REVIEW POTPOURRI: Poet Lee Sharkey

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Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Poet Lee Sharkey

Lee Sharkey

Poet Lee Sharkey (1945-2020) moved to Maine in 1971 and taught writing for several years at the University of Maine’s Farmington campus. She was also a social and peace activist, mentored aspiring writers from many walks of life, particularly those in prison and psychiatric hospitals, and protested the Iraq War as a member of the Women in Black which frequently held rallies in the state capital.

Her poem exercise in the Maine Speaks anthology evokes the need for empathy on the deepest emotional level towards those who are suffering for whatever reason :

“focus on someone you love as much as you love your breath.
imagine yourself abruptly deprived of that relationship. imagine your breathing.
imagine a world where everyone’s lost their most precious possession,
and wanders helplessly. now watch them disappear: each was someone’s beloved
if only their own. imagine mourning without mourners, voiceless dirges
stampeding across grasslands like bison before Massacring Buffalo Bill,
the tremors of earth, image and after image, settling into the absence of language.”

Anyone who’s familiar with 20th century American poetry might notice a similarity between Sharkey’s use of lower case letters at the beginning of a sentence or phrase and that of e.e. cummings. The similarity pretty much ends there.

For me, Sharkey’s compassionate depiction of the human condition parallels on a spiritual level that of the 19th century English poet Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) whose pious Anglican faith extended to reaching out to women in prison, unwed mothers and prostitutes in friendship and whose own poems evoked the terrifying gap between those who live the easy life of selfish luxury and those who are suffering.

An example is her poem Pastime:

“A boat amid the ripples, drifting, rocking,
Two idle people, without pause or aim;
While in the ominous west there gathers darkness
Flushed with flame.

“A haycock in a hayfield backing, lapping,
Two drowsy people pillowed round about;
While in the ominous west across the darkness
Flame leaps out.
“Better a wrecked life than a life so aimless,
Better a wrecked life than a life so soft;
The ominous west glooms thundering, with its fire
Lit aloft.”

Paul Whiteman

Paul Whiteman

Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra – Rhapsody in Blue; Reader’s Digest RDK-5965, cassette, 1989 reissue of various 1920s Victor 78s.

Bandleader Paul Whiteman (1890-1967) conducted the 1924 world premiere at Carnegie Hall of Rhapsody in Blue (among those in the audience was Sergei Rachmaninoff ) .

Whiteman had an incredibly successful and musically accomplished dance band which recorded for Victor, sold several million discs and acquired so much wealth that he bought his own train for nationwide tours and fitted it with comfortable accommodations for band members, the caboose being his own luxurious suite.

He hired a few African American musicians during the horrible years of racial segregation and employed Bing Crosby and Johnny Mercer at the beginning of their careers.

The tape contains ten selections that include the first recording of Rhapsody in Blue with George Gershwin at the piano and a number of Great American Songbook standards – Old Man River, Linger Awhile, When It’s Sleepytime Down South, Stairway to the Stars and the Japanese Sandman. The transfers from the old 78s were done well.

In 1948, Whiteman wrote a fascinating book of anecdotes, Records for the Millions, via which he mentions two of his hobbies, collecting records and photographs.

Gene Hackman

Gene Hackman

Among the many fine films of recently deceased actor Gene Hackman is the 1986 Hoosiers. It’s a very evocative period piece taking place in 1951 in rural Indiana in which a high school basketball coach portrayed by Hackman is trying to motivate his players to win the state championship but is struggling with his own private issues and those of some of the players. The cinematography conveying the landscape of the small town Midwest, the vintage cars and the unspoiled countryside is sublime. Hackman’s fellow cast members include Dennis Hopper and Barbara Hersey.

 

 

 

Breznyak named to Saint Anselm College dean’s list

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Saint Anselm College, in Manchester, New Hampshire, has released the dean’s list of high academic achievers for the first semester of the 2024-2025 school year.

Mark W. Cronin, Dean of the College, announced that Abigail Breznyak, a Biology (BS) Major from Waterville, was named to the dean’s list for the fall 2024 semester at Saint Anselm College, in Manchester, New Hampshire.

PUBLIC NOTICES for Thursday, March 6, 2025

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STATE OF MAINE
PROBATE COURT
COURT ST.,
SKOWHEGAN, ME
SOMERSET, ss
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
18-A MRSA sec. 3-804

The following Personal Representatives have been appointed in the Estates noted. The first publication date of this notice March 6, 2025. If you are a creditor of an Estate listed below, you must present your claim within four months of the first publication date of this Notice to Creditors or be forever barred.

You may present your claim by filing a written statement of your claim on a proper form with the Register of Probate of this Court or by delivering or mailing to the Personal Representative listed below at the address published by the Personal Representative’s name a written statement of the claim indicating the basis therefore, the name and address of the claimant and the amount claimed or in such other manner as the law may provide. See 18-C M.R.S. §3-804.

2024-403 – Estate of BLYNN C. CURRIER, late of Bingham, Maine deceased. Robert Currier, 1001 West Ridge Rd, Cornville ME 04976 appointed Personal Representative.

2025-028 – Estate of THOMAS E. SPAULDING SR., late of Anson, Maine deceased. Idell Sheehan, 16 Ash St, Madison, ME 04950 appointed Personal Representative.

2025-030 – Estate of ROSALIE C. WILLIAMS, late of Pittsfield, Maine deceased. Daniel P. Williams, 160 Memorial Dr, Winthrop, ME 04364 appointed Personal Representative.

2025-032 – Estate of GLORIA J. CHARTIER, late of Anson, Maine deceased. Donna R. Plourde, 25 Parkwoods Dr, Anson, ME 04911 appointed Personal Representative.

2025-035 – Estate of MARTHA TUDGAY, late of St. Albans, Maine deceased. Jamie Donnelly, 14 Lincoln Pkwy #1, Somerville, MA 02143 appointed Personal Representative.

2025-037 – Estate of THOMAS B. MARTIN, late of Skowhegan, Maine deceased. Julian Martin, 559 Hinckley Rd, Canaan, ME 04924 appointed Personal Representative.

2025-042 – Estate of MARILYN E. FOX, late of Athens, Maine deceased. George H. Fox, 38 Hurricane Rd, Gorham, ME 04038 appointed Personal Representative.

