Taylar Lamontagne, of Waterville, has been named to Southern New Hampshire University’s fall 2017 president’s list, in Manchester, New Hampshire. Eligibility for the president’s list requires that a student accumulate an academic grade point average (GPA) of 3.7-4.0 and earn 12 credits for the semester.
Eagle Scout Aiden Pettengill
CHINA – Throughout its history, the Boy Scouts of America has provided leaders for tomorrow who are prepared as good citizens, always ready to serve others. Service often occurs in small, unassuming ways – good turns and acts of kindness by individual Scouts, often unnoticed throughout their daily lives. It happens on a larger scale, too, when an Eagle Scout candidate plans and carries out his major service project. The celebration of this event was held March 17, 2018, at the China Baptist Church, for Eagle Scout Aiden Pettengill of China Troop #479.
Friends, family members, elected officials and other scouts gathered together to honor Aiden for earning his wings – the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. The Eagle is the highest rank that scouting bestows in the advancement program. Eagle Scout Aiden Pettengill, his family, his Scout leaders, and other members of the community were recognized in this special presentation.
Assistant Scoutmaster Matt Bodine gave a brief description Aiden’s Eagle Project. Aiden’s Eagle Project was at the new location for the South China Library. His project was to design and build a reading outdoor station. His final design included clearing a space under a large tree, having two benches built, two large flower beds surrounded by two layers of round rocks. He had many donated flowers and bulbs to plant. Scouts and Leaders came the morning he selected to work under his leadership. His outdoor reading station will be available this summer when the Library is moved. His project couldn’t have happened without Aiden’s leadership and drive to succeed.
Assistant Scoutmaster Darryl Praul and Assistant Scoutmaster Doug Leonard were introduced. Darryl Praul asked Eagle Scout Aiden Pettengill to advance his name on the board of Eagle rank. Doug Leonard presented the gift from the Troop Committee, Running Toward Danger – Real Life Scouting Action Stories of Heroism, Valor & Guts by Michael S. Malone
Advance Chairman Ron Emery introduced special guests. Sentiments were presented by Daniel L’Heureux, China’s Town Manager and Chuck Mahaleris, Kennebec Valley District Advancement Chairperson. It should be noted that letters of sentiment were received from Past President George W. Bush and his father and members of U.S. Congress, and many others.
Aiden expressed gratitude to all those who helped him to reach the Eagle Rank. Especially Scoutmaster Scott Adams, Assistant Scoutmaster Matt Bodine and Advance Chairman Ron Emery and his parents who all gave him help whenever needed. Aiden also thanked all the guests who took time to come to his Eagle ceremony on his special day and for all the Scouts who helped him with the ceremony.
He is the son of Lee and Danielle Pettengill, of South China, and is a freshman at Erskine Academy, in South China.
The Waterville Area Art Society (WAAS) is now accepting applications for its annual $500 scholarship award to be given to a graduating high school senior who pursues a degree in visual arts, performing arts or music. It is open to students from the following high schools: Waterville, Winslow, Lawrence, Messalonskee, Erskine Academy, Snow Pond Arts Academy and Mid-Maine Technical Center.
Information has been sent to the schools. Teachers are asked to submit nominations and include: student contact information; recommendation; information about student’s artistic ability and need; three photos or video clips of student work. These can be submitted by mail (WAAS) PO Box 2703, Waterville, ME 04903-2703) or digitally to waasmaine@ gmail.com. Nominations must be submitted by May 1.
Previous winners and former applicants are eligible to apply again with a former high school or college teacher’s nomination and materials. To receive further information, send email to waasmaine@gmail.com or contact Mary Morrison at 872-5843.
Students and parents from China, Vassalboro, Palermo, Waterville and Chelsea at the White House, in Washington, DC.
The American Heritage tour, offered through the Boys and Girls club and YMCA of Greater Waterville at the Alfond Youth Center, is an educational journey for eighth grade middle school students to learn about America’s history and how to contribute effectively as citizens. This educational trip is offered to many of the local schools every Spring.
