Legislative record house appendix

Milton E. "Mick" Emerson, Jr., of Portland, beloved husband of Teresa and devoted father of Anthony and Elizabeth. Mr. Emerson formerly worked for SAPPI for 14 years and more recently worked for Calpine. He loved softball, golfing, his Harley and his computer. He was a good friend, good neighbor and good man. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him; (IN MEMORIAM) (HLS 1271)

Theodora Brunette, of Sanford, for her dedicated work as Director of Events for the Fourth of July celebrations for the Town of Sanford for the past 30 years. She is responsible for arranging participation of all parade units, organizing the fireworks display held in Gowen Park and scheduling the performances of various musical groups for the weekend festivities. Due to her efforts over the years, the Sanford Fourth of July Parade has grown considerably. She is busy throughout the year coordinating special guests from all levels of government, organizing food vendors and contacting donors to raise the necessary funds to make this event a success. We extend our appreciation to Ms. Brunette for her commitment to the community and send her our best wishes; (HLS 1272)

Marie Atkins, of Randolph, for her involvement in establishing a community "Neighborhood Watch" program in Randolph. Her strong commitment to the community has made this project a success. We extend our appreciation to Ms. Atkins for her public service and commend her for taking on such a noteworthy cause; (HLS 1273)

Laura Bly, of Tenants Harbor, who is the lone graduating senior at Watershed Community School. She studied abroad with 10 other students in Thailand under the GlobalQuest program. While in Thailand, she gained significant insight into the Thai culture while immersed in an intensive curriculum of course work in environmental studies, Thai history and language, community studies and leadership training. In addition to traveling throughout the Asian country, she also acted as an ambassador of goodwill from the United States to victims of December's tsunami. Laura will continue her education in lands far from Maine as she will attend the University of Hawaii later this summer. We extend our congratulations to Laura on her graduation and acknowledge her selfless contributions to the victims of the tsunami tragedy; (HLS 1274)

Ricque Finucane, of South Thomaston, for her service as principal of Georges Valley High School since July 2000. Ms. Finucane's resignation from Georges Valley leaves open a position that will be difficult to fill, as her skills and abilities will be surely missed by students, faculty and staff. She will be taking the position of principal at Morse High School in Bath. Her contributions to School Administrative District #50 will be long-lasting. We extend our appreciation to Ms. Finucane for her commitment to quality education for Maine's schools and wish her well as she takes on this new role; (HLS 1275)

Troy Nadeau, of Eagle Lake, who is the recipient of the Secretary of State's Eighth Grade Citizenship Award. This award is given to honor outstanding eighth-grade students chosen for their civic awareness, scholastic achievement and community service. We extend our congratulations and best wishes to Troy on his receiving this honor; (HLS 1276)

Chace Jackson, of Fort Kent, who is the recipient of the Secretary of State's Eighth Grade Citizenship Award. This award is given to honor outstanding eighth-grade students chosen for their civic awareness, scholastic achievement and community service. We extend our congratulations and best wishes to Chace on his receiving this honor; (HLS 1277)

Lillian Ann Tuell, of St. Francis, who is the recipient of the Secretary of State's Eighth Grade Citizenship Award. This award is given to honor outstanding eighth-grade students chosen for their civic awareness, scholastic achievement and community service. We extend our congratulations and best wishes to Lillian on her receiving this honor; (HLS 1278)

Sergeant Greg Lumbert, of Randolph, who is an officer with the Kennebec County Sheriff's Department, for his dedication, leadership and professionalism in the establishment of the Neighborhood Watch program in the Town of Randolph. Sergeant Lumbert's assistance was invaluable in making the project a success. We extend our appreciation to Sergeant Lumbert for his commitment to the citizens of the State; (HLS 1279)

Trooper Greg Stevens, of Pittston, who is an officer with the Maine State Police, for his dedication, leadership and professionalism in the establishment of the Neighborhood Watch program in the Town of Randolph. Trooper Stevens' assistance was invaluable in making the project a success. We extend our appreciation to Trooper Stevens for his commitment to the citizens of the State; (HLS 1280)

Jessica Chase, of Mars Hill, who has earned the distinction of being named Salutatorian of the 2005 graduating class of Central Aroostook Junior-Senior High School. We extend our congratulations and best wishes to her on this achievement; (HLS 1281)

