Maine Diner Offers Myles Henry Scholarship to Local Scholars

Seniors at Wells High School can apply for a student-athlete scholarship honoring the former restaurant owner

WELLS –

The Maine Diner, an award-winning family-owned restaurant on Route 1 known for its hallmark hospitality, speedy service and hearty home-cooking, is awarding annual academic scholarships to deserving Wells High School student athletes in honor of former Maine Diner owner Myles Henry. To date, two students have been awarded the scholarships. Applications for 2013 graduates are being accepted at this time.

Henry, one of the beloved owners of the Maine Diner, died unexpectedly in 2010. To know Myles was to know of his love of sports - all sports - whether it was golfing, basketball, surfing, baseball, football and even curling. To celebrate this love, his close friend Vinny LoBello helped to set up The Myles Henry Scholarship Fund. The $1,000 scholarship recognizes a Wells High School student athlete senior 'who exhibits honesty, sportsmanship, integrity, passion and enthusiasm on and off the field of play.' Each year essay submissions are reviewed and chosen by Henry’s wife Trisha Wilson.

“When I read through these essays I try and read them through the eyes of my husband, looking for the essay that embodies the essence of the scholarship the best.” Wilson said. “It is a very emotional and meaningful night for Vinny and I when we stand up and give out the award. We both loved Myles so much. I am so proud of what he has done, creating such a sense of community. It means so much to me,”

The first recipient of the award was Ben Durfee of Wells, who went on to study at Furman University in Greenville, S.C. Noah French was the 2012 recipient. He is a freshman studying engineering at the University of Maine in Orono. At Wells High School he was a wrestler, soccer and lacrosse player.

“It meant so much to me to be awarded this scholarship. I felt it was made for me,” French said. “Of all the scholarships awarded in Wells this had a really good feeling because there is a name and a story behind it.”

Community involvement is part of the Maine Diner’s history. Over the years the Diner has supported the Make-A-Wish Foundation through benefit art shows, Gary Pike Day to help support cancer patients at Gary’s House in Portland, and special golf tournaments.

“We have supported events near and dear to our hearts…and this scholarship honoring the memory of my brother Myles certainly is important to us and falls into that special category,” Maine Diner owner Dick Henry said. “Myles and I always loved sports. We have so many happy memories surrounding them.”

Students interested in applying for the Myles Henry Memorial Scholarship should contact their guidance counselors at Wells High School. An essay entry is submitted for review.

To help keep the scholarship going, people in the community who would like to contribute to this fund may do so in the memory of Myles Henry by donating to the address below.

The Myles Henry Scholarship Fund

P.O. Box 579

Wells, Maine 04090

Pink Power Earns Some Green in Battle with Breast Cancer

The Pink Pals are (from left to right) Ellen Baldwin, Barbara Conda, Cathy Barnhorst and Leslie Ware. (courtesy photo)

Celebrities donate designer purses to help raise money

By Pat Sommers

Staff Columnist

YORK –

Four area residents have harnessed the “power of pink” to earn some serious green to help women battling breast cancer.

Ellen Baldwin, Cathy Barnhorst, Barbara Conda and Leslie Ware are finalizing plans for their third gala fundraiser, “Santa’s Got a Brand New Bag.” The dinner and auction, held at the Portsmouth Harbor Events and Conference Center, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on Thursday, November 15, will offer about 160 high-fashion handbags, including a collection of seven designer purses donated by celebrity Oprah Winfrey.

The four organizers – known as the Pink Pals – will donate proceeds from the event to York Hospital’s Breast Cancer Living Well Program where the funds will be used to support women receiving treatment in ways that typically fall outside the parameters of health insurance coverage.

According to Dawn Fernald, hospital director of marketing and new service development, the fund established by the four Pals may, for example, provide a wig for a woman who has lost her hair as a result of chemotherapy but cannot afford a suitable hairpiece on her own. Or, it could help a woman and her family with the cost of traveling to and from cancer treatment facilities.

“York Hospital is honored to have the Pink Pals work so hard to help our patients and their families,” said Fernald. “Over 25 percent of patients diagnosed with cancer at York Hospital are diagnosed with breast cancer, making it the most prevalent cancer in our community. The funds raised by this event will undoubtedly affect the lives of many in our community.”

