MEMORIAL DAY

Dover-Foxcroft Memorial Day parade itinerary

DOVER-FOXCROFT — American Legion Post 29 will be conducting the 2016 Memorial Day parade on Monday, May 30. This year’s parade will line up on Summer Street in front of Dave’s World at 9:30 a.m.

The parade will begin at 10 a.m., leaving Summer Street and proceeding to the parking lot behind the Civil War monument across West Main Street from the Shell station. After the ceremony here the parade will go to the bridge for another ceremony and then move up East Main Street to the courthouse parking lot for the conclusion of the procession.

Observer file photo/Stuart Hedstrom

MEMORIAL DAY IN DOVER-FOXCROFT — Memorial Day was observed in 2015 with a procession starting on Summer Street, which then traveled to Monument Square and the Piscataquis River bridge on East Main Street for ceremonies to honor all of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. 

All veterans are asked to participate in the parade if possible, with riding accommodations available if needed. Everyone else is invited to come to the parade to show respect for the fallen and to those who are still putting their lives on the line for freedom. Businesses and merchants are asked to please display American flags, buntings or other patriotic items for Memorial Day.

Observer file photo/Stuart Hedstrom

MARCHING PONIES — Soon after the group’s trip to Disney World to take part in the Festival of Fantasy Pre-Parade in the Magic Kingdom a year ago , the Foxcroft Academy marching band performs on the move in the Dover-Foxcroft Memorial Day ceremonies.

Observer file photo/Stuart Hedstrom

VETERANS’ RECOGNITION — Veterans of the Armed Forces marched and rode in a motorcycle procession during the Memorial Day ceremonies in Dover-Foxcroft last year.

Observer file photo/Stuart Hedstrom

COLOR GUARD — The color guard leads a procession from Monument Square to the East Main Street bridge.

Observer file photo/Stuart Hedstrom

THREE-GUN SALUTE — Members of the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Department fired three rounds during a past Memorial Day ceremony at Monument Square in Dover-Foxcroft.

Memorial ceremony set for Saturday 

DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Sons and Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War will hold a memorial ceremony on Saturday, May 28 at 2 p.m. at the old section of the Dover Cemetery. All are invited.

Observances in the Greenville area

GREENVILLE — The Cecil R. Cole American Legion Post and Auxiliary will host this year’s Memorial Day weekend services starting with an observance at the B-52 crash site on Elephant Mountain on Saturday, May 28 at 10:30 a.m.

Memorial Day services will begin on Monday, May 30 at Rockwood at 9 a.m. The units will then convene at the Richard Francis Lavigne Memorial Bridge at the East Outlet at 10:10 a.m.; to the Shirley cemetery for services at 11 a.m.; and then back to Greenville for the traditional parade starting at noon.

Units will march from the Legion hall on Pritham Avenue to the steamship Katahdin where a service will be held in honor of those lost at sea. The parade will then resume and march to the town cemetery for the final tribute to fallen service members.

The Towne-Holmbom American Legion Post will host the traditional Memorial Day ceremony in Monson.

The marching unit and Foxcroft Academy band will form at Hebron Heights at 7:30 a.m. and the parade will get underway at 8 a.m. The units will stop at the canal for a wreath laying and then proceed to the Monson Community Church for a ceremony.

Parades set for Abbot, Guilford and Sangerville

American Legion Conner-Trafton Post #119 of Guilford and Stott-Flanders Post #165 of Sangerville will be conducting Memorial Day parades on Monday, May 30.

The Abbot parade will be held at 9:30 a.m., starting at the town office and ending at the Veterans’ Memorial.

The Guilford procession will be held at 10:30 a.m., starting at the Elmwood Cemetery. A ceremony will be held rededicating the Veterans’ Bridge before ending at the Veterans’ Memorial.

In Sangerville the parade will be held at 8:30 a.m. starting at the old mill. A ceremony will be held to dedicate the Veterans’ Memorial before ending at the cemetery.

Memorial Day parade

DEXTER — The Dexter Memorial Day parade will be on Monday, May 30, hosted by the Poulliot-Seavey American Legion Post and the Shirley B. Carter VFW Post with units assembling in the municipal parking lot behind Bangor Savings Bank. The parade begins at 10 a.m. and will go up Main Street, tthen o Church Street and Dam Street at Veterans Memorial Park.

Parade units will include a color guard from the Tri-County Tech Center Criminal Justice program, the Dexter Regional High School band and local Boy and Girl Scouts.

Following the services, the parade will re-assemble on Dam and Grove streets and march back to the starting point at the municipal parking lot. The VFW will serve a lunch after the parade at the post on Cedar Street.

