Winter/Spring 2012 - the University of Maine at Fort Kent

THE
Winter/Spring 2012
ALUMNI & FRIENDS MAGAZINE FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT FORT KENT

A letter from our President
Dear Alumni and Friends,
This issue of The Bell Tower features two events of singular
importance in the history of UMFK. Together, they say much
about the legacy of your University: its past, its present, its
future.
For the first time in its history, the University of Maine at Fort
Kent Foundation has announced a comprehensive capital
and endowment fund raising campaign. The symbol of the
campaign -- La Cloche de Fer (the Iron Bell) – is an old bell,
recently returned to the University, which dates to the earliest
days of the Madawaska Training School. The bell has been
restored and will be displayed around campus and at special
events during a two-year campaign.
The campaign will raise $3 million, distributed between alternative
energy projects, academic stewardship, and a legacy
scholarship fund. The alternative energy projects will convert
the campus to biomass heating, greatly reducing our environmental
footprint and contributing to the economic development
of the St. John Valley. The academic stewardship
component will support student research, high-engagement
teaching and learning, and outreach programs for the K–12
schools throughout our service area. The legacy scholarships
will double the amount of resources available to help pay the
costs for deserving students to attend UMFK.
As you read this article, please consider how you could
contribute to La Cloche de Fer campaign and strengthen
the University’s legacy.
The story of that legacy opens a brand new chapter in another
feature article within this issue. Dr. James H. Page, UMFK
Class of 1975, has been appointed as the ninth Chancellor of
the University of Maine System. Jim Page began his tenure as
chancellor on March 20 as the first chancellor who is a native
of Maine. He also is the first chancellor to be a graduate of
one of Maine’s public universities. And, as a proud alumnus
of UMFK, Jim’s first public appearance after the announcement
of his appointment was at UMFK’s Acadia House during
the Can-Am Sled Dog Races.
I have known Jim Page for nearly 15 years – since shortly
after he returned to Maine to take the helm of the Joseph W.
Sewall Company in Old Town. There, Jim took a century-old
forestry and surveying firm and built it into an integrated
geospatial, engineering, and forestry consulting business with
special expertise in environmental engineering, renewable
energy, and web-based technologies. Jim transformed the
Sewall Company by understanding client needs and turning
it into a client-focused firm. He has the skills and experience
President Hess speaks with Dr. James H. Page, the new University
of Maine System chancellor during Dr. Page’s visit to campus in
January, prior to his appointment as chancellor. Dr. Page is a 1975
alumnus of UMFK.
to do the same thing to Maine’s public universities – focusing
on the needs of students and their potential employers.
Given his reputation at the Sewall Company, many people do
not realize his deep roots in the academic community. Jim, a
UMFK graduate in History, also holds a Master of Philosophy
from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and a doctorate
in philosophical foundations of mathematics from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has held academic
appointments in Boston, New Hampshire and Kansas – as
well as at the University of Maine.
Jim understands the vital role that rural public universities like
UMFK play in the larger picture of Maine higher education.
I look forward to working with him to create a brighter future
for Maine’s public universities and especially his alma mater.
I hope you enjoy the features as well as the other stories in
this edition of The Bell Tower. As you do so, I also hope you
reflect upon your memories of UMFK’s legacy and how –
working together – we can move forward to ensure that
legacy for future generations.
My best to you,
Wilson G. Hess, UMFK President

THE
WInter/Spring 2012
ALUMNI & FRIENDS MAGAZINE FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT FORT KENT
inside
5
3 Governor Lepage Visits Campus
5 Dr. James Page (‘75) Appointed
Chancellor
6
6 The Mystery of the Bell
in every issue
8 Faculty & Academic Highlights
12 Cultural Events
18 Bengals in Action
ON THE COVER
La Cloche de Fer (the iron
bell) is the symbol of the
University’s first-ever
comprehensive capital and
endowment campaign.
La Cloche de Fer has rung
for the University for several
generations, and has been
called upon to ring for it
once again. It also is a bell
with a mysterious past.
Read the full story on
pages 6-7.
12
23 Class Notes
THE
ALUMNI & FRIENDS MAGAZINE FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT FORT KENT
UMFK PRESIDENT
Wilson G. Hess
EDITORIAL
Terence Kelly, Editor
Susan Tardie ‘99, Assistant Editor
Andrea Baril ’12
Victoria Dubois Iredale ‘12
DESIGN AND LAYOUT
Heidi Carter, Heidesign
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT
Meranda Castonguay ‘04
PHOTOGRAPHY
Editorial Staff
PRINTING
Gossamer Press
In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University
of Maine at Fort Kent shall not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation,
including transgender status or gender expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, or veterans
status in employment, education, and all other areas of the University.
