The 2018 Lawrence High School, in Fairfield, boys soccer seniors and coaches are, from left to right, Coach Bob Towne, Drake Zimba, Alex Owens, Christian Adams, Nick Ellis, Jackson Dudley, Sebastian Nebauer and Coach Ryan Mountain.(Photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography staff)
Pictured, front row, from left to right, Ellie Saunders, Ellie Mulcahy, Nanci Temple, Margaret Carter, Cindy Fairfield. Second row: Steve Saunders, Milton and Charlotte Sinclair, Dave Mulcahy, Fred Temple, Wes and Sue Burgess, Bruce Carter, Bob Brown. Back, Betty and Steve Harris, Larry and Kathleen Hillman. (Contributed photo)
East Hill Farms, in Troy, New Hampshire, was the venue for a weekend of advanced level square dancing for dancers from several New England states and three Canadian provinces. Friday, April 6, through Sunday, April 8, saw 10 squares of dancers enjoy the calling of Don Moger, of Montreal, Canada, and Ted Lizotte, of Manchester, New Hampshire.
Dancers from our area who were present were Bob Brown and Cindy Fairfield, of Newport, Larry and Kathleen Hillman, of Fairfield, Fred and Nanci Temple, of Richmond, and Bruce and Margaret Carter, of Ellsworth. It was a great weekend of high level dancing and camaraderie of friends we don’t get to see that often.
Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa, in Stowe, Vermont, was the setting of this year’s 60th New England Square Dance Convention. It all happened on the weekend of April 26 – 28. If you are a square dancer in the New England area, it’s the absolute place to be on the fourth weekend in April. The weather to and from and while we were there was beautiful, the resort was perfect, all the dancing was under one roof and the meals were super. The convention brought dancers from 10 states and 4 provinces of Canada totaling just over 600 for the three days.
Anyone interested in learning to square dance, call or contact Bob Brown at 447-0094 or Cindy Fairfield at 631-8816.
Gabrielle Bridger, an Ithaca College student, in Ithaca, New York, from Fairfield, was named to the Dean’s List for the spring 2018 semester.
Sidney Knox
Sidney Knox is a 2018 graduate of Lawrence High School, in Fairfield. Sidney spends her time purchasing and cooking weekly meals for the Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter, organizing veterans’ care packages, and organizing the annual St. Jude’s Trike-a-thon fundraiser. At Lawrence High, she maintained high honor roll status while participating in National Honor Society, PRIDE Club, was the Renaissance Committee secretary, class secretary, a class representative and played softball. She plans to attend the University of New England in the fall to study pre-med.
The annual scholarship was established in memory of Joe Ezhaya, a community leader who was known for his generosity and dedication to civic engagement.
This $750 annual scholarship will be distributed to the recipient after the completion of her first semester four years for a total of $3,000.
Fairfield veterans laid wreaths at the cemetery and Memorial Park on Memorial Day, May 28. (Photo courtesy of Lyn Rowden)
Let the games begin. These Lawrence High School students getting ready for competition are, left to right, Kaleb Anderson, Justin Trott, Robert Klean and Hunter Dusoe. (Photo by Dan Cassidy)
Students from SAD #49, in Fairfield, and RSU #18, from Messalonskee High School, in Oakland, participated with many students from all over New England in designs programs motivating more than 450,000 young students from in 88 countries to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math skills.
The robotics tournament put teams together to see what students can accomplish using creativity, problem solving and teamwork with the help of mentors from the worlds of education and business. The future workforce learns how to collaborate, encourage one another and persevere in this year’s challenge FIRST Power UP, according to the Pine Tree District Event Planning Committee’s program release.
Students compete on time clocks by using Robots working together to exchange power cubes, climb the scale tower to face the ‘boss’ and try to escape the game. Operators take control for the final two minutes and 15 seconds of the match, scoring points by gaining ownership of the scale or their alliance’s switch, delivering power cubes to the alliance’s vault, using power ups for a timed advantage, parking on the scale platform or climbing the scale to face the boss. The alliance with the highest score at the end of the match defeats the boss and wins.
