From left to right, Whitefield Lions Barry Tibbetts, Calvin Prescott and Amanda Stevens.
The 32nd Whitefield Lions Club Model Railroad and Dollhouse show was held Saturday, February 17th at the Augusta State Armory. Whitefield Lion Steven Laundrie, who organizes the event said at least 40 exhibitors were in attendance and hundreds of spectators visited the show.
Thirteen-year-old Jacob Seigars, of Palermo, attended China schools until October 2017 when he transferred to Palermo Consolidated School. He continues to attend Palermo Consolidated via robot generously provided by Grahamtastic.org
Jacob’s mother is Heather Seigars, his father is Joseph (Joe) Seigars and his bonus mother is Natasha Seigars. Jacob has a 15-year-old brother named Shawn, as well as three younger siblings, Achiva (10), Joe joe (7) and Isabella (3). He also has two pets: a yellow lab named Honey and a cat named Shade.
Jacob Seigars, of Palermo, with New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital, in Portland. Photos courtesy of Mark Huard
As many know Jacob has a fantastic sense of humor. He can take any situation and find humor, even when it’s a situation that is as debilitating as being diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. After being sick with numerous illnesses for about six consecutive weeks, including colds and pneumonia, Jacob was diagnosed with AML on January 15, 2018, and admitted to Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital, in Portland, that same day. He has remained an inpatient at Barbara Bush since then and will remain in the hospital for at least a few more months. Jacob completed his second round of chemotherapy on February 18. He continues to fight Leukemia and is determined to beat the disease.
Jacob is a phenomenal athlete and whatever sport he plays he puts his whole heart into it! He stands out by his skill and his positive nature. Jacob started playing soccer at the age of three, and started playing basketball at the age of four. Jacob started baseball at five years of age with tee-ball and played up through Little League through sixth grade. Jacob joined track and field in sixth grade and continued to compete in seventh grade, also. His best events are discus and hurdles.
Jacob has received a lot of recognition over the years because of his athletic ability and been an integral part of many teams. His middle school soccer team has won the SVAC championship the last two years. His middle school basketball team last season, China Clippers, placed second in the 2017 SVAC championship. Last season Jacob placed first in hurdles at the invitational meet. Jacob recently earned a spot to the Dirigo U14 Premier soccer team and is hoping to get back on the field soon! This season Jacob played for the Palermo varsity basketball team. He was struggling health wise this season but still managed to dominate the court and end each game with “double-doubles” while he was still able to play.
Not only does Jacob love playing sports but he loves watching them as well! Jacob loves watching the New England Patriots play football. His favorite players are Chris Hogan, Deion Lewis, and Gronk. Jacob got a surprise on February 13, when Rob Gronkowski along with his father and two brothers visited the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital to deliver a $25,000 donation to the hospital from Gronk Nation! Jacob’s counts were so low he was unable to attend the gathering and the ball spiking lesson with Gronk, so Gronk and his dad were kind enough to stop by and visit in Jacob’s room!
For more updates on Jacob’s fight and upcoming events please follow www.facebook.com/PrayforJacob18.
A dodgeball tournament has been scheduled by Whitefield Elementary for March 2 and 3v3 basketball tournament for March 4 has been scheduled by Mike Roderick and Becky and Chris Young to be held at Erskine Academy. A donation account has been established at Bar Harbor Bank and Trust. The family’s address is: The Seigars Family, 888 Route 3, Palermo, ME 04354.
William Alger, of Winslow, is pictured with New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital, in Portland. Photos courtesy of Mark Huard
William Alger, 12, of Winslow has Cystic Fibrosis. CF is a genetic disorder that causes complications in the respiratory and digestive systems. He typically visits the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital, in Portland, for a “clean-out,” which is a 14-day course of antibiotics administered through an IV, once every year or two.
William has been in the hospital since January 31 and recently returned home on February 20. The goals of this admission were to improve his lung function and to gain weight. Healthy weight has a direct correlation to higher lung function in CF patients. William has been busy working through his treatments, with his tutor, keeping caught up on his academics. He has been working hard in physical therapy also – getting lots of exercise to stay strong. He also gets to have some fun with the Playroom staff and other kiddos.
William’s mom Esther Bullard is quoted as saying, “Our time here is filled with sleepless nights, busy days, and an enormous effort to improve William’s overall health outcomes. One of the blessings here at Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital is that special guests come and meet with the kids, providing much needed encouragement. Today William got to meet New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski! It was an incredible, unforgettable surprise.”
Gronk was so kind and humble. He took time to talk with William. They chatted about the Super Bowl game, and he asked, “so what’s your favorite sport?” William responded, “well it’s lacrosse,” which was so funny! Gronk wasn’t expecting that answer (obviously), and he said, “that’s cool, I’ve never played lacrosse!” And, of course, William said Gronk was his favorite football player, and that the Patriots are his favorite team.
William got two autographs and some amazing photos. It was a wonderful day for William that will be forever remembered.
William Alger, of Winslow, gets an autograph from New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital, in Portland. Photos courtesy of Mark Huard
Mikayla Godleski, of Sidney, was among 228 students from Genesee Community College, in Batavia, New York, who were named to the provost’s list for the fall 2017 semester.
Andrew Browne, of Vassalboro, majoring in communication, was among 2,419 students at Coastal Carolina University, in Conway, South Carolina, who made the fall semester 2017 dean’s list.
To qualify for the dean’s list, freshmen must earn a 3.25 grade point average, and upperclassmen must earn a 3.5 grade point average. All students must be enrolled full time.
