JULY

The Regional School Unit 9 board of directors recognized departing directors Charles “Chip” Hinds of New Vineyard, Irving Faunce of Wilton and J. Wayne Kinney of Farmington for their service to the board at their last meeting of the school year. The three men were replaced by newcomers Jeff Barnum of New Vineyard, Amanda Caruso of Wilton and T. “Will” Jones of Farmington, respectively.

This year’s Fourth of July celebrations started on Monday, July 3, with a fireworks display in a new location in field directly behind the Narrow Gauge Cinemas drive-in screen. Sponsored by Franklin Savings Bank, Kyes Insurance, Northern Lights Hearth and Sports, and Harris Septic Services, The Franklin Journal observed the display, stating, “Exclamations were heard when the first shell lit up the night sky. Cheers greeted smiley faces, those that looked like planets and when several shells burst into color almost at the same time. The finale was also greeted with enthusiasm.”

On the following day, Broadway in downtown Farmington lit up with American pride with the annual Independence Day Parade. Orchestrated by Farmington Rotary, the parade saw floats, fire engines, livestock and vintage cars stroll down the road with patriotic vigor. With the theme this year being “America the Beautiful”, many floats went above and beyond to deliver what they find beautiful about the United States in the design of their floats.

Livestock producers had a lot to recover from after the heavy rainstorm that started late April caused significant flooding. Sand deposits and other debris left in fields, eroded roads, uprooted fences, land washed away and loss of work already done this spring were some of the aftermaths for Franklin County farmers.

“I don’t remember anything like this,” dairy farmer Randall Bates of New Vineyard told The Franklin Journal. “It was bad in 2009, but nothing like this. It has been challenging this year.”

The RSU 9 board of directors elected Dorothy “Dee” Robinson of Chesterville as chairperson of the board and Gwen Doak of Wilton as vice chairperson. The two women replaced Carol Coles and Debbie Smith, respectively.

The Wilton Select Board discussed options to settle a dispute with a property owner who temporarily blocked off a heavily used downtown turnaround after the Planning Board refused to issue him an occupancy permit for his building at 280 Main St. Owner James Butler set up cones, blocking drivers’ access between 280 Main St. and the Civil War monument.

The turnaround allows drivers to turn off Main Street, go around the monument and back onto Main Street, as well as access parking on both sides of the street. Town Manager Perry Ellsworth said he met with Butler privately to discuss the matter and wanted to continue discussion to avoid any litigation.

Jay Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere announced the preliminary estimates of damage to local roads and sewer lines from the torrential rainstorm in June amounted to nearly $4 million. Jay Sewer Superintendent Mark Holt said that there was roughly 1,300 feet of sewer main washed out in a line along state Route 4 on the south side of Jay Hill and a preliminary estimate of $1.1 million to fix it.

Wilton Town Manager Perry Ellsworth announced to the Select Board he officially submitted his resignation, effective the first of November. A resident of Strong, Ellsworth was hired to replace Rhonda Irish, who served Wilton as town manager for 13 years.

Andre Cormier, executive director of Mt. Blue Community Access TV and the Daily Bulldog, gave an update on a documentary centered on Friends of Wilson Lake [FOWL] and Wilson Lake at the annual meeting. The documentary will feature clips and interviews with members of FOWL, and he also invited the community to share any photos or other materials for use in the documentary by contacting him at the station or calling [207] 778-8146.

This year’s Summer Fest, held on Saturday, July 22, had one of the best turnouts in years, with Police Chief Kenneth Charles telling the Farmington Select Board the event was “one of the better attended events in a long time.” He remarked that the event was peaceful as well.

Foster CTE Center’s Blue Crew FIRST Robotics Competition team 6153 handed out root beer floats while a chicken barbecue fundraiser was held by Roderick-Crosby American Legion Post 28 in the municipal parking lot off Church Street. The Amazing Summer Fest Race also made a return with 50 runners averaging a completion time of 62 minutes.

AUGUST

By a unanimous vote, the Farmington Selectmen voted to allow the RSU 9 Food Pantry to store supplies for the food pantry in the unused computer lab at the Farmington Community Center. The vote frees up space at W.G. Mallett School, which is where the pantry originally took shape. Matt Foster, Parks and Recreation Department director, said the pantry’s efforts in the community are “significant” and they were more than willing to accommodate their needs with the old computer lab.

