Second Annual Striper Tournament

YORK HARBOR –
A 10-year-old New Hampshire boy was the grand prizewinner in the 2nd Annual Dockside Striper Tournament.
Niko Alexandropoulos of North Hampton captured the top prize with a striper measuring 43 inches.
In addition to the youth winner, others taking top prizes included Jeremy Reynolds of York in Adult Bait/Tackle with a 42- ¾” fish and Bob Hoy of York Harbor in Fly Fishing competition with a 38 inch catch.
The tournament began with wild weather but that didn’t dampen the fishermen’s zeal or the overall success of the event that raised over $40,000 through registrations, sponsorships, a raffle and auction.
Proceeds are shared by York Hospital’s Caring for All Program and The Coastal Conservation Association of Maine (CCA).
“York Hospital is fortunate to be part of such a generous community…one who values, enjoys and supports all of the resources that surround them,” Judd Knox, president of the hospital said.
Both the hospital and CCA thanked the Lusty family, owners of the Dockside Guest Quarters & Restaurant and York Harbor Marine Services for donating the venue for the two-day event.
More than 150 fisherman and guests attended Sunday afternoon’s Captain’s Party.
The silent auction and raffle included items from a Honda motor and framed prints of Portsmouth Harbor to rods, reels and Red Sox tickets.
All youth fishermen were surprised with a Quantum Reel & Rod donated by Brian Noyes and a fully stocked Cabela’s Tackle & Tote bag.
Winners in the York Division included Adam Brown, 12, Pepperell, Mass., 39 ½”; Matt Brown, 8, Pepperell, 38”; Alex Boulous, 14, Middleton, Mass., 32.5”; and Matt Webber, 12, York, 20.5”.
Following Reynolds in the Adult Bait/Tackle Division were Michael Leatherman, Dover, N.H., 42 ½”; Brett Camplin, South Portland, 42”; Jared Webber, York, 42”; and Tom Brown, York, 41 ¾”.
In back of Hoy in the Fly Fishing Division were John Carlson, Kittery Point, 24”; Julius Ciembroniewicz, Portland, 23”; Joe Kozak of Manchester, 22 ¾”; and Ben Lowenstein, York, 21 ½”.
Sponsors included Dedicated Mortgage Associates, Dockside Guest Quarters & Restaurant, Jay Peak Resort-Vermont, Kimberly-Clark Health Care, Kozak & Gayer, P.A., L.L. Bean, Owens & Minor, Prime Motor Group, West Marine, York Harbor Marine Service, Bragdon Insurance, Century 21/Atlantic Realty, Cummings, Lamont & McNamee, P.A., Honda Marine, Jackson’s Hardware & Marine, Kennebunk Savings Bank, Navtronics, Orvis, Seacoast YMCA, South End Charter Company, Wilcox Industries/Jim & Laurie Teetzel.

Caption: Winners of the three divisions in the 2nd Annual Dockside Striper Tournament: (left to right) Jeremy Reynolds of York, Niko Alexandropoulos of North Hampton, NH, and Bob Hoy of York Harbor. (Courtesy photo)