2025-043 – Estate of KENNETH E. KETCHUM, late of Skowhegan, Maine deceased. Ronald K. Oliver, 133 Fahi Pond Rd, North Anson, ME 04958 appointed Personal Representative.

2025-044 – Estate of BRIAN A. SCANLON, late of Canaan, Maine deceased. Janice Stringos, 618 Back Rd, Skowhegan, ME 04976 appointed Personal Representative.

2025-046 – Estate of GEORGE A. STAGGS, late of Skowhegan, Maine deceased. Kari A. Lancaster, 22 Willow St., Norridgewock, ME 04957 appointed Personal Representative.

2025-053 – Estate of GLADYS E. BENNER, late of Fairfield, Maine deceased. Deborah Benner, 50 West St., Fairfield, ME 04937 appointed Personal Representative.

2025-054 – Estate of GEORGE H. NEWHOUSE, late of Pittsfield, Maine deceased. Gregg Newhouse, 24089 Spartina Dr., Venice, FL 34293 and Brent Newhouse, 602 Main St., Pittsfield, ME 04967 appointed Co-Personal Representatives.

2025-057 – Estate of ALLEN E. BEANE, late of Norridgewock, Maine deceased. Belinda York, 24 Hanover St., Skowhegan, ME 04976 appointed Personal Representative.

2025-059 – Estate of MARK A. TINGLEY, late of Fairfield, Maine deceased. Alex Tingley, 9 Oak St., Apt. 2, Waterville, ME 04901 appointed Personal Representative.

TO BE PUBLISHED March 6, 2025 & March 13, 2025

Dated: March 6, 2025
/s/Victoria M. Hatch,
Register of Probate
(3/13)

STATE OF MAINE
PROBATE COURT
41 COURT ST.
SOMERSET, ss
SKOWHEGAN, ME

PROBATE NOTICES

TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE ESTATES LISTED BELOW

Notice is hereby given by the respective petitioners that they have filed petitions for appointment of personal representatives in the following estates or change of name. These matters will be heard at 10 a.m. or as soon thereafter as they may be on March 19, 2025. The requested appointments or name changes may be made on or after the hearing date if no sufficient objection be heard. This notice complies with the requirements of 18-C MRSA §3-403 and Probate Rule 4.

2024-414 – BRANDON CHRISTOFER HOECKEL-NEAL. Petition for Change of Name (Adult) filed by Brandon C. Hoeckel-Neal, 9 Wakefield Place, Apt.16, Detroit, ME 04929 requesting name to be changed to Beatrice June Hoeckel-Neal for reasons set forth therein.

2025-04 – SIMKA SEKVEE STEPHENSON. Petition for Change of Name (Adult) filed by Simka S. Stephenson, 9 Kelley St., Apt. 3, Fairfield, ME 04937 requesting name to be changed to Siaelyanna Simka Sekvee Stephenson for reasons set forth therein.

2025-055 – CHELSEA SIMONE KOCH. Petition for Change of Name (Adult) filed by Chelsea S. Simone, 40 Ames Rd, Cornville ME 04976 requesting name to be changed to Chelsea Simone Dickey for reasons set forth therein.

Dated: March 6, 2025

/s/ Victoria Hatch,
Register of Probate
(3/13)

LEGAL NOTICE

PETITION FOR A PARDON
STATE OF MAINE
Augusta, April 17, 2025

Notice is hereby given that a Petition for a Pardon for Deborah A. James (Woodburn) who was convicted of the crimes Gross Sexual Misconduct (A) and Unlawful Sexual Contact (C) CR88-152, is now pending before the Governor and a hearing will be conducted on Thursday, April 17, 2025, at 9 a.m. Please visit the following link for Hearing details: https://www.maine.gov/corrections/pardonboard.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: The Dangers of Prolonged Thumb-sucking and Pacifier Use

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Thumb-sucking, finger-sucking or pacifier use should be discontinued before a child reaches three years of age. These habits can harm the eruption and position of the permanent teeth and affect the health of surrounding oral tissues.

(NAPSI) – While it is normal for small children to use a pacifier or their thumb to calm down or to stop crying, prolonged usage of either can lead to oral health problems down the line.

In general, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, children up to the age of three will not face issues from the use of pacifiers or thumb-sucking, but if they keep that habit up as they age there can be major issues with their bite, their teeth, chewing, how their mouth rests and problems with their tongue.

Understanding Pacifiers

There are two types of pacifiers: conventional and orthodontic. Orthodontic pacifiers are generally flat bottomed and square, designed to imitate the shape of the mother’s nipple. Conventional pacifiers—which are often the type sent home with newborns from the hospital—tend to be round. While either option will soothe a child, the orthodontic pacifiers are the least likely to contribute to bite issues after teething.

These habits tend to persist because of physical and emotional stimuli, including boredom, hunger, stress, hyperactivity, pleasure, sadness and various kinds of disabilities. An increase in your child’s level of stress or anxiety can lead to the continuation of the thumb-sucking habit beyond a healthy age.

The Problems

There are five main issues that may arise from prolonged thumb-sucking or pacifier use:

• Open bite: Upper and lower teeth don’t touch when the mouth is closed.
• Increased overjet: Upper jaw and teeth protrude excessively forward.
• Chewing difficulty: Upper and lower teeth don’t articulate correctly to provide a solid chewing surface.
• Cross bite: Upper back teeth sit inside the bottom teeth and appear tilted inward toward the tongue, instead of lining up straight and fitting into each other.
• Tongue thrust compensation: An infant generally pushes their tongue out when swallowing, while children and adults rest the tongue against the roof of their mouth.

All five of these issues can cause too much pressure on teeth and jaw, leading to speech impediments, issues with facial development and gum problems—they can also eventually require surgery.

Some Answers

There are no ready-made recipes for stopping your child from thumb sucking or using a pacifier, but some of the more popular deterrents include:

• Adhesive plaster or tape on the digit
• Verbal reminders
• Reward systems
• Mittens
• Fidget spinners
• A replacement object to soothe your child, such as a blanket or toy
• Oral appliances
• Braces

Remember, children use their a thumb or a pacifier for a reason, so offering encouragement and helping them come up with other solutions to overcome boredom or anxiety is the way to go.

Dr. Dosch is Delta Dental of Washington’s dental director.

