2012: The Year in Review Part II

July
    A new Milo veterans memorial was unveiled on June 30 with five upright granite stones representing the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Air Force. The memorial was built nearly two years after the ground-breaking ceremony in 2010 and after five years of planning and fundraising.
    The town of Dexter inducted Kevin Wintle as the town’s new police chief on June 27. Wintle started his law enforcement career with the department in 1989 and served as a sergeant prior to his promotion.
    The Dexter Planning Board voted 4-2 on June 28 to recommend a zone change requested by a Corinna businessman to develop the 42-acre, former primary and middle school property on Abbott Hill Road. The town council later approved the recommended change from shoreland zone resource protection to shoreland limited commercial.
    The Piscataquis County Economic Development Council hosted a broadband forum to promote bringing high-speed Internet to the region.
    The former Pride Manufacturing Plant in Guilford was purchased by a Corinth businessman who sells baked goods world-wide. Larry Fleming, who owns Little Lad’s Bakery, announced he had purchased the Guilford factory and planned to move his operation to the new location.
    Gov. Paul LePage signed a proclamation on July 2 to request emergency relief assistance to help cover the cost of repairing damage that occurred on federally funded roadways due to the flooding caused by heavy rains.
    The Sangerville selectmen ruled the board has no authority to rule in a dispute between a Grant Road man and three people over the placement of a barricade on the road. The selectmen ruled the road was no longer a town way because the town hadn’t performed any maintenance on it for over 30 years.
    Madelyn C. Ballard turned 100 on June 29. She currently resides at Main Street West where she and her family celebrated the milestone.
    Maine’s Attorney General William Schneider concluded on July 9 that a state trooper who killed a Sangerville man in November 2011 used reasonable force because he believed County Sheriff John Goggin and others situated at the fairgrounds were in imminent danger.
    The Milo board of selectmen set the mil rate at $18.60 per $1,000 in assessed property valuation on July 3 during a meeting. The mil rate represented a 35-cent reduction from 2011.
    Ice Cream Creations was officially opened on July 7 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Dover-Foxcroft sponsored by the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce. Owner Julie Heeter was welcomed by chamber officials at her new business venture.
    The commissioners appointed Tom Capraro on July 3 as the new county emergency management director. He replaced Tom Iverson who retired in June.
    A Sangerville selectman’s question on July 10 about how the Sangerville Community Forest Committee plans on using nearly $47,000 amassed in three tree growth accounts resulted in a conversation about whether those funds should be spent on municipal projects or to maintain the town’s woodlots.
    The Piscataquis Country Club received $500 from the town of Guilford to sponsor a youth golf clinic. The PCC conducted a clinic based on the United States Golf Association’s First Tee initiative.
    Police continued their search for two inmates who escaped on July 8 from the Charleston Correctional Facility. Randall Moulton, 20, and Philip Gardner, 24, escaped from the minimum security facility around 8 p.m. on a Sunday night. The two were believed to be headed to Glenburn where law enforcement spent searching the day after the escape.
    The Sangerville board of selectmen sent a letter to the appeals board to request for them to reconsider a decision to grant a variance to a Center Pond resident. But Appeals Board Chairman Rick Pellerin replied by e-mail that the board wouldn’t bring the matter before the board a second time. Pellerin replied that the appeals board had acted properly and didn’t see a reason to reconsider the decision.
    Dover-Foxcroft resident Alice (Dow) Shepardson received the Boston Post Cane in recognition for her being the town’s oldest resident. Shepardson, 101 years old, was presented the cane by board of selectmen Vice Chair Cindy Freeman Cyr.
    Piscataquis County Radio Club members spent two days communicating with thousands of other “ham” radio operators around the world displaying their emergency communication skills on July 23 and 24 during their Field Day.
    Fifteen children, made up a mixture of boys and girls ages 6-9, spent several days taking part in Womancare’s annual Harmony Camp. The campers spent July 10-12 making crafts, sharing stories, playing games and eating healthy snacks.
    SAD 41 officials declined on July 18 an offer from the Corinth-based school district to join a consolidated elementary school unit. SAD 64 in Corinth inquired whether some of the SAD 41 towns located near the new elementary school had interest in attending school there.
    The town of Monson celebrated their designation on July 21 as the first town in Maine to be certified as an Appalachian Trail Community.
