MDOT to do pavement preservation work on Rte. 202

/0 Comments/in , , /by

The Maine Department of Transportation is planning pavement preservation, including guardrail improvements, beginning at Route 202 and extending west 6.14 miles to Route 137B, then extending north 1.04 miles to Route 201.

The Department of Transportation in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act is seeking information from consulting parties that would likely have information/knowledge of, or concerns with historic properties adjacent.

Under Section 106, the town is considered a consulting party and will receive National Register Eligibility and the Determination of Effects on historic properties within the project area for review and comment. If the town knows of any party or person interested in becoming a Section 106 consulting party for review of effects on historic properties, please have them fill out and return the Consulting Party Request Form (available at the town office.)

If you have any information, comments or concerns in regards to historic properties, please contact the point person at Julie.Senk@maine.gov or at 16 State House Station, Environmental Office, Augusta Maine 04333.

This is intended to obtain information and concerns regarding historic properties. If you have any questions or concerns about the project, please contact the Project Manager, Douglas Coombs at Douglas.Coombs@maine.gov.

Not all heroes wear capes

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Colby Rumpf, left, and Brooke Allen, who are both in the JMG program and were freshmen at the time, running an eighth grade JMG blood drive. (contributed photo)

Local family, service group, sponsor blood drives every two months

by Laurie Rumpf

I never knew how much blood was needed. I would see the blood drive signs along the road or they would have a drive at my place of work years ago. In addition, I’d always think…they have enough blood, they don’t need mine. Boy was I wrong!

Back in 2003 my dad, Stephen Dickens, was diagnosed with leukemia. They discovered this by a random urine test for his job as a diesel mechanic. His oncologist told him that he wouldn’t really have to worry about it for another five years. He had regular visits for lab work in those five years. In addition, pretty much to that day…five years later my dad was at the Alfond Cancer Center, in Augusta, having chemo treatments. He ended up at MaineGeneral, in Augusta, from there they transported him to Maine Medical Center, in Portland. He was a patient there for a month.

We were with him that whole time. My mom lived there with him that whole time. My sister, brother or myself were always there with him. We watched him receive so many blood transfusions and platelets. The bad blood cells would kill it just as fast as he’d receive it. It was a rollercoaster month for all of us. In the end, he lost the battle with leukemia. But all those transfusions gave us an extra month with my dad. What a precious gift that was!

As the nurses would hook up each pint of blood I promised each one of them, “I’m going to pay that back!” After my dad passed, I went to Penney Memorial Church to a blood drive. After that I was hooked. It was my therapy to help me heal from losing my dad. So every 56 days I’d look for a local blood drive. My family wasn’t far behind me. We all would donate. None of us had ever donated before.

So a year after my dad had passed away we decided to all meet at the Portland Red Cross Donor center and we all donated blood together. There were eight of us that day. After that I decided I’d like to sponsor a drive each year on the anniversary of my dad passing away. So each year we’d get more and more people. My daughter Sasha Rumpf turned 16 and brought a lot of her friends. All first time donors! I was so proud of her and all of her friends! A lot of my friends had also jumped on the bandwagon. I think the most we had was around 52 people show up. We had so many that some had to wait over three hours! It was amazing to see though. All these people waiting around to save lives! Truly amazing!

My husband and daughter received a letter that they had a high platelet count so they wanted them to come to Portland to donate platelets.They now both donate platelets.

We now host the blood drives at the South China American Legion. We usually get pizza donated from Tobey’s or Fieldstone. We have so many that show up at each drive — I’m truly humbled to see this. The community pulls together! From the legion hosting it, my family and I running it, local stores donating pizza and all the amazing people that show up to give up their time and donate their blood to help save someone’s life or to help give someone some extra time with a loved one.

Our last drive was hosted by my 16 year old son, Colby Rumpf, in the Leaders Save Lives program. If you host a blood drive while you’re in high school and have 25 donors you earn a Red Cross cord for your graduation! He tried this last year and was short a few people. So he tried it again this year and he had 32 units of blood!

I am so very proud of my family, my friends and last but not least the community that I live in.

Please watch for our blood drive posters throughout the community and my posts on Facebook. We host drives right around every 56 days! Our next drive will be on November 16, 2019.

I hope to see you there!

