PRINTED USING RECYCLED • CONTENT NEWSPRINT AND SOY COLORS. MAKE A DIFFERENCE. PLEASE RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER. (USPS 433980) PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT DOVER-FOXCROFT, ME 04426 VOL. 178 NO. 07 FEBRUARY 17, 2016 DOVER-FOXCROFT, MAINE 10 PAGES PRICE 75 CENTS HEALTH & SENIOR PAGE 5 SPORTS PAGE 8 A Matter of Balance High school basketball classes start in April tournament time Classroom hamster brings families together Guilford’s True for One Book, One School Textiles bought By Stuart Hedstrom pizza sticks and sauce, carrots, Staff Writer broccoli, homemade cupcakes by Quebec firm DOVER-FOXCROFT — Since and iced tea. Several items were early January students and fami- chosen due to connections to By Darren Fishell itive positioning by leveraging lies at the SeDoMoCha Elemen- “The World According to Hum- BDN Staff the individual strengths of each tary School had the opportunity phrey”, as the title character is a BANGOR — The Quebec business unit across the organi- to read Betty G. Birney’s “The helpful classroom pet hamster. holding company Duvaltex has zation,” the announcement from World According to Humphrey” Many of the students worked purchased specialty textile maker Duvaltex said. at home together for the sixth up an appetite in the multipur- True Textiles, which has a pro- True Textiles, headquartered annual One Book, One School — pose room as they ran through duction facility in Guilford, for in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has copies of the book were provided the obstacle course while their an undisclosed price. locations in North Carolina, as by the school. The shared reading parents watched from the stage. The purchase combines True well as a design and development program concluded with a cel- “Welcome to the hamster cage Textiles with the Quebec-based office in New York City. ebration on the evening of Feb. obstacle course,” physical ed- Victor Textiles, which Duvaltex Jeremy Bakken, a spokesman 11 with dinner, crafts, games and ucation teacher Ashley Jackins said will make it the largest man- for Duvaltex, said it’s “business “Humphrey’s obstacle course.” told the grade 2 participants. He ufacturer of commercial or interi- as usual” for locations other than “We had about 250 people in explained the various obstacles or fabrics in the United States and True Textile’s North Carolina attendance,” SeDoMoCha Prin- resembled the “reindeer training Canada. plant, which is in the process of cipal Julie Kimball said the day camp” he has them run through Observer photo/Jeannette Hughes Both companies make fab- relocating. after the One Book, One School in gym class, “but here you just rics used for office, institutional, Bakken said that he did not finale. keep going, you don’t start over PICK OF THE PICKEREL — Mike Beland of Milo health care and hospitality cus- know whether in the long term During the evening celebration, again to earn the distinction. You shows two of the five pickerel he caught on Saturday tomers. Duvaltex said in a state- there would be changes to em- families arrived and began the just continue on but you try your at Boyd Lake as part of the 54th annual Schoodic Lake ment that it expects the combi- ployment levels at the Guilford program by either enjoying din- best.” Ice Fishing Derby. Beland, who planned to to go back nation to benefit the Guildford facility. ner in the cafeteria or taking part The obstacles included the out on Sunday and said he has taken part in the derby business and Victor Textiles, with “While Duvaltex is planning to in activities in the art rooms, gym gauntlet, with two older students for many years, said, “They would be good eating “opportunities to create synergies explore opportunities to create in- or multipurpose room. The entire pushing large balls the youngsters for supper.” Proceeds from the Schoodic Lake Ice and efficiencies across the orga- ternal efficiencies, Victor Textiles menu was once again funded in Fishing Derby benefit Milo Fire Department charities nization.” and True Textiles will continue to full by the SeDoMoCha School Please see Page 9, and events. “The company plans to im- operate as independent business Organization and consisted of ONE BOOK prove each operation’s compet- units,” Bakken said. Foxcroft Academy ‘ironmen’ win first Class B wrestling state championship DOVER-FOXCROFT — championship for Foxcroft in the championship finals, but Three months of grinding Class B is great. the Ponies went 5-2 in those practices and major tourna- “The stigma has always matches while the Cougars ment success produced a fa- been ‘Foxcroft’s always good went just 2-2. miliar result for the Foxcroft but they wrestle in Class C’, “I’m just proud of the guys Academy wrestling team Sat- you’re a Class C team. So I for how they came together urday — a state championship. told the guys, let’s go out and and for just