Spirit Of Giving

By Larry Favinger
Staff Columnist
OGUNQUIT –
“They are amazingly wonderful.”
That was the way Bette Hoxie, program director of the Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine and The Kinship Program described those people involved in the Spirit of Giving program based here.
The Spirit of Giving Committee has recently received a special Thank You Award from the Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine.
Jason Corbin of Admirals’ Inn, and Jeff Porter of Five-O, two of the organizers of the program, said it is aimed at helping those less fortunate in the state, especially children.
Adoptive and Foster Families provides services for adoptive, foster parents and kinship providers. These include families who find them-selves responsible for relatives’ children for one reason or another, including grandparents who may be living on fixed income.
Ms. Hoxie said that in some cases retired people have had to leave retirement communities in order to live where children were allowed, thus increasing their living expenses dramatically.
Many of those families accepting children “get no reimbursement” of any kind, Ms. Hoxie said. “These families are hurting.”
Corbin said the children involved with the program write down two items they would like to have and that is submitted to AFFM. He recalled one request from a seven-year-old who wanted a toothbrush. Others have asked for sweatshirts, a coloring book and crayons.
“It makes you realize how lucky we are,” he said. “It’s an awakening every year.”
“We do not accept any money,” Corbin said of the Spirit of Giving program. There are no administrative costs. “The gifts that come through the door go to the kids.”
Those who want to give money are asked to buy gifts cards at Hannaford or from an oil company.
The program helps children up to the age of 18.
“We want people to experience” the giving of gifts that are needed and fulfilling to some degree the holiday dreams of children of all ages. “That’s the whole spirit of giving idea” Corbin said.
Corbin, a native of Maine, was familiar with a similar program when he was in the Boston area and brought it with him when he returned to Maine.
“There’s something special about the Ogunquit, Wells, York community,” he said. “The people are very caring. They help one another out. It’s that whole Maine tradition. Something that’s different from other states.”
The original committee was about seven, he said, with people from the Wells, Ogunquit, and York area. At this point that group has grown to up to 15. There is no chairman, as such, with the
decisions made by the committee as a whole.
Last year the program, which was created in 2005 and helped over 85 kids, provided gifts for more than 300 children and this year the aim is to provide gifts for between 350 and 400 children. The Kinship Program has more than 650 children at this point.
The first invitations to join in the program will go out next week. Those wishing to help can contact a member of the committee and receive a list as to whether the child is a boy or age, what the age is, what their size is.
The names of the children are confidential, known only to those who run the Kinship Program. The monetary limit was $35 a child but there has been discussion of raising that to $50. In the past, Corbin said, some people have provided more than just what is asked for.
“A lot of the donors will take two or three kids,” Corbin said.
The gifts are brought to a special party, this year on Dec. 7 at Main Street, with color coded trees from different drop off points, seven in all. Following the party, which is put on with all donated foods, gifts are loaded on a truck and delivered to drop off points “all the way up to Old Town,” Corbin said.
From that point the Kinship Program takes over the actual delivery of the gifts.
Those interested in being involved can consult the group’s web site but as of this writing it is not yet available.

Caption: The Adoptive & Foster Families of Maine recently honored The Spirit of Giving Committee for outstanding community service. (www.ogunquitnow.com/giving/drill.htm photo)

South Berwick’s 32nd Annual Strawberry Festival

SOUTH BERWICK –
Always the last Saturday in June, the South Berwick Strawberry Festival officially kicks off summer for the quaint, southern Maine town of South Berwick. The kids are out of school, camps are open and the weather is getting warm. All over town one can see the bright red, white, and green strawberry flags that not only line the main streets, but can also be seen flying from many houses. The day is filled with food, entertainment, games, and crafts.
For thirty-two consecutive years, hundreds of volunteers from South Berwick, have come together to put together a South Berwick tradition. As always, official Festival activities will take place only on the grounds of Central School, on Main Street, in the center of town. A stop at the Strawberry Festival Information Booth is a must to find out more about the day’s schedule for the entertainers, as well as where all the various activities are located and to purchase strawberry festival memorabilia.
For more info visit our website at www.southberwick strawberryfestival.com.

Wells Couple – Long Lasting!

WELLS –
Francis and Nathalie Chick celebrated their 72nd Wedding Anniversary recently. They were married in the Old Unitarian Church in Boston in 1936. This long lasting couple are 95 and 93-years old respectively, and have raised two children, two grand children and four great grand children. They are long-time Wells residents, having built their house on Clark Road in Wells Branch by cutting lumber from their own land and making their own shingles. Francis continued the endeavor by making their furniture as well. At “Soup’s On” in Wells, Mr. and Mrs. Chick were presented with a cake while by-standers sang “Happy Anniversary.” They remain active, going out for lunch every day, but haven’t done much ballroom dancing lately.
Nathalie and Francis Chick (Courtesy photo)

