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 Winter Wonderland Photo by Judy Wilbur Craig, Dexter, Maine one year ago at Little Lake Wassokeag
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Dover-Foxcroft, ME- After Pastor Tom Bruce publically announced he would be retiring from his post at the Living Word Food Cupboard, a concerned group of community & business leaders gathered and began making plans for the development of a new 501C3 organization, the Dover Foxcroft Area Food Cupboard. The new food cupboard will help ease the burden for families who are in need of food assistance throughout the region. Dover Foxcroft and the surrounding communities have had a food cupboard for over thirty-five years, beginning in the United Methodist Church in 1980. Pastor Tom Bruce took over the leadership of the cupboard twenty five years ago, and as of today, over 200 families are fed, county-wide plus a few towns in Penobscot county, twice per month. The food bank received it food primarily from the Good Shepherd Food Bank in Bangor and the USDA through Penquis along with help from area supermarkets, food drives and donations. “The town of Dover Foxcroft has supported the food cupboard, as have local churches, organizations and several area businesses. We are hopeful these food & funding sources will remain viable,” said James Macomber, Penquis. “Now, we ask others to consider how they could partner with us to continue to feed families that need a hand-up. Wills Shop n’ Save, Shaw’s and Save- a- Lot are currently running food drives to keep the cupboards filled by selling such things as vegetables, pasta, and pasta sauce at or below cost. In-kind donations are more than welcome, such as heating oil, shelving or office furniture, or to volunteer or spread the word through social media,” said Macomber Organizers say that this transition is going to be challenging from a monetary perspective and they are seeking financial support from area businesses to give the food cupboard a strong start. “The matter is urgent; start-up costs are significant for a project like this, and we want to be certain that the transition is as seamless as possible for the families,” shares Macomber. The new food cupboard location has not yet been determined and organizers are currently seeking a viable location. If you have any ideas or available space, please call Jim at (207)974-2476 or email at jmacomber@penquis.org. The Dover-Foxcroft Area Food Cupboard is hoping to do its first food distributions in April and May. Follow the Dover-Foxcroft Area Food Cupboard on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DFAreaFoodCupboard PENQUIS - A death in the family affects every member from the oldest to the youngest. A child’s grief may be expressed in ways that are different from an adult’s. Evergreen is Pine Tree Hospice’s program for children, teens, and their families who are experiencing grief. It provides a safe place for kids to share their experience of grief with others who are also in the process of working through their grief and loss. Trained bereavement facilitators use a variety of activities to encourage expression. Participants may talk about their experience or choose not to talk. The new series will meet weekly for six weeks, beginning on Wednesday, March 25th (excluding April school vacation week) from 6:30-7:30 P.M. at the Dover-Foxcroft Congregational Church. Each session will have a different focus, such as memories, feelings, and coping. An adult/parents group is also available while the children meet. Please contact Pine Tree Hospice by calling 564-4346 or e-mailing wecare@pinetreehospice.org to pre-register for this session.  By Pete Warner, BDN Staff: BANGOR, Maine —It took only 3½ minutes for the Houlton Shiretowners to generate the momentum they needed on Saturday night.