    The town of Sebec dedicated a revised honor roll which included several veterans with a newly added Gold Star designation. This was the first time the honor had been updated since World War II ended. The honor roll now has 110 names.
    The SAD 46 facilities committee began discussions with RSU 19 about school consolidation. The two school units began informal talks after the Newport-based school district received notification it had two projects placed on the new school building priority list.
    The town of Brownville set a $17.30 mil rate for fiscal year 2012-13 on July 18 during a selectmen’s meeting. The rate remained the same as it had for the previous year.
    The Abbot selectmen scheduled a special town meeting to elect a new board member. A vacancy was created when Selectman Corey Hill resigned due to not having enough time to complete his duties.
    The town of Milo was awarded a $500,000 USDA R-BEG grant to construct a building for developing a downtown site destroyed by a September 2008 fire.
    The Monson selectmen voted unanimously on July 18 to hold a special town meeting for considering whether to place a six-month moratorium on approving any privately owned corridors within the town.
    The Greenville selectmen put out to bid a tax acquired property with an estimated $166,000 valuation. The town sought bids on the 2.1 acre Wilson Pond road residence. Town officials failed in their attempts, over the past three years, to contact the Connecticut owner of the property.
    The Foxcroft Academy trustees rededicated the Burns-Johnson Tennis Complex with the addition of two new tennis courts and a basketball court. The complex was named for two Foxcroft Academy students who died in a 1967 automobile accident.
    The Milo selectmen gave interim Town Manager Roger Raymond approval on July 31 to approach several architectural firms about the potential costs in renovating the town hall kitchen. Town officials, Three Rivers Kiwanis Club members and residents have attempted to modernize the facility for years.
August
    Brownville officials began searching for other sources of revenues to repair flood damages to the town in June. The storm damage didn’t reach the $1.8 million threshold for receiving federal disaster relief funding.
    Plum Creek senior land advisor Luke Muzzy discussed the firm’s concept plan on Aug. 1 for developing the Moosehead Lake region.
    Sixteen girls with ages from 2-18 competed on Aug. 3 in the third annual Beauties of the Shiretown Pageant. The participants competed in four separate age categories.
    State Senator Doug Thomas asked Governor LePage on Aug. 13 to slow down the East-West highway feasibility study. Thomas wanted the matter of whether eminent domain would be used in purchasing the land to be settled before any more action was taken on the project.
    Monson residents welcomed five bicyclists from the Grace Point Baptist Church in Paradise, Penn. a hearty welcome on Aug. 9. The bicyclists came to Monson as part of maintenance and publicity project to promote A2A Ministry led by Rev. Daryl Witmer. The A2A Ministry works to promote and defend the teachings of Christianity.
    The Milo board of selectmen voted on Aug. 9 to offer the town manager’s position to a former Belfast official. The board offered the position David Maynard who was the Belfast manager for four years.
    The town of Harmony gathered donations to help Anita Stutzman, 13, in her battle against cancer.
    The commissioners voted 2-1 on Aug. 7 to begin the process of discontinuing the Campground Road in Elliotsville Twp. as a county way.
    Dexter Town Councilor David Clukey announced he would be resigning at year’s end. Clukey still had two years left on his term, but health considerations and a poor relationship with the town manager led to his decision to resign.
    The gravesite of a Milo World War II pilot was repaired due to the efforts of many state, national and local efforts. A dedication was held for a 23-year-old Lauren L. Cowallis whose plane was shot down over Europe on Dec. 6, 1944. The tombstone was rededicated during an Aug. 19 ceremony.
    The Monson Fire Department’s search for a tanker truck took them all the way to Aurora, Ill. where they reached an agreement to purchase a 1993 Pierce Sabre tanker for $54,900.
    The town of Greenville was looking for a few good men and women to fill vacancies on three municipal committees. The selectmen decided on Aug. 15 to wait until a future meeting before filling vacancies on the library, planning and economic development boards.
    The Sangerville selectmen entered into an agreement with CES. Inc., a Brewer engineering firm, to sample the soil on the Abbie Fowler property for polychlorinated biphenyl contamination.
    The SAD 68 board of directors decided to hire Tracy Taylor as a kindergarten teacher at SeDoMoCha elementary school. She had previously worked at the school as an Ed Tech I.
    The Dover-Foxcroft selectmen gave their approval on Aug. 27 for a Riverfront Redevelopment Municipal Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district for the Moosehead/Mayo mill site along the Piscataquis River in the downtown section.