The Bell Tower is published three times a year by
the University Relations and Alumni Affairs Office. It
is distributed free-of-charge to alumni, friends, faculty
and staff. Alumni are encouraged to submit information
for inclusion in the “Class Notes” section.
Please send all information to:
The Bell Tower
University of Maine at Fort Kent
23 University Drive
Fort Kent, Maine 04743
or e-mail to:
umfknews@maine.edu
website:
www.umfk.maine.edu/alumni/belltower/
The Bell Tower | 1

High Praise
If it’s true that good news comes
in threes, then UMFK hit the
trifecta of college accolades this
academic year.
Gift of History
The University’s Acadian Archives/Archives acadiennes has been gifted
a 25-volume set of scrapbooks from the estate of Marcella Bélanger
Violette. The scrapbooks’ 3,000 pages detail the social, cultural, political,
and current events of the St. John Valley from 1920 through 2004. The
donation was made this past November on behalf of the Violette family
by Dennis and Holly Violette, Marcella’s son and daughter-in-law, from
Orrington, Maine.
The name Marcella Violette is interwoven in the history of the St. John Valley over much
of the past 50 years. Her influence and commitment to causes was profound, and, in many
cases, legendary. Mrs. Violette, of Van Buren, directed her energies, passions, beliefs, value
of higher education, and support of her native French language.
The 25 donated scrapbooks were carefully arranged each year by Mrs. Violette at the
family’s dining room table. They include photos of prominent politicians including John F.
and Jacqueline Kennedy; Edmund Muskie; Jimmy and Rosalind Carter; Lyndon B. Johnson;
Joseph Brennan, and John L. Martin. Marcella’s husband, Elmer Violette, was an attorney,
state legislator, and a justice of the state Superior and Supreme courts. He also was
involved in politics at the state and national levels. Elmer Violette was a major proponent of
the Allagash Wilderness Waterway.
Elmer (1974) and Marcella (1991) Violette received honorary doctoral degrees from UMFK.
Marcella Violette’s passion and advocacy for UMFK, education, civic responsibility, the
Catholic religion, and preserving the French language and heritage are well documented.
The volumes are filled with photographs, newspaper articles, letters, cards, telegrams,
postcards, brochures, and other archival artifacts. Along with the scrapbooks, the collection
includes 15 gallery posters, audio CDs, and portraits of Elmer and Marcella Violette.
The scrapbooks that have been donated to the Archives were the subject of an exhibit
at the Archives from the fall of 2007 through spring 2008. The exhibit, Contributing a Lifetime
to Public Service, detailed the life and times of one of the most influential women ever to
live in the St. John Valley. The exhibit was a collaborative effort of UMFK’s Information
Services staff, and Holly and Julia Violette, Marcella’s daughter-in-law and granddaughter.
The exhibit closely mirrored the five major themes of Marcella’s scrapbooks: UMFK; Cultural
Preservation; Civic Responsibility; Allagash Wilderness Waterway; and Education/Family/
Women.
UMFK was again named among the Best
Regional Colleges in the North in the 2012
issue of U.S. News & World Report. This
year’s rankings put UMFK among the top 50
of all colleges in the North region, climbing
11 spots in the overall rankings, and moving
up three slots among the best regional
public colleges.
The U.S. News & World Report ranking
marks the third accolade for UMFK this
academic year. In August, prior to the start
of classes, UMFK was cited for the seventh
consecutive year as a Best Northeastern
College by The Princeton Review; an accolade
derived primarily from student input.
Shortly thereafter, the University was
selected as a College of Distinction, one of
only 200 colleges and universities, nationwide,
to receive that qualification.
Its 2012 listing marks the secondconsecutive
year of UMFK’s meteoric rise
up the ladder in the U.S. News & World
Report rankings. Last year, the University
broke into the top 50 (Tier 1) rankings. In
2010, UMFK was in the third-tier, or nonranked
level, on the best regional public
colleges list.
The U.S. News rankings are based on
key measures of quality that education
experts have proposed as reliable indicators
of academic quality. The indices used
for ranking Best Regional Colleges include:
peer assessment (25%); graduation and
retention rates (25%); faculty resources
(20%); student selectivity (15%); financial
resources (10%); and, alumni giving (5%).
