Sports in brief . . .

Wildcat players of the week
    The Varsity Club and Big Cheese Pizza are pleased to congratulate Caitlyn Esancy and Nic Davis for being selected as athletes of the week for the week of December 8-13.
    Esancy scored 22 points to lead the girls varsity basketball team past Houlton.     Davis had 39 saves for the varsity ice hockey team to preserve an important 3-3 tie with Houlton-Hodgdon.
Presque Isle indoor pool holiday hours
    The Presque Isle indoor pool will be having special general swim hours during the Christmas vacation.
    Our general swim hours are Dec. 26 and 27 from 1-2:45 p.m. and 7-8:45 p.m., Dec. 28 and 29 from 1-2:45 p.m., Dec. 30 from 1-2:45 p.m. and 7-8:45 p.m., Dec. 31 from 1-2:45 p.m., Jan. 2 from 7-8:45 p.m., Jan. 3 from 1-2:45 p.m. and 7-8:45 p.m. and Jan. 4 from 1-2:45 p.m. On Jan. 2 there will be a dollar general swim from 1-2:45 p.m. for Presque Isle residents. For more information contact the indoor pool at 764-2564.
UMPI hosts three-day baseball clinic for kids
    The men’s baseball team at the University of Maine at Presque Isle is hosting a three-day baseball clinic for boys and girls ages 7 to 12 Dec. 29 – 31 at the university’s Wieden Hall.
    The clinic, which runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon, will feature instruction in basic skills including form throwing, hitting, base running, and fielding of both ground ball and fly balls.
    The day’s events will conclude with an actual indoor modified baseball game. Cost for the entire clinic is $60 per participant, with proceeds used to support travel expenses for the UMPI baseball team.
    For information or to register, please contact coach Leo Saucier at 768-9421 or leo.saucierjr@umpi.edu.
North Star basketball camp
    The weekend of Dec. 29-31, 2008 UMPI will host a basketball camp in Wieden Gymnasium.
    The camp, will be led by women’s head coach Tracy Guerrette and men’s head coach Terry Cummings, and is co-ed.         Grades 2-5 will play from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and grades 6-8 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The cost of the camp is $40. For more information, please contact Bill Casavant at 768-9475 or 764-0810.
Presque Isle novice team plays Houlton
    The novice team was outscored 6-4 in their game vs. Houlton on Sat., Dec. 20. P.I. goalie Heinz Schumacher faced 35 shots and stopped 29, while Houlton took on 21 shots and stopped 17.  Presque Isle goals were made by Jake Stevens, Erin Benson and Thomas Patenaude who scored 2. They were assisted by Devin Ireland, Torey Levesque, Kyra Schumacher, Amelia Theriault and Bailey York.
    Presque Isle plays again Sat., Dec. 27 in Woodstock at 10 a.m.
First Day of Winter marked by major snowfall at Maine ski areas
    Maine’s ski & snowboard industry kicked into overdrive, digging out from the season’s first blizzard.
    From Powderhouse Hill at the Southern Maine boarder to Lonesome Pine Trails at the Northern Tip, snowfall was measured in feet, not inches.
    The Camden Snow Bowl, which overlooks Penobscot Bay gained one and one half feet of snow and the amounts increased to nearly three feet of accumulation at Sugarloaf in Carrabassett Valley.
    Sunday River in Bethel, welcomed the storm with the opening of its new Chondola, the first Gondola / Chair lift to operate in the Eastern United States.
    According to Greg Sweetser, Executive Director of the Ski Maine Association, “this storm will open nearly every acre of terrain across Maine’s alpine ski areas and Nordic Centers. Many schools have begun their Holiday Vacation and the new snow gives a boost in business before Christmas. “
    According to Sweetser, the recent snowfall has meant earlier openings across many ski areas. “Historically, Maine ski areas are pleased to have 50% of their terrain open in December, but this year we’ll see many at 100%. This is certainly the way to celebrate the arrival of winter.”
    The ski centers across the state offer a wide variety of events and packages.
    Following the holiday week, Maine will participate in the month long, January National Learn a Snow Sports program.         Details for this and all ski area programs are available through the Ski Maine web site at www.skimaine.com.
 Fishing Licenses Available
    Maine 2009 Hunting and Fishing Licenses are now available for purchase just in time for holiday gift giving.  
    Licenses are available using MOSES, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s online licensing system, at www.informe.org/moses.             MOSES, too, is used at more than 275 licensing agents statewide. At this time, only 2009 season licenses are available online.