The Wilton Board of Selectpersons voted unanimously to sign a letter to U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, and U.S. Rep. Jared Golden opposing a potential national wildlife refuge in the High Peaks Region of western Maine. County Commissioner Bob Carlton appeared at the meeting to endorse the letter.

He, along with fellow county Commissioner Lance Harvell, voted in July to sign the letter and joined other townships, like Avon and Eustis, in opposition of the national wildlife refuge. Selectperson Mike Wells felt it best to keep preservation efforts within the state, stating  “the closer it is to home, the more of a voice you have if it is in Augusta. We’ve done a great job with the 80,000-plus acres in this region already that is in some sort of preserve status.”

“We can do just fine all by ourselves,” he added.

Farmington Selectmen appointed Stephen Eldridge of Monmouth as interim town manager. Following a closed door session in July, selectmen voted to reopen the search for a new town manager after a candidate withdrew for personal reasons during negotiations. Cornell Knight of Carrabassett Valley was hired as interim manager in February following the unexpected resignation of Town Manager Christian Waller earlier that month.

The threat of thunderstorms at the beginning of the Wilton Blueberry Festival dampened its initial festivities, but for the most part the rain never materialized leading to well-attended activities throughout the weekend. Certain activities, such as Friends of Wilson Lake’s [FOWL] boat rides, were cancelled due to the threat, but most activities went off without a hitch.

That Saturday saw the threat of rain nowhere in sight, leading to hundreds flocking to the streets of downtown Wilton for pancakes, pies, vendors and all things blueberry related. Several floats embraced the Hawaiian luau theme, with Harris Septic Services, Farmington Baptist Church, PCL Services and the Farmington Area Youth Cheer Wild Catz donning grass skirts and colorful wreaths while riding atop floats decorated with tiki statues and and inflatable palm trees. The winning float of the parade went to Revolution Cheer, with Thomas Performing Arts Center taking second and Franklin Saving Bank coming in third.

RSU 9 Director of Transportation and Facilities Richard Joseph Jr. took a break from his vacation to present his report to the Regional School Unit 9 board of directors. Joseph reported on at least one lead custodian in every building in the RSU 9 district. As for transportation, he reported the department was in good shape in terms of staffing, but was seeking a driver and a mechanic, as well as a custodian for MBMS.

“Personally, I’d like to thank all our support staff and what a wonderful job that they are doing over the summer,” Joseph stated.

The University of Maine at Farmington gave The Franklin Journal a sneak peak at the new home of the nationally accredited Sweatt-Winter Early Care and Education program. The building offers 20 new slots for children in the Franklin County area, as well as increased enrollment in its undergraduate and graduate early childhood education programs by at least 20% in support of critical state workforce needs in the sector that have been exacerbated by the pandemic.

Also featured in the building are furnishing designed by Dr. Sandra Duncan with Kaplan Early Learning Company. Duncan stated that her design of the furniture, as well as the layout, was centered around The Potential Place, her trademarked design strategy that connects children’s inner [or emotional] needs with the physical built environment.

“What we’re starting to develop right here,” Duncan shared, “It’s the intersection between the child in the space and in that intersection, you give children opportunities to experience power and kinship.”

Farmington Selectmen held a lengthy discussion on the nuisance deer issue – both in-town and on more rural Route 27 – resulting in the possibility of a deer committee being formed. At a meeting in July, it was announced Sarah Boyden, wildlife biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, along with her supervisor and the district game warden would attend the meeting to address concerns raised by some residents regarding the deer population. A petition was presented in late July and featured signatures of more than 24 residents from the affected areas asking if an ordinance against in-town deer feeding could be adopted.

The RSU 9 Food Pantry received a $10,000 donation from University of Maine at Farmington Associate Provost and Dean of Arts & Science Dr. Steven Quackenbush for the pantry’s backpack program. Along with the donation, the pantry would be renaming the backpack program “Anita’s Hope” in honor of Quackenbush’s late mother, Anita Louise Spencer.

