Lions Club makes community donations 

On Monday, Dec. 3, the Mapleton Lions Club was updated on activities occurring at two Aroostook community service organizations — the Aroostook Teen Leadership Camp (ATLC) and Homeless Services of Aroostook.

Amber Stedt, Program Coordinator for ATLC, reminded club members that the ATLC program is a leadership development and drug prevention program focusing on Aroostook County students in grades 5-9.  ATLC develops teen drug prevention leaders having the necessary knowledge, skills, training, and support to effectively work with other teens during a residential summer camp program and in follow-up activities during the school year.  Stedt thanked the lions for their long history of supporting ATLC. She pointed out ATLC’s need for donations to support its operations as ATLC must fundraise each year its total operating cost.

After answering questions from members, Club President Adam Nicak presented a check to Stedt for $250.00 to sponsor a student from the Mapleton, Chapman and Castle Hill area to this year’s residential camp to be held at the University of Maine at Fort Kent in July 2019.  Stedt again thanked the club for the coming year’s donation and reminded the members that every donation is critical to Aroostook Teen Leadership Camp’s future outreach to student leaders in our county schools.

Later in the meeting, Lion Steve Eyler was called upon to discuss Homeless Services of Aroostook current and future direction.  Eyler is the agency’s executive director and also a member of the Mapleton Lions Club. He proceeded to describe the need to relocate the Sister Mary O’Donnell Shelter in order to improve services as well as a way to add a night shelter service.  A night shelter would be able to accept individuals who currently cannot be admitted to the present shelter. A new facility is needed that would house these two types of shelters.

Additionally, he outlined the need of a group home service that would meet the needs of those individuals he described as frequent flyers/users.  These folks experience homelessness, receive services and begin to do well, but after a few months they fall back into homeless for a variety of reasons.  What has become clear is they really need a more structured and supportive group home service. Homeless Services of Aroostook’s vision is to develop a single large site that may house two more of these needed components.   In other words, the agency needs a 15,000 square-foot single story building so they can meet their goal service expansion to meet the homeless needs.

At the conclusion of Eyler’s talk, President Adam Nicak presented a check for $500.00 to help with the shelter’s operating expenses.  Eyler expressed sincere thanks to the club members for their donation, saying, “This donation is really important and helpful.”

Wreaths Across America Honors This Friday

Friday, Dec. 15, the Maine Agri-Women will conduct the “Wreaths Across America” at 12:00 noon sharp at Mapleton’s Southside Cemetery.   The Maine Agri-Women will host the exact same ceremony at the exact time as the national “Wreaths Across America” is celebrated at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC.  The Mapleton ceremony will be one of over 1,500 other cemeteries across America conducting the same ceremony at the same time.

At Southside, there will be a ceremony, color guard, wreaths laid for each branch of the military, and wreaths for 126 veterans at Southside, along with Patriotic songs and playing of Taps. Wreath laying volunteers and family members of veterans are asked to be at the cemetery at 11:30 a.m.

For more information please contact Judy Kenney 764-1787 or Mary Anne Buck 754-0635. Maine Agri-Women would like to thank all those involved for their support in making this event possible for Mapleton.

Church Starts Outerwear Community Box

Starting this coming weekend, the Mapleton United Methodist Church will begin a trial effort to create a free community box for those in need of winter outerwear (coats, mittens, scarfs, hats, gloves and boots).  The box, which will be located on the Main Street side of the church under the entry porch, will be available via the honor system. Previously owned and donated outerwear will be placed in the box for selection by those in need.  The clothing will be free to take.

For donors, only outerwear will be accepted.  Other clothing items will not be accepted as this is not a clothing exchange.  The outerwear must be clean and in good condition. Donations will be accepted by the church or dropped off and placed in the box.  

Mapleton Town Office News

The Town Office is now registering dogs for 2019.  Register before Jan. 31, 2019 and beat the $25 dollar late fee.

Terry Sandusky is the Star-Herald correspondent for Mapleton, Chapman and Castle Hill and can be reached at 764-4916 or at starherald.Tsandusky@gmail.com.