Legislative record house appendix

Caterina MacLean, a senior at Scarborough High School and a member of the Scarborough Academic Decathlon team, on her winning a gold medal for the highest score in the nation on the essay in Division III of the United States Academic Decathlon competition in Memphis, Tennessee. We send Caterina our congratulations on her achievement and we send our best wishes to her on her future endeavors; (HLS 493)

Michael S. Handzel, Jr., of Orland, a student at Eastern Maine Community College, who was named a 2009 Student of the Year by the Maine Community College System. Mr. Handzel is an active contributing member of the Eastern Maine Community College community, serving as president of the Student Senate, as a student ambassador and as a member of Phi Theta Kappa. He was instrumental in organizing the college's first annual Harvest Day, an opportunity for students and staff to work together for the good of the college. We extend our congratulations and best wishes to Mr. Handzel on his receiving this well-deserved honor; (HLS 494)

the Boothbay Region YMCA Y-Arts Chorus, which received recognition at the iTheatrics Junior Theater Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, in January 2009. The Junior Theater Festival is the country's biggest and most prestigious youth theater competition. Director Emily Moore's "Godspell" was selected by the judges as

an Outstanding Production and chosen to perform at the awards ceremony. Also receiving individual honors at the Festival were the following: Ginny Bishop, Robo Bishop, Hope Logan, Nate Friant and Sophie Thayer. We extend our congratulations to all of the members of the Boothbay Region YMCA Y-Arts Chorus; (HLS 495)

Morgan Mitchell, of Boothbay, who has been chosen as one of the 2009 WCSH Channel 6 Teens Who Care. The Maine Community College System and Maine Education Services sponsor the awards which celebrate teens that volunteer their time and talents in service of others. Morgan was chosen primarily for her extensive work with the programs Safe Passage and Asset Development. She worked with Safe Passage in

Guatemala reaching out to children and adults who live at the Guatemala City dump. Her activities at home in Boothbay have included student helper with Special Olympians, Health Advisory Board member, volunteer at the Opera House and student body president. Morgan has been very active with the planning of annual Youth Summits and was a student presenter at the national Healthy Communities and Healthy Youth conference in Minnesota. We congratulate Morgan on her receiving this award and we commend her for her exceptional work in the community; (HLS 496)

the Route 113 Corridor Committee and its members, on their receiving the Regional ReCOGnition Award from the Greater Portland Council of Governments for the committee's accomplishments. The committee was honored for its adoption of a regional economic development strategy, the state designation of Route 113 as a Scenic Byway called the Pequawket Trail and the development of a corridor management plan for that byway. We congratulate Lou Stack, Gordon Billington, Phil Pomerleau, Mike Shaw, Larry Seidl, Glen Reynolds, Gary McNeil, Ed Pierce, Marlene Livonia, Eric Noble, Marlee Turner, Steve Gourley, Thomas Klinepeter, Dave Knapp, Terry McGillivray, Bob Jewett, Steve Wood, Julia Dawson from the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission, Caroline Paras from the Greater Portland Council of Governments and all the other people who participated on this committee for their good work, and we send them our best wishes; (HLS 497)

Wallace "Bud" Jeffrey, of Hampden. Mr. Jeffrey received a B.S. in Forestry from the University of Michigan and was a U.S. Navy Veteran who served in the Pacific Theater during World War II. He began his career with the Boy Scouts of America in 1954 as a District Executive in Bellow Falls, Vermont. After working in Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, he became the Scout Executive of the Katahdin Area Council in Bangor, Maine in 1969. In 1971 Mr. Jeffrey was hired by the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America to develop and direct the Maine National High Adventure Area in Northern Maine. Until he retired in 1985, he and his wife, Pat, brought 19,000 older Scouts from all over the world to enjoy Maine's wonderful woods and waters. Even after retirement, he gave his time to the Boy Scouts and in 2006 was awarded the Silver Beaver, the highest award given to volunteers. Mr. Jeffrey will be dearly missed by his family, his friends and his community; (IN MEMORIAM) (HLS 498)

