Penquis Valley High School senior forward Cymeria Robshaw is one of 15 players from across all four classes named to the Maine Soccer Coaches’ Girls Northern Maine State Team.

Political irony is on full display in Maine. The staple of many a politician, hypocrisy has now been foisted upon the voting process. Ranked Choice Voting, toddling mere months into its infancy, was found unconstitutional by the Maine Supreme Court for use in state elections, has now mired the state into the muck of necessary legal challenges into its Federal constitutionality, and media punditry has circled the wagons around their collective talking point that challenging Ranked Choice Voting at the federal level erodes the people’s confidence in the “institution” of voting, seemingly oblivious to the millions of dollars, and years of political spin, spent on ads, campaign mailings, and signature drives, all in a effort to erode the voters' confidence in Maine's already constitutionally established voting system.

Girl Scouts of Maine will host Discover Girl Scout events at 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 10 at Milo Elementary and at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec 12 at the Ridge View Community School in Dexter for potential members and volunteers.

A “Bah Humbug Christmas” is the theme for the annual holiday concert presented by the Harold J Crosby Community Band at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 9 at the town hall.

Raffle tickets are available to be entered into a drawing to win a 2002 Toyota Celica, with all proceeds benefiting the restoration of The Commons at Central Hall. A maximum of 450 tickets will be sold for the drawing on Friday, Dec. 21. The vehicle is available to view on The Commons lawn at 152 East Main Street.

The holiday season is underway and soon families will gather for meals and gift giving. With many relatives under one roof, this is a great time for genealogists to ask questions about holiday traditions practiced in the past or to try to learn more about the family.

On Thursday, Nov. 29, 18 veterinarian technician seniors from the University of Maine-Augusta’s Bangor campus learned how to handle large, exotic birds at Siesta Sanctuary in preparation for their state exam. These students will be the first graduates of an accredited, four-year Baccalaureate degree vet tech program -- one of two now in Maine.

The Polyvagal Theory, developed by scientist Stephen Porges, PhD, will be the focus of this month’s Healing Trauma Series presented by NAMI Piscataquis County at Dover-Foxcroft’s The Commons at Central Hall at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 13.

Maneuvering has begun in Washington among the Democrats to choose the next speaker of the House. I am not a big fan of Rep. Nancy Pelosi and neither is our Rep.-elect Jared Golden. He indicated during the campaign his intention to try to vote for an alternative candidate for speaker.

The annual Hometown Holidays celebration across the region began in Guilford on Friday evening, Nov. 30. “Julie and Friends” caroled across town, including a performance in front of Davis Bros. Furniture, before moving down to the Braeburn lot.