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
All veterans and community members are invited to participate in the Waterville Veterans Day parade on Monday, November 11, 2024. Lineup begins at 10 a.m., at The Elm, 21 College Ave. Waterville. A ceremony will be held at Castonguay Square, on Main St., at 11 a.m. It will be followed by lunch at MacCrillis-Rousseau Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #8835, on Veterans Drive, in Winslow.
Front row, Brayden Reed, Landon Nalley, Jaxson George, Jackson-Davenport Coulombe, Kartyr Stevens, Dominic Odonnell, Paxton O’Clair, and Kayson Glidden. Second row, Wyatt Dickey, Jayden Bradley, Rylee Emery, Nyeim Warren, Owen Stevens, Cameron Ray, Owen Champagne, Jayceon Turbide and Grayson Lima. Back row, Coaches Chad Glidden, Jonathan Turbide, Ace Velazquez and Nick Champagne. (photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography)
Front row, from left to right, Jaxon Troxell, Phoenix McLoy, Peyton Ross, Judah Young, Tristan Ware, Cole Bean, Carson Pinkham and Zekhi Alvarez. Middle row, Benjamin Veilleux, Jase Spaulding, Dylan Devlin, Evan Karter, Malakhi Klaiber, Isaac Chase, and Brody Ware. Back row, Gage Eldredge, Donovan Reynolds, Ender Coleman, Alexander Sheehan, Jayce Damron, and Connor Jones. (photo by Missy Brown, Central Maine Photography)
Scott McAadoo helping as cook/food tent crew. (Photo by Galen Neal, Central Maine Photography)
On August 6, 2024, The South End Neighborhood Association (SENA) held its 18th Annual South End National Night Out Festival. This event is held to celebrate community and partnerships within Waterville’s South End neighborhood. This year included a free barbecue, live music, a magician, youth activities, giveaways, and so much fun. Throughout the year, SENA collaborates with local businesses and community partners on projects and programs to enhance Waterville’s South End Neighborhood.
Aerial view looking over the park.(Photo by Galen Neal, Central Maine Photography)
Volunteers hard at work assembling insulated window inserts. (photo by Roberta Barnes)
Our nights becoming chilly is a reminder to begin preparing for winter.
One of the first places to focus on is your windows.
While replacement energy efficient windows might not fit into your budget, insulating window inserts are affordable and assembling them with others can be enjoyable.
Last November I was one of the people who, after having windows measured by volunteers from WindowDressers, joined others like me, and volunteers, from China, Vassalboro, Windsor and Albion at the Vassalboro Mill to assemble insulating window inserts.
Together we securely assembled wooden frames, covered each side of the frame with strong clear plastic, and added foam edges.
The strong plastic securely sealed on all sides of the frame forms the pocket of insulating air that can help to keep your home warm.
While completing each insulating window insert requires the correct equipment, materials, instruction, and time, the atmosphere was so enjoyable that people volunteered for extra shifts.
This year the location in Vassalboro has changed and there is also a location in Waterville which can be seen on the WindowDressers website.
Today you can either request window inserts by filling out the form online on the website https://windowdressers.org/ or sign up to volunteer.
In Maine you can also call (207) 596-3073. The deadline for signing up for inserts is September 15, 2024.
The cost for these insulting window inserts is kept affordable by the donations and volunteers helping to assemble the inserts.
You can estimate the cost of the inserts on the windowdressers.org website. There is also a low or no-pay Special Rate Program where you pay what you can afford.
You can discuss paying for your inserts with the person or people from WindowDressers when they come out to measure the windows.
There may be a limit of 10 inserts for this Special Rate Program.
The deadline for signing up to receive the window inserts for this winter 2024/2025 is September 15, 2024.
It is best if you go online today at https://windowdressers.org/, or call (207) 596-3073. Doing this can help you keep the chilly air outside your windows and enjoy being one of the people assembling the inserts in a friendly upbeat atmosphere.
(photo by Roberta Barnes)
ATVs parade down Main St., in Waterville. (photo by Mike Guarino)
The Central Maine ATV Club hosted its highly anticipated ATV Glow Ride, on Saturday, August 17, 2024, with approximately 300 machines and over 1,000 participants for a night of community, fun, and charity.
Melanie Dickinson, and her dog, are ready to roll. (photo by Mike Guarino)
The event kicked off at the Best Western. The parade of brightly lit ATVs made its way through Waterville’s Main Street, continued up Front Street, College Ave, and eventually over to North Street. From there, riders continued their journey through the Fairfield trail system towards Norridgewock before looping back onto the scenic Kennebec Valley Rail trail, in Fairfield, and parts of Oakland. The ride culminated back in Waterville, completing an unforgettable night of camaraderie and celebration.
The event was a true testament to the power of community partnerships. The Central Maine ATV Club joined forces with the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce to help organize and promote the Glow Ride. In addition, a marketing grant was secured from the Kennebec Valley Tourism Council, playing a vital role in attracting riders from throughout Maine and a variety of New England states.
In addition to providing an evening of entertainment and community spirit, the Glow Ride also served a charitable purpose. Proceeds from the event were split between the Club and the Fairfield Food Pantry, supporting their mission to provide essential services to local families in need. “The Glow Ride is more than just a parade of ATVs; it’s a celebration of our community coming together for a great cause,” said Kevin Kitchin, President of the Central Maine ATV Club.
“We are thrilled with the turnout and the incredible energy that everyone brought to the Glow Ride this year,” Kitchin added. “This event showcases the family fun and excitement of ATV riding and highlights the strong sense of community we have here in Central Maine. We are grateful to our partners, the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, and the Kennebec Valley Tourism Council, for their support in making this event a reality.”
