Covers towns roughly within 50 miles of Augusta.

Latest state of Maine fall foliage report

/0 Comments/in , /by

photo on Causeway Road by Eric Austin, of China

Maine’s leaf-bearing trees will show off their brilliant colors of yellow, orange and red in the upcoming weeks. The 2019 Fall Foliage Report from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry reports 40-percent color change in the forest. Northern Maine is reporting moderate conditions, 50-percent color change and 30-percent leaf drop.

Typically, northern Maine (zones 6 and 7) reaches peak conditions the last week of September into the first week of October. The rest of the states progression of color will start occurring from north to south in mid-October. Coastal Maine typically reaches peak conditions mid-to-late October.

“That fall feeling is in the air, and now that our weather is moving toward a more seasonal trend, its the most wonderful time of the year to be in Maine,” according to Gale Ross, Maines fall foliage spokesperson. Whether near or far, leaf-loving enthusiasts really get pumped up during the fall foliage season. A Facebook fan from Texas commented that she thought the photos we’ve posted on Facebook and the foliage web page were photoshopped until she made her first visit to Maine. Needless to say, shes coming back again this year, Ross added.

For a laid-back leaf-peeping route, wind through Maines Kennebec Valley along the 78-mile Old Canada Road Scenic Byway. Begin in Solon and make your way to the Canadian border. Dont miss a perfect picnic stop at Robbins Hill for panoramic views of the valley, and in The Forks, stop at the Moxie Falls Scenic Area. Enjoy a two-mile hike to one of the states highest waterfalls with a 92-foot vertical drop. Adventure seekers can still feel the thrill of whitewater rafting on the Kennebec River, a great way to experience fall foliage from the For more information about fall activities and events in Maine, go to www.visitmaine.com.

The fall foliage colors in central Maine are rated as low at this time.

Kennebec retired educators support classrooms

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Kennebec Retired Educators Association (KREA) is awarding two $150 grants to two educators in Kennebec County for classroom use. The grants will supplement expenses for student-centered, inter-disciplinary projects and may be expended for materials used in the classroom, speakers’ fees, project development and related travel expenses, etc.

Grant criteria and applications have been disseminated to every principal in all elementary, middle, and high schools. The principals have made them available to the classroom teachers. Grant applications are to be submitted by October 30 to George Davis, committee chairperson. The winning applicants will be notified by December 1 and will receive the grant money at that time.

“Students remain our primary focus long after we leave our classrooms,” says George Davis of Skowhegan, chairperson of the Innovative Classroom Grant Committee and retired principal of Winslow High School.

KREA is comprised of retired educators from 60 schools in 31 cities and towns. In an effort to give back to the schools where they taught for many years, members of KREA also participate in the annual statewide “Day of Caring” volunteerism program that assists teachers every August in preparing for the opening day of school. Teachers in many Kennebec County schools have benefited from their assistance.

Further information may be obtained from George Davis at 207-612-2639.

Kennebec Federal Savings named to “Best Places to Work in Maine” list for sixth straight year

/0 Comments/in /by

For the sixth year in a row, Kennebec Federal Savings has been named to the list of “Best Places to Work in Maine” by The Maine State Council of the national Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM).

Established in 2006, The “Best Places to Work in Maine” Awards recognize small, medium-sized, and large organizations that consistently cultivate outstanding workplace environments. The organization that manages the program, Best Companies Group, compiles information and data from all registered organizations, particularly focusing on each company’s workplace policies and employee benefits, along with responses from employees to a comprehensive satisfaction survey.

“All of us at Kennebec Federal Savings are honored to be recognized for the 6th year in a row as a Best Places to Work in Maine company,” said Allan Rancourt, President of Kennebec Federal Savings. “Kudos to the great team at KFS for making this a great place to work. Congratulations to all the 2019 Best Places to Work in Maine companies.”

The “Best Places to Work in Maine” winners—split into company-size categories and ranked up to the #1 winner—will be revealed at a special Awards Celebration on Wednesday, October 2, at the Augusta Civic Center. A complete list of the top companies will be featured in a statewide publication produced by Mainebiz: Maine’s Business News Source.

Kennebec Historical Society honors archivist Plummer

/0 Comments/in , , /by

The Kennebec Historical Society’s Personnel Committee has picked longtime archivist Ernest L. Plummer, of Pittston, as the first recipient of the society’s newly-established W. Scott Hill Service Award.

Plummer resigned this month after having volunteered in a variety of KHS positions over 16 years, including two terms as president. He and his wife, Joan, plan to move closer to his daughter’s family in Massachusetts.

Ernest L. Plummer

A native of Buffalo, New York, and a retired industrial chemist, Plummer has upgraded and maintained the KHS collections database, enabling catalogers to embed photographs and scanned images or original written documents into the record. The improvement in quality and quantity of society holdings has effectively opened KHS files to many more researchers seeking to learn more about some aspect of Kennebec County history.

Plummer became KHS vice president in 2007 and was elected to two-year terms as president in 2009 and in 2013. Under his leadership, the society pressed forward with efforts to retire the $190,000 mortgage on its present home, the Henry Weld Fuller Jr. house in Augusta, a goal that was achieved less than four years later. He also has been the society’s executive director and treasurer, and he recruited his wife to manage the society’s membership database, which she has done for several years.