Marylouise Cowan, of Southport Harbor, who was the publisher of the Boothbay Register and the Wiscasset Newspaper. A summer resident of Sprucewold since childhood, she moved to the region in 1979 when her late husband, Howard Cowan, purchased the 2 newspapers; Mrs. Cowan assumed the duties of publisher after his death. She worked hard to improve the papers in every way possible and watched them become consistent award winners in Maine and New England competitions, especially in the general excellence category. She attended Connecticut College in New London, the University of Texas and the University of Tulsa. Mrs. Cowan was known for her philanthropic support of local groups and organizations. She served on the boards of the Boothbay Region YMCA, Bigelow Laboratory, St. Andrews Hospital, the Boothbay Region Land Trust and the Morris Farm Trust. The field house at the Boothbay Region YMCA was named in her honor, as was an entire floor of the Farnsworth Museum in Rockland, which displays the artworks of various members of the Wyeth family. Mrs. Cowan's hobbies included collecting art and antiques, gardening and traveling around the world. She bred and raised show rabbits and her home was affectionately known as the "Fort Cowan Bunny Barracks." Marylouise Cowan will be greatly missed by her loving family, friends and the community; (IN MEMORIAM) (HLS 499)

Stephen Thomas, of Portland, who has been a member of the Maine Criminal Justice Commission since 1992. We take this opportunity to send our appreciation to Mr. Thomas for his work on the commission; as a result of the hard work and vision of Mr. Thomas in implementing necessary changes within Maine's criminal justice system, the commission is soon to be dissolved. Since 1987, Mr. Thomas has dedicated his career to the evaluation and treatment of sex offenders, the clinical supervision of staff, program development, case consultation and professional training regarding sexual aggression. He has explored the difficult issues surrounding the evaluation and treatment of sex offenders and has been a leader in educating law enforcement, treatment providers, probation officers, victim witness advocates, legislators and the general public about an effective community response to sex offenders. His willingness to deal with these very difficult and emotional issues demonstrates his commitment to public service. We send him our best wishes; (HLS 500)

Paul Vestal, of Plymouth, who has been a member of the Maine Criminal Justice Commission since 1996 and served as the commission's chair for many years. We take this opportunity to send our appreciation to Mr. Vestal for his work on the commission; as a result of the hard work and vision of Mr. Vestal in implementing necessary changes within Maine's criminal justice system, the commission is soon to be dissolved. Mr. Vestal is currently the Director of Children's Services and Program Director at Catholic Charities of Maine. He is the former Warden of the Maine State Prison and previously served as the Executive Director of Maine Advocacy Services and the Executive Director of Youth Services Planning & Development Council. Throughout his tenure on the Maine Criminal Justice Commission, Mr. Vestal has effectively advocated for coordinated communication among the judiciary, law enforcement and corrections departments. His vision of enhanced communication has left a lasting mark on Maine's criminal justice system. We send him our best wishes; (HLS 501)

Susan Deschambault, of Biddeford, who has been a member of the Maine Criminal Justice Commission since 1992. We take this opportunity to send our appreciation to Ms. Deschambault for her work on the commission; as a result of the hard work and vision of Ms. Deschambault in implementing necessary changes within Maine's criminal justice system, the commission is soon to be dissolved. She is currently an Intake Correction Caseworker and has worked at the Department of Corrections since 1972. Ms. Deschambault has served the department in many capacities, including as Assistant to the Commissioner and Human Services Caseworker Supervisor. Throughout her distinguished career, Ms. Deschambault has served on

numerous state and local committees, boards and commissions affecting public safety. Her career and accomplishments demonstrate a lifelong commitment to enhancing the lives of citizens in the corrections system. We send her our best wishes; (HLS 502)

William Welch, of Lewiston, on his retirement as the Lewiston Chief of Police after 33 years of dedicated service to his profession and his community. Chief Welch began his law enforcement career as a patrol officer in Lewiston and served as the Chief of Police for 11 years. During his tenure, Lewiston's crime rate dropped to one of the lowest in the State. Chief Welch also organized a police response plan for two rallies held by a white supremacist group in 2003 that caught the attention of law

enforcement agencies around the nation. We send Chief Welch our appreciation for his many years of commitment to law enforcement and we send him our congratulations and best wishes on his well-deserved retirement; (HLS 503)

