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Community supports DiPrete Memorial Fund

This letter is to update you on the status of the Joseph DiPrete Memorial Fund to which your community contributed after my boy’s tragic death in 2003. Because of your generosity and that of many friends, neighbors, town residents, and family members, my family was able to establish this fund, and Belfast High School principal Butch Arthers offered to provide a contact, care of the high school, and hold the fund until we could pull ourselves together.

My family has been appreciative of all your support. The memorial fund that my family established in tribute to my son Joseph has awarded four scholarships in the last two years to students in our area. We will make an award this year as well.

Upon Butch Arthers’ offer to help, the fund was maintained in a separate account in Camden National Bank, and I have continued to oversee criteria, award, and disbursement of the memorial funds, through recommendations of local educators. Now that I am on my feet, we can put the monies in an interest-bearing account (up till now the account, I am told, earned zero percent interest) and optimize awards to area youths for as long as the memorial fund exists, under a tax-exempt status.

We have always celebrated your support of community youth, and this will continue to be the intent of the fund, in Joseph’s name. There is enough to still award another few young people in their endeavors.

Thank you so much for keeping Joe’s name alive in the spirit in which he lived.

If I can be of any service to your community or school in any way, please feel free to contact me. Information on the fund: Joseph DiPrete Memorial Fund, c/o Camden national Bank, Belfast, Maine, 04915.

Maura DiPrete (Joe’s Mom)

Belfast

Mr., Miss Basketball deserve same headline

What’s with the Bangor Daily News sports staff anyway? Why must the female gender in the beautiful state of Maine continually not be recognized as equal? I noticed that the article, on the first page of the sports section (BDN, March 11-12) announced Mr. and Miss Basketball in different size fonts, but of course, Miss Parker’s title was the smaller of the two fonts.

Remember guys, without equal participation and then some, you wouldn’t be here without a woman being a big part of your creation.

Judith R. Marcus

Beals