Baxter State Park Director Jensen Bissell is retiring at the end of this year after 30 years working for park administration and 12 years as park director.

Crystal Saunders, center of Dover-Foxcroft, is the winner in the Piscataquis Observer’s annual Find the Shop Local Tree Contest. Saunders was awarded a grand prize package of goods from numerous area businesses after her name was drawn from a pool of 10 weekly prize winners

Hometown Health Center (HHC) is operating its Hands of Giving Tree again this year. Winter can be a difficult time for families with limited resources. Often, children go without the winter necessities, but HHC is here to help.

A missing North Carolina man was found dead early on the morning of Dec. 13 by authorities. Willard L. Hartsock, 55, from Old Fort, N.C., has died in a snowmobile related incident near Rockwood.

Now we are in the holiday season filled with the spirit of Christmas let’s unite as one greeting everyone with smiling faces and blessings of Christmas filling their hearts with love throughout the new year.

A fire crackled in the woodstove as Mary Margaret Ripley chopped carrots and ginger root. Her husband, Gene Ripley, helped their 20-month old daughter, Harriet, sort the vegetables into glass jars. They then added a scoop of curry powder and a simple mixture of salt and water, brine that would ferment the vegetables over the course of five to seven days. For the Ripleys, fermented vegetables are a way of life.

In 2012 and 2013, we performed the first chemical reclamations in the Moosehead Lake region since 1984 when Sawyer Pond was reclaimed after white perch were illegally introduced.

Upcoming events across the region

Audiologist Chris Clukey of Dover Audiology, left, presents Rusty Willette with a $1,000 donation for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Sangerville and Dover-Foxcroft for the church food cupboard

Three Rivers Kiwanis will be serving the annual Christmas Dinner from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 25 at the Kiwanis Headquarters Building, 24 Gerrish Road off Park Street. This event is open to the public and is free. Donations will be accepted.