U.S. flag code

Conduct during hoisting, lowering or passing of the American flag: during the ceremony of hoisting, lowering or passing of the flag or when the flag is passing in a parade or in review, those present in uniform should render the military salute. Members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute.

All other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, or if applicable remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Citizens of other countries should stand at attention.

All such conduct toward the flag in a moving column should be rendered at the moment the flag passes.

Kickboxing sparring event in Brewer to raise funds for veterans

By Ernie Clark
Staff Writer

Building off a successful debut last month in Dexter, Dexter Regional High School graduate Josh Harvey of Corinth and MaineNightOut.com will join forces to host a kickboxing sparring event featuring the likes of local professional mixed martial arts standouts Bruce Boyington and Ryan Sanders at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer on May 28.

Doors open at 5 p.m. and the show begins at 6 p.m. Admission is a $10 donation, with all proceeds to benefit The Maine Veterans Project.

More than 30 fighters from eight different gyms around central and southern Maine are expected to take part in the event.

No winners will be determined during the exhibitions, but with many of the participants scheduled for MMA bouts during the next three weeks, the fighters consider it a good time to get in a strong workout before beginning to wind down their training camps.

Sanders, for instance, will fight champion Luis Felix for the CES MMA lightweight belt in a nationally televised bout (AXS-TV) on June 10. Boyington will seek his second win with the World Series of Fighting franchise on June 17, when he faces Saul Almeida at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn.

The Maine-based New England Fights promotion also will stage its next card June 18 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

“Everyone is in full support of the troops, and sparring sessions like this are a regular thing at bigger camps,” Harvey said. “I’ve attended some in Massachusetts, and they don’t advertise them because it’s a common occurrence. They just all show up at one gym and bang on each other and go home and call it a good training session.

“There’s a thing about sparring with someone who’s not your friend or your teammate, because you don’t know any of their habits and you don’t really care if you punch them because they’re not your teammate.”

Harvey, the former NEF amateur lightweight champion who recently won his pro debut and will participate in the Brewer sparring event, and John Stuart of MaineNightOut.com staged a similar show on April 1 at the Factory One nightclub in Dexter.

“There was so much enthusiasm about the last show that it was easy to keep it rolling,” Harvey said.

Participants in the Dexter event also said it was a good opportunity for less experienced fighters who were considering a combat sports career to test themselves in front of an audience smaller than the 2,000 or more MMA fans who routinely turn out for NEF cards.

Harvey hopes to schedule these events on a regular basis in advance of future MMA shows.

Vietnam Combat Veterans Traveling Wall to visit Dexter  next year

DEXTER — The Vietnam Combat Veterans Traveling Wall is tentatively scheduled to be in Dexter on May 11-15, 2017. The Traveling Wall memorializes the sacrifice and service of Vietnam veterans and brings that remembrance to cities, towns and neighborhoods across the nation.

The Traveling Wall is a half size replica of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C., and it was conceived and realized by Vietnam veteran John Devitt after he visited “The Wall” in Washington, D.C. and realized many Vietnam veterans would never be able to make the trip to see it or share in the “positive power of The Wall”.

The Wall is being sponsored by VFW Post 4298 Shirley B. Carter of Dexter, those who are interested in volunteering on this project, would like more information or to be a sponsor, can contact VFW Post 4298 Shirley B. Carter Commander David Iverson at 379-4000, or vfwpost4298@gmail.com.

Observer file photo/Jeannette Hughes

MILO’S ANNUAL CEREMONY — The color guard for the parade in Milo pauses on the West Main Street bridge for a ceremony as part of a past Memorial Day observance.. This year’s parade will start at 10 a.m. at the American Legion, proceed to the bridge  and then travel up to the Evergreen Cemetery on Park Street.

Observer file photo/Jeannette Hughes

RIFLE SALUTE — A rifle salute over the Sebec River will once again be part of the annual Memorial Day parade in Milo, which will start at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 30.

Contributed photo

OVER 500 FLAGS FOR VETERANS GRAVES — On May 14 Girl Scout Troop 855 of Dexter placed 524 American flags on veterans graves at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. The troop was awarded a Certificate of Community Service by the American Legion and VFW. Pictured are front, from left, Emma Schneider, Lily Bagley, Braiden Boutilier, Shealyn Bagley and Jamie Williams. Back, Sarah Sawtelle; Rae-Shawna Costonis, American Legion Post 53 commander; Troop 855 Leader Tracey Sawtelle; and Rick Batchelder, quartermaster VFW Post 4298.