One of the events the Three Rivers Kiwanis of Milo/Brownville looks forward to participating in is Jean’s Blessings. Originally called Blessings in a Backpack, Jean’s Blessings started in Milo in 2009 in memory of one of the founders and owner of JSI Store Fixtures, Jean Johndro. JSI donates $2,000 every April school vacation week for food that the students bring home.

As part of Better Speech and Hearing Month, certified audiologist Chris Clukey, MA, CCC-A, of Dover Audiology, will speak about age-related hearing loss, its causes and treatments, as well as other kinds of hearing loss experienced by older adults, at the Abbott Memorial Library in Dexter on Thursday, May 11 at 1 p.m.

Caring for a loved one who has Alzheimer’s or another dementia is a daunting, overwhelming endeavor. Caregivers need help to learn how dementia is affecting their loved one’s behavior. They need strategies for communication and knowledge about challenging behavior management. Caregiving can lead to loneliness and depression. The Eastern Area Agency on Aging is sponsoring the popular SAVVY Caregiver training in Brownville, Corinna and Greenville beginning in May. The six-week SAVVY trainings are a total of 12 hours during May, June and July.

Dexter Regional High School is proud to announce that the following pupils have been selected by the faculty and staff as "Students of the Month" for March, from left, grade 9: Jacob Cardelli, grade 10: Ashley Crawford, grade 11: Mathison Deering and grade 12: Myeongah (Jane) Yoon.

Piscataquis Community Elementary School students were recently treated to a concert by the University of Maine Percussion Ensemble.

Over the past five months the Foxcroft Academy Key Club has been extremely busy raising money for different projects the membership feels passionate about. On April 13 at a special in-school presentation, the Foxcroft Academy Key Club presented nine area groups and/or families with checks ranging from $100 to $500. In all over $3,500 was given out, raising the total that the Key Club has raised and donated to to over $19,000 this school year alone.

In life, it has been said, “If you find one or two good friends to depend on you are lucky.” The trials we face, sometimes can be self imposed, yet others we have no control over. In November 2016, I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. This story is less about that and more about the bonds of childhood friendships from Dover-Foxcroft.

Maine Woods Forever presented the Piscataquis Community Secondary School grade 9-10 environmental science class with the 2017 “Teddy Roosevelt Maine Conservation Award” – a youth-oriented honor created to recognize young people and youth groups whose efforts are in the spirit of Roosevelt’s conservation ethic and achievements.

Over the last several months the Foxcroft Academy Key Club, along with Key Clubs in Dexter and Greenville, have been working to raise money for the Thirst Project, a non-profit organization raising awareness of the lack of drinking water in the world. After a $2,000 donation from the Student Council at SeDoMoCha Middle School, the goal became a reality as the Key Clubs have raised over $12,000 to fund a well in Swaziland -- a small, landlocked monarchy in southern Africa.

Dreaming of warmer weather and the sounds of summer, the Sangerville Parks and Rec Committee has been working diligently to formulate a plan to develop the Sangerville ball field into something more

Calendar of events for April into May

On the evening of Sunday, April 2, after an amazing weekend at the District Educational Convention in Springfield Mass., students from Dexter, Foxcroft Academy, Greenville and Penquis Valley Key Clubs were were given a surprise escort by the Dexter Fire Department. Fire trucks met the bus at the town line with sirens blazing escorting the students on buses to Dexter Regional High School.

Join us for a morning birdwalk as we explore springtime birds at the Law Farm. On Saturday, April 22 the Piscataquis County Soil & Water Conservation District (PCSWCD) will be hosting birding expert Bob Duchesne for a free birdwalk starting at 8 a.m.

The Thompson Free Library has several events planned for this month, and now more than ever, your local library is a vital resource when it comes to learning, community involvement, personal development and family entertainment.

Trooper Dylan Hall is one of the eight new Maine State Police troopers, who graduated from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy on April 7. Trooper Hall has been assigned to Troop E, Piscataquis and Penobscot counties.

Dexter Dover Area Towns in Transition (DDATT) continues its monthly workshop series with “Repair Café,” on Saturday April 15 at the Abbott Memorial Library from 10 a.m. until noon.

The Sangerville Public Library has received a $500 grant from the Rose and Samuel Rudman Library Trust of the Maine Community Foundation. The grant money has been used to buy children's books by Maine authors and illustrators.

Contributed photo BLANKETS FOR PROJECT LINUS — Merlene Sanborn displays just a few of the quilts made annually for Project Linus — which provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized or otherwise in need through the gifts of new handmade blankets and afghans lovingly created by volunteer blanketeers.