The Franklin Journal highlighted an exceptional teacher from Regional School Unit 9. Lucinda Dreschler, a fifth grade teacher at Academy Hill School in Wilton, believes teaching is like performing on a stage, and she loves it. Part of RSU 9 for quite some time as a “veteran teacher” at Academy Hill, Dreschler had her finger in countless pots at RSU 9 and taught every subject but science to fifth graders.

The Town of Wilton hired a new code enforcement officer to replace Charlie Lavin, who had retired from the position. Gary Judkins, a Wilton resident began working as the town’s new CEO Tuesday, July 12, Town Manager Rhonda Irish announced at the Select Board meeting that evening. Irish said that he’ll be working every weekday following approval of full-time hours at the 2022 Town Meeting.

The 2nd annual carnival sponsored by the Livermore Baptist Church was an opportunity to bring the community together and provided some surprises too. Ricky Merrill of Jay was the carnival organizer. He sat in the dunk tank and had been “dunked” at least 10 times in the first hour or so. “It is all for a spirit of fun,” he said. “The whole purpose is to give the community an event where they can get out and have fun.”

Church member Byron Bean later shared memories of delivering the Livermore Falls Advertiser when he was 14 or 15. “I delivered the papers for Kenny Mann who taught school here for about 30 years,” Bean said. “I had 115 customers, started out on Park Street, ended up in Chisholm. The Livermore Falls Advertiser was four cents. That was back in 1947 or 1948.”

United Way of the Tri-Valley Area (UWTVA) was directing more of its focus toward food insecurity in the Greater Franklin County region. The organization received a three-year grant from the Betterment Fund to “address food insecurity” by learning more about the crisis.

UWTVA Food Hub Coordinator Justus Hillebrand, hired in January, was running the organization’s program funded by the grant. The program would help gain more understanding about what food insecurity looks like locally, the local dialogue, who was responding to the crisis and how UWTVA could assist in the fight. In the six months since the program kicked off, Hillebrand said it had quickly become clear that UWTVA can assist by connecting individuals working to end food insecurity.

No, you were not seeing things — there really was a life-size elephant in Livermore. Resident Cea Jay Pitcher, who buys and sells antiques, acquired “Doc,” a stuffed and mounted African elephant who was legally hunted in 1991.

“When an oddity shows up I will consider it,” said Pitcher, who typically specializes in old signs and gas pumps. It was through his business contacts that he took ownership of the elephant. The previous owners “didn’t want ‘Doc’ anymore so I had to go in and rescue him,” Pitcher said July 21.

Resident Nancy Porter expressed several concerns regarding Walton’s Mill Pond Park at the July 26 Selectmen meeting. She was concerned about having four parking spaces designated at the roadside before you get into the park and gave several reasons. Another issue raised was the speed limit changes five times between School Street and Twin Bridges. She also asked about vehicle access to the pavilion.

Use of American Rescue Plan Act [ARPA] funds and Brettun’s Pond were among items discussed at the July 19 Livermore Selectpersons meeting. Administrative Assistant Aaron Miller said ARPA funds would be used by the state for a new tax break law going into effect Aug. 8. L.D. 290 allows residents 65 years and older who have had a homestead exemption for at least 10 years to apply for their tax rate to be frozen, he noted. The town had received the second allocation of ARPA funds, he stated. The funds must to be obligated by the end of 2024, projects completed by 2026, he added.

Selectperson Brett Deyling had asked Brettuns Pond Association President Churchill Barton to attend the meeting to discuss the dam. Deyling checked with the state and Livermore is the owner of the 84-foot dam. In 1985 it was documented in poor condition, he added. According to state statutes, if the owner isn’t willing to maintain it, the dam has to be removed, Deyling said. “It is in terrible shape, it is not holding anything back,” he stated. The structure controlling the water level right now is actually the culvert under Route 4, he noted and asked if the pond association was interested in taking ownership.