A member of the 120 year-old fraternal club Tyngtown Club in Wilton, Spencer’s passing sparked her fellow members to seek out a cause and complete it in her name. The RSU 9 Food Pantry was chosen for the task, as food insecurity among children was something Spencer was always concerned about.

“She was always concerned about social issues and making the world a better place,” Quackenbush said.

A Franklin County justice found that representatives of Wilson Lake Marina did not meet their burdens to determine two amendments to the Zoning Ordinance are invalid and that they are entitled to a declaratory judgment. The applicants and owners of the marina are James Butler and Ashley Rand of Wilton, whose property on the pond includes a single-family home and private dock. It is primarily in the limited residential and recreation zone and partially in the downtown village zone.

SEPTEMBER

The Franklin Journal paid a visit to the The Nordica Homestead Museum, birthplace of famed singer Lillian Nordica, the world’s first superstar. Born in 1857, the world-renowned opera singer established herself as one of the foremost dramatic sopranos of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The museum anticipated the acquisition of an artifact from a Russian czar that was gifted to Nordica according to Curator Crystal Williams.

Nordica was a fascinating figure and accomplished many things during her lifetime beside opera, such as working with Coca Cola in their first big advertising campaign because “the entire world knew who she was,” Williams said. Nordica was an entrepreneur and women’s rights activist, particularly child labor laws, Williams noted.

The Wilton Board of Selectpersons voted to accept a moratorium as written on the licensing of adult use and medical cannabis establishments for a duration of 180 days. The moratorium would not go into effect until a public hearing held later that month. The moratorium would prohibit the town of Wilton from accepting, processing, or approving applications, including but not limited to business permits, building permits, certificates of occupancy, site plan reviews, conditional uses, or any other approval, relating to the establishment or operation of a marijuana business.

The moratorium defined cannabis use under two categories: medical use and adult use, and the moratoriums affected all aspects of cannabis operations, including growth, cultivations, processing, testing and retail stores.

Wilton Police Chief Ethan Kyes had his proposal to purchase a new police rated Ford Explorer as well as a used state police vehicle approved by the Wilton Select Board. The proposal was drafted by Kyes and Sergeant Gerald Maccione in an effort to push for assigned police cruisers over pooled police cruisers.

Half the roof on a modular home was ripped off when it got snagged by a low-hanging wire while being hauled on Farmington Falls Road. Geo & Sons Mobile Homes of Benton was headed toward New Sharon when the accident occurred, Farmington Fire Rescue Chief Timothy “TD” Hardy said. The roof hit a low-hanging fiber optic cable, ripping half the roof off, temporarily cutting power to the area and halting traffic about 40 minutes.

Mt. Blue High School Interim Principal Joel Smith told the RSU board of directors in his administrative report that he would make absenteeism a priority for the school year. In the previous school year, MBHS was the leader in chronic absenteeism among all the schools in the district, with a rate of 38.95%. By contrast, in 2017-18 it was 28.63%.

“We’re really focusing on attendance this year, making sure that we’re monitoring that and trying to make strides to improve that,” he told the board.

The opening day of Farmington Fair saw many individuals facing off against others in several contests, with the 4-H working steer show seeing a big turnout with eight contestants. “Only two or three youth were expected to compete in the working steer classes, so scheduling shouldn’t have been affected,” Judy Smith, who served as judge for the 4-H working steer show, said. “It was good to see so many in the working steer classes again,” she stated.

The delayed pie eating contest also saw a big turn out, with Jillian Lewis of Biddeford taking the prize from  Zachary Blakeman of Wilton. Among the prizes Lewis received were a blue rosette and a coffee mug engraved with Farmington Fair pie eating champion.

By the weeks end, the Farmington Fair saw the late addition of a demonstration on liberty horsemanship filling up the stands to about two-thirds full. Avery Allumbaugh and Patrick Sullivan, who were married in August, demonstrated the liberty method, which refers to any work done with horses while they’re loose, without a rope or reins, so they have the freedom to move around at will.

Farmington Selectmen signed the contract for new Town Manager Erica LaCroix of Mount Vernon. Leaving her position as town manager of Winslow, LaCroix succeeded interim Town Managers Stephen Eldridge and Cornell Knight, who took over after Christian Waller stepped down unexpectedly on Feb. 6. He succeeded Richard Davis who retired in 2021 after 20 years.