    A businessman expressed interest in purchasing the Abbie Fowler building in Sangerville. Jeff Pearl who owns an Abbot business indicated he would like to use the former school building as a warehouse for his chimney sweep product business.
    John Libera returned to the Abbot board of selectmen after defeating two candidates in an Aug. 14 special election. Libera served as a selectmen about 10 years ago. He succeeds Corey Hill who resigned the previous month.
    Brownville school officials were looking to raise funds for an outdoor classroom near the recreational trail. The officials are in hopes the outdoor classroom will enhance educational offerings and serve as another resource to share with the community.
    Dexter Police Chief Kevin Wintle unveiled a domestic violence kit his department developed with the assistance of Womancare in Dover-Foxcroft. The kit is designed to provide more information to domestic violence victims about their rights in the criminal justice system.
    Former Milo Town Manager Jeff Gahagan pleaded guilty to stealing over $45,000 from the Three Rivers Kiwanis Club. Gahagan plead quilty on Aug. 28 to Class B theft and is scheduled to be sentenced later in the month.
September
    A TIF for the Moosehead/Mayo mill was approved on Sept. 10 during a special town meeting in Dover-Foxcroft. The project is estimated to create $2.9 million in new value, according to town officials.
    Six fire departments responded to and early morning Sept. 5 fire in downtown Monson. Firefighters had the fire under control in about 30 minutes. No one was reported to be living in the duplex.
    Lula Bunker, of Dexter, celebrated her 107th birthday on Sept. 8 at the Dexter Health Center. She had a birthday celebration with her family a few days earlier. Bunker has three children, six grandchildren, 15 great-great grandchildren and nine great-great-great grandchildren.
    The Guilford selectmen received a complaint on Sept. 4 about the traffic flow in the downtown’s center.
    A Monson summer resident wrote a letter about the traffic flow when state routes 6, 15, 16, 23 and 150 all converge in the downtown area. Town officials responded the traffic flow has been studied for decades, but no one has developed a better plan than the one already in use.
    The Greenville selectmen received five bids for a tax acquired property valued at an estimated $166,000, but rejected them all. The high bid was made by Joe and Pangeen Ranhowsky of Greenville. Town officials were hoping for a bid closer to $100,000.
    Dover-Foxcroft officials toured on Aug. 29 the 36-acre Maine Leathers Tannery property which is located along the Piscataquis River. The town received a $600,000 brownfield grant several years ago to clean up the contamination on the site.
    AOS 94 which consists of SAD 46 and the Harmony School Committee received a request from the town of Athens to join their school unit. Athens plans on leaving SAD 59 in the Madison area. Athens officials plan on operating their own K-8 school and send their high school student to neighboring schools including Dexter Regional High School.
    The Dexter town council defeated an amendment to the personnel policy to allow employees to carry weapons on municipal property. The councilors defeated the proposal by a 6-1 margin.
    Dover-Foxcroft residents gave their approval to establish a TIF district during a Sept. 10 special town meeting for the Riverfront Redevelopment project for the former Moosehead/Mayo mill site. The $10 million-plus project is owned by the Pine Crest Business Park who along with the town is working with Arnold Development of Kansas City, Mo. to convert the site into a downtown business and housing.
    A Sangerville resident’s remarks about his preference to sell the Abbie Fowler resulted in a resident cautioning him on Sept. 11 about his public statements. Regan McPhetres admonished Selectman Brent Randall for publicly talking about selling the building when he believed the board of selectmen didn’t have the legal right to do so.
    An $8,000 Project Canopy grant was used for improvements along the Piscataquis River in Dover-Foxcroft as part of a larger riverfront redevelopment project. The land near the river was restored to a more natural contour with native bushes and trees and the water is now clearly more visible following the improvements.
    Dover-Foxcroft resident Joan Shapleigh was recognized as a senior outdoor/adventurer by receiving the George Hale Silver Frame Award from the Eastern Area Agency on Aging. The award is given to those age 60 and over who are exceptional role models in categories such as fitness, outdoor enthusiast, artistic and creative, life-long learner, entrepreneur, and community supporter.
    SAD 4 entered into a contract with Integrated Energy Systems of Falmouth to produce a pre-engineering study for their proposed boiler replacement project. IES beat out 12 other firms for the project. The district plans on replacing two No. 2 fuel boilers in their two schools with new biomass boilers burning woodchips.
