China School’s Forest day camps and family forest activities (Summer 2019)

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Local educator and Maine Master Naturalist, Anita Smith, will be offering several day camps and family forest activities at the China School Forest. All programs start at the China Primary School bus circle, 763 Lakeview Drive, China. Limited scholarships are available, upon request. For more information or registration form, contact Anita Smith at 968-2255 or chinaschoolsforest@gmail.com.

For updates and to RSVP for Family Forest Events, see https://www.facebook.com/chinaschoolsforest/

DAY CAMPS

Day camps are for children entering grades 2-6. Space is reserved once your registration form and fee are received and you receive a confirmation email. Each day camp is limited to 10 students and run rain or shine. Cost is $30, per child, per camp. We would also love to have a few students grades 7-12 join us as Jr. counselors. If interested, please email us.

July 8-10 Pond Explorers Day Camp: We will use dip nets and learn about pond plants and animals, play games, do crafts and meet some fascinating pond critters. Prepare to get wet! 12:00-3:00 pm

July 24 – 26 Things with Wings Day Camp: Have fun learning about bugs, birds and bats! We will play games, catch bugs, dissect owl pellets and do some fun crafts at this wing-themed camp. 12:00-3:00 pm.

August 5 – 7 Happy Camper Day Camp: Build your own nature forts, explore real animal pelts and skulls, make your own hiking stick and more during this camping-themed session. 12:00-3:00 pm.

FAMILY FOREST FUN ACTIVITIES

Naturalist Anita Smith at 2017’s Pirate Camp. (Photo courtesy of China School’s Forest)

Family Activities are for all ages, even our littlest friends! An adult must accompany the child for the activity. Please RSVP on our Facebook page or by email so we have enough materials for all participants. Family Forest Activities are free, but donations are gratefully accepted to help cover the cost of materials. If we have to cancel, it will be posted on our Facebook page the day before the event.

July 6 Family Forest Fun: Pond Explorers. Come explore the pond using dip nets and see discover lives under the water. Can you croak like a frog or fly like a dragonfly? Suggested donation $5. 9:30-11am.

July 27 Family Forest Fun: Nature Walk, Fairy Houses and Toad Homes Gather natural forest materials and build fairy houses and toad homes in our school forest. Suggested donation $5. 9:30-11am. For all ages. You can even wear your wings and learn to croak like a frog!

Palermo Community Center to show Inhabit

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Palermo Community Center (Photo by Connie Bellet)

Permanent agriculture, known as “permaculture,” is an ecological design process that shifts human impact on our planet from destructive to regenerative. Inhabit has been called “the best film ever made about permaculture.” It is about solutions to long-standing agricultural and ecological issues facing us today, and the film focuses on examples from the Northeastern and Midwestern regions of America, so it is highly relevant to land use practices right here. For anyone interested in gardening, gentle integration of plants that help one another, and water conservation, this is a must-see!

All are welcome to the Palermo Community Center on June 28 for a free potluck meal at 6 p.m. Please bring a summer dish to share with friendly neighbors and enjoy the show in the cool downstairs screening room. The Community Center is just off Turner Ridge Rd. across from the ball field at the top of the hill. Look for the electric sign by the driveway. For other info, please contact Connie at 993-2294.

Cash cashes in with two home runs

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Messalonskee Middle School (photo source RSU 18 Messenger)

by Dan Cassidy

Cash Bizier, a seventh grade student at Messalonskee Middle School, in Oakland, recently hit his first out of the park home run on April 28, playing against the Famington Flyers with his 50/70 Sunday League at Purnell Wrigley Field, in Waterville.

His second home run came on May 15, his 13th birthday at the Sidney Pits vs. Ward Electric playing with his Rec League team. Cash plays mostly as a utility player. He pitches, plays second base, catcher, shortstop and plays in the outfield. He is the son of Shannon and Jeremiah Bizier, of Oakland.

Erskine announces 2019 Renaissance Awards

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Seniors of the Trimester recipients, front row, from left to right, Lydia Boucher and Elizabeth Sugg. Back, Alana York, Braden Soule, and Mireya Noa’Dos Santos. (Contributed photos)

On June 7, Erskine Academy students and staff attended a Renaissance Assembly to honor their peers with Renaissance Awards.

Recognition Awards were presented to the following students: Hannah Soule, Aidan Larrabee, Alana Beggs, Paul Slimm, Alisha Stevens, Samantha Heath, Maverick Lowery, Garrett Keezer, and Seth Reed.

