The Commons at Central Hall is collaborating with community partner organizations to present a series called “PTSD Conversations: Our Communities Response.” This series of four virtual presentations over the next four months will appear on Facebook Live and Zoom.  The first of the series called “A Journey Towards Healing” focuses on equine therapy for veterans and will occur at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24.

In addition to her role as SAD 4 Superintendent, Kelly MacFadyen may be returning to the Greenville-based Union 60 but in a different capacity than before. SAD 4 officials are considering a potential service agreement between the district and Union 60 for superintendent services and other functions in the 2020-21 academic year.

Upcoming events around the region.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, this year the Dover-Foxcroft annual town meeting process will consist solely of a vote at the polls on Tuesday, July 14. In years past decisions on the municipal budget have been made with an in-person town meeting in the gymnasium at the Morton Avenue Municipal Building, with items approved that day then moved to referendum for final approval.

This astonishing time in Maine’s history, left out of textbooks for nearly 100 years, will be explored by author Mark Alan Leslie as part of the Thompson Free Library’s Maine Bicentennial Speaker Series at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 18, live via Zoom.

On Wednesday, June 17 at 1 p.m., the director of peer services at NAMI Maine Nicole Foster, JD, will relate the story surrounding her diagnoses of PTSD, major depression, and generalized anxiety disorder. Her message of hope will include the professional treatments that helped her and the daily coping mechanisms and protocols that she uses for continued healing. Her PTSD lived experience centers on serious accident, domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse scenarios. 

The date and method of conducting the annual town meeting amidst the COVID-19 pandemic is still to be determined, but a warrant featuring seven articles was approved as written by both the selectmen and budget advisory committee during the annual public hearing -- conducted via Zoom -- on June 3.

The list of public Masses with safety restrictions being celebrated daily and on Sundays at Maine churches continues to grow. The dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass continues to be in place, and the long list of live-streamed Masses at Maine parishes remains in place (portlanddiocese.org/response-coronavirus).

Upcoming events around the region.

The 133rd edition of the Piscataquis Valley Fair in Dover-Foxcroft has been postponed until next year due to factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fair, originally scheduled for Aug. 27-30, will be held next on Aug. 26-29, 2021.

Extension staff will have seedlings available at several other locations while supplies last: Tradewinds in Milo, 7 to 11 a.m. on Friday, June 5; Smith’s Grocery and Lunch in Brownville, noon to 3 p.m. on June 5; Whitney’s Supermarket in Guilford, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 6; and the Piscataquis County Extension Office in Dover-Foxcroft, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, June 8.

The Abbott Memorial Library has reopened with limited hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 1-5 p.m. Wednesday and Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.

The Center Theatre announced this week that registration is now open for the summer drama camp program. The camp, which brings kids of all ages and backgrounds together for a two-week day camp program, is the Theatre's longest running program. Because of the COVID 19 pandemic and necessary precautions to ensure the safety of campers and staff, Patrick Myers, the executive director of the Center Theatre, said that there would be some significant differences for this year's camps.

The 2020 Piscataquis River Festival, which was scheduled for Saturday, July 25, will not be happening.

The Thompson Free Library is collaborating with the Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District (PCSWCD) and will be setting up a story walk at the Law Farm. What is a story walk, you ask? A story walk is a series of signs featuring sequential spreads from a children's picture book.

Curbside pickup begins at the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft. While it won’t bring order to the current chaos, it may bring some comfort as books and movies often do. Get new picture books to read to your kids, the next in a series you love, a comedy that makes you LOL or non-fiction resources to motivate and inspire.

The Piscataquis County Soil & Water Conservation District is holding its monthly board meeting from 9-11 a.m. on Friday, June 12. This meeting is open to the public.

Valley Grange of Guilford recently announced that in a joint agreement with the administration of SAD 4, the Parade of Pirates scheduled for Wednesday, June 10 is being canceled. In announcing the cancelation, Valley Grange Program Director Walter Boomsma explained, “After reviewing the recent changes to Gov. Mills’ Executive Order, we made the unhappy decision to cancel the event in keeping with the spirit of the order and everyone’s safety.”