    An $1.5 million Economic Development Administration grant was awarded for the Dover-Foxcroft riverfront redevelopment project. The grant will be used to develop the former Moosehead/Mayo mill into a mixed use facility for business and residential projects.
    A Newport legislator submitted a proposal to reinstate the Child and Family Services office in Dover-Foxcroft which was closed nearly 10 years ago. Rep. Ken Fredette proposed LR 121 “An Act to Ensure Adequate Child and Protective Services Throughout the State.” The office was closed as a part of the state’s consolidation efforts.
    The Piscataquis County Economic Development Council received a $99,999 grant for the Pine Crest Development Corporation to construct high speed data center at the former Moosehead Manufacturing plant in Dover-Foxcroft. The grant was provided as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Business Enterprise program.
    The Greenville Sports Boosters recommended the town’s soccer field was in need of some major renovations. The field is used by four school teams and the town’s recreational program. The boosters requested the school department construct a practice field to alleviate the constant use on the school’s main field.
    Dover-Foxcroft used a $600,000 brownfield grant to convert the former Maine Leathers Tannery property into a public use area. The selectmen approved the concept plan on Sept. 24 during their meeting.
    The Monson selectmen discussed how to spend $6,000 in their TIF account. The town is required to find a use by March 31 to dispose of the funds accumulated when the TIF was enacted for the Moosehead Manufacturing in 2008.
    The Milo selectmen participated in a ground-breaking ceremony on Sept. 27 for the community’s Heritage Building. The project is designed to replace the downtown buildings which were destroyed during a September 2008 fire.
    The Dexter town council approved two zone changes on Sept. 25 which paved the way for a Corinna businessman to develop the 42-acre former Abbot Hill school property. The council unanimously approved the two recommendations made by the planning board for changes in land use and shoreland zoning ordinances for the property.
October

Observer photo/Bill Pearson     STATE RUNNERS-UP — The Foxcroft Academy field hockey team displays their plaque on Oct. 30 for finishing as the state runners-up in Class C. North Yarmouth Academy won the state championship with a 2-1 overtime victory at the Harold Alfond Sports Complex on the University of Maine campus. The two teams battled to a scoreless tie through two overtime periods before the Panthers won on a penalty corner.

    Womancare of Dover-Foxcroft kicked off Domestic Violence Awareness Month with an art display on Oct. 1 at the Congregational Church. The agency also hosted the 16th annual “Race to End Domestic Violence” on Oct. 7 at the Guilford Elementary School.
    The county commissioners reversed a previous decision on Oct. 2 to discontinue the Wilson Stream Pond Road in Elliotsville Twp. The commissioners made the decision following a request from Roxanne Quimby, an Elliotsville Twp. landowner, to rescind her proposal to restrict motor vehicle access to the Little Wilson Falls.
    The tragic deaths of Amy Bagley and her two young children in 2011 sparked a movement to equip those accused of domestic violent crimes with an electronic monitoring device. The Dexter community held a Race/Walk in June which raised $18,000 for starting an electronic monitoring system.
    SeDoMoCha middle school students Emily Brawn, Abi Bourget and Grace Bickford created a sign for Womancare’s Oct. 7 “Race to End Domestic Violence.” The three students designed and painted the sign used during the race at the Piscataquis Community Elementary School.
    U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced that $4.3 million in federal funding was awarded for the assessment and clean up of the brownfield sites in Maine including $1 million for Piscataquis County. The local funding was divided by allocating $800,000 for the PCEDC to capitalize a revolving loan fund. $200,000 was given to the Dover-Foxcroft Historical Society to remediate Central Hall.
    SAD 68 reviewed the dress code for SeDoMoCha students. The board of directors upheld their decision in June which banned clothing which had a “distressed look.” Students are not allowed to wear clothing which has rips, tears, or holes.
    The SAD 46 board of directors unanimously authorized the superintendent of schools to issue I-20 forms from the state Department of Education to allow international students to attend Dexter Regional High School. The I-20 provides foreign students with a VISA to attend a Maine public high school for one year.
    The Municipal Review Committee urged the former 28 towns in eastern Maine that comprised the Penobscot Valley Refuse Disposal District in 1983 to inquire why $51,000 from their inactive organization’s bank account was transferred into one owned by the Eastern Maine Development Corporation. The MRC asked member towns — which include Atkinson, Brownville, Dexter, Exeter, Guilford and Milo — to inquire if they are interested in recovering the funds.