August

Selectpersons Tuesday night, Aug. 2, considered possible next steps in the ongoing situation at Brettuns Pond beach area in Livermore. They are asking residents for their input on the situation. Selectperson Scott Richmond said there had been another complaint about the beach Monday, after a complaint about broken glass and dog feces was mentioned at the July 19 meeting. He was told there was “all kinds of trash down there” and those he spoke with wanted Highway Foreman Roger Ferland to send somebody to clean it up.

“I called the mowing contractor because it is in their contract, they are supposed to pick up trash before they mow,” Richmond said. He learned the mowers were there Friday and had picked up two bags of trash. “I told Roger [Ferland, highway foreman] ‘we are not picking up trash there,’” Richmond stated. “If they can’t pick up after themselves we don’t need the town to go down there and pick up trash.”

High temperatures and lack of locally rain were stressing plants and livestock and farmers were feeling the heat in numerous ways. The state’s Drought Task Force issued its monthly report Thursday, Aug. 4. Nine counties were considered abnormally dry. Since July 26, conditions had improved in northern Franklin County but much of the area was still listed as experiencing moderate drought or being abnormally dry.

Past predictions of what 2022 would look like didn’t always pan out – some predicted weddings in space, civilizations on Mars and artificial moons. An article from the Livermore Falls Advertiser’s archives managed to hit the nail on the head. Twenty years ago, the Livermore Falls Advertiser reported in its Aug. 22, 2002, edition about the first laptops coming to Livermore Falls Middle School [now a part of Regional School Unit 73 as Spruce Mountain Middle School, serving Livermore, Livermore Falls and Jay]. The Advertiser reported that the middle school acquired 104 laptops for seventh graders through former Gov. Angus King’s Maine Learning Technology Initiative [MLTI].

Selectpersons agreed Tuesday, Aug. 2, to have legal counsel review a contract with ReVision Energy Inc. for a solar agreement that would help reduce the Livermore’s electrical costs. At a previous meeting ReVision representative Tina Meserve shared information about a photovoltaic solar powered facility based in Waldoboro. The towns of Jay, Livermore Falls and Wilton and the Livermore Falls Water District had a joint legal review done of the proposed contract. Livermore would save just under $1,600 a year and $37,000 over the length of the contract, she noted.

The Wilton Select Board was considering a three-phase increase to the town’s sewer rates following an update from Town Manager Perry Ellsworth at the Tuesday, Aug. 16, meeting. Ellsworth told the board he had spoken with Water and Wastewater Superintendent Heinz Grossman and the rate increase was workable.

Grossman told the board at the Aug. 2 meeting the increase of rates was needed due to increased costs of sludge disposal due to recent PFAS legislation and the ability to qualify for larger grants to fund the water-transmission-line replacement project. Previously, he advocated for the board to increase sewer rates by around 30% in one fell swoop in order to qualify for more grants that would fund the water-transmission line and reduce the town’s debt.

The Wilton Town Office closed due to a COVID-19 outbreak. A sign had been posted at the town office informing visitors the office was closed. Town Manager Perry Ellsworth confirmed in an email that the outbreak started Tuesday, Aug. 16, and all town office employees but one had since tested positive. Three office workers and the code enforcement officer were out now, Ellsworth said. He added that a sewer operator was out last week due to COVID-19. He anticipated the office would reopen Thursday, Aug. 25.

A student at the University of Maine at Farmington had a rich crystals collection and a burgeoning business of mineral dealing afoot. Cylus Hill, 22, was studying creative writing and anthropology at UMF. But Hill’s main interest was with the “joyful,” “mind-boggling,” “fascinating nature of crystals.”

Hill remembered first coming across minerals and crystals as a child: gifted quartz and amethyst stones from Hill’s mother and an exciting tourmaline discovery in New Hampshire while mining with family on a trip, among other “foggy” memories.

Setember

Students in Regional School Unit 73 were back in school for the start of another year with some notable differences. Protocols for COVID-19 had been relaxed and parents of students at the elementary school had a new route for picking them up after school.