He also spent much of his time assisting researchers and fostering cooperative relationships with other historical societies in the county. He clocked several hundred volunteer hours per year for the society’s benefit. As he winds up his years of service, he is training six volunteers to carry on his work of cataloging materials in the database.

For these achievements and others, the KHS Personnel Committee selected Plummer for the Hill award, which was established this year to honor society members who have initiated or organized landmark improvements in the society’s operation, reputation or contributions to the community. The award is named for W. Scott Hill, an Augusta physician who was one of the society’s co-founders and its first president.

The 560-member Kennebec Historical Society, a private, nonprofit organization, was founded in 1891. Its mission is to collect, preserve and make available to the public historical documents and illustrations that pertain to the history of Kennebec County and its 30 municipalities. The society hosts monthly historical lectures in a variety of locations in the county.

For more information, please contact KHS Administrative Director Scott Wood at 622-7718.

Super Sunday: opening day for youth football

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Messalonskee Youth Football quarterback Parker Doucette (7), runs with the football as Winslow Youth Football team members Michael Loubier and Zander Dickey move in for the tackle. (Photo by Beth Fisher, Central Maine Photography staff)

Super Sunday kicked off the PAL football season on September 1. Here, VFW and Sonny’s Pizza line up for a play from scrimmage. (Photo by Beth Fisher, Central Maine Photography staff)

Square dancers attend New England convention

/0 Comments/in , /by

Front row, from left to right, Dave and Ellie Mulcahy, Margaret Carter, Charllotte Sinclair and Nanci Temple. Back, .Cindy Fairfield, Bob Brown, Bruce Carter, Milton Sinclair and Fred Temple. (contributed photo)

A few of the Maine dancers who were able to attend the 61st New England Square and Round Dance Convention, held in Stowe, Vermont.

The clubs represented by these dancers were Squire Town Squares, of Winthrop, Central Maine Squares, of Waterville, Friendship Squares, of Wilton, Pine Cone Reelers, of Augusta and the LeVi Rounders, of Hermon. All of these clubs and other clubs in Maine offer beginner lessons. For more information, call Bob Brown at 447-0094 or Cindy Fairfield at 631-8816.

Singing group celebrates 30 years

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

From left to right, 30-year members Donna Ryder, director Kathy Greason, and Gerry Dostie. (Contributed photo)

Members of the Maine-ly Harmony women’s barbershop chorus celebrated 30 years of harmonizing and friendship on August 21 at the home of member Dee Dumais, in Auburn. Members hail from all over the state, singing the barbershop style of four-part harmony. Maine-ly Harmony is a chapter member of Harmony, Inc., which offers competitions, coaching and educational classes throughout the year. To book a performance, or to receive information about becoming a member of Maine-ly Harmony, call Nancie at 293-4778 or email hugabook4@yahoo.com.

The 2020 census comes to central Maine

/0 Comments/in , , , /by
by Eric W. Austin

Some of you may have noticed a strange man or woman snooping around the neighborhood with a briefcase. Do not be alarmed. This is not a new type of high-class burglar brazenly scoping out your house for a midnight break-in.

Adrian Cronkhite, a partnership specialist with the United States Census Bureau, recently stopped by the China for a Lifetime Committee meeting to explain what they are up to. “We’re starting to conduct address canvasing – that’s determining where to count,” he said. “We send our address canvasers out to check to see if an address is still there.” Around ten percent of the U.S. population moves each year, which makes this preliminary step essential to conducting a successful census.

In most cases, said Cronkhite, address canvasers will not even need to knock on a door. They are simply trying to determine if an address has someone living there, and this can often be determined without bothering the homeowner. Address canvasers will be carrying an official badge identifying them as a government employee.

Nearly 14,000 Mainers are being enlisted in the effort to conduct the 2020 Census, and many positions are still available. Anyone looking for a short term job — typically lasting for 8-10 weeks — is encouraged to visit 2020census.gov/jobs. Most positions pay $16.50/hr and $0.58/mile.

Cronkhite also cautioned that people should be on the lookout for scammers. “If someone comes knocking on your door and they’re asking for a credit card, or they’re asking for money or anything like that, that’s fraud,” he said. “That’s not the census. The Census Bureau will never ask you for money. They won’t ask for your credit card number. They won’t ask for your social security number.”

Adrian Cronkhite took a roundabout path to his own position as a partnership specialist with the Census Bureau. Growing up in Dexter, he went to the University of Maine at Machias before enlisting in the military where he served for 14 years as a Green Beret in the Special Forces. That was followed by 12 years as a defense contractor and another eight years working directly for the federal government. Returning to Maine recently from Colorado, he bought the old Dexter shoe factory, closed in 2000, which he is in the process of renovating. He hopes to turn it into a shelter for homeless veterans when he retires following his current work for the 2020 Census.

The United States Census is required by Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution, which states: “[An] Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct.” The first meeting of Congress was in 1789, with the first nationwide census conducted in 1790. This will be the 23rd census in the history of the United States.