    Sangerville Selectman Brent Randall resigned from his position based on advice from his doctor at the Togus Veterans Administration Medical Center. The board accepted his resignation on Oct. 9 Randall informed town officials that an intestinal infection resulted in him having emergency surgery.
    The Greenville selectmen decided on Oct. 2 to put a piece of tax acquired property up for sale instead of seeking sealed bids. The board had previously sought sealed bids, all four received were rejected.
    Sangerville officials scheduled Oct. 25 for a special town meeting to decide the fate of two roads. The town will hold a special election to replace Brent Randall who resigned earlier in the month. The residents will also decide in separate articles to accept portions of the Jackman Corner and Knowlton Mills roads as municipal ways.
    Eight Foxcroft Academy students recounted their Boys and Girls State experiences during an Oct. 9 dinner at the Dover-Foxcroft American Legion Hall. The students who attended the dinner were Kate Morrison, Gabi Henderson, Maddy Henderson, Brittany Sletterink, Atticus Dennis, Dan Decker and Cameron Fadley.
    Dexter Fire Department officials believe their station’s roof has reached the point where it has become a safety hazard. DFD officials requested on Oct. 11 for additional funds to replace the roof’s covering. The roof repair project is estimated to cost $67,000.
    The Dexter Key Club held their sixth annual “Welcome to My Home” fundraiser on Oct. 12. The students slept outside for the night in order to experience how homeless people live. Other Key Clubs from Foxcroft Academy, Greenville, Nokomis, Penquis, Piscataquis and Hermon high schools also participated in the event.
    The Homecoming Committee cancelled their “Haunted House” fundraiser due to circumstances beyond their control. The committee has used the event in past years as a fundraiser for the annual Homecoming Weekend celebration in August.
    SeDoMoCha students in grades pre-K through 8 participated in anti-bullying activities during the month. Students and staff took an anti-bullying pledge. Hundreds of hand-shaped construction paper pledges blanketed the glass conference room wall in the main school lobby.
    The Dover-Foxcroft selectmen scheduled a special town meeting on Oct. 22 to consider proposed amendments to the shoreland zoning ordinance. The selectmen set Nov. 14 as the date to consider an amendment which would allow for apartment housing along the Piscataquis River which was not previously under the industrial designation.
    SeDoMoCha students collected items for the 488th MP Co. stationed in Afghanistan as part of their “Treasurers for Our Troops” program. The students are part of a fan club as pen pals with the troops stationed in Afghanistan.
    The Monson selectmen learned on Oct. 17 that more funds were available in a TIF account set up in 2007 for subsidizing redevelopment, infrastructure and other community-improvement projects believed to hold $8,000. But state officials notified Monson that the account has accumulated over $23,000 which has to be spent by the end of March 2013.
    The Milo selectmen considered reconfiguring their 11-person budget committee. The town charter states the committee is to be appointed by the selectmen, but does not provide any further details. Town Manager David Maynard has been working with legal counsel to develop an budget committee ordinance for the charter.
    SAD 4 changed companies on Oct. 9 for disseminating emergency messages. The district entered into an agreement with Power Announcement of Parkside, N.J. to provide community notices by telephone, e-mail or text messages.
    SeDoMoCha students planted a sugar maple tree on Oct. 24 behind  the school. The tree was planted as part of the recognition for Dover-Foxcroft’s Arbor Day Observance.
    Sangerville voters elected Melissa Randall to succeed her husband as member of the board of selectmen. Melissa Randall defeated Bill Rowe and Hillier Artman in the third round of voting during the Oct. 25 special town meeting.
    Former Milo Town Manager Jeff Gahagan was sentenced to 60 days in the Piscataquis County Jail on Oct. 23 following his sentencing for stealing nearly $50,000 from the Three Rivers Kiwanis Club of Milo and Brownville. Gahagan, the club’s former treasurer, pleaded guilty to Class B theft for taking funds over the course of several years.
    The town of Greenville held a public hearing on Oct. 24 to consider opening more public access for all-terrain vehicles along the main roads. The Moosehead Riders, a local ATV club, proposed expanding access for recreational riders to bring more traffic and business into the downtown area.
    The Lakeside Family Farm in Newport presented pumpkins to SeDoMoCha students in grades pre-K to four on Oct. 26. The farm is a vendor of the RSU 68 Food Services program and donated the pie pumpkins for students to take one home for Halloween.
