Square dancers attend New England convention

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Front row, from left to right, Dave and Ellie Mulcahy, Margaret Carter, Charllotte Sinclair and Nanci Temple. Back, .Cindy Fairfield, Bob Brown, Bruce Carter, Milton Sinclair and Fred Temple. (contributed photo)

A few of the Maine dancers who were able to attend the 61st New England Square and Round Dance Convention, held in Stowe, Vermont.

The clubs represented by these dancers were Squire Town Squares, of Winthrop, Central Maine Squares, of Waterville, Friendship Squares, of Wilton, Pine Cone Reelers, of Augusta and the LeVi Rounders, of Hermon. All of these clubs and other clubs in Maine offer beginner lessons. For more information, call Bob Brown at 447-0094 or Cindy Fairfield at 631-8816.

Oakland woman joins Bar Harbor Bank & Trust

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Jennifer Seekins

Jennifer Seekins, has joined Bar Harbor Bank & Trust as Senior Vice President, Treasury Services Sales Manager. Initially working from the Bank’s Hampden, Maine office, Ms. Seekins will lead the Treasury Services Group in providing commercial banking customers with Cash Man­agement and Mer­chant Services solutions to help them save time, prevent fraud, increase productivity, and maximize earnings on working capital.

Ms. Seekins has worked in the financial services industry for over 25 years. Her first job out of college was with Fleet Bank, in Waterville, where she was promoted from Teller Operations Supervisor to Senior Business Specialist during her ten years there. For the next 12 years Ms. Seekins worked at Bangor Savings Bank, in Augusta, starting as Cash Management Sales Services Officer and concluding her time there as SVP, Team Leader & Senior Treasury & Payment Services Officer. Most recently, Ms. Seekins was Chief Treasury Services & Business Development Officer at Androscoggin Bank, in Lewiston.

Jennifer earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine at Machias. She is a Certified Treasury Professional and a graduate of Leadership Maine. In the community Jennifer volunteers with the Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute, United Way, and Tree Street Youth. She has participated previously with Jobs for Maine Graduates, Big Brother Big Sisters and American Heart Association.

Jennifer currently resides in Oakland.

Red Sox historian to speak at Albert Church Brown Memorial Library

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Albert Church Brown Memorial Library is delighted to host author and historian of the Red Sox, Ray Sinibaldi Sunday, September 29, at 2 p.m.

Mr. Sinibaldi fell in love with Fenway and the Red Sox very young. He grew up in a black and white TV and magazine sports world so the lush green park and the bright uniforms captured his mind. A trained historian and a teacher by trade, he published numerous books worth of Red Sox information. He also published a photo memorial of Fenway Park. He is currently coaching a Florida team that starts practice in January!

Our talk Sunday will be a comparison of the Red Sox of early 1900s when they won five World Series and the team of recent years since 2004 that captured four World Series. He will compare the players and strategies.

Mr. Sinibaldi’s enthusiasm is infectious. This will be an afternoon of Red Sox hard to forget. We might hear a little of what the 2020 season may bring.

2nd annual Cpl. Cole 5k and half marathon held for charity

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Racers crossing the Corporal Eugene Cole Memorial Bridge, in Norridgewock, during the race on Saturday August 19. (photo by Cheyenne Paron, Central Maine Photography Staff)

by Mark Huard

The 2nd annual Corporal Cole 5K and Half-Marathon took place at the Mill Stream Elementary School, in Norridgewock, on August 19, and was a huge success!

Over 700 registered runners took part with 500 in the 5K and 200 in the half marathon, age varied from 1-84!

The event helped raise $25,000 to donate towards the Cpl. Cole Memorial Scholarship.

Event organizer Jessica Gleason said, “We had incredible water stations.” The entire Skowhegan football team, Lawrence football team, Waterville soccer team, Skowhegan cheerleaders, Lawrence and Messalonskee National Honor Society, Lawrence, and Carrabec JMG, Skowhegan Savings Bank, New Balance, and many more! Water stations filled with over 20 people pumped up the runners and kept them going. One station even formed a human tunnel for runners to go through! Three individual moments of silence took place on Sunday, one for Detective Campbell who lost his life doing the right thing. Race director Gleason encouraged the crowd to follow Detective Campbell’s lead and “do the right thing.” The second moment of silence was for Fairfield Captain Jim Lane as his funeral was on Sunday, and their final moment of silence was for fallen hero Cpl. Eugene Cole, with a reminder of his wifes words, ” his shoes may never be filled but his footsteps can always be followed.”