Naomi Smith, of Blaine, who has earned the distinction of being named Valedictorian of the 2005 graduating class of Central Aroostook Junior-Senior High School. We extend our congratulations and best wishes to her on her achievement; (HLS 1282)

Katherine "Kit" Dickey, of Camden, who is one of 7 young people honored by WLBZ-TV 2 with a Teens Who Care Award for community service. A recent graduate of Camden Hills Regional High School in Rockport, Katherine was a significant contributor to the formation of a group known as Lifelines, which is devoted to preventing suicides among students. Trained under a Yellow Ribbon Project on national teen suicide prevention, Katherine views Lifelines' members as the link between the person that needs help and the help itself. Her caring demeanor and strong sense of leadership has made this project a success by educating both teens and adults about the risk factors and warning signs of teen suicide. We extend our appreciation to Katherine for her public service efforts and commend her for taking on such a noteworthy cause; (HLS 1283)

David St. Hilaire, of Winthrop, on the occasion of his retirement after 19 years of dedicated service to the Winthrop Public School System. We extend our appreciation to Mr. St. Hilaire for his commitment to the youth of the State and send him our best wishes on his retirement; (HLS 1284)

Andy Struck, of Winthrop, on the occasion of his retirement after 33 years of dedicated service to the Winthrop Public School System. We extend our appreciation to Mr. Struck and send him our best wishes on his retirement; (HLS 1285)

Dan White, of Winthrop, on the occasion of his retirement after 15 years of dedicated service to the Winthrop Public School System. We extend our appreciation to Mr. White for his commitment to the youth of the State and send him our best wishes on his retirement; (HLS 1286)

Claudette Poulin, of East Winthrop, on the occasion of her retirement after 27 years of dedicated service to the Winthrop Public School System. We extend our appreciation to Ms. Poulin for her commitment to the youth of the State and send her our best wishes on her retirement; (HLS 1287)

Tyler Francke, of Presque Isle, who was chosen as one of 13 semifinalists of the "A Journey into Writing" contest sponsored by the Maine Community College System. Tyler was one of more than 400 Maine students who entered the contest by submitting their best poetry, essay or short story. We extend our congratulations to Tyler on this achievement and wish him continued success with his writing; (HLS 1288)

Stephanie Jette, of Fryeburg, who won first place in the 800-meter run at the Class B State Track and Field Meet. Stephanie is a senior at Fryeburg Academy and won the race with a margin of more than 4 seconds, clocking a time of 2 minutes, 23 seconds. We commend her for the numerous hours of dedication to her sport and team and wish her well as she competes at the prestigious New England Championships; (HLS 1289)

Elizabeth Shames, of Portland, on the occasion of her 90th Birthday, March 12, 2005. As a single parent, she raised 3 children, all of whom attended college. She has 4 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. She has been a vocal and active advocate for the visual and performing arts; an advisory board member of the Maine Arts Commission; a docent, now Docent Emerita, having more than 20 years of service, at the Portland Museum of Art; and a dancer in Perennial Effects multigenerational dance company. Ms. Shames has also been active in local and national politics and has worked with Parkside Neighborhood of Portland in helping to preserve Deering Oaks Park. Known for her sense of style and her flair, she has been an inspiration to generations of dancers and political and community activists. We acknowledge her invaluable contributions to her community, and we join her family and friends in extending best wishes to her on this celebration of her life; (HLS 1290)

Geraldine A. Giles, of Glenburn. Mrs. Giles was married to the late Otis B. Giles and was a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She and her husband also raised 45 foster children over the years. She was employed by Sylvania in Bangor for 28 years until her retirement. She will be missed by her family and friends; (IN MEMORIAM) (HLS 1291)

Chris Harding, who has earned the distinction of being named Valedictorian of the 2005 graduating class of Hermon High School. Chris is the son of Lisa and Brian Goggins of Levant and Chris Harding of Glenburn. We extend our congratulations and best wishes to him on this achievement; (HLS 1292)

