Lt. Cote speaks at Rotary
MARS HILL NEWS
by Tomi Henderson
The Mars Hill Rotary Club gathered on Tuesday, Sept. 3 at 6:30 a.m. at the Aroostook Health Center. The special speaker was Lt. John Cote, assistant commander of Maine State Police Troop F in Houlton.
Cote spoke about serving the Aroostook County communities and how the citizens look out for each other. The local officers are expected to live in area communities and to become involved with local activities — from local governments to schools and more.
He also spoke of how all the law enforcement agencies in the area work together — the state and local police, game wardens and border patrol. This allows them to help cover each other quickly in the event something happens in an area where there may not be a police patrol close by. While most police calls used to involve crime, calls now can be for a vast variety of issues. They have even received calls about children not behaving or a person wanting instructions about getting on the Internet for e-mails.
The biggest issue for all agencies are drug- and alcohol-related. Illegal drugs are constantly being brought in the state, as well as being made in small “labs” in homes, which can be as small as a soda bottle. This creates a danger for any officer making a traffic stop, as these labs are highly volatile. Bath salts especially can cause unpredictable actions by the user as they can’t be reasoned with.
Police work involves several specialized areas: including tactical, negotiators, bomb squads, divers, truck compliance, firearm instructor and evidence collection. Troop F currently has a few openings, but potential officers must have a desire to live and work in Aroostook County. Potential officers for all agencies attend school for 18 weeks of basic training. Police officers then go on for another nine weeks of specialized training before spending a number of weeks riding along with current officers. All officers undergo more training and refresher courses periodically.
Lt. Cote spent the majority of is career in the criminal division of the state police focusing on major felony crimes against the person and has held specialties as a crime scene technician, pursuit driving instructor and is currently the assistant commander of the State Police Underwater Recovery Team. He is a Houlton native and lives in Mars Hill with his wife, Tami. They have five children and one grandchild.
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Photo courtesy of Jamie Guerrette
Finishing first in his division is CAHS alumni Shane Durost. Shane and his two daughters, Anna and Niah, traveled to the After The Bell 5K during homecoming in Mars Hill from Fort Kent. Anna and Niah also competed in their first road race in the Kiddie K. From left are Anna, Shane and Niah.
Photo courtesy of Tomi Henderson
A popular spot on Saturday afternoon during Homecoming 2013 activities was the water slide. Anicia Whited slides down with cousin Millie Couture right behind!
After The Bell
After the Bell and All Stars are sponsoring a fundraiser for the Scott family. It’s simple: drop your kids off at the gym on Friday, Sept 13, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. and enjoy a night out! Go to dinner, get groceries or just enjoy the peace and quiet. Dinner (pizza) will be provided as well as an evening of activities. Cost is $15/child if registered in advance or $20/child at the door. All money will be given to the Scott family as they prepare for Colby’s upcoming bone marrow transplant.
The Fall Family Photo Day will take place on Sunday, Sept 29, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Join us for our third Family Photo Day! All proceeds this year will benefit After The Bell and Joyfit community!
Both programs work to provide activities for children and families in the area. Call or message now to book your 15-minute outdoor photo session with a variety of professional photographers. Families will leave that day with a CD of unedited photos that may then be printed, shared or even used in time for Christmas cards. The mountain will be beautiful and with 15-minute sessions everyone will be smiling! $25 for your session.
Call 694-1320 message Jamie Guerrette on Facebook. Sessions start at 9 a.m. and the last one will be scheduled for 3:45 p.m. Reminder: photo session are by appointment only.
Miller promoted
Brig. Gen. James D. Campbell, the Adjutant General for the Maine Army National Guard, has announced Mars Hill resident Shane Miller has been promoted to SPC with the 133rd Engineer Battalion. Soldiers were promoted during a ceremony in August.
Welcome Elliot
Patrick and Katelyn (Field) Saucier of West Gardiner are the proud parents of a baby boy, Elliot John Saucier. Elliot was born on Aug. 26, weighing 10 pounds, 6 ounces, at 22 inches long. The proud grandparents are Kim and Alan Field of Blaine and Richard and Diane Saucier of Caribou.
Aroostook Health Center
Upcoming events for the week of Sept. 11-17 include: Wednesday will have the Beauty Parlor at 8:30 a.m., Wii Bowling at 9 a.m., Crossword Puzzle Challenge at 9:30 a.m. and Back to School Memories of Brown Bag Lunches at 1:30 p.m. Thursday will have the Beauty Parlor at 8:30 a.m., Bingo at 9:30 a.m., Horse Racing at 1:30 p.m. and United Methodist Church at 6:30 p.m. Friday will feature 5 Card Bingo at 9:30 a.m. and a Mystery Lunch Outing at 11 a.m. Saturday will feature the APC Church Service at 3 p.m. Sunday will feature the Full Gospel Assembly Service at 3 p.m. Monday will feature Table Tennis at 9:30 a.m., Nail Beautiful at 10 a.m., Communion with Pastor Kierstead at 1:30 p.m. and Gospel Group at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday will feature the Beauty Parlor at 8:30 a.m., Bingo at 9:30 a.m. and Cribbage Tournament at 1:30 p.m. All of these activities are subject to change.
If you would like to volunteer to help with any of these activities, call Connie or Vicki at 768-4915.
Tomi Henderson is the correspondent for Mars Hill, Blaine, Bridgewater and Westfield. She can be reached at 429-9126 or e-mail tomihen@yahoo.com.
