KHS to present Women at Sea in Manchester

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This visual slideshow explores the “herstories” of Penobscot Bay women and daughters who went to sea in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Despite the old sailors’ superstition that women at sea were unlucky, the women accompanied their fathers and husbands on cargo voyages around the world. Some were literally born into the profession and others joined their love ones with initial trepidation. Using letters, manuscripts and newspaper articles from the Penobscot Marine Museum archives and objects from the collection, we will learn about their experiences at sea.

Cipperly Good, Collections Manager and Curator at Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport, spent her early museum career just upriver at the L.C. Bates Museum and returned to Maine full-time in 2010 to take her current job at Penobscot Marine Museum. She holds a Masters of Arts in Museum Studies from The George Washington University and is a graduate of Colby College.

The Kennebec Historical Society July presentation is free to the public (donations gladly accepted) and will take place on Wednesday, July 19, at 6:30 p.m., at the Hope Baptist Church, located at 726 Western Avenue in Manchester.

Maine Moose win 2nd straight national title

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On June 14, the Maine Senate recognized the Maine Moose U18 team, based in Hallowell, for their victory at the 2017 Tier 2A USA National Hockey Championship in Lansing, Michigan. This is the team’s second straight national championship. The team won its fourth straight Maine State Championship after dominating the Eastern Elite Junior Prospect League. Members of the team include Cameron Wilson, of Augusta; Jeromy Rancourt, Cole Ouelette and Cody Doyon, of Lewiston; Gavin Bates and Assistant Coach Jim Raby, of Auburn; Tanner McClure, of Gorham; Marc Thibodeau, of Hampden; Thomas Arps, of Farmingdale; Derek Fournier, of Bangor; Tyler Wheeler, of Old Town; Esa Maki, of Jay; Matthew Deaveux, of Brunswick; Samuel Johnson, of Readfield; Matt Jolicoeur, Jackson Aldrich and Andrew Roderigue, all of Waterville; Josh Malone, of Houlton; and Head Coach Jeff Ross, of China, second from right.

Contributed photo

SRLT monthly speaker series features John McPhedran of the Maine DEP

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With paddle season upon us, there is no better time to investigate aquatic ecosystems. But which of those underwater plants are good, and which are unwanted invasives? With paddle season upon us, there is no better time to investigate aquatic ecosystems. But which of those underwater plants are good, and which are unwanted invasives?

John McPhedran of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will join the Sebasticook Regional Land Trust on Wednesday, July 12, at 6:30 p.m., to discuss native and invasive aquatic plants.

No one has their eye on aquatic plant communities like McPhedran. As the DEP’s Invasive Aquatic Plant Unit Leader, he has spent a career investigating threats to aquatic ecosystems and educating citizens on how to stop or limit the spread of aquatic invasive species. McPhedran’s engaging presentation will help everyday paddlers identify both native and unwelcome invasives.

McPhedran’s talk is part of the Sebasticook Regional Land Trust’s monthly speaker series, “Restoring Connections to Place,” featuring a wide variety of conservation topics of interest to Maine.  Held at 93 Coffee Shop, 93 Main St in Unity, the program is open to the public.  A five-dollar donation is suggested. For more information, please email info@sebasticookrlt.org or call 207-948-3766.

This event pairs well with another upcoming SRLT event. A community paddle scheduled for July 22 at the Pleasant Lake Preserve will have aquascopes on hand to help participants view aquatic plants and the rich natural ecosystems in which they thrive. Sign-up for the paddle is required.

Erskine grad sends message to arrive alive

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Alexis Bonenfant

Erskine Academy graduate, Alexis Bonenfant, won first-place in the 13th annual Arrive Alive Creative Contest sponsored by the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein. The contest asks students to come up with a creative message about the dangers of drinking and driving and/or distracted driving.

Ms. Bonenfant was chosen as one of five first-place winners and received a new laptop computer for her “Book of Life” entry depicting how the decisions drivers make can both positively and negatively impact their lives. The Vassalboro native was honored among the top 20 winners statewide at an award ceremony on June 14.

The Arrive Alive Creative Contest is open to graduating high school seniors in Maine who may enter a creative project of their choice. First-place winners receive a new laptop, second and third-place winners receive a new iPad, and every student who enters receives fun prizes from the law firm. Since 2004, over 750 graduating seniors have entered the contest from 115 Maine high schools.

A complete set of rules and all past winning entries can be viewed online at: www.arrivealivecreativecontest.com or on Facebook. In the past 13 years, the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein has given away over $120,000 in prizes to help educate teenagers on the risks of dangerous driving. The firm’s dedication to the Arrive Alive Creative Contest made them a finalist for the American Association for Justice Trial Lawyers Care Award in 2014.

Brothers take part in humanitarian work in Philippines

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Gary Kennedy, right, started visiting the local prison in Trece Martirez, Cavite, a couple of years ago and found the need for education which required books and a teacher. Here he is shown with the prison teacher. Photo courtesy of Gary Kennedy

Kennedys fortify previous Rotary projects

Gary Kennedy, of Chelsea, past president of the Rotary Club of Hallowell has returned from a humanitarian journey to Southeast Asia. His mission was to fortify a previous Rotary project which was a medical facility in the village of Amadeo Cavite, Philippines. The facility was started a few years ago and Gary has been visiting this site annually to distribute medical supplies and equipment. Most of these supplies are purchased from Partners for World Health. Gary’s brother Charles, who is a Rotarian from the Windham Rotary Club, decided, with the support of his club, that he would join Gary two years ago. Together and with the strength of Rotary they have been able to accomplish some really great things and have plans for more. This year alone a library, started by Rotary and Kennedy brothers, was replenished. The medical clinic was given medical supplies and equipment valued at approximately $17,000.