Alex Steed and Nathaniel Whittemore, who are traveling to places such as Serbia, the Middle East and Africa to explore international volunteerism and to document the good work being done by people participating in international aid projects. Alex, a graduate of Sacopee Valley High School in South Hiram, is attending the University of Southern Maine. Nathaniel, a graduate of Scarborough High School, is attending Northwestern University. Together, they will travel to Serbia, Sarajevo, Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Egypt, Rwanda and Uganda to research volunteerism as a way to connect people across cultural, religious and political borders. They will present their findings on a website as well as in a database. We congratulate Alex and Nathaniel on their exceptional project and we send them our best wishes for furthering the development of international cooperation; (HLS 1293)

the following students who have successfully completed the General Education Development High School Equivalency Program through Freeport Community Education: Joel Berkowitz, Amy Bernard, Daniel Carroll, Francois Dumont, Barry Howe, Elizabeth Kool, Elizabeth Mason, Darin Moyen, Miranda Richardson, James Swenson and Ryan Tate. We congratulate these students on their achieving this praiseworthy accomplishment, and we send them our best wishes on their future endeavors; (HLS 1294)

the Honorable Paul L. Rudman, of Veazie, who is retiring as an Associate Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Justice Rudman is the son of the late Supreme Judicial Court Justice Abraham M. Rudman. He graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy, Yale University and George Washington University Law School. Justice Rudman was a founding partner of the Bangor law firm of Rudman & Winchell, where he practiced from 1960 to 1992, when he was appointed to the Court. He is the Court's liaison to the Board of Overseers of the Bar, the chairperson of the Judicial Education Committee, a member of the Committee on Media and the Courts, a member of the Sentence Review Panel and a member of the National Judicial Advisory Board of the AEI-Brookings Judicial Education Program. We extend our appreciation to Justice Rudman for his many years of dedicated service to the citizens of the State and send him our best wishes on his retirement; (HLS 1295)

John H. "Red" Martin, of Portland, a United States Navy veteran of World War II. He served in Europe and the Pacific aboard the USS Monticello and the USS Europa. He was retired from A & P Tea Co. and then from the Associated Grocers in Gardiner. As a young man, he was a softball pitcher for the VFW Post 6859, winning many State championships. He was also a champion bowler for the VFW and the A & P Tea Co. He coached Little League Seven, was active in the Boy Scouts and was an active member of the Presumpscot School PTA in earlier years. He was an avid hunter and a strong booster for Portland High School sports. Mr. Martin was a volunteer at the Preble Street Soup Kitchen. He will be greatly missed and lovingly remembered by his wife Catherine, his family and his friends; (IN MEMORIAM) (HLS 1296)

Christopher M. O. Gregory, of Fryeburg, who has attained the high rank and distinction of Eagle Scout. This is the highest award in Boy Scouting and is given for excellence in skills development, leadership, personal growth and community service. He is to be commended for his many dedicated hours of service to this community. We send our congratulations to Christopher on this accomplishment; (HLS 1297)

James and Priscilla Twitchell, of Oxford, on the occasion of their 60th Wedding Anniversary. Their relationship began in the early forties with James traveling by horseback to court Priscilla. They were married on June 23, 1945 and settled into the home that James built for Priscilla in East Oxford. They have 4 children: Butch, Tim, Marie and Elaine. Mr. and Mrs. Twitchell not only worked outside the home, James as a carpenter then later at CB Cumming and the Woolen Mill, Priscilla for J.J. Newberry's in Norway, but they also worked at establishing their farm. In 1975, they moved to another home that James built on Fore Street in Oxford where they now play host to their 5 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. We extend our congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Twitchell on the many loving years they have spent together and sent our best wishes for their continued happiness; (HLS 1298)

Ruth and Stan Johnson, of Bowdoinham, on the occasion of their 50th Wedding Anniversary, June 2005. Ruth and Stan were engaged in 1954. Both are graduates of Cornell University: Ruth received a bachelor's degree in Home Economics in 1955 and Stan received a bachelor's degree in Agriculture in 1956. They were both second in their class. Stan went on to get his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Cornell University in 1965. They are the proud parents of Chris, Dave, Michael, Tim and Grace. The family moved to Bangor in 1969 and Stan taught biochemistry at the University of Maine at Orono. Ruth received her teaching certificate from the university and worked as a substitute teacher and counselor for YMCA programs. They moved to Dover-Foxcroft in 1976 and Ruth worked for the Piscataquis County Extension Service as a nutritional aid and Stan taught physics and chemistry at Foxcroft Academy. Ruth then joined the Training and Development Corporation (TDC) and headed the learning center for adults. She developed programs and managed the satellite offices in other towns for the TDC, while Stan worked for Sears in the automotive department. In 1983, they moved to Orland where Stan joined the Bureau of Oil and Hazardous Materials Control within the Department of Environmental Protection. In 1985, Ruth joined the Department of Education where she worked for the Title 1 program as a consultant for the tutoring program, which helps disadvantaged children all over the State. They both retired on December 1, 1997 and now enjoy doing civic work in the community with the Brunswick/Cuba Sister City Project. We send them our congratulations on their Golden Anniversary; (HLS 1299)

