Winners announced in DAR essay contest

BANGOR – Youth from around the state, including three pupils from Bangor Christian School, were honored recently for placing in contests sponsored by the Maine State Organization, Daughters of the American Revolution.

Winners in the American History Essay Contest for grades five through eight and in the high school level Christopher Columbus Essay Contest were announced during the spring conference of the Maine DAR.

Carolyn L. Kelley of Oakland, state chairman of the American History Committee, announced the names of the students, who were selected from more than 200 entries throughout the state. Contestants wrote essays on “Along the Trail with Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery, May 1804-September 1806.”

Winners in the American History Essay Contest were:

. Grade five, first place, Taniesha Koch, Rose Gaffney School, Machias, sponsored by the Hannah Weston Chapter.

. Grade six, first place, a tie, Megan Wilson, Bangor Christian School, sponsored by Frances Dighton Williams Chapter; and Shaun Laney, St. Mary’s School, Augusta, Koussinoc Chapter; second place, Deanne Michele Tourigny, St. James School, Biddeford, Rebecca Emery Chapter; third, Mariana Murphy, Rose Gaffney School, Machias, Hannah Weston Chapter.

. Grade seven, Allison Talbot, Elm Street School, East Machias, Hannah Weston Chapter; second place, Logan Parker, St. Mary’s School, Augusta, Koussinoc Chapter; third, Andrew Vicnaire, Bangor Christian School, Frances Dighton Williams Chapter.

. Grade eight, Cameron Best, St. Augustine School, Augusta, Koussinoc; second place, Mandy Hill, Bangor Christian School, Frances Dighton Williams Chapter; third, Megan E. Frey, Jay Middle School, Jay, Colonial Daughters Chapter.

Best and Laney received certificates and a book for being selected as grade winners for the Northeast Division DAR, which includes New England and New York, with their entries entered in the selection of the national grade winners. Last year, Kristin Dillon of Exeter was the national winner for grade six.

Taking top honors in the Christopher Columbus Essay Contest were: first place, grade 11, Laura Sawtell, Burnham Chess Home schoolers of Albion; second place, grade nine, Katie Jean York of Industry, home school, sponsored by the Ruth Heald Cragin Chapter; and third place, James W. Owen, Sanford High School, Rebecca Emery Chapter.

Elizabeth Ashley Clifford, a seventh-grade pupil at Brooksville Elementary School, was named the first place winner in the Community Service Award program of the Maine DAR. Nancy L. Harvey of Belfast, state chairman of the Community Service Awards program, presented Clifford with a certificate and cash award during the awards banquet. She is the daughter of Earl and Gayle Clifford Jr. of Brooksville. She was sponsored by Majabigwaduce Chapter of Brooksville.

Receiving the second place award was Betsey Jane Partridge Bolvin of Lexington Township, sponsored by the Ruth Heald Cragin Chapter of North Anson.

The awards were announced during the DAR spring conference in Waterville, presided over by State Regent Donna Hoffmann of Orland.