A letter sent to parents and community members Aug. 22 provided an update on protocols related to COVID-19 for classrooms, buses, lunch and other school activities. Parents were asked to send students to school with a water bottle. The new parent pick-up route at Spruce Mountain Elementary School appeared to be working well. “This has gone really smoothly,” Principal Pat St. Clair said Thursday afternoon, Sept. 1.

Wilton Police Chief Heidi Wilcox announced she would be stepping down from the position Nov. 1. In a letter posted on Facebook, Wilcox said she had accepted a position with the state of Maine.  She was stepping down to “center her career goals,” “be present for home and family.” Wilcox had been with the Wilton Police Department 11 years.

The complaint process started regarding two books in the Spruce Mountain High School library after a parent and a community member raised concerns. “I want you to be aware that we are in the beginning of a challenge regarding two books, Gender Queer [:A Memoir] and White Fragility [:Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism], that are in the high school library,” Superintendent Scott Albert told Regional School Unit 73 Board of Directors Thursday night, Sept. 8. “We are starting the complaint process.”

“One individual has already met with our librarian to discuss their complaint, the other is making an appointment to do so,” Albert wrote in an email Friday. “In the first case the complaint was not resolved, not sure about the second one yet. The next step if the complaint is not resolved with the librarian is to meet with the building principal. The complainants filled out the form before going through the first [two] steps even though they should have waited. Despite that, we as a district need to make sure that both them and us go through the steps.”

United Way of the Tri-Valley Area has cooked up various ways to assist the community over the years. In their latest effort, the Farmington-based organization was assisting locals with funds to repair their cars. People from Livermore Falls, Livermore or Franklin County can apply for $1,000 in the “Don’t Despair Car Repair Program” and then receive repair at one of 13 participating garages in Farmington, Livermore Falls, Wilton, Kingfield, Jay, Rangeley, Strong, Oquossoc and New Sharon.

UWTVA Director of Marketing and Communications Nichole Ernest said in an interview the car repair program was “designed to help folks who have the vehicle but can’t drive again … because the car is not either not drivable, or not safe or legal.”

Administrative Assistant Aaron Miller told Livermore Selectpersons Tuesday night, Sept. 13, that Jean Tardif and Renda Guild would be retiring Jan. 3, 2023.

The Town Clerk, Guild was in her 25th year with the town. Tardif, the deputy town clerk had been with the town 13 years. Guild’s is an elected position, the law says someone can be appointed upon resignation, Miller said. Inquiries had been put out, a couple of applications had been received, he noted.

Ninety-eight-year-old Harold Souther, believed to be the oldest resident of Livermore Falls, was presented Friday with a replica of the Boston Post Cane. Among his secrets for longevity were taking cod liver oil, prunes and eating several servings of vegetables a day, he said. He also drinks 6 to 7 ounces of grape juice each day after reading that the benefits of it were similar to those of a glass of wine.

Select Board Chairman Jim Long presented Souther with a replica Boston Post Cane in the kitchen of his home where he was born and has lived all of his life. “I’d like to think of this as Livermore Falls honoring you,” Long said.

The Wilton Select Board approved amendments to the town’s general assistance ordinance at the Tuesday, Sept. 20, meeting. The changes this year were in the overall maximum levels of assistance a municipality can provide, Town Manager Perry Ellsworth told the board.

Ellsworth told the board the state was requiring municipalities adopt the increases by Oct. 1 in order to receive a 70% reimbursement from the state for funds Wilton spends on the program. The Maine General Assistance Program, overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services and Maine Municipal Association, “helps individuals and families to meet their basic needs.”

Livermore Selectpersons Tuesday night, Sept. 20, held a special meeting where a hearing date was set on the possibility of closing part of Wyman Road to winter maintenance. There is one home on that road, Administrative Assistant Aaron Miller said. The town warrant has an article every year that gives [Selectpersons] the authority to designate certain roads or portions of roads to be closed for winter maintenance, he noted. Discontinuance of a road to winter maintenance must be done by Oct. 1 with a public hearing beforehand with at least seven days prior notice, he added.

