by Jennifer Buzza
Murray and Lena Kenney recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary surrounded by their children and spouses. The family enjoyed lunch at Tang’s Courtyard. The owner surprised the couple with a gift certificate in honor of their anniversary. Family and close friends honored the couple at an open house held at their home. Murray and Lena were married March 2, 1940 at the Congregational Church in Presque Isle by the Rev. E. Milton Grant with Harold and Phyllis Kenney as attendants.
They raised their family on the Castle Hill Road in Castle Hill where Murray farmed for over 41 years. Their children are Russell, Darrell, Clayton, Maylen, Kendall, Janet and Karel. The Kenneys have 13 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Congratulations!
Birthday wishes this week go out to Jenna Mountain, Clayton Black, Angie Kennedy, Scott Mitchell Johnson, Karl Hoffses, Chad Carter, Cameron Wilcox, Julia Blake, Dylan Mountain, Michael Michaud, Martin Carter, Ross Doyen, Joe Greaves, Donald Gilson Jr., Kyle Rider, Brooklyn Parker and Nancy Vigue.
Happy Anniversary wishes this week to Harvey III and Judy Brown on the 28th.
Former Mapleton and Castle Hill resident Margaret Chandler Russell, now of New Hampshire, will be celebrating her 90th birthday March 15, 2010. Margaret taught kindergarten in the Mapleton and Presque Isle schools. The family is asking that a shower of birthday cards be sent to her in honor of her milestone birthday. Please send birthday wishes to: Margaret Russell, P.O. Box 933, North Conway, N.H. 03860.
Is your family looking for a good, wholesome way to spend Friday nights together that won’t cost a penny? The Mapleton Methodist Church is sponsoring a weekly Family Night, which will feature games or movies and always refreshments! Some weeks may feature a family appropriate movie, while other weeks the focus may be an evening of games. Activities each Friday will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the church. Come join the fun, this Friday, Feb. 26!
The University of Maine at Presque Isle, along with the local volunteer organization Caring Area Neighbors for Cancer Education and Recovery (C.A.N.C.E.R.), are hosting the fourth annual “Planet Head Day.” Several members of our community have already pledged to have their heads shaved and painted like a planet to raise money for the C.A.N.C.E.R. organization. This group provides support to families and individuals dealing with cancer.
Some of their projects include making prescriptions available to those who cannot afford them, taking home-cooked meals to cancer patients and their families, and offering a travel fund to offset the cost of making numerous trips for treatment. They also assemble clinic bags and deliver them to cancer patients once a month, which includes a loaf of homemade bread. Some of those agreeing to have their heads shaved are doing so in honor of or in memory of a family member or friend affected by cancer.
The public is invited to attend Planet Head Day, which will be Saturday, Feb. 27 at UMPI’s Gentile Gymnasium from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. There will be astronomy demonstrations, a workshop on how to use a sky chart and a presentation on observing the night sky in Aroostook County.
For more information, please contact Kevin McCartney at 768-9482 or Jeanie McGowan at 768-9747. Donations will be collected during the event to support the C.A.N.C.E.R. organization.
Baptist Park is sponsoring a rally for youth ages 9-14 at the State Road Advent Christian Church Friday, March 26 from 5:30-9 p.m. The rally will begin with praise and worship with the Baptist Park Praise and Worship Band. Steve MacDonald from the Bangor Baptist Church will be the featured speaker.
After worship time, the youth will have an opportunity to play G Force Laser Tag! Those that have attended Baptist Park are encouraged to come to the rally with a friend to introduce them to the park. Door prizes will be given out, including a scholarship for a week at camp! A suggested donation of $5 per person will be collected at the door.
Please RSVP by March 13 to Annette Bartlett at 207-852-9836 or abartlett@tds.net.
Students and faculty at Mapleton Elementary School are still collecting items to be placed in clinic bags that are provided to area cancer patients by the local group, C.A.N.C.E.R – Caring Area Neighbors for Cancer Education and Recovery.
Suggested items to donate include puzzle books for adults, blank note cards, travel size toiletries, antibacterial wipes, Listerine breath strips, unflavored wax floss, pencils and sharpeners, pens, lifesaver candy, chapstick, gallon-size Ziploc bags, and Boost drink (no substitute brands). Items collected by each class will be recorded and the Mapleton Parent Organization will be awarding the winning class(es) a popcorn party!
The public is encouraged to donate, as well. Please drop off your donations at the Main Office of the school. The school plans to collect donations through the month of February. Thank you for supporting this local, strictly volunteer organization.
The United Methodist Church will be hosting its weekly luncheon Friday, Feb. 26 at 11:30 a.m. All are welcome to attend.
THE MAPLETON UNITED METHODIST WOMEN spent some time making quilts for the Linus Project, with plans to send completed blankets to Haiti. Pictured are Joan Garland, back to, along with, from left: Dawn Kenney and Phyllis James, who are combining their skills to work on one of the group’s quilts. In addition to the blankets, members of the church donated enough items to assemble 104 health kits to be shipped to the residents of Haiti.
Jennifer Buzza is the correspondent for Mapleton, Castle Hill and Chapman. She can be reached at 760-9115, or by e-mail at jbuzza@ainop.com.
