PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Following 13 solid performances from talented Aroostook County contestants, the three-judge panel and audience at Saturday night’s Northern Star competition in Presque Isle selected Austin LaPlante of Caribou, Mayce Kinney of Presque Isle and Jordan Buckley of Westfield to move on to the finals on Sunday, March 13, at the Caribou Performing Arts Center. The audience picks were Buckley and Kinney while LaPlante was the judges’ pick. The judges in Presque Isle were Tamia Glidden, Dan Ladner and Gary Bowden.
The Saturday night singing competition at the Presque Isle Middle School was the second of three regional events, with the first on Friday in Fort Kent and the third in Houlton on Sunday.
On Friday night, Indya Ouellette of Madawaska, Rick Gustin of Caribou and Jennifer Raymond of Eagle Lake were the winners at the UMFK competition, while Kim Mann of Patten, Allyson Plummer of Washburn and David Dow of Houlton were the top performers at the Houlton event, held Sunday in the high school auditorium.
In a new twist this year, three additional “Wild Cards” were selected on Monday via the United Way of Aroostook’s Facebook page based on popular votes. Those singers are Madawaska’s Stacie Coltart, from the Fort Kent show; and Jacob Graham and Michaela Dube, both from Mapleton, who competed in the Presque Isle show. They will also move on the finale event in Caribou later this month.
Northern Star, now in its 12th year, is a major fundraiser for The United Way of Aroostook.
The finalists from the three regional competitions will have a chance to compete at the Northern Star Finale at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 13, at the Caribou Performing Arts Center.
Others competing at the Feb. 27 northern regional competition were Bentia Ouellette of New Sweden, Yana Nadeau of Fort Kent, Shelby Deschaine of Madawaska, Christine Robinson of St. Francis, Savanna Hanlin of St. Agatha and Katie Hebert of Fort Kent.
The Presque Isle show also featured Amanda Halsey from Fort Fairfield, Amelia Rose-Marie Roy from Limestone, Jamilyn Deschene and Paula Jamieson, both of Caribou, Stu Wyckoff and Kacie Chapman, both of Presque Isle, Mike Ouellette from Westfield, and Jaidyn Rose Blake from Mapleton.
Other performers in Houlton included Brianna Clossey, Rev. Marc Fuller, Sidney Peabody, Lexi Bartlett with Aaron Sewall on guitar and Chuck Grim
Northern Star was born more than a decade ago when officials with the United Way of Aroostook replaced the annual county-wide telethon with the talent show. Twelve years later, they have succeeded in developing the largest and most successful talent show in northern Maine and northwestern New Brunswick, raising more than $350,000 over the years for numerous worthwhile nonprofit organizations, and making regional celebrities out of some of the international region’s top vocalists.
Admission to the finale production will be $10. All proceeds from funds raised at the door will go directly to the United Way of Aroostook’s annual campaign.
