Local youth boxer moving up in the ranks

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Braden Littlefield between rounds of a recent bout listens to his coach, Glenn Cugno, with instructions. (photos by Mark Huard, owner Central Maine Photography)

by Mark Huard

Braden Littlefield, 13, of East Benton, a talented young boxer, fighting out of Cugno Boxing, fought and obtained a unanimous decision win over his opponent at the Lewiston Armory on August 3. He was also the recipient of a belt, given to both Littlefield and his opponent for being the Fight of the Night. The event titled “Gettin’ Gritty in the City,” was promoted by Cugno Boxing and was held in the upstairs gymnasium of the Lewiston Armory.

Braden Littlefield

This is a special space for the Cugno Boxers, because their training space is directly below where the event was held. This is a historic site for Maine Boxing, and this is the first time that a boxing event has occurred in this building since 1999. Littlefield’s coach, Glenn Cugno, fought as a professional fighter in that same arena nearly two-and-a-half decades ago.

Braden Littlefield started boxing in 2016 at the age of 10. He has played sports for as long as he can remember to include baseball and football. Braden has 23 bouts under his belt. He and his coach pride themselves on fighting the very best around. Littlefield prefers to challenge himself by accepting fight with more experienced fighters. Many don’t understand that boxing doesn’t have a defined season like many sports. It is a year round commitment and demands dedication in and out of the gym. Littlefield works four days in the gym and does road and bag work on off days as well.

Littlefield has traveled all over New England fighting in every New England state. He has also traveled to Florida, Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia. Littlefield has won the Silver Gloves New England Championships, as well being the Regional champion. He won the Sugar Bert National qualifier in Virginia Beach which qualified him for the national tournament in Kissimmee, Florida, where he made it to the finals and lost a close split decision in the final bout. Littlefield reports his biggest accomplishment to date is winning a bout against a national champion ranked number one in the country. Littlefield also won the New England Jr. Olympic title and went on to fight in the finals at the Regionals at the Olympic Training Center, in Lake Placid, New York.

Littlefield has grown up in Fairfield and Benton, and has a large fan base. He comes from a big family that all support Littlefield’s boxing goals. Littlefield plans to continue to travel and strive for that national championship.

Benton native serves aboard U.S. Navy assault warship

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Petty Officer 1st Class Maegan Findley

A Benton native and 2004 Law­rence High School graduate, in Fair­field, is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Whidbey Island, a warship which transports and launches U. S. Marines from sea to shore as part of amphibious assault operations.

Petty Officer 1st Class Maegan Findley is a hospital corpsman aboard the dock landing ship operating out of Little Creek, Virginia.

Benton students honor bus drivers

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To show their appreciation, the Benton Elementary PTO gifted Fairfield/Benton bus drivers with 240 books for students to use while on their buses. From left to right, Dennis West, Roland Grandmaison, Jim Greene, Mark Gregory, Mindy Hughes, PTO secretary, Amy Harrington, PTO president, Mr. Wedge, principal, Heather Giroux, PTO vice president, Kathy Burkhart, PTO teacher advocate, Kathy Dow, Misty Avery, Gregg McGoff and Lucas Leblanc. (Photo courtesy of Amy Harrington)

June 2019 local election results (China, Vassalboro, Fairfield, Benton)

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by Mary Grow

CHINA

China voters rejected both spending requests on their June 11 local ballot. They re-approved the school budget initially approved at the April 6 town business meeting and voted to continue the school budget validation referendum for another three years.

Town Clerk Rebecca Hapgood reported the results, as follows:

  • The request to authorize selectmen to spend up to $150,000 to buy land on Lakeview Drive with frontage on China Lake, 114 in favor and 289 opposed.
  • The request to authorize selectmen to spend up to another $25,000 to continue planning for an emergency services building and a community center, 72 in favor and 332 opposed.
  • Re-approval of the 2019-2020 school budget, 261 in favor and 139 opposed.
  • Continuing the second vote on the school budget, 265 in favor and 129 opposed.

Hapgood said 406 ballots were cast.

VASSALBORO

Vassalboro’s local ballots included uncontested municipal elections and school budget questions. Town Clerk Cathy Coyne reported a total of 101 ballots cast.

Voters re-elected Selectman Robert Browne with 98 votes and school board members Jessica Clark and Kevin Levasseur with 81 and 79 votes respectively.

The school budget approved at the June 6 open part of the annual town meeting was re-approved by a vote of 87 to 14. Voters decided to continue the school budget validation referendum for another three years on a 63 to 37 vote.

FAIRFIELD

According to municipal clerk Christine Keller, 243 votes were cast at the June 11 referendum election.

