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)
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.
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.
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.
From left to right, Grace Paradis, Katelyn Rose, Kaylan Haber, Billy Dumond, and Shivon Larsen, serving at the Winslow Community Cupboard. (contributed photo)
The Temple Academy Outreach Team is a community serviced-oriented group of 7th through 12th grade students led by junior high and high school science teacher Rachel Baker. Kevin Wood, Superintendent of the pre-K-12, non-denominational Christian school shared his vision with Ms. Baker for a service-based team at the start of the 2020/2021 school year. Within a short period of time the team was formed, organized, and committed. They enthusiastically hit the ground running throughout the community.
From left to right, Isaac Smith, Elena Hassele, Dylan Shortil, Zack Wiles, Chloe Riportella, Gavin MacDonald, Dave Louis, Thomas Fortin, Marko Ajvaz, Hunter Doyle, Evan Lafountain, and Mary Jo Wadsworth serve at the Winslow Community Cupboard. (contributed photo)
They have worked on several different community projects in the area. In the Fall the team performed yard clean up chores for several local residents in different neighborhoods. They participated in the “Crusin’ Country” 93.5’s “Put a Sock in It” Sock Drive in December, collecting 238 pairs of new socks, which the students decided to donate to the Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter. The team has developed an ongoing relationship with the Winslow Community Cupboard, whose food pantry is open every other Thursday. The entire student body from seventh through 12th grade gets involved in this program. Ms. Baker takes multiple grade levels once a month, in shifts, to the Cupboard to volunteer.
Adalia Harrington, a 12th grade student at Temple Academy and Outreach Team president shares her feelings about being a member of this team, “After the devastating year our world has faced, I am privileged to be part of a group that restores the hope in our community and spreads the message that we are in this together!”
Ms. Baker states, “The heart of our mission is to promote a culture that regularly engages the student body in meeting needs in our community through acts of service. We want our students to experience the value of serving others. When you humble yourself to do something kind for someone else, it does something inside of you. It can deeply touch both the person serving and the one being served. With Temple Academy being a small school, I was immediately impressed with the level of interest at our very first meeting. The students are a committed and hard-working group and I am truly fortunate to have the privilege of working alongside of them. It is amazing for me to see these students shine during our events; they work so hard! And the best part of it is, I can tell the students are really enjoying themselves because of how happy they are while volunteering. This is truly an enlightening experience for every student that participates.”
She continues: “We were fortunate to make a connection early on with Bruce Bottigliere at the Winslow Community Cupboard. We have been able to plug our student volunteers into the various programs they have there. Together in March, we are working on scheduling a USDA Farmers to Families Food Box distribution site at our school. This will allow us to give every student in our entire school the opportunity to participate and experience the feeling of serving. I am thankful for our students, our parents, and our entire faculty who are so incredibly supportive in the efforts in making our vision a reality. We are Temple!”
(Plans are currently in the works for an opportunity this month at the First Choice Pregnancy Center.) This Spring the team is working on solidifying partnerships with the Alfond Youth & Community Center and with the city of Waterville to create some annual community projects. If you have any ideas on how their team may be able to get involved in your community or in your event, you are encouraged to contact MS. Baker at her contact information stated above.
Tyler Folsom, 13, of Winslow, doing something he loves, clearing snow from the driveway. That is something he has loved doing since he was a toddler. (photo by Mark Huard)
The Boy Scouts Pine Tree Council operates four properties: Camp William Hinds, in Raymond, Camp Bomazeen, in Belgrade, Camp Nutter, in Acton, and Camp Gustin, in Sabattus. Recently, Augusta Scout Troop #603 received commemorative “Four Camps Challenge” patches from Pine Tree Council for having adventures at all four camps. (contributed photo)
Chase Lawler, 9, of Oakland, took first place in the Oakland Recreation Department Ice Fishing Frenzy on February 14. It marked the sixth consecutive year he won that honor. (contributed photo)
Thurston Park in the winter (photo from Thurston Park Facebook page)
This article is a reprint of one that appeared in China’s Connected newsletter.
