PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – Maine Public Service awarded five students $100 savings bonds for first-place Earth Day essays and posters, created to identify the theme: “What Can I Do to Celebrate Earth Day This Year?” The winners were announced in honor of Earth Day, April 22. First-place winners received a recognition plaque, a $100 savings bond and a gift certificate donated by Maine Potato Growers. Teachers of the first-place winners receive an environment book.
Second-place winners received a plaque and $75 savings bond. Third-place winners receive a plaque and a $50 savings bond. All winners received an Earth Day T-shirt and all participants received an Earth Day Certificate of Achievement. Look for the posters and essays at the Aroostook Centre Mall.
This year’s poster winners include: first place, Julia Good, grade 1, Pine Street School; second place, Camden Huck, grade 2, Hilltop School; and third place, Aidan Sirois, kindergarten, Madawaska Elementary School. Posters drawn by Randi-Mae Cyr, grade 2, Madawaska Elementary School, and Riley Lausier, kindergarten, Madawaska Elementary School, were selected for honorable mention.
Winning essays for grades 3-5 included: first place, Brooke DiNatale, grade 5, Zippel Elementary School; second place, Danielle Pelletier, grade 5, Wallagrass School; and third place, Olivia Goulet, grade 5, Zippel Elementary School. Honorable mention was awarded to Jordi Legassie, grade 5, Zippel Elementary School. Grade 6-8 winners were: first place, Kaitlyn Dye, grade 7, Presque Isle Middle School; second place, Drew Barrett, grade 7, Presque Isle Middle School; and third place, Mark Levasseur, grade 8, Van Buren District Secondary School. Honorable mention was awarded to Chloe Rossignol, grade 7, Presque Isle Middle School; and Dianna Watt, grade 6, Ashland Middle School.
Winners in the grade 9-10 division were: first place, Brandon McDonald, grade 10, Van Buren District Secondary School; second place, Tessa Ward, grade 9, Presque Isle High School; and third place, Kelsey Park, grade 10, Presque Isle High School. Honorable mention was awarded to Zach Raymond, grade 9, Presque Isle High School.
Grade 11-12 winners included: first place, Mimi Smith, grade 11, Presque Isle High School; second place, Sam Corey, grade 11, Presque Isle High School; and third place, Keely Sawyer, grade 11, Presque Isle High School. Honorable mention was awarded to Nicole Jimenez, grade 12, Presque Isle High School.
April 22 marked the 38th anniversary of the original Earth Day. The international focus on Earth Day reflects the global scope of all major environmental issues, including global warming, deforestation, ozone depletion, the rain forest and hazardous, toxic wastes.
Judging the essays and posters this year were: Mable Desmond, of Mapleton; Marilyn Allen, of Presque Isle; Kathy McCarty, of Washburn; and Ginny White, of Caribou; along with Nancy Chandler, from Maine Public Service.
Pleased with the huge number of participants in the contest, MPS Supervisor of Conservation and Education Services Nancy Chandler said, “This year we received more than 800 creative ideas from writers and artist. Creative ways of celebrating Earth Day ranged from adopting a park and keeping it litter-free, taking shorter showers, turning the water off while brushing your teeth, to being a wise consumer.”
Chandler gave examples of some of the students’ ideas, reading from some of the essays.
“One 7th-grade writer described how she would like to be a ‘Super Hero’ to save the Earth: ‘I want to save the beautiful trees that we have on Earth. I am going to help save these trees by recycling the paper that I have already used or have decided not to use. This way, I won’t be throwing away trees. This is how I am going to be a superhero to trees.’ She continued by saying that she is going to save gasoline by walking to places that are close by and ride her bike or carpool more. An 11th-grade student wrote, ‘being a smart consumer isn’t about finding the best deals or buying in bulk, it’s about making green choices, regardless of the price. It’s about buying products made in countries with high environmental standards and supporting our own economy here at home to help create new jobs,’” said Chandler.
There are many ways we can celebrate Earth Day. Maine Public Service is proud to celebrate Earth Day through the many talented writers and artists in its service territory. Remember you can make a difference during this 38th anniversary of Earth Day – not just on April 22 but all year long. One student reminds us to appreciate our Earth and do many small things that will help keep the Earth functioning well – plant a tree, fix a leaky faucet, eat healthy and treat nature right were just some of the suggestions from the Earth Day essayist.
MPS, a subsidiary of Maine & Maritimes Corporation (AMEX:MAM), is a regulated electric transmission and distribution utility serving approximately 36,000 electricity customers in northern Maine. Corporate headquarters are located in Presque Isle. The corporate Web site is www.maineandmaritimes.com.
Poster courtesy of MPS
JULIA GOOD, a first-grade student at Pine Street Elementary School in Presque Isle, took first place in the K-2 category in the annual Maine Public Service Earth Day Poster Contest.