It was Leslie Ware who first posed the idea of hosting a designer handbag auction.  “Leslie came up with the idea,” said Barbara Conda, noting Ware had friends who had hosted a similar event. She networked with those friends, and the Pals set to work planning their own event in the Seacoast region. It was Ware who also dubbed the gala “Santa’s Got a Brand New Bag.”

The Pink Pals, who laughingly decline to give their ages but describe themselves as “mature professionals,” enlisted the help of friends, relatives and hospital staff members to serve on planning committees for the dinner-auction. “We have women of all ages, from young to old, from late 20s and early 30s to women in their 80s,” said Cathy Barnhorst of the inter-generational effort.

Leisa Smith, a dietitian with the hospital’s Dining and Nutrition Services, was tasked with contacting Winfrey, a favorite with the hospital staff, to ask if she would donate a handbag. To catch the attention of the entertainment icon and the staff of her Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), Smith and her team created a video on which they sang, “Oprah, we want to OWN your handbag” to the tune of the early Beatles hit “I Wanna Hold Your Hand.”

The video was uploaded on YouTube and shared through social media sites in an effort to draw notice by Winfrey. It did. Just two weeks after the video was launched, the hospital was contacted by an OWN staff member from Los Angeles who promised a handbag autographed by Oprah.

And just a few days later, York Hospital accepted shipment of two large cartons containing not one but seven signed designer handbags – from Versace to Ferragamo – all straight from the closet of Oprah.

Signed purses donated by actress Sally Struthers, a favorite at summer productions at Ogunquit Playhouse, and by Emmy-winning television star Carson Kressley, will also go on the block, as will a purse contributed by chef Mary Ann Esposito, whose “Ciao Italia” is America’s longest-running TV cooking show. Esposito, who is expected to attend the event, donated a glittery pink bag she selected especially for fundraiser while on a recent trip to Italy.

In their first two fundraising efforts – spectacular fashion shows hosted under tents on the grounds at Ogunquit Playhouse – the Pink Pals brought in about $200,000. They hope to top the $300,000 mark with proceeds from “Santa’s Got a Brand New Bag.”

“Ellen and I started the first fashion show, but we had never done a show of that size so we asked Cathy to help us put the show together,” Conda said. Leslie, who was literally recruited on the street outside a shop - “She was carrying a clipboard and she looked organized…” - completed the fundraising quartet.

Money raised by that first fashion show was donated to York Hospital toward its purchase of a digital mammography machine. “But we didn’t want to raise money for a machine,” said Conda of the subsequent effort. “We wanted it to go to women who were going through cancer treatment.”

The Pink Pals met with hospital officials who agreed to establish and administer such a fund.

“We embrace the power of pink,” Barnhorst said of the Pals.  None of the four has personally received a cancer diagnosis, she said, “But cancer has touched all of us in some way… family, friends.”

 “Santa’s Got a Brand New Bag” will open with a champagne reception with butlered hors d’oeuvres. A silent auction will be conducted during the 90-minute cocktail hour. A four-course, small-plate dinner and live auction will follow. The Pals also promise several surprises, including a special dessert planned for the fundraiser.

An Oprah-donated handbag will be awarded as a door prize, as will a Christmas tree decorated in a pink color scheme and a handbag motif.

Because the 300 tickets offered for “Santa’s Got a Brand New Bag” sold quickly, a waiting list has been established. Should cancellations occur, those on the list will be contacted.

Seacoast residents can also vie for the chance to own a gorgeous designer bag, including one carried by Oprah Winfrey, through an online auction now in progress. The online auction offers twenty bags of all shapes and sizes and in all price ranges. Several are signed by celebrities. Bidding will continue through Sunday, November 18.

Visit www.yorkhospital.com and click on the pink auction button for details on both the November 15 gala and the online auction, or call 207-351-2385.

Students Learn About Alternative Fuel Vehicles

Students from Biddeford Regional Center of Technology (courtesy photo)

BIDDEFORD -

Students from the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology (BRCOT) joined Maine business, engineering and energy leaders to learn about the next generation of alternative fuel vehicles and check out a collection of electric and natural gas trucks and automobiles.

The Environmental and Energy Technology Council of Maine (E2Tech) and Maine Clean Communities (MC2) hosted more than 120 attendees at a two-part forum and workshop on electric vehicles (EVs) and compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles at Texas Instruments in South Portland on October 25. Instructor Eddie Driscoll brought his Engineering, Architecture, and Computer Aided Drafting class to the forum “to promote the concept of learning outside the classroom and stimulate their interest in becoming part of Maine’s future technology workforce.” BRCOT serves high school students from Biddeford, Thornton Academy, Kennebunk, Old Orchard Beach, and Massabesic.