2019 Waterville Youth Football grades 3-4

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Coaches: Left to Right – Tom Ferris, Craig McInnis, Chris Rancourt. Top Row Players: Zaiden Thoopsamoot, Charlie Ferris, Larson Ronco , Layne Ferran, Cam McInnis, Jameson Dow, Reid Morrison, Gideon McGee. Bottom Row Players: Jayden Rancourt, Isaac Gilman, Wyatt Jones, Logan Cimino, Michael Palmer, Blake Kenyon, Mason Pelletier, Quincy Nesbitt (Photo by Missy Brown/ Central Maine Photography)

Kennebec Federal Savings seeks video contest entries from teens

/0 Comments/in , /by

Kennebec Federal Savings is now accepting submissions from local teens for its “Lights, Camera, Save!” video contest. Organized by the American Bankers Association Foundation, the contest is a national competition that encourages teens to use video to communicate the value of saving money and to inspire their peers to become lifelong savers. Last year’s local First Round Winner was Ely Yang, then a senior at Winslow High School and a student in the Mid-Maine Technical Center’s Mass Media Communications program.

“This wonderful competition offers Maine students a unique opportunity to tap their creativity, learn about saving and using money responsibly, and communicate those key lessons to other young people,” said Allan Rancourt, president of Kennebec Federal Savings. “A sound financial education is critical to a successful future, and we are excited to participate in a contest that spotlights that message.”

To participate in “Lights, Camera, Save!,” local students ages 13 to 18 are asked to create a short video (90 seconds or less) that spotlights the importance of saving and using money wisely. They must then submit a link to the video to Kennebec Federal Savings by December 3, 2019, along with a completed entry form.

Kennebec Federal Savings will host the local first round of judging and select a local winner. The local winner will then advance to the National Competition, where the first place, second place, and third place winners will be announced by the American Bankers Association Foundation on Wednesday, February 26, 2020. The top three national winners will receive cash prizes of $5,000, $2,500, and $1,000 respectively, to fund their savings goal. Each winner’s school also will receive a scholarship for a teacher to attend the Jump$tart National Educator Conference.

Videos will be judged on their quality, message, content, and faithfulness to the criteria set forth by the contest’s official rules. Get the official rules and submission packet online at www.kfsavings.com/news.aspx.

To learn more about the “Lights, Camera, Save!” competition, please visit www.LightsCameraSave.com.

Shine-On Oakland benefits school food pantries

/1 Comment/in , , /by

Colby Charette with some of the food recently collected during the Shine-On Oakland Day that will go to the Oakland School Food Pantries.The Shine-On Cass Foundation again partnered with the town of Oakland’s summer festival “Oakfest,” which featured three days of community events. (Photo courtesy of Monica Charette)

by Monica Charette

Oakland’s “ShineOn Oakland Day,” on July 27, collected a bus load of donated school snacks, bringing awareness to child food insecurity and the support needed for local families through Oakland School Food Pantries. The ShineOnCass Foundation again partnered with the town of Oakland’s summer festival “Oak­fest,” which featured three days of community events including an outdoor movie night, food and art vendors, local bands, a car show, triathlon and a “stuff the bus” event, where Oak­fest attendees climbed aboard a school bus to donate snacks that will be distributed to local students in need this fall.

The ShineOnCass Foundation organizes a kindness event to both support local families and give children the experience of giving back to the community as part of “ShineOn Oakland” Day at Oakfest. In addition to collecting hundreds of snacks, Foundation volunteers also hosted a “Kindness Matters Bookmark Project” where kids created positive messages on bookmarks to be placed anonymously in books in local libraries to help spread kindness. For information about the Kindness Matters Bookmark Project and other ShineOnCass initiatives, visit shineoncass.org.

The ShineOnCass Foundation was created to honor the spirit, continue the work, and encourage others to live the legacy of Cassidy Charette, whose kindness and passion for others Shines On. Cassidy was a 17-year-old Messalonskee scholar and athlete, and a devoted community volunteer who died in a hayride accident in 2014. The organization’s mission is to educate, inspire and empower youth to make their world a better place through volunteer charitable activities.

Golf for Kids raises $38,000

/0 Comments/in , , /by

First place gross: Great Falls Marketing with players Mike Frautten, Steve Carrara, Mike Wilson and Mike McNaboe. (Photo courtesy of Monica Charette)

by Monica Charette

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine’s 20th Annual Golf Fore Kids’ Sake, held September 6, at Belgrade Lakes Golf Club, with Invitational Partner Kennebec Savings Bank, raised over $38,000 to benefit school and community-based youth mentoring services for children in Kennebec and Somerset counties. Fifty-five golfers competed in the tournament.

2019 Golf Fore Kids’ Sake Tournament Winners:

First Place Gross: Mike Frautten, Steve Carrara, Mike Wilson and Mike McNaboe, (Great Falls Marketing).

Second Place Gross: Mike Latendresse, Tom Duffek, Blaise McDonald and Tyler Walsh, (Dead River Company).

First Place Net: Eric Gosline, Geoff Houghton, Jake Coan and Ron Trahan, (Gosline-Murchie Insurance).

Second Place Net: Peter Labbe, Nicole Labbe, Patrick Phair and Adrian Phair, (Cives Steel).