Parker Rossignol, of Caswell, a senior at Limestone Community School, who is the recipient of the Maine Principals' Association's 2009 Principal's Award for outstanding academic achievement and citizenship. Parker has served as class president for 2 years, has been a member of the National Honor Society and student council and has worked behind the scenes on several school drama productions. He has also been named Valedictorian of the graduating class, played soccer, basketball and baseball and participated in track and field. We extend our congratulations to Parker on his receiving this award; (HLS 504)

the Maine Children's Alliance and its president and chief executive officer, Elinor Goldberg, of Hope, on the alliance's 15th anniversary. The alliance advocates for sound public policies to improve the lives of all Maine's children, youth and families by collecting and analyzing data linking research to practice and public policy and bringing diverse groups together in coalitions to advocate for better state and national policy to benefit Maine's children. Ms. Goldberg was recognized nationally in 2008 by her colleagues as a premier advocate for children in the United States. We extend our congratulations to the members of the Maine Children's Alliance and Ms. Goldberg on the 15th anniversary of the alliance's helping the children of Maine; (HLS 505)

Jim Van Uden, of Hampden, who has been named Assistant Football Coach of the Year by the Pine Tree Conference. We extend our congratulations to Mr. Van Uden on this achievement; (HLS 506)

Kayla Desjardins, of Madawaska, who has earned the distinction of being named the Honor Essayist of the 2009 graduating class at Madawaska High School. We extend our congratulations to Kayla on this achievement; (HLS 507)

Brent Stoliker, of Madawaska, who has earned the distinction of being named the Salutatorian of the 2009 graduating class at Madawaska High School. We extend our congratulations to Brent on this achievement; (HLS 508)

Deidre Michaud, of Madawaska, who has earned the distinction of being named the Valedictorian of the 2009 graduating class at Madawaska High School. We extend our congratulations to Deidre on this achievement; (HLS 509)

Ronald and Janet Pinkham, of Oxford, on the occasion of their 50th Wedding Anniversary. Mr. and Mrs. Pinkham were married on June 20, 1959 at the First Baptist Church in Portland, where they met. They are both lifelong residents of Maine. They have raised 2 children, Jim and Lori, and have 5 grandchildren. We extend our congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Pinkham on this Golden Anniversary and send them our best wishes for continued happiness; (HLS 510)

Mathew Drisko, of Columbia Falls, for his heroic efforts in rescuing his grandfather, Lester Drisko. Mathew, who is 8 years old, took command of his grandfather's boat after his grandfather was pulled overboard while tending his lobster traps. With his grandfather unable to reboard the boat, Mathew secured a lifejacket around him and for 30 minutes kept the boat in close proximity to him. Mathew signaled a passing boat for help and the operator, Leland Faulkingham, Jr., lifted Mr. Drisko out of the cold water. We commend Mathew for his brave actions, which saved the life of his grandfather; (HLS 511)

Tyler Saunders, of Ellsworth, who is one of 2 students who won the Maine 2009 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills Competition. The competition, which is sponsored by Ford and AAA Northern New England, is designed to find the most talented young auto technicians in the United States. Tyler, a senior at Ellsworth High School and a student at Hancock County Technical Center, and his teammate won more than $34,000 in college scholarship money and prizes. He will advance to the national finals in Dearborn, Michigan, which will be held on June 16th. We extend our congratulations to Tyler and wish him good luck in Dearborn; (HLS 512)

Matt Gillis, of Hancock, who is one of 2 students who won the Maine 2009 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills Competition. The competition, which is sponsored by Ford and AAA Northern New England, is designed to find the most talented young auto technicians in the United States. Matt, a junior at Ellsworth High School and a student at Hancock County Technical Center, and his teammate won more than $34,000 in college scholarship money and prizes. He will advance to the national finals in Dearborn, Michigan, which will be held on June 16th. We extend our congratulations to Matt and wish him good luck in Dearborn; (HLS 513)

Carol A. Giles, of Unity, a student at Kennebec Valley Community College, who was named a 2009 Student of the Year by the Maine Community College System. We extend our congratulations and best wishes to Ms. Giles on her receiving this well-deserved honor; (HLS 514)