“It is a challenge to take care of that road,” Miller said. Many years ago a subdivision was proposed but never came to fruition, he noted. The town attorney looked at the issue, agreed Selectpersons have the right to close the road, Miller stated. Closure to winter maintenance can’t exceed 10 years, he noted.

October

Livermore Selectpersons Thursday night, Sept. 29, took no action on closing Wyman Road to winter maintenance. “I think we need to look at this more,” Selectperson Brett Deyling said before the meeting was abruptly adjourned.

“With three or four cars parked down there, it is pretty tight,” Highway Foreman Roger Ferland had said previously. “There is no room to turn around.”

During a hearing held prior to the Selectpersons meeting Thursday, several people spoke against the closure. State law 23 MSRA §3201 – what that law says is removal requires damages, Ron Guay, an attorney representing the McHughs [the only residents on Wyman Road] said. He referenced what the law requires: “When any ways are blocked or encumbered with snow the road commissioner shall forthwith cause so much of it to be removed or trodden down as will render them passable.

At the Regional School Unit 73 Board of Directors meeting Thursday night, Sept. 22, staff from Spruce Mountain Middle School again stood in solidarity for their principal Caroline “Carrie” Luce. Directors announced the need for a search committee for Luce’s position at the Sept. 8 meeting. Thursday they accepted her resignation with deep regret with Director Andrew Sylvester of Livermore voting against the motion.

“You brought the middle school to a different level,” Director Jodi Cordes of Jay said. “You have done phenomenal work here, I know it has been stressful,” Director Robin Beck of Livermore Falls said.

Amanda Gage-Croll, the gifted and talented coordinator at the middle school read a letter of support for Luce while other staff members stood behind her. The letter was signed by 44 staff. “Less than four months ago, a similar concerned group from the middle school came to the Board with a letter of support for our principal, Carrie Luce,” Gage-Croll read. “Our primary message was that she was an excellent teacher, that without increased support from throughout the district wed would lose her, and that this loss would devastate our school – staff and students alike. Clearly our message was not heeded and she continued to feel unsupported as we are now facing the daunting prospect of choosing a new principal for the third time in just four years.”

Spruce Mountain Elementary School was awarded a $100,000 Rethink Respond Educational Ventures [RREV] grant to build a greenhouse with outdoor classroom space and hire a coordinator for outdoor learning opportunities. Teachers Sarah Dyer, Tammy Deering and Jennifer Stone began working on the grant last spring. During an interview Thursday, Oct. 6, Dyer said she learned of the funding through an email sent by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to its educators list.

Maine was one of 11 states to receive funding for RREV grants. A pilot program, the contract for the SMES project was signed the last week of September and a meeting was scheduled Oct. 7 to start putting the plans into action, Dyer said. Community support was also encouraged and welcome. Plants, gardening supplies, boots, outer wear were some donation possibilities.

The energy could be seen and felt Saturday night, Oct. 8, in the Elks Lodge in West Farmington while the Autumn Ball for those with special needs was underway. Those on the dance floor were seldom still long enough to get clear photographs capturing the scene.

Organized by the 3C Society, 85 guests and volunteers attended the red carpet affair. “Is this a great turnout or what?” 3C Society founding member Arleen Maselli exclaimed. “I am amazed at their dancing ability!”

Staff, students and families in Regional School Unit 73 were informed Wednesday morning, Oct. 12, that thermostats in school buildings would not be lowered this winter. “Yesterday I sent out a decision that we would set our schools at 65 degrees,” Superintendent Scott Albert wrote. “I want everyone to know that it was my decision and not the board’s. I am writing to you now because I was in error by not consulting our district’s health officer/advisor before making the decision.

“I received notice from our district’s health officer/advisor that we should be looking at the World Health Organization’s and OSHA’s recommendations in this area. Therefore, at this time, we will keep the buildings at 70 degrees which has been past practice for us and continue to look to find savings elsewhere. My apologies to everyone.”

