Staff Writer
Most all of us look forward to Fridays — but some local residents found themselves being taken from their homes, their work stations, even from their lunch, amidst a commotion of long blue coats, badges, batons and whistles on Feb. 19. No — we weren’t invaded and no these honest, hard-working, upstanding citizens weren’t arrested for horrendous crimes — they were the victims of warrants, purchased by family and friends who support the Caribou Kiwanis Keystone Kops.
Keystone Kop kids in the Klink. These two Caribou High School students, Madison Outing and Kyle McEwen spent some time behind bars during school vacation. The two are president and treasurer respectively of the CHS Key Club were on hand helping out during the Feb. 19 Keystone Kops event and couldn’t resist trying out the jail cell. The Caribou Kiwanis Club sponsors the Key Club, working closely with student members on projects and events.
The annual Keystone Kops fund-raiser results in any number of ‘arrests’ being made throughout the day and with the person who has a warrant out on them, brought to the American Legion Post Home on Sweden St. where they left to plead their case before a questionable Keystone judge.
The victims of these arrests find out all too soon that even if they plead guilty, they still find themselves doing time behind bars — even after donating to the judge’s fishing fund.
The ‘jail’ was certainly a busy place on Feb. 19, as by noon time, at least 65 ‘convicts’ had occupied the cell. At the end of the day, the Keystone Kops had brought in 100 “criminals,” found guilty of everything from being too nice of a person to being a Yankee fan in Red Sox Nation.
Kiwanians Carol McElwee and Henrietta Lagasse confirmed that the number of arrests this year surpassed those of recent times and the club members were very pleased with the support of this annual fund-raiser shown by community members.
All proceeds from this event go towards local youth programs sponsored by the Caribou Kiwanis Club.
Arlene Doody, left and her daughter, Kris (Cary Medical Center), accepted their fate was to spend time in the Klink, after being ‘arrested’ during the recent Caribou Kiwanis Club’s Keystone Kops fund-raiser. Kris Doody, thought her Mom was the one who put the warrant out on her, so she in turn, had her arrested. Arlene Doody, was actually innocent in the whole commotion, but was found to be guilty anyway by the judge.
Guilty for Feeding the County? Dixie Shaw, well-known for her endless work with Catholic Charities of Maine, regarding the local food bank and the thrift store as well as countless food drives to maintain local food pantries, found herself pleading her case (to no avail) during the recent Keystone Kops event, Feb. 19.
Jan Wright, found herself surround by Keystone Kops and in front of the “Judge” on Feb. 19, as she was ‘arrested’ during the annual event. Wright’s crime was said to be because she was too nice.
Keystone Kops Carol McElwee brings in another ‘jailbird’ (Jon Hamilton) to stand before the judge.
One must be very careful which baseball team they favor around this area and Nicole Evers can testify to that as she was ‘arrested’ by the Keystone Kops for being a Yankee fan amidst the Red Sox Nation. She tried but Keystone Kop Jeff Franklin and the judge weren’t buying her story.
Guilty! —of smiling too much.
Serving their ‘time’ together were Gray Memorial United Methodist Church Pastor Tom Benton and his wife Deaneann. While his wife was accused of ‘smiling too much,’ the pastor was cited by the Keystone Kops for “ giving instructions out of an old book.”
Found guilty of impersonating Ed Leighton, a former physical education teacher at the Limestone Community School, Jon Hamilton (who is the current PE instructor at LCS) just smiled and did his ‘time’ behind bars in the Keystone Kops jail.
Keystone Kops Judge Dean Rauch was more concerned about the growth of his ‘fishing fund,’ than he was hearing those brought before him, plead their case, during the recent Caribou Kiwanis Keystone Kops day.
