Ducks Unlimited to hold annual banquet

Image credit: Ducks Unlimited (ducks.org)

The Kennebec Valley Ducks Unlimited will be holding its 49th annual banquet on Saturday, September 14.

The banquet will be held at the Club Calumet, 334 West River Rd., in Augusta, and will include live and silent auctions, raffles, games of chance and more. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.

Tickets are $60 for singles and $90 for couples, and $35 for Greenwing.

For tickets or more information, contact Artie Crocker at 441-2445. Or you may purchase tickets online at www.ducks.org/maine/events.

No bounds too challenging; his odds were poor at best

Seth Fowles, center, receiving the rite of baptism, from the Rev. Ron Morrell, right, of the China Baptist Church, assisted by Dwayne Bickford. (photo by Lily-Ann Bickford)

by Jeanne Marquis

The brilliant morning sun glistened off the water when the congregation gathered at the lake shore across the road after Sunday service on August 4. Seth Fowles was baptized by full immersion in China Lake by Pastor Ron Morrell and celebrated by the congregation of China Baptist Church. China Baptist Church has seen numerous baptisms since their founding in 1801; however, this baptism was more challenging because Seth Fowles requires a wheelchair.

In the Christian faith, baptism is a physical demonstration of a person’s belief in Jesus Christ and his or her commitment to join with other believers to live a life that follows the teachings of Jesus. This is why baptism meant so much to Seth Fowles, as his faith had grown, he wished to be complete in his faith. Although there were other options, such as the sprinkling or pouring water on his head, it was important to Seth to be baptized by immersion as he said was “to be baptized like everyone else.” This is in keeping the teachings of Jesus Christ, according to the Christian faith, that everyone is welcomed and encouraged to be baptized, belief being the only prerequisite.

The congregation of China Baptist Church gathers at China Lake for Seth Fowles’ Baptism (photo by Lily-Ann Bickford)

Seth Fowles’ journey in his faith started 20 years ago with a horrible accident on the morning of September 3, 1998. At the time he was an arborist on his way to work in his truck, Seth saw a dog in his path and swerved to avoid the dog. Despite wearing his seatbelt, Seth was ejected from the vehicle and he suffered life-threatening head injuries.

Seth endured extensive brain trauma and slipped into a coma lasting into the next year. His prognosis was not good. His parents, Andrea and Gerald Mason, knew they needed to stay strong for him and stay hopeful, but the odds were poor at best. Seth explained, “The doctors said there was a 99 percent chance I would not come through this. Sometime in March of 1999, I woke up. I thought I was just waking up from a nap. My survival was a divine miracle.”

Seth’s faith also awakened. Prior to the accident, he was not a religious person. As he convalesced through the years, he studied the Bible and grew spiritually. When Pastor Ron Morrell asked for requests to be baptized this summer, Seth expressed his desire to be baptized by immersion. Without hesitation, Pastor Ron Morrell felt Seth was ready and enlisted the help of four members to guide the wheelchair in and out of the lake: Dwayne Bickford, Bob Noonan, Dale Peabody and John Starkey.

Dwayne Bickford, a deacon of China Baptist Church, said, “When Pastor Ron brought it up and we talked about what it would take, I never doubted whether we could make it happen. When it came time, I felt so honored to be a small part of it. I know it meant a lot to Seth. I was moved by all the love and support shown by the whole congregation. The Lord blessed us all that day.”

Seth said, “It was a complete Baptism by water. I was helped into the water by four men from the church; these are my brothers. Even though water came to my chest, I trusted them entirely.”

Seth’s baptism captured the deeper meaning of this Christian sacrament. It is a public expression of faith and commitment to a community of other believers. Entering into the commitment of baptism does take an element of trust and knowledge that you will be supported by the emotional strength of others within your faith community. In the same way, Seth’s story supplies strength to those who have of the pleasure of knowing him.

You may be asking, ‘What happened to the dog who passed in front of Seth’s vehicle on that tragic morning?’ Seth remembers he regained consciousness briefly just after the accident. While Seth was experiencing extreme nausea at the side of the road, the dog came over to check on him. The dog had survived.