“The transportation sector is the largest source of energy costs and petroleum use in Maine,” said E2Tech executive director Jeff Marks. “We want to encourage high school and college students to become engaged in the innovation industry in Maine and help find solutions to reduce our dependence on oil, improve the environment and save money. What better way to do this than introduce them to Maine’s best engineers, business owners and energy experts? And, having cool, environmentally friendly sports cars on hand doesn’t hurt either.”

“It's not too often you get to see 89 miles per gallon with that kind of horsepower,” said Connor Morrison, a BRCOT senior from Biddeford after sitting in the driver’s seat of the Tesla Roadster electric sports car. Rhyan Paquereau, a junior at BRCOT agreed, “Interesting to see an electric car that can compete so well with its gasoline rivals.”

Panelists presented an overview of EVs and infrastructure, and John Carroll from Central Maine Power described the utility’s new pilot program to evaluate electric vehicles and to explore how to put more vehicles on the road in fleet and private use. In addition to the Tesla Roadster, Chevy Volts, Nissan Leafs, a CMP bucket truck, a natural gas van, solar charging station and even a 100 percent biodiesel car were on display.

Farm-to-School Week Ends with Bountiful Harvest

Wells Junior High School student volunteers and staff pose with green beans that they picked on Spiller Farm in September. From left to right are Samantha Jones (Grade 5), Jessica Licardo (Grade 7), Abigail Bourque (Grade 7), Beth Cilluffo, Ethan Huber-Young (Grade. 7) Mary Rand, Caden Gibson (Grade 6) and Kerry Georgitis. (photo by Saul Lindauer)

 

Local farms’ food now in school lunches

WELLS –

‘Farm to School Week’ in the Wells-Ogunquit CSD concluded on September 30. Since 2005, this annual week-long event aims to bring locally grown food to the District’s lunch rooms in order to improve nutrition and create a greater appreciation for food from hometown farms.

Over the past seven harvest seasons, the WOCSD Nutrition Services, directed by Tyler Goodwin, has steadily increased the purchase of food from Chase Farm, Spiller Farm and Sunny Acres Farm, all located in Wells.

This year not only saw a continued increase in the purchase of locally grown food but the introduction of student and staff volunteers to participate in the harvest. In September and early October, up to twenty student volunteers and six Wells Junior High School staff took bus trips after school to Spiller Farm to help harvest bushels of carrots, green beans, and potatoes. The student and faculty participation on the farm was organized by WJHS science teacher, Saul Lindauer.

This year Spiller Farm agreed to devote space specifically for growing food for the District. Produce harvested from this area was sold to the District at a reduced cost. This new arrangement will allow Goodwin and staff to process and freeze a much greater volume of vegetables that can be offered throughout the school year.

Goodwin admits that buying locally adds work and costs to preparing school lunches but said that “the trade off is worth it to get farm fresh veggies” for students. Goodwin indicated that buying locally grown food provides fresh food high in nutritional value, a real “hands-on” education for school children in the growing and harvesting of food, the reduction of a school lunch program’s carbon footprint and support for local farms.

For several years, the Maine Department of Education has encouraged schools to buy more locally grown food to support the Farm to School initiative. Goodwin firmly believes that what goes into growing and preparing food should be a part of a student’s learning.

Story provided by Reg Bennett

OgunquitFest 2012 Winners

Littlefield Village's winning entry in the scarecrow contest (photo by John Hurley)

 

OGUNQUIT –

The 4^th Annual OgunquitFest was held last weekend, featuring wild costumes, crazy races, fun for all and funds raised for some good charities.

Contest and race winners are listed below, as well as a mention of the beneficiaries and the money raised.

OgunquitFest Scarecrow Contest:

1st place: Littlefield Village

2nd place: Anchorage by the Sea

3rd place: Beachfire Bar & Grille

High Heel Dash:

Best Time: Lance Powers

Highest Heel: Bryan Wilson (platform); Robert Coles (non-platform)

Most Outrageous Costume: “Gigi”

Money raised from registration for the High Heel Dash and donations from the crowd during the race generated more than $2,000 for the Frannie Peabody Center in Portland. The donations included a check for $500 from Donato Tramuto, local business owner. This is the 4^th annual high heel dash and Frannie Peabody has been the charity recipient all four years.