EVENTS: St. Patrick’s public supper at Vassalboro Methodist Church

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The Fundraising & Activities Committee at Vassalboro Methodist Church is planning a public supper with an Irish twist for Saturday, March 15. Some committee members pictured here include, sitting, Theresa White. Standing, from left to right, Simone Antworth, Pastor Karen Merrill, Wayne Curtis, Linda Millay. (contributed photo)

Vassalboro Methodist Church will re-start their regular monthly public suppers on Saturday, March 15, with an “Old Fashioned New England Boiled dinner with an Irish Twist.” The meal will be served 4:30 – 6 p.m., at 614 Main Street. “We plan to change up our menus at some of our suppers this year in order to attract more interest but our famous baked beans will always be included, and pies which are always very popular,” said Dale Potter-Clark, one of the church’s event planners. The March 15 supper menu will include corned beef and cabbage, potato, carrots, baked beans, pickled beets, breads and pies for a $10 donation.

Added to the enjoyment of the evening, guests who wear something green can have their names entered in a door prize drawing. “We encourage people to get creative. Something green could be most anything within sight, such as a piece of jewelry, socks, hair color, nail polish or an entire outfit! Have fun with it,” said Potter-Clark.

FMI contact (207) 873-5544 or info.vumc@gmail.com Follow this and future special events and public meals on the Vassalboro United Methodist Church Facebook page.

Up and Down the Kennebec Valley: Windsor Primary Schools

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by Mary Grow

Note: part of this article was first published in the Oct. 28, 2021, issue of The Town Line.

This subseries on central Kennebec Valley towns’ early schools still has one town to cover: Windsor, a few miles off the river, east of Augusta and south of Vassalboro and China.

The area was first settled in the 1780s, mostly by people moving inland from Bristol and Damariscotta via the Sheepscot River. Organized around 1790 as New Waterford Plantation, it became Malta on March 3, 1809, Gerry in 1820 and Windsor in 1822.

Henry Kingsbury, in his 1892 Kennebec County history, commented that the town grew fast. He wrote that “a continual influx of population…augmented by the development of a new generation” meant that within 30 years after the first land claims, “nearly all the valuable lands [were] in the hands of permanent proprietors.”

Kingsbury noted how many of the first settlers’ families stayed in Windsor. His chapter on the town is full of references to their children and grandchildren (mostly the sons) still living there in 1892.

Windsor residents are fortunate: Kingsbury’s book is supplemented and updated by a well-researched town history by Linwood H. Lowden, published in 1993. It includes an equally well-researched chapter on schools by C. Arlene Barton Gilbert.

Gilbert wrote that Rev. Job Chadwick taught the first recorded school in Windsor, in 1804, for two months, with average attendance 15 to 20 students.

Chadwick’s school was funded by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, not by taxpayers. Gilbert commented that other religious organizations sometimes funded early education.

The earliest record of a Windsor – Malta, at the time – town meeting that Lowden found was on April 3, 1809, at Rev. Chadwick’s house. Gilbert said voters elected a four-man school committee, John Arnold, John Bughee (Bugbee?), Walter Dockendorff and Thomas LeBallister, and approved a $50 appropriation for education.

Voters also appropriated $700 “to be wrought upon the road or highways.” The latter was supplemented by approval of paying $1 a day for a man’s work on the roads and 66 cents a day for oxen, Lowden reported.

A year later, voters approved five school districts and appropriated $150. Gilbert copied from the town records: “this money for schooling be paid in lumber and produce.” In April 1811, she wrote, they appropriated $200 – and “were already rearranging school districts which they had established two years earlier.”

Kingsbury agreed about the five Malta school districts in 1810, taking information from “[t]he earliest authentic record which has been preserved.” He added, though, that talking with older residents led him to “infer” an earlier division into two or three districts.

One of the first districts, Kingsbury said, covered the entire area east of the West Branch of the Sheepscot River (somewhat less than half the town), and was later (in 1810?) divided into three districts. That district had a schoolhouse “built of logs” close to Charles Mason’s 1892 house.

Voters on April 16, 1812, elected seven school agents (including LeBallister), which Gilbert took to mean there were by then seven school districts. In 1813, she said, no education money was appropriated; but in 1814, one meeting raised $150 and a later one $200. Voters at the second meeting elected eight committee members (including Dockendorff), implying eight districts.

On April 6, 1818, another assemblage of voters approved $500 for education and elected 18 committee members (again including Dockendorff).

As in other towns, a school did not necessarily mean a schoolhouse. Neither Gilbert nor Kingsbury is clear about what Windsor school buildings were where at what time.

Gilbert quoted from a letter an early resident named John Linn wrote in March 1807 to a Boston resident saying he and friends had accumulated supplies to build “a small meeting house and to keep school, but all lies dead now.” What went wrong, and what Linn hoped his Boston friend could do about it, remained unexplained.

Lowden said Linn and his wife Rebecca (Anderson) came to Windsor in 1801 to settle on a lot he bought from his brother-in-law the previous autumn. With them were their 10 children, several of the boys “close to adulthood” (no wonder Linn was interested in a school). The family sailed from Boston to Bristol and “walked most of the way from Bristol to Windsor” (36 miles by 21st century roads).

The log schoolhouse in one of Kingsbury’s inferred pre-1810 school districts was not the first Windsor schoolhouse, he said; the first one was built at Windsor Corner (the present junction of Routes 32 and 105) “about where the town house now stands.” He gave no construction date, but said it burned in February 1832.

Another early schoolhouse Kingsbury called the Center schoolhouse. This building, he said, was used for the annual town meeting in 1819, for the first time.

Lowden said the first proposal to build a town house, where town meetings could be held, was in the spring of 1811; voters rejected it. Until 1819, per Kingsbury, meetings had been in private houses; for five years after 1819, the Center school and the Methodist church shared the duty.

(After that, Kingsbury said, voters assembled in barns. On May 15, 1845, he and Lowden wrote, voters approved building a town house, to be ready by June 1846; they started using it May 21, 1846 [Lowden] or in 1847 [Kingsbury].)

Gilbert wrote that once there were school buildings, annual town meetings – but, she implied, not necessarily special meetings – were “usually” held in them. One exception was on April 2, 1821, when voters met in the District 1 (Windsor Corner) schoolhouse. They raised $100 for education (and $1,200 for roads) and elected a four-man committee “for the inspection of teachers and schools.”

