PALERMO: Sheepscot Lake Association newsletter

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submitted by Maria O’Rourke,
Sheepscot Lake Association President 

Hello members and friends of the Sheepscot Lake Association. We look forward to another fun-filled season on the lake and wanted to update you on what we have planned for 2023. First, we want to share the sad news that SLA co-founder and former President Gary Miller passed away May 20, 2023. He served valiantly for nearly a decade as the leader of our organization, and he will be sorely missed. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife Margie and his entire family, many of whom have been enjoying summers on Sheepscot for years. We hope that as an Association we can continue to reach the standards that he so highly kept himself.

The Courtesy Boat Inspection Program will begin on the first weekend of July, with inspectors checking boats for invasive species every Saturday and Sunday, one shift in the morning and one in the afternoon. Say hello to our CBI workers and learn how to inspect your own boat, as well as why it is important to the health of the lake to do so.

The fifth Annual 4th of July Boat Parade will be held on Sunday, July 2, at noon, with a rain date of Monday July 3, at noon.  Boats will meet up at the boat launch to line up for the procession. We look forward to seeing you out on your boats or waving from your shoreline!

Our Water Testing Committee will continue to check the phosphorus levels of the lake every month from May through September sending off the results to be analyzed, as in years past. We have been so blessed with healthy levels and we hope that trend continues.

Our LakeSmart Team will be conducting on site evaluations of homes to determine their “LakeSmart status.” To become ‘LakeSmart’, a property must meet certain criteria set forth by the Maine Lakes Society. These criteria are important because they combat erosion, which is a main concern for the health of the lake. Evaluators check your driveway, paths, and shoreline to see if there is any erosion and if so, what you can do to help prevent it. This is a free, non-regulatory program. If you are interested, please email us at sheepscotlakeassoc@gmail.com to set up a site visit, or to become a member of our team!

Volunteers will be out on the lake in the early morning of July 15 to participate in the annual Loon Count. This program is run statewide by the Audubon Society and helps to monitor the loon population. As a reminder, please watch your wake when boating close to shore where loons nest and if there is a nest in your area, be aware and stay away from it. We have been blessed with a healthy population of loons and we would like that to continue to be the case. Loons = a healthy lake!

Our annual general membership meeting will be held on Thursday, July 20, at 6 p.m. This year we will host a “dessert potluck” at the Fish and Game Club on Rte. 3 by the boat launch. We will provide coffee and soft drinks. Please bring a dessert to share! It will be a great opportunity to gather as a community, see what the association is working on, renew your membership, purchase lake association attire, and share some yummy treats. There will also be an informative guest speaker. With every family membership renewed at the meeting you will receive a Lake Book, published by the Maine Lakes Society, filled with useful information about how you can keep your property lake friendly. Two board member positions, treasurer and communications secretary, are up for renewal. If you are interested in serving on the board, please submit your name for nomination. The current board members holding these positions will also be on the ballet. There will be a vote at the meeting.  We look forward to seeing you at the annual meeting!

Our online SLA merchandise store is up and running.  We have tee-shirts in both adult and children’s sizes, a tote bag, and several more selections to come in the near future. Thank you for supporting our programs with your purchases!  To learn more about the lake association, become a member, or renew your membership, please visit our website at www.sheepscotlakeassociation.com. See you on the lake!

Litter Free China program to continue

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Members of the Central Church in China participate in the Second Saturdays litter cleanup initiative. (photo by Jeanne Marquis)

In past summers, you may have noticed volunteers picking up litter along Lakeview Drive, in China and South China villages, a portion of Rte. 3, Rte. 32, and part of the Neck Road. Let’s resume our efforts on Saturday, July 8, from 10 a.m. to noon, with a backup rain day on July 15, same time. We realize litterers will continue to litter, but maybe seeing volunteers picking up will encourage some to think twice. Please respond by email at rvdillenbeck@knology.net and advise what section of our roads you are willing to work.

