It seems like only yesterday, but the year was 1985, and I was working for the Waterville Morning Sentinel when I took a photo of two young troopers. In December of 1984 now Chief of Police for Carrabassett Valley Scott Nichols had just graduated from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy and in January of 1985 assumed his new duties with the Maine State Police patrolling the Kingfield area. At that time, Bob Giles was living in Kingfield and was transferred to the State Police Traffic Safety Division enforcing truck weight violations in Franklin and Somerset counties. So you see, Scott Nichols and I go back a long time and over the years we always had a good relationship (if I had printed every thing that he told me well... we won’t talk about that!)

Some 27 years later, Nichols has retired from the Maine State Police, worked for a year in Iraq training police officers, served as Chief of Police in Carrabassett Valley since 2008 and will now seek the position as head of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department, a position presently held by Dennis Pike.

Lt. Randy Walker (left to right) and Chief Scott Nichols with the Carrabassett Valley Police Department are pictured with Chief Deputy of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department Raymond Meldrum. The officers were just leaving the opening of the new Border Patrol Station in Rangeley last spring. After a long ceremony, tight uniforms and heavy equipment they have to carry, you could almost hear them say to each other, “I wonder where the closest coffee and donut shop is located?” (Laura Dunham photo) So where does that leave some of these other officers? Well, Chief Deputy Raymond Meldrum is counting the days (all 336) before he retires from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department after serving some 35 years. ”It’s time to move on,” said Meldrum, “I’m not sure what I’ll do.” But at least I told him I hope he finds a new venture in life but not Route 27 south maybe up the Stratton or Rangeley road to get some different scenery.

As far as Lt. Randy Walker, maybe he has his sights on Nichols’ job. And as far as State Trooper Mark Lopez goes, he has 432 more days before he can retire after serving as our local State Trooper for the past 25 years. Lopez said he is uncertain what he will do when he retires but knows he will seek other opportunities and “possibly not too far from home.” Does that mean Nichols’ job” “Anything is possible,” said Lopez.

I was glad to hear from Emmons and Barbara Pinkham who gave me an update of the new Lexington-Highland Historical House that is being built at the Lydia Boynton Corner in Lexington. “Excitement builds,” said Emmons and Barbara as we “see a grand opening on the horizon when all the scattered collections reflecting the Lexington-Highland history will be gathered under one roof.

The 2011 budget said the Pinkhams was supported by generous donations from Franklin Savings Bank in Farmington, Madison Paper Company, as well as a $2,000 grant from the Sugarloaf Region Charitable Trust. In addition to fundraising efforts through the summer fair, plant sales, book sales, auctions, the production and sale of a cookbook and two entertainment shows (one we all attended—it was the best show ever as far as Howard and I are concerned; Barbara missed her calling and should be on the stage in Nashville!). All these efforts by members through donations and memberships allowed the society to meet its 2011 budgeted amount of $14,320. If anyone is interested in helping with Phase Three of the completion of the Historical House in the spring, they should contact Jim Taylor at 628-2762 or Emmons Pinkham at 312-0085.

I will miss covering the Special Olympics this year; an event that I enjoyed over 30 years. I was just recently looking at one of my scrapbooks from the 1990 Special Olympics when Kitty Jones and Joyce Demshar were among those serving on the Sunday night supper committee for some 700 Olympians and their coaches, a chore that both Candace and Yvonne Woodcock of Kingfield have worked on all these years, and like every year find it rewarding.

Marylyn Bachelder reminds everyone of the Phillips Senior Citizen meeting when there will be an exchange of Valentines at a party to be held Feb. 9 with a potluck dinner at noon. Marylyn also said that everyone at the Valley Brook Senior Development welcomes new resident Eleanor Newman.

My prayers go out to Krissi Dyer, one of my favorite waitresses at Tufulio’s and a great DJ who I always enjoyed at the Jordan summer outings. Krissi is recuperating from a skiing accident where she went out of control hit a tree with a branch some three inches wide and 13 inches long which went through her shoulder and into her abdomen. How lucky she is to be alive.

Also prayers go out to the Odias Bachelder family. Dora Tibbetts tells me that she had Odias in Grammar school in Stratton and according to Tibbetts “he was a sweety.” Speaking of Dora, she is at the home of her daughter and her husband, Julie and David Talmadge in Kingfield, and is making plans for a memorial service for her late husband Bernard “Red” Tibbetts to be held at the upper cemetery in Eustis in the spring.

For the first time in some 15 years the Stratton-Eustis Lion’s Club will not be sponsoring their annual hamburger and hot dog stand at the upcoming Flagstaff Area Business Association Polar Blast Days on Feb. 3 to 5. “All the people who would usually work on the food wagon are just unable to do so this winter, it has not been a good year health wise,” said Lion’s member Bruce Marcoux.

My special thoughts and prayers go out to my dear friend Lorraine Chandler, Nick Nickerson, Gardiner Young, Kay Kankainen, Leo Boyce, Tynne Pillman, Randy Corson, Phil and Vivian Lawrence, Sam Flint, Bruce Marcoux and Fred Townsend.