Scores for each measure are then weighted
as a percentage to arrive at a final overall
score. The rankings system rests on two
pillars: the formula relies on quantitative
measures that education experts have
proposed as reliable indicators of
academic quality, and, are based on U.S.
News’ researched view of what matters in
education.
2 | The Bell Tower

Governor Lepage Visits Campus
PRAISES EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL INITIATIVE AND THE CAMPUS’ DIVERSITY
Maine Governor, Paul R. LePage
visited campus at the start of the fall
semester to encourage the incoming
high school juniors enrolled in the
campus’ Pleasant Street Academy
Early College High School initiative
to work hard and to succeed. The
governor was accompanied by his
wife, Ann, and several aides.
The governor spent a whirlwind hour on
campus, meeting with the 20 Early College
High School students, several teachers, and
parents, in the Nadeau Hall Teleconference
Room. The governor was impressed with the
broad geographic representation of students
enrolled in the program. He encouraged the
students to work hard, succeed, and to serve
as an example for other areas of the state
in establishing similar early college high
schools.
Later, the governor met with many
incoming UMFK students and their parents
who were on campus for orientation and
registration. Governor LePage met students
from all across the state of Maine, several
different states, and more than 10 international
locations.
Before leaving the campus, Governor
LePage met privately with President Wilson G.
Hess. At the meeting the governor delivered
three distinct messages:
• His commitment to the ongoing vitality
and existence of the UMFK campus
• His enthusiasm for the Pleasant Street
Academy Early College High School and
what it means for the future of education
in Maine; for making higher education
affordable; and in piloting the early
college high school model for other
areas of the state
• His pleasure in learning that UMFK
enrolled students from all areas of the
state, New England, the U.S., Canada,
and many international countries and
what that signifies about obtaining a
University of Maine System education
and in raising the profile of the state of
Maine.
AND THE VICTORS ARE...
The UMFK Lady Bengals soccer
team repeated as USCAA
National Champions, defeating
Ohio Mid-Western, 2-1, in
the championship game held
in Ashville, North Carolina,
last November. Coach Lucas
Levesque’s squad finished the
year with a perfect 17-0 record.
See the center spread and sports
pages for more on the national
champion Lady Bengals.
The Bell Tower | 3

$2.6 Million Biomass Grant
The University and Maine
School Administrative District
#27 received a $2.7 million
U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) grant last fall to construct
a biomass heating system, which is
expected to heat 11 buildings on the
UMFK and Fort Kent Community
High School campuses, and save the
two institutions more than $4
million in energy costs during the
next 10 years.
The USDA grant is the second biomass
project awarded to UMFK within the past
year. In May 2010, the University received a
$500,000 grant from the state Department of
Conservation, using federal stimulus funds,
to convert The Lodge residence hall and The
Sports Center to a wood-to-energy heating
system. That system will provide heat for
1.75 acres of floor space and is expected to
save the campus nearly $1 million in the next
decade.
Speaking of the new biomass grant, UMFK
President, Wilson G. Hess, said, “With this
project, UMFK will complete the conversion of
the entire campus from foreign oil to local biomass
alternative fuel sources for heat and hot
water needs. This will spur northern Maine’s
growing wood pellet and biomass fuel by
consuming over 1,300 tons of wood biomass
annually. It will serve as a working environmental
education example of local renewable
fuel replacing imported non-renewal oil, and,
it will dramatically reduce
the University’s annual
energy costs.”
UMFK and M.S.A.D.
27 partnered together,
in an extension of their
joint five-year-old College
Community Project, to
apply for, and develop,
the environmentallyfriendly
initiative. The
project involves the purchase
and installation of
a large biomass heating
system that will be connected
by underground
hot water pipes to nine
university, and two high school buildings.
The district heating plant will:
• lower fuel costs by up to 80 percent (compared
with #2 fuel oil)
• stabilize fuel prices
• stimulate the local economy
• enhance environmental sustainability
• strengthen national
security by reducing dependence on
foreign oil
• reduce maintenance costs by displacing
eight, oil-fired boilers, with a single stateof-the-art
boiler with proven success in
Europe
• help UMFK meet its climate neutrality obligations
under the American College and
University Presidents Climate Commitment
• complement collaborative efforts between
UMFK and M.S.A.D. 27
The current annual cost of space and water
heating for all facilities in the proposal is
“With this project,
UMFK will complete
the conversion of the
entire campus from
foreign oil to local
biomass alternative
fuel sources for heat
and hot water needs.”