MSAD #49 school budget validation referendum:

Yes: 61 – No: 182

MSAD #49 school budget process:

Yes: 158
No: 84
Blanks: 1

BENTON

The following are the results of the MSAD #49 budget validation referendum election:

Article 1: Yes: 38 – No: 70
Article 2: Yes: 71 – No: 38

Benton sixth graders visit state capitol in Augusta

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Benton sixth-grade students visiting the State Capitol. (Contributed photo)

Sixth graders from Benton Elementary School visited the State Capitol on Tuesday, January 15. During their visit, they toured the Maine State Museum and the Maine State house. Pictured above is Ms. Kellie Paisley-Hopper’s class visiting with Sen. Scott Cyrway (R-Kennebec) in the Senate Chamber.

Grappling tourney held as veterans tribute

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Jacobi Peasley, 6, of Benton, and Jackson Jandreau-Hanson, 6, of Clinton. (Photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography)

Huard’s Martial Arts Maine Skirmish grappling tourney was held on Nov. 11, as a tribute to veterans. Winners in the age 6 and under Sumo wrestling division were Jacobi Peasley, 6, of Benton, and Jackson Jandreau-Hanson, 6, of Clinton.

Football is in the air in central Maine – from youth to an old rivalry

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Winslow’s Marek Widerynski (2), attempts to block for ball carrier Cody Ivey (22), while Waterville’s Anthony Singh (21), Kody Vallee (23), and Jack Lloyd (73), move in for the tackle. Winslow won the annual Battle of the Bridge, 54-23, on September 15. (Photo by Tawni Lively, Central Maine Photography staff)

Kennebec Timber Framing PAL player Noah Cole, 7, of Benton, runs for a touchdown during Super Sunday on September 2 at the PAL Field in Fairfield. (Photo by Tawni Lively, Central Maine Photography staff)

Winslow’s Bryce Gunzinger (32), sweeps for a touchdown against Waterville on September 15, with Waterville’s Trent Andreozzi in pursuit. (Photo by Tawni Lively, Central Maine Photography staff)

Blaisdell named to president’s list

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Benjamin Blaisdell of Benton, has been named to the President’s List at Western New England University, in Springfield, Massachusetts, for the Spring 2018. Blaisdell is working toward a degree in marketing.

 

 

 

 

Local residents graduate from WPI

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The following local students received bachelor’s degree at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, in Worcester, Massachusetts.

McKenzie Brunelle, of Sidney, was awarded a bachelor of science degree in biomedical engineering with distinction.

Abigail King, of Benton, was awarded a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering with distinction

Benton sixth grader accomplished boxer

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Braden Littlefield, 12, of Benton, boxing with Marion Rodriguez. Littlefield was the winner of amateur fight, 101 pound weight class at pro-am night on April 28. (Photo by Central Maine Photography)

Submitted by Mark Huard

Braden Littlefield is a sixth grader at Benton Elementary School and has always played many sports including football and baseball. A year ago Braden started boxing and hasn’t stopped since. He had 12 boxing matches on the amateur circuit where he traveled as far as Virginia with his teammate Cain Shatzer, from Bethel. Littlefield won a bout at this national tournament.

Recently he and his three other teammates featured in the photo (Cain Shatzer, Braden Littlefield, Emma Jones and Quinton Hernandez) traveled to Worcester, Massachusetts, this past Saturday. All four captured Jr. Olympic titles.

Braden Littlefield, right, and Gracien Giroux, of Benton. Photo by Mark Huard)

This group of youth traveled to Canada this year as part of a USA team that competed internationally. Littlefield has captured a New England Silver Gloves championship, along with his teamate Quinton Hernandez, from Old Town, who both moved on to a Regional Championship bout in Herkimer, New York. Littlefield lost a controversial decision to a more experienced New York fighter, and Hernandez won the Regional Silver Gloves Title, but was unable to compete in the nationals due to fracturing his shoulder in the title bout.

All four of these young boxers train together several times a week at Cugno Boxing Gym, in Lewiston. All of the fighters travel quite a distance to train at this gym. Emma Jones is the only local youth coming out of Auburn. They find various meeting spots, but travel and remain a team. They all spire to go as far as they can in the sport which includes fighting as many bouts as they can to gain ring experience.

These young boxers have many older and more experienced boxers in the gym that they look up to, including Breanna Ingalls, who recently joined the U.S. Coast Guard. They all fight under the name Cugno Boxing, for Glenn Cugno, who is a professional boxer that trained with Joe Gamache Sr. at the Lewiston Armory for over 30 years. Cugno took over the gym but remains coaching with Joe Gamache Sr. Coaches Dan Escobar and Scott Frost making up the rest of the coaching staff. Cugno and the rest of the coaches donate any time they have outside of their full time jobs to help these kids stay on a positive path and reach their dreams.