Thurston Park is open in the winter! All trails are open and accessible by foot or snowmobile. The park is open dawn to dusk, seven days a week. The Yorktown Road is plowed to the top of the hill by the town of Albion. Parking is on the left just before you go down the hill. The rest of the way in may be plowed by one of the abutters. In that case, you can park just before the road heads into the woods on the left side of the road. Please do not park in the road or anywhere to the right as you will be blocking the abutter access.
All trails are open, and the composting toilets are available for use. There is no grooming or clearing of trails during the winter. Trails 1 and 2 have been cleansed of blow downs recently. Snowshoeing, cross country skiing, fat biking, and hiking are all options. Thurston Park is beautiful in the winter and all the waterfalls are currently running. Look out for deer, porcupines, fox, moose, many species of birds, and possibly beavers. Please remember to maintain social-distancing and have your mask available to put on if you meet people on the trail.
Maps are available at the town office or at the kiosk at the entrance to the park. They are also on the town website, http://www.facebook.com/ThurstonPark.
Four-year-old Naomi creating a Beautiful Blackbird collage.(Contributed photo)
In honor of Black History Month, Waterville Creates, together with the Colby College Museum of Art, Kennebec Montessori School, Waterville Public Schools and the Family Violence Project, has created a special Art Kit for All to celebrate the artwork and legacy of Maine artist, Ashley Bryan. The February art kit is inspired by Ashley Bryan’s award-winning book, Beautiful Blackbird, a copy of which will be included in each art kit.
Ashley Bryan is an American artist, writer, and illustrator of children’s books, and the majority of his subjects are derived from the African-American experience. “Beautiful Blackbird is a wonderful representation of Bryan’s spirit,” says Shannon Haines, President and CEO of Waterville Creates. “His captivating storytelling and vivid collage work make this book a treat for all ages, and it is our hope that these art kits will inspire families to not only read and create together but also to learn more about Bryan’s work.” The Beautiful Blackbird art kit will be distributed on February 25 at the Alfond Youth and Community Center, located at 124 North Street, in Waterville, at 4 p.m. as long as supplies last. A number of kits will also be available for the Alfond Weekend Backpack Program and the Waterville Public Library’s “Library To Go” program.
“Ashley Bryan is such a beloved artist, and we are thrilled that young people in Waterville will be able to draw inspiration from his beautiful book to make their own art. It’s exciting for children and families know that an artist and writer of Bryan’s stature lives right here in our state, and we are honored to have his work represented in the Colby Museum collection to share with our community,” said Jacqueline Terrassa, Carolyn Muzzy Director of the Colby College Museum of Art.
To complement these special art kits, Waterville Creates and the Maine Film Center will highlight and promote streaming information for the 2016 award-winning documentary by filmmaker, Richard Kane, entitled I Know a Man…Ashley Bryan, throughout the month of February at www.mainefilmcenter.org. The film was featured as an official selection at the Maine International Film Festival in 2016. A long-time resident of Cranberry Island in Isleford, Maine, Ashley Bryan is deeply committed to using his artwork and writing as a vehicle to create unity and understanding around his African heritage.
For this month’s art kit, Waterville Creates is especially grateful for additional sponsorship provided by the Colby College Museum of Art and the Children’s Book Cellar. Ongoing funding for the Art Kits for All program has been generously provided by Waterville Creates’ annual sponsors MaineGeneral Health, Kennebec Savings Bank, Colby Center for the Arts and Humanities, Bangor Savings Bank, New Dimensions Federal Credit Union, and Back Office Solutions.
In direct response to the COVID-19 public health crisis, Art Kits for All is an innovative, collaborative program designed to keep our community’s families engaged and connected to the arts. By providing free art supplies and instructions, this program offers high-quality, accessible art experiences in a completely re-imagined way. The first art kits were distributed on April 8, 2020, and to date, over 3,000 kits have been distributed as part of this innovative response to the pandemic.