Faculty of the Trimester recipients, front row, from left to right, James Johnson and Heide Hotham. Back, Ben Willoughby. (Contributed photos)

In addition to Recognition Awards, Senior of the Trimester Awards were also presented to three members of the senior class: Lydia Boucher, daughter of Crystal and Ryan Boucher, of Windsor; Elizabeth Sugg, daughter of Heather Spaulding Sugg and Will Sugg, of Palermo; Alana York, daughter of Cheryl and Andy York, of Palermo; Mireya Noa’Dos Santos, of China; and Braden Soule, son of Amanda and Jamie Soule, of Fairfield. Seniors of the Trimester are recognized as individuals who have gone above and beyond in all aspects of their high school careers.

In appreciation of their dedication and service to Erskine Academy, Faculty of the Trimester awards were also presented to Heide Hotham, guidance secretary and registrar; James Johnson, music instructor; and Ben Willoughby, social studies instructor.

 

Vassalboro Business Association announces scholarship recipients

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The Vassalboro Business Association has announced that the following students will each receive a $500 scholarship from money that was raised by Freddie’s Cruise-In, a Vassalboro Day’s Event, sponsored by Bill and Roxanne Pullen for the last three years, with 39 local sponsors and by sales of advertisements for the Vassalboro Welcomes You booklets. These booklets are given out in mid-summer at the town office, the community school, and the library.

Gwinna Remillard

Gwinna Remillard is a Waterville High School graduate and will attend the College of St. Scholastica, in Duluth, Minnesota. She will be competing as an athlete on both the cross country running team and the Nordic ski team. She will focus on the health science programs and the opportunities that lie in Duluth, Minnesota. She is excited to further her studies and move on to new and exciting adventures!

Abby Watson

Abby Watson is a graduate of Messalonskee High School , in Oakland, and will attend Belmont University, in Nashville, Tennessee. She will major is songwriting and minor in music business. At Belmont, she hopes to develop a better understanding for this art and better her skills. She is not exactly sure what she wants to do in life, but hopes to discover life-changing opportunities and find out just who she is supposed to be!

Caitlin Labbe

Caitlin Labbe is an Erskine Academy graduate, in South China, and will attend Thomas College, in Waterville. She will major in business administration. She plans to play soccer and lacrosse at Thomas!

Molly Wasilewski

Molly Wasilewski is a Water­ville High School graduate and will attend the University of Maine at Farmington. She will study actuarial science. She loves working with numbers and figuring out equations. She is excited to learn how to assess risk!

Seth Reed

Seth Reed is an Erskine Academy graduate, in South China, and will attend the Univer­sity of New Hamp­shire, in Durham, New Hampshire. He will ma­jor in mech­anical engineering. With the skills and experiences he learns, he aspires to return to Maine and pursue a career in engineering.

 

 

Youth Conservation Corp helping to Protect China Lake Water Quality

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Image Credit: chinalakeassociation.org

The China Lake Youth Conservation Corp (YCC) continues to be a powerful and productive force made up of environmentally conscious young adults working to protect our lake from harmful storm water runoff.

The China Lake Association wants to thank and acknowledge all the 2018 YCC crew members: Sage Hapgood-Belanger, Antonio Jacobs, Maddy Boynton, Garrett Keezer, Cody Daigneault, Leanna laws and YCC Crew Supervisor, Sean Zubord. We also want to thank the Kennebec Soil and Water liaison, Josh Platt for being their sight expert.

YCC work completed during 2018 includes: infiltration steps to replace inferior accesses to the lake, applying erosion control mulch or crushed stone on paths to cover up bare soil, plantings to strengthen lakefront buffers, retaining walls to hold back storm water runoff from getting into the lake at steep downgrades at the buffer area, constructing infiltration boxes where there is exposed soil and a lot of foot traffic near the lake, creating water gardens to absorb run off on lawns, reinforcing stone at eroding banks at culverts, established drip line infiltration trenches at house and shed perimeters close to the lake to ensure phosphorous would not end up in the lake from heavy rains and removed improperly placed rip rap and replace it with infiltration steps .

The work they completed in just 2018 is estimated to remove 51.8 tons of sediment, 40.2 pounds of phosphorus and 80.5 pounds of nitrogen every year from China Lake!

Have you requested your LakeSmart visit yet?

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From left to right, Elaine Philbrook, Bunny Caldwell, Ginger Davis, Marie Michaud and Margo Green. (Contributed photo)

The LakeSmart program is one of the most effective lake protections programs available today! The China Lakes Alliance hosts this program in the China community. Did you know that there are already 68 lakes in Maine actively participating in this lake protection program?