The program highlights indicate that it’s the hardest fun you’ll ever have.
From left to right, Whitefield Lions Barry Tibbetts, Calvin Prescott and Amanda Stevens.
The 32nd Whitefield Lions Club Model Railroad and Dollhouse show was held Saturday, February 17th at the Augusta State Armory. Whitefield Lion Steven Laundrie, who organizes the event said at least 40 exhibitors were in attendance and hundreds of spectators visited the show.
Members of the Lawrence boys sixth grade travel team are, front row, left to right, Riley Leary, Gavin Wilson, Dane Zawistowski, Gavin Lunt, Aiden Jackson-Heath and Dominic Clifford. Back, Bailey Pepin, Hayden Folsom, Cameron Blodgett, Brandon Watson and Jacob York. Photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography staff
An unidentified boy receives Christmas gifts from Fairfield Police Department patrolman Blake Wilder.
Photos by Tawni Lively, Central Maine Photography staff
The Cops Care for Kids program was initially started and funded by Kingston Paul, who was the former Detective Captain at the Fairfield Police Department. The program started with an idea that the police wanted to build a great relationship with our community and the children of our community. They started out by delivering just one stuffed animal to approximately 50 children with a tag attached with all the officer’s names on them. Many years later, the program has grown to delivering three small gifts and a stuffed animal to over 200 children of the Fairfield Community. The officers and other employees of the Fairfield Police Department now donate a portion of their checks every week towards the Cops Care for Kids program to ensure that Kingston’s idea and dream continued on.
Fairfield police officers play Santa for local kids.
And even though we lost Kingston last year, his memory and spirit still lives on with the program. To ensure the program continues for many, many years, Kingston left the program financially sound, so we could continue the tradition, because we truly care about the children of our community.
“As Chief, I was very humbled when I was informed about this program when I first started,” said Fairfield Police Chief Tom Gould. “I feel honored to work with employees who care so greatly for the youth in our community.”
Officer Shanna Blodgett added, “The officers of the Fairfield Police Department are very proud of this program and what it has grown to be. We look forward to our ‘wrapping’ party each year and to be able to see the joy and excitement on the boys’ and girls’ faces when we arrive to deliver. They simply light up.”
Colby Charette, Cassidy’s brother, performed at the fundraiser. Contributed photo
The 16th Annual Warming Up for Christmas benefit Guitar Concert honoring Cassidy Charette brought more than 600 people to the Williamson Auditorium, in Fairfield, on December 2 and raised over $12,300 for the ShineOnCass Foundation. Orchestrated by Steve Fotter, a local musician and guitar instructor from Benton, and his wife Linda, the three-hour concert featured 80 of his students and local talent performing rock, blues, jazz and folk Christmas music. Fotter said it was the largest fundraiser in his concert’s history, which in total has raised well over $100,000 for local charitable organizations.
Fotter said, “We have tremendous talent here and the concert has become a special tradition to start the holiday season. We continue to be grateful and humbled by the people who support us.”
Cassidy Charette was killed October 11, 2014, as the result of a tragic hayride accident. Cassidy was a Messalonskee High School top scholar and athlete, and a life-long community volunteer and youth advocate. In the past three years, her friends, family and the greater Oakland community have started multiple programs and services to honor her. This is the second year the concert has benefitted the ShineOnCass Foundation, which was created by the Charette family to educate, inspire and empower youth to continue Cassidy’s passion for caring for others through volunteer charitable activities.
As part of the benefit concert, the ShineOnCass Foundation organized a collection of gifts for the Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers’ Christmas Program, which provides boxes filled with warm clothing and toys for 1,700 less-fortunate children in Maine. Over 200 hundred gifts, including books, pajamas, hats, mittens and toys were collected at the concert and by Messalonskee High School students, who delivered them to the program’s headquarters in Waterville. The Foundation will also gift proceeds from the concert to help purchase items needed to fill all the boxes before Christmas.
“This is how we Shine Cassidy’s Light, by giving back to our community,” said Monica Charette, Cassidy’s mother. “We know of no better way to honor Cass than to continue to support things that she was passionate about—especially programs that involve helping children.”