Gov. Baldacci honors outstanding volunteers

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The State House Hall of Flags in Augusta was filled to overflowing Monday morning with recipients, family members, friends and fellow volunteers of those receiving the 17th annual Governor’s Service Awards.

It was an honor for me to serve as co-presenter for the event with master of ceremonies Irv Marsters of Bangor.

Co-sponsored by the Maine Volunteer Connection and the Maine Commission for Community Service, refreshments were provided by several Maine RSVP volunteers.

We were joined at the podium by Paula Gagnon, board chair-elect of MCCS, who introduced a very special young musician.

Before the awards ceremony, Deiran Manning of Winter Harbor thrilled the gathering with his winning composition in the MCCS Stanza for Service Music Contest for young musicians in kindergarten through grade 12.

Before playing his original piano composition, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Deiran introduced his beaming grandmother, in whose honor the piece was written.

Welcoming and congratulating the honorees was Gov. John Baldacci who is still, very noticeably, recovering from the broken ribs he suffered in February when he went out to pick up the morning paper.

Fortunately, his sense of humor was not injured, as Rep. Michael Michaud proved when he told the gathering the governor had taken a lot of “ribbing” about that misstep.

Also congratulating the honorees were representatives of Sen. Susan Collins and Rep. Tom Allen, who were unable to attend.

Walter Leffler of Wells, who volunteers more than 1,300 hours annually for a variety of organizations, is Maine’s Volunteer of the Year.

The National Service Volunteer Award winner is Lela Mitchell of Harrington, who, since 1991, has given more than 13,500 hours to the Senior Companion Program.

Wrap-A-Smile founder Terry Fullum Hodskins of Alfred received the Excellence in Volunteer Administration award for providing quilts to children in remote areas of South America and Asia.

Timothy Uli of Uli and Son in Topsham was honored with the Small Business Volunteerism Award for making adaptive furniture for children with special needs.

Peacox Productions of Gardiner received the Non-Profit Certificate for Outstanding Contributions for its entertaining, nonprofit fund-raisers.

The Corporate Volunteerism Award winner is the Lewiston Sun Journal. Its employees volunteer more than 400 hours monthly, and the paper donates advertising space for nonprofits as well as supporting many community service programs.

Kevin Foster of Cumberland, a Special Olympics coach and member of the Bigs and Littles Programs for at-risk elementary pupils, received the Youth Volunteer of the Year Award.

A former state prison psychiatrist now volunteering there with a grief and loss program, Dr. Diane Schetky of Rockport received the award for the Outstanding Volunteer in a Public Sector Program.

Gov. Baldacci also congratulated those representing the Maine Roll of Honor, recognizing volunteers who have donated more than 500 hours of service to their community during the year.

The nominating organizations are Aroostook RSVP, Penquis CAP Foster Grandparents, PROP Senior Volunteer Program, Mercy Heath System, UMaine Center on Aging RSVP, RSVP of Southern Maine and Sweetser.

Also, Southern Maine Medical Center, Penquis CAP-The Lynx, Pejepscot Historical Society, United Way of Mid-Maine, Sexual Assault Crisis and Support, SeniorsPlus, Senior Spectrum, Hawthorne House, Aroostook Workforce Investment Board and Waldo County YMCA.

To all the honorees, thank you for your commitment to others, and congratulations on being honored with the Governor’s Service Awards.

Keep up the good work!

On behalf of Peace Through Interamerican Community Action, Kathleen Caldwell invites you to patronize a Mother’s Day sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 1, at PICA, 170 Park St. in Bangor.

Caldwell reports the sale will feature “handcrafted goods made by the women of Carasque, El Salvador, PICA’s sister city.”

She suggests that you “buy your mother a special treat: A fair trade crocheted purse or hat, or a beautifully embroidered apron, T-shirt, tote bag or table cloth,” adding that those items, and more, will be “sold at a market that’s more fun!”

The items are lovely.

Do as I did, and preview them at www.pica.ws/sewing-coop.

Sandi MacDonald invites you to an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 1, at Spring Valley Gift & Yarn, 248 Kelly Road in Bancroft, which, if you don’t have a map handy, is just northeast of Wytopitlock.

The youngsters should love meeting the newborn lambs and learning the fundamentals of shepherding, and everyone will have an opportunity to watch demonstrations on spinning, natural dyeing of yarns, knitting and weaving.

For more information, call MacDonald at 448-3226.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.