China’s LakeSmart volunteers have been visiting lake front property owners since 2009. Trained LakeSmart volunteers visit homeowners in a joint effort to protect China Lake from the effects of storm water runoff. During a LakeSmart visit, volunteers will walk the property with the homeowner and provide suggestions to make the property more lake friendly. If the homeowner is interested in getting some of the suggestions completed, they can offer assistance through the Youth Conservation Corp. The YCC is hosted by the China Region Lakes Alliance (CRLA).

Last year, 22 visits were completed at various locations around the lake.

Currently, trained volunteers are Margo Greene, Bunny Caldwell, Ginger Davis, Elaine Philbrook and Marie Michaud.

Nineteen remediations were completed last summer around China Lake by the Youth Conservation Corps. Reducing the phosphorous from entering the lake helps to keep our lake a healthy lake.

In 2019, they plan to start a new position. They are calling it a China Lake Fire Road Ambassador. This position will help find homeowners who would like to have a LakeSmart visit on their road. If you are interested in being one, contact the LakeSmart group. It will involve getting a LakeSmart informational pamphlet out to your road neighbors and asking if they would be interested in a LakeSmart visit. Not too time consuming but very important for this program’s continuation and success.

Also new for 2019; Elaine Philbrook will join Marie Michaud as a China LakeSmart Coordinator.

Contact the group for your LakeSmart visit or to be a road ambassador at ChinaLakeSmart@gmail.com or by calling Marie Michaud at 207-242-2040.

Oak Grove Foundation grant enables work at China School’s Forest

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China Primary School students displaying some of the bird cutouts they painted for the China School Forest Park. (Photo courtesy of Anita Smith)

by Anita Smith

There’s been a lot happening at the China School’s Forest this spring! Mrs. Maroon’s fifth grade class completed a year-long project to create a Maine Wildlife Trail and to enhance the Bird Watching Outdoor Classroom. Students researched different Maine animals and wrote reports about them. Parent volunteer, Andrew Seigars, cut out about 45 different life-sized animals from plywood for the project. Students then painted and applied polyurethane to the cut-outs. Some were painted all black and others were painted to look like many of the birds which frequent central Maine. During the week of June 11, the cut-outs were installed in the forest. A WELCOME sign and trail guide will soon be installed at the trailhead starting near the SEED TREE area in the forest and at the Bird Watching Station.

Plywood cutouts that were painted by students at the China Primary School. Photo courtesy of Anita Smith

This project was funded by a grant from the Oak Grove Foundation. Anita Smith led several China Primary School classes out on the trail to see the completed project. The kids were so excited to find the different cut-outs and it kept them very engaged in learning during the last few days before summer break.

The trails are open for the community to enjoy. Maps are available at each forest trailhead. One trailhead is located by the China Middle School soccer field and the other trailhead is off the China Primary School bus circle. A community forest walk, featuring the new project will be offered during China Community Days on August 3 at 11 a.m.

Visit this link for a complete listing of China School’s Forest Day Camps and Family Forest Activities (Summer 2019).

Second Saturdays Litter Clean-Up begins July 13

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Tom Lefferts (left) and Richard Dillenbeck (right) pick up litter along Lakeview Drive in 2018.

You’ve probably seen Richard Dillenbeck, longtime summer resident of China, Maine; diligently picking up litter along Route 202. He’s been doing this for years on his daily hikes. His passionate crusade against roadside trash inspired a group of citizens to devise an organized campaign to combat the litter problem on the roadsides surrounding China Lake — simply called Second Saturdays.

The first Second Saturday Litter Clean-Up event will be July 13. The committee has divided up the roadways into manageable sections and now seeks volunteers to pick up trash on the second Saturday of each month until the snow flies. We are also seeking the involvement of local businesses, organizations, church groups to commit to a section of roadway on our Second Saturdays as part of their civic outreach activities. Avid dogwalkers or hikers could easily maintain the sections of the roads they frequent during their normal routines. Please call for more information or to volunteer to keep China, Maine litter free. Richard Dillenbeck, 207-445-8074 or Jeanne Marquis, 207-649-3836.

Retired principal honored at Vassalboro town meeting

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Kevin Levasseur, chairman of the Vassalboro School Board, left, Jolene Gamage, right, and retired Vassalboro Community School principal Dianna Gram, center. (Contributed photo)

Kevin Levasseur, chairman of the Vassalboro School Board, and Jolene Gamage, a board member, present a recognition to retired Vassalboro Community School principal Dianna Gram for her 24 years of service to the school. The plaque was placed at the base of a tree commissioned and planted on the front lawn near the flagpole.