Erika Newman, of Livermore, who has earned the distinction of being named the Valedictorian of the 2009 graduating class at Livermore Falls High School. Erika is also the recipient of the Maine Principals' Association's 2009 Principal's Award for outstanding academic achievement and citizenship. She plans on attending the University of New England in the fall. We extend our congratulations to Erika on these achievements; (HLS 515)

Herbert Elton Dunham, a lifelong resident of Greenwood. Mr. Dunham was very active in the Town of Greenwood, serving as an assessor and selectman. He was passionate about coaching baseball and softball, having done so for more than 30 years alongside his brother and son, and was honored with the naming of Dunham Park in Greenwood after his family. Mr. Dunham served his country in the United States Army during the Korean War, being wounded 3 times and receiving the Purple Heart. He wrote a book about his experiences in the war entitled Pebble on a Faraway Beach. Mr. Dunham was an active member of the Jackson-Silver American Legion in Locke Mills. He was a proud and well-respected man. Mr. Dunham will be missed by his loving family and friends; (IN MEMORIAM) (HLS 516)

Willard B. Walker, of Canaan, beloved husband, father and grandfather, and noted retired professor and tree farmer. Mr. Walker was born in Boston, graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover and received his bachelor's degree from Harvard University, his master's degree from the University of Arizona and his Ph.D. from Cornell University. He served in the American

Field Service in 1945 during World War II, a service attached to the British Eighth Army that later entitled him to United States veteran status. He and his wife C. Pearline moved to Maine in 1953 and bought a farm in Canaan now known as Battle Ridge Tree Farm. He began his teaching career in 1960 at Cornell University and later taught at Wesleyan University, Colby College and Bacone College. At Wesleyan, Professor Walker served as acting chair and chair for the Department of Anthropology and the Linguistics Program. He was a member of the American Society for Ethnohistory, the Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas and the Southern Anthropology Society. He wrote extensively about Native American culture and language and his works were published in both the United States

and Germany. Professor Walker was an active longtime member of the Canaan Grange No. 239. He and his son were awarded "Outstanding Tree Farm" by the State for their excellent work on their tree farm in Canaan. We acknowledge Professor Walker's distinguished career in education and his commitment to the State of Maine. He will be greatly missed and long remembered by his loving family and his many friends; (IN MEMORIAM) (HLS 517)

Dylan Gilcott, of Rumford, for his quick thinking on the morning of March 17, 2009, which helped to save the life of Eric Westleigh. Dylan heard cries for help from the woods across the road from his home. He ran into the house and told his parents to call 9-1-1. Mr. Westleigh was lying on the snowmobile trail and had been there nearly 8 hours in subfreezing temperatures with both legs and a hip seriously injured. Because of Dylan's decisive action, his mother and her husband found Mr. Westleigh in the woods and administered emergency treatment until help arrived. We commend Dylan for his quick response to the situation; (HLS 518)

Neil Stinneford, of Weld, on his induction into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame. Mr. Stinneford grew up in Oakland and Dixfield and is the 14th player with ties to Franklin County and Oxford County to be enshrined in the Maine Hall of Fame during the last 20 years. He played baseball for 3 years at Colby College and was named an All-American player in 1956. Mr. Stinneman also played football and shared in a 6-man football state championship during his career at Dixfield High School, now Dirigo High School. After college, he received an offer made by the Kansas City Royals and an offer for a tryout with the Pittsburgh Pirates but instead played for Kentville, Nova Scotia in the maritime league in order to keep his young family close to him. He eventually decided to not live the minor-league lifestyle, which would have kept him away from his family, and instead worked for many years for International Paper. We extend our congratulations and best wishes to Neil Stinneford on his receiving the high honor of being inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame; (HLS 519)