Bridge to Beach Bed Race:

Whippersnappers

Best Time: Meadowmere Resort

Second Best Time: Anchorage by the Sea

Old Timers

Best Time: Hot Flashes

People’s Choice: Hot Flashes

Beautiful Bed by the Sea (best costumes & decorations): Meadowmere Resort

Broken Spring Award (craziest): Hot Flashes

Money raised from the Bridge to Beach Bed Race went to the American Cancer Society the Animal Welfare Society, and the Marginal Way Preservation Fund. More than $3,000 total raised for those three organizations.

Keep South Berwick Warm Community Supper

Volunteers serve up a warm meal, and help raise money to warm houses this winter (courtesy photo)

SOUTH BERWICK-

The 5th annual Keep South Berwick Warm community soup supper will be held 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, November 7, at Spring Hill Restaurant on Pond Road in South Berwick. The proceeds from the supper will pay for fuel or weatherization for local families in need.

“This event can really make a difference in local families’ lives over the winter,” said Pat Robinson, an organizer of the event with the Keep South Berwick Warm program of the local non-profit, SoBo Central.

Donations will be accepted at the entrance to Spring Hill in a large soup pot to be used to help families get through challenging economic times.

Soups, breads, and cookies at the annual event are made by local restaurants, bakers and community members. Raffle items have been donated by residents and a South Berwick Seniors sponsor the bake sale.

Local restaurants and bakers generously providing food at the supper include: Nature’s Way Market, Pepperland Cafe, Fogarty’s Restaurant, The Catered Event, The Redbarn at Outlook Farm, The Black Bean Cafe, The Brixham General Store, Spring Hill Restaurant, King Tut’s Cider, Isidore on the Rocks, Borealis Bread and When Pigs Fly Bread. River City Jazz will provide the entertainment with acoustic jazz music.

Those who can’t make it to the supper are invited to send donations now or any time during the year to SoBo Central, c/o Fuel Fund, 46 Witchtrot Rd, South Berwick, ME 03908. All donations are tax deductible.

SoBo Central is a non-profit organization that oversees the Food Pantry, Hot Summer Nights concert series, Friends of Powderhouse Hill and Home for the Holidays, as well as Keep South Berwick Warm. Its mission is to nurture the town’s unique character by connecting and engaging citizens in community life.

The organization’s signature event, the LanternFest, has drawn thousands of people to Spring Hill in August. More information about SoBo Central is available at www.sobocentral.org or on the SoBo Central facebook page.

Salman Rushdie Talks about Fatwa, New Memoir

Salman Rushdie says it's "Get-Along Time"

Story and photo by Timothy Gillis

PORTSMOUTH, NH -

Best-selling novelist Salman Rushdie spoke at the Music Hall last week, about his new memoir called "Joseph Anton" and the life he lived in fear since the 1989 "fatwa," or death sentence, imposed on him by the Ayatollah Khomeini.

The fatwa was for his allegedly blasphemous novel "The Satanic Verses," which Rushdie said is actually one of his least political works, much less so than "Midnight's Children," which took on the public life of India or "Shame," which was based on "genuine political confrontation" in Pakistan.

Rushdie seems to have weathered the storm, though the 600-page book is a harrowing account of the effects of the fatwa decree, including the dissolution of a dying marriage, his raising of his nine-year-old son, and living with a 24-hour security detail from Scotland Yard.

He was shocked at the reaction to "Satanic Verses," especially the accusations in the British press that he did it on purpose to attract attention.

"'Joseph Anton' is how my real life turned into a novel, stranger than anything I had ever made up," Rushdie said.

A dream sequence from the work, in particular, seemed to incite Islamic tension. Rushdie read from this episode to start his talk, and emphasized that "Satanic Verses" was a novel "primarily about migration," he said.

"In the middle of it there was this dream sequence... about a prophet, not called Muhammad, living in a city, not called Mecca, inventing a religion not called Islam. And the person having the dream was losing his mind and going insane. This is what we, in the trade, call ‘fiction.' Unfortunately, it wasn't read like that."

The serious thing that this passage talked about, Rushdie said, was the nature of revelation, or "how does a new idea come into the world?" Also integral to the contentious passage was "what do you do when you are strong? When your enemies are at your mercy?"