The first trip of this year was with students from China, Vassalboro, Palermo, Waterville and Chelsea. Tour destinations included: The Liberty Bell and U. S. mint in Philadelphia; Gettysburg National Park, where the students visited different battleground sites and the museum; Arlington Cemetery where they witnessed the changing of the guard; Washington D. C. where they visited the Pentagon 9/11 memorial, Smithsonian museums, the Holocaust museum and George Washington’s Mt. Vernon; and the final destination was New York City where they visited the 9/11 memorial, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and Times Square.
This year the China parents and students decided to raise funds to allow scholarships for students that needed financial assistance to go on the trip. Thanks to generous businesses in the local area, a couple of scholarships were awarded and those students were able to participate in a once in a life time experience. Much thanks goes to the following businesses that supported these students: Lakeview Lumber, MAJEK Seafood, Windsor Veterinary Clinic, Reed & Reed, Fieldstone Quick Stop, Whitt’s Garment Works, Hannaford and China Lake Auto Sales and Service.
China students and their parents at the White House. (Photos courtesy of Jane Golden)
Front row, left to right, Emily Feyler, Mikayla Achorn, Logan Dow, Lucia LaCroix, Jason Feyler and Daniel Ouellette. Back, Carlie Bertrand, tournament director Mark Huard, Luke Raven, Tate Jewell, CMN director Kelly Pearson, Abby Dudley and major tournament sponsor Corey Dow (H&R Block). Absent from photo is Elyse Wilson. (Photo by Central Maine Photography staff)
Young students from Huard’s Martial Arts, in Winslow, recently collected pledges for the Battle of Maine Children’s Miracle Network fundraiser. Over the years, students and the event have raised over $75,000.
The 38th Battle of Maine Martial Arts championships took place on Saturday, March 24, at Thomas College, in Waterville. The event helped raise funds for the Children’s Miracle Network and was a great success. Over 375 competitors and many spectators joined the event for a fun and action-packed day of martial arts competition.
Some of the youth competitors are showing off their first time tournament awards at the Battle of Maine. (Photo by Central Maine Photography staff)
Some of the many winners from the Battle of Maine Martial Arts championships. From left to right, Xander Giguere, third place forms, first place chanbara, Adam Fitzgerald, first place forms, first place chanbara, Abby Dudley, first place weapons, first place forms, first place fighting. (Photo by Mark Huard)
Palermo Community Center (Photo by Connie Bellet)
As part of the Evolving Communities Presentation Series, the Palermo Community Center will present guest speaker Patricia Oh on Friday, March 30, following a potluck dinner at 6 p.m.
Patricia Oh, LMSW, is a liveable communities consultant with AARP Maine. She works with communities that want to adopt policies, make infrastructure changes, create social and recreational opportunities, and develop services to encourage everyone–from toddlers to centenarians–to be fully engaged in the community while enjoying good health and well-being. As part of her association with age-friendly communities in Maine, Ms. Oh works with a number of people who have formed a group called Aging Well in Waldo County, with the purpose of creating much more liveable, attractive towns that are easier to navigate without great dependence on private transportation. Waldo County is the first county that has joined the Liveable Communities Initiative.
Accessibility is an issue that is certain to arise during this discussion, as is isolation of many of our homebound and disabled citizens who do not drive. Bring your ideas, questions, and a dish to share! This round table of neighbors is sure to get you out of hibernation. The driveway off Turner Ridge Road is marked by a lit sign, and is right across from the ball field.
For more information, please call Connie Bellet at 993-2294, or e-mail pwhitehawk@fairpoint.net.
Parents and students should be advised of a change to Erskine Academy’s school calendar due to excessive storm days. Friday, April 13, will now be an early release day with dismissal at 11:30 a.m. Any additional school cancellations will be reviewed to determine if further make up days will be required.
Caleb Tyler
Erskine Academy Headmaster Michael McQuarrie is pleased to announce that Caleb Tyler of Palermo, a senior at Erskine, has been selected to receive the 2018 Principal’s Award. The award, sponsored by the Maine Principal’s Association, is given in recognition of a high school senior’s academic excellence, outstanding school citizenship, and leadership.