Warrior Memorial Field, Filled with Graduates

WELLS –
Wells High School held its 105th commencement exercises on Warrior Memorial Field Sunday afternoon, June 8th.  It was estimated that close to a thousand traveled to brave a hot, humid day and observe family members and friends graduate.
Commencement began at 1:00 pm with Junior Class Marshals Hope Beisswanger and Christopher Hebert leading the marching seniors dressed in red and white caps and gowns to their seats.   Their march was accompanied by the traditional Pomp and Circumstance played by the WHS Concert Band.
Members of the audience dealt with the direct sun as best they could by using their programs for fans.  Some were standing hundreds of feet away near the field’s surrounding woods for shade.   The temperature climbed into the 90’s.
Brianna Cilley provided the Salutatorian Address.  She talked about the seniors being together for the past four, eight, and, for most, the past 13 years, but by the end of her brief speech she advised classmates to look forward by quoting writer W.M. Lewis: “ ‘The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon but that we wait so long to begin it.’ So, with that said,” Cilley urged,” lets go out there and do it class of ‘08.  Good luck and thank you.”
Principal Jim Daly spoke briefly and reminded the students that they did not get to graduation day without some help, a sentiment Valedictorian Jesse Hamilton echoed by sharing a touching story about his Kindergarten teacher, Nancy Talbot, who, one day, supported him in trying the seemingly impossible monkey bars at the playground.  The next day he confidently went the whole way on the bars.  Later in his address, Jesse quoted Albert Einstein: “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” He spoke of the power of self-motivation and made the point that one needs inner motivation as well as the help of others to succeed.  “I believe each of us has unlimited potential,” he said.  “And even if we falter in striving to achieve our dreams – effort and dedication are what matter most.” Hamilton closed with an enthusiastic “Congratulations.  We have earned the right to celebrate!”
This year’s commencement speaker was the Honorable Susan M. Collins, U.S. Republican Senator, originally from Caribou, Maine in rural Aroostook County.  She pointed out that she faced some of the same uncertainty the graduates were facing when she graduated and went off for her first year at college. She found herself in school with many kids from big cities. However, she soon realized the advantages of coming from a small town like Caribou and Wells, a point she drove home by sharing stories of Mainers from small towns who achieved great things in areas as diverse as human gene mapping and baseball.
Following Collins’ speech students flipped over their tassels and tossed confetti and their caps into the air to celebrate becoming graduates of Wells High School.  Superintendent Edward McDonough, School Board Chairperson Damon Russell and Principal Daly stood up to confer diplomas upon the graduates. Senator Collins remained on stage at the end of the line to greet each graduate. “I so enjoyed being the commencement speaker,” said Senator Collins about her visit to Wells. “This is a real milestone in the lives of these students.  From everything I’ve heard, they’ve been an excellent class.  Wells High School does a terrific job and it is a tribute to the teachers, the principals, the staff, the school board, the whole community.”
When asked about the 90 plus degree heat of the day she joked.  “Oh it was brutally hot but at least that was an incentive for all of us to keep our speeches shorter then they might have otherwise been.”

Captions:
Class Marshals Hope Beisswanger and Christopher Hebert leading the soon-to-be 2008 Graduates to their seats. (Reg Bennett photo)

Greeting Senator Collins at Wells High School are some of the members of the Wells-Ogunquit School Committee. Left to right: Sue Pollard, Vice Chairman David Johnson, Assistant Superintendent Ira Waltz and (behind the Senator) Chairman of the School Committee, Damon Russell. (Reg Bennett photo)

Ogunquit Rotary Dedicates Flags

PERKINS COVE –
On June 11, 2008, the Ogunquit Rotary Club held a Flag Dedication Ceremony at the Perkins Cove Rotary Park. The Invocation was said by Gordon Lewis, the National Anthem sung by Ellen Farber, the history of National Flag Week explained by President Ben Oliver and “I am the Flag of the United States of America” read by Tracy Smith. (Courtesy photo)

Regatta Banquet and Conference Center

ELIOT –
The Regatta Banquet and Conference Center at Eliot Commons has opened for business. A ribbon cutting ceremony with the Greater York Region Chamber of Commerce will be held at the facility on Thursday, June 26 at 3:00 pm.
The facility has two state-of-the art function spaces: the Regatta Room can host 300 seated guests – perfect for conferences and weddings – and the more intimate Optimus Room accommodates up to 70 seated guests for board meetings, press conferences or upscale private dining or wine-tasting events. There is also a dressing room with private bathroom and shower facilities, perfect for VIPs, brides or talent.
The facility boasts a world class culinary team in a luxury commissary facility and top of the line, wireless audio/video equipment and multiple screens to accommodate any and all business or social functions. Efficiency Maine helped incorporate green technologies into the design which include such features as: heated sidewalks; interior, exterior, and parking lot lighting; low energy, high efficiency kitchen motors; recaptured heat from refrigeration motors; preheated water; and cooking systems that utilize steam generated by natural gas.
With the opening of this new facility, area residents now have a local, state-of-the-art event center to host business and social events of all kinds.
The Regatta Banquet and Conference Center is located at Eliot Commons on Route 236 right next door to the Shipyard Brew Pub. FMI: www.regattaroom.com.

Captions: Regatta Banquet and Conference Center can be seen from Route 236 in Eliot Commons. (Weekly Sentinel photos)