WELLS
Senior gets full-ride scholarship to Bowdoin
Wells High School senior Andrew Mott recently received two important academic honors. Last fall, he was named a National Merit Scholarship Program semifinalist and has been notified that he’ll receive a full, four-year scholarship to Bowdoin College in Brunswick.
Sherri Anderson-Wormwood of the Wells High School Guidance Department noted that the scholarship is rarely granted and is indicative of Mott’s strong academic performance. Mott had taken every available honors/accelerated course, seven Advanced Placement courses, and three college courses in psychology, economics, and creative writing.
“(Mott) is an integral part of the WHS community, making solid, multi-year commitments to our student council, Interact (a community service club), and math club,” said Anderson-Wormwood.
Mott’s school accolades include being a Student of the Trimester, a Breakfast of Champions honoree, and awards from Maine Youth Leadership programs. He also has received awards in math, science and French.
“Andrew Mott is most deserving of this scholarship,” commented WHS Principal Eileen Sheehy. “Warrior Country is very proud of Andrew. He will do great at Bowdoin College and beyond!”

Student-athlete gets national recognition
Kenneth Richard has made York County Community College history as the first student-athlete to earn national recognition. In YCCC’s inaugural season, Richard was named to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) National All-Academic Award Recipient.
In order to earn this recognition, student-athletes must have 24 or more credits on their transcript and have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. The award recognizes merit and excellence in the classroom as a student-athlete within the USCAA.
Richard ran cross country for the Hawks this season and will be participating on the track and field team as well. He had his standout performance at the Maine States Meet this year, running an 8K in 34:32.0.
“Our Hawks community is so proud of Kenny,” said Acting Dean of Students Jennifer Laney. “He works incredibly hard in the classroom and on the trails. Kenny is an extraordinarily dedicated student-athlete who leads by example.”

Rotary collects warm clothes for children
In anticipation of the cold winter months, the Rotary Club of Wells has launched a community-based initiative called “Operation Warm” to provide new coats and snow pants to underserved children within the Wells Community. The project included a collection of new hats, socks and mittens, all donated by members of the community. Partnering with the York County Community Action Corporation (YCCAC) in Sanford, case managers from YCCAC were able to identify families in need to receive the items.
Recently, the Wells Public Library Fiber Arts Group, an open drop-in program at the library, donated a variety of handmade items to Operation Warm initiative, including mittens, scarves, hats, quilts and blankets.
The Rotary Club successfully provided more than 75 new coats and snow pants to children in Wells and through the generous support of the community, donors and supporters, hundreds of pairs of socks, mittens and hats were donated as well.
Danielle DeFelice, president of Rotary Club of Wells, said successfully tackling the project meant providing a community response to the critical need of children in the Wells area. “We are truly grateful for the outpouring of generosity from community members such as the Fiber Arts Group at the Wells Public Library,” said DeFelice. “Their handmade items were a wonderful addition to the Operation Warm initiative.”
For more details, go to wellslibrary.org or visit wellsrotary.org.

PORTLAND/ELLSWORTH
Senior transportation programs receive grants
Programs that assist older Maine people with transportation received a total $141,000 in grant funding in 2021 through the Maine Charity Foundation Fund and three donor-advised funds at the Maine Community Foundation. Those grants will support a range of organizations and projects, including volunteer transportation programs and food delivery services in rural parts of the state.
Recent grantees include: $3,700 to Age Friendly Saco to create an on-demand pilot transportation program; $5,000 to Eastern Maine Development Corporation of Bangor to create alternatives to traditional travel to enhance rural transportation in Penobscot and Piscataquis counties;$4,000 to Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program of Brunswick to support maintenance and expansion of a program that brings food pantries to local housing complexes; and $4,000 to Neighbor to Neighbor of St. George to pay a dispatcher’s salary for one year so other funds can be used to reach current and potential riders.
To view the full list of recipients, go to mainecf.org/apply-for-a-grant/recent-grants/maine-charity.

BRIDGTON
Deadline for Senior College classes approaches
Wednesday marks the deadline to register for four classes to be offered during the winter session of the Senior College at Bridgton. Those classes will be offered from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Thursdays from Jan. 25 through Feb. 10 at the Magic Lantern Tannery Pub at 9 Depot St. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination and masks are required.
• Jan. 25: “Whole Grains on Your Plate,” instructor Kathy Savoie, MS, RD, with UMaine Cooperative Extension, will share about the many health benefits of eating whole grains and will include some tasty recipes.
• Feb. 1 and 3: “Peggy Marsh: Her Story,” instructor Allen Crabtree will share about the infamous American chorus girl, gold-digger and survivor who burst onto the nation’s spotlight with her lawsuit against the Marshall Field family over her illegitimate son with the grandson of Marshall Field in 1915 England during World War I.
• Feb. 8: Instructor Margaret Reimer will head a session detailing director John Huston’s film “Key Largo.”
• Feb. 10: Instructor John D. Doughty will head a discussion on the topic of “Global Economic, Market & Geopolitical Outlook.”
Classes for the winter session are free to paid members. Mail-in registrations are due by Wednesday.
The Senior College at Bridgton is for anyone 50 years or older in Bridgton and surrounding Lakes Region communities to learn new things and meet new friends. Membership is open to any senior in the Lakes Region for $25 per year.
Reservation forms are required and available at the Bridgton Library and at the Senior College’s website seniorcollegeatbridgton.org. Classes are $10 each. Mail to: Senior College at Bridgton, P.O. Box 308, Bridgton, ME 04009.
For more details, call Kappy Sprenger at 647-5593 or email

