It is with great pleasure that the Baxter State Park Authority announces the appointment of its new park director, Eben Sypitkowski. Sypitkowski is currently serving as Baxter State Park's resource manager and is managing its Scientific Forest Management Area. He brings knowledge and experience to the role of director, and a proven passion for upholding the Baxter Trusts and serving its mission.

Tina Gerickont of Cambridge is the grand prize winner in the Piscataquis Observer’s annual Find the Whoopie Pie Contest. Gerickont was chosen from a pool of 10 weekly winners in which entrants successfully located a whoopie pie hidden in one of that week’s advertisements.

The annual conference of Alpha Psi State, the Maine organization of DKG Society International, was held recently in Bangor at the Hilton Garden Inn. Two local teachers were among the recipients of special scholarship awards presented at the conference. Mirna Reyes-Henderson, Spanish teacher at Foxcroft Academy, received a scholarship as she continues work on her CAS degree at the University of Maine. Lisa Quatrale, English teacher at Dexter Regional High School, received a monetary award in support of a leadership project and class she has instituted at the school.

Upcoming events around the region.

The Center Theatre has announced the schedule for the 2018 Maine Whoopie Pie Festival being held on Saturday, June 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Dover-Foxcroft. The 10th annual festival opens at 10 a.m. with 25 bakers from across the state, including lead sponsor Shaw's Supermarkets, bringing over 40,000 whoopie pies to share with hungry whoopie pie fans. The full schedule and more information about the festival can be found at www.MaineWhoopiePieFestival.com.

On June 13 Lori Kurzius and Beth Weymouth’s grade 4 students from Piscataquis Community Elementary School in Guilford took a field trip to the Maine Statehouse in Augusta. Rep. Paul Stearns, R-Guilford met students and gave them a walking tour of the Blaine House and an inside tour of the Statehouse.

Following a successful pilot project during the summer of 2017, the Moosehead Lake Region Economic Development Corporation (MLREDC) will launch the first full summer season of the festive Artisan Village at 35 Pritham Avenue on the Moosehead lakefront in Greenville. Four colorful cottages will house different artists from all over Maine beginning the weekend of June 23-24 and then Thursday through Monday from June 28 through Sunday, Sept. 10.

Lately, high profile suicides have blanketed the news – the shocking deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain make people wonder, how can someone who appears to have everything do this kind of thing? Why would they leave their family in tatters, especially impacting their young children left behind? The JD Foundation in Abbot, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary this October, is working to address this each and every day.

At the final meeting of the school year the local Omicron chapter of the DKG Society International, a professional honor society of leading women educators, initiated Stacy Shorey, superintendent of RSU 68, and Lenora Granger, retired school nurse, as new members.

The Three Rivers Kiwanis of Milo/Brownville recently donated $2,000 to the summer meals program in Milo. The program provides free lunch for area children 18 and under from June 18 to Aug. 22 -- no sign up or registration required.

The Dover-Foxcroft Historical Society’s Observer Building Museum will be opening for the season on the day of the 2018 Maine Whoopie Pie Festival, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday June 23. This year the museum have a new display about East Dover.

The Dover-Foxcroft Police Department, Center Theatre and the Commons at Central Hall have announced an opportunity for the public to own one of a limited edition set of the new Dover-Foxcroft Police patches. The patches, designed by high school and middle school students, will be framed by Green Door Gallery and will be the first opportunity for the member of the public to own one of the new patches.

Dexter Regional High School is proud to announce that the following pupils have been selected by the faculty as “Students of the Month” for April, from left, grade 9: Peyton Grant; grade 10: Stephen Thomas; grade 11: Kaylee Harris; and grade 12: Morgan Gilman.

Leslie Lizotte, aging and disability resource center specialist from the Eastern Area Agency on Aging, will be holding a Medicare 101 presentation in the Sebec Room at Mayo Regional Hospital at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 21.

The Shaw Public Library has been selected by the Maine Humanities Council to offer “Let’s Talk About It,” a free reading and discussion group with copies of the books available through the library. This program is provided by the Maine Humanities Council’s Maine Center for the Book in cooperation with the Maine State Library.

Upcoming events around the region.

It is not uncommon for landowners in Piscataquis County to own several acres of woodland. There are a variety of options for these residents to manage their woodlots and over the years, the Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District (PCSWCD) has worked to provide educational programming on techniques and practices that can be used to better and profit from their woodlots. District staff are excited to be offering a low impact forestry workshop at the Law Farm public land, offering yet another informative session to help landowners better manage their woodlots.

Dexter Regional High School is proud to announce that the following pupils have been selected by the faculty as “Students of the Month” for March, Brett Kusnierz; grade 10: Chloe Mountain; grade 11: Victoria Leighton; and grade 12: Rebecca Batron.