After a short break, Rushdie returned to the stage with Virginia Prescott, host of Word of Mouth, for an interview. The Music Hall house band Dreadnaught played the Platters "Great Pretender," and Rushdie noticed the tune and sang along.

Prescott asked how Islamic culture has changed since he was a child. Rushdie said he grew up in a house that was "happily godless," where his father and his father's friends would discuss whatever they wanted. Rushdie was free to think and express himself. That did not mean his opinions went uncontested. There just wasn't a threat of violence for unapproved thoughts. Then came Valentine's Day, 1989, when the fatwa was issued, and there began "the difference between rhetoric and reality," said Rushdie, exasperated after all this time at the extreme reaction.

"Books are books. If you don't like it, don't read it. This is why they have books by more than one person in bookstores," he said. The United States is a very divided country, he pointed out, where half the people are often saying things that the other half of the country can't stand, "but it doesn't occur to either half to burn the country down."

Rushdie was often light-hearted and humorous on the night, belying the years of living in fear. Asked if he was still fearful or looking over his shoulder, Rushdie motioned to the audience and said "Look, there are hundreds of them in the dark. They don't seem that scary."

Audience reaction to Rushdie was overwhelmingly supportive of his plight, even if many in attendance knew more about his life's story than his written works.

Peter Randall, a filmmaker on local farms, was invited to the talk by a friend. He said he was interested in the whole story of Rushdie and the fatwa against him.

"It's ridiculous," Randall said. "I don't understand why people get so upset about something written. An act, I can see, but it's just words."

Henry Linscott said he was in grammar school when the fatwa was issued. "I didn't know what the book was about, but it sounded scary."

Twenty-four years after the fatwa, Rushdie feels it's "get-along time" now and looks forward to discussing the literary merits of "Satanic Verses," a work which has been analyzed through political and religious lenses, but has remained unstudied in the language of literature.

Rushdie said he is proud of the novel, but would have changed its history if he could. Related to the "Satanic Verses," an Italian translator was stabbed, a Norwegian publisher was shot, and a Japanese publisher was killed.

Rushdie lived in hiding, in England first and then in the United States, and tried to provide a normal life for his young son.

"Joseph Anton" tells of his hidden life and was his alias with the police, based on two of his favorite writers, Joseph Conrad and Anton Chekhov. His case, called Operation Malachi, was considered the most dangerous assignment for the police, and they served by volunteering instead of being required to do so. Despite the disdain from some higher-ups who didn't feel he had done anything to deserve their protection, hadn't "performed a service to the state," Rushdie grew close to many of the police officers who were protecting him. He thought they had it tougher than he did, since "sitting around, looking out the window, wondering what to do next" was the typical life for a writer.

"Joseph Anton" was originally written in the first person, a standard voice for a memoir, but Rushdie changed it to third-person.

"I had to get beyond the anger and resentment. That's why I waited so long to write it," he said. The objective voice also gives him some emotional distance and allows him to write more "novelistically."

"The thing about an autobiography, in the end, is to tell the truth," he said. "Otherwise, why write it?"

Haunted Walks a Halloween Treat

There are several options for haunted walks in southern Maine for this Halloween season. Coming right up, the Raitt Homestead Farm Museum has a “Trail of Terror” and Kittery is holding its final “Night Terrors Haunted Walk.” And recently, local high school and college students teamed up with area charities to hold a haunted walk in West Kennebunk to raise money for the Animal Welfare Society.

Nature Trail Turns Scary in Time for Halloween

ELIOT –

The Raitt Homestead Farm Museum fundraiser is set to kick off next weekend, October 19 and 20 with the scary “Trail of Terror.” Running from dusk to 10 p.m., the fundraiser is sure to raise some eyebrows.

For more than seventeen years, the Raitt Homestead Farm Museum has held popular events like the Tractor & Engine Show and Vintage Car Show during the summer.

“A few years ago we decided to do a fall event and thought that a Halloween event would fit perfectly here at the Farm,” said Tom Raitt, museum vice-president. “One of our biggest challenges was getting the long-awaited Nature Trail done, which in turn could be utilized for many of our programs and events.”

“We are excited to start an October schedule of events that has something for everyone,” said Steve Beckert, museum president. “Not only are we doing the Trail of Terror on four nights, but we also have a children's day on October 20 from 2 to 4 p.m. Kids can bring a decorated or carved pumpkin, wear their costumes, ride in the barrel tractors and take a wagon ride as well as play games, trick or treat and more.”