Float winners at 2019 Palermo Days parade

During the Palermo Days parade, the Pollard family’s Pool Party captured first place for a family float. (photo courtesy of Pat Clark)

The Palermo Elementary School students’ float, American Heritage, took first place for organizations. (photos courtesy of Pat Clark)

RSU #18 receives delivery of propane powered buses

Lennie Goff, transportation director of RSU #18, with one of the new “Green Birds” propane-powered buses.

by Dan Cassidy

That’s right … A fleet of three new propane school buses arrived at the Oakland School Garage recently. What used to be known as the “Blue Bird” fleet of diesel engines are now called “Green Birds,” according to Lennie Goff, transportation director of Messalonskee RSU #18 school district.

“The biggest changes in the new fleet are that they run on Propane Autogas rather than unleaded or diesel fuel. And they are very quiet running and warm up faster during cold weather,” he said.

The new fleet includes 2020 propane fed engines. “Two are 78 passenger and one handicapped bus that is a 36 passenger equipped with wheel chair lifts and five wheel chair secured systems to be locked down with seat belts and harness straps worn by students during transit.

“The new buses will see that the fuel costs are going to be substantially less than the diesel or gas engines,” Goff said. “They cost about 30 percent less and are more environmentally friendly. Diesel cost is about $2.35 per gallon, whereas propane fuel is about $1.06 per gallon, plus we’ll get a 37-cent rebate bringing down the cost to under 70 cents per gallon,” he said.

According to Goff, the school district is looking to purchase two more propane buses through a Volkswagen emissions grant.

Central Church opens free coffee shop

Central Church, a multi-site church in Central Maine, is excited to announce the opening of Central Grounds. A grand opening celebration was held on July 30, at their China Campus (627 Route 3).

The mission of Central Grounds goes beyond providing a space for people to come and enjoy free coffee – It’s about bringing people together and building a community without barriers of money or socioeconomic status. Central Church’s Lead Pastor Dan Coleman says, “Coffee has been a part of our story from day one. We recognize the power of invitation and we have seen lives change over a cup of coffee at both of our campuses.” Everyone belongs at Central Grounds.

Coleman adds, “As someone who calls China home, I recognize this as a need in our community. Our staff and volunteers at Central Church are humbled to be able to provide the space for these meaningful relationships to form.”

The coffee brewing at Central Grounds also comes with a deeper purpose. The coffee shop will serve HOPE Coffee. HOPE Coffee works with local churches in Honduras and Mexico to support clean water, building and repair projects with the goal to demonstrate the love of Jesus to those in need in a very real way.

Central Church is a multi-site church with a mission to Love Jesus, Love Others, and Help Others Love Jesus. With more than 1,000 people attending weekend services, they are one of the fastest growing churches in Central Maine and are known for a commitment to bringing Jesus into their communities through family-focused programming and outreach events. Their five identical services are Saturdays (Augusta Campus) at 6 p.m., and Sundays (China & Augusta Campuses) at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Streaming of weekend services are also available online: https://www.centralchurch.me/messages.

Palermo Christian Church: there’s a new pastor in town

Pastor Eric Dubois, back right, with wife of 12 years Kaitlin, and children Caleb, Anna, Luke, Noah and Lydia. Contributed photo

compiled by Eric Dubois, Phyllis Thorne and Sandy Keller

Following months of interviewing numerous candidates, the congregation of Palermo Christian Church is excited to introduce their new pastor, Eric Dubois.

Eric is relocating to Palermo with his wife of 12 years, Kaitlin and children Caleb, Anna, Luke, Noah and Lydia (pictured). When you see them in the community welcome them. They are looking forward to meeting you and becoming part of the community.

Because Eric has lived all but seven years of his life in New England (New Hampshire and Maine), he is familiar with the environment and context of ministry that is unique to this area. While specifically looking for a position in New England he found the posting for Palermo Christian Church on the Ministry List website of Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in Hamilton, MA. After applying for the position in February of this year, undergoing telephone interviews, emails and finally a visit in June, the church membership voted unanimously in July to call him as their next pastor.

Having worked 12 years at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Eric resigned and moved with his family to Louisville Kentucky where he completed his Master of Theology (having prior completed his Master of Divinity at Capital Bible Seminary). Over the years he has had significant experience serving in local congregations through preaching, leading youth groups and small groups, teaching Sunday School, and serving as deacon and elder. He has interned at two churches and recently participated in a pastor apprenticeship program at his last church. He is well prepared for his first position as Pastor.

When asked what his expectations are for small town ministry, Eric responded with: “First, to become part of the local community and make life-long friendships while establishing roots for our family. Second, to lead the local church community which comes from diverse backgrounds and walks of life, yet is unified by their common faith in the gospel, their common dependence on God’s resources, their common love for Jesus, and their common allegiance to Jesus as king.  Third, to deepen and strengthen the faith of God’s people by helping them lean on God as they go through the various seasons and joys and struggles of life.”