Eli Meader, 9 of, Madison, set a record during the race, going 13.12 miles! Here he is with Sheryl Cole, after the race, when he received his medal. (photo by Missy Brown,
Central Maine Photography staff)

Eli is nine years old. He ran his first 5k at six years old. After a 5k in June he wanted to run a marathon but his mom said he had to run a half marathon first. He didn’t do a lot of training beforehand. Longest run was 8-1/2 miles so she was worried for today’s race. He did great and only walked a little.

Eli went 13.12 miles on Agust 19!

His next goal is to be the youngest kid in the world to run a full marathon. A 14 year old has the record right now.

Sheryl Cole started each race with the air horn following the National Anthem sung by Katie Lee Hill. Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster joined Tom Cole, brother of Corporal Cole, in the 5k walk. All profits from the race go to the Corporal Cole Memorial Scholarship Fund. Between last year and this year they will have donated over $70,000 to the scholarship fund. This race is a success first and foremost because of Corporal Eugene Cole, secondly because Mrs. Cole and the Cole family trust us in honoring his legacy, and finally because of the hundreds of volunteers and unsung heroes behind the scenes. It takes a village to pull off an event this size and our village steps up without hesitation when you mention Corporal Cole. Moving forward we are working on certifying the half marathon with USA Track & Field for 2020 which will be held in August 2020. Race registration will open on November 1, 2019.

This year they held the first kids fun run. Over 20 children participated on an obstacle course run created and managed by Kennebec Valley Community Colleges Physical Therapist Assistant students. Every child received a super hero cape with the numbers 1312 on the back, Corporal Cole’s badge number. Top sponsors included Skowhegan Savings Bank and Redington-Fairview General Hospital, in Skowhegan. Believe you can, dont give up, and you will! This race unites the community, and promotes healthy healing by taking one step forward each and every day. Looking forward to 2020!

Sponsors and volunteers for 2020 are encouraged to contact Jess at corporalcolememorialrun@gmail.com.

Grantees announced for downtown Waterville’s facade work

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Central Maine Growth Council (CMGC) is proud to announce the successful grantees of its Façade and Building Improvement Grant Program (FBIGP) in downtown Waterville.

FBIGP was established within the context of downtown Waterville’s ongoing revitalization, activated by over $100 million in recent investment by private and public sector supporters. The grant program encourages new and existing downtown property owners and businesses to invest in their commercial storefronts while restoring the original character of historic buildings and providing a catalyst for others to improve the visual appearance of their privately-owned buildings.

“The strength and quality of the applications we received was spectacular,” states Garvan D. Donegan, director of planning and economic development at Central Maine Growth Council and FBIGP advisory committee member. “Downtown businesses and property owners are extremely thoughtful in how their storefronts add to the character of downtown and contribute to a successful local economy, and their applications honor the architectural design roots and cultural significance of their buildings.”

The grant awards made through FBIGP will stimulate more than $325,000 in direct investment in downtown storefronts and facades during the 2019 calendar year. Twenty-three applicants submitted proposals to the program, and eleven applications were successful.

Successful grantees of the 2019 FBIGP award include:

  • 46 Main Street – Framemakers
  • 48 Main Street – Enchanted Herbs & Tea
  • 52 Main Street – Children’s Book Cellar
  • 54 Main Street / 33 Concourse E – SBS Carbon Copy
  • 72 Main Street – Holy Cannoli
  • 80-88 Main Street – Day’s Jewelers
  • 129 Main Street – Tap, LLC
  • 137 Main Street – Amici’s Cucina
  • 139 Main Street – Opa
  • 177-179 Main Street – Black Cape Comics and Selah Tea Cafe
  • 177 Main Street – Selah Tea Cafe

The grant program, funded by Colby College and the Bill and Joan Alfond Foundation, provides a reimbursement of up to fifty (50) percent of the total estimated project budget. Funds may be used for the restoration and renovation of commercial buildings located within Waterville’s downtown district, and eligible projects range from new awnings and signage to brick repainting and the removal of inappropriate, non-historical alterations to building exteriors.

