Matthew Steward, a sophomore criminal justice major, of Skowhegan, was among approximately 890 Bob Jones University students named to the Fall 2017 Dean’s List, in Greenville, South Carolina.
The dean’s list recognizes students who earn a 3.00-3.74 grade point average during the semester.
The following local students have been named to the University of Vermont dean’s list, in Burlington, Vermont:
Delaney Curran; of Skowhegan; Kaitlyn Sutter, of Palermo; and Kayla Christopher, of Oakland.
Matthew Steward, a freshman criminal justice major, from Skowhegan, was among approximately 860 Bob Jones University students named to the Spring 2017 dean’s list, in Greenville South Carolina.
The Skowhegan Woman’s Club (GFWC ME) is celebrating its 136th anniversary. One of the main functions of the club is volunteering in community and lending a hand. Recently members of the GFWC, Skowhegan Woman’s Club, Debra Burnham, left, Skowhegan Woman’s Club treasurer, and Joyce Noonan, right, Skowhegan Woman’s Club fundraising chairman, hand a $500 check to Dale Jandreau, center, Skowhegan Free Public Library director. Contributed photo
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.
Skowhegan History House Museum & Research Center is instituting a new program for researchers. Museum trustees are opening up the Research Center on Mondays for researchers only. The center will be staffed with folks who have experience with conducting research, especially genealogy, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., each Monday excluding those that fall on holidays or holiday weekends.
Kay Marsh or David James, both trustees, will be available to assist researchers with finding information, orienting them with the research center, and where appropriate provide additional source locations. Those who are interested in conducting research pertaining to Skowhegan or genealogy should take advantage of this opportunity for assistance from these two local experts.
The Museum house will remain closed on Mondays and no tours will be available. Skowhegan History House Museum & Research Center will continue to offer services Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. through October 21. For more information call 207-474-6632 or send a message via info@skowheganhistoryhouse.org.
Skowhegan History House Museum & Research Center is hosting a new program series at the History House, “Let’s Talk Local History.” Local residents are invited to share interesting stories, experiences, and artifacts with museum staff in small, informal discussions! The roundtable discussions are designed to be both educational and entertaining. The purpose of the discussions is to enrich our understanding of this area’s history as we talk about life in earlier times and to engage older citizens. Please join us from 2 – 4 p.m. at the Skowhegan History House Museum & Research Center on Thursdays: June 8, July 6, August 24, and September 21. This program is free.
A Volunteer Open House at the Skowhegan History House Museum & Research Center, 66 Elm Street, Skowhegan, has been scheduled for Wednesday, May 24, 3 – 4:30 p.m. History House veteran volunteers and folks from the Skowhegan area who would like to learn more about the Volunteer Program are invited to attend.
History House volunteers consistently make a positive impact on the museum and its patrons. They play an active role in preserving and promoting collections dating back through the late 1700s and therefore contribute greatly to our community. Volunteers learn about early Skowhegan and the citizens of the time. They make new friends, utilize existing skills and learn new ones.
Volunteers assist with visitors and tours, design and create displays, assist with clerical work, answer the phone, or conduct research. Others maintain and clean the museum, teach small groups of children about local history and historic preservation and others work directly with artifact preservation and cataloging. Some volunteers like to dedicate their time to working in the Heirloom Gardens, assisting in preparing for major projects or events, or assisting with tasks pertaining to society membership, preparing materials for distribution or mailings, creating presentations, etc.
Museum staff strives to match a volunteer’s skills and interests to meaningful and necessary tasks. We utilize the skills that talented folks bring with them and we offer training to those who wish to learn new skills.
Volunteers of all ages are encouraged to attend the Open House. We welcome volunteers of all ages including high school students who would like to explore museum science or complete community involvement requirements. Come see what we have to offer and share your talents and interests with us. More information pertaining to the program can be found at skowheganhistoryhouse.org or by contacting Kay Marsh, volunteer coordinator, 465-7458, grammy.kay.cee@gmail.com.