Gilbert summarized the next couple decades, as voters elected town school committees plus a changing number of (unpaid, she said) district agents. Annual education appropriations slowly increased, from $400 to $500 in the 1820s, to $600 in the 1830s and to $700 in 1841.

Kingsbury and Gilbert agreed that Windsor’s first annual school report was printed in 1851. Voters directed town officials to have 350 copies of the report “distributed two days before the annual meeting.” Gilbert did not know of any surviving in 1993.

Windsor’s 15 districts in 1866-67 Gilbert called the largest number simultaneously operating in the town’s history. She quoted at length from the school committee’s district-by-district report (omitting Districts 11, 12, and 15).

On April 1, 1866, the report said, Windsor had 478 students. Two dozen school terms were taught (two terms a year in all but Districts 5 and 6, which had no summer term), by 19 women and five men, funded by $1,161 in town money and $37.86 from the State of Maine.

Committee members (Orren Tyler, C. A. Pierce and Horace Colburn) praised most of the teachers. In District 13, though, it took a while to find the right one. Adelia Cunningham started, but residents were displeased because she wasn’t qualified to teach algebra, and she left after a week. Dolly Hilt, from China, took over; she got homesick and left after five days. Jennie Maxwell was then hired and did a good job.

The 1866 Windsor school committee members were very unhappy with the condition of the school buildings.

“Three-fifths of our school houses are not fit places for schools,” they wrote. Pig-pens or hen-houses, maybe; they refused to label them stables, calling them “miserable huts” and claiming parents who sent their children into them wouldn’t consider housing their horses or oxen so badly over the winter.

One consequence, the school committee members said, was that competent teachers refused to teach in Windsor, and the town had to hire inferior ones.

Their proposed remedy was consolidation, among small districts or between a large and a small, to provide resources to build decent buildings. It would be better, they said, for children who wanted an education to travel a mile and a half to a school “that will fully repay them for their labor” than to go half a mile “and attend a nuisance.”

In 1878/79, school supervisor J. H. Barton was still advocating consolidation, on the ground that “it is hardly economy to employ a teacher for only ten or twelve scholars” in a small district. His main gripes were not buildings, but lack of parental interest – children study harder if their parents reward with “love and approval,” he said – and too few or too varied textbooks.

For 1881, supervisor W. E. Gorham, M.D., wrote a long, erudite and occasionally blunt report that included references to the Prussian education system two centuries earlier, the Bible and Athenian law-giver Solon (630 – 560 BCE). Gorham called for eliminating at least two districts, unless the entire “bungling” district system was abolished; and complained about inadequate school furnishings.

School libraries, maps and globes, proper blackboard erasers and a chair for the teacher – some schools provided not even a milking stool, he claimed – were among Gorham’s recommendations.

He, too, stressed the parents’ role. Their influence, he wrote, “dates from remote pre-natal conditions, little understood by people generally.” He recommended more study of “inherited tendencies,” and suggested penalties for parents who did not send their children to school.

Gilbert provided locations for some of Windsor’s 16 school districts, and Kingsbury added information on a few of the schoolhouses. When the consolidated school opened in 1951, town officials sold remaining five rural school buildings, Gilbert wrote.

She said the early Windsor Corner building that Kingsbury said burned in 1832 was probably on the east side of current Route 32, and after the fire was rebuilt on the west side, roughly across the road from the town hall. It survived, with frequent repairs, until 1951.

Electricity was not installed until 1836, Gilbert said. School days ran from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; kerosene lights made late-afternoon classes challenging on sunless winter days.

Gilbert said in 1951, town officials leased the school building for 99 years, for $1, to the “newly organized Windsor Volunteer Fire Department.” Firefighters were authorized to remodel it.

District 2, in South Windsor, had at least three consecutive buildings in slightly different places, the first two burning down. The final one lasted until 1951, when town officials sold it for $803; it became a house, still occupied in 1993. The North Windsor (District 3) building on Route 32 also closed in 1951 and was converted to a house, Gilbert wrote.

Kingsbury said the original building in Barton District (District 4, in western Windsor, where Dr. Stephen Barton and his family settled in 1803) was moved from its first site closer to the center of the district around 1850. It burned about 1889 and there was a new one on the old foundation by 1892.

Gilbert wrote that her father went to the Barton School. Around 1889, she said, most students were understood to be Stephen Barton’s descendants. In 1912, students were transferred to North Windsor and in 1913 town officials sold the building for $30.

Kingsbury said the Windsor Neck (District 7) schoolhouse in the northeast was in 1892 on the same spot as an earlier one “which was torn away nearly fifty years ago.” Gilbert found evidence in town reports that a third one was built in 1896; it was used until 1951.

In 1892, Kingsbury said, there were five original schoolhouses still standing, a 70-year-old one in the Pierce or Hallowell District (which is not on Gilbert’s list) and others in Districts 6 (Erskine, to Gilbert), 8, 10 (Coleman, on Legion Park Road, closed about 1926) and 16.

Main sources

Kingsbury, Henry D., ed., Illustrated History of Kennebec County Maine 1625-1892 (1892).
Lowden, Linwood H., good Land & fine Contrey but Poor roads a history of Windsor, Maine (1993).

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS: Enhance the customer experience at your business

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by Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

Having happy and satisfied customers is the most rewarding aspect of owning a business. If you concentrate on your customers and focus on delighting them you will never run out of business. You can have all the sales you want, all the price gouging, all of the promotions and advertising and yes they will all work to a certain extent but the number one thing that will make your company grow and thrive is having a following of delighted customers.

But of course, that is easier said than done. Delighting your customers takes focus, knowledge and concentration, and most of all it takes looking at your company experience from the customer’s point of view. That’s right to delight your customer you have to walk in his shoes. That means be aware of and enhancing the customer experience.

The best way to do this is to look at every aspect of your business through your customers’ eyes. Look at every aspect of the business experience that your customers see and evaluate it from that point of view.

• How do customers find you? If you’re advertising, what do your ads look like? Evaluate other means of customer acquisition from flyers, to your website, to your social media. How does it look to the customers?

• What happens when they try to reach you? Is it by phone? Does somebody answer the phone immediately and deal with the customer professionally? Or if it’s voice mail, is your message professional? And most importantly with voice mail, do you get back to them quickly? Calling your own company and seeing for yourself how the phone is answered or how the message sounds, could be a real eye opener.

