Matthew Spooner has been hired as the director of operations for the soon to be completed Piscataquis County Ice Arena (PICA). He will start the new position July 1 as the arena is on target to open in September.

The annual event enables PCES pupils to participate in several workshops from over 30 possibilities thanks to 100 volunteers helping out at Arts Alive. Those taking part this year wore green T-shirts with a logo designed by sixth-grader Lena Pearson.

I went to the local grocery store the other morning. Normally, in my small town, I can get a parking spot in front of the store or, at the very least, in the adjacent parking lot two or three stalls from the door. Today, I had to park in the lot near the back of the store. It was just strange for a rainy, gray day in Podunk.

Ah … spring – that elusive season is finally here, a time when thoughts turn to playing outside on green grass. And there’s nothing like a good round of golf to have some fun and exercise with friends or family. The Squaw Mountain Village Golf Course on Route 15 just north of Greenville Junction is open for the season and under new management.

May 25-26 the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Narrow Gauge Railroad and Museum hosted the 103rd Infantry World War I reenactment group with volunteers from Maine and New Hampshire. Many of the original members of the 103rd “Yankee Division” Infantry were from the Piscataquis County, including one young soldier from Monson who was killed in action.

On Saturday, June 15 you can buy a book and a snack to support the Milo Area Ecumenical Food Cupboard. Expect to find all sorts of books, at bargain prices, for all sorts of people. Nothing goes better with a good book than a sweet snack. Volunteers are happy to bake treats for you to purchase and enjoy, too.

The state legislation that’s required for Mayo Regional Hospital in Dover-Foxcroft to merge with Northern Light Health could be approved by next week, but it won’t include conditions proposed by a Piscataquis County lawmaker that would have given the towns that now own the hospital more control over the deal.

This Legislature hasn't even finished their work finalizing a budget yet, and already we are talking about spending more money than we have.

U.S. Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, chairman of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, announced that nine airports across Maine have been awarded a total of $3,490,995 from the Department of Transportation (DOT).

Pine Tree Hospice and The Commons at Central Hall are pleased to be co-hosting a dementia care workshop from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 20 at The Commons. The speaker is Kathryn Pears, founder of Dementia Care Strategies.