    The 28 towns of the former PVRDD received letters on Oct. 26 for the Eastern Maine Development Corporation about returning nearly $51,000 to the inactive organization. The EMDC transferred the funds out of two dormant PVRDD bank accounts early in the year.
November
    Four snowmobile clubs in the unorganized territories requested that county commissioners rethink how trail grooming funds are distributed. The four clubs wanted to know why funds for grooming UT trails only went to clubs in Milo, Greenville and Brownville.
    The Greenville girls soccer team was awarded the Western Maine Class D Sportsmanship Banner during a half-time presentation of the state championship game. Bangor Christian defeated the Greenville boys team for the second consecutive year.
    SeDoMoCha middle school students participated in “Project Linus” which provides a special blanket for young children facing trauma or critical injury.
    State Senator Doug Thomas (Somerset) defeated Rep. Herbert Clark (D-East Millinocket) to earn re-election to the State Senate. Rep. Raymond Wallace (R-Dexter) and Rep. Pete Johnson (R-Greenville) defeated challengers to earn another term in the Maine House of Representatives.
    Jim Annis defeated Sue Mackey-Andrews to win the District 1 County Commissioner seat, but the race in District 2 was headed for a post-Thanksgiving Day recount. Commissioner Fred Trask held a 10-vote lead over challenger Don Crossman after all the precincts reported.
    Three new Dexter town councilors were elected. Fred Banks and Michael Blake won three-year terms. Denise Dinsmore defeated Bonnie Morrison to fill the two-year unexpired term.
    Foxcroft Academy claimed the 2012 Eastern Maine Class Football Championship on Nov. 10 with a 33-7 victory. The Ponies earned the right to play for their first Gold Ball since 2009.
    RSU 68 officials discussed current programs on Nov. 6 and what those offerings might look like in the future. SeDoMoCha Principal Julie Kimball gave an overview of the pre-kindergarten program during the school board meeting.
    The Greenville board of selectmen voted 4-0 on Nov. 6 to apply for separate grants that would improve ATV and snowmobile access to Moosehead Lake and downtown section. The town applied for a recreational trail grant through the state Department of Conservation, Forestry and Agriculture for federal monies to construct a snowmobile trail around the lake. The second grant would fund an ATV trail linking the interconnected trail systems into the downtown area.
    Maine Department of Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen asked RSU 19 (Newport) officials to continue regional consolidation talks with nearby school districts in SAD 46 and 4. RSU 19 had indicated it was ready to proceed with their new high school project without its neighbors after discussion about where to build a new regional high school stalled over the new building’s location.
    The Sangerville selectmen voted 2-1 on Nov. 13 to put all decisions regarding the town’s woodlots on hold until after the March 2013 town meeting. The board instructed the Sangerville Community Forestry Committee to cease operations and tabled a request for reforesting their Bean Hill woodlot.
    Foxcroft Academy won the Class C State Football Championship on Nov. 17 with a 22-20 victory over Western Maine Champion Winslow at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland. Senior Don Boyer scored three touchdowns to lead the Ponies to their first Gold Ball since 2007.
    SAD 41 third-graders received new dictionaries during the Valley Grange’s “Words for Thirds” program. Valley Grange representatives Walter Boomsma and Jim Annis explained the Grange’s history in promoting agriculture before passing out dictionaries to students in Milo, LaGrange and Brownville.
    Heather Slomski received a bonsai tree created by Fred Maddocks after she had the winning bid in a silent auction at the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft. Maddocks gave a copper and glass tree to the library after he had a display during October.
    The SAD 4 board of directors had their first reading on an anti-bullying policy during their Nov. 16 meeting. The policy is based on a statute passed by the legislature which provides a clear definition of bullying and mandates an explicit prohibition of bullying behavior.
    The Milo board of selectmen adopted an ordinance on Nov. 13 to create a seven-person budget committee. The previous budget committee consisted of 11 members.
    At a special town meeting on Nov. 14, Dover-Foxcroft voters approved an amendment to the shoreland zoning ordinance to primarily benefit the former Moosehead Mill property along the Piscataquis River. The planning board had worked with the Department of Environmental Protection on the new ordinance’s language.
    A Dover-Foxcroft businesswoman advised the county commissioners on Nov. 20 to rethink some old ways of doing business. Sue Mackey-Andrews recommended the commissioners to consider updating the county website to better inform the residents and attract more people to the region.
