Now, after decades of preparing and serving the county’s best food, the kitchen is in dire need of a serious renovation. Handed-down counters and boxes that are hung as cabinets without doors have become grossly inadequate -- the cement floor has become the scourge of volunteers’ backs.

For close to two decades nearly 3,000 third grade students across the region have each been given a dictionary thanks to the Valley Grange and the organization’s Words for Thirds Dictionary Project. The first batch of dictionaries for 2019 were given out on the afternoon of Oct. 15 to approximately 75 students from the four grade 3 classrooms at the SeDoMoCha Elementary School in Dover-Foxcroft. Pupils and teachers traveled to the Guilford Grange Hall to receive their books.

Greenville, with its accessibility to Moosehead Lake and the great North Woods has a lot to offer, and now there’s a new addition to the mix – Chip Gerber, former powerlifting world champion, triathlete and professional fighter.

For years now, from elected Augusta officials of either party, we have heard this song before: “We need to be more aggressive and creative in marketing Maine as a hunting and fishing destination.” Yes, it’s an old, familiar score.

For the first time in three years, the Maine Teacher of the Year is from outside Piscataquis County. On Oct. 10 at Gorham Middle School the Maine Department of Education and Educate Maine named alternative education teacher Heather Whitaker Maine’s 2020 Teacher of the Year. She follows SeDoMoCha School music teacher Kaitlin Young in 2018 and Piscataquis Community High School English instructor Joseph Hennessey last year as recent honorees.

On a recent fall day, the park’s director, Eben Sypitkowski, went on a short hike in the north end of the park. Along the way, he shared some of his thoughts about the future of the park and the challenges that he has faced during his first year as park director.

At a recent meeting the Kiwanis Club of Dover-Foxcroft inducted three new members. From left are Patty Davis with sponsor Paul Davis, Joy Gregory with sponsor Brian Woodworth and Kevin Sargent Sargent with sponsor Jack Clukey.

The Maine Grocers & Food Producers Association is proud to announce Will’s Shop ‘n Save of Dover-Foxcroft as the 2019 Grocer of the Year.

Andrew Torbett of Atkinson is formally announcing his intent to seek the Republican nomination to run for County Commissioner of Piscataquis County in District 2 -- which includes the towns of Bowerbank, Dover-Foxcroft, Medford, Orneville Twp and Sebec in addition to Atkinson Township.

Over 50 people gathered at Stutzman’s Farm Café in Sangerville on the evening of October 3 to observe Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Participants enjoyed soup, salad and wood-fired pizza while listening to the music of Craig Stutzman.

Plans are well underway for the Piscataquis County Democrats annual fall fundraising dinner. The True Blue North Fundraiser takes place at the East Sangerville Grange on Saturday, October 19 with a social hour beginning at 5 p.m.

SAD 4 officials have found a solution for design and access issues with the district website at www.sad4.org and providing information to students, parents and the community. During an October 8 school board meeting at Piscataquis Community High School the directors authorized Superintendent Kelly MacFadyen to use up to $15,000 from the minor capital improvement fund to contract with Apptegy on revamping and then maintaining the website.

Thirteen General Federal of Women’s Clubs/Miosac Club members gathered at Thayer Parkway for a "souper supper" prepared by the advisory committee Roxy McGlauflin, Brenda Quiet and Betsey Ryan; served with breads, pickles and cookies.

Valley Grange of Guilford notes that the fall event calendar includes plenty of opportunities for celebrating and strengthening American values and hometown roots.

Three winners were selected in the second annual “Storybook Pumpkin Patch” contest for SeDoMoCha Elementary students organized by Librarian Nicole Killam.

Recently a request was submitted to the Maine Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) by Weyerhaeuser, a forestland owner in the Moosehead area, to dissolve the terms of the Moosehead Lake Region Concept Plan. The concept plan, which was approved by LUPC’s predecessor agency in 2009, re-zoned approximately 17,000 acres around Moosehead Lake for commercial, industrial, residential and resort development. To date, no development has occurred.

Next to being in the woods during the deer season, I most enjoy reading books about how to hunt these wary animals. In fact, the stand beside my bed is a repository for dozens of books, most of which promise to show me the way to bag that trophy buck. As the nights cool and November draws near, my bed-stand collection gets more and more attention.

Come September, many Mainers expect to see a steady parade of pickup trucks heading into the northern forest as hunters take part in the state’s moose hunt. That’s not always been the case, however.