Mia Dawbin Pine Tree Council’s first female Eagle Scout

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Mia Dawbin, of Sidney Boys Scout Troop #1776, became the first female Eagle Scout in Maine. (contributed photo)

Member of Sidney’s Boy Scout Troop #1776

by Chuck Mahaleris

Mia Dawbin, of Troop #1776, in Sidney, is the first female Eagle Scout from the Pine Tree Council which covers half of the state of Maine.

Dawbin, daughter of Karinna and George “Butch” Dawbin, of West Gardiner, had her Eagle Scout Board of Review on February 8 where she met with Scouting volunteers who reviewed her Scouting career including her leadership positions within the troop, merit badges earned, challenges along the way and her Eagle Scout Service Project during which she found a need, led a team of volunteers and performed 265 hours while putting together care packages for those staying in local shelters. Her Eagle Scout application has since been approved both locally and nationally and she is part of the inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts.

“Mia is a trailblazer, role model, and mentor to the girls in our troop,” Scoutmaster of Troop #1776 Danielle Hileman said. “She has shown in her daily life and community involvement what it truly means to be an Eagle Scout. We are so proud of her and her accomplishments.”

Mia spoke about her Eagle Scout project: “Each volunteer was wearing a mask and gloves to help make sure there was no risk of spreading Covid-19. Buying shampoo, conditioner, and sanitizer by the gallon was far less expensive than buying individual bottles, so I had lots of help from volunteers to divide them into four-ounce bottles. Menstrual products are among the most expensive hygiene products, so each bag for teen girls/adult women included a month or more supply of pads and/or tampons.”

“We may take a warm place to stay and toys/other fun items for granted, but not every child gets that kind of experience. Due to some really generous contributions from community members, we were able to include toys, games, puzzles, play dough, teddy bears, hats, and gloves in every child’s care package,” Dawbin said. “Each of the adult/teen masks were handmade and donated. We put a total of 370 reusable masks into 200 care packages, meaning everyone was able to receive one – two masks. The color coded bags were then sorted into deliveries for eight separate shelters based on the number of people/demographics of each. I wanted to help support the shelters since I know that the CDC guidelines make things difficult for them. So I decided to put together care packages that included reusable masks, hand sanitizer, hygiene products for one month, and a couple of other necessities to each person currently staying at each of eight area shelters including three teen shelters and two domestic violence shelters.” Her project included fundraising, public awareness, collecting items and then distributing the bags to shelters and was completed last Fall during the pandemic.

Mia’s life ambitions include attending college to study psychology, education and wilderness therapy. “As a career I am most interested in becoming a child/school psychologist or working in the wilderness therapy field.”

“For the past few years I’ve really enjoyed working in the Nechemis Program (new Scouts) at Camp Bomazeen, which I intend to continue in the near future. I’ve also liked being a part of National Youth Leadership Training staff for the 2019 course which was held at Camp Bomazeen.” At Maine Connections Academy, she has served as President of the National Honor Society.

Her mom, Karinna Dawbin, said, “I am so excited for the first female Eagle Scout in K-Valley, and as far as I know, the first one in Maine! This girl works so hard to do her best in everything she does. She’s been handed so many obstacles, but she doesn’t let anything stop her from achieving her dreams.”

Luanne Chesley, Advancement Chairman for Kennebec Valley District, organized Mia’s Board of Review. “Becoming an Eagle Scout is the highest honor in Scouting and it’s not just given to you. Mia never looked at challenges while working on her achievement as obstacles. She kept following her dream to be a part of her family’s long line of Eagle Scouts and everything it stands for. Mia is a true role model for others to look up to and admire. Mia is now a marked woman. An Eagle Scout.”

211 Maine Management moves to 50 Elm Street, in Waterville

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211 Maine, a statewide initiative providing access to health and human services, has announced the relocation of its management office to 50 Elm Street, in Waterville, after the sale of the United Way building at 150 Kennedy Memorial Drive. The new office is co-located with the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, Central Maine Growth Council, Maine Technology Institute (MTI), and Coastal Enterprise Institute’s (CEI) Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

Trout stocking sale underway; Pre-order deadline is May 19

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Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District (KLSWCD) is once again sponsoring an annual trout stocking sale for your home or farm pond. They offer two sizes, 4 – 6-inch rainbow trout and 7 – 9-inch brook trout, as well as oxygen bags that hold up to 50 fish. Minimum order is $50.

To order, you must have a current stocking permit from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF&W). Permit applications must be on file with KLSWCD before May 19. Please allow two weeks for IF&W to process your application. Permit applications and trout order forms are available on the KLSWCD website at http://www.knox-lincoln.org/trout-sale or contact them to receive one by mail.

Trout sale pre-order deadline is May 19 with pick-up at noon on Wednesday, May 26, at the District Office, located at 893 West St. (Rt 90), in Rockport.