One hundred percent of the proceeds from the events go to the children's programs, restoration and preservation of the thirty-three acre Farm Museum property. The Trail of Terror is $6 admission and the HarvestFest on October 20 is $3.

“It is going to be really fun and terrifying here at the Farm, and we are so grateful for all the support we have from area businesses, the community, our members and volunteers,” said Lisa Raitt, coordinator and trustee. “I personally can't wait to walk the Trail of Terror! I love Halloween and all things scary!”

The Raitt Homestead Farm Museum is always looking for a few more volunteers to help at all of the events throughout the year. For more information on volunteering or info about events, visit www.raittfarmmuseum.org, call 207-748-3303 or 207-332-5444.

Raitt Homestead Farm Museum is located at 2077 State Rd (RT 103) in Eliot.

Dave and Marion Raitt hang out in the graveyard (courtesy photo)

Night Terrors Haunted Walk Schedule

KITTERY –

Night Terrors Haunted Walk, located at 10 Bridge Street in Kittery, is back for one final year. Admission to the Walk is free and open to the public, but there is a suggested $7 donation for those that are able to help us cover expenses. Experience the Gothic Cemetery, Blood Lust & the Shrine, Doll E. Wood, Barnum & Bedlam Asylum, and The Great Pumpkin, a display area for after-school program pumpkin decorating contest. For more information, contact their hotline at 207-451-9279.

October 26 & 27 – 6:30-11 pm; October 30 - Children’s Twilight (scare-free) walk – 5-6 pm and Regular Walk – 6:30-9:30 pm. October 31 – 6:30-9:30 pm.

Wells High School Cheerleading Squad hams it up before the Haunted Walk at the Animal Welfare Society. (courtesy photo)

Haunted Walk for Animal Welfare Society Draws Hundreds of Scaredy Cats

WEST KENNEBUNK –

Animal Welfare Society volunteers, Behind the Scenes Charity, along with University of New England students and the Wells High School Cheerleading Squad, brought the woods to life for the 4th Annual Haunted Walk on October 13. The walk attracted hundreds of people of all ages and raised more than $1,600 for the animal shelter. Included in the cast of characters were zombie cheerleaders, Bigfoot, a mad scientist, a chainsaw murderer, witches and ghouls. Behind the Scenes Charity spends all year preparing for the walk. The week prior to Halloween, the group builds elaborate scenes in the woods with spooky twists and turns around every corner. Gloria Berry says, “It is our way of supporting the work that the AWS does day-in and day-out and allows us to have fun while we are doing it! Every year the walk has grown, we’ve added more and more props and it attracts more and more people.” She added, “It’s a lot of work. When it is over, I’m exhausted but as soon as the last box is packed, I start thinking about ways to improve it the next year!”

About Behind the Scenes Charity

In 2004, Scott Kearney and Gloria Berry, along with family and friends, decided to capitalize on their love of Halloween and their desire to support the work of local nonprofits by creating a haunted walk. Over the years, they have donated thousands of dollars to organizations that address domestic violence, homelessness, hunger and animal welfare. In 2008, they walked through the wooded property of the AWS and decided it was a perfect location and a perfect cause for their group to support.

YCCC Announces Fall 2012 Distinguished Lecturer Series

 

WELLS –

In keeping with the mission of York County Community College (YCCC), each fall the Distinguished Lecturer Series seeks to celebrate the artistic, innovative, and educational accomplishments of individuals and communities across the state of Maine. The college has offered the series each year since 2009. To continue the tradition, each fall the YCCC invites three distinguished individuals to speak about their experiences and accomplishments as a way to inspire the community toward their own achievements.

The 2012 Distinguished Lecturer Series will feature:

- Bonita Pothier, certified financial educator, Key Bank on Wednesday, October 24.

Born, raised, and educated in Maine, Pothier has made her mark on the town of Biddeford, as mayor, teacher, small business owner, and bank manager.

- Shanna Horner O'Hea, chef/owner of Kennebunk Inn on Tuesday, October 30.

O’Hea studied art and marketing at North Park University in Chicago. She also attended the Culinary Institute of America and is now owner and chef of Kennebunk Academe Brasserie & Tavern at the historic Kennebunk Inn.

- Kathryn Slattery, district attorney of York County on Tuesday, November 6.