Palermo Christian Church has a 51 year history of teaching the love of God as revealed to us in the Bible. Godly leaders including Dale Flynn,(May 1968 – August 1968), Fred Williams (July 1969 – November 1981), David Jones, assistant pastor (April 1970 – January 1976), David Kibbe (September 1978 – June 1982), and Ed Hatch (June 1982 – Dec 2018) have led the congregation of Palermo Christian Church and the church is excited to add Eric Dubois to this list with great expectations for God to work through him as he leads the congregation forward.

Martial arts boot camp

Cameron Beaster, 7, of Winslow, going through the Ninja Obstacle Course at the Huard’s Martial Arts Boot Camp held at Yogi Bear Campground, in Madison, on August 10-11. (photo by Mark Huard)

The Huards Martial Arts annual Bootcamp Weekend was another success. Students of varying belt ranks, ages and abilities all gathered together to enjoy a fun-filled weekend at the Yogi Bear Campground, in Madison. Mark Huard, owner and instructor at Huard’s Martial Arts, in Winslow, is the director of the bootcamp. He states that he has an amazing amount of help from parent and student volunteers, which make it possible for the camp to run smoothly and efficiently. All of the students slept overnight on Saturday in either tents or cabins, and participated in activities such as jiu jitsu, sword training, nunchaku training and much much more.

Concert benefits suicide awareness cause

Salvatore Paul “Sully” Erna Jr. (born February 7, 1968) an American vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the American Heavy Metal Band Godsmack. He is also a harmonica player, percussionist and pianist, performing at the Impact Festival on July 28. (photo by Mark Huard, owner of Central Maine Photography)

by Mark Huard

In 2019, Maine’s suicide rate is higher than the national average. That’s a staggering statistic, and is the reason why many central Maine residents traveled Northeast to Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion. The Waterfront Concerts, Music Matters and SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education) all joined together to bring some of the biggest names in Rock n’Roll to Maine to raise money for this cause. This two day event took place on July 27 and July 28, 2019 and housed more than ten bands to include: Five Finger Death Punch, Skillet, In this moment, Clutch, Between the Buried and Me, Godsmack, Evanescence, Killswitch, Engage, All that Remains, Beartooth and Andrew W. K.

Many people are impacted by suicide or by suicidal ideation, and they don’t have the awareness, resources or access to resources to help identify and manage the symptoms. For these reasons, the Impact Music Festival takes place and all of the proceeds go to organizations providing mental health treatment and outreach services to those in need. Last year in 2018, the Impact Festival raised more than $25,000 for suicide awareness and prevention.

Both days were filled with great music and just all around positive energy. The bands have all taken an interest in giving back to help those in need. It really was amazing to see all of these celebrities take an interest in Suicide Prevention and Awareness in order to raise money but also to raise awareness. It’s easy to feel like you are all alone when you are facing these kinds of situations and the message by many of these bands is to say, “You are not alone.” Five Finger Death Punch was able to discuss their work with children and adults to improve their lives and overall functioning.

“This event uses the power of music to support suicide and mental health awareness. We all go through our own personal battles and demons in life, but music is the common theme that brings us all together,” reported Winslow resident Kyle Clavo. He was right in the front row on the fence both days and loved every second of it, seeing all the bands perform up close and personal. This being Clavo’s second time at this event, he says, “I support suicide and mental health awareness and I will attend this event for years to come.” He would like to see as many people as possible attend this event in the future and cautions, “Before you judge about the genre of music that is performed at this event, listen to the meaning before you judge the screaming.”

The musicians traveled far and wide to be there in order to make it clear that suicide is an issue that is plaguing Maine and the entire nation. This approach not only is away to spread the message and band together as a community, but it also is a way to gain proceeds to benefit the heavy expenses of the necessary treatment.

Harvest Bucks bring Bonus Veggies

The Farmers Market at Pumpkin Vine Family Farm is excited to launch their Maine Harvest Bucks program on Sunday, September 1, just in time for the fall harvest season! Fill your market basket for less by using your EBT/ SNAP card to purchase any of of the fresh, local food at the market (meat, cheese, eggs, bread!), then receive a dollar for dollar match in Maine Harvest Bucks, that can be used to buy fresh fruits and vegetables.

