafeteria tables, door knobs, railings, and anything else that someone’s hands may lay on. So, when one of the custodians is out for some reason or another, the vice principal steps in and helps the other custodians to complete this task along with other custodial services.

Both of our principal and vice principal also make several rounds per day, checking on the hand sanitizing stations to make sure they are full and if the custodian can’t get to it in a timely manner because they are too busy doing other building maintenance, they fill the stations up for them.

I’m sure I must be forgetting some type of hat worn by someone or someones within the building but I can tell you they don’t stop, barely have a chance to get a breather and put their students ahead of themselves. I don’t have to look at comic books, graphic novels or movies to see heroes, I see them every day at school.

Submitted by Debbie Walker

Film center marks domestic violence awareness month

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The Maine Film Center continues its new virtual series, “Cinema in Conversation,” where filmmakers, film experts, policymakers, and journalists from around the world converge on Zoom to discuss important films with the community.

The next event in the “Cinema in Conversation” series will take place on Sunday, October 18 at 2:00 p.m., and will be led by filmmakers Anna-Sophia Richards and Astrid Schäfer (IN MY SKIN), and founder/president of Finding Our Voices Patrisha McLean (producer, “Women in Windows”). Both films address the issue of domestic violence and will bring Domestic Violence Awareness Month into focus. To view the films and register for the discussion, visit RailroadSquareCinema.com. The screening cost is $10 for both films, and proceeds will be split with the filmmakers.

Made in Germany, IN MY SKIN (72 minutes) asks, “Why do women stay in violent relationships even when they have been abused for a long time?” The film chronicles the experiences of the daily lives of three women with different backgrounds as the camera takes on their point of view. We hear their thoughts and suffer with them as they struggle to become more independent and break free. Based on true events, all voice-over texts were taken from interviews with the portrayed women.

WOMEN IN WINDOWS (7 minutes) is a portrait of domestic violence in our own Maine community. As COVID-19 took hold, domestic violence started to spike. The non-profit Finding Our Voices responded with “Women in Windows”: a campaign of huge (2′ x 4′) banners in the windows of 70 downtown businesses in Midcoast Maine, each featuring one of 25 Maine Survivors of domestic abuse, a nod to the abuse and the woman’s transcendence of it, and the local domestic violence hotline phone number: Getting word to women trapped more than ever with angry and controlling family members: “You are not alone” and “There is help out there.” Award-winning film director Daniel Quintanilla captures and preserves this campaign, now touring the state, in this seven-minute film that has a woman taking in the actual words of the actual women in a drive through town, inspiring her own coming out of the darkness and into the light.

A slate of discussions over the coming months will consider a wide range of films: LA LLORONA (dir. Jayro Bustamante, 2019), BIG NIGHT (dir. Stanley Tucci, 1996), and CODED BIAS (dir. Shalini Kantayya, 2020). Each discussion will be led by either the filmmaker or a film expert.

Life Scout presents schools with 13 benches

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Principal Kim Silsby, left, and Stephen Labbe stand with one of Stephen’s benches. (contributed photo)

Stephen Labbe (contributed photo)

The Eagle Scout project is considered to be the most challenging part of Scouting. What is the purpose of the Eagle Project? To give the Scout an opportunity to “plan, develop, and give leadership to others,” as noted in the requirement. Eagle Scout projects are evaluated on the benefit to the organization being served and on the leadership provided by the candidate. There must also be evidence of organized planning and development. During these Covid-19 times, many schools are finding it useful to have as many classrooms and activities outside. Stephen Labbe led five adults and two Scouts to construct 13 benchtables for the Cony Middle and High schools. He graduated in the Spring and wanted to give back to his alma mater. Students and teachers have already put the bench tables to use. “Students will enjoy these benches for years to come!” Cony posted on their Facebook page.

The project was the final requirement needed and once approved, Stephen will come before an Eagle Scout Board of Review to evaluate his Scouting career.

From Madawaska to Kittery: Journey of two cyclists

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Steve Ball, left, and John Benziger, prepare to begin their journey as they depart the Inn at Acadia, in Madawaska. (photo courtesy of Steve Ball)

by Steve Ball
After plans to cycle across the U.S., from Maine to Washington, were scrapped because of the COVID-19 pandemic, John Benziger and I decided to stay in Maine and tackle a safer, Maine challenge: riding our bicycles from Madawaska to Kittery.

As an introduction, Benziger and I have been riding in the local area regularly for some time. We ride through China, Windsor, Vassalboro, Jefferson, Whitefield, Albion, and bordering towns, hugging the shoulders of the roads and dressed in our yellow safety gear. You may have seen us and the many other riders who are increasingly populating the roads. The long-distance travel limitations presented by the pandemic only intensified the itch to get out locally more often.