$334,913, of which
$243,716 is UMFK’s.
The two institutions
propose to lower those
energy costs by installing
a multi-fuel boiler to
create a shared heating
plant, and connect it
with the 11 facilities to
provide them with space
and water heating.
The biomass district
heating plant would
be similar to fossil fuel
heating systems in that
it provides hot water for
a variety of uses to many
buildings. However, instead of fossil fuels,
the plant will burn locally sourced, environmentally-friendly,
climate neutral, renewable
biomass.
Wood chips are available at an “energy
equivalent” price that is approximately 80
percent lower than the cost of heating oil.
That would cut heating costs for the affected
facilities and enable UMFK and M.S.A.D. 27 to
save $282,389 in the first year alone, based
on current costs for fuel oil and wood chips.
The five-year savings are projected to be
nearly $1.8 million.
The biomass boiler also will boost the
local economy by dramatically reducing costs;
supporting local landowners and natural
resources based workers; keeping dollars
spent on energy within the local economy;
stabilizing the heating portion of the institutions’
budgets; retaining jobs through costs
savings; and, creating new jobs.
4| The Bell Tower

Dr. James Page (‘75) Appointed
Chancellor
UMFK Alumnus, Dr. James H.
Page, has been appointed as the ninth
Chancellor of the University of Maine
System (UMS). Chancellor Page
began his tenure as Chancellor
on March 20, one day following
his confirmation.
Dr. Page succeeds Dr. Richard L.
Pattenaude, who stepped down after
serving as Chancellor since 2007.
Page was one of three finalists for the
Chancellor’s position. He and the other
finalists visited UMFK as part of a mid-
January tour of three System campuses. Dr.
Meredith Hay, special advisor to the chair of
the Arizona Board of Regents; and Rebecca
Wyke, the University of Maine System vice
chancellor for finance & administration, were
the other finalists.
Prior to his appointment as Chancellor,
Dr. Page was principal and chief executive
officer of the James W. Sewall Company in
Old Town. He also is an adjunct professor
within the University of Maine’s Department
of Philosophy. Previously, he served as president,
senior vice president,
and chief operating
officer of the Sewall
Company. Prior to
his employment with Sewall, Page was assistant
professor of philosophy at the University
of Kansas.
“The University of Maine System is a
critical, statewide educational and economic
resource for the people of Maine,” Page
noted. “I am deeply honored by this opportunity
afforded by the Board of Trustees to
lead it forward during these challenging
times.”
Page is unique from the eight chancellors
who have served before him, in that he was
born and raised in Maine (Caribou), and was
educated within the public university system
(UMFK).
“I have known Jim Page for nearly 15
years – since shortly after he returned
to Maine to take the helm at the Sewall
Company,” says UMFK President Wilson G.
Hess. “There, Jim took a century-old forestry
and surveying firm and built it into an integrated
geospatial, engineering, and forestry
consulting business with special expertise
in environmental engineering, renewable
energy, and web-based technologies. Today,
Sewall has nine offices in seven states, and
crews working up and down the Atlantic
seaboard, in Central America, South America,
and Australia. Jim transformed the Sewall
Company by understanding client needs and
turning it into a client-focused firm. He has
the skills and experience to do the same
thing to Maine’s public universities – focusing
on the needs of students and their potential
employers.
“Given his reputation at the Sewall
Company, many people do not realize his
deep roots in the academic community.
Jim, a 1973 UMFK graduate in History, also
holds a Master of Philosophy from the
University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and
a doctorate in philosophical foundations
of mathematics from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. He has held academic
appointments in Boston, New Hampshire and
Kansas, as well as at the University of Maine.
“Jim understands the vital role that rural
public universities like UMFK play in the
larger picture of Maine higher education.
Perhaps Senator Susan Collins, who has
known him since their youth in Caribou, says
it best when she remarks ‘He is one of the
brightest thinkers I’ve ever met.’ I couldn’t
agree more and I look forward to working
with him to create a brighter future for
Maine’s public universities and especially his
alma mater,” President Hess added.
Chancellor Page lives in Old Town with his
wife, Liane Judd. They have one daughter.
DR. RAY ALBERT SERVES
ON CHANCELLOR SEARCH
COMMITTEE
UMFK’s Professor
of Computer
Science, Dr.
Raymond T. Albert,
was appointed
a member of
the search committee
that will
recommend the
next University of Maine System (UMS)
chancellor. Dr. Albert’s appointment was
announced by UMS Board of Trustees
chair, Michelle Hood. Dr. Albert is the
lone faculty member serving on the search
committee.