Houlton’s player-to-player defense helped create turnovers on Dexter’s first five possessions of the second half and the Shiretowners turned them into a 12-1 burst that carried them to the Eastern Maine Class C girls basketball championship with a 46-38 victory at the Cross Insurance Center. “Our intensity was crazy. In the third quarter, our defense was ridiculous,” said Darling’s/BDN Most Valuable Player Kolleen Bouchard, who scored a game-high 20 points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked five shots. Second-seeded Houlton (19-2) extended its lead to as many as 14 points, then held off a determined charge to overcome a senior-laden Dexter squad (18-3) that was the No. 4 seed. Coach Shawn Graham’s Shiretowners advance to take on Western Maine champion Maranacook of Readfield (18-3) in next Saturday’s 7:05 p.m. state title game in Bangor. “We’ve been teaching all year that if we keep it tight, we try to win the third quarter and that sets you up in the fourth quarter to play our game,” Graham said. “I think we’re in pretty good condition, so we try to wear teams down in the second half.” Sophomore guard Rylee Warman scored nine points and junior guard Chelsea Gentle posted seven points for the Shiretowners, who overcame foul trouble to junior forward Katie Condon, who posted six rebounds. Michaela White paced Dexter with 15 points and five rebounds, while Megan Peach chipped in with seven points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. Tasha Pratt sent Dexter into the locker room with a boost after making a 3-pointer before the halftime horn. The Tigers could not follow up on the shot. They turned the ball over five straight times to open the second half and the Shires scored six unanswered points. Ultimately, Dexter committed eight turnovers during the period and was limited to one free throw after 0-for-5 shooting. “It’s unfortunate, we just didn’t really get settled in that third quarter,” said Grant, who pointed out his team struggled in the third quarter throughout the tournament. Freshman Aspen Flewelling got Houlton’s run started with a rebound basket after a turnover, then a five-second call against Dexter led to Bouchard’s driving hoop. Natalie Hill followed with a runner in the lane before Peach sank a foul shot for Dexter. However, Gentle’s 18-footer helped Houlton close out the quarter on a 6-0 run that made it 34-24 after three. “We always talk about offensive habits and we had some chances to make some reads, better decisions and we didn’t, unfortunately,” Grant said. The Shires extended the lead to 40-26 before the Tigers rallied with a 12-2 flurry. Christine May hit back-to-back baskets, including a 3-pointer that trimmed the deficit to 42-38 with 1:20 remaining. However, Warman made a six-footer from the baseline on Houlton’s ensuing possession to keep Houlton on top. “It’s amazing,” Bouchard said. “I’ve wanted this my whole life.” Houlton had put Dexter on its heels early, jumping out ot a quick 6-0 lead. White and Peach then spearheaded a 13-5 run that set up a seesaw second period that featured six lead changes and two ties. “We went four minutes without scoring the first period. We were able to overcome that,” Grant said. “You’re lucky to do that maybe once in a game.”” By Mike Lange, Piscataquis Observer: DEXTER- A Dexter Regional High School graduate has bought the former Watering Hole tavern in Dexter and will renovate and reopen it under the new name Factory One this spring, he said. Adrian Cronkhite has lived in Monument, Colorado, for the past 21 years, but told the Observer that he will be moving back to the area sometime this spring. “I also plan to manufacture solar panels in another part of the building,” Cronkhite said last week. “There’s 107,000 square feet, so there’s plenty of room. The folks who are trying to get shoe manufacturing restarted in town did a walk-through recently, and I’d like to get them in the building.” The building was a Dexter Shoe factory for more than 40 years until the owners moved all manufacturing overseas and closed most of the Maine plants in 2001. John Chappell, a Rhode Island native, opened the Watering Hole in 2005 and closed it late last year. Cronkhite said that the building is in “pretty good shape. The roof was leaking and the floors are cracked a little. But it’s all usable and everything wrong is fixable.” Renovations are already underway to “downsize” the bar area into a more cozy, comfortable atmosphere, Cronkhite said. “I’m shortening up the bar itself, repainting the walls, putting in a wooden floor and a stage for bands, adding about 10 more flat-screen TVs and a fireplace,” he said. Factory One will also have a walk-in refrigerator with a bigger selection of draft beers than the old tavern. Cronkhite, who graduated from Dexter Regional High School in 1984, served in the Army for 14 years — including six as a senior communications NCO with the 10th Special Forces — before he embarked on a career as a network scheduler for Lockheed Martin and Northrup Grumman. “I enjoyed the Army, but I was gone for 250 days a year and that’s tough on your family life,” he said. Since 2007, he’s been president and CEO of Securing the Gates, a firm that sells and installs solar-powered street lights and advanced perimeter security systems. Now, said Cronkhite, “I’m coming back home. My main goal is to create some jobs in the community.” He also has two partners with the Factory One venture: family friends Keith and Stephanie Busch, also of Monument, Colorado. “If things go as planned, we’ll be open in April,” Cronkhite said. “The word is out and lots of people in town are very excited about it already.” The tavern’s liquor, victualer’s, pool hall and special amusement licenses are on the Feb. 12 Dexter town council agenda. Are you a farmer, landowner or estate owner? Have you ever given any thought to “what’s next” when you are ready to move, retire or leave your land