YARMOUTH
West Side Trail enters final phase of expansion
The West Side Trail Committee has begun construction on the last mile of the West Side Trail, a one-mile universal access pathway to connect the trail network in the Applewoods Subdivision and extend between West Elm and Hillside streets. Construction is slated to be complete by early 2023.
This final stretch will mark the culmination of a trail project that’s been over 25 years in the making.
The final stretch of the 11.1-mile-long West Side Trail opened in 2011 and plays a critical role in enhancing outdoor accessibility to users of all ages and abilities. The final phase will complete the town’s 1988 vision of creating a town-wide trail network that spans from Yarmouth’s western to eastern border. Construction of the trailhead, drainage and trail surfacing will create no disruption to the existing open network of the West Side Trail.
The last mile of the West Side Trail will be at least five feet wide and hardened with gravel to accommodate mobility devices, like wheelchairs and strollers. It will be designed for beginners, families, and young children who are just learning to hike and ride mountain bikes.
A capital campaign has been launched to raise the funds needed to build the final phase of the trail, an estimated cost of $200,000. More than 300 volunteers have donated thousands of hours to the project for everything from building trails to raising money. Contributions can be dropped off at the Yarmouth Community Services office or mailed to at 200 Main St., Yarmouth, ME 04096. Checks should be made out to the Town of Yarmouth, with a notation for the West Side Trail Fund. Online donations can be made through Yarmouth Rotary at go.rotary7780gives.org/west-side-trail-the-last-mile/Campaign/Details.

PORTLAND
Schools get meal grants from Oakhurst
Full Plates Full Potential announced its latest round of Oakhurst After School grant recipients, with grants awarded to five school systems and eight nonprofits totaling nearly $83,000 in funding. These funds help eligible schools and community organizations establish sustainable and free after school meals programs for children who need them through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).
Grants were awarded to: Alfond Youth Center, Augusta Boys & Girls Club, Bangor Region YMCA, Bath Area YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs of Kennebec Valley, Deer-Isle Stonington CSD, Maine Youth Alliance/The Game Loft, Old Town Orono YMCA, RSU 70/MSAD 70, RSU 10, RSU 83/MSAD 13, Westbrook Public Schools, and YWCA Central Maine.
Launched in 2020, the program initiative has provided $171,640 through 36 individual grants for new and growing after school meal programs statewide. Grants are intended to go toward costs associated with starting or expanding CACFP programs to reach more students, including covering costs related to equipment, transportation, labor, packaging, and enrichment activities.

PORTLAND/BANGOR
TV station celebrates successful toy, coat fundraiser
News Center Maine continued to make sure coats and toys were still collected this year for the annual Coats and Toys for Kids Campaign despite the challenges of the pandemic.
In just over a months’ time, more than 7,500 purchases were made from the Coats and Toys for Kids Wish List and $34,500 was donated to The Salvation Army.

WATERVILLE
Chamber of Commerce welcomes new board members
Kimberly Nadeau Lindlof, president and CEO of Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, announced that the organization’s governing board of directors has three new board members for the coming year: Chuck Hays, Karen Normandin and Gary Poulin.
MaineGeneral Health President and CEO Hays has served in his position for 27 years. He serves on the boards of Alfond Youth & Community Center and Maine Dartmouth Family Practice as well as Kiwanis. His prior service includes the boards of Waterville Opera House, KV Chamber, Healthy Communities of the Capital Area, TOGUS VA, Work Force Investment, United Way of Kennebec Valley, Augusta Board of Trade and Granite Hill Estates.
Serving as the Interim President of Kennebec Valley Community College since June 1, 2021, Normandin has been with the College for 33 years and has served in a variety of roles including adjunct faculty, director of a federally funded grant program (TRiO), assistant dean of students and dean of student affairs. Normandin believes her role in workforce development and training will serve the area well as the Chamber continues to work with businesses to retain and train employees.
Poulin graduated from Lawrence High School and has completed numerous professional development courses. He is a media consultant for Mix Maine Media for the past seven years and formerly served on the Mid-Maine Chamber Board of Directors. He now serves on the Main Street Skowhegan Skijor Committee and also chairs the Festival of Trees Committee for the Chamber and serves on the Taste of Waterville and Waterville Works promotion committee. Poulin’s past service includes positions with United Bikers of Maine, Waterville Opera House Board of Directors, Co-Chair of United Way of Mid-Maine campaign for small business, former Chair of Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce Taste of Waterville Committee, Waterville Main Street and Skowhegan Chamber of Commerce boards.
For 2022, Joy McKenna will continue to serve as board chairperson. Other changes in the slate of board officers include Michelle Joler-Labbe, who will serve as first vice chair, and Mike Guarino, who will serve as second vice chair. Bruce Harrington continues as treasurer, Greg Zimba will serve as director-at-large, and Gary Levesque as past chair for the board.
For more details, call 873-3315 or visit www.midmainechamber.com.