Tyler is a consistent high-honors student in a highly competitive academic program with numerous Advanced Placement and Concurrent Enrollment classes with nearby colleges. He received formal commendation from his teachers for excellence and outstanding achievement in the sciences, mathematics, and social studies, and he is a standout athlete in both soccer and lacrosse.
“Caleb is esteemed by his teachers and peers, earning and enjoying universal acceptance in the school community. He is an exemplary student and fine ambassador of Erskine Academy and young people in general, and he personifies the school’s core values of scholarship, leadership, stewardship, and relationships,” noted Headmaster McQuarrie when making the award.
Tyler, McQuarrie, and other award winners and their principals will attend an Honors Luncheon at the Spectacular Event Center in Bangor on Saturday, April 7, 2018, at 12:30 p.m.
The Honors Luncheon recognizes these outstanding students with the presentation of an individual plaque and the awarding of five $1,000 scholarships in the names of Horace O. McGowan and Richard W. Tyler; both were former Maine principals and executive directors of the Association. Additionally, five $1,000 scholarships will be presented through the efforts of the MPA Scholarship Golf Tournament.
The Principal’s Award is presented in more than 100 Maine public and private high schools by member principals of the MPA, the professional association that represents Maine’s school administrators.
Tracey “Frosty” Frost, SRO for RSU18
When students arrive at Messalonskee High School, the first face they often see is that of Detective Tracey Frost. “Frosty” as the kids call him, is a reassuring presence, rather than an intimidating one. He has a booming “good-morning,” a witty comment for each kid, and can call most of them by name.
At Messalonskee Middle School, Sergeant Adam Sirois starts his day in a similar manner, greeting students with a smile and a quiet “hello,” complimenting their hat, asking about their weekend. “He is always chatting with the kids, either one on one or in small groups,” said head Administrative Assistant Tracey Foster.
For both of these men, their day is spent wearing many hats. A school resource officer (SRO) is part counselor, part teacher, part enforcer, and part defender. There’s no such thing as a typical day in the life of an SRO; they simply play too many roles in the school setting. “I try to fulfill whatever need is present,” said Detective Frost. “I’ve investigated threats, searched students for weapons, taught young men how to tie ties, investigated DHHS issues and sexual assaults, assisted in drug investigations, delivered death notifications, assisted with suicidal students, handled traffic complaints, stood by for custody disputes, taught classes in Civics, Health and Criminal Justice, recovered lost property and investigated sexting complaints. Every once in a while, I get to sit back and enjoy a cup of coffee.”
Police Chief Mike Tracy
The student resource officer program in RSU #18 started in January of 1999 with now Police Chief Mike Tracy as the district’s first SRO. The SROs are always Oakland Police Officers but are also deputized as Kennebec County Sheriffs in order to be able to cover all the schools in the district as needed. “The schools and the police department have always had a very strong relationship, even before the start of the program,” said Chief Tracy. He added that while the job has changed with the times, the basics have stayed the same. ”We work together with the safety of the students in mind.”
While the national media has, naturally, been focusing on the role that school resource officers may play during an incident of school violence, that is only one of the many situations where these officers may be called on to protect students. According to Superintendent Carl Gartley, having armed SROs has been key in keeping students safe in a variety of situations that could have become much more difficult without their intervention.
Their presence is also extremely reassuring to the school community. “Students and parents appreciate having Detective Frost in our building as he is a great resource for them to reach out to when they have specific issues that they need help with,” said MHS Principal Paula Callan. She also added that he is the school’s “go-to person” for delivering food baskets and gifts to families over the holidays, and behind the scenes, he is in charge of running drills and updating staff on security protocol.
Frost acknowledges that though his role at the high-school is primarily that of protector and investigator, he feels he is most effective as a mentor. “I try to position myself to be approachable,” said Frost. “When a student wants to talk about what’s going on at home, or online, I want them to feel comfortable coming to see me with the assurance that I will do my best to help.” He added that he believes that this is the best defense against potential school violence. “Students feel comfortable texting, emailing or talking to me. I am usually successful at getting information that a problem exists before it becomes a fight or something worse.”