being relentless all But this one is different. show all those doubters who year,” said Ayala. “At the be- Strength in the heaviest never thought we could do it ginning of the year we thought weight that we can compete at this we had a pretty good team but classes The Sports level. The last couple years as the season progressed it be- proved de- in Class B we didn’t have any came obvious what they were cisive for OBSERVER (individual) state champions, capable of doing and it was the Ponies, By Ernie Clark but now we have five this year great to see them put it all to- who edged and we win states as a Class B gether and achieve their goal.” Dirigo of team. I think we’ve definitely Foxcroft senior Zach Caron Dixfield for proven we’re one of the elite remained undefeated on the the Class teams in the state.” season and earned his third in- B crown Dirigo, the two-time defend- dividual state title in as many at Oceans- ing Class C state champion, years by outpointing Mountain ide High was moved up to Class B when Valley’s Eddie DeRoche 5-3 in School in the state’s wrestling world was the 145-pound final. Rockland. reduced from three classes to Then Foxcroft asserted itself Foxcroft two last spring but finished a in the upper weight classes, crowned solid second with 123 points. where the Ponies’ Ironmen Photo courtesy of Angela Ayala five individ- Defending Class B state contingent of brothers Billy STATE CHAMPS! — The Foxcroft Academy wrestling team is the best in Class B after ual champi- title holder Ellsworth was and Brandon Brock, Michael the Ponies finished in first place on Feb. 13 at Oceanside High School in Rockland, ons and totaled 146 points in third with 94.5 points, with Pendriss and Connor Holmes scoring 146 points or 23 more than the runner-up. Five members of the squad earned winning its first Class B title Winslow (91) and Mountain all delivered victories. individual titles and the team honor completes a season sweep of the postseason after five Class C champion- Valley of Rumford and Wells “We had T-shirts made up ships between 2004 and 2013. (79.5 points each) next among for this year that said, ‘Iron matches with Foxcroft having previously won the Penobscot Valley Conference crown “Every one is special,” said the 22 scoring schools. and the Class B North championship. The state championship, the first under the new Ponies head coach Luis Ayala. Foxcroft took just a 115-109 Please see Page 7, two-class system, is the sixth overall in program history and the half dozen have been “but this being the first state lead over Dirigo heading into CHAMPIONSHIP won with Luis Ayala as the head coach. Students showcase Selectmen specialty T-shirts approve for 100th day show solid waste By Stuart Hedstrom pick-up truck Staff Writer DOVER-FOXCROFT — For purchase students at the SeDoMoCha School, Feb. 9 marked the 100th day of By Stuart Hedstrom classes in the current academic Staff Writer year. Grade one pupils celebrated DOVER-FOXCROFT — the milestone with a fashion show, The solid waste and recycling featuring T-shirts they decorated department will have a new with 100 items of their choosing. pick-up truck, replacing a 2001 “It was involving parents and stu- model, after the board of select- dents, counting out whatever with men approved the purchase of a 100 or sets of 10,” first-grade teach- 2016 Chevy 3500 with bedliner er Barbara Wentworth said prior to and plow from Rowell’s Ga- the 100th day fashion show. “We rage for $38,000 during a Feb. had some pretty clever designs,” 8 meeting. she said, saying some students and Town Manager Jack Clukey their families used decorations such said the solid waste committee Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom as M&M’s, paper clips, cotton balls met the week before and “we HAPPY 200TH BIRTHDAY TO GUILFORD — Guilford Town Manager Tom Goulette, and beads along with glitter and Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom got three bids” with two be- with resident Brian Woodworth looking on, displays a camper ceramic mug as part fabric paint. 100 GEMS FOR THE ing made by Dover-Foxcroft of the Bicentennial Birthday Bash on Feb. 14 at the Valley Grange to kick off a year Wentworth said the lesson was dealerships. “The low price of festivities celebrating the community’s 200th birthday (the town was officially intended “to give them an idea of 100TH DAY OF SCHOOL on all of that was provided by incorporated on Feb. 8, 1816). The bash began a 37-day raffle through the date of the quantity of 100 and how much — SeDoMoCha Elementary Rowell’s and it totaled up to the annual town meeting on March 21, and a Red Sox gift that really is.” She added, “We near- School first-grader Payson Hall an even $38,000.” Bids were bag went to Michelle Nichols with two tickets to a game ly had 100 percent participation.” had 100 gems on her T-shirt also made by Prouty Ford of at Fenway being won by Megan Ryder.