For more information, visit: https://www.knox-lincoln.org/trout-sale, call 596-2040, or email rebecca@knox-lincoln.org.

Gibbs Library to host local ecologist

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Gibbs Library in Washington, ME. (photo from: librarything.com)

Gibbs Library will be hosting local ecologist Shri Verrill for a presentation and discussion about the new Maine Climate Plan. The Maine Climate Council submitted their final plans to the legislature and Gov­ernor Janet Mills in December. The program will introduce audience members to climate change in Maine, the goals and solutions recommended in the Maine Climate Plan, and what’s needed to put the plan in motion to benefit people and the environment. There will be time for questions following the presentation.

Shri Verrill

Shri Verrill is a wetland scientist and field botanist with a master of science degree in biology from the University of Maine. Her thesis research focused on coastal salt marsh, estuarine ecology, and tidal restoration as a model for sea-level-rise. Shri has worked with communities in southern, Downeast, and currently, midcoast Maine to implement fish passage, salt marsh, tidal, and estuarine restoration.

Join her on Sunday, March 7, from 3 – 4 p.m., for the online event.

The event is free and meant for a general audience. Registration is required, and you can register for the online event at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZApfuqsqj4iGtbPdqU9OC0PiT7wNndgqnGa.

 

 

Benton resident celebrates 102nd birthday

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Charlie Kent, of Benton, at his 102nd birthday. (contributed photo)

Born during a pandemic, Charlie Kent has witnessed the evolution of modern America

Submitted by daughter Ellie Peavey

“Fifteen two, fifteen four, fifteen six, a double run for sixteen and right jack for seventeen.” What is this you ask? It’s how Charles Kent, of Benton, celebrated his 102nd birthday—winning many cribbage games against various family members.

According to Ellie, his eldest daughter from Syracuse, New York, he’s a master at pegging points throughout every game he plays. Charlie, as he is fondly known by his friends, has passed along his love of cribbage, not only to his children, but his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, several who were honored to play with him over his recent birthday weekend.

Charlie enjoying a dance with his beloved Nina, who shared 65 years of marriage. (contributed photo)

Another talent he has shared with his children is his love of dancing. He met Nina Bailey, the love of his life, on a dance floor and they danced throughout their 65-plus years of marriage. They could really “cut up the rug” dancing the Charleston, a popular dance during the roaring ‘20s. As master and Ceres, respectively, of Benton Grange for years, Charlie and Nina ran public Saturday night dances. Line dances like the Boston Fancy and Haymakers Gig were favorites, but none could take front and center when Charlie and Nina floated across the floor dancing the elegant Viennese waltz.

Charlie was born during a pandemic, has lived through major agricultural, industrial and societal changes and is now enduring another pandemic. The pop-up toaster, short wave radios, and arc welders were invented in 1919 and Woodrow Wilson was his president. From tilling the land with horses to the use of GPS systems on tractors to plant and harvest huge crops, Charlie has witnessed how technology has changed the efficiency and economics of farming.

Charlie still enjoying his tractor. (contributed photos)

Charlie never really retired from 25 years of dairy farming 100 acres of land and milking 80 head of cattle, as he continued selling hay for another ten years and now assists his youngest son, Dennis, with his hay business by baling every summer, including last summer, and repairing machinery. This is all after working 14 years as a diesel locomotive mechanic in the piping department for the Central Maine Railroad (CMR). When laid off from the CMR in the 1940s he worked in the Fairfield Woolen Mill.

Early in his work career he was a butcher and ran a meat cart, drove a milk truck for $2/day, pumped 10 gallons gas/$1, worked in the woods and for a man with a portable saw mill, and sold wood for $6/cord, worked in a candy factory, picked potatoes and served as Benton Methodist Church janitor, among other odd jobs.

Few towns have had the good fortune of having such a dedicated servant as Charles is to his beloved town of Benton. One of his many contributions to the town include serving as its first selectman for 28 years (assuming the role of overseer of the poor and road commissioner many of these years). During this tenure he established and chaired the town planning board and was a member of the town budget committee.

Among his major accomplishments include initiating construction of the eight-room elementary school with gymnasium in 1957, for $95,000, including donations of land, time, equipment and money; replacing 14 wells in 1973 by hooking up a public water line from China Lake to the town with $28,000 of state funding; securing a $100,000 grant and a $100,000 FHA loan when needed to install secondary lines to the main sewer connector lines to complete secondary sewer lines enabling Benton to join the Kennebec Sanitary Treatment District; constructing a salt and sand shed; building a new town hall.

His representation on the Farm Bureau and Maine Municipal Association legislative committees while serving two years in the 101st Maine Legislature as the welfare committee chairman benefitted the townships of Albion, Benton, Clinton, Sidney and Unity greatly. He is proud to have received the Boston Post Gold Cane as the oldest resident in the town of Benton in 2011, and was presented an honorary Lawrence High School diploma in 2015. Other awards include 1995 Ethel Kelly Memorial Committee Award and the 1971 Maine State Grange Farm Family of the Year. Not bad for a young fella with an eighth grade education.

