Angela Hallee, of Waterville
On October 6, Angela Hallee, of Waterville, and her son Travis Brunette, of Pittsfield, attended the New England Patriots game with the Miami Dolphins. At the game, they had the fortune to meet retired Patriots fullback James Develin. Develin played for the Patriots from 2013 – 2020, and was a member of a Super Bowl winning team.
Travis Brunette, of Pittsfield
Olivia Varney
Olivia Varney, of Pittsfield, was selected as the scholarship recipient from a field of applicants.
Varney graduated this spring from the Maine Central Institute High School, in Pittsfield, class of 2024.
Varney was inducted into the National Honor Society and Honor Society for Visual & Performing Arts, as being involved with the student council and Key Club. Outside of her school activities, she has devoted time to a variety of service organizations, including the Paul E. Bertrand Community Pool house revitalization project, Coats Disease, Husky Throw Down, and the Town of Pittsfield Recreation Department.
Varney plans to continue her post-secondary education at Husson University, in Bangor, pursuing a degree in nursing.
Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce’s Ezhaya Memorial Scholarship Committee convenes annually to award the prize to a local graduating senior with an exemplary record of citizenship and community service. Applicants are required to submit an essay on their community involvement, and finalists are interviewed by the Ezhaya Memorial Scholarship Committee.
“We are very pleased to award the 16th annual Ezhaya Scholarship to Olivia Varney,” said Kimberly Lindlof, president and CEO of Mid-Maine Chamber and coordinator of the scholarship. “The committee chose Olivia from an impressive group of accomplished applicants, because her dedication to service and leadership truly reflect Joe Ezhaya’s spirit and generosity.”
The scholarship is awarded by Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce in memory of Joseph Ezhaya, a dedicated community volunteer, and successful candidates share his interest in citizenship and involvement. Recipients must be graduating from a high school in mid-Maine and attending post-secondary school in New England. Awardees receive a $750 scholarship after successfully completing one semester with a grade point average of 2.0 or higher. This amount will be awarded for up to four years, for a total of $3,000.
Scouts food drive Troop 631 (photo by Chuck Mahaleris)
Callum Dorias, of Madison, is a member of Pack #428, in Pittsfield, and took part in the Scouting for Food Drive on November 11. (photo by Chuck Mahaleris)
Lord Robert Baden Powell, the founder of Scouting worldwide, said, “The most worthwhile thing is to try to put happiness into the lives of others.” Scouting isn’t just about earning badges and recognitions. Scouting strives to prepare youth to become responsible, participating citizens and leaders who are guided by the values of Scout Oath and Law. Scout Leaders throughout Kennebec Valley District, try to foster in our Cubs and Scouts an attitude of service especially for those in their community who are struggling. That’s where the annual Scouting for Food Drive comes in.
According to Kennebec Valley District Scouting for Food chairman Shelley Connolly, of Pittsfield, the national food drive began in 1985. Connolly said, “On average, 1 in 4 children in Maine is at risk for hunger daily, and 37 percent of them do not qualify for public assistance. They are even more vulnerable when school is not in session (summers, vacation weeks and weekends). All Scouting Units (Packs, Troops and Crews) are charged with conducting at least one Scouting for Food collection annually.” She stressed this can be done either in the Fall or the Spring depending on when the greatest need exists in their particular community.
“It’s our National Good Turn for America. Fall and Spring collections are recommended.” Scout leaders, working with their local food bank or pantry, pick a date to conduct their food drive. Some choose to go door to door collecting food while in other towns the Scouts fill a tent or a canoe outside a grocery store. Any funds donated to the Scouts at these collection efforts is used to buy additional food for the needy. “Our Scout Oath calls on our young people to “help other people at all times,” and Scouting for Food demonstrates to the nation how our movement can make a difference in their communities,” Connolly said.
Scouts in Vassalboro held their “Scouting for Food” drive on November 19 and collected 142 pounds of food that was delivered to the Vassalboro Food Station Pantry.
“On behalf of all of the families in Troop #497, we would like to thank the Jackman community for your overwhelming support of our annual Scouting for Food Drive,” Scoutmaster Karla Talpey said after the Scouts from the Moose River Valley held their food drive on Saturday, November 18. “We continue to be amazed at the generosity of everyone. We delivered boxes- each filled with a Turkey (or ham), potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sugar, flour, butter, pasta and pasta sauce, peanut butter and jelly, juice, cereal, turnip, carrots, and yes, even a roll of paper towels- to 12 families. A special Thank you to Mountain Country Market for always allowing us to set up in their parking lot for the day. We would like to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving.” The troop also received $709 in donations which bought additional food for the needy. “We have been doing this for more than 30 years. The community is so generous.”
Connolly is also the leader for Cubs and Scouts in the Pittsfield area. “Troop and Pack #428 held its annual Scouting for Food event at Danforth’s Downhome Supermarket, in Pittsfield, on November 11,” she said. “Scouts accepted food items from the very generous customers in the community. Additionally, the Scouts set up a Veterans Day display and gave veterans a small gift as they came through. Some customers gave the Scouts a monetary donation for the event. The older Scouts would then take a Cub Scout shopping. It’s always interesting to see what elementary school aged children think would be good in a pantry. They also were able to practice thrifty shopping skills to yield the most amount of items for the amount they had to spend. In the end the Scouts collected just over 900 pounds of food. This food was distributed to three area pantries: Hartland’s Food Cupboard, Somerset Elementary Food Pantry and Warsaw School’s Food Pantry.”