“It’s incredibly exciting that, in the span of approximately seven months, downtown Waterville will be transformed by the visual impact of the awarded grants, which complement the transformation of public spaces, new building construction, and influx of new businesses into the downtown,” says Chris Gaunce, member of the FBIGP advisory committee. “You’ll find yourself spending more time downtown because it’s inviting, attractive, and unique.”

KHS September program presents story of trains

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Photo of the Maine Central Railroad Station, in Augusta, courtesy of The Kennebec Historical Society, Augusta, Maine.

Born in Bethel in 1835, Thomas Holt was active as an architect in Central and Western Maine from 1859 to 1870. In 1865 he designed the Portland and Kennebec Railroad Station in Augusta, which burned while under construction in the city’s Great Fire that year. Between 1871 and 1876, Holt served as Chief Engineer of the Maine Central Railroad, designing railroad buildings and bridges as well as conducting surveys for new rail lines. In 1876, he moved to California, where he pursued careers in architecture, railroading, mining, and lumbering. He died in 1889 from pneumonia contracted in a blizzard in Nevada.

The KHS September speaker, a native of Portland, Maine, Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr., attended Deering High School, in Portland, Colby College, in Waterville, and Boston University and was the recipient of honorary doctorates from Bowdoin College, in Brunswick, and the Maine College of Art. At the age of 13, Shettleworth became interested in historic preservation through the destruction of Portland’s Union Station in 1961. In 1971 he was appointed by Governor Kenneth Curtis to serve on the first board of the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, for which he became architectural historian in 1973 and director in 1976. He retired from that position in 2015. Shettleworth has lectured and written extensively on Maine history and architecture and served as State Historian since 2004.

The Kennebec Historical Society September Presentation is free to the public (donations gladly accepted). The presentation will take place on Wednesday, September 18, 2019, at 6:30 p.m., at the Hope Baptist Church, located at 726 Western Avenue, in Manchester. The program will be preceded at 4:30 p.m., by a potluck supper and at 6 p.m., by the society’s annual meeting and election of officers and directors. For details about the potluck supper, please contact Anne Cough, either by email at acough60@aol.com or by phone at 582-2823.

Grace Academy receives school supplies from BHBT

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Students at Grace Academy, in South China, display the donations of school supplies from Bar Harbor Bank and Trust customers, collected at the South China branch. (Contributed photo)

Grace Academy Learning Center recently received a donation of school supplies to the Play And Learn (PAL) after school program from Bar Harbor Bank & Trust.

Bar Harbor Bank & Trust held its first School Supply Drive July 22 – August 16. A total of more than 3,500 items were collected at branch locations across Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Local Branch Manager Nichole Lee set up a collection box in the lobby to encourage contributions. Employees and customers alike generously answered the call. Donations, in the form of new notebooks, folders, glue sticks, pencils, and crayons,will benefit local young learners.

“All donations support students and educators in the communities we call home,” said Joseph Schmitt, SVP/Chief Marketing Officer at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. “These supplies will help local children actively participate in classroom learning, making the educational experience better for both students and teachers.”

“This donation has made a huge impact on our small learning community,” stated Executive Director Michelle Bourque, “and we sincerely thank Bar Harbor Bank and Trust and their local staff who not only make banking in our community a pleasure, but learning at Grace a better experience for our students.”

Proper disposal of American flags

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by Mary Grow

At the Sept. 3 China selectmen’s meeting, board member Irene Belanger reported that staff at the new Coastal Resources trash disposal and recycling facility were dismayed to find American flags in the trash. They retrieved them and put them on display, Belanger said.

The American flag should not be treated as trash. Here are three acceptable way to dispose of an old flag, according to websites:

  1. The United States Flag Code says old flags should be “destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.” It is further recommended that the flag be folded correctly into a triangle and placed on a fire large enough to burn it completely; that the burning be accompanied by a moment of silence, recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance or other brief ceremony; and that the ashes be buried.
  2. The flag can be folded correctly, placed in a coffin-like box and buried, again with a brief ceremony.
  3. The flag can be donated to an organization that will dispose of it properly. Suggestions include the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Elks Lodge, Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts.