The Chancellor Search Committee
duties and responsibilities state that
the membership of the committee shall
be four trustees, one of which shall be
designated as chair of the committee,
and one representative each from the
faculty and student representatives to
the board.
Dr. Albert is UMFK’s faculty representative
to the UMS Board of Trustees.
The Bell Tower | 5

feature story
The Mystery
of the Bell
A HISTORICAL ICON BECOMES THE FACE OF THE UNIVERISTY’S
FIRST-EVER COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN
For whom did the bell toll?
Apparently, it sounded for generations of students.
But from where its sound came from,
and whether it was the only bell on campus
that rang, depends largely upon who you ask.
Was it the bell housed for more than
seventy years in the belfry of the original
Cyr Hall, located on Pleasant Street? Many
people seemed to think so. Or was it a different
bell, altogether?
Questions abound about the origin and
the original location of the bell, when speaking
of La Cloche de Fer (the iron bell); symbol
of the $3 million comprehensive campaign to
support the University.
Back in the days of Vetal Cyr – the institution’s
the first principal – students, faculty,
and staff were called to classes, meals, and
special events by the sound of a bell –
La Cloche de Fer. The sounding of the bell was
a familiar, steady, and calming presence on
campus in the days when UMFK was known
as the Madawaska Training School.
According to A Century and a Quarter of
Progress, Professor Roger Grindle’s seminal
historic account of UMFK’s origins, “The catalog
and circular of the Madawaska Training
School for 1888 advertised the benefits
expected from the new facilities at Fort Kent.”
Grindle’s reference was to the original Cyr Hall.
6 | The Bell Tower
Grindle’s account quotes Principal Cyr recommending
“The school needs a LITTLE more
money from the State to make the building
and its surroundings comfortable and attractive.”
The finishing touches called for by Cyr
included painting the building inside and
out, a bell tower and a bell, and grading and
fencing the grounds. The state legislature
responded to Cyr’s request with a special
appropriation.
“With this money a belfry was added. A
bell was ordered, as well as a fancy weather
vane for the top of the belfry,” Grindle notes.
The bell rang for more than seven decades.
In 1959, the original Cyr Hall had reached
the end of its useful life, and the institution,
now known as Fort Kent State Normal School,
ordered its demolition that fall.
According to the original specifications
for the building’s demise, now housed
within UMFK’s Acadian Archives Acadiennes,
“Sealed bids for the demolition of a wooden
structure known as Cyr Hall will be received
in the office of the Principal of Fort Kent State
Normal School on or before July 31, 1959.
Bids will be opened on that date in the office
of the Principal.”
The specifications stated that “All materials
contained within the building at the time
when demolition starts shall be the property
of the person doing the demolition with the
following exceptions:
“The bell, which will be retained by the
Normal School. The person doing the demolition
is expected to remove the bell from the
tower and lower it to the ground.”
Anecdotal accounts of the whereabouts
of the bell from that point forward are rather
sketchy. Locals recall hearing stories about
neighborhood children playing atop of the
bell as it sat on the lawn, nearby to what is
today’s main entrance to campus. Concerned
for the bell’s well-being, it allegedly was
removed from the lawn. But where to? It may
have been moved to safe storage in the basement
of a nearby building, as some speculate.
However, no one is certain.
Years later, in 1975, local contractors were
connecting drainage lines from the (then) new
Sport Center to the storm water main located
across Pleasant Street on the main campus.
Digging in the vicinity of the campus’ upper
parking lot, adjacent to the Old Model School,
heavy equipment operator, Gilman Babin,
made a “ringing discovery.”
Babin dug up an old bell that had been
buried alone, and not among with any rubble
from the previously demolished Cyr or Dickey
halls. The bell was buried by itself, surrounded
by gravel, Babin recalls today.
Was the unearthed bell the one that once
rang from the belfry in the old Cyr Hall? No
one knows. But if it wasn’t the Cyr Hall bell,
which bell was it?
Some conjecture that it even could be the
bell from the belfry of the original Fort Kent
schoolhouse where the very first Madawaska
Training School classes were held.
The excavated bell would be removed to a
Sly Brook Road-site on Eagle Lake, where it sat
for several years. Eventually, it was obtained
by Claude Dumond, former Fort Kent town
manager. Dumond fabricated a yoke from a
steel wagon wheel and hung the bell from a
hook affixed to the yoke. The bell adorned the
Dumond camp, now owned by his son, George,
from the late ‘70s until last year, when it was
summoned to duty once again.