The Market is located on a working historic farm and aims to serve country folks where they live. The Market was built by and for the community, in the belief that everyone should enjoy fresh local food. Locally grown food, tended by hand, often costs more than the food at grocery stores and can be hard to fit into a tight budget. But the farmers at the Pumpkin Vine Market want to make sure you can enjoy their food no matter your budget! Not only will we match every SNAP dollar with Harvest Bucks, but first time SNAP shoppers will get an extra bonus $10 in Harvest Bucks on their first purchase!

Maine Harvest Bucks is funded by the USDA through a FINI (Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Program) and implemented in Maine by the Maine Federation of Farmers Markets. The market is open between 11 – 3 every Sunday, from May – December, at 217 Hewett Rd in Somerville. Email info@pumpkinvinefamilyfarm.com or call Kelly at (207) 549-3096 for more information.

Labor Day depicts economic successes of the American workers

Norman Rockwell’s painting of Rosie the Riveter in 1943.

by Gary Kennedy

What is Labor Day to you? In actuality it depicts the social and economic successes of workers here in the USA. Once a year we set aside a day which would be most beneficial to the working class to rest, reflect and enjoy family and friends. It happens to be one of my most favorite holidays as it falls on the first Monday of September, which historically is a wonderful day – weather wise, and also follows a Sunday, thus allowing most of the working class a long weekend. This allows for planning and short travel excursions. There are only so many great friends and family long weekends in a life time and this is one of the best. All the things the family loves to do can be done on the first of September; swimming, camping, cookouts, boating, and short trips and just getting together for a fun filled restful experience.

Labor Day is not steeped in fanfare, yet it usually gets packed with lots of memories. It also brings notice to the contributions the American worker has made to provide strength, well being and prosperity to the greatest country the world has ever known. So much has been given by so many to bring our country to where it is today. When we think of achievements we think in terms of the past and, of course, that is a very good place to start. Our forefathers knew what it was to work from sun up to sun down. Sunday was usually reserved for God and family. A lot has changed since those days, however, Labor Day will always be a work in progress. Having a growing problem has always been a hurdle to deal with. Sometimes we face them head on and sometimes we don’t do as good a job. However, we usually vault the hurdles and join together and grow. We always find the middle.

Government involvement began by ordinance in 1885-86. From this a movement was secured in the state legislature. A bill was introduced in the New York state legislature but became law first in Oregon on February 21, 1887. That same year four more states joined the movement, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. By the end of the 1880s Connecticut, Nebraska and Pennsylvania would join. Twenty-three more states would soon follow. Now it’s here for all to enjoy.

On June 28, 1894, the U.S. Congress passed an act delegating the first Monday in September of each year as a legal holiday in Washington D.C., and its territories (now states).

It is argued that the Labor Day holiday was proposed by Peter J. McGuire, a Union leader. However, recent research seems to award this honor to Matthew McGuire, another union leader. Both men hold the distinction of union leaders. Whichever of the two was the rightful originator, we can thank them both. The first Labor Day was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City. The second one on September 5, 1883. In 1884 the first Monday of September was chosen as the holiday; “the working man’s holiday.” A show of strength and “Esprit de Corps,” of trade and labor organizations was manifested. (Spirit, pride of a body person).

Naomi Parker Fraley, who Norman Rockwell used as a model for his painting.

The purpose/meaning of this holiday has met with some bumps in the road as of late; however, I am a firm believer that we as a nation, diverse in so many ways, will always come together as one, when needed. That is what makes America great and so resilient. Our individualism and diversities will never circumvent our willingness to be as one when it is needed.” Those who tend to divide us are as weeds which the gardener will extract as he tills the soil.”

So remember, my friend, when you think of Labor Day, remember what it took to get where we are now and the cost that had to be paid. Thank your ancestors for leading the way and for the great work ethic instilled in most of us. Always remember, God was with them as he is with you now. He knew it would take both men and women working side by side to make it happen. History has proven this to be true. There are many famous works of art regarding Labor but one of my favorites is the World War II depiction of strength and solidarity characterized by Naomi Parker Fraley, known to the world as “Rosie the Riveter.” In 1943 the great Norman Rockwell sketched Rosie for the Saturday Evening Post. The painting became a national treasure. Rosie lived to be 96 years of age. What she stood for lives on.

Have a safe and wonderful holiday. And help us remain united and strong. God be with you and God Bless America.