Livermore Selectpersons voted 3-1 Tuesday night, Oct. 11, to move forward with the process to discontinue Wyman Road to winter maintenance. They also are seeking bids to snow blow the road this winter. Selectpersons Mark Chretien, Scott Richmond and Jeremy Emerson were in favor, Brett Deyling was opposed. Selectperson Randy Ouellette was absent. There were a lot of questions Deyling said he didn’t have answers to yet. He thought it the right thing to do but didn’t want to get stuck in a legal battle.

A Spruce Mountain High School student was charged with terrorizing and faced disciplinary action from Regional School Unit 73 after an incident on a bus Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 19.

“I want to keep everyone informed of another situation that happened today,” Superintendent Scott Albert indicated in notices sent to staff, students and parents. “On the way home from school today on the bus, a high school student was overheard making a statement that he was going to bring a gun to school tomorrow. The students who heard this statement let their mother know and the mother contacted us.

“I immediately contacted our School Resource Officer Joe Sage who has handled the situation,” Albert continued. “The student will be disciplined appropriately following district policy. He has also been charged with the crime of terrorizing.” The student was on the regular route home after school, not a later bus, Albert responded in an email Wednesday evening.

On Friday, Oct. 21, University of Maine Farmington hosted its first teacher education open house. Unlike a traditional college open house, UMF specifically geared this open house towards prospective students interested in its teaching programs. Director of Admissions Lisa Ellrich said this open house had been a long time coming. Originally planned for spring 2020, Ellrich said the COVID-19 outbreak sidelined it until now.

The day was tailored to the students’ interest as teachers, she said. According to Ellrich, students who were “true early childhood folks” would be taken to the nationally accredited Sweatt-Winter Child Care and Early Education Center, where they would also be able to catch a glimpse of the blueprints for the upcoming new Sweatt-Winter center. Other students toured the campus and partook in sessions featuring the current teaching staff.

November

On Nov. 10 an appeal regarding two controversial books was to be presented during the Regional School Unit 73 Board of Directors meeting it was announced Thursday night, Oct. 27. Pamela Rangel of Jay said she, her husband and three other people put in a book challenge on Gender Queer: [A Memoir].

Frank Rangel, Shari Ouellette, John Benedetto and Arin Quintel were the complainants, according to information from Eliza Mill’s Facebook page that was submitted to the Livermore Falls Advertiser Sunday, Oct. 30. “I am here to talk about the book Gender Queer,” Pamela Rangel said Thursday. “I feel that people are looking at this book through the lens of how they feel about gender identity, whether they are on one side or the other. I want to tell you that I am looking at this book in one way. It is pornography and that is a deal breaker for me.”

At a special meeting Monday night, Oct. 24, Regional School Unit 73 Board of Directors heard from a concerned parent before they expelled two Spruce Mountain High School students indefinitely. The parent of two soon-to-be students at the high school, Timothy “Tim” Walton of Livermore said he and his wife had enjoyed the support of Superintendent Scott Albert, SMHS Principal TJ Plourde, SMHS Assistant Principal/Athletic Director Marc Keller and School Resource Officer Cpl. Joseph Sage.

“My message is simple,” Walton said. “No child of color or religious faith should be frightened to attend public school in this state or anywhere in the country. Racism at any level or at any age, whether it’s a student, a teacher, coach or school board member should not be tolerated.”

Two Livermore Falls teens were charged Thursday, Oct. 13, with drawing one swastika each in two bathrooms at Spruce Mountain High School and writing a racial slur. A 15- and a 17-year-old were each issued a summons on a charge of criminal mischief, a misdemeanor, Sage said at that time. The students were released to their parents. This incident, the picture that was seen, just doesn’t belong here, Walton said. “Those kids learned it from somewhere,” he noted. “That’s the community’s problem.”

A proposal to do more landscaping work at Kineowatha Park was approved at the Wilton Selectperson meeting Tuesday, Oct 18. The project would involve the removal of several dead trees, leaves, and any other debris at the front of the park.

