Dividend check
Municipal officials are pleased to announce that the town of Easton has received a $3,334 dividend check from the Maine Municipal Association as a result of its excellent claim experience.
The Maine Municipal Association offers three insurance-related self-funded pools for municipal and quasi-public entities in Maine: the Workers Compensation Fund and the Unemployment Compensation Fund, both formed in 1978; and the Property & Casualty Pool, formed in 1987. The programs are overseen by governing boards of elected and appointed municipal officials. Each year, the boards review the programs’ overall loss experience to determine if dividends may be paid. Patricia Kablitz, director of Risk Management Services for MMA, advises that more than 75 percent of program participants have received dividends this year because of their good risk management practices. This year the three pools are returning in excess of $41.5 million to their members.
Since 1997 almost $412 million of dividends have been delivered to participating members. For more information about any of the MMA Risk Management Services programs, including online training programs and other services, please check the offerings on their Web site at www.memun.org and click on ‘Risk Management Services,’ or call 800-590-5583.
Kiwanis Club
The Kiwanis Club of Easton held its “After-the-Summer” fund-raising cookout on Aug. 26 at the home of Mike and Loris Allen. This has become an annual affair to recognize all who assisted the club with fund-raising over the past summer. A meal of rib-eye steak, potatoes, peas, corn on the cob and cake was served by Loris who manned the kitchen and Dana Dickinson who manned the grill. Present was Mike Cyr from Mike’s Family Market, who was recognized for all he does all year to help the Kiwanis with its community projects and fund-raising.
Many others were recognized for helping the club with Easton Field Days and at the Northern Maine Fair booths. They included: Jim Kennedy, of Westfield; Joshua Allen, Mary Dickinson, Vicki DeLong and Karen Carins, all of Presque Isle; as well as Irene Dafonte; Tom Osgood and daughter, Michelle; Tessa Tai Ireland; Kiwanis Lt. Governor Deidre McMahon; and Past District Governor Tim McMahon. Others recognized but not there were: Tom Osgood and daughter, Michelle; and Norman and Ellen Trask. Members enjoying the fine meal and good company that evening were: Clair and Eldora Carter, Marion Donahue, Vaughn Martin, Harold Clark, Keith and Esther Richardson, Bernard Hussey, Ann Osgood, Dana and Mary Dickinson, Vicki Saucier, Deidrie McMahon, Vicki DeLong, Jimmy Kennedy, and the host and hostess, Mike and Loris Allen. Members unable to attend were: Barbara Blackstone, Joshua Allen and Bruce Blodget. Mike Allen presented the Easton Kiwanis of the Year Award to Dana Dickinson for his dedicated service to the Kiwanis. Dana works countless hours raising funds for Kiwanis to support community projects. Dana is the first Kiwanian in Easton to receive the award since Winston “Wink” Larsen received this award five years ago.
Senior Citizens Club
The Happy Days Senior Citizens Club of Easton met at the West Ridge Rec Room on Sept. 11 with 19 members and guests present. After the potluck lunch, new Town Manager John Hangen spoke to the group about his early years growing up in New York, working with his father and realizing that he would be happier working with his head than with his hands. He migrated to Bangor where he worked in the construction of some of the special buildings there. He liked living in Maine and instead of returning to New York, chose to go to Caribou to work on grants for wastewater plants for Caribou, Presque Isle and also Easton. While there, he also helped clean up the Aroostook River. He said he worked himself out of a job in wastewater work, so moved on to Hampton Beach in New Hampshire where he worked for 22 years. He and his wife moved to Monson Pond with plans to retire, but when the position of town manager came up, he just wanted to see if he just might be picked, which he quickly was. He said he wanted to stay here and work because of the people and he wanted to slow down. He also passed out some fun papers with certain inventions that were made from 1901 to the present.
