Next month a half dozen Penquis Valley High School students will be immersed in a different culture and environment, switching from pine tree forests to rainforests, as they spend April vacation in Central America on their “Exploring Costa Rica’s Natural Wonders” trip with Spanish teacher Michele Cabral through EF Education Tours.

SoupStock 2019 will be held Saturday, April 6 as a fundraising event to benefit the food cupboard at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Sangerville and Dover-Foxcroft. Patterned after Empty Bowls, an international project to fight hunger and personalized by artists and art organizations on a community level, SoupStock has involved the creation and decoration of over 200 bowls made from clay.

More than 20 students in the younger grades at Piscataquis Community Elementary School are now HEROs for their outstanding conduct during the month of February. The HERO honorees were recognized with the presentation of certificates during an elementary-wide morning meeting on Wednesday, March 20.

Spring is just around the corner, believe it or not, so it is time to get ready to welcome Maine’s birds back to the area. If you love birds and want to learn more about how to identify them by their songs and calls, this workshop is for you. The Piscataquis County Soil & Water Conservation District (PCSWCD) is hosting a new, free workshop this year called Birding by Ear and we are fortunate enough to have Bob Duchesne, Maine Birding Trails creator and Maine bird guide, lead the presentation.

On Saturday, March 16 the Eagle’s Explorers (outdoor club) teamed with Mountain’s Market (Travis Belote and Kerr Dickson) to hold the first SeDoMoCha Ice Fishing Derby on Snow’s Pond. All SeDoMoCha students were welcome to fish for prizes provided by Mountain’s Market and its vendors.

A pair of Dover-Foxcroft residents are busy collecting $12 sponsorships to fill bags for Easter to give to pediatric patients at the four psychiatric facilities across the state. The gifts brighten the days for the youngsters and let them know people outside the hospital are thinking of them. The $12 contributions purchases a decorated bag from Thirty-One Gifts -- a national direct sales company -- and Independent Director Theresa Makowski uses all her commission to purchase goodies to fill the bags. Last year about 60 bags were donated and this year the goal is 100.

Upcoming events around the region.

Penquis President and CEO Kara Hay was recognized by the National NeighborWorks Association (NNA) at the annual NeighborWorks Executive Directors Symposium in Washington D.C. Hay was one of three leaders nationwide acknowledged at the NNA’s 15th annual Excellence Awards, which honors outstanding practitioners in the field of housing and community development.

A 10-cent "We-hope-its-Spring" book sale will be in the Thompson Free Library meeting room Thursday, March 21 from 2-7 p.m., Friday, March 22 from 9 a.m. to­ 5 p.m. and Saturday, March 23 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Local author Kaitlin Covel will be at the Guilford Memorial Library at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20 to share and discuss her new novel "Atoning For Ashes."

Leaders of Mayo Regional Hospital say the merger they’re pursuing with one of the state’s largest hospital systems is critical for the Dover-Foxcroft facility’s survival after years of operating losses. But the negotiated merger agreement with Northern Light Health would only obligate the hospital system to keep operating Mayo in its current form for five years after the merger.

Guilford Town Manager Thomas Goulette was recognized in the Maine House of Representatives with a Legislative Sentiment presented by Rep. Paul Stearns, R-Guilford March 15 in Augusta. During his visit Goulette also met with Sen. Paul Davis, R-Sangerville.

Believe In Hypnotherapy is expanding, changing and finding more ways to help clients utilizing the subconscious mind.

Like a true rite of spring, the opening of Stutzman’s Farm Café & Brick Oven Bakery on Friday, April 5 ushers in the beginning of the farming season. This third generation family farm located at 891 Douty Hill Road, enters its sixth season as a field to fork restaurant and its 40th anniversary since operators Sid and Rainie Stutzman took over the family farm.

DOVER-FOXCROFT -- For the seventh year students and teachers at SeDoMoCha Middle School celebrated the 14th day of the third month with various events for Pi Day. The activities connect to the dessert which is a homophone of the term for the non-terminating ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter.

SAD 41 voters heading to the polls on Thursday, March 14 overwhelmingly approved -- via a combined count of 152 to 25 pending verification of voting results from the towns -- a referendum for a $2.4 million funding package to carry out a heating system upgrade converting from steam to hot water and energy efficiency project at the Penquis Valley School. The referendum was approved in each district community: 7-1 in Atkinson, 55-9 in Brownville, 19-5 in LaGrange and 71-10 in Milo.

The Center Theatre recently announced that for the first time in its history, Theatre officials are raffling off a life-time movie pass. The pass will allow the winner to attend any movie at the Center Theatre for free for the life of the pass holder.

Each month the SeDoMoCha School recognizes “Students in the Spotlight,” celebrating pupils from kindergarten to grade 8 who teachers and staff have determined best demonstrate a specific positive attribute or characteristic chosen for the timeframe from the Habits of Mind (a set of life skills for educators and parents). Following a snow day last month, the February and March Students in the Spotlight were honored together during an all-school assembly in the gym on the morning of March 14.