Recreation Department Director Frank Donald made the proposal at the meeting, stating that public reception was positive for previous landscaping projects. The work in question will be in the front part facing High Street on the right hand side of the entrance. Work had been done previously in the area to the left of the entrance and Donald wanted to replicate that work. His reasoning for the proposal was that it aesthetically looked better and was safer, as he reported branches and tree limbs had fallen into the road.

The Area Youth Sports (AYS) Peewee Football team defeated Gray-New Gloucester 16-6 on Saturday, Oct. 28, to claim the Central Maine Football League Championship. The championship game was a lot closer than the score portrayed. Gray-New Gloucester Patriots scored first in the second quarter of the game. Their 2-point conversion attempt failed leaving the score 6-0 at the end of the half.

“Jace Giroux started the third play of the third quarter with an 80-yard touchdown run, followed up by a two-point conversion by Grayson Hodgkins,” Eric Gemelli, head coach, said on Sunday, Nov. 6. “Late in the fourth quarter Zander Webber scored a five yard touchdown run followed up by a two-point conversion by Jace  Giroux.” The Patriots were left with 2:45 minutes left to score twice to overtake the Phoenix, Gemelli noted. Eli Ayer led the defense to shut the Patriots down and win the championship, he added.

Livermore Selectpersons Thursday night, Nov. 3, unanimously approved contracting with Jamie Roy of Livermore to snowblow the town’s 135-foot portion of Wyman Road, contingent on his having appropriate insurance coverage.

Roy’s bid was “on an as needed basis for $5,000 which is based upon 20 storms at $250 apiece.” The contract approved by the town’s attorney is for Oct. 1, 2022, through May 15, 2023, and Oct. 1, 2023, through May 15, 2024. Administrative Assistant Aaron Miller said Roy’s bid was the only one received. There had been no responses to a request for bids due Oct. 25. 

Franklin Memorial Hospital held an open house for their new food pantry at the Greenwood Center on Thursday, Nov. 3. The Greenwood Center was renovated over the last year to be the new home for their on-site food pantry. Hospital Chief Operating Officer Barbara Sergio stated that the purpose of the move was to stage the food pantry closer to the hospital, making it more accessible to both clients and staff. “That was our first thought; to move it closer on site and to utilize the space better,” she said.

Stocked with healthy options, the food pantry would be accessible to staff and patients who are referred through food insecurity screenings. Originally starting with pediatric practices, FMH expanded the program to adult family practices to provide emergency food bags. According to Director of Healthy Community Coalition [HCC] LeeAnn Lavoie, “MaineHealth went a step further. We opened a food pantry for our patients. It is not just any food pantry, it’s healthy food.”

The directors of Regional School Unit 73 voted Thursday night, Nov. 10, to keep two controversial books – one on sexuality and gender identity, the other on racism – in the Spruce Mountain High School library. Their decisions followed appeals filed by residents after a review committee recommended that “Gender Queer: A Memoir” and “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism” be allowed to stay.

Residents opposed to having the books in the library had expressed their strong opinions at school board meetings the past few months. At this meeting, some spoke told why they wanted the books removed. Several along with area doctors, teachers and other professionals shared why they should remain.

Superintendent Scott Albert supported the committee’s recommendation. “While I was reading this book it pulled at my heartstrings knowing we have students who are struggling with their identity,” he said. “If having this book can help them then I am for it. Individual parents have the right to not allow their child to take out this book. If not given this option, I might feel differently.”

Western Maine Community Action [WMCA] assembled a program that would help those with sustainable and simple needs. “Say a homeless person finally secures an apartment but doesn’t have a bed or gentleman gets a job after a term of unemployment, but needs tools and steel-toed boots of his own to start, they would be able to make a request,” says Data Manager Danielle Flannery.

The new program “Community Kickstart” [CK], was spearheaded by Flannery and Director of Family and Health Services Kobi Perry. Its mission is to provide clients, once per year, with a request for items in times of need. With a $1,500 lifetime limit, Perry and Flannery would take these requests and, once a week, send them to kickstarters to help fill the request. To become a kickstarter, simply contact Perry or Flannery or follow this link to sign up. “It’s literally a name, email, and zip code are all they have to put in. And that’s how they get signed up to be a kickstarter,” Flannery comments. Households in Franklin County plus those in Livermore and Livermore Falls are eligible.