• How does the company present to the customers? Signage, Trucks, equipment? If you are in retail, how does your place of business look to the customer?

• If you are a contractor, say a building, or a roofer, or a landscaper what is your quote process like? Is it easy and friendly along with being transparent, clear and precise? Do you make sure that your customers know exactly what they are getting for their money exactly what it will cost them? Is the transaction experience pleasant for them?

• Are you always on time? Are you accurate when it comes to when your team will arrive in the premises and how long it will take to do the job?

• Do you keep the customer informed at all times as to how the job is coming along? Do you communicate with them immediately when something goes wrong, telling them why, what you can do about it and how much more it will cost, if it does cost more?

• How about the work site? Do you keep it clean and uncluttered? No loud music or smoking or raucous behavior. Are all your associates courteous to your customer?

• When the job is complete do you take the time to do a walk through with your customers to make sure they are satisfied with the work you have completed? They should be delighted enough for you to ask them for a reference or testimonial.

• And finally, do you follow up a week later to make sure they are still happy with your work? This is the time to ask them how you did and if they would use you again. This is the time to make them a customer for life.

Now that you’ve looked at all aspects of your business, the service you perform and how you perform it, are you happy? Is this the way you want people to see your company? If it’s not, then fix what needs fixing. If it is then good for you. But don’t stop there. The best way to keep growing your company is to always be finding ways to make the customer experience better. That’s the right way to grow your company.

Give Us Your Best Shot! for Thursday, March 6, 2025

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Joan Chaffee, of Clinton, photographed this red-winged blackbird.

Gary Mazoki, of Palermo, snapped his dog Poe, smelling the flowers.

OBITUARIES for Thursday, March 6, 2025

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JACQUELINE M. GERRISH

OAKLAND / PALERMO – Jacqueline Margaret Gerrish, 79, passed away Tuesday, February 11, 2025, following a lengthy illness, at Mt. Joseph’s Rehab Facility, in Waterville. Jackie was born in Portland to Charles “Frank” and Margaret (Sargent) Gerrish.

She received her education in Hartford, Connecticut. As a high school student, she volunteered at the Oak Hill School for the blind and deaf. This experience inspired her to pursue a career in public service. Jackie continued her education at the University of Connecticut, and after graduation, she took a permanent position at the Oak Hill School for the Blind and Deaf.

In the 1970s, Jackie moved to Palermo to live with her father after her mother’s passing. She took a position for the Community Justice Project and in 1977 she became a certified social worker for the State of Maine working with adults with disabilities. Jackie loved her work and was dedicated to making a difference in her client’s lives. She retired from her position after 33 years of service.

Jackie loved nature and was an avid gardener. For several summers, along with her dear friend, Kathy Poulin Guzman, they hosted a garden party in her beautiful gardens, which was enjoyed by friends and family. Jackie loved animals and each of her furry friends were treated like a valuable family member. She also had a deep closeness with the children in her life, spending countless hours enjoying their company.

She was predeceased by both her parents; brothers Ralph, Timothy, and Frank Gerrish, and sisters Francina Gerrish Haskell and Madeline Gerrish Bartol.

Jackie leaves behind many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

There will be a celebration of Jackie’s life at the Sheepscot Lake Fish and Game Association, located on Route 3, in Palermo, on Sunday, April 13, at 1 p.m.

Jackie’s ashes will be placed at the family plot at the Oakfield Cemetery, in Oakfield, this summer.

Please visit Jackie’s memorial page at https://svremembrancecenter.com/obituaries/jacqueline-gerrish-2025 where condolences, photos, and special memories may be shared.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation in Jackie’s memory to the Humane Society Waterville Area, 100 Webb Rd., Waterville, ME 04901.

DAVID H. GORTON

ARDMORE, Oklahoma – David Hoyt Gorton, 67, passed away on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, following complications from pneumonia. He was born in Saint Albans, Vermont, on August 1, 1957, the son of Hugh W. Gorton and Lois G. Cherry Gorton.

The family moved to Augusta when Dave was four years old. He attended Cony High School, in Augusta, graduated in 1975, and then obtained a bachelor’s degree from Roger Williams College, in Rhode Island, in 1979. He also spent one year in London to continue his education. Dave met his wife, Donna, in 1982, and they were married in 1983.

Dave was very involved in China Baptist Camps, in Maine, as a camper, then as a counselor, camp pastor, and coordinator. He was always known as “Big Dave!”. He always would say, “As long as I have breath within me, I will serve the Lord.”

He assisted Pastor Russell Smith at the Centre Vassalboro Baptist Church and then accepted the calling as full-time pastor at the North Vassalboro Baptist Church from 1986 to 1992. His next calling was from 1992 to 2012 at the North Windsor Baptist Church. He started a Home Church Fellowship, in Maine, for five years. His final calling was in 2022 to help in any way he could at the Maranatha Free Will Baptist Church in Ardmore, Oklahoma.

Dave’s hobbies and activities through the years were studying God’s Word, camping, fishing, hiking, putting together WWII Italian Army model ships, cannons, tanks, and trucks.

He was husband to Donna Lutz Gorton for 41 years.

He was preceded in death by his father and mother.

He is survived by his wife, Donna; sister, Cherry Gorton, of Massachusetts; brothers, Grant John Gorton and his wife Kathleen, of Vermont, and Burton Gorton and his wife Jeanne, of New York; brother-in-law, Robert Lutz and wife Diane, of Maine; several nieces, nephews; grandnieces and grandnephews.

A Celebration of Life service will be held, on Saturday, March 8, at Maranatha Free Will Baptist Church, 1906 Myall Rd., Ardmore, Oklahoma, at 10 a.m. A second Celebration of Life is planned for Saturday, October 4, 2025, at China Baptist Church with Pastor Ron Morrell officiating the service, at 10 a.m. Burial will be at the conclusion of the service in Camden.

GARY R. HAWKINS

AUGUSTA – Gary Robert Hawkins, 76, died Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at MaineGeneral Medical Center following a long and productive life. He was born in Augusta on July 4, 1948, the son of Robert Boyd and Arline (Lajoie) Hawkins.

He grew up in Augusta and graduated from Cony High School in 1966. Following high school, “Hawk”, as his friends called him, was enlisted in the U.S. Army where he served six honorable years in the reserves.