We arrived in Mada­waska in the mid-afternoon of August 16. What a wonderful town. It lies comfortably along the St. John River and overlooks Edmundston, New Brunswick, Canada. The streets are wide, either to accommodate the snow plowed from the streets or wood mill traffic running in and out of town. Everyone we met was charming and happy to greet us, even as we were all peering over our masks. We had a fortunate accidental run-in with Judy Paradis, Madawaska’s long-serving legislator to the State House and Senate. She educated us on the Acadian spirit that runs deep within the people of the region. It was from her that we learned that nuns from France played a big role in settling Madawaska and that the town of St. Agatha is only pronounced one way, and that is “Saint Agatt”.

Our trip started early Monday morning, riding south on Rte.1 with every intention to make it to Caribou. I had heard that Aroostook County was hilly, but I was beginning to doubt the description as we rode south along the St. John River Valley. It was a very scenic and relatively easy ride until we hit Van Buren and took a right headed toward Caribou. Leaving the St. John River Valley we headed inland and abruptly upland, ascending the hills we had heard so much about.

The scenery was breathtaking, though I wasn’t so sure if my breath was taken away by the terrific, colorful and expansive views of agriculture and nature, or by the nearly constant extreme elevation gain we were trying determinedly to overcome. In either case, we conquered the hills and enjoyed every bit of Aroostook County’s natural beauty. We made it to Caribou and Russell’s Motel as planned.

I must add here that time and again throughout the journey we were impressed with the effort and cleanliness of each hotel or motel we stayed in. To run a hotel, inn or motel in these difficult and uncertain times is almost mind-bogglingly difficult; yet at each establishment in which we stopped, the owners or managers appeared intent on doing what they could to make our stay with them safe. We felt as safe as we could expect to feel given the circumstances.

John Benziger, left, and Steve Ball, take a break along the St. John River, during their trek. (photo courtesy of Steve Ball)

We woke up to a downpour on Tuesday, our second day. We had no reasonable alternative but to head out and ride. We headed for Presque Isle with hopes the rain would let up as we moved south. By the time we hit Presque Isle there was no sign of the rain easing up so we stopped for an extended breakfast and drying out in the Governor’s Restaurant, on Main Street. We were able to get our bikes somewhat out of the rain and enjoyed a nice meal and warm hospitality.

On our way to Mars Hill we enjoyed riding through our solar system. In a mock-up put together by the University of Maine at Presque Isle, the planets are arranged along Rte. 1 in distances relative to the actual distance from each other in space. For instance, the Sun is in Presque Isle, the Earth is about one mile from the sun and Pluto is in Houlton, over 40 miles away. If you have not traveled on this part of Rte. 1, I recommend it. It would be fascinating for anyone interested in astronomy, space and the planets.

Our first real glitch occurred waking up in Houlton to news that there was a COVID-19 outbreak in Millinocket. This was not anything we had planned for and, since our next night’s reservation was in East Millinocket, we were in for an interesting day. We needed to change our plans, but where does one stay in this part of Maine? We needed to ride on and try to arrange for a new reservation somewhere a safe distance from Millinocket. During our periodic stops, we were unable to access the internet on our phones. There apparently is not a robust cell tower network in such towns as Smyrna Mills, Island Falls, or Monarda along Rte. 2. We had success in Mattawamkeag! It was late in the afternoon when we finally were able to search for available rooms. We found a room in Lincoln. The added distance from our original plan was a bit of a challenge, but well worth the effort. After 81 miles we arrived at a safe and warm room in the White Tail Inn, in downtown Lincoln.

Our next day’s ride was shortened given our added distance the day before, and we were not unhappy with that. We arrived in Orono about midday and relaxed in our room in the University Inn. We had time to do a very necessary load of laundry and rest our legs and bikes.

The following morning we met Bob Bennett, a friend and local China-area rider, with his bike. Bennett joined us for our ride to Belfast. We rode through Bangor and followed the Penobscot River down to Stockton Springs and Rte. 1. Whew, the extreme hills were behind us and from here on out we would generally hug the coast all the way to Kittery. Bennett departed from us in Belfast and headed for home.

We headed south on Rte. 1. If the usual number of summer vacationers had been driving the famed tourist route, our ride from Belfast to Brunswick might have been more challenging. John Williams, a dear friend and avid cyclist, joined us for this leg of the journey. It was a wonderful ride with very nice late-summer weather and wonderful views of coastal Maine.