An increased need for services coupled with challenges in obtaining certain foods has caused some local food pantries to make changes in how holiday food is provided for those in need.

The Livermore Falls Advertiser held phone interviews with directors of several area food pantries and learned most pantries are seeing more requests, some food items are hard to find and there are ways the public can help. After Christmas, donations to food pantries tend to drop off so donations then are especially needed and welcomed, it was noted.

In Livermore Falls, Justin Triquet and Nichole Leroux were giving helping hands to local farmers and other members of the community through their business, JustNiks Rent-A-Farmers, LLC. According to Triquet, the business formally started Jan. 4, 2022, but its inception went back even further than that. “Nikki and I traveled the country for the last five years, four of those five years, going around from farm to farm and helping out people with certain needs,” Triquet said.

This led the couple to jobs and places like working beef cattle in Kansas, working dairy cattle in Ohio, and working with horses in New York. “We’ve done vegetable farms, we’ve done greenhouses, so on and so forth,” Triquet stated. The whole purpose of this, according to Triquet, was to gather as much experience as possible working on different farms around the country and bringing that experience back to Maine. From seasoned farmers to new farmland owners with zero experience, Triquet and Leroux’s intent is to extend a hand and help in any way possible.

Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments [AVCOG] announced on Wednesday, Nov. 23, that it was receiving a service provider grant from the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future [GOPIF]. With the grant, AVCOG could help two to five towns enroll in the Community Resilience Partnership program. The towns listed in this grant were Wilton, Rangeley, Kingfield, Philips, and Eustis.

According to their announcement, this grant would allow AVCOG to assist municipalities that may not have the capacity to enroll and become eligible for $50,000 no-match grants for resiliency projects. The Community Resilience Partnership program was developed by GOPIF in response to climate change. The intent of the partnership is to assist communities to reduce carbon emissions, transition to clean energy, and become more resilient to climate change effects.

At the Selectpersons meeting Tuesday evening, Nov. 22, Livermore Fire Chief Donald Castonguay and his department were thanked for their recent response to a medical emergency call. “I want to thank the fire department and first responders,” Russell Perry said. “I had a little event. It was comforting to know the community members were there to help. I understand they do a lot of work, there is a lot to it. I really appreciate it.”

Kobi Perry, his wife was at work when Russell thought he was having a heart attack and called 911. “As I sped from work in East Wilton, I fervently prayed that someone would get there soon and I would not have a dead husband waiting for me,” Kobi said. “What a relief it was to see the driveway full of trucks and dash through the door to see you all attending to Russell. Although I am CPR/first aid certified, I am sure I could not have remembered it and it was so reassuring that you were there to save Russell’s life.”

December

Spruce Mountain Ski Slope announced Zak Toothaker had been named the ski area’s manager, and a new ticketing program was offering discounts to skiers looking to check out other ski areas in the region. “I look forward to welcoming you and creating an experience that you will always remember,” Toothaker said in the announcement on the Spruce Mountain Facebook page.

A 2019 graduate of Spruce Mountain High School, Toothaker had been a fixture at the slopes since he was young. “Each day they were open, my goal was to be there for the first run,” Toothaker said, “and I would not stop until the lights and the tow ropes were shutting off.”

“We are super excited to have Zak on board as our new manager,” Director Ron Jacques said. “He’s been a fixture at the mountain since he was a kid and is looking forward to giving back to the club.”

Smart Fun Engineers, the veteran team from private school Smart Fun Learning Adventures in Farmington scored highest in robot performance at the 2022 Maine State Championship FIRST LEGO League Challenge Saturday afternoon, Dec. 3, at Spruce Mountain High School. The team won the Champion’s Award and has been invited to represent Maine at the FIRST World Festival in Houston Texas, next April. The rookie team Smart Fun Scientists, from that school placed third in the robot games and was named Core Value Finalist.