Hawk worked a variety of jobs in his post-high school years. In 1976, he became a part-time writer in the Kennebec Journal sports department. By 1980, he had been promoted to full-time staff member. What started as a passion for local sports became a beloved career of 38 years. He said it was a blast.

But proving it wasn’t just about the infamously-lofty journalism paycheck, Hawk also volunteered his time mentoring countless youth athletes. Beginning in 1974, he started coaching junior high basketball and Babe Ruth baseball for St. Mary’s School (now St. Michael), in Augusta. He would frequently follow the high school careers of his players, even recalling specific championship performances many years later. In 2017, Hawk was inducted into the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame.

In 1978, Hawk met the love of his life, Railynn Smith, of Gardiner. They began dating in 1981, at which time he let her call him Gary. They eventually had two children before settling into their Augusta home in 1988. Throughout their 40-year marriage, Gary and Railynn frequently spent time with family and friends, with a special pleasure for visiting the Maine coast. Boothbay Harbor became a particular joy as they spent many summer weeks there year after year.

After retirement, Hawk sought to support his lifelong love of golf with more than a pension could provide. He soon obtained work with St. Michael School, continuing his tradition of serving the youth of Augusta.

In addition to his love of golf, Hawk played many different sports throughout his life. He could often be found in basketball and softball leagues, and he would occasionally be spotted on a pair of skates at the ice arena in Hallowell or even the rink in his own backyard.

Hawk’s mother, Arline, was always the best cook in the family, but Hawk was a close second. He would effortlessly put together the best holiday meals, late-night cheeseburgers, and American chop suey. The grill on the back deck would only go into storage when the weather demanded it be so.

Hawk also loved to talk sports with friends and coworkers over a beer or two. One of his favorite watering holes was Lisa’s, on Bangor Street. He had been a faithful patron since its days as Mike’s, and he visited there with friends and family for almost the entirety of his adult life.

Hawk’s great sense of dry humor was as understated as he was, and he had a much greater interest in others than himself, some of the reasons he had so many friends and admirers.

In addition to his wife of 40 years, Gary is survived by two sons, Ryan and his partner Justin, of Gardiner, and Michael and his wife Jocelyn, also of Gardiner, and their children Theo, Kael, and Konnor; his brother, Bob, of Augusta, and his sons Tyler and Todd and their mother, Susanne, of Baltimore, Maryland; his uncle Dick and Aunt Marion, former long-time residents of Augusta.

A celebration of life took place on Friday, February 28, 2025, at the Augusta Elks Lodge, 397 Civic Center Dr., Augusta.

Condolences, stories and photos may be shared at http://www.plummerfh.com.

Memorial donations may be made to the St. Michael School Athletic Program, 56 Sewall St., Augusta, ME 04330.

JACKIE DORKO

CLINTON – Jackie Dorko, 84, of Clinton, passed away on Sunday, February 23, 2025. Born in Eagle Lake on July 7, 1940, she was the daughter of Lorena and Donah Pelletier.

After graduating from Lawrence High School, in Fairfield, she met and married Robert “Bob” Dorko Sr. in 1959.

She and Bob raised five children, Laurie Haj Ashab, Joy Ware, Mary Gallagher, Angel Maillet, and Bob Dorko.

In addition to being a wonderful mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and wife, she was an avid gardener and loved to read. In 1977, she joined the Clinton Elementary School staff and worked as a librarian until retirement. She was proud to have helped the many students, who passed through the Clinton school system, enjoy literature.

She was predeceased by her husband, Bob; and her daughter, Laurie Haj Ashab.

On Friday, February 28, a funeral Mass was held at Notre Dame Church, in Waterville.

Services are under the care of Veilleux Redington Lawry Brothers Funeral Home, 8 Elm St., Waterville.

For family and friends who wish to honor Jackie’s memory, the family encourages donations to your local library.

ALVAH E. DONNELL JR.

BELGRADE – Alvah E. Donnell Jr., 69, passed away on Sunday, February 23, 2025. He was born on January 21, 1956, in Augusta, to Alvah E. Donnell Sr. and Dorothy (Betts) Donnell Tisdale. He was raised in Gardiner and graduated class of 1974.

He was a member of the Sharples Drill team from 1967-1970 and served in the U.S. Army from 1974-1978. He was currently a member of the American Legion Post #40, in Winthrop, and 1st Vice Commander for District #9, American Legion, member of the Maine Veteran Cemeteries for the State of Maine and serving as commander for the Kennebec County Veterans Honor Guard.

He served on the Pittston Fire Department for 24 years and served on several town boards while living in the town of Pittston.

He was predeceased by both parents, and stepfather, Arthur Tisdale, Sr.; stepsister, Diane Bryant, sister, Joanne and son, Alvah E. Donnell III; and lifelong Army buddy, Roland Price.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia A. Donnell of 45 years; and by four children, Una Purvis (Dan), of Carmel, Ivy Donnell, of Milo, Angela Donnell (Bob), of Belgrade; a son, James Donnell (Kelly), of Farmingdale; nephews William Price (Amy S), of Anson, Charles Price (Amy B), of Emden; siblings, Alice Zawadzki, Ben Tisdale, Alan Tisdale, Wilson Donnell, Sharon John, Hugh, Joel, and Richard; grandson, Kendall Paquette; grandchildren; and great-grandchildren.”

Al’s graveside service was held at the Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Blue Star Avenue, Augusta, on Thursday, March 6. A celebration of life followed immediately after at the American Legion Post #40, Winthrop.

Arrangements and guidance are in the care of Knowlton and Hewins Funeral Home and Cremation Care, One Church St., Augusta.

Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the Knowlton and Hewins Funeral Home website, http://www.khrfuneralhomes.com.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Kennebec County Veterans Honor Guard, 815 Manchester Rd., Belgrade, ME 04917.

HENRY N. FOSSETT SR.

AUGUSTA – Henry Norman Fossett, Sr., 77, passed away on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at Maine Medical Center, in Portland. He was born on March 19, 1947, the son of Norman and Arlene (Hughes) Fossett.

Henry grew up in Vassalboro and was a graduate of Hall-Dale High School, in the class of 1965.

Following school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served during the Vietnam War. Upon his honorable discharge, Henry returned home to Maine, started a family, and was married to Marie Rose Charest.