It would be great to include Rte. 32 down to Erskine Academy and towards Vassalboro, the full Neck Road, Cross Rd,. and any other roads where you live. I’ll be away June 14 through June 30 and will read your emails upon return. Solo volunteers and group participation is welcome, pick a stretch you care about. Be aware of traffic, wear bright clothing, bring bags and gloves, and please take full bags to the transfer station. Let’s strive for a Litter-Free China!

Thanks, Richard Dillenbeck.

Cited for Bible study leadership

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Alene Smiley (contributed photo)

The Women’s Bible study group from China Baptist Church held its last meeting before their summer recess on Thursday, June 15. Robin Sabbatus and Faye Stevens served a luncheon and the ladies took the opportunity to honor Alene Smiley for her 24 years of leading the ladies in their studies. The ladies meet every Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m., for a time of refreshments and fellowship, followed by a study and a prayer and card ministry. They invite anyone to join them when they resume meeting in the fall. They will be starting with a study of women in the Bible. This group has been meeting for over 50 years.

Lake Association Annual Meetings 2023

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Image Credit: chinalakeassociation.org

2023 Lake Association Annual Meetings

*   *   *

SHEEPSCOT LAKE
THURSDAY, JULY 20
6 p.m.
Fish and Game Club on Route 3

CHINA LAKE
Saturday, July 29
China Primary School
8-10:30 a.m.
Office notice and agenda will be published in The Town Line later in June and July.

WEBBER POND
SATURDAY, June 24
9 a.m.
Vassalboro Community School
*   *   *

To be included in this list, contact The Town Line at townline@townline.org.

Whitefield Lions recognized local students

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The Whitefield Lions Club is recognizing five local students. These students will receive a $1,000 scholarship towards furthering their education. Each year the Whitefield Lions Club Scholarship Committee chooses among deserving applicants based on hard work, perseverance, leadership, community service and career goals.

This year the club is proud to recognize five outstanding individuals. Carson Appel, from Erskine Academy, in South China, and lives in Windsor, will be studying applied mathematics in the Brooks School of Public Policy at Cornell University; Ruth Bois, from Coastal Christian Academy, who lives in Jefferson, will be studying to be an elementary school teacher at University of Maine; Abigail St. Cyr, from Lincoln Academy, who lives in Jefferson, will be studying Early Childhood at Southern Maine Community College; Candence Rau, from Erskine Academy, who lives in Jefferson, will be studying physical fitness at Central Maine Community College; and Ava White, from Lincoln Academy, who lives in Jefferson, will be studying neuroscience at Mount Holyoke College.

Vassalboro volunteer receives thanks badge from Girl Scouts of Maine

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Jessica Prentiss

Jessica Prentiss, a troop leader and Product Sales Supervisor within the Arnold Service Unit, was recently awarded the Thanks Badge from the Girl Scouts of Maine (GSME). The Thanks Badge is awarded to a volunteer or staff member whose significant service has had an exceptional, measurable impact on meeting the mission delivery goals of the entire council or the entire Girl Scout Movement.

Over the last seven years, Prentiss has undertaken the highly crucial role of coordinating fall product and cookie sales for her service unit. As a product sales expert, she conducts thorough trainings, and responds to any and all questions from adult members and volunteers who are new to the organization. Prentiss steps far beyond her local area, participating in GSME statewide Q&A programs for new leaders across Maine.

More recently, Prentiss initiated and now organizes a council-wide opportunity for service units to offer incentives and rewards during the cookie program. At the Fall Product Supervisor Training, she collaborates with GSME to offer her wisdom on the subject through an insightful presentation. Prentiss has made an impact on the Girl Scout community at every corner of the state, and GSME is honored to present her with the Thanks Badge.

To learn more about the Thanks Badge, visit https://www.girlscoutsofmaine.org/volunteer-and-alum-stories/2023-annual-celebration-thanks-badge-recipients.

Golden Agers seniors enjoy Wednesday gatherings in China

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by Roberta R. Barnes

Wednesday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon, parking spaces are limited at the China town office even though the town office is closed on Wednesdays. Once used basically for voting, now on Wednesday mornings the accessible portable building behind the town office is where some people go for fun.