Blue Crew FIRST Robotics Competition Team 6153, made up of students and mentors from Mt. Blue Campus and Spruce Mountain High School hosted the state FLL championship this year.

Following a closed door session Tuesday evening, Dec. 6, Livermore Selectpersons accepted the resignation of Aaron Miller, the administrative assistant to the selectpersons. His last day will be Dec. 23.

Miller was hired in Aug. 2020, after serving six years as administrative assistant to the selectpersons for the Town of Whitefield. He will become the Town Manager of Vassalboro effective Dec. 27, succeeding Mary Sabins who is retiring Jan 2, 2023, according to a Dec. 6 release from Vassalboro which Miller shared with the Livermore Falls Advertiser.

On Saturday, Dec. 10, Franklin County Animal Shelter [FCAS] hosted a fundraising event where families and their pets could get their picture taken with the Grinch. Those who attended were also encouraged to donate in the form of pet food, toys, or cash to the shelter. People who attended were also treated to a cup of hot cocoa. Many arrived with their pets to get pictures taken with the Grinch, and the range of pets included dogs, cats and even guinea pigs.

According to Michelle Guillaume, secretary of the FCAS Board of Directors, the shelter relies primarily on fundraising and donations. Guillaume, along with several other members of the board, were a part of a fundraising committee to brainstorm ideas for raising money.

A thick blanket of snow falling overnight led to some changes in the planned placement of wreaths Saturday morning, Dec. 17, from Wreaths Across America in Holy Cross Cemetery in Livermore Falls. WAA is located in Columbia Falls and was founded by Morrill Worcester. Alice Robinson, the auxiliary chairperson for VFW Post 3335 chose WAA as her project. The post held a donation drive for the WAA program that provides one wreath locally for every two wreaths purchased for National veterans cemeteries.

Four wreaths were then placed in front of Mitchell’s gravestone by Dumais and Kim Cote, Pam Manter and Janice Sweeney – VFW Post 3335 auxiliary members – to represent the four branches of the armed forces [Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps].

Provider Services of Skowhegan has opened a second clinic at 187 Main St. Farmington to bring medically assisted treatment for substance abuse closer to many of its clients. The agency announced the opening Thursday on its Facebook page.

“We actually have some clients in here that have transferred to [Farmington] because it’s closer to where they live,” said Rosemary, an administrator who asked not to disclose her last name. “We do psych evaluation and treatment. We have an advanced practice psychiatric nurse practitioner.” Provider Services has been offering treatment to its clients for four years with a high rate of success.

Livermore Selectpersons voted Tuesday night, Dec. 20, to approve an agreement that would set billing rates for non-emergency fire services provided to the Town of Livermore Falls pending additional language per the town’s attorney and approval by Jay and Livermore Falls. The agreement was retroactive to Oct. 1 and would run through March 1, 2023. The towns of Livermore and Jay would alternate every two weeks in covering non-emergency calls from Livermore Falls.

Administrative Assistant Aaron Miller said he met with Amanda Allen and Shiloh LaFreniere, town managers of Livermore Falls and Jay respectively, and examined a short term arrangement for providing fire services to Livermore Falls. The billing rates shared with the board were based on the cost recovery measures Livermore Fire Department has initiated but not used yet, he noted. Livermore Falls had seen low turnout for calls requesting assistance. The three towns had been meeting to discuss the resulting increase in mutual aid calls. Livermore Falls Fire Rescue Department’s emergency medical services license had also been terminated.

Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 20, found students antsy with anticipation at Spruce Mountain Primary School as they awaited the afternoon’s activities and surprises. Principal Michael Glynn first sat in his office reading How to Catch a Gingerbread Man while students watched on a screen in their classrooms. Glynn then told the students there was a gingerbread man making his way throughout the building and that students shouldn’t try to chase or catch him.

Students in Tanya Perrault’s kindergarten class next created a gingerbread house ornament. Gum drops, mini marshmallows and toothpicks were then given each child who was then directed to use their creativity to make a trap that would catch a gingerbread man.