Henry worked at Kirschner Foods, ultimately retiring after many years of employment. Henry was an avid hunter and enjoyed collecting coins. He was also a life member of the American Legion Fitzgerald-Cummings Post #2, VFW Post #887, and the NRA.

He was predeceased by his parents; and a sister, Colleen True.

Henry is survived by his sons Henry Fossett Jr., Dan Fossett and his wife Sue and their son Ryan, Jack Fossett and his wife Stacy; his sister, Melody Beaulieu; and a brother-in-law, Tim True.

A period of visitation will be held on Saturday, March 15, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Plummer Funeral Home, 16 Pleasant St., Augusta, ME 04330. A graveside service will be held on a date and time to be announced in the spring in Vassalboro.

Condolences, stories and photos may be shared by visiting http://www.plummerfh.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Henry’s name may be made to Tunnel to Towers at http://www.t2t.org.

Others Departed

THOMAS W. ANDREWS

MADISON – Thomas W. Andrews, 74, passed away quietly, at home, on Monday January 20, 2025. He was born on March 30, 1950, in Bangor.

Tom had a passion for working on vehicles and feeding birds. He loved classic cars, Harley Davidson motorcycles, and was known by friends and family to give his time to help them in even the most mundane of tasks.

He was predeceased by his parents Sherwood and Lois Andrews; his brother, Andrew “Andy” Andrews and several half-siblings.

He is survived by his wife, the love of his life, Julia M. Andrews; his daughter, June M. Potter and stepdaughter, Sara Bruce; his sons Thomas Andrews, Timothy Andrews, Robert “Frankie” Andrews, Warren Andrews, and Christopher Andrews; grandchildren; and many nieces, and nephews.

A remembrance gathering will be held in late spring for friends and family at a date to be determined, followed by the spreading of his ashes on Boot Hill.

DIANE H. PARKER

PORTLAND – Diane Houghton Parker, 95, passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 1, 2025. She was born Nov­ember 24, 1929, in Providence, Rhode Island, only child of show business parents Wilfred and Dorothy Gray Houghton.

She was raised in South Portland by her maternal grandmother, Annie Martin Gray, and an aunt, Helen McBrady Gilchrist. Diane graduated from South Portland High School in 1947. She worked for a time at the phone company before marrying.

She married Francis X. Parker in 1950 and moved to the Augusta/Gardiner area where they raised five children while Frank worked for IBM. They were parishioners at St. Mary’s Church, in Augusta.

During these years she was active as a volunteer in the Augusta Community Concert Assn., Parents’ Creative Arts Committee, Augusta General Hospital, and the Oblate Retreat House. She also worked during these years at the Maine Heart Association, the Kennebec Journal, UMA Bookstore, the Talent Tree Art Gallery, and the ME Library Advisory Comm.

After their divorce in the mid ‘70s, Diane continued her college education, and added to her many skills by working as a secretary for the UMA FORUM-A office, in Augusta, then moving to Orono to work as an admin. secretary at UMO. She then moved back to the Portland area to work at the University of Southern Maine, the Maine District Court, and finally with Mary Alice Reilly Antiques, in Portland, and later Mulberry Cottage, in South Portland. She maintained a long wonderful relationship with Mary Alice and her family for many years afterwards.

Diane also had a wonderful relationship with her sisters-in-law – Jean, Nina, Mary Lou, and Elaine. They were the glue that bonded the large Parker family together in a way that inspires others to this day.

She had a great appreciation of the arts, music, languages (especially French), proper grammar and travel, visiting Europe three times, twice with her children! She was witty, sarcastic, intelligent, inquisitive and appreciative of other people’s talents.

She lived in Cape Elizabeth for 30 years in her last, favorite apartment. It was here she enjoyed playing her piano (beautifully!), holding Scrabble tournaments with family, enjoying her classical music and Opera CDs, reading, and listening to PBS. She was a member of St. Bartholomew’s Parish, in Cape Elizabeth.

Her final years were spent at Fallbrook Woods memory facility, in Portland, where she entertained.

Now that Diane is finally flying free, her family is celebrating her lifelong love of planes. She started a serious love affair with flying when she had her first flying lessons at age 18. Her children presented her with another lesson at age 70, she took lessons in Scarborough at age 79, and she flew again in an old fighter plane in her 80s.

She found joy in simple things, needed so little and was grateful for what she had. At times not an easy life and born too early for her to soar. She had such appreciation for small things, especially French things.

Diane was pre-deceased by her son Michael Parker, and a grandson Derek Emery.

She is survived by a brother John and wife Laurel Rodman, of Tiverto, Rhode Island, her daughters Elizabeth and husband John Campbell, of Chelsea, Susan Parker, of Brunswick, Jane Parker and partner Kevin Cassidy, of Eagle, Colorado, and her son Gregory and wife Jerrie Parker, of Albion; four 4 grandchildren; and 8 great grandchildren

Visiting hours will be Friday, May 30 4 – 7 p.m., at Hobbs Funeral Home, in South Portland. A graveside service will be Saturday, May 31, 11a.m., at Riverside Memorial Cemetery, in Cape Elizabeth, followed by a Celebration of Life, at Two Lights State Park (The Group Shelter, handicap accessible, watch for signs) in Cape Elizabeth.

MARLENE M. McGOVERN

SACO – Marlene Mary (Langlois) McGovern, 92, passed away on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. She was born on July 12, 1932, in Boston, Massa­chu­setts, the second of three children born to Albert H. and Elsie (McNeil) Langlois.

Having moved to Maine as a young girl, Marlene was educated in Portland schools, graduating from Cathedral High School, in 1950. She met her future husband, Kenneth G. “Greg” McGovern, in Portland, in 1954, and they were married in 1956.

Following several years in Portland and the birth of their daughter, Kelly, they moved to Winslow. The birth of a son, Ken, completed the family, which resided in this part of Maine for more than a quarter century.

Throughout her time in Central Maine, Marlene looked after the family and worked in various administrative roles for local businesses. She was very active in local clubs, such as Antique Club and Contemporary Club, and had a broad circle of friends throughout the area. Relocating to the Greater Portland area in the late 1980s, Marlene worked as a hospice volunteer and a tour guide at the Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum, in Brunswick.

She was an avid quilter and each of her grandsons were frequent recipients of her various creations. Marlene also enjoyed travel, and together with Greg, she traveled widely across North America, and enjoyed multiple trips to Ireland, Europe, and Australia.