RSU 9 Superintendent Christian Elkington stated in his report to the board of directors that, while RSU 9 was in a better position than other school districts in the state, several key positions needed to be filled and the applicant pool had run dry for now.

“I am wondering if we have finally seen the end of the line for all of those who wanted to work in our public school system,” Elkington shared in his report. “I hope not.”

OCTOBER

Farmington Selectmen joined Wilton and others in voting to support a letter opposing a national wildlife refuge proposed in northern Franklin County. James Cote of Farmington, representative for several Maine recreational organizations, stated they would much prefer local control.

“We are all believers in conservation,” he said. “We have all worked on conservation efforts at the State House, here in Franklin County and elsewhere. Obviously that place is a gem of a natural resource and we all want to see that protected.”

Community members and stakeholders came together at Walton’s Mill Park to celebrate the removal of the dam as well as renovations at the park and two stream crossing replacements along Clover Mill Road. The cost came out to roughly $3 million and the different projects took almost seven years to complete.

Walton’s Mill Park now features an improved parking area with four parallel parking spaces along Route 43, sign kiosk, enclosed handicapped-accessible restroom facilities, outdoor drinking fountains, covered pavilion with picnic tables, a natural play area for children, new overlook area to view Temple Stream, granite steps leading to the stream, the water wheel once used at the mill on display and lights for the park’s use at night.

In his superintendent report, Christian Elkington shared with the board of directors the rising number in homeschooling parents who have completed and filed their paperwork with the Maine Department of Education. For the 2023-2024 school year, 270 parents or guardians applied to homeschool their child or children. By contrast, the number of families that applied in 2019-2020 was 123.

The following year, 2020-2021, saw the sharpest increase due to COVID-19 and other factors, with the number of families applying to homeschool jumping to 278, an increase of 126%. The years that followed saw a marginal decrease, with the number of families choosing to homeschool in the 2021-2022 school year decreasing by 10% and holding steady at 250 families for the year after in 2022-2023.

In her first administrative report, new Franklin County Adult Education Director Mary Redmond-Luce told RSU 9 directors Franklin County had the lowest number of disconnected youth among five counties in western and central Maine.

Redmond-Luce, who took over for Nancy Allen after her retirement earlier this year, said her data was from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act program, which is working closely with adult education programs across the state to tackle the issue of youth ages 16 to 19 not engaging in work or school. According to the report, the national number of disconnected youths in that same age range is about 433,164, and the total for Maine is roughly 1,490.

Farmington Selectmen approved the establishment of the David Robbins Youth Sports Fund, which had a $1,750 donation for the fund given in memory of David Robbins, a lifelong Farmington resident who passed away unexpectedly in July.

“As long as I can remember people have been telling me what a naturally gifted athlete my uncle Dave was,” Alison King wrote in a letter to the Board of Selectmen regarding the family’s donation and fund request. “Family members, neighbors, classmates of mine who were on teams he coached, and even people I met casually, made it a point to comment on his abilities.”

Wilton voters at a special town meeting approved a six-month moratorium on licenses for adult use and medical cannabis establishments, and passed amendments to several zoning ordinances. The moratorium, which was drafted by Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson law firm in Portland and Town Manager Perry Ellsworth, barred new applications for the next 180 days. This included facilities for cultivation, products manufacturing, testing and retails stores.

As part of Indigenous Peoples Week events, University of Maine at Farmington held a panel discussion regarding the struggles of the Wabanaki people since the colonization of the region and ongoing efforts to address them. Panelists included Anghy Tehuitzil Corral, a Mexican American and descendant of the Aztec; Mike “Muggo” Dube of Farmington whose roots trace back to a 300+ year-old family farmhouse in Livermore; Osihkiyol [Zeke] Crofton-Macdonald, tribal ambassador for the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians; and Shirley N. Hager, lead author of “The Gatherings: Reimagining Indigenous-Settler Relations.”

A public hearing was held in regards to the lease-purchase agreement of Holman Mission House by RSU 9, which intends to use the space for administrative purposes. Superintendent Christian Elkington yielded comments and questions regarding the acquisition of the building, historical significance, and potential long-term cost.