Contest Winners:

Longest Drive (Men’s): Eric Gosline, (Gosline-Murchie Insurance); Longest Drive (Women’s): Danielle Marquis, (Higgins & Bolduc Agency Inc).

Closest To Pin: Jessica Smart, (Century 21 Surette Real Estate).

Chipping Contest: Jeff Willett.

Golf Fore Kids’ Sake’s Annual Invitational Partner is Kennebec Savings Bank with support from major sponsors G & E Roofing and Gosline-Murchie Insurance and lunch sponsors SAPPI and Kennebec Valley Federal Credit Union.

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.

For more information about Golf Fore Kids’ Sake, enrolling a child or becoming a volunteer or mentor, please call 236-BBBS (2227) email info@bbbsmidmaine.org, or visit www.bbbsmidmaine.org.

First place net, Gosline-Murchie Insurance, with players Eric Gosline, Geoff Houghton, Jake Coan and Ron Trahan. (Photo courtesy of Monica Charette)

2019 Waterville Youth Football

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Front row, from left to right, Nevick Haywood, Justis Greene, Eli Cullen, Alyx Hardy, Brady Hawes, Logan Campbell, Felix Chapa, Emilia Coelho and Keegan Campbell. Second row, Ethan Veilleux, Bryce Doyon, Ethan Sirois, Chase Bowman, Camden Brown, Ghe Grip, Cole Tomasco, Jayden Greene and Derek Couture. Back row, coaches Shawn Forkey, Tom Hujara, Jason Greene and Isaac LeBlanc. (Photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography staff)

2019 Lawrence High School boys varsity soccer

/0 Comments/in , , /by

The 2019 Lawrence High School boys varsity soccer team, Front row, from left to right Colin Day, Ethan Timmins, Camron Jordan, Jake Ryder, Noah Webber, Dylan Hardenburg, Cody Dixon, Hunter Roy, Tucker Roy and Rodney Smart. Back, Bob Towne, Tyler Harris, Ben Nadeau, Nate Pierce, Gabe York, Evan Craig, Dylan Martin-Hachey, Riley Sinclair, Ryan Bourque, Braden Nadeau and Ryan Mountain. (Photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography staff)

2019 Winslow Youth Football grades 1 & 2

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Winslow Youth Football grades 1-2 team members are, front, from left to right, Cooper, Lucian, Braiden, Lucas, Gabe, Tucker, Keegan, Layton, Landen and William. Middle row, Eli, AJ Cooper, Caleb, Brayden, Deacon and JJ. Back row, Cameron, Chase, Kamden, Brandon, Cameron, Kevin and Jace. Coaches Mark Cotter, Bob Hafford, James Grant and Jonathan Blais. (Photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography staff)

Recycled Shakespeare Company to perform ‘The Tempest’

/0 Comments/in , /by

Come away to a private island where the plants, stones, and water are alive. Considered one of Shakespeare’s best fairytales, The Tempest is a magical journey through love, loyalty, and power. Recycled Shakespeare Company, now in it’s sixth season, will be performing at 7 p.m., on Friday, October 18 and Saturday, October 19, at Skills Inc. Ervin Center, 46 Front Street, Waterville.

With original music and direction by Emily Rowden Fournier, of Fairfield, co-director Helena Page, of Clinton, and stage manager Debra Achorn, of Waterville, the scene comes alive as the exiled Prospero, (Raymond “Wingnut” Wing, of Waterville) creates a magical storm in order to shipwreck the queen and her courtiers. Prospero’s daughter, Miranda (Omm Stilwell, of Vassalboro) does not realize her father’s plan to introduce her to Prince Ferdinand (Cody Curtis, of Bath), but soon learns how she and her father came to be exiled on this island which is inhabited only by them, the monster Caliban (Aaron Blaschke Rowden and Joe Rowden, both of Fairfield) and Ariel, the musical spirit of the island played by nine singers and dancers. With would-be assassins afoot, can Ariel protect the queen and Prospero and still be freed from enslavement? Live accompaniment will be by Fournier on flute and Mia Fairman, of Waterville, on violin.

Recycled Shakespeare Company was founded with the mission of making theater accessible to all while using recycled and repurposed materials. The nonprofit group is Northern New England’s only grassroots Shakespearean community theater and has been featured at the Shakespeare Theater Association’s annual conference in Prague, Czech Republic, for their efforts in creating ecological theater.

This family-friendly production will be presented in the round, with the audience getting a 360 degree view of the stage, and is free to the public. Best view seats can be reserved with a $10 donation. Themed refreshments will be sold.

For more information or to reserve seats call 207-314-8607 or email RecycledShakespeare@gmail.com.