Once COVID was under control and most people stopped wearing masks, China’s Town Manager, Rebecca Hapgood, began focusing on the section of the community that had been stuck at home for far too long.

Pre-school to college/university students were back to interacting with other people. Many employees switched from working at home to interacting with other people in their workplace. Nevertheless, many of those people in the chapter of their life that fit into the retirement slot were still cooped up at home. We might expect chickens to be cooped up, but not people. People can have amazing stories to tell and exciting things to share with other people.

To help get this part of the community interacting with others the voting booths in the accessible portable building were moved into the town garage. Tables and chairs were set up to form the senior citizens’ club that would meet each Wednesday. As more people joined the club by contacting the China town office at 207-445-2014 opt 3, club members changed the name to Golden Agers. One of the officials at the China town office even designed the image for the Golden Agers T-shirt.

Books can even be read by candlelight, and with all of today’s technology there are dozens of ways to entertain yourself. On the other hand, there is this little zing that happens when you tell others about that part of a book or a movie that made you laugh or jump out of your seat.

Pets and wildlife can be fun to watch, and they are the perfect listeners for life’s secrets. Nevertheless, they do not communicate in the same way as people. If you want a reaction that mirrors the amazement you experienced when you saw that huge horned owl outside your bedroom window, it’s best to communicate with a person.

Joining the China Golden Agers is easy, and it gives you the opportunity to interact with others in various ways. Once you call the town office to join, your name is put on the Golden Agers list. Being on that list enables you to play bingo, cribbage, other card games, talk, and eat snacks on Wednesday mornings. Public officials also drop by and make themselves available to listen to any questions, comments, or concerns anyone might have about the community.

Last Wednesday Deputy Poulin of the Kennebec Sheriff’s Office gladly took time to step away from the bingo tables and talk to me. While I did not see anyone else asking him questions, deputies regularly drop in to listen and show their support for the community.

I also spoke with town officials who dropped by to show their support, as well as a handsome service therapy dog. All officials were/are open to listening, and responding if needed, to questions, comments, or concerns about the community.

When you call the China town office and join the Golden Agers club you will not be limited to Wednesday morning’s games, fun and talking. The Golden Agers travel as a group to enjoy such things as train rides and being part of Cyr NorthStar bus tours. Beyond all the pluses of being part of a group such as the Golden Agers, the cost per person is usually less than for an individual.

As I talked with members of the club, I heard they had already enjoyed events such as Unity Train Ride and the Fryeburg Fair. You can do all these things by yourself, but sharing in a group can create those extra good feelings that are beneficial to your mind and your body, or simply the whole of you.

One of the events the Golden Agers has planned is, as a group, to join in a cruise on Moosehead lake out of Greenville. As with most events early registration is required. If you have not already joined the Golden Agers it is best if you contact China Town Office today, join, and ask about registering for this cruise or the Cabbage Island clam bake, in Boothbay harbor.

When you call and join the Golden Agers you can discover the fun in being part of a group, chatting, laughing, and pointing out interesting things that you might otherwise have missed.

PHOTO: Spirit of America award recipients in Vassalboro

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Don and Lisa Breton, of Vassalboro, were recently presented with the Spirit of America award for their volunteer work. In the photo, from left to right, Rick Denico, Jr., Don and Lisa Breton, Barbara Redmond, Christopher French. (photo by Aaron Miller)

Inland Hospital and Purdue Global collaborate on new Simulation Center

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Leaders cut the ribbon (left to right): Kathy Corey, chair of Northern Light Health board of directors; Dr. Melissa Burdi, dean/VP of Purdue Global School of Nursing; Dr. Frank Dooley, chancellor of Purdue Global; Kim Lindlof, president of Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce; Tricia Costigan, president of Inland Hospital; and Crystal Olsen, chair of Inland Hospital board of trustees. (contributed photo)

A unique healthcare education collaboration kicked off in Waterville on June 6, 2023 as Northern Light Inland Hospital and Purdue Global officially opened the new Simulation Center for Healthcare Education and Excellence. Inland Hospital staff and board members, Purdue Global staff and students, community educators, local EMS and fire department staff, community leaders, and Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce members joined together for the grand opening of the new simulation center, located on the Inland campus. Tours and demonstrations showed off the center’s capabilities.

