Wreaths Across America will come to Mapleton

For the second year in a row, Maine Agri-Women, in conjunction with Wreaths Across America, will host a ceremony that includes the laying of wreaths at a local Aroostook County cemetery.  

This year they have chosen the Southside Cemetery on the West Chapman Road in Mapleton.  

Last year the Maine Agri-Women held their first wreath-laying ceremony at the Corner Cemetery in Bridgewater.  The ceremony was so moving and beautiful the group decided to host another ceremony this year. The Southside Cemetery in Mapleton was suggested for the 2018 ceremony, and the group liked and adopted the suggestion.  

The Wreaths Across America event will take place at 12 noon on Saturday, Dec. 15, at Mapleton’s Southside Cemetery.  Maine Agri-Women will host the exact same ceremony at the exact time as the national Wreaths Across America gathering that will be celebrated at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.  

The Mapleton ceremony will be one of over 1,500 taking place at cemeteries across America.

For readers who are not familiar with Wreaths Across America, Mary Anne Buck and Judy Kenney, Maine Agri-Women members, explained, “We have Veterans Day in the fall and Memorial Day in the spring, but our service members sacrifice their time and safety every single day of the year to preserve our freedom.  In many homes there is an empty seat for one who is serving or one who has made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.”

They added, “There is no better time to express our appreciation than during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.  We hope you will join us to show our veterans and their families that we will never forget.”

Both Buck and Kenney have been excited with the community support they have received for this special event, including the needed fundraising and preparations.  They led a group of people at the cemetery two weeks ago to install stakes at each grave, making it easier to hang the wreaths, rather than simply putting them on the ground.  On that day, the sun was nice, the snow was deep, but everybody just waded in and got the job done.

Community support like this has been overwhelming and makes us remarkably proud of the people who live here in Aroostook County.

At Southside, there will be a ceremony, color guard, wreaths laid for each branch of the military, and wreaths for 126 veterans at Southside, along with patriotic songs and the playing of “Taps.”

Wreath laying volunteers and family members of veterans are asked to be at the cemetery at 11:30 a.m.

For more information contact Judy at 764-1787 or Buck at 754-0635. Maine Agri Women would like to thank all those involved for their support in making this event possible for Mapleton.

Friday luncheon

The monthly First Friday Luncheon held at the Mapleton Methodist Church is scheduled for this Friday.  The time of the luncheon is 11:30 a.m.

The luncheon promises to be a fun because it will be the Christmas luncheon.  Who knows what the chefs will prepare, but everyone will be thankful for this special holiday meal.  The chefs are planning an enjoyable lunch for everyone.

While the food is always delicious, the real joy is being with longtime friends as well as making new friends sharing family updates, stories and memories. Remember there is no charge for the lunch, but donations will be accepted.  

Snowmobile club  

The Chapman Ridge Runners Snowmobile Club will have its monthly directors’ meeting on Dec. 5 at the clubhouse, starting at 6:30 p.m.

On Dec. 8, the annual Holiday Potluck Supper will start at 6:00 PM and will be held at the clubhouse in Chapman.  There will be a Yankee Swap as well as a discussion of the club’s fundraising auction to be held in January.

Town Office News

Dog registration:  The Town Office is now registering dogs for 2019.  Come in and register before Jan. 31 and beat the $25 dollar late fee.

Terry Sandusky is the Star-Herald correspondent for Mapleton, Chapman and Castle Hill and can be reached at 764-4916 or at starherald.Tsandusky@gmail.com.