MARS HILL NEWS
by Tomi Henderson
Jennifer J. Morin, a teacher at Central Aroostook High School in Mars Hill, has been selected for a Teachers Turn the Key Award from the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE). The Teachers Turn the Key (TTTK) award is a national scholarship program that allows early career agricultural educators to attend the annual NAAE convention and gives them an opportunity to become involved with their professional association on a national level. TTTK winners take part in special programming during the convention that is designed to address the concerns of early career agricultural education professionals who are at a similar point in their careers.
Each of the TTTK winners will receive a plaque and a scholarship to cover registration, travel and housing for the 2010 NAAE convention in Las Vegas. RAM Truck Brand sponsors the TTTK award as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.
NAAE is the professional association for agricultural educators. The mission of NAAE is “professionals providing agricultural education for the global community through visionary leadership, advocacy and service.” The NAAE office is located in Lexington, Ky.
Congratulations, Jennifer!
First Wind Scholars offers one-time $3,000 scholarships to support local high school seniors in communities where the company currently has a project in operation or in an advanced stage of development. Eleven scholarships were awarded this year, two in the state of Maine.
Local recipient, Mitchell Folsom of Mars Hill, a graduate of Central Aroostook High School, will use his scholarship towards tuition at the University of Maine — Fort Kent, where he will study Forest Technology.
Launched in October 2009, First Wind Scholars offers these scholarships to support local high school students who display strong potential for a successful college experience, as well as interest in the environment, energy or the sciences. Successful applicants were chosen based on a number of factors, including academic performance, standardized test scores, community service and a 300-words essay.
First Wind is an independent wind energy company exclusively focused on the development, financing, construction, ownership and operation of utility-scale wind projects in the United States. Based in Boston, First Wind has wind projects in the Northeast, the West and in Hawaii, with the capacity to generate up to 504 megawatts of power.
The annual Westfield Jubilee is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Aug. 27-28. There will be both old and new activities taking place, including a bon fire and music and dancing on Friday night, and BINGO, a dunking booth, kite flying and ladies fry-pan throwing on Saturday. A complete schedule will be in a future column.
The Mars Hill Rotary Club met on Tuesday morning, July 27, at 6:30 at the Aroostook Health Center. The special speakers were Ed and Carmen (Beals) Glodfelter of Beijing, China. Ed is the China director of Living Hope International and Carmen is director and teacher of English at the Beijing Little Angel American-English Kindergarten. They have lived in China for 12 years.
Ed spoke of the work that Loving Hope International does with children who live at their apartment-style facilities or attend their summer camps. Their goal is to help raise children who are equipped to take a place in society where they can help others.
Carmen spoke of living in China and raising their three children in a city of 18 million people. Son Cody, 18, will be attending Liberty University this fall, daughter Emily is 17 and will be a senior this year, while youngest daughter Casey, 7, will be going back to elementary school when they return to Beijing.
While Ed and Carmen can speak some Chinese, the kids are quite fluent — especially Casey, who was born in Beijing. While dropping Cody at Liberty to start college is the main reason that they are back in the states for vacation, they are enjoying some family time and will attend their niece’s wedding while they are home.
For more information about Living Hope International, check out their website at www.livinghopeintl.org.
Many, many thanks to all the sponsors and participants who helped make Saturday, July 24, a great success.
Kudos to Wally and the Virginians for some foot-stomping music. All parade entries were unique and fun. Thanks to Forest Gardner and Leslie, Wally and Sue Pryor, the town of Blaine, Bubsy and Daphne Walsh, Joe Pryor, the Central Aroostook cheerleaders, Sami Allen, Nicole and Brad Pryor, and all the businesses who made the day such a big success.
Special thanks to Chris and Brad from the Mars Hill House of Pizza. Both the ice cream during the parade and the pizzas during the concert were fantastic. Thanks also go to Wanda and Keith Joslyn, Robin and Ronnie Brewer, Cathie Fuller, Calvin and Tia Crouse, Kathy Allen, Smith Farms, Marilyn Burtt, Peggy Billings, Ron Gallop and everyone who helped with setting up and cleaning up for this event.
Everyone had a great time and is already looking forward to next year! Anyone with ideas for next year’s Robinson Day celebration, or who wish to help with next year’s events, can contact Nonie Crouse, P. O. Box 294, Blaine, ME 04734.
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.