LEWISTON
Hospice nonprofit staffer wins media award
Ben Sullivan, a communications and marketing manager for Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice, was named the 2021 recipient of the Home Care & Hospice Alliance of Maine Media Award during a virtual presentation recently.
The organization’s Media Award is presented annually to an individual or group recognizing an outstanding contribution to the health of Maine residents living at home through the use of television, radio, newspapers, or magazines. Sullivan was selected from a pool of nominees based on his extraordinary skill for heartfelt storytelling through video, photography, music, and the written word, as well as his talent for conveying the patient experience, resiliency of providers, and importance of quality of life.
“Ben not only understands the mission of a particular organization; he authentically appreciates and communicates the value of home health and hospice services in the health care continuum,” said Kenneth Albert, R.N., Esq., Androscoggin president and CEO.

EAST BOOTHBAY
Bigelow Laboratory appoints new board members
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences recently appointed four new members to its board of trustees. Each will support the laboratory’s mission to study the foundation of global ocean health and unlock its potential to improve the future for all life on the planet.
Mark Abbott most recently served as the 10th president and director of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and is now president emeritus. He was also the dean of the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University and has been president of The Oceanography Society. In 2006, Abbott was appointed by President George W. Bush to a six-year term on the National Science Board, that oversees the National Science Foundation and provides scientific advice to the White House and Congress.
Peter Handy is president & CEO of Bristol Seafood in Portland, the first seafood company in the United States to earn a Fair Trade designation. He also serves on the boards of Maine Public Radio and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine and is on the investment committee of the Portland Museum of Art. Handy founded BoxMyDorm.com and worked in financial services at JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Sanford Bernstein & Co. in roles ranging from asset management to institutional trading.
Randall Jeffery began his broadcasting career at WGN AM/TV in Chicago. At 27, he purchased his first radio station, WSIR, in Florida. The small radio station operated in Winter Haven and Lakeland, but it went on to earn nationwide reputation and awards. Following the sale of WSIR, Jeffery had a 20-year career in radio station mergers and acquisitions. He is passionate about preserving our oceans and marine life and is a United States Coast Guard 100-Ton Master Captain.
Dimitri Michaud has nearly 20 years experience in financial and business strategy with leadership roles in both the public and private sectors and is the chief operating officer at Gorham Savings Bank. He has led technical and financial teams and advised on alignment of mission to strategic priorities. He is a trustee of the Portland Museum of Art and is a board member for the Town of Kennebunkport Budget Board and the Maine Health and Higher Education Facilities Authority.

SKOWHEGAN
Bank’s grants over $30,000 for nonprofits
Skowhegan Savings announced a commitment to give away grants of $1,000 to 21 local charities in total as part of their “Season of Giving” program. All nonprofit grant recipients were nominated by the bank’s employees with the most nominated organizations selected as the grant winner.
Skowhegan Savings Main Office employees chose to award the Friends of Quarry Road their $1,000 grant.
Other non-profits receiving one of these grants included the Family Violence Project of Maine, Friends of the Skowhegan Free Public Library, Franklin County Animal Shelter, Baker Mountain Ski Tow Club, Hospice Volunteers of Somerset County, Madison Junior High School Food Pantry, Kennebec Valley Humane Society, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine, Smithfield Community Food Pantry, Fairfield Interfaith Food Pantry, Bounce Back Maine, Dexter Sunrise Kiwanis, Somerset Humane Society, Skowhegan Food Cupboard, Jackman Moose River Fire Department, Dexter Sunshine Club, Sugarloaf Region Charitable Trust, and Upper Kennebec Valley Ambulance Services. Skowhegan Savings Madison Branch chose to award the Madison Junior High Food Pantry their $1,000 grant. And, Skowhegan Savings Portland Business Center awarded the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine their $1,000 grant.
The bank also surprised their employees by making a $10,000 donation, in their name, to the Coats for Kids program. The Coats for Kids program, promoted by News Center Maine and organized by the Salvation Army, is in its 39th year of annually collecting and distributing coats, hats, boots, mittens and other necessities for youth in need throughout the state of Maine.

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