to family? Do you have a plan for what will happen to your land if you were to experience a major change in your life? Join the Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District (PCSWCD), in partnership with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Piscataquis County, as they present a Farm and Estate Succession Planning Workshop on Saturday, March 7th. This dynamic and informative workshop will have valuable information for everyone. Presenters will include Paul Dillon Esq., representatives from the Maine Farmland Trust, Land For Good and Donna Coffin of the UMaine Cooperative Extension in Piscataquis County. Mr. Paul Dillon Esq. will discuss the legal process of farm and estate succession planning. Mr. Dillon’s legal areas of expertise include estate and retirement planning, transfer planning, family communications, goal setting and assessment, legal issues and business structures. Through his law office in Corinth, Maine, he provides comprehensive business planning services for agricultural enterprises. Workshop participants will also be presented with information about Maine Farmland Trust and Land For Good farm trust programs and initiatives available for landowners in Maine. The programs and services provided by Maine Farmland Trust and Land for Good are essential to those who have questions about keeping their land in farming or transferring their farm or estate to another farming entity. Maine Farmland Trust works to protect farmland, and to keep farming in Maine viable and vital. Land for Good works to strengthen farmland stewardship while honoring farming legacies and by providing expert guidance to help farmers, landowners and communities navigate the complex challenges of land access, tenure and transfer. Donna Coffin will conclude this informative workshop with a presentation on record keeping – an important part of any business or succession plan. Donna is the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Educator in Piscataquis County. Her areas of expertise include sustainable agriculture, farm planning and recordkeeping. This workshop will provide a wide breadth of information, tools and resources for Maine residents interested in learning more about the sometimes complicated and overwhelming process of farm, land and estate succession planning. For many, planning to transfer their farm, sell their estate or lease their farm to keep their land in production requires legal advice, options and information. This workshop is designed for landowners, estate owners and farmers at any stage of succession planning, and will provide an opportunity for Maine residents to learn about many of the services and programs available to them when planning for the future. This workshop will run from 10:00AM-3:00PM on Saturday, March 7th at the Dover-Foxcroft Congregational Church. A wonderful lunch will be provided by DKB Catering out of Greenville. Pre-registration is required through the Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Center at (207) 564-6525 or through their website www.pvaec.maineadulted.org. The cost for the workshop is $25.00 if registered by February 20th and $30.00 thereafter. For more information about the Farm and Estate Succession Planning Workshop contact the PCSWCD at (207) 564-2321, extension 3 or at info@piscataquisswcd.org. Immediately following the Farm and Estate Succession Planning Workshop, Maine Farmland Trust will host their FarmLink Mixer that will run from 3:30-5:30PM. Are you thinking about whether there are farmers out there that could utilized your land? Or are you curious about what it might be like to farm in Piscataquis County (where the farmland is spectacular and the people are nice)? Then our Maine FarmLink Mixer event is for you! This event will provide an opportunity for community members to network and connect with other landowners and farmers in a fun and unique way. Maine Farmland Trust will provide refreshments and facilitate the event. The Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District encourages anyone interested in learning more about Maine Farmland Trust, FarmLink, or what’s happening in farming in our area to come out to the mixer! Please RSVP to Sue by Friday, February 27th to register for the mixer by sending an email to info@mainefarmlink.org OR calling 207-338-6575. PENQUIS - A death in the family affects every member from the oldest to the youngest. A child's grief may be expressed in ways that are different from an adult's. Evergreen is Pine Tree Hospice's program for children, teens, and their families who are experiencing grief. It provides a safe place for kids to share their experience of grief with others who are also in the process of working through their grief and loss. Trained bereavement facilitators use a variety of activities to encourage expression. Participants may talk about their experience or choose not to talk. The new series will meet weekly for six weeks, beginning on Wednesday, March 25th, 6:30-7:30 P.M. at the Dover-Foxcroft Congregational Church. Each session will have a different focus, such as memories, feelings, and coping. An adult/parents group is also available while the children meet. Please contact Pine Tree Hospice by calling 564-4346 or e-mailing wecare@pinetreehospice.org to pre-register for this session. PENQUIS - Dexter Dover Area Towns in Transition (DDATT) will sponsor the two-hour long film “Gasland 2” at the Abbott Memorial Library in Dexter at 6 PM on March 6th as part of its ongoing First Friday free movie sessions, followed by vibrant public discussion. Over the past decade there has been a rush for oil and natural gas across America using the controversial drilling method of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”. The new techniques, technologies, and chemicals used are more intensive and riskier than conventional oil and gas drilling. “Gasland 2” argues that the gas industry is using its