The Central Maine ATV Club is dedicated to promoting safe and responsible ATV riding while fostering a strong sense of community among riders in Central Maine. The club organizes events and rides throughout the year, with a focus on community engagement, trail stewardship, and charitable giving.
Sarah Harriet Benn, Isaac’s mom, affixes the Eagle Scout medal on her son’s uniform. This medal was first presented to Isaac’s father when he made Eagle in 1987 in Troop #436. (photo by Chuck Mahaleris)
Isaac Benn, of Westbrook, son of Shawn and Sarah Benn, reached the highest peak in Scouting – the Eagle Scout rank – during a Troop #436 court of honor held Sunday, June 2, at the Waterville Lodge #33 A.F. & A.M. The ceremony was led by Colby College Professor Bruce Rueger who was Scoutmaster of the same Troop in 1987 when Isaac’s father received his Eagle Scout award.
“I am super proud of Isaac,” Shawn Benn said after administering the Eagle Scout Charge and watching as his wife pinned Isaac with the same Eagle Scout medal Shawn received in 1987.
Rueger explained that the distance between Waterville and Westbrook was a challenge but much of his time in the troop took place during Covid-19 and the troop held virtual meetings anyway. “During camping trips we would all meet at the place we were going so it all worked out,” he said. Shawn Benn said, “I am so very glad we came back to Troop #436 during Covid so my boys can see what Scouting was like for me.”
According to Rueger, each Eagle Scout must complete a significant project to better their community. “Isaac’s project was the restoration of the Johnson Cemetery on County Road in Westbrook. He led a team that made a new sign, raked and pruned and cleaned up the grounds, and washed headstones so the names of those buried could be more easily read.” His mother, Sarah, pointed out they even found a forgotten child’s headstone under a pile of decaying leaves. This effort has received praise from the Westbrook Historical Society.
Isaac has turned 18 but completed all requirements prior to his 18th birthday. He is registered as an Assistant Scoutmaster in Troop #436 and will be going into his sophmore year at the University of Southern Maine, in September.
Peyton Belyeu checks out the books in the ShineOnCass Lending Library, where free books are available to kids attending summer and after-school care programs at Alfond Youth and Community Center, in Waterville. Photo in background is Cassidy Charette. (photo courtesy of Monica Charette)
ShineOnCass Foundation invites the community to join “Cassidy’s Birthday Book Drive” to help shine a light on childhood literacy and inspire reading. The ShineOnCass Foundation, named and created in memory of Cassidy Charette, will collect children’s books during the month of August to help fill the shelves of local Little Free Libraries. Volunteers will deliver donated books on what would be Cassidy’s 27 birthday on August 31.
A registered Little Free Library, located at 93 Water Street, in Waterville, is among more than a dozen “take a book, share a book” free libraries located throughout central Maine. ShineOnCass Foundation is collecting books for Little Free Libraries during the month of August and will distribute donations on Cassidy Charette’s birthday, August 31. For a list of local Little Free Libraries, visit shineoncass.org. (photo courtesy of Monica Charette)
A Little Free Library is a “take a book, share a book” free book exchange in communities nationally and internationally. Thousands of Little Free Libraries, owned and supported by volunteer stewards, are located in communities in over 120 countries. More than a dozen Little Free Libraries are located in central Maine, including a ShineOnCass Lending Library for children at the Alfond Youth and Community Center in Waterville. A list of local Little Free Library locations can be found on the ShineOnCass website, shineoncass.org.
“Our mission is to make books accessible for kids, expand their knowledge, and inspire future readers,” says Monica Charette, Cassidy’s mother and executive director of the ShineOnCass Foundation. Cassidy, a 17-year-old Oakland resident who died in a hayride accident in 2014, was an avid reader, youth mentor, and a lifelong community volunteer.
“We believe expanding literacy access to local families is a meaningful way to celebrate the day Cassidy was born, by giving back and sharing her love for reading with kids.”
New and gently used books for children and young adults can be donated all month at Camden National Bank, at 51 Main Street, in Oakland, or at 258 Kennedy Memorial Drive, in Waterville. Books will be distributed to Little Free Libraries on Cassidy’s birthday on August 31.
For more information about Cassidy’s Birthday Book Drive or the ShineOnCass Foundation, visit shineoncass.org.
The Inaugural Summer Camp Olympics 2024 event held , Friday, July 26, was fantastic, according to Ken Walsh, chief executive officer, at the Alfond Youth and Community Center, in Waterville. Ken brought this idea to staff in the early summer planning stages after participating in a similar event nearly 30 years ago.
Camp staff took the idea and ran with it (some literally ran a relay around the track). But they did a wonderful job planning an entire day of games and activities for over 300 campers on the Colby College campus. The kitchen staff provided campers with snacks and lunch, while counselors dragged water coolers across the campus to keep everyone hydrated.
This thrilling event between Camp Tracy (CT) and Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) campers showcased awesome talents and sportsmanship. Participants competed in several sports including kickball, track events, swimming, basketball, and other field games. All the games were intense and exciting.
It was an exciting day of fun events and those who chose not to participate found other activities like making bracelets or doing cartwheels, playing pass, event spectating, cheering, and more!
Campers were so proud of their respective camps and had so much fun. There were smiles on so many faces and campers were sure to fall asleep early that night. Once everyone recovers, staff will begin planning for the second annual event.
While the overall event was not about winners and losers, there were some CT & SEP chants all day long and the eventual winners were campers from SEP. With a final score of 24-29, SEP prevailed, and took home the trophy. Congratulations to all the campers, athletes, counselors, CITs, and directors for a truly great event.