    The Pine Tree Hospice held their “Orchestrating Harmony Through the Journey” which celebrated the efforts of their volunteers on Nov. 15 during the organization’s year ending event in Sangerville. The PTH has offered services through the efforts of volunteers free of charge to those who are dying.
    Greenville officials were looking for some help in finding a buyer for the idled steam power plant. The town requested that Rosaire Pelletier, the Governor’s forest products adviser, assist the town in finding a buyer for the plant. Pelletier was instrumental in finding a buyer for the former Great Northern Paper plant in Millinocket.
    County Commissioner Fred Trask’s slim lead on Election Night held up after a recount confirmed he was the winner in the District 3. Trask, a Republican, won re-election to a third term after defeating Democratic challenger Don Crossman by 11 votes.
    First Wind, an independent North American wind energy company based in Boston, met with Monson officials on Nov. 20 about their plans to run an electrical transmission power line through town. Project Engineer David Fowler discussed with the planning board and selectmen about the company’s plan to link high tension transmission lines from their wind farms in Bingham, Mayfield and Kingsbury to a Central Maine Power substation in Parkman.
    SeDoMoCha eighth-graders took part in an oration contest by performing excerpts of journals they kept while reading “Call It Courage.” Student Torii Huntley finished first in the competition. Jordan Marshall finished second and Duncan Smith placed third.
    Mayo Regional Hospital officials gave Judy Gerrish an informal sendoff on Nov. 29 commemorating her 34 years of service. Gerrish has worked as the organization’s nursing administrator and emergency medical services ambulance leader.
    The Sangerville selectmen reversed a previous decision on Nov. 27 by reinstating the town’s forestry committee. Selectperson Melissa Randall changed her vote and decided to reinstate the committee. The board began formulating an ad-hoc committee to study whether the town should maintain or sell their woodlots
December
    The SAD 46 board of directors held an executive session on Dec. 5 to discuss what new policies they may want to adopt in the wake of 12 football players being suspended following a season-ending hazing incident. Superintendent Kevin Jordan updated the board about the actions the football players took during a team building exercise held within Dexter Regional High School which led to the upperclassmen using implements on Nov. 16 and 17 to strike the freshman members of the team.
    The county commissioners approved the 2013 $4,000,135 county budget submitted by the budget advisory committee. The proposed budget calls for an increase in pay for part-timers, but no raise for full-time employees.
    Four Dexter football players’ mothers told the SAD 46 board of directors they believed the punishment delivered to the four “ringleaders” involved with the Nov. 16 and 17 hazing incidents was too lenient. The mothers indicated the 10-day school suspensions were a “slap on the wrist” and an “insult” to their sons.
    The names of Penquis Valley High School graduates who served their country will be recognized on a Wall of Honor at the school. Movable wooden plaques posted on a wall near the main lobby next to the trophy case are organized by class year and etched with the names and branches of the military service of the veteran graduates.
    SeDoMoCha administrators, faculty and staff have encouraged safe and respectful behavior from all students throughout the academic year. The staff is also promoting good behavior through a number of activities have been scheduled for middle school in December and running through the first months of 2013.
    The Greenville selectmen voted 3-1 on Dec. 5 to approve a new ATV trail from the Moosehead Riders’ clubhouse on the Scammon Road to the Wilson Stream Bridge. The new trail was approved a for a one-year trial basis.
    Twenty-eight eastern Maine municipalities retained legal counsel in another attempt at recovering nearly $51,000 transferred out of their two bank accounts and into one controlled by the EMDC. The Municipal Review Committee is acting as the towns’ agent in recovering the money. The MRC gave the EMDC until Dec. 12 to return the money and give an accounting of how it came to claim the funds.
    Following his yearly review, SAD 4 Superintendent Paul Stearns announced his decision to retire in October 2013. Stearns has spent the last decade in his current position, but he told directors he believed it was time to leave.
    County Commissioner Tom Lizotte completed his third term on Dec. 18. Lizotte decided not to seek re-election after spending nine years, two months and one day in his position.
    Parkman selectmen approved to a hold a special town meeting for Feb. 2 to consider a request by First Wind to establish a transmission corridor near the Abbot town line. First Wind wants the corridor as part of their “Bingham Project.” The company wants to transmit electricity generated in their Somerset County wind farms to a Central Maine Power substation in Parkman.