Litter pick up volunteers recognized by selectmen

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Representing the Second Saturdays litter pick up group, from left to right, Gary Nichols, Eric Austin, Don Matheson, Richard Dillenbeck, and Town Manager Dennis Heath, presenting the award. (photo by Tom Rumpf)

The volunteers for the litter pick up effort in China, “Second Saturdays,” were officially thanked at the selectboard meeting last week, including Gary Nichols, Eric Austin, Don Matheson, Richard Dillenbeck, Bob Bennett, Katie McCormac, Sandra Isaac, Don Poulin, Jerry Marx, Kara Cox and members of Central Church in South China, Ann Austin, Jeani Marquis, Joe Kantor, Dave Jorgensen, Donna Sukeforth, Lori and Yogi, Tamara and Tim Warren, Mark Jandreau, Nichole Lee, Aurie and the kids, the Boy Scouts, Lori Poulin, Scott Munroe, Sherry Spaulding, Mackenzie Roderick, Lili Lefebvre, Hayden Hoague, Sarah Praul, Jackson Roderick, Melissa Vail and many others who helped with this effort!

Thanks also to the China Town Office, the China Transfer Station and The Town Line newspaper for their help and support!

Sew for a Cause group gears back up for winter sessions

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Pillows created by Sew for a Cause for foster children to decorate and give to their siblings at Camp to Belong. (photo by Jeanne Marquis)

by Jeanne Marquis

In talented hands, fabric and thread can help improve lives of many individuals, both locally and in a distant continent. This is the motivation of a group called Sew for a Cause, established by Rachel Kilbride. Sew for a Cause reconvened after their short summer break to work on projects on September 5, at the St. Bridget Center, in Vassalboro. Future sewing sessions will be September 19 and October 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sew for a Cause began in November 2018 and now has over 20 passionate, highly productive members. Their love for sewing is surpassed only by their love of giving what they have made to comfort others: newborn infants, elderly, foster children, veterans, families in shelters and the infirmed. Among the items these skilled ladies sew are comfort caps for cancer patients, baby quilts, pillowcases, lap and full-size quilts.

Rachel Kilbride says that 90 percent of their material and batting is donated. Oftentimes, fabric and unfinished sewing projects are presented to the group when neighbors are cleaning out a parent’s home. Sew for a Cause graciously accepts most sewing materials and volunteer hours. Sometimes fabric donations come in just when the materials are needed the most. In this first year, the group had a project that required an enormous amount of fleece. No sooner had they discovered the need, Rachel had received a phone call from a donor who had the correct yardage.

Sew for a Cause also produces unique fabric items for special needs. For example, they create fidget quilts for Alzheimer’s patients to help simulate memories. These are lap size quilts with touchable symbols of what may have been important to the individual in their younger years, such as small toy baseball bat or a small fuzzy dog sewn into the quilt. Touching these symbols helps to open a dialogue between Alzheimer’s patient and their caregivers.

Another special need was fulfilled by Bunnie Picher who sewed over 200 washable feminine hygiene pads for young girls in Uganda. These items of necessity help prevent girls from missing a week of school each month, so girls can build a brighter future for themselves and their families.

(photo by Jeanne Marquis)

Sew for a Cause sews pillows and quilts designed for foster children to write messages on and give to their siblings to commemorate their week together. Camp To Belong is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reuniting brothers and sisters who have become separated in foster care with a week of camp.

The Camp Director for Camp to Belong Maine, Adrian Phair explains, “These kids have been through so much and lost so much during their short lives – including living and growing up without their siblings, something most people with siblings take for granted. For these kids to have something to take home with them, from their siblings with each other’s writing on them – with their messages and thoughts to each other, gives them all something to hold on to, physically, and emotionally. It’s a reminder that their sibling is with them always, as a friend, as a family member, as someone who will be there for them as the years go by. The fact that these pillows were made by such an amazing group of sewers, who want to give back whatever they can is an act that has an amazing ripple effect.”

The ripple effect has touched many other organizations throughout Central Maine as well, including a women’s shelter, Togus VA Medical Center, assisted living homes and other institutions. The women of Sew for a Cause put their heart and soul in their projects.

Both their altruistic spirit and camaraderie of these talented women is evident when you attend one of their sewing sessions within the walls of the St. Bridget Center. Laughter and conversation rise above the hum of the machines and sewing shears. They encourage others to join and make it clear that there is plenty of work for non-sewers as well. For more information on how to get involved or to donate sewing materials, call Rachel Kilbride at 207-604-9339.