Steve and John approach their destination as they peddle along Rte. 1, near Old Orchard Beach. (photo courtesy of Steve Ball)

After a good night’s sleep we headed for Portland. It was not a terribly long ride, roughly 30 miles. This was going to be a particularly good day as we were meeting up with our wives, Mary and Allane, to spend the night together before we headed for our last day of the trip. The wives had arranged for a room and we were looking forward to a comfortable meal together and a relaxing evening.

The last day of the journey was exceptional. We departed Portland fairly early to make sure we arrived in Kittery with enough time to have a good meal, pack up and get ready to head back home. We left Rte. 1 in Cape Neddick and turned East toward the ocean along Rte. 1A into York Beach and Rte. 103 to Kittery Point and Kittery. What a fabulous route. The smell of the ocean, the views of the harbors and coves and the gentle rolling hills made for one our best days on the journey.

We ended the trip having logged 430.02 miles and were in the saddle pedaling nearly 39 hours. As disappointed as we were that our original plans for a grand trip across the country had to be scrapped, this journey was truly a highlight, exceeding all of our expectations. Across all parts of the state, from northern agricultural to mid-state industrial to coastal fishing, Maine is indeed a one-of-a-kind state, full of amazing people and breathtaking scenery.

Editor’s note: That coast-to-coast trek is still on the radar.

Whitefield Lions to donate art supplies

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Poster contest winners from 2019. (Contributed photo)

The Whitefield Lions Club will be donating to the local school’s art departments this fall. Due to Covid-19 the WLC was not able to conduct their annual Peace Poster Contest held every October. Every year each of the schools which include Windsor, Jefferson, Whitefield and Chelsea Elementary participates in the contest through their art department. The selected winners come to the club house with their parents and display their art work. A winner is chosen to go on to the district competition. Since the Lion’s Club was not able to hold its competition, they agreed they would contribute to each of the schools art departments hoping to resume the Peace Poster Contest next year.

Fall foliage report: Peak conditions occurring in most of Maine

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This week’s Fall Foliage Report from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry (DACF) reports peak and slightly beyond peak conditions for this upcoming weekend in northern, western, and central Maine. Coastal and southern regions are displaying moderate color changes (less than 50 percent color change).

Typically, northern Maine (zones 6 and 7) reach peak conditions the last week of September into the first week of October. The rest of the state’s color progression will start from north to south in early to-mid-October.

“The lack of rain this summer and the early widespread frost jumpstarted the progression of foliage colors this season,” noted Gale Ross, DACF’s fall foliage coordinator. “Color is still emerging daily in portions of southern and coastal regions of Maine beyond this week and into October. But remember, it has been the shorter sunny days, followed by the cool nights of autumn that brought about the brilliant colors being displayed this week. It’s Mother Nature’s way of protecting and putting her trees to bed for the long winter months ahead.”

This weekend, take in the quickly progressing foliage from Sunday River’s Chondola scenic lift rides, or for coastal explorers, Camden Snow Bowl’s chairlift rides. Maine Craft Weekend, an annual statewide tour, will take place on October 3 and 4, with safety measures and changes to the typical weekend format. Check the website to learn about Maine-made crafts and support local artists and craftspeople.

For those looking for a fun virtual experience, the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival has been reimagined this year as a virtual event and a month-long ‘WHOOPtoberfest’ celebration.

For this week’s fall adventure, make your way to Maine’s Kennebec Valley for a relaxed leaf-peeping tour. Begin in Solon and wind your way to the Canadian border along the 78-mile Old Canada Road Scenic Byway. Pack a picnic for a stop at Robbins Hill for panoramic views of the valley, and don’t miss the Moxie Falls Scenic Area in The Forks, where you have the chance to enjoy the changing leaves on foot with a two-mile hike to the 92-foot vertical drop of the falls. Adventure seekers can still feel the thrill of whitewater rafting on the Kennebec River, a great way to experience fall foliage from the water for a few more weeks. And for leisure peepers, enjoy the fairytale-like trail system of Vaughan Woods in historic Hallowell.

During these unusual times, please be safe while exploring Maine this fall. For travel and visitor information as it relates to COVID-19, go to visitmaine.com/travel-with-care.

Autumn enthusiasts can visit the state’s official foliage website at www.mainefoliage.com to sign up to receive weekly reports by email and are encouraged to share foliage images from regions throughout Maine as the progression of color unfolds. Be sure to tag your pictures with @mainefoliage on Instagram and use #MaineFoliage. The Maine Foliage Facebook page also includes safe ways to enjoy fall this year. For more information about visiting Maine safely this fall, visit maine.gov/covid19.

Autumn enthusiasts can visit the state’s official foliage website at www.mainefoliage.com.