After graduating from the University of Maine School of Law, Slattery served as a clerk for Governor Joe Brennan and later as an assistant attorney general. She was a York County Prosecutor from 1987 until 2010, when she was elected district attorney.

The Distinguished Lecturer Series at YCCC is free and open to the public. All lectures will be held in the YCCC Mid Café at 4 p.m.

Third Grader Gets Belated Birthday Surprise at School

US Army CW3 Donald McHugh of Wells and his son Heath

Story and photo by Reg Bennett

WELLS –

Wells Elementary School student Heath McHugh got a very big surprise at the end of gym class on Wednesday, October 10. His father, US Army Chief Warrant Officer (CW3) Donald McHugh of Wells made a surprise visit to see his son at school.

“That’s my Dad,” said a wide-eyed and astonished Heath as he looked towards the stage of the gymnasium to see his father standing there. Young McHugh, who turned eight years old on October 9, was resting on the gym floor with fellow students when the older McHugh was spotted.

As relatives, students, school staff and television news crews watched, McHugh made his way to the floor to pick up his son for a big hug. Both have not seen each other for a year.

McHugh is a Black Hawk helicopter pilot and is stationed in Hawaii.

“It was awesome,” said McHugh about being able to travel to Wells to see his family and son in school. McHugh indicated that he only has until Friday for a home visit before making the long trek to Afgananastan. McHugh said that he has had three tours of duty in Afghanistan and three tours in Iraq. McHugh graduated from Wells High School in 1997.

“Good” said Heath McHugh when asked about seeing his dad. Both father and son were interviewed by the three major television stations from Portland.

Visiting WES with McHugh was Heath’s mother Shawna McHugh, great grandfather Roland Falconer and grandmother Heather Groves.

Former First-Daughter Continues Family Legacy of Service

Jenna Bush Hager speaks at the University of New England in Biddeford

Story and photo by Rhyan Romaine

Staff Columnist

BIDDEFORD –

“My parents not only brought us into the world, they brought the world to us,” and for former First Daughter, Jenna (Bush) Hager, those experiences inspired a lifetime of compassion and humanitarianism.

Hager has cradled the infant face of hunger in Guatemala, witnessed the impact of HIV/AIDS throughout Latin America and Africa, and lifted the heavy hearts of children left parentless after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America. Often fighting back tears, Hager shared these powerful and poignant stories with nearly 500 people on Monday, as part of the George and Barbara Bush Distinguished Lecture Series at the University of New England’s Harold Alfond Forum. While explaining the importance of sharing these personal stories she said, “I believe the more we know about the plight of people all over the world, the more likely we are to make a difference.”

Hager talked about Lydia, a young, single mother of five living in the most destitute area of Guatemala. Lydia lives in a cliffside hut, earns a mere $5 per week, and has already lost a child to malnourishment. Seeing the swollen bellies of her other children, Lydia selflessly walks four ho

urs every week to secure packets of nutritional supplements that she sprinkles on her children’s food. Hager also fondly recalls Ana, a 17-year-old mother living in Latin America who contracted HIV after being abused by a neighbor in her village. Never considering herself “sick,” Ana raged against the abject poverty of her world and educated herself about the necessary precautions to ensure her daughter, Beatrice, would not contract the disease (Beatrice is HIV free). Back in the United States, Hager remembers the joy she found in the eyes of children at America’s Camp, a camp in Massachusetts for children who lost parents in the terrorist attacks of the World Trade Center in 2001.

Prior to Hager’s address, the audience of students, faculty, administrators and community members took to its feet in a standing ovation when her grandparents, former President George H. W. Bush and his wife, former First Lady Barbara Bush, entered the gymnasium. Nancy Walker Bush Ellis, the 41st President’s sister, was also in attendance for the event. Hager has visited the family’s home on Walkers Point, Kennebunkport, every summer of her life and thanked the University for the opportunity to see how beautiful Maine is in October. She was especially grateful for the opportunity to spend a quiet evening with her grandparents on the family’s oceanfront compound. The former President was assisted by a wheelchair.

While speaking about the people she’s met around the world who inspire her, Hager took time to honor her family and the legacy of service they’ve instilled in her. Married in 2008, Hager announced that it is her grandparents’ marriage that she strives to emulate with her own. Amid friendly anecdotes of playing “house” in the East Room of the White House or “sardines” on the South Lawn, Hager proclaimed never taking for granted the “amazing privilege of living history.” Joking about her father, George W. Bush’s life away from public office, she mentions he has returned to more domestic policy, “my mom is now commanding the ex-commander in chief to pick up his towels and underwear off the floor.”

