Former Mapleton resident receives work honor
MAPLETON NEWS
by Jennifer Buzza
On Thursday, Dec. 8, the family of Craig Garland, of Mapleton, traveled to Portland to surprise him during a ceremony in his honor. At the holiday luncheon, Craig was honored as Employee of the Year by his employer, an agency called Casa.
Photo courtesy of Laurie Garland Amero
THE GARLAND FAMILY of Mapleton recently traveled to Portland to attend a celebration in honor of Craig Garland, son of Ann and Woodie Garland of Mapleton. Craig was named Employee of the Year by his Portland employer, Casa. Pictured are, from left: Craig’s sister, Laurie Garland Amero; mother, Ann Garland; Craig Garland, father, Woodie Garland; and sister, Paige Garland Allen.
Casa is a service agency located in Portland with a mission statement of “Assuring that people with disabilities have safe, healthy and secure homes that promote growth and independence.” Craig is currently a program manager working with adults with disabilities. He has much experience in this field, starting his career in Presque Isle, then Bangor and now Portland.
During his time at the Portland agency, Craig created a music program and formed a band called “The Benders.” At the luncheon, his supervisor stated that Craig went far beyond his job responsibilities by developing a band composed of staff members and clients. Not only has his band earned their own gigs in the local community, but they have entertained Casa’s clients and provided a tremendous new opportunity for them to socialize and grow. During the luncheon, a CD was distributed to all in attendance with a picture of the band and a copy of one of their songs. The CD reads, “We live together. We work together. We may as well rock together.”
It goes without saying that Craig’s family is very proud him and it meant a lot to them to be in attendance and share the honor with him.
Birthdays
Birthday wishes this week go out to Charlotte Howe, Heather Richards, Samuel Robinson, Josh Duncan, Jared Buck, Sue Skidgell, Karen Burrill, Jaime Beals, Ruth Frasier, Steven Kennedy Sr., Holden Stoutamyer, Amanda Getchell, Galen Kennedy Jr., Celeste Johnson, Robert Bagley, Galen Smith, Micah Calhoun and Delani Kennedy.
Anniversaries
There are no anniversaries this week.
Senior citizens
The Mapleton, Chapman and Castle Hill senior citizens would like to invite other local seniors to join their luncheons and meetings that are being held each Monday from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The group meets at Maple Tree Estates on the Hughes Road in Mapleton. Those who wish to attend are asked to bring a dish to share for the potluck lunch, as well as personal place settings. Following the luncheon, the meeting often includes a guest speaker or bingo. Please note that there will not be meetings Monday, Dec. 26 or Monday, Jan. 2. Regular weekly meetings will resume Monday, Jan. 9.
Grange Hall news
The Castle Hill Grange Hall Preservation Society held its last meeting of the year Nov. 29. The group discussed future projects and fundraisers. The cookbooks arrived Nov. 10 and have been selling well. Over half of the books ordered have been sold and more are available for purchase at Riverside Restaurant in Presque Isle or at the Mapleton Town Office. The cookbooks are $9 and make a great gift! Please call 764-4826 for more information. The Society will also be holding their annual candy bar sale after Christmas and throughout the winter. The next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 28 at the hall. The Society wishes to thank the public for their continued support and wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Classie Lassies
The Classie Lassies Red Hats, from the Mapleton area, recently went to Tang’s Courtyard for a Christmas meeting. Santa visited the girls and helped pass out the gifts for a Yankee Swap. A Christmas sing-a-long was led by Carmen Dickinson. Grenda Stevenson won the dollar draw. Door prizes were won by Marcelle Michaud and Claudine McBurnie. The next gathering will be Jan. 17 at the Aroostook Centre Mall to play bingo.
Sing-along
There will be a school-wide sing-along at the Mapleton Elementary School tomorrow, Dec. 22 at 9:30 a.m. Families and friends are invited to attend!
Christmas services
The Mapleton United Methodist Church will be hosting a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 24. There will also be a service Christmas morning, Sunday, Dec. 25 at 10:30 a.m. The public is invited to come as you are — pajamas and slippers welcome!
The West Chapman Advent Christian Church will be hosting a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Saturday, Dec. 24 at 6 p.m. There will be no Sunday School Sunday, Dec. 25, but the morning worship service will be held at 10:45 a.m.
The Mapleton United Baptist Church family will gather on Christmas morning for a brunch at 10 a.m. followed by worship at 10:30 a.m.
Jennifer Buzza is the correspondent for Mapleton, Castle Hill and Chapman. She can be reached at 760-9115, or by e-mail at jbuzza@ainop.com.