An accurate count is essential, Cronkhite explained, in order to correctly apportion more than $675 billion in federal funding, of which around $4.1 billion is headed for the State of Maine. Census data is also used to define legislative districts, school districts and voter precincts.

The census will officially kick off on April 1, 2020. Each household will be sent a postcard with 10 questions. Everyone is required by law to complete the questionnaire. Answers can be completed by mail, over the phone by 800 number, or online using a unique security code provided by the Census Bureau.

According to Cronkhite, 17 percent of China residents did not complete the census in 2010. “If you don’t respond,” he said, “someone will come knocking on your door, and nobody wants that.”

Cronkhite emphasized that information the census collects is completely confidential. Census Bureau employees like Cronkhite are barred for life from revealing any information under Title 13 of the criminal code. “We cannot share the information with anybody,” Cronkhite explained. “If I was to share someone’s personal information, I can be fined $250,000 or five years [in federal prison].”

The census’ electronic infrastructure also has some of the best security in the world. “Sixteen hundred times a day someone tries to break into the census data,” said Cronkhite, “and no one’s been successful yet. We have our own standalone system. Your information is not going to be shared with the world.”

The personal information of individuals is never provided to anyone outside the Census Bureau – not the Congress, not even the President. Only statistical breakdowns are given to the legislative and executive branches of government. In fact, this same statistical information is available to the public and can be browsed by going to the web address factfinder.census.gov.

Maine presents a special problem to the Census Bureau. “Maine is a different animal,” Cronkhite said. “Maine and Alaska. There’s a lot of people living in northwest Maine that don’t even want to be recognized or found, so they are actually using satellite footage now to track down residents — [to find out] where people are living or staying – and I’ll have to get on a snowmobile or four-wheeler to go up there next April.”

On December 31, 2020, the president will receive the results of the census as a statistical breakdown. By March 31, 2021, towns will receive their counts and will be notified if the results of the census require redistricting.

So, if you see a stranger prowling around your property, don’t shoot! It might just be a 2020 census employee.

Harvest Bucks bring Bonus Veggies

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Farmers Market at Pumpkin Vine Family Farm is excited to launch their Maine Harvest Bucks program on Sunday, September 1, just in time for the fall harvest season! Fill your market basket for less by using your EBT/ SNAP card to purchase any of of the fresh, local food at the market (meat, cheese, eggs, bread!), then receive a dollar for dollar match in Maine Harvest Bucks, that can be used to buy fresh fruits and vegetables.

The Market is located on a working historic farm and aims to serve country folks where they live. The Market was built by and for the community, in the belief that everyone should enjoy fresh local food. Locally grown food, tended by hand, often costs more than the food at grocery stores and can be hard to fit into a tight budget. But the farmers at the Pumpkin Vine Market want to make sure you can enjoy their food no matter your budget! Not only will we match every SNAP dollar with Harvest Bucks, but first time SNAP shoppers will get an extra bonus $10 in Harvest Bucks on their first purchase!

Maine Harvest Bucks is funded by the USDA through a FINI (Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Program) and implemented in Maine by the Maine Federation of Farmers Markets. The market is open between 11 – 3 every Sunday, from May – December, at 217 Hewett Rd in Somerville. Email info@pumpkinvinefamilyfarm.com or call Kelly at (207) 549-3096 for more information.

BBBS introduces new board member

/0 Comments/in , /by

Sarah Peabody

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine (BBBSMM) is pleased to welcome Sarah Peabody as the newest member of its Board of Directors. Peabody is a Vice President at Bank of America, where she has worked for more than 24 years, currently serving as a Strategies Analyst.

She has been an active volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine for more than a decade, serving as a school-based program coordinator as well as a Big Sister. She serves on the Board’s Governance Committee and is a long-time volunteer for Bowl for Kids’ Sake, the agency’s largest fundraising event held in mid-coast, eastern and central Maine.

Peabody also serves as Treasurer and Immediate Past President of the local, corporate Toastmasters Club, a non-profit educational organization that teaches leadership skills. She was recognized with the “National Community Service Award” as USA Ambassador Mrs. Maine 2017 and as Mrs. Central Maine 2018, she was honored with the “Beauty, Brains and Heart Award” for promoting community service and positive pageantry. As a charity-driven organization that promotes success through leadership, integrity, character and confidence, USA Ambassador has adopted Big Brothers Big Sisters as its national charitable benefactor.

In addition to her time promoting the mission of BBBSMM, she is also a volunteer “Wish Granter” with Make-a-Wish Maine. Peabody lives in Washington, with her husband Barry. Together, they have four grown children. In her free time, she enjoys researching genealogy, photography, kayaking, travelling and spending time near the water.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine creates and supports one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth in Androscoggin, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Penobscot, Somerset, and Waldo Counties. By partnering with parents, volunteers and organizations, children in the program have higher aspirations, greater confidence, develop better relationships, avoid risky behaviors and achieve educational success.

To learn more about defending youth potential through volunteer opportunities with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine, please call 236-BBBS (2227) email info@bbbsmidmaine.org,  or visit www.bbbsmidmaine.org.