Forging relationships with the students they work with is key for SROs to be effective. For Sirois, it’s also his favorite part of the job. Many of the students he works with frequently need more “positive interaction with adult authority figures,” and providing that can have a huge impact. “Adam builds great relationships with students and has many discussions with them on topics around bullying, being safe online, avoiding legal issues and other topics,” said MMS Principal Mark Hatch.
Detective Tracey Frost congratulating graduates
The job also has its fair share of challenges. For Frost, the biggest one is the heartache of knowing that 90 percent of the students he interacts with in his official role grew up in poverty with little to no positive parenting; this makes reaching them difficult. “I deal with the same 20 students over and over again,” said Frost. “Sometimes this is very challenging and, quite frankly, tiring.” He agrees with Sirois that being able to make a difference with those kids is the greatest reward. “Every once in a while, I get a victory where a student who is going down a hard road gets in trouble and I am able to turn that kid’s life around.”
Safety in our schools has always been a priority in RSU #18 and will continue to be so. “Unfortunately, just living in rural Maine is no longer enough to say we are safe,” said Superintendent Carl Gartley. “In today’s world, we need to have our building secure, we need to have buzz-in systems and cameras in our schools.” He added that the schools and town are working together to explore a variety of additional improvements that can be made to our security protocol, from the possibility of additional resource officers to modifications in the physical structures of some of the buildings.
Both Detective Frost and Sergeant Sirois feel that there is a lot to be said for the current state of security in the district, despite some architectural challenges in the older schools. “Our crisis plans are state of the art and are updated regularly,” said Frost. “We have more SROs than any other district in the area. Our management team takes security seriously. We have a substantial number of cameras. We work well with surrounding police and fire departments.” He added that there is a balance to be had between ensuring safety and turning our schools into prisons. “We want to remain a welcoming environment, not a detention facility. It’s a balance that everyone is struggling with.”
This article first appeared on the RSU18 website.
by Eric W. AustinPssst! I know a bit about my fellow China residents. I know, for example, that 96 percent of you want to stay in China as you age. In fact, on the whole, most of you think China is a pretty great place to live. There is high confidence in our emergency services, with 93 percent of you happy with the Volunteer Fire Department, 89 percent satisfied with ambulance and rescue services, and 87 percent pleased with the response from law enforcement.
Now, how do I know this? I didn’t go around and ask everyone in town. Thankfully, I didn’t have to. There’s a committee dedicated to doing just that. It’s called the China for a Lifetime Committee (CFAL). Members were appointed by the China Board of Selectmen back in April 2017, with the first committee meeting in May. The committee is headed up by Chairman Christopher Hahn, owner of 3 Level Farm, a 145-acre, diversified organic farm in China.
You might remember a survey sent out by the committee last October. The four-page questionnaire was mailed to every seventh household in China and distributed in the October 18 edition of The Town Line. Copies were also available from the town office and the transfer station between October 18 and November 30.
A total of 291 China residents completed the survey and the results were collated and shown to the committee in January. The survey was developed, distributed, and analyzed by the committee with technical assistance from Patricia Oh, of Bowdoin, a consultant with the Tri-State Learning Collaborative on Aging.
I asked Hahn about the committee’s motivations for sending out the survey. “What we’re trying to do is learn, from all of the citizens of China, what types of services, facilities and systems will enhance their lives and make them want to live a lifetime in China,” he told me. “For a single senior citizen, it will be one thing. For a 20-year-old, just joining the workforce, it will likely be something else. We hope to connect the dots through better systems of communication and networking.”
That sentiment was certainly front and center at the committee’s meeting last month, where they discussed the survey results and set priorities on what to tackle first. The number one issue that kept cropping up was ‘Better Communication.’
Part of the survey centered on social activities in China. Although 70 percent of respondents were satisfied with the activities available in China, the top reason given by those that weren’t was a lack of information. In other words, people want to be involved, but are not aware of what there is to be involved in.
Similarly, many people were unaware that places like the South China Community Church or local Masonic Lodges had programs open to the public. Did you know the China Conference Center has a gymnasium that is available for public use by the residents of China? Did you know China has an emergency shelter with its own water, septic and generator for electricity? I sure didn’t.
