Alyssa Wood earns a BA degree from Wesleyan University

Alyssa Wood, of Winslow (photo credit: Wesleyan University)

On May 26, 2019, Alyssa Wood, of Winslow, earned a BA degree in history from Wesleyan University, in Middletown, Connecticut.

Wood is a graduate of Winslow High School.

Lead drills at football clinic

Pictured are Waterville and Winslow high school players who participated. (photo by Mark Huard of Central Maine Photography)

Over 40 local youth took part in a free USA Football First Down clinic offered by Winslow Youth Football and Cheerleading, and Waterville Youth Football on June 22 at Poulin Field, in Winslow. Winslow and Waterville football players led the drills while coaches spoke about the importance of school and working hard in everything you do.

2019 Literacy volunteers awarded

Adam Bickford, left, and Maddie Beckwith, right.

Literacy Volunteers – Waterville Area has recognized Adam Bickford and Maddie Beckwith, both graduating seniors from Winslow High School, for winning the Literacy Volunteers – Waterville Area essay scholarship contest. Contributed photo

2019 Winslow Boys and Girls State delegates

Front row, from left to right, Katherine Stevens, Carrie Selwood and Grace Smith. Back, Jacob Huesers, Aaron Harmon, Caleb Mills. (contributed photo)

Winslow High School juniors will be attending the American Legion Auxiliary Girls State at Husson Uni­versity, in Bangor, and American Legion Boys State, at Thomas College, in Waterville, from June 16-26, 2019. This is the 72nd year of Dirigo Girls and Boys State. The students will be learning how local, state, and federal government operate.

Enjoying football/cheerleading dance

Enjoying the first Winslow Youth Football and Cheerleading dance are, from left to right, Lindsay, Jaynee, Jacoby, and Jared Bragdon. (Photo by Tawni Lively, Central Maine Photography staff)

Fortier presented with Scout Citizen Award

John Fortier, left, was presented the Scout Citizen Award March 7 by Eagle Scout John Dalton. (Contributed photo)

Family, friends and Scouting volunteers gathered at the Winslow MacCrillis-Rousseau Veterans of Foreign Wars post on March 7 to pay tribute to John Fortier, of Belgrade, upon receiving the Scouting Citizen Award for 2019. The Scout Citizen Award is an annual presentation in the Waterville area to someone in the community who in their daily life exemplifies the high ideals of Scouting such as strong character and good citizenship.

“John Fortier is an outstanding individual,” said Kennebec Valley District Boy Scout Chair Bruce Rueger. Rueger, who is a professor at Colby College, continued: “John is a graduate of the University of Maine Orono, past president of the Waterville Rotary Club, past director of the Waterville Salvation Army, and past chairman of the Board of Directors, at Northern Lights Inland Hospital, in Waterville. He has lived in, and around Waterville, his entire life and has spent it helping other people at all times.”

Approximately 60 people attended the gathering. The event raised $21,000 to support the outreach efforts of Scouting in the Waterville area – the highest amount raised at such an event to date. “We’ll be able to help a lot of needy Scouts and make sure they get a great experience at Camp Bomazeen, in Belgrade,” Rueger said.

During his acceptance speech, Fortier, praised the work of Scouting. “The Cub Scouts and Scouts hold a special place of trust when they take and develop young boys and now young girls into adulthood and then release them to practice their Scout Motto and ‘Be Prepared’ to ultimately become especially accomplished citizens.”

Fortier was a Cub Scout as a youth and spent two years in the local Boy Scout troop. “I benefited from scouting and believe I learned valuable skills that have served me well to my current time. My memory is one of the lessons I learned as a Scout was to keep trying and “stick-to-tiveness.” One vivid memory during a weekend jamboree located at a fairgrounds was no gear or Gore-Tex as we know it today – then the rains came, then the mud and that the primitive gear and tents we had at the time did little to prevent the soaking, shivering and cold. It cemented into my mind the importance of the Scout Motto “Be Prepared.” It is impressive to me in this digital day and age of social media when there are so many distractions and disruptive activities influencing our youth that Scouting has never been a more appropriate and never been a more important activity.”

Winslow schools autism program still productive after 13 years

Front row, from left to right, Samantha Lessard, Joan Brown, Kelsey Steeves, Rachel Leak and Peg Pellerin. Back, Nicole DeRoche, Anne Rice, Joan Varney, Anna Collins and Melissa Hanley, head of the program. (Photo by Tawni Lively, Central Maine Photography staff)

Winslow Elementary School has an Autism Program that services 16 students and has been in place at the Winslow Elementary School for 13 years. They do many social groups throughout the day to help students develop social skills including Lunch Social Groups, Play social groups, and end of day Circle of Friends. The Autism Program has a Sensory Room that allows students to take needed breaks to be successful throughout the school day. The Sensory Room is used by many students enrolled at Winslow Elementary School, not just by the students in the Autism Room. The community is very proud and grateful for this intricate Program and its dedicated teachers and facilitators.

Double winner

Eban Barbeau. (Photo by Mark Huard)

Eban Barbeau, 8, of Winslow, captured first place in both forms and fighting at the 39th Battle of Maine held at Thomas College, in Waterville, on March 23. Eban also placed fourth in chanbara (padded weapons fighting).

Winslow’s unified basketball team enjoying season

Winslow varsity Unified Basketball team and staff all stars. Front, left to right, Cameron Fredette and Noah Gagne. Kneeling, James Mason, Crystal St. Onge, Sage Vance, Melissa Hanley, Katie St. Amand, Grace Paradis, Jocelyn Pooler, Ashton Ervin, Jenna Rodrigue, Julianne Lapierre, Ashley Quirion and Tammy Quirion. Seated, Philip Edwards, Ronnie Mason, Savanna Vigue, Alexis Lint, Cheyenne Raymond, Lilly Harvey, Jessica Levesque, Carly Anderson, Lisa LeClair (coach) and Josh Gordon. Back, Kit Potelle (coach), Riley Loftus, Lori Loftus (coach), Gayle Martin, Darrin Wood, Joe Pfingst, Kenny Hodges, Owen Schuchardt, Tyler Tibbetts, Justice Picard, Isaac Sturtevant, Stefanie Fletcher, Ellen Stewart, Kelly Daigneault, Crystal Pomerleau, Jason Briggs, Art Meneses, Dina St. Amand, Heather Tompkins and Mike Sandoval. (Photo by Mel Gagnon)

Lori Loftus, varsity Unified Basketball coach and special education teacher at Winslow High School, is working towards becoming a Special Olympics Unified Champion School.

Winslow High School participated in a ‘Fans in the Stands’ event which filled the gym with the Winslow Community to watch Winslow schools’ staff members play basketball against the Winslow High School Varsity Unified Team. Earlier in the day, during the school’s winter carnival events, students and staff watched as the varsity girls and boys basketball teams took on the Winslow High School varsity Unified Team. The Unified team won both games.

Kathleen McCowan performed in Muhlenberg College’s fall dance showcase “Moving Stories”

A spectacular evening of ballet, contemporary dance, tap, and jazz, “Moving Stories” showcased exciting new dance works November 8-10, 2018 at Muhlenberg College’s Trexler Pavilion for Theatre & Dance, in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

The works featured more than 60 students from the department’s dance program, among the most highly regarded programs of its kind. Kathleen McCowan, of Winslow, was one of the dancers in the program.