The Piscataquis Observer’s Stuart Hedstrom picked up top honors in the food story/feature writing category among the state’s smaller weekly publications from the Maine Press Association in the 2019 MPA Better Newspaper Contest on October 19 during the organization's annual awards banquet at the South Portland DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel.

The General Federation of Women’s Clubs/Miosac Club met at Thayer Parkway October 15 with 12 members attending. President Suzanne Raymond called the meeting to order and Dot Tonick led the Club Collect, American's Creed and Pledge of Allegiance.

Ahead of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day this Saturday, October 26, U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine and Angus King, I-Maine announced the locations of the Maine collection sites, the full list is at https://takebackday.dea.gov/. Area sites include the Dexter, Dover-Foxcroft, Greenville and Milo police departments and Piscataquis County sheriff’s office.

The Tisbury Manor Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution welcomed a new member at the October meeting. Dorinda Galbraith joined by proving her lineage to Revolutionary War patriot John Nims, from Massachusetts, who was a private in the Hampshire County militia in 1777.

The Dover-Foxcroft Window Dressers workshop, with The Commons Energy Collaborative, completed its annual weeklong build on Saturday, October 19 at the Dexter Town Hall, constructing 300 insulating window inserts for 45 customers and with the help of over 45 volunteers.

In my 9/21/18 column, “Give Political Thugs the Bum's Rush,” I told a story of Maine Senate Democrat Leader Beverly Bustin’s 1995 reaction to Maine voters electing Angus King as Governor, and a new Republican majority to the Maine Senate.

Giving talks to rod and gun clubs around the state is enjoyable for me. It's a good chance to rub elbows with good people who share a common interest. I learn a lot and always come away with new insights and topics to write about. Most of the time, the food is good, too.

All of us should be celebrating Maine Forest Products Week, Oct. 20-26. Maine’s forest products industry has a long and successful history in our state. From our earliest days, Maine’s vast timberlands have been an important asset, sought after first for masts for the king’s navy, and today for lumber and paper. The future will include any number of forest products from composites to bio tech to uses that have not even been imagined yet.

In a recent ceremony and reception held at the Abbot Town Hall, Selectman Mickey Knowles presented Abbot’s Boston Post Cane to nonagenarian Thelma Weymouth.

The Dexter Regional High School boys cross country team finished in fourth place among 12 Class C schools at the 2019 Penobscot Valley Conference championships on October 19 at Searsport District High School. The Tigers ended the meet with a score of 152 points.