Steve LaPointe, of Rumford, on his induction into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame for his decades of commitment to baseball. Mr. LaPointe became involved with sports at a young age because his late father, John, was an official. He has been a fixture in the River Valley and has played every position in baseball. Mr. LaPointe remains active in the Senior Men's League, recently renamed the Pine Tree League. He was a player and a coach for the Pine Tree League from 1973 to 1997. He is a 1974 graduate of Rumford High School and played baseball at the University of Maine at Farmington, where he received his degree in elementary education. He teaches at SAD #43 and has been the varsity baseball coach at Rumford High School and Mountain Valley High School since 1981. We acknowledge his many years of commitment to baseball in Maine and his excellent teaching and coaching skills. We send him our congratulations on his well-deserved induction into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame; (HLS 520)

the Reverend Angelo Bertrand LeVasseur, Roman Catholic priest of the Diocese of Portland. Rev. LeVasseur was born in Grand Isle and attended the Van Buren District Secondary School and the University of Maine at Fort Kent. He was a teacher in the Van Buren and Mars Hill school districts before studying philosophy and theology at St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland, where he received a Master of Divinity degree. On July 31, 1983, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Portland and, as his first assignment, served as Parochial Vicar at St. Andre's Parish in Biddeford. Rev. LeVasseur then served as chaplain at Bowdoin College and Bates College for several years while doing parish ministry at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Brunswick and St. Katharine Drexel Chapel in South Harpswell. He then became pastor of Ste. Luce Catholic Church, one of the oldest churches in the State. He also served in parishes in Sabattus and Greene before being assigned to Holy Savior Parish, serving Rumford, Mexico, Dixfield, Bethel and Roxbury Pond. The Reverend Angelo Bertrand LeVasseur will be greatly missed and long remembered by his loving family, his parishioners and his many friends; (IN MEMORIAM) (HLS 521)

Josephine "Jody" Marie Meador, of Harpswell. She was born August 18, 1955 in Fort Worth, Texas and graduated in 1982 from Texas Tech University School of Medicine, completing a residency in internal medicine and a residency in hematology at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine in 1987. At a young age, Dr. Meador was determined to become a physician and help underserved persons. She traveled to Eritrea, Africa in 1988 to work as the medical director for a camp housing 10,000 refugees. Upon her return to the United States, she worked for the County of Orange Health Care Agency in Southern California, serving the population at the Orange County Jail. Dr. Meador traveled to Romania in 1995 to provide training to physicians treating orphaned children and came home to teach colleagues in the United States what she learned. In 1998, Dr. Meador went to serve the people of Yugoslavia in the Kosovo region as the medical director of a five-year tuberculosis project. When the regional conflict made it impossible to continue, she returned to the United States and made her home in Maine. Dr. Meador provided medical care to the underserved populations at Mercy Recovery Center and the Cumberland County Jail and, in 2003, began working at Riverview Psychiatric Hospital in Augusta, providing internal medicine services. After helping with tsunami recovery efforts in Sri Lanka in 2005, Dr. Meador decided to retire. She became active in the Brunswick Food Bank and Tedford Shelter. A skilled outdoorswoman, Dr. Meador earned her Maine Guide license in 2007. Dr. Meador will be greatly missed and long remembered by her life partner Diane Ober, her children, her family and her many friends, both here in Maine and around the world; (IN MEMORIAM) (HLS 522)

the following top ten students of the 2009 graduating class at Mt. Ararat High School: Sean McClintock Perkins, Joshua Creeden Bryant, Jan Corinne Bessey, Krislyn Maria Hyatt, Rachel Kathryn Haines, Joshua Elliot Dennison, Sean M. Greeley, Christina Jean Erving, Fiona Katharine Duncan and Amanda Renee Hart-Hempstead. We extend our congratulations and best wishes to them on their future endeavors; (HLS 523)

Howard Jack, of Westbrook, assistant principal of Westbrook High School, who saved the life of his neighbor, whose house was on fire. Mr. Jack saw the front porch of his neighbor's house engulfed in flames, and, while his son called emergency services,

he went and kicked down the front door and carried his neighbor, an elderly woman, out of the burning building to safety. We extend our appreciation to Mr. Jack for his heroic and selfless actions, and we send him our best wishes; (HLS 524)

Sean Bachelder, of Westbrook, who helped save the life of an elderly woman whose house was on fire. Mr. Bachelder ran to the burning house to see if he could help and found the woman clinging to the back porch, refusing to leave her home. He saw the fire making its way through the kitchen and picked up the woman and carried her away from danger. We send our appreciation to Mr. Bachelder for his heroic and selfless actions and we send him our best wishes; (HLS 525)