His civic involvement is extensive with memberships in the Fairfield Lodge of Odd Fellows; Benton and Clinton Methodist Churches; Waterville Elks B.P.O.E No. 905; Siloam Lodge No. 92; Scottish Rite Bodies, Augusta; Maine Consistory 32nd Degree, Portland; Shriners, Lewiston; Benton Grange, master for three years and conductor of the fourth degree; Kennebec Water District Water trustee, serving several times as its president.

Yeah, Charlie is still living quite the life with his youngest son, Dennis and daughter-in-law, JoAnna giving him top notch daily TLC, while enjoying the technology of occasional FaceTime with his four children, ten grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren from Maine to California.

If anyone has a little time on their hands, stop by and challenge Charlie in a friendly game of cribbage. Hint, hint — better check your counting skills before you come. :-) If cribbage is not your game, he’ll challenge you to a game of horseshoes or shuffleboard. (Don’t plan on winning those, either. Ha! Ha!)

Charlie’s extended family on the occasion of his 100th birthday. (contributed photos)

New signs at China School’s Forest

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Susan Cottle, Maine Master Naturalist (contributed photo)

Susan Cottle, Maine Master Naturalist graduate 2020, recently installed interpretive signs at the China School’s Forest. The Tree Trail ID signs were created as her capstone project for the year-long course that began in Waterville and moved on-line during the COVID-19 pandemic. Susan surveyed and identified a variety of trees along the trail and then researched the different species. Each sign features identification marks and fun “did you know?” facts. The metal signs were made by Leighton Signworks in Oakland, ME. Susan plans to add more signs to the Tree Trail this spring and hopes to offer some tree ID programming for the general public in the future. Information provided by Anita Smith, MMN 2014, and steward for the China School’s Forest.

PHOTO: Didn’t get the memo

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While not likely an Erskine Academy student, this guy(?) showed up on the school’s front lawn last week. Apparently, he didn’t get the memo that the snow sculpture contest at Winter Carnival was canceled this year. (photo by Bob Bennett)

PHOTO: Four event winner

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Abigail Dudley

Abigail Dudley, 14, of Winslow participated in the “Krane Virtual Valentine’s Day Tournament virtually on Valentine’s weekend. She is a student at Huard’s Martial Arts, in Winslow. She is also a valued member of Team IPPONE and Huard’s Sport Karate Team. In this tournament that she competed in her divisions are ages 14 to 17 male/female.

She competed in Traditional Forms, Creative Forms, Traditional Weapons, and Creative Weapons. Abigail placed first in each one of those categories. She enjoys the competition, while showing what a dedicated mind and spirit can achieve. She wants everyone to know and realize they can achieve anything towards which they set their minds. She also wants to make the point that it doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or a boy, you have the ability to achieve success.

VA to contact vets for vaccine shots

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Veterans Administration facility at Togus. (Internet photo)

The VA Maine care teams will begin to schedule Covid-19 vaccinations for eligible veterans. Through VEText, text messages will inform eligible veterans their facility is offering the vaccine and will come from the short number, 53079.

The VEText program allows veterans to confirm or cancel scheduled appointments and sends reminders for visits via text message.

With VEText, simply text “start” to 53079 to opt-in to receiving VEText messaging. Every enrolled veteran with a cell phone number listed in their health record is automatically enrolled to receive text messages.

The care teams will notify eligible veterans to make a vaccine appointment directly by text message. They will also continue to contact veterans by phone.

Veterans can update phone numbers online at va.gov/profile.

To learn more about VEText, go to va.gov/HEALTH/VEText­–FAQs.asp.

Support Keep ME Warm fundraiser

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image from: keepmewarm.org

Each year, thousands of Mainers are faced with choosing between heating their homes and purchasing basic needs like food and medicine. As a result, the Keep ME Warm fund was established in 2005 and is a statewide partnership of Maine’s United Ways and Community Action Agencies. Keep ME Warm provides emergency heating assistance and is the only statewide fuel assistance fundraising effort in Maine.

To help support the fund, seven Maine State Farm agents recently partnered and donated money to Keep ME Warm. “I can’t imagine not having a warm home in the winter,” says Augusta State Farm Agent Dennis Keller. “I’m very proud we are able to bring warmth and a sense of security to our neighbors in need.”

The State Farm agents’ donation totaled $4,400. Half of that funding came from the individual agents themselves and the other half was matched by State Farm.

“State Farm encourages all associates to be good neighbors by giving back to the communities where we live and work,” says Dennis. “I encourage anyone who can to also support the Keep ME Warm fund. Let’s create a state where no Mainers ever have to choose between heating their homes or feeding their families again.”

For more information on the Keep ME Warm fund, please visit keepmewarm.org.