Marlene was predeceased (November 2024) by Greg, her husband of 68 years. Her siblings Frank Langlois and Helen Langlois, and their spouses have predeceased her.

She is survived by her daughter, Kelly McGovern Shaw and her husband Bob, of Falmouth; and her son, Ken and his wife Michelle, of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; four grandsons, Ben Shaw (Falmouth), Cameron Shaw (Auburn) and his wife Sage, Declan McGovern (Victoria, BC) and Mark McGovern (North Vancouver, BC); nephews Ken Higgins and Michael Higgins; and a niece, Marianne Langlois.

A private graveside service was held on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at Calvary Cemetery, in South Portland.

Please visit http://www.jonesrichandbarnes.com to view Marlene’s tribute page and to sign her online guestbook.

CHERYL A. GOFF

MADISON – Cheryl A. Goff, 74, passed away on Friday, December 20, 2024. Cheryl was born Septem­ber 9, 1950, in Farming­ton, the only child to Elwood & Thelma Chesley.

Cheryl spent her school years in Kingfield. Her class was the last to graduate from Kingfield High School, on June 13, 1969. She went on from there and earned her associates degree. For 17 years Cheryl spent her days waitressing at the 3G’s Restaurant, in Skowhegan. Later in life she spent time caring for developmentally disabled adults.

Throughout these years she met many people that she genuinely cared for and many people that kept her close to their hearts as well.

When Cheryl moved out of state, she left the life she missed dearly in the end of her time. Her desire was to get back home to the life that she missed in Madison.

Cheryl was a proud member of the United Methodist church and of the United Baptist church since the age of 4.

Survivors include her daughters Jennifer Goff and Jessica Crispin; her four grandchildren Cameron and Brandon Schmidt and Jaithon and Brilynn Crispin; great-grandchildren Parker and Dahlia Crispi; as well several cousins.

Now that Cheryl’s back in town she will R.I.P. She’s back home to where her heart was!

A service and celebration of Cheryl’s life will be provided by Giberson Funeral Home, on Saturday March 15, 2025, at 3 p.m., at the Christ Community Fellowship Church, 43 Maple Street, in Madison. This is across the road from Giberson Funeral Home.

MARGARET E. CHIN

PORTLAND – Margaret Elisabeth (Smith) Chin passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 14, 2025. Born to Mary “Mae” Rita (Dionne) Smith and L. Aubrey Smith, in Waterville, in 1952, as the fifth of 10 children.

She graduated from Winslow High School where her accomplishments included head cheerleader, National Honor Society, and voted Most School Spirit by her classmates. She went on to college where she studied at Lesley College, Queen’s College of Canada, and graduated from University of Maine.

Her thoughtful cards were always timely, and the knitted hats, mittens and scarves made with love. As the very extended family grew they were assured to receive a warm card and even warmer hat for the new baby. She always looked forward to her family trips for ice cream (Butter Pecan was her favorite). However, what people will recall most about Margaret was her sweet, gentle nature and kindness.

Her fight with cancer over the past couple of years has been nothing short of heroic and her spirit inspiring. It may have been complications of cancer that took her body, but it was the long term struggle with Schizoaffective Disorder that shaped her adult life. With her husband by her side, they didn’t let this define who she was as she enjoyed a full life as a wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, aunt, sibling and friend.

Please consider donating, volunteering and/or educating yourselves and others of mental health. Visit Nami.org for more information.

In addition to her parents, Margaret was predeceased by her brother, Michael; and daughter-in-law, Terri Lynne Chin.

Margaret is survived by her husband, Thomas, who have been together since 1972 and married in June 1976; as well as two sons and four grandchildren, Kevin and partner Melissa van Wijk (Tommy) and Kenneth and wife Kimberly (Teddy, Charlie and Elizabeth); and eight surviving siblings, Robert (Anne), Judy Daviau (John), Anne Sinclair (David); sister-in-law, Nancy, John, Peter, Jim (Daigo Fujiwara), Joseph, David (Alicia).

ROBERT MINER

MT. VERNON – Robert Miner passed away on Monday February 17, 2025.

He was well known in the community to be a prominent citizen and gracious man who will be greatly missed. Bob was a disabled veteran who fought in the Vietnam War, and gave 13 years of service as a U.S. Marine and as a Paramedic in the U.S. Air Force.

Bob had a love for animals, and a passion for taking care of them. (He was owner of D.E.W. Animal Sanctuary, in Mt. Vernon.) He started by sheltering animals into his home and eventually started a zoo in 1980. Bob was one of a kind, and many people enjoyed going to the zoo to see the animals as much as talking to him. Bob lived and enjoyed life, he traveled the world, took care of many exotic animals, and helped a lot of people along the way.

Bob leaves behind his partner, Sheila; her sons Chris (wife Lauren), and Nate; good friends John “Mac”, Jared, Claudia, and Nellie.

He will be remembered for his wild and adventurous stories of his past, his connection and love for animals, his selflessness and willingness to help others in need, and his jokester ways of making everyone laugh will fill our hearts forever.

MICHAEL SKOCZENSKI

LINCOLN – Michael J. Skoczenski, 62, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, in Lincoln, following a long illness. Michael was born in Waterville, October 6, 1962, to Alfred and Shirley (Riel) Skoczenski.

He graduated from Waterville High School in 1981 and attended the University of Southern Maine. Mike was a free spirit with a passion for fishing and music, especially The Grateful Dead.

Michael was predeceased by his father Alfred and his brother Brian.

He is survived by his mother Shirley; his daughters, Hannah Duffy and husband Chris, Grace Natole and husband Nate; four grandchildren, Finnegan Duffy, Elsie Duffy, Sullivan Natole and Levi Natole; two sisters, Cheryl Tebolt, of Florida, and Ann, of Massachusetts; and two brothers, Bob, of Florida, and Al, of Washington; several nieces and nephews.

There will be an informal memorial for Michael, in Waterville, this summer. Date and location to be determined.

Services are in the care of Veilleux-Redington-Lawry Funeral Home, 8 Elm Street, Waterville.

EVENTS: Palermo planning board to meet

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The Palermo Planning Board will meet Thursday, March 13, 2025, at the Palermo Town Office, at 6 pm. Purpose is to conduct official review of plans for the proposed Pine Hill subdivision on Hostile Valley Road, Tax Map R11, Lot 27C.