the Wiscasset Female Charitable Society on the occasion of its 200th Anniversary. In 1805, 20 ladies met in Wiscasset and formed a society for benevolent purposes, to "help local females in need, especially widows and orphans." Today, the Society has an estimated 200 members and is the second oldest female charitable society in the United States and the only one in Maine. It often assists with purchases of fuel oil, electricity, food, medications, clothing, car repairs, tuition payments and college textbooks. We acknowledge the Society's invaluable contributions to the community, and we extend our congratulations to the good members on the Society's bicentennial celebration; (HLS 1300)

Brian Harris, of Howland, who has attained the high rank and distinction of Eagle Scout. A junior at Penobscot Valley High School, Brian is a member of Boy Scout Troop #64. For his service project, he renovated the pantry at the Howland Methodist Church Food Cupboard. We commend him for the many hours he gave to his community, and we extend our congratulations on achieving this honor; (HLS 1301)

Leon "Mike" Gallant, of Belfast, known to all, especially the Guardsmen, as "GI Joe." Mr. Gallant was drafted in 1966 and was sent to Vietnam in August 1967. While in the United States Army, he earned 3 Purple Hearts. He served many different posts with the Randall Collins VFW Post #37 and was elected Post Commander in 1973, being the youngest of all Post Commanders statewide. He rejoined the National Guard and served with the 133rd Engineer Battalion. He served twice in Germany and also in Panama. After retiring from the National Guard, he worked full time for the United States Postal Service and is currently Postmaster in Lincolnville. After the first Gulf War, he realized that there was a serious gap in the relations between the local community and the departure of the young men and women who were being sent to war. His first attempt in bridging the gap was to host a lobster feed for the departing members of the local Belfast and Skowhegan National Guard. He also set up an extensive communications network between Belfast and Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries where the local troops were deployed. He continues to help the local service men and women as they move out in defense of our great Nation. We extend our appreciation to Mr. Gallant for his 30 years of commitment to the State's military personnel; (HLS 1302)

Specialist Melinda Rae Michaud, of Thomaston, who has returned home from active duty with the 619th Transport Army Reserve Unit stationed in Iraq. We have been blessed with generations of men and women like Specialist Michaud who have stepped forward to fight for the security of this nation so that we might continue to enjoy liberty and freedom. We join citizens throughout the State in welcoming Specialist Michaud home and in extending our appreciation to her for her commitment to the United States military; (HLS 1303)

Russell Lee Goodwin, of Freeman Township, who has earned the distinction of being named one of the top ten seniors of the 2005 graduating class of Mt. Abram High School. Russell is a member of the National Honor Society and was a delegate to Boys' State. He was on the Varsity Soccer Team. He will attend the University of Maine. We extend our congratulations to Russell on this achievement; (HLS 1304)

Eileen A. Hays, of Wilton, who has earned the distinction of being named one of the top ten seniors of the 2005 graduating class of Mt. Blue High School. Eileen is a member of the National Honor Society, the Civil Rights Team and Mt. Blue Theater Company. She will be attending Roberts Wesleyan College to study nursing. We extend our congratulations to Eileen on this achievement; (HLS 1305)

Michael C. Johnson, of Stockton Springs. Mr. Johnson enjoyed racing cars, baseball, basketball and bowling. He was a general contractor for over 35 years and was very proud of the business that he established. He was very active in the community, including being a volunteer firefighter. He was well known and well liked in the community and will be missed by many; (IN MEMORIAM) (HLS 1306)