Several business and schools closed down in the wake of multiple shootings in Lewiston, when Robert Card, 40, open fire on Sparetime Recreation and Schemengees Bar & Grille, killing 18 people and injuring at least a dozen more. The shooting ranked 36th – and deadliest – mass killing in the U.S. this year.

NOVEMBER

Retired Franklin County Sheriff Dennis Pike, who served from 2002 to 2012, passed away in early November. With a law enforcement career that spanned more than four decades, Pike also served as a national weather observer in Farmington for more than 52 years. The service for Pike began at the Franklin County Sheriff Office where Farmington Police Chief Kenneth Charles led a procession of police cruisers to Fairview Cemetery.

Wilton Selectperson Mike Wells and his son received minor injuries when the airplane they were in flipped onto its roof on the runway at Stephen A. Bean Municipal Airport. Wells stated a crosswind and a steering component failed, causing the 1947 Piper to flip over.

He and his son, Reed, 24, of Wilton and Utah, who is a student pilot, received minor cuts and abrasions to their faces. They were evaluated by NorthStar EMS ambulance personnel at the site but did not go to a hospital in an ambulance, Fire Rescue Chief Michael Bacon said.

Three students from Carrabassett Valley Academy were selected to represent Maine and the United States at the 2024 Youth Olympic Games [YOG] in Gangwon, South Korea. Boden Gerry is a snowboard cross athlete while Maggie Swain and Morgan Shute will compete in ski cross. Gerry and Swain are seniors. Shute is a junior.

The Wilton Board of Selectpersons made the final decision on a replacement for current Town Manager Perry Ellsworth, and the choice was Maria Greeley, formerly a treasurer for the towns of Somerville and Union.

“Maria came highly recommended to me from other managers that I am associated with,” Ellsworth stated at the meeting. “I’m really looking forward to working with her in a transitional mode.”

Though fresh as a town manager, Greeley is an experienced government accountant and treasurer, having worked for the town of Somerville as tax collector and treasurer from 2016 to 2021 and the town of Union as treasurer from May 2021 to July 2022.

The ten towns that send their children to Regional School Unit 9 made the decision to allow the district to complete the purchase of the Holman Mission House, located at 227 Main Street in Farmington. The referendum was decided on Tuesday, Nov. 7, with over 3,600 Franklin County residents voting in favor of the purchase. With approximately 5,433 votes tallied for the referendum, 3,621 residents voted ‘yes’ to approve the purchase of the Holman Mission House, with 1,780 voting ‘no’ and 32 voters leaving their ballot blank.

Friends and family members of Emily Doak Hartung gathered at the Farmington Public Library for the unveiling of a quilt – crafted in her honor – that would soon hang outside the children’s room at the library. Hartung, a well-known community member and businesswoman, succumbed to cancer in September 2022.

A picture of Emily and a vase of flowers were placed on either side of a plaque with the words, “Emily Doak Hartung was a shining light in our community. An artist, a teacher, a hand quilter, a successful businesswoman … and most of all our dear friend.”

As part of Veterans Day activities, a presentation on Franklin County World War I soldiers who never made it home was shared at North Church in Farmington. At the presentation, Glenn Miller, a retired entrepreneur, professional writer/editor and an amateur historian and genealogist, shared the names and age of the 33 soldiers who passed during WWI and never returned home.

“These men’s lives, and the grief of those who lost them, ought to be our eternal reminder that freedom’s debt is the dearest price we frail humans can pay,” he said. “The first part of repaying it is to recognize to whom the debt is owed, and to remember those 33 men and their 33 stories.”

At the Teague World War I Memorial Arch, Farmington Chief of Police Kenneth Charles shared a speech before moving to Meetinghouse Park, where Priscilla Kimble performed the full version of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” with all four verses.

In Wilton, the First Congregational Church was host to a special Veterans Day program, where Wilton native Sammie Angel performed a number of patriotic tunes, including “Some Gave All” by Billy Ray Cyrus and “More Than A Name On A Wall” by the The Statler Brothers, the latter of which Angel dedicated to her brother. She began her performance by opening with “I Wish I Was in Dixie”, which was a favorite of President Lincoln.