After the speaker left, the meeting was called to order by President Marie Hewitt, with the Pledge of Allegience and singing of “My Country Tis of Thee,” with Vera Cullins at the piano. Treasurer Lindy Fowler called the roll with the following members present: Marie Hewitt, Eldora Carter, Lindy Fowler, Edith Fuller, Glenice Craig, Liana and Paul DeMerchant, Ida Doak, Alene Embleton, Arlene Ladner, Rena Richardson, Margery Niblett, Nina Trask, Ezlee Smith, and guests Delores Jordan and John Trask, and the guest speaker, John Hangen. The treasurer’s report was read and accepted as was the secretary’s. The president read a card from the Northern Maine Council on Aging advising them of the upcoming meeting on Sept. 15 at the Grant Memorial United Methodist Church in Presque Isle. There will be a potluck meal at 11:30 a.m. for $4.
Under New Business, the group voted to donate in memory of a former member, Harold “Had” Ireland, to the Easton United Baptist Church. The group was also reminded that a former member, Olive Bolster, would be 93 years young on Nov. 4. Former Town Manager Jackie Bradley informed the group that the recreation room should have a telephone. They decided to let the head of the Rec Department, Hillary Trainer, check into it for them. There was also some discussion on the proposed tax on beer, wines and sodas, etc., with some explanations to some who were not aware that it was coming to a vote in November. They explained that they should vote “yes” if they were against the tax and that the wording was deceiving on that bill.
Visits
Mike Niblett of Pismo Beach, Calif., recently returned home after spending 10 days visiting with his mother, Margery Niblett, brother, Sam, and wife, Peggy Niblett, and while here got the chance to see his niece, Karen Riggs and children, Justin and Marcus, from London, England, who were here with her parents, Sam and Peggy, for most of the month of August.
Mary Ellen Beaulieu of Sarasota, Fla., spent a week visiting with her mother, Marie Hewitt, and the family recently. And while she was here, a cousin, Kathryn Stoddard of Milbridge, spent the weekend for a get-together. Marie’s family had a family gathering at Riverside Camp Ground with sons, Mike Hewitt and Mark Hewitt, and daughter, Mary Ellen; also granddaughters Duska Kingsbury and family, of Bridgewater, Keely Caron, and family, of Caribou, Misty Mahan and family, of Mars Hill, and Spring Blackstone and family, of Woodland. These girls are all Mark’s daughters. Kathy Stoddard was also able to be there too. There were 15 grandchildren present. Quite a gathering.
Eldora Carter is the correspondent for Easton. She can be reached at 488-5961.
Photo courtesy of Eldora Carter
Salmon Brook – This group of ladies from the Easton Recreation Department’s Senior Group recently enjoyed a tour to the Salmon Brook Historical Society in Washburn. Posing after the visit are: Marie Hewitt, Rena Richardson, Vera Cullins, Arlene Ladner, Ida Doak, Ezalee Smith, Regina Thomas, Lindy Fowler, Joanne Johnson and their tour guides, Jack and Dot Phelan.
Photo courtesy of Eldora Carter
“I love soccer,” repeated the athletes who participated in the Easton Recreation Department’s soccer camp run by Dutch Soccer Academy this past June. Nearly 30 children from Easton participated in this week-long clinic.
Photo courtesy of Eldora Carter
Little 4-month-old Makensie Ray Kinney is the cutie who makes up this five-generation gathering. Makensie is held in her 99-year-old great-great-grandmother’s, Ada Patten, lap by her proud 28-year-old father, Michael Kinney Jr.; behind them on the left is her grandmother, Wendy Kinney; and her 80-year-old great-grandmother, Paula Clark.
Photo courtesy of Eldora Carter
PICTURED WITH certificates of recognition for helping raise funds for the Kiwanis Club, front row, from left: Irene Dafonte, District Lt. Governor; Diedre McMahon, of Presque Isle; and Vicki DeLong, Presque Isle. Back row: Mike Cyr, Mike’s Family Market; Past Dist. Governor Tim McMahon, Presque Isle; Tessa Tai Ireland, Easton; Mary Dickinson, Presque Isle; and Jimmy Kennedy, Westfield. Those absent but remembered were: Joshua Allen, Presque Isle; Karen Carins, Presque Isle; Tom Osgood and daughter, Michelle, Easton; and Norman and Ellen Trask; of Easton.
