Many times we are asked “what does the American Legion do?,” “why should I belong?,” and “what’s in it for me?” These questions hang out there because we do a poor job to telling our story. To answer the first question, the American Legion is the largest veterans service organization in the United States standing on four pillars of service -- veterans affairs & rehabilitation, national security, Americanism, and children & youth.

Dexter Regional High School recently held its Homecoming Week, and at the annual Homecoming Dance on Oct. 6 the following students were crowned as the Homecoming Court.

The employees of Maine Highlands Federal Credit Union recently made a donation to the Dover-Foxcroft Historical Society. The organization was chosen as a recipient of the credit union’s Caring for Community fundraiser, as employees from all branches pay $3 each to dress casual twice a month.

Upcoming events around the region.

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins announced that staff from her Bangor Constituent Service Center will hold office hours in Dover-Foxcroft from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, Oct. 26 at the Morton Avenue Municipal Building, 48 Morton Avenue, Suite A.

Leslie Lizotte, aging and disability resource center specialist from the Eastern Area Agency on Aging, will be holding a Medicare 101 class at the Piscataquis County office building (Peaks House) located at 163 East Main Street from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Oct. 24.

Members of the community are invited to attend the Piscataquis Regional YMCA annual meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 25. The meeting will be held at the Piscataquis Regional YMCA at 48 Park Street.

The Misty Mountaineers play traditional bluegrass, gospel, and a mix of older country tunes done bluegrass style at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27 at the Wayside Theatre.

Eastern Maine Development Corporation (EMDC), the Katahdin Higher Education Center, and the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council (PCEDC) are partnering to bring a grant writing conference to Dover-Foxcroft. The event comes four months after EMDC and the Katahdin Higher Education Center hosted a similar event in East Millinocket. The Grant Writing Conference will be held at The Commons at Central Hall, 152 East Main Street, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18.

Jaime Sandoval Jr., who most recently served as a soil conservationist and acting district conservationist, will lead the USDA’s efforts in carrying out Farm Bill programs such as the Environmental Incentives Program (EQIP) for farmers and woodlot owners in Piscataquis County.

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry's Bureau of Parks and Lands announced that a record number of visitors camped in Maine state parks in 2018, included are Peaks-Kenny State Park in Dover-Foxcroft and Lily Bay State Park on Moosehead Lake. Through September 255,553 campers have been recorded, breaking the previous all-time camping record of 254,789 set in 2016.

For the first month of school students and families at the SeDoMoCha Elementary School had the opportunity to read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House in the Big Woods” at home together during the ninth annual One Book, One School program -- copies of the book were provided by the school. The shared reading program concluded with a celebration on the evening of Oct. 4.

U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine and Angus King, I-Maine announced that 17 community health centers in Maine will receive a total of $4,980,138 through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Expanding Access to Quality Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health Services (SUD-MH) awards. This funding will better equip health centers to help individuals and families overcome substance use disorders and improve mental health.

The Guilford Memorial Library will be hosting William Geller as he leads a discussion on the history of the Piscataquis watershed. This discussion will also include the 1825 Guilford fire and local river logging drives. This will take place at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at the library.

Girl Scouts of Maine will host a Discover Girl Scout event at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18 at Piscataquis Community High School for potential members and volunteers.

To support those who are grieving, Pine Tree Hospice holds an adult evening bereavement support group on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month in Dover-Foxcroft. Many people seek and find comfort by sharing their feelings of pain, emotions and thoughts in a group setting. Others may never say a word but because the participants in the group have the shared experience of the death of a loved one, they are able to show understanding and empathy to one another.

Upcoming events around the region.

Foxcroft Academy is partnering with Finance Authority of Maine to offer a Financial Aid Help Night from 6-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 17. A Finance Authority of Maine representative will spend 30 minutes presenting the most important elements of the financial aid application, and will spend the remaining hour assisting families in filling out the FAFSA application.