A week before the holiday, students at Piscataquis Community Elementary School enjoyed a Thanksgiving meal and were able to personally thank their teachers and school staff members.

The newest Students of the Month at PCES include fifth-graders Hailey Chambers, Olivia Goodwin and Desirae Maloon; Brady Ball and Molly Goodwin representing grade 6; grade 7 honorees Jordan Brown, Gavin Chase and Gabby Koscielny; and eighth-graders Braylin Bilodeau, Scott Chadbourne, Zachariah Demmer and Beau Talbot.

Heading into the 2019 Class D North/Little Ten Conference championship on Friday, Nov. 15 on the artificial turf at Hampden Academy, second-seeded Dexter Regional High School had little room for error against No. 1 Bucksport High School. The Golden Bucks would tally more than 400 yards on the ground and take advantage of four Tiger turnovers, with three of these changes in possession leading to touchdowns, in a 46-8 victory.

Dexter town officials have been working to retain and attract businesses to the community. One economic development tool available to Maine communities is tax increment financing (TIF) and during a Nov. 14 council meeting Town Manager Trampas King discussed what the community may be able to do.

A municipal solar power project will not be located at the town airport at the Charles A. Chase Jr. Memorial Field on Pine Street. During a selectmen’s meeting Tuesday night in the Morton Avenue Municipal Building Gymnasium, the board passed a motion to focus on a solar project at an alternate site other than the airport.

After coming up empty in the team’s first three trips inside the redzone Dexter Regional High School was able to get across the goalline in two of the final three such drives with short touchdowns rushes in the third and fourth quarters during a Class D North/Little Ten Conference semifinal against Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln on a muddy field during the early afternoon on Saturday, Nov. 9.

Two weeks after meeting in the regular season finale in Dover-Foxcroft, a 53--0 victory for visiting Bucksport High School, Foxcroft Academy and the Golden Bucks met again on Friday, Nov. 8 in a Class D North/Little Ten Conference semifinal. The score changed at 49-12 but the end result was the same as top-seeded Bucksport (8-0) won vs. the No. 5 Ponies (who end the year at 4-6) to move on to the regional final.

Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous, depending on how much of the trail network you hike.

The school district’s near $745,000 share of a $2.4 million funding package to upgrade the heating system at the Penquis Valley School will be $200,000 less than anticipated thanks to a grant from the East Millinocket-based Gloria C. MacKenzie Foundation, which through its mission and vision hopes to improve economic growth and enhance the quality of life for the people of Maine.

Citing what they feel is a non-proportional expense and lack of benefits, the Piscataquis County Commissioners are considering ending membership in the Maine County Commissioners Association. The commissioners discussed the possibility during a Nov. 5 meeting and plan to attend a meeting with officials from other Maine counties also pondering an exit to learn more.