The center will provide unique hands-on training for Purdue Global nursing students, Inland Hospital staff, and also give access to EMS and the community’s other first responders.

The simulation center “patients” include high-tech adult, pediatric, labor/delivery mother, and neonatal manikins. They will be used for the Purdue Nursing Program and a variety of Inland Hospital staff courses, such as Advanced Life Support, Pediatric Life Support, and Neonatal Resuscitation. The four training manikins represent an investment of nearly $300,000 by Purdue Global.

“We’re excited to enhance the delivery of healthcare by developing new and innovative methods to educate and train in a simulation center like this with a laser focus on patient safety and the transition to practice,” noted Melissa Burdi, Purdue Global vice president and dean of the Purdue Global School of Nursing.

Inland leaders point out that providing exposure to various medical scenarios through simulation training allows healthcare professionals to practice and get performance feedback in real time. According to Courtney Cook, RN, vice president of Nursing and Patient Care Services at Inland Hospital, “The more exposure that a nurse or any clinical staff member has to any given situation, the more confident and comfortable they become – allowing them to provide the best care possible. The ability to walk through the treatment process, without the high stress of a patient’s life at risk, is invaluable.”

Tricia Costigan, president of Inland Hospital, praised the new collaboration saying, “This is a big win for our community and a true collaboration that benefits the patients and communities that we all proudly serve.”

“Today is an important day,” remarked Dr. Frank Dooley, chancellor of Purdue Global. “Everyone understands the need to educate more nurses to provide care. And that takes imaginative problem solvers to find solutions like the center we dedicated today. Well done.”

Inland Hospital is the fourth simulation center collaboration Purdue Global has across the country.

Community members tour the new Simulation Center and see demonstrations of the high-tech “patient” manikins. (contributed photo)

About Purdue Global

Purdue Global is a public, non-profit institution that offers online Nursing education and many other degree programs. Part of the respected Purdue University system, Purdue Global delivers personalized online education tailored to the unique needs of adults who have work or life experience beyond the classroom, enabling them to develop essential academic and professional skills with the support and flexibility they need to achieve their career goals. For more information visit purdueglobal.edu.

About Northern Light Inland Hospital

Northern Light Inland Hospital is a Waterville community hospital with primary and specialty care physician offices in Waterville, Oakland, Unity, and Madison. We are proud to be part of Northern Light Health, a healthcare delivery system of more than 10,000 employees across Maine. Our mission is to improve the health of the people and communities we serve. Part of that mission is asking “How are You?” to reconnect with people and families so we can find new and innovative ways to make healthcare work for all of Maine. Learn more at northernlighthealth.org/Inland and northernlighthealth.org/Howareyou.

Angela Hallee promoted to ND Winslow branch manager

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Angela Hallee

New Dimensions Federal Credit Union is pleased to announce its new Winslow Branch Manager, Angela Hallee, who came on board in January 2022 as head teller with 15 years in the financial industry. Soon after her arrival, her financial knowledge and experience owning a small business in Wat­er­ville, made her an excellent choice to fill the role of branch supervisor, and then finally, she was placed into her current role as the Winslow branch manager. Hallee is an alumna of Waterville High School and continues to live in Waterville while spending as much time with her grandchildren as possible.

Angela is a hard worker who goes above and beyond in the best interest of her staff and members. Angela states, “I love my position at New Dimensions’ Winslow Branch. I am excited to watch and participate in my staff’s growth and development. I find my work exciting and look forward to working with an amazing team daily. Everyone has made me feel welcomed and encouraged in my new position. I want to thank everyone at NDFCU and members who have made my transition easy.”

Ryan Poulin, CEO, who helped streamline Angela into her current role, states, “Our members deserve exceptional service, and I felt Angela would be an integral part of our team embodying the high standards our members have come to expect. I look forward to working with Angela and watching our Winslow branch grow.”