Volunteers are putting the finishing touches on the annual Mapleton Daze weekend. This year marks the 25th year of Mapleton Daze, the first one dating back to 1988. Under the theme “Celebrating our Roots,” festivities will begin Thursday, June 27 with beano and the Woodie Waddell Memorial Cribbage Tournament at 7 p.m. at the Lion’s Hall.
Friday’s events will take place on the Mapleton Elementary School grounds starting at 4 p.m. Several non-profit groups will be selling food including the annual chicken barbeque, homemade pies, ice cream and popcorn. Mapleton Daze memorabilia will be on sale, as well. Other evening entertainment will include karaoke, jumping castles and face painting for the kids, a survivor contest and the annual fireworks display.
Saturday, June 29 will mark another busy day of activities. The Lions Hall will be open for those to view photo albums for reminiscing. The annual parade will take place down Main Street at 10 a.m., led by the children in the bike parade. The Haystack Historical Society Museum will be open for visitors and a new event for this year, the Spuddy Recovery Triathlon, will begin immediately following the parade.
Many of the popular activities will return at the schoolyard including children’s games, jumping castles, face painting, obstacle course, and hula hoop and watermelon eating contests. There will be a classic car show and bikes will be raffled off for children in attendance. Baptist Park will also be raffling off a free week at one of their summer camps this year. The Pizza House is sponsoring a new event this year, a maple-themed cook-off. The horseshoe tournament will be held at Danny Breton’s and a pool party will be held at the outdoor community pool. The final event for the day will be a baked bean supper at the Lion’s Hall with proceeds benefiting C.A.N.C.E.R.
A sunrise service at the gazebo will start the day on Sunday with the Rev. Ken Phelps. The Jerry Dow and Merlyn Buck Memorial Walk will take place at 9 a.m. Later that afternoon at 2 p.m., Dusty’s Jamboree will perform at the Lion’s Hall.
For more information, brochures are available at the businesses on Main Street in Mapleton or by checking out the Mapleton Daze Committee’s Facebook page.
Also occurring this weekend is the annual Maple Meadow Farm Festival at the Gregg family farm on the Mapleton Road. Activities will run Saturday, June 29 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, June 30 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. An opening ceremony will take place Saturday morning at 10 a.m. After, live music and various demonstrations will be available for viewing including washing and dyeing wool and yarn, horse density, horse shoeing, wood milling, spindle making, digging potatoes, picking potatoes, hay bailing and steam bending.
Ongoing events throughout the weekend include horse drawn wagon rides, plowing demonstrations, a children’s play area and activities, the Wintergreen On Wheels (WOW) and TAMC in Your Town Mobile, Tim Caverly book signing of “Allagash Tales,” farm animal area, Pasco Grove Art Work and chainsaw carving.
A new event will kick off Sunday’s events. The Farm Fest 5K Milk Run is a 3.2-mile road race through a “beautiful farming community.” The race is open to all ages and there is a small registration fee. To register, log on to www.raceit.com, or register in person at the Maine Dairy Promotion Board booth at Farm Fest on Saturday.
Several of the same demonstrations will be on hand Sunday if you missed them Saturday. New demonstrations on Sunday will include a plato performance, natural wellness demonstration, and making crafts with polymer clay. Musicians will be on hand performing live music, as well.
For more information, visit the farm’s website at www.maplemeadowfarms.com or visit their Facebook page.
Birthdays
Birthday wishes this week go out to Matt Carney, Olivia Keep, Samantha Buck, Chris Putnam, Julie-Ane Brown, Trisha House, Miranda Allen, Ben LeBlanc II, Jack Buck and Winfield Sawyer.
Anniversaries
Happy anniversary this week to Mike and Betty Ireland on the 27th, Jason and Trisha House, Chris and Lynne Tenney and Steve and Carol Kennedy on the 28th, Mark and Lynn Christie, Charles and Millie Putnam and Nickolas and Michelle Michaud on the 30th, and Michael and Tina Warner and Gordie and Rachel Boulier July 1.
Girl Scouts hold awards ceremony
Mapleton Girl Scout Troop 1133 celebrated the end of their fifth year with their annual outdoor awards and bridging ceremony at the gazebo on Main Street Friday, June 14. The event began with a barbeque cookout for family and friends sponsored by the troop. Co-leader Laurie Amero welcomed everyone after some instrumental music provided by Senior Girl Scout Stephanie Winslow of Troop 677 on the piccolo and Junior Girl Scout Katelyn Amero on snare drum.
Following the introduction of troop members, the group honored Flag Day with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the Girl Scout Promise and Law. Amero, second year Junior, presented a special poem marking her bridging to Cadettes. The entire troop sang a new song, “Can a Girl Scout?”
The girls all entered the bridge to read pieces of a bridging poem to Amero. Winslow accompanied Amero on the bridge. Once across the bridge, Amero was given a lit candle and symbolic silver key necklace by her mother and co-leader, Laurie.
Co-leader Nancy Winslow recapped the troop’s work toward their Bronze Award including the Journey book, “Agent of Change,” that the girls recently completed. The girls each received their “Agent of Change” circular nesting badges celebrating the “Power of One,” the “Power of Team” and “Power of Community.” The girls are scheduled to complete their Bronze Award later in the fall.
Co-leader Jennifer Buzza presented each of the girls with awards they earned since the last ceremony in March. Included were patches for touring and donating to Halfway Home Pet Rescue, roller skating, touring Myrtle Tree Greenhouse and Nursery, planting a memorial flower garden and their Junior membership star. All girls present also received their five-year pin. Bridging Junior Katelyn Amero also received Junior badges she earned on her own including Drawing, Practice with Purpose and a badge she designed on her own she called “Drumming.”
The troop traditionally honors those registered volunteers that help out during the course of the year. Each mother is presented with a Family Star certificate of appreciation and their daughter receives a silver star patch for her vest. Being recognized during the evening were Wendy Maple and daughter, Delaney Alward, Laurie Amero and daughter, Katelyn, Jennifer Buzza and daughter, Madelyn, Tammy Getchell and daughter, Alexis, and Nancy Winslow and daughter, Amanda. Also receiving awards but absent during the ceremony were Jennifer Robichaud and daughter, Sydney.
The Sapphire Service Unit had small thank-you gifts for registered volunteers and those were also handed out to mothers Laura Baker, Amero, Getchell, Maple, Robichaud, Winslow and Buzza.
To conclude the ceremony, the girls all sang the Girl Scout version of “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.”
Troop 1133 members include Bethany Baker, Alward, Amero, Buzza, Getchell, Robichaud and Winslow. The troop is led by Jennifer Buzza, Nancy Winslow and Laurie Amero.
Golf tournament
Caring Area Neighbors for Cancer Education and Recovery (C.A.N.C.E.R.) will be hosting its annual fund-raiser golf tournament Saturday, June 29 at the Presque Isle Country Club. Registration starts at 8 a.m. and shot gun start at 9 a.m. Four-person teams are accepted, $50 per person, cart rental is separate. Hole sponsors are $100. Door prizes will be given out and refreshments will be served. For more information, please contact Barry Madore at the Pro Shop at 764-0430.
Student receives honor
Steven Carmichael, of Mapleton, recently received the Outstanding Performance in Sports Journalism award during his graduation from the New England School of Communications in May. Students receiving the Outstanding Student award are nominated by program faculty and have made a significant contribution to their program during their time at NESCom.
Carmichael is the son of Mark and Sherrie Carmichael of Mapleton.
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.