Special Olympics Maine Area events are underway across the state. Local Special Olympics programs have been or are soon to be participating in area track and field events at the local levels as they prepare for the state Summer Games. The Special Olympics Maine state summer games will take place June 9 – 11 at the University of Maine at Orono this year. Over 1,500 Special Olympic Maine athletes, both children and adults, are expected to compete at this year’s event.
Prior to the state games, athletes must participate in local games to get times, distances, and ability levels which will help put them into appropriate divisions at the state level competition. The Somerset County Area Spring Games have been a longstanding tradition that our athletes look forward to each year. Each year, we have over 100 athletes registered to compete in our track and field events with over 50 volunteers in support of them. We thank all the local volunteers and coaches who have pulled together in support of our efforts. A special thanks to Skowhegan Area High School for letting us use their space. The opening ceremonies are accompanied by the SAHS Band. SAHS’ track and field coaches and athletes and SAHS Jobs for Maine Graduates student volunteers provide guidance throughout the day, ensuring proper tracking of times and distances. The Lion’s Club provides the almost 200 lunches hot off the grill. Several local emergency responders are available to aid and safety for all attendees.
Special Olympics Maine is a year-round sports training and competition program for children and adults who have intellectual disabilities. In Maine, they serve over 4,000 athletes.
For more information about the Somerset County Area Spring Games, please contact Maxine Briggs-Buzzell, Somerset & Upper Kennebec County Area manager at 207-293-4577 or Kim Garland, Somerset Area Spring Games coordinator at 207-566-5766.
For more information on Special Olympics Maine please visit www.somaine.org or call 207-879-0489 or find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SpecialOlympicsMaine.
Y’know, WALLS, I must have a touch of Spring Fever, cause all of a sudden I’ve been thinking about the song: “People…People Who Need People are the Luckiest People in the World.” O.K., we’ll talk about people, as this just may be thank you week and our lucky people are those who gave much of their lives and talents to Skowhegan and vicinity.
First, with wars still raging in our Middle East and some of our military there and to those who fought in our wars and their relatives, we must say ‘thanks.” We will soon celebrate Abner Coburn Day and we all know that Abner Coburn was born in nearby
Canaan, but built the ‘decrepit’ mansion on our Skowhegan Main Street Hill. Yes, our Governor Coburn sat with our President Abraham Lincoln, as he delivered The Gettysburg Address, since we of Skowhegan and Maine had men fighting in our Civil War. Yes, People needed those soldiers.
What’s more, my thoughts have turned back to the days when Skowhegan’s Water Street and Madison Avenue had a great variety of stores where people who worked in our spinning and woolen mills could leave their work for lunch hour and, yes, walk down Water Street to window shop or stop in and buy whatever was needed at home. Yes, we had Stern’s and Crane’s department stores, or five-and-dimes McClellan’s, Grants, Woolworth’s or even Cora Cayouette’s Corsetry which was next to Skowhegan’s Famous Bonnet Shop. On Madison Avenue and Water Street there were grocery stores, meat and fish markets, furniture stores, gift shops, restaurants, soda fountains and, lest we forget, the Maine Liquor Store, drug stores and music stores. Don’t forget the many offices that were located on the second floors of our famous downtown buildings.
Here’s a bit of an aside from the Waterville Morning Sentinel’s Amy Calder, who wrote this week of the snowstorm of 1968-69 and who urged me to write of my experiences during that storm. Well, will suffice for now in saying that Skowhegan’s first radio station (WSKW) was located above the William Philbrick Office and that storm happened to be on the first day for my broadcast! Well, we all know that ‘the show must go on,” and I got there through the drifts!
At a Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, at Russakoff Jewelers, a few weeks ago, WALLS promised to write a history of Skowhegan Downtown, but at another time. I will say that Skowhegan’s downtown had a lot of barber shops as the men didn’t have long hair and beard in those days!
While writing this, WALLS, you certainly will thank the Alfond Foundation and other local manufacturers for their workers having made the products that enabled giving our area young people assistance with college tuition, with the hope they will stay in this area and develop the foresight to develop products needed and become CEO’s for the manufacture of same. Yes, WALLS, you know full well that “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world,” and, WALLS, you also know that this is the best place to live, “Maine, the Way Life Should Be.”