Samuel Stephen Dyar, of Strong, who has earned the distinction of being named Valedictorian of the 2005 graduating class of Mt. Abram High School. Samuel was the speaking captain of the Varsity Boys Basketball Team and won the Richard E. Lovejoy Award, was captain of the Soccer Team and was a Bruce Howard Award Recipient and was a Mountain Valley Conference All-Star. He is president and past vice president of the Student Council, a Maine Principals' Association's Top Student, a Youth Leadership Summit Scholar, winner of the Phi Beta Kappa Academic Achievement Award and a member of the baseball team and the math team. He will attend M.I.T. to study electrical or computer engineering. We extend our congratulations to Samuel on this achievement; (HLS 1307)

Matthias Thomas Socatean Barker, of Wilton, who has earned the distinction of being named one of the top ten seniors of the 2005 graduating class of Mt. Blue High School. Matthias was a member of the Cross-country Team and the Basketball Team and a member of the All Academic Teams for the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference. He founded the school's Transcendentalist Club. He was selected to the President's National Youth Leadership Forum on Defense Intelligence and Diplomacy. He will attend Colorado College to study philosophy. We extend our congratulations to Matthias on this achievement; (HLS 1308)

Aaron L. Kinney, of Phillips, who has earned the distinction of being named one of the top ten seniors of the 2005 graduating class of Mt. Abram High School. Aaron played basketball and is a member of the Sons of the American Legion and the National Honor Society. Aaron will attend the University of Maine to study civil engineering. We extend our congratulations to Aaron on this achievement; (HLS 1309)

Jocelyn Eleanor Plog, of Avon, who has earned the distinction of being named one of the top ten seniors of the 2005 graduating class of Mt. Abram High School. Jocelyn is president of the National Honor Society. She has been captain of and Rookie of the Year of the Varsity Girls Soccer Team and received the senior award and the captain award and awards for perfect attendance and being the most improved player. We extend our congratulations to Jocelyn on this achievement; (HLS 1310)

Elizabeth A. Cormier, of Wilton, who has earned the distinction of being named the Salutatorian of the 2005 graduating class of Mt. Blue High School. Elizabeth is a member of the National Honor Society, the Civil Rights Team, Mt. Blue Theater Company and Franklin County Fiddlers and is the assistant director of the Middle School Show Choir. She is the recipient of the Principals' Leadership Award and the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award. She will be attending Rochester Institute of Technology to study Industrial Engineering. We extend our congratulations to Elizabeth on this achievement; (HLS 1311)

Ali Dick, of Winthrop, the Kennebec Journal Tennis Player of the Year. Ali was the Captain of the Winthrop High School Girls Tennis Team, leading the team to its first Class C State Championship; (HLS 1312)

the Winthrop High School Girls Tennis Team, winners of the 2005 Class C State Championship. We extend our congratulations to the team on this achievement; (HLS 1313)

Charlsie Monbleau, of Turner, who is the recipient of the President's Award for Academic Excellence. Charlsie, an 8th grade graduate of Tripp Middle School, also received the Social Studies Academic Award and the Health Academic Award. We congratulate Charlsie on her numerous achievements and wish her continued success as she begins high school; (HLS 1314)

Allyce Angeline Pepin, of Gardiner, who has been named Governor of Dirigo Girls State. Allyce will be a senior at Gardiner Area High School this fall. Dirigo Girls State is a hands-on opportunity to learn first hand how state and local government work. Students are chosen for the program for demonstrating leadership, good citizenship, scholarship and community participation and service. We extend our congratulations to Allyce on this achievement; (HLS 1315)

Marion Bertha Johnson Berry, of Scarborough, on the occasion of her 90th birthday, July 17, 2005. Mrs. Berry graduated from Deering High School in 1933 and graduated from Maine General School of Nursing in 1938. On October 12, 1940, she married Ralph Donald Berry. Mrs. Berry is a lifelong member of the First Lutheran Church in Portland where she taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School and is active in Tuesday Group and Senior Saints. She is a member and past Chief of the Nonesuch Temple of Pythian Sisters in Scarborough and a member and past Grand Trustee of the Grand Temple of Pythian Sisters. Mrs. Berry is a member of the Beech Ridge Community Club and has served on the Scarborough Health Council. She is the mother of 5 sons and one daughter and has 7 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. We extend our congratulations and best wishes to Mrs. Berry on this very special occasion; (HLS 1316)