During the performance, Angel took a small break while Frank Giampietro took the stage adorned in a top hat and bow tie and spoke in character as our nation’s 16th president and recited the Gettysburg Address.

DECEMBER

Chef Andrew Hutchins, director of food services for RSU 9, reported continued success of the program to the board of directors as it continues to grow and expand within the district. Hutchins remarked on the astounding growth of the program since his report a year prior in 2022. While the program traditionally has a participation growth rate of around 2% to 3% per year, Hutchins reported last November a 13% increase in participation for breakfast and nearly 20% for lunch compared to those numbers in 2021.

He and his department anticipated the numbers to level off, but that was not the case as data collected from the first two months of school showed an average participation growth of 5.5% at breakfast and 6.4% at lunch over last year’s figures. In his report, Hutchins equated that to roughly 250-300 meals served per day.

Hundreds of Farmington locals and even more from beyond gathered in the downtown area on the first Saturday of the month to celebrate the town’s most famous resident, Chester Greenwood. This year’s Chester Greenwood Day marks 47 years of the commemorative day that honors the Maine inventor who changed how we enjoy wintery weather forever with the invention of the earmuff.

The day was loaded with hot cocoa, gingerbread houses, vendors and a parade where Kyes Insurance took first place in the adult category this year with their float with RSU 9 and Fishing – Loving taking second and third, respectively. For the children’s category, Foster Career and Technical Education Center took first place with their lumberjack float while Thomas Performing Arts Center earned second place.

Over in Industry, floating crocs, second dips and reminiscing about the Polar Bear Dip’s history drew laughter and lasting images for participants and viewers alike. The beach area at Clearwater Lake was mostly empty until shortly before 3 p.m. when people began to arrive in ever larger numbers. A few dipped their toes in the water while others chatted and joked with friends.

Rev. Marraine Kettel of Temple dipped with a group of friends. “It really wasn’t that bad,” she said while drying off. “If people weren’t waiting for me, I would probably go back in.”

Ronald “Ron/Bub” Greenwood, the great grandson of Chester Greenwood of Farmington, passed away at his home in Temple. He was remembered as a talented friend who carried on his family legacy.

“Ron was a great friend,” Farmington attorney Paul Mills said. “A magnificent embodiment of the Chester Greenwood family tradition of which he was in the forefront of carrying out ever since the first Chester Greenwood Day.”

“Franklin County won’t be the same without him,” Mills noted.

The Farmington Rotary Club donated $1,000 to the Franklin County Children’s Task Force for the pajama drive. The money will be used to purchase brand new sets of pajamas for children in Franklin County. The pajama drive, which is organized by the FCCTF with the help of the Farmington Rotary Club and the University of Maine at Farmington, looks to distribute pajamas to underprivileged children in the area and has been doing so for over 20 years according to its members.

According to Social Services Director Rileigh Blanchet, 176 pajamas were gathered from the drop off locations with an addition 90 sets purchased using the funds that were donated by the Rotary Club.

The massive rain and wind storm that occurred on Monday, Dec. 18, into Tuesday, Dec. 19, had many in the region comparing it to the devastation left by the April Fool’s Day flood of 1987.

About 1:30 p.m. Monday, The Franklin Journal observed flooded fields between Routes 2/4 and Main Street in Wilton. Wilson Stream near Shelly’s Hometown Market was raging and almost up to Cemetery Road. Shortly afterwards a washout was seen in Jay on Greenridge Way near the intersection with Route 4.

At 3 p.m. that day, Franklin County Emergency Management Agency [FCEMA] reported on its Facebook page that Hippach Field and Prescott Field in Farmington were fully flooded. The storm resulted in over 400,000 Mainers without power for days.

Janet Warner, former publisher of The Franklin Journal and Livermore Falls Advertiser, passed away on Monday, Dec. 11. She was remembered for her attention to detail and ability to stay calm under pressure.

Donna Perry, now a Sun Journal staff writer was hired as a correspondent. “On occasion I substituted to enter copy on the computer,” she noted. “Janet was as calm as could be while I was stressed to get everything done by a certain time.”

Janet and her husband, Dan Warner, were always proud of the work done on the papers, Perry noted. “They were both well-liked in the community,” she stated. “They made the papers so that the community was well informed.”

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