Augusta Troop #631 Scouts and leaders helped pack Thanksgiving food bags on November 19 with the American Legion Post #2. These bags are going to veterans and to the community.
Pack #410 Vassalboro Wolf Scout Declan McLaughlin and Lion Scout Boone McLaughlin, at the Vassalboro Food Station Pantry, show off the 142 items of food collected by local Scouts. (photo by Chuck Mahaleris)
Kristen Manson
Kristen Manson has been promoted to Branch Relationship Manager for the Bar Harbor Bank & Trust location in Waterville. In this role, she leads a team of banking professionals to provide solutions and guidance to help individuals, families, and businesses in Waterville and surrounding towns meet their financial goals.
Kristen began her career in banking in 2018 as a teller at the Pittsfield location of Peoples United Bank, which Bar Harbor Bank & Trust acquired in 2019. She moved to the Waterville branch in 2021 and took on tasks of increasing leadership responsibility, eventually working her way up to her current position as Branch Relationship Manager.
Kristen completed several years of study at the University of Maine Orono and earned her Sales Essentials Certificate from the Center for Financial Training & Education Alliance. She is an active volunteer at Vickery Elementary School.
Kristen, her husband Troy, and their daughter live in Pittsfield.
The Kennebec Valley Council of Governments (KVCOG) will be offering Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days for the following locations:
On Saturday, October 1, from 9 a.m. – noon, the towns of Skowhegan, Canaan and Madison will be collecting at the Skowhegan Transfer Station. All residents have to sign up by calling their individual town office.
On Saturday, October 1, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., the towns of Pittsfield and Palmyra will be collecting at the Pittsfield Transfer Station. All residents have to sign up by calling their individual town office.
On Saturday, October 15, from 8 a.m. – noon, the communities of Winslow, Waterville, Belgrade and Oakland and will be collecting at the Winslow Transfer Station. All residents have to sign up by calling their individual municipal office.
According to Jessie L. Cyr, Community and Economic Development Specialist with Kennebec Valley Council of Governments, “we are all municipalities and nonprofit but these events directly benefit the people within our county and we feel it is a necessity to find the funding to hold these collection events.”
He continued, saying that many chemicals commonly used around the home are hazardous – either alone or when combined with other chemicals, and need to be disposed of by professionals trained to handle hazardous materials. Improper disposal of these materials can disrupt the function of sewage treatment plants or private septic systems, contaminate ground water, and harm animals and residents. Difficult to recycle -or dispose of- items can also become harmful if left unmonitored, items like electronic waste, paint, old fuels, mercury thermostats, etc. We also have local law enforcement officials on hand that day that will be collecting and properly disposing of any pharmaceuticals that residents want to bring in.
Randy Clark
Northern Light Health has announced that Randy Clark, MBA, will become Northern Light Sebasticook Valley Hospital’s next president. In this role, Clark will also serve as a Northern Light Health senior vice president. He succeeds Terri Vieira, who retires on April 1, 2022.
Clark has earned a stellar reputation as a leader, colleague, and neighbor of Pittsfield and Sebasticook Valley Hospital. He began his career at the hospital as a controller in 1996, becoming vice president of Finance in 2005 and vice president of Finance and Operations in 2016. In 2021, he expanded his finance role when he also became vice president of Finance for Northern Light Inland Hospital and Northern Light Continuing Care, Lakewood in Waterville, with Operations added to his Inland role in January 2022.
In making the announcement, Timothy Dentry, MBA, Northern Light Health president, and CEO, said, “Randy has outstanding knowledge of healthcare operations and experience in finance, business development, and patient experience. He knows the hospital and the Sebasticook Valley region. He is well-positioned to lead the organization as it continues to focus on making healthcare work for the people we serve.”
Clark noted, “It’s been a privilege to be part of the team at Sebasticook Valley Hospital for many years, and it’s helped prepare me for this opportunity. We have many ongoing challenges to face with the pandemic and workforce shortages, but I am confident that we are headed in the right direction to keep community-based care strong in Pittsfield. I’m proud that our staff is very engaged, cares deeply about every patient, and is committed to our mission and values.”
Clark was raised in Madison. He and his wife have two grown children, a daughter and a son, who live in Maine.
He assumes his new role on April 1, 2022.
Anderson Buck
Anderson Buck, of Pittsfield, passed his review and earned his Second Class Rank with Boy Scout Troop #63, in Newport.
Some of the requirements were two hours community service, being able to start a fire by himself, staying physically fit for 30 days and coming up with a plan to earn money in order to buy something he wanted. In his case it was a metal detector. He did a month of chores and odd jobs to successfully earn the money.
In the First Class Rank he will need to pass the BSA swimming test (100 meters without touching the bottom of a pool/pond), do 4 hours of community service and learn different types of knots and how to use them along with many others things. He would also like to organize a fundraiser for the local food pantry.
Anderson Buck lives in Pittsfield with his mom, Sharon Hood, stepdad, Chad Hood, and stepsister, Jayden.