Local Student Named Maine Geographic Bee Semifinalist by National Geographic

SOUTH BERWICK —
Marshwood Great Works School fifth grade student Hayden E. Fitt has been notified by the National Geographic Society that she is one of the semifinalists eligible to compete in the 2009 Maine Geographic Bee, sponsored by Google and Plum Creek.
Bees held in schools with fourth through eighth grade students throughout the states determine each school’s Geographic Bee winner. A school level winner then takes a qualifying test, which they submitted to the National Geographic Society. In each of the 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Dependents Schools, and the US territories, the National Geographic Society invite the students with the top 100 scores to compete at the state level.
The 2009 Maine Geographic Bee will be held at The Abromson Community Education Center at the University of South Maine in Portland on Friday, Apr. 3.
The state winner will receive $100, the “National Geographic Collegiate Atlas of the World”, and a trip to Washington D.C., where he/she will represent Maine in the national finals at the National Geographic Society headquarters on Tuesday, May 19 and Wednesday, May 20. The first national place winner will receive a $25,000 college scholarship and a lifetime membership in the Society. The national winner will also travel (along with a parent), all expenses paid, to the Galapagos Islands with Jeopardy host Alex Trabek and the Jeopardy Clue Crew. The winner will experience geography first hand and up close.
How would you fare as a bee contestant? At the school level Bee this year, students had to answer such questions as: 1) Which state does not rely on corn and soybeans for much of its agricultural output — Pennsylvania, Illinois or Iowa? (Answers to follow the article); 2) The Laramie Mountains, a livestock and timbering region, extend north from Colorado into which state?; 3) You can visit an aqueduct built by the Romans in Segovia, a city located approximately 40 miles northwest of Madrid, in which country?; 4) Approximately 40 percent of the population still lives below the poverty line despite an oil and gas boom in which country where Baku is the capital?; and 5) Mexico City is located on the site of Tenochtitlan, the island capital of what empire that was conquered by Spanish explorers in the 16th century?
Don’t feel so bad if you got any of the answers wrong! That’s why we leave it up Hayden to get them all right! Good luck and congratulations, Hayden!
Answers to the previous questions are as follows: 1) Pennsylvania; 2) Wyoming; 3) Spain; 4) Azerbaijan; and 5) Aztec Empire.
Photo caption: Marshwood Great Works School fifth grader Hayden Fitt placed first in the school’s geography bee. She is up for a chance at winning a $25,000 college scholarship. (Courtesy photo)

The 38th Annual Waban Telethon Held This Weekend

YORK COUNTY —
The 38th Annual Waban Telethon will be held on Saturday, Mar. 21 at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 47 High Street, Sanford, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Television coverage will be provided by Metrocast Cablevision (Channel 12) in conjunction with Time Warner Cablevision (Channel 22). The Telethon can be seen throughout most of York and Cumberland County in over 50 communities including the towns of Sanford, Springvale, Acton, Alfred, Arundel, Berwick, Biddeford, Bridgton, Buxton, Cape Elizabeth, Cornish, Cumberland, Dayton, Denmark, East Baldwin, East Lebanon, Falmouth, Gray, Harrison, Hiram, Hollis, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Limerick, Limington, Lyman, Moody, Naples, New Gloucester, North Berwick, North Yarmouth, Ogunquit, Old Orchard Beach, Parsonsfield, Porter, Portland, Pownal, Raymond, Rochester (NH), Saco, Scarborough, Sebago, Shapleigh, South Portland, Standish, Waterboro, Wells, Westbrook, Windham, Yarmouth, and York.
Over the past 37 years, $1,607,488 has been raised through the Telethon. In spite of difficult times, last year $95,226 was raised from this event. The funds are used for developmental therapy, specialized equipment, assessment services, therapeutic recreation, and other educational and habilitation-based services for children who attend the Waban Child Development Center in Sanford, the Infant-Toddler Program, the Assessment Program, or who receive services from the Case Management Program.
In the course of one year, the Child Development Center provides service to over 150 children ages three to five, the Infant Toddler Program and Assessment Programs will support over 50 children ages birth through two-and-a-half years old, while the Case Management Program will provide services to over 100 children and their families. All the children have special needs that require specialized training and equipment.
The Telethon is sponsored by the Tri-Parish Catholic Churches of Sanford-Springvale.
Hosts for the day will be Kevin Mannix of WCSH-TV, RJ and Jim Legere the sons of long-time Telethon volunteers Bud and Sandy Legere who will be joining us remotely, and Kristen Guillemette Perfeuto, who works for Boston Medical Hospital.
Entertainment will include the Big Bad Wolf Band, the all-time favorite Ben Guillemette, the Joel Jolicoeur Band, the youth performers from Sanford’s Jazz-Tappin Dance Academy, while Laura Pelkey and the Pepper Steppers will be strutting their stuff along with the Eric Andrews Swing Jazz Quartet, and guest appearances from the Sanford High School Band that played at the Presidential inauguration. The Sanford Mainer’s own B’roose da Moose and Kenny Bear from Kennebunk Savings Bank will be there and once again, MECA will be on hand to finish out the day.
There will be other guest appearances throughout the day including parents from the Child Development Center discussing how the Program has helped their children and the awarding of the Waban Making A Difference Award to a community member and a Waban staff member who over an extended period of time through their dedication and efforts have made an indelible difference in the lives of the children and adults that Waban supports.
A team from Metrocast Cablevision will be producing the Telethon.
Certificates for merchandise and other gifts, donated by merchants, businesses, and individuals, will be given away for donations and pledges throughout the day. Some of the items will include a vacation week condo at St. Thomas, furniture from Central Furniture, Red Sox tickets, a baseball autographed by Red Sox pitcher Jonathan Papalbon, Portland Pirates tickets, official autographed pictures of the Celtic’s Eddie House and the Patriot’s Rodney Harrison, a Wasco skylight, various Easter baskets, Smitty’s Cinema passes, and much more. There will be several raffles including a recliner donated by Landry’s Furniture Barn, a Nintendo Wii system and a Nintendo Wii FIT both donated anonymously, a Manatee Kayak Package with paddles and cover donated anonymously, a 14-foot Old Town Canoe donated by an anonymous donor and a king size beautifully crafted handmade quilt donated by Rachel Hunter.
Refreshments for the volunteers are donated by local restaurants and businesses.
The Knights of Columbus will be having a breakfast starting at 8 until 10 a.m. to benefit the Telethon. An old-fashioned bean supper will also be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Debbie L’Heureux and the Sanford Wolves Social Club will sponsor the 22nd Annual Waban Jam to be held at the Wolves Club on 40 High Street in Sanford. The Jam will run from 4 to 11:30 p.m. with live music provided by the Alan Roux Band, Lipstick and Leather, the Delrays, Freedom, Tung in Groove, and of course Big Bad Wolf.
Contributors may make donations prior to and after the Telethon at the Sanford Institution for Savings, 900 Main Street in Sanford. Donations may be called in during the day of the Telethon by calling (207) 324-5344 or 1-877-544-4275 or by accessing PayPal on Waban’s web site at www.waban.org.