MARS HILL NEWS
by Tomi Henderson
Central Aroostook Junior-Senior High School of Mars Hill has announced the honor parts for the Class of 2014.
Stephanie Dame
The valedictorian is Stephanie Dame and the salutatorian is Megan King. The first honor essayist is Hailey Ingraham and the second honor essayist is Spencer Garrison.
Stephanie is the daughter of Stephen and Debra Dame of Mars Hill. She has participated in student council, Trust Team, International Club, and chorus, as well as varsity softball. She was also inducted into the National Honor Society as a junior. Stephanie has received the Phi Beta Kappa Academic Achievement Award, the Maine Principals Association Award, Student of the Month, as well as the Spanish award at Central Aroostook. She has participated in the annual Christmas gift drive and has volunteered for Meals on Wheels. Stephanie will attend Northern Maine Community College in the fall to study nursing.
Megan King
Megan is the daughter of LeeRoy and Sally King of Mars Hill. She has participated in Drama Club, International Club, the Communications Club, and Art Club, as well as being a member of the Future Farmers of America (FFA). Megan has also played varsity soccer, softball, golf and volleyball. She was an instrumental part of the Central Aroostook state championship cheerleading squad. Megan has played in the Pep Band and has been selected for All-Aroostook for band. She has earned the Student of the Month award, the Student of the Year award, and the civics award. She has volunteered for the Bridgewater Recreation Department as well as many functions at her church. Megan plans to attend the University of Maine at Presque Isle in the fall to study biology. She would eventually like to transfer to UMaine Machias to study marine biology.
Hailey Ingraham
Hailey is the daughter of Sonya Ingraham and the late David Ingraham of Mars Hill. She has been involved in Spanish Club as well as the National Honor Society. Hailey has earned the highest average in algebra II award and the Student of the Month award at Central Aroostook. She has volunteered each afternoon of her senior year in the kindergarten classroom. Hailey will attend Husson University in the fall to study elementary education.
Spencer Garrison
Spencer Garrison is the son of Gregg and Heidi Garrison of Blaine. He has participated in chorus throughout high school and is also the senior class vice president. Spencer has played varsity soccer, basketball and baseball all four years of high school. He has earned the English and math awards at Central Aroostook. He has also been selected to All-Aroostook Chorus. Spencer has volunteered each summer as a Wilderness Day Camp counselor. Spencer will attend the University of Maine to study business.
The Class of 2014 will graduate on June 6, with the exercise being held in the Central Aroostook Jr./Sr. High School gymnasium at 7:30 p.m.
Library happenings
The Walter T.A. Hansen Memorial Library plans to hold their annual tag sale on consecutive Fridays and Saturdays — June 13-14 and 20-21 — from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Anyone willing to make donations for this sale are asked to call the library at 429-9625 to make arrangements to drop stuff off or to have it picked up. Everyone’s willingness to help with this fundraiser is greatly appreciated.
Rotary Club
The Mars Hill Rotary Club met on May 27 at 6:30 a.m. at the Aroostook Health Center. The special speaker was Dave Cyr, the new Mars Hill town manager. Dave spoke of his background, the various jobs he has held and his hopes for the town.
Homecoming 2014
Plans for Homecoming 2014 are under way. This year’s events will be held on Aug. 8-10. Plans include various activities at the high school on Saturday afternoon. The committee is looking for crafters and more to set up booths with crafts, foods, etc. Several new activities are being planned this year. The Mars Hill Fire Department will hold a mini muster this year as well as doing the chicken barbecue dinner on Saturday.
The next planning meeting will be at the Community Center on June 9 at 6:30 p.m. All interested people are encouraged to attend.
Book signing
The Walter T.A. Hansen Memorial Library in Mars Hill welcomed author Emma Gingerich on Monday, May 19, to speak about her book, “Runaway Amish Girl — The Great Escape.” One of 14 children, Emma was born and raised in Ohio before moving to Missouri at age 10. The family spoke mostly Pennsylvania Dutch — a form of German — at home, as well as some English.
Emma spoke of some of her memories growing up Amish. She attended school through the eighth grade. The family attended church at a different family’s home, rotating every two weeks. She was told by a friend that babies came from airplanes that dropped them down to families to raise. Emma asked her mother one day “why she had so many children?” Upon being asked which siblings she would not have around, Emma had to admit she loved them all. She still watched the sky for years!
At age 18, Emma made the difficult decision to leave her family. She was not happy with the rules she was expected to live by and just felt that there was more out there. She just had to do what was right for her. She went to Texas, where a family took her in while she worked on her English, got a birth certificate and Social Security number and earned her GED — accomplishing all in eight months.
She attended college and got her associate’s degree in agricultural technology. She then went on and got her bachelor’s degree in crop science and is currently in grad school working on her MBA in business administration, with a health care emphasis. She works in medical billing. She plans to move from Texas this summer but isn’t sure where God will take her.
She began writing her book in 2009, covering her years from 2006-10. She is glad to have grown up Amish and is grateful for her upbringing where she learned determination and a good work ethic. But ultimately she had to follow her heart. Emma states “In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of the things not meant for you.”
She enjoys visiting her family, now living in northern Maine, and spending time with her nieces and nephews — currently 10 in number from age 5 to 6 weeks.
For more information, check out Emma’s website: www.runawayamishgirl.com. Emma’s books are available for purchase at the Mars Hill library for $10. They are also available for Kindle on Amazon.
Tomi Henderson is the correspondent for Mars Hill, Blaine, Bridgewater and Westfield. She can be reached by email at tomihen@yahoo.com.