wealth and power to influence government policy on fracking, while buying the silence of countless American homeowners forced to move out of their longtime homes because their water has become too polluted to drink. Even though Maine itself does not sit above natural gas fields, the implications of fracking elsewhere in the Northeast and our continued dependence on all forms of fossil fuel use are important to Central Maine residents. DDATT’s mission is to inform ourselves on how our energy choices affect our environmental, political, and economic lives. “Gasland 2” examines these issues. Please join your neighbors in Dexter on March 6th to learn about our options. For more information on DDATT and future events, email info@ddatt.org to get on email list, or call 277-4221 or 924-3836. Pine Tree Hospice’s 4th annual Winterfest (formerly known as “Snow Golf and Family Fun Activities”) will be held on Sunday, March 1st from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. at Foxcroft Academy. Outdoor activities for all ages will be ongoing, as well as a snow golf competition with prizes awarded to winning teams. Warm indoor dining will be available. A delicious hot lunch of chili, chowder, and hot dogs will be served. The chili cook-off will be judged by Tri-County Technical Center culinary program students and the cast from Downeast Dickerers. This fundraising event is sponsored by AE Robinson, Beacon Hospice, Bowman Constructors, Community Health & Counseling, E.W. Littlefield, Inc., Foxcroft Academy, Goulette, Inc., Hardwood Products Co LLC, Mallett Real Estate, and Moosehead Motorsports. Cost for the event is $5 per person for lunch and activities ($20 per family), $25 per person for golf (2 people on a team), lunch, and activities ($15 for students). For more information or to register please call 564-4346 or email wecare@pinetreehospice.org. local collaboration to provide classroom activities Agriculture LogoWhile it might be difficult to think about gardening and farming in mid-January, a group of volunteers are doing just that as they are preparing a fourth year of the GrowME program. The program is offered to K-3 teachers and schools in Piscataquis County and the surrounding areas. The program is organized by a collaboration between Valley Grange of Guilford, PCSWCD (Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District) and UMaine Piscataquis County Extension. GrowME aims to utilize local volunteers who will work with teachers to schedule an agricultural activity in their classrooms during Maine Agriculture Week (March 24-28). Ana Bonstedt, Home Horticulture Coordinator for Piscataquis County UMaine Extension is particularly excited over the “hands on” aspect of the activities. “Thanks to our rural nature in Piscataquis County, we don’t have the ‘nature deficit’ that some more urban areas experience,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be offering our kids an opportunity to involve all their senses and get some hands on learning.” Walter Boomsma, program director for Valley Grange agrees. One of his specialties is visiting second graders at PCES to make butter. “We have fun and the kids almost don’t realize they are learning–some have even asked for instructions and then made butter at home as a family activity.” Volunteers also conduct seed planting activities, apple tasting and create animal graphs. “We also spend some time just talking with the kids—many have chickens and gardens and it’s fun to share experiences.” Boomsma notes that last year volunteers visited with over 60 classrooms and 800 kids “from Greenville to Dexter to Milo,” but says there should be no shortage of volunteers and resources thanks to the collaboration. “We’ve got master gardeners and farmers available through Extension Programs and PCSWCD includes partners and resources that are committed to good stewardship. Our continued goal is to keep this informal, local, and a true partnership between our schools, teachers, and volunteers. It’s not so much that we have a program to offer—it’s more about working together to make good use of our resources. Our volunteers will have the sort of agricultural experience and background to be especially relevant to students while providing insight into the importance of agriculture in our area.” The group focuses on kindergarten through third grade but is willing to consider requests from teachers of other grades. GrowME volunteers visit for about thirty minutes and work with students on a simple, grade appropriate activity. Teachers and administrators who are interested need only furnish contact information: teacher’s name-email address and grade. Interested teachers may email grangeatboomsmaonline.com or call Boomsma at 343-1842. An online sign-up form is also available at http://growmehelp.wordpress.com. Note: this is NOT the safest possible route to take, but it is a good service and much better than never running a virus check. To check your computer, go to housecall.antivirus.com Many people think that if they have a virus program on their system they are safe, BUT you are only as safe as your latest update. Yes, you do have to update your virus program frequently. (I do it every day!) Download a FREE virus program that works well at www.free.avg.com The Daily ME is on-line only, non-profit newspaper and a one-woman operation with the help of contributing writers and photographers. If you would like to contribute to The Daily Me, we welcome press releases, contributing editor's young and old. Send your Upcoming local events, news, Town reports, club news, school news or other items that you have in mind. If you have pictures you would like to share with friends and relatives far and near, please contact The Daily Me. We encourage feedback and suggestions from our readers. I hope that The Daily ME gives you information that keeps you in touch with home! 
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