Since her family left the White House, Hager has become a contributing correspondent to NBC’s “Today” show, a role her family has humorously considered fraternizing with the enemy. She is active in UNICEF, and is currently the chair of UNICEF’s Next Generation, an initiative dedicated to reducing the number of preventable childhood deaths around the world.

Local Inventor Lands Deal with Major Motion Picture

Buoy Bat, invented by South Berwick resident and bought in bulk by Adam Sandler (courtesy photo)

Sells bundle of his “Buoy Bats” to Adam Sandler

SOUTH BERWICK –

It’s been just over two years since South Berwick resident and inventor Bill Page decided to turn a wayward lobster trap buoy into a novelty baseball bat. Since then, thousands of people have taken notice of this fun and innovative product including Manchester, New Hampshire native and Hollywood actor Adam Sandler, who recently approved the purchase of 640 custom made Buoy Bats for gifts to the cast and crew of his upcoming movie “Grown Ups 2.” The film was shot on location on the North Shore of Boston over the summer.

“My wife answered a call in June and almost didn’t give me the message. The caller wasn’t forthcoming about what he was looking for and she thought that was odd,” said Page. “I called him (Kevin Grady) and after some due diligence on his part, he filled me in on why he was calling.” It turns out Grady works for Sandler, had seen Buoy Bat in a store in Marblehead, and if properly produced, thought it would make an excellent “Cast & Crew Gift” for the New England-themed movie.

Page traveled to Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, where the Columbia Pictures production was shooting a scene for the movie, due out in July of 2013, to show several samples of the bat. The scene they were working on called for four famous actors to quiver at the edge of a quarry’s cliff, being bullied by frat brothers from the local college.

“Sandler, Kevin James, David Spade, and Chris Rock were all there with dozens of extras and hundreds of crew,” Page said. “And there I was with my Buoy Bat feeling a lot out of place but very excited to be auditioning for a ‘role’ in a major motion picture.”

At the end of the shoot, Page and Grady waited for Sandler to review the footage before calling a wrap. At that point, Grady handed Sandler the sample Buoy Bat painted in a red, white, and blue, stars and stripes theme and branded with the “Grown Ups 2” logo. Sandler held the bat, looked at it for a second and said, “That’s cool… I don’t get it.”

 “It’s a baseball bat made from a lobster buoy,” Grady said. Sandler walked off toward a waiting all-terrain vehicle, and Grady said to Page, “Come on, he likes it. We’ll wait by his trailer and when he comes out, we’ll let him try it.”

While waiting for Sandler to reappear, Page and Grady played Buoy Bat in a corral of campers and studio work trailers. During the wait, many cast and crew members gave Buoy Bat a try including teen heartthrob Taylor Lautner, whom Page did not recognize. Sandler eventually came out of the trailer and took the Buoy Bat from Grady as if on queue to test the proposed crew gift. Page played outfield, and Sandler stood taking swings as Grady wound up. Sandler hit a squibber off the end of the buoy on the first pitch. Page cringed and said to Grady, “Give him a meater.” Grady obliged and Sandler ripped a line drive over some trailers on the next pitch. Sandler replied with, “Yah, that’s cool” and Page breathed a sigh of relief.

Page said the sales pitch was exciting for business prospects, but also a great time seeing life on a Hollywood movie set. Page told his daughters, Katherine, 11, and Sydney, 9, about the impromptu ballgame, and they certainly knew who Lautner was. Page and his wife, Susan, also have a son named Harrison, 7, and the family enjoys take the Buoy Bat on beach outings. Page has also developed a Buoy Bat Go Fetch to use with your pooch.

He recently landed a contract deal with Orvis, which sells the Buoy Bat on its website for $45. Kittery Trading Post sells it for $25. Business has been great, but Page is not ready to quit his main job, ice rink manager at Churchill Rink in Durham, New Hampshire.

The Buoy Bat is made of a typical wooden baseball bat, with a foam buoy stretched over it for the hitting end. The ball that comes with Buoy Bat is made of foam and covered with a polyurethane skin. It’s “face-friendly,” according to Page, “doesn’t break windows and is waterproof.”