Charlie, left, and Gary Kennedy have joined forces to help the impoverished in the Philippines.

Also a new orphanage which was started by a pastor from Pennsylvania, which was in need of help, asked the Kennedy’s at a meeting in Silang, Cavite, if they could help. The orphanage needed six bathrooms for the boys and girls and there were no funds available to work with. Charles and Gary came back to the U.S. and, with the help of Mike Cloutier, manager and golf pro of the Sebago Lake Golf and Country Club, had a golf tournament which produced enough revenue to fund the needed bathrooms of the Mango House Orphanage in Silang. There are so many people with big hearts; you just have to find them.

The Kennedy’s are both retired, disabled American veterans of the Vietnam era. They find the work of humanitarians the most rewarding job they have ever had. “Once you start you are hooked,” said Gary. “You end up with a piece of the world as your family. There is so much warmth in doing this.” Gary has been doing this for a lot longer than his younger brother so he has been able to see children go from kindergarten to college, and all it took was a little help and a gentle push to replace guns with books.

The Philippines will have hundreds of cleft lip repairs and many sick and hungry receiving food and medicine. Next year they will even have their first horseshoe tournament, one of Gary’s brain storms. Gary says, “If you fill a life, not only a stomach, you can change the world. Boredom is a void that needs to be filled or it festers and the result is all bad.”

Gary started visiting the local prison in Trece Martirez, Cavite, a couple of years ago and found the need for education which required books and a teacher. Gary and Charlie were able to raise several hundred educational books for a new library inside the facility. Gary promises he will give them books shelves this year. He doesn’t know how yet but he is convinced that it will happen.

Besides books, medical and dental equipment, the Kennedy’s are looking for baseball equipment to start two teams. So, if you have any of this sort of thing hanging around your attic, give it new life and donate it. “Adopt a team and we will share the pictures with you,” said Gary. “It’s great doing something for others that they can’t do for themselves. It’s life changing for you both. This is also a wonderful project for church and youth groups.”

Pennsylvania native Ada, the director of the orphanage in the Philippines that the Kennedy’s were instrumental in constructing. Ada and her husband had traveled to the Philippines many times, but when he passed away, Ada stayed to run the orphanage, and has not returned home. Photo courtesy of Gary Kennedy

The Kennedys would be happy to speak and share with your group what they do. Gary is a member of Rotary and Knights of Rizal. He has received a couple of Paul Harris Awards as well as the President’s Call to Service Award for thousands of volunteer hours. He was awarded honorary citizenship of the Province of Cavite Philippines, by Governor Ayong Maliksi, for his many years of service to the poor of Cavite. He also has many other awards given to him by many different groups in Asia.

You can call or text message Gary at 458-2832.

Maine champ

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Huard’s Martial Arts student Ely Yang, 16, of Winslow, center, captured the 2017 Maine State Jiu-jitsu championship on June 25 at the Black Fly Brazilian Jiu-jitsu championships in Rangeley. Flanking Ely is assistant coach Keegan Yang, left, and coach Mike Huard.

Photo by Mark Huard, Central Maine Photography

MOFGA poster contest

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The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) invites Maine residents and MOFGA members (regardless of residence) to submit a design for the 2018 Common Ground Country Fair Poster Design Contest. The Common Ground Country Fair poster is the highly-regarded image that promotes MOFGA’s annual celebration of rural living.

The winning artist receives $2,500, a press release, and is highlighted in MOFGA’s quarterly newspaper, The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener. The selected design is also featured on the Fair poster, website, T-shirt and in promotional literature.

The theme of the design must align with MOFGA’s mission and the general guidelines for participating in the fair. We welcome all Maine residents and MOFGA members to enter submissions by August 4, 2017.  The poster guidelines and application are available at www.mofga.org/TheFair/Poster.

For more information please contact the fair office at commonground@mofga.org.

Attention Erskine Academy Alumni

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Beginning July 12, 2017, Erskine Academy will be destroying school records, including health and special education records, not stipulated as permanent by law, as these are no longer needed to provide educational services. This process will include records beginning with the class of 2009 and all previous graduated classes.

The federal Family Educational Privacy Act (FERPA) stipulates that rights to these records transfer to students upon turning eighteen. As such, records will only be released to students with appropriate identification (license, birth certificate, passport, etc.) or to parents of students who present both signed permissions from their student and appropriate identification.

If you graduated before 2010 and wish to obtain your cumulative records, please call the school (207) 445-2962 before July 12 to make arrangements to pick up your records or with your questions. Please note that the permanent high school transcript (courses, grades, credits, attendance, test scores, etc.) will be maintained in perpetuity, with copies available upon request.

Local residents receive bachelor’s degrees at WPI

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On Saturday, May 13, on the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) campus quadrangle, in Worcester, Massachusetts, over 1,000 bachelor’s degrees were awarded during the university’s 149th commencement ceremony.

Julia Pershken, of Albion, was awarded a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering with distinction.

Mikayla Bolduc, of Skowhegan, was awarded a bachelor of science degree in biomedical engineering.

Kahl inducted Into Omicron Delta Kappa

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Sydney A. Kahl, of Waterville, was inducted into the St. Lawrence University chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society.

Kahl is a member of the Class of 2018 at St. Lawrence University, in Canton, New York, and is majoring in environmental studies. Kahl attended Plymouth Regional High School.