A much more difficult question is how to go about improving communication by making information more available and easier to find. A number of ideas were offered by committee members and mentioned by respondents in their comments on the survey. Among them was the suggestion of expanding the Tuesday Notice, an announcement that currently focuses on school news and events. Another was to create a ‘Friends of China’ Facebook group, where activities could be announced. The most promising idea was to expand The Town Line’s online ‘Calendar of Events’ page into an exhaustive, and searchable, community calendar.
According to the CFAL survey, 77 percent of you already turn to The Town Line for information about local activities. I asked Roland Hallee, managing editor of The Town Line, what he thought about the idea of hosting a community calendar. “I think it’s a terrific idea,” he told me. “The Town Line has been the voice of China and the surrounding communities for the past 30 years. Now that we’re online, it only makes sense that townline.org becomes the online portal for information about what is going on in the town. We have been discussing ways to improve our Calendar of Events page and will help the CFAL committee achieve its goals in any way we can.”
Respondents to the survey were also looking for more activities for their age group. Only 39 percent of those surveyed thought there were enough programs for youth and children and many were looking for additional activities for kids that do not participate in sports. Adults also expressed an interest in more activities, with wellness programs, outdoor recreation, lifelong learning and socialization opportunities topping the list. However, it is unclear whether there is an actual lack of opportunities or just insufficient information about those already available.
China residents are generally generous folks, with 38 percent of respondents saying they volunteer on town committees or for local charity organizations. Some respondents expressed a desire to volunteer but did not know what needs there were in the community. To that end, The Town Line will be adding a special “Volunteering” section to our classifieds page. All listings will be free. If you run a community organization and you need volunteers, or if you are a citizen and want to give your time to a worthy cause, send The Town Line an email with the subject “Volunteer Classifieds” and we will list you in the new Volunteering section of the weekly classifieds for free! (This service will be available for all towns where The Town Line is distributed, not just China.)
The CFAL survey identified some needs and areas for improvement in our community as well. Nearly 40 percent of those who responded admitted they were having difficulties financially, and 15 percent said they sometimes did not have enough food to eat. Surprisingly, only 3 percent have used the services of the China Food Pantry. (Local food pantries with operational hours can be found at townline.org/food-pantries.)
About 12 percent of those surveyed said their homes are not warm enough during winter months. And while only 3 percent stated their homes were missing smoke detectors, 24 percent did not have carbon monoxide detectors and 16 percent did not have a working fire extinguisher. This subject is of special importance to the CFAL Committee, and they are looking for a way to make sure all China homes are at least equipped with smoke detectors. The Volunteer Fire Department used to give them out but had to stop for liability reasons. The committee is currently looking for a way to get around this problem of liability.
Another goal of the committee has been to look at the services available to our senior residents. According to the 2016 U.S. Census data, 12 percent of our population is over the age of 65, with another 9 percent reaching retirement age within the next five years. That’s a pretty sizable portion of our population, but currently, there is no senior housing facility located in China. Our older citizens are often forced to move out of town, to Waterville or Skowhegan, and away from family and friends when no longer able to live on their own.
Joann Austin, member of the CFAL committee and retired selectman, is particularly passionate on this subject. “Our older population in China is growing,” she said about the initiative. “They are an important part of this town and we need a local facility so they can stay here and continue to contribute to the community as they grow older.”
The China for a Lifetime Committee’s work is only just begun, but with the completion of the survey they’ve taken a major step toward their goal: to make China a town where you’d want to spend a lifetime.
Based on the survey results and community feedback, the CFAL committee plans to release an action plan sometime in the late Spring of 2018. The official assessment and analysis of the survey results can be found at the town office or on their website.
Are you interested in making a difference in China? The China for a Lifetime Committee’s meetings are held at the town office and open to the public – and community participation is encouraged! The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 17, at 6:30 p.m.
(Please click here to download the China for a Lifetime committee’s official assessment for the 2017 survey.)
Eric Austin lives in China and writes about technology and community issues. He can be reached by email at ericwaustin@gmail.com.