Coastal Carolina University is a dynamic, public comprehensive liberal arts institution located in Conway, near the resort area of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The Erskine Academy Class of 2018 will host a scrapbooking workshop to benefit Project Graduation on Saturday, March 3, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., in the Erskine cafeteria. Creative Memories consultant Mary Haskell will be there with how-to workshops, ideas, and materials to purchase. In addition, Kiwi Lane consultant Gail Pottle, Stampin’ Up consultant Jeannine Tarrio, Positively Wonderful Creations consultant Sheila Bacon, A Handmade Occasion consultant Jenny Hansen, and Thirty One consultant Cara Hanson will also be available to demonstrate various techniques and products. The cost of the event is $30 and includes lunch, snacks, and drinks. All participants will also receive a thank you gift for attending.
To register, please send your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and seating preference (i.e. names of other participants you’d prefer to sit with) along with the non-refundable fee of $30 to: Betsy Benner, c/o Erskine Academy, 309 Windsor Road, South China, ME, 04358. Checks should be made payable to Erskine Academy and registration information should be returned by February 26 to ensure a spot. For more information, please e-mail Betsy Benner at bbenner@erskine247.com.
Photo courtesy of Emily Cates
Whether you are a patio container gardener or have a vast vegetable garden, getting those seeds going indoors is a fun and productive way to kickstart your growing season. Grab some seeds and growing trays on Friday, February 23, and we’ll get down and dirty with a hands-on sowing session following a delicious Pot Luck Supper at 6 p.m.
Master Gardener Connie Bellet and friends will help you choose what to plant, when to plant it, where to locate plants and their friends, how long you can keep seeds, needs of specific plants, how and what to feed your plants, and how much to water. Hint: the focus will be on cold-weather crops like parsley, kale, onions, and cabbage. If you have other areas of interest or specific gardening questions, Bellet can either answer them or direct you to appropriate experts in the field.
The supper is free, but a donation of $5 or more is requested to cover the expense of planting supplies, sample mediums, and organic plant foods and fertilizers. Bring a winter dish to share, or donate to the Food Pantry. For information or directions, please contact Connie Bellet at 993-2294 or pwhitehawk@fairpoint.net.
For safety’s sake, the Good Shepherd Food Bank, which contracts with local food pantries, has issued a policy that when schools are closed due to weather and road conditions, many of the area food pantries will also close. The Palermo Food Pantry, which is open every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to noon, will try to reschedule to Wednesday at the same time, at the Palermo Community Center. School closings are shown on the “crawler” at the bottom of the TV screen on the morning news on channels 5 and 8. If in doubt, please call Connie at 993-2294 or June at 993-2225 before 10 a.m.
The winter months are very hard on all of us, particularly when hungry children are involved. All of the food pantries are extremely grateful for donations of food and money, and appreciate your support of our friends and neighbors. The Palermo Food Pantry accepts donations of food on Tuesday mornings from 8 to 10 a.m., and monetary donations may be made out to the Living Communities Foundation, P.O. Box 151, Palermo 04354. Thank you so very much!
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine (BBBS MM) was recently awarded a $3,000 grant from Skowhegan Savings Charitable Contributions Foundation in support of school-based mentoring programs in Somerset County.
The donation will help fund matches at BBBS programs that link student mentors from Skowhegan High School (Bigs) with elementary students (Littles) at Margaret Chase Smith School and Bloomfield Elementary School. Funds will also purchase items for the program’s activity bins used by matches at both locations.
BBBS MM Executive Director Gwendolyn Hudson said partnership with Skowhegan Savings is especially vital in the agency’s work to help more kids succeed in Somerset County. “When local businesses like Skowhegan Savings continue to support the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters, they are making a long-term commitment to children in their community; to help change more lives for the better,” Hudson said.
Skowhegan Savings Assistant Vice President and Community Banker Karen Hart and Fawn Wentworth, Marketing Officer recently met with Big and Little matches to see first-hand how the Skowhegan Savings Foundation gift is helping local youth at Bloomfield Elementary School in Skowhegan.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine changes the lives of more than 700 youth in Androscoggin, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Penobscot, Somerset and Waldo Counties facing adversity for the better, forever by providing strong and enduring, professionally-supported, one-to-one relationships. By partnering with parents, volunteers and organizations, children in Big Brother Big Sister programs have higher aspirations, greater confidence, better relationships, avoid risky behaviors and achieve educational success. For more information on volunteering or donating please call 236-BBBS (2227) or visit www.bbbsmidmaine.org.
Skowhegan Area High School student mentors (Bigs) meet with their Littles at Bloomfield Elementary School in Skowhegan as part of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine youth mentoring programs. The Bloomfield matches, as well as Bigs and Littles who meet weekly at Margaret Chase Smith School, will benefit from a recent generous gift of $3,000 from Skowhegan Savings Charitable Contributions Foundation.
All eighth grade students and their parents from the surrounding communities are invited to attend the Erskine Academy Eighth Grade Open House on Wednesday, February 28, at 6:30 p.m., in the gym. The administration strongly encourages all incoming freshmen and their parents to attend this event as registration materials will be available and information about the course selection process will be provided. In the case of inclement weather, a snow date of Thursday, March 1, has been set.
Parents who are unable to attend this event are asked to contact the Guidance Office at 445-2964 to request registration materials.
The Erskine Academy Class of 2018 will host the 9th annual Fly Like an Eagle 5K Race/Walk on Sunday, April 29, at 9 a.m. The race will feature free performance race T-shirts (if registered by deadline), snacks for all race participants, and awards for race winners. The non-refundable registration fee is $20 for adults, $10 for Erskine students, and $15 for all other students if registered by April 22. Registrations received after that date or on race day will be at the rate of $25 and race day T-shirts are not guaranteed. Online registration is available (for an additional fee) at https://www.RunReg.com/fly-like-an-eagle-5k or participants may register by mail by contacting Betsy Benner at bbenner@erskine247.com. All proceeds benefit the Class of 2018.