Today, La Cloche de Fer is asked to toll its
familiar, steady, and calming tone to assist
the University in providing for the education
of the students in which it is entrusted.
Under the title of La Cloche de Fer, UMFK
has launched its first-ever comprehen-

sive campaign in the 134-year history of the
University. La Cloche de Fer campaign for
UMFK seeks to complete a $3 million fundraising
effort in the next two years to support the
following goals:
Legacy Scholarship Fund: $750,000
Academic Stewardship Fund: $750,000
Sustaining Capital Fund: $1,500,000
La Cloche de Fer campaign is led by the
UMFK Foundation board of directors.
“It is a pleasure to be an officer of the
UMFK Foundation Board of Directors at the
time of the launch of this historic campaign,”
says Carolyn Bouchard, Foundation president.
“Expanding the Foundation’s scholarship
endowment is necessary to improve student
access to college, reduce reliance on loans, &
provide scholarships for deserving students.
This also provides broader access to higher
education, better jobs, & more fulfilling lives
for our graduates,” she adds.
“This project is a wonderful opportunity
for the individual board members to demonstrate
their commitment to the institution’s
mission and set the stage for other major
donors. The enthusiasm, support, and energy
by all the Directors are encouraging. There
is a sense of hope for a prosperous future for
UMFK,” president Bouchard notes.
The goal of La Cloche de Fer campaign is to
double the Foundation’s scholarship endowment,
which in turn, will improve a student’s
access to college, reduce a family’s reliance on
loans, and provide scholarships to deserving
students each year.
By providing greater access to higher
education, preparing graduates for better
jobs, accelerate learning through Early College
High School, and offering adult learners more
fulfilling lives. The University is prepared to
increase the number of UMFK graduates into
Maine’s workforce by 20 percent during the
next decade.
La Cloche de Fer is a comprehensive campaign
to develop a more diverse and sustainable revenue
base for the institution; integrating statewide
and national foundations, corporations, and a
widely-dispersed alumni population, into a multiyear
fundraising effort.
Philanthropy is an
important component of
UMFK’s future. In an era of
economic decline, private
support is critical to help the
University and its students,
both, remain financially secure.
In many respects, La Cloche
de Fer campaign will bring
together the disparate pieces of
UMFK to paint a complete picture of
the University and showcase the many
ways in which it serves the greater public
good, and makes an immediate impact on
the lives of countless individuals.
The Legacy Scholarship Fund is dedicated
to increase funds for need and merit-based
scholarships. In addition to scholarships,
however, other key areas of the fund’s focus
will be to support faculty research scholarships;
a variety of undergraduate services,
including study abroad programs; a revitalized
honors program; internships; and, experiential
learning opportunities across a broad range of
academic disciplines.
The Academic Stewardship Fund will
ensure that the University’s committed faculty
is able to provide the next generation with
the necessary resources to continue to foster
an appreciation for, and the stewardship of,
northern Maine’s pristine natural environment,
and to offer a variety of curricula that emphasize
the challenges of rural America.
The Sustaining Capital Fund will introduce
the campus to alternative energy, especially
biomass technologies; make essential repairs
and improvements to campus facilities; raise
the necessary capital to renovate the former
Fort Kent Armory as a shared University/
Community center; and assist the University
develop efficiencies that will allow it to maintain
a diverse and sustainable
revenue base for the foreseeable future.
La Cloche de Fer has undergone
a fairly elaborate makeover for its
new role.
‘Philanthropy is an important
component of UMFK’s future.
In an era of economic decline,
private support is critical to
help the University and
its students, both,
remain financially
secure.’
The bell has been sandblasted, primed,
and painted. It is not without blemishes;
sporting several cracks similar to its betterknown
sibling, The Liberty Bell. La Cloche de Fer
also has been outfitted with a new, historicallycorrect
yoke, a clapper, and is mounted on a
cedar base.
Although its days of daily ringing are gone,
La Cloche de Fer tolls again. Today it tolls for
the students of UMFK, as it once did for their
predecessors.
Its tone is remarkably sweet.
The Bell Tower | 7

FACULTYHIGHLIGHTS ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS
FOUNDATION GIFTS GREENHOUSE
The UMFK Foundation purchased a variety of rakes, hoes, forks, cultivators, thermometers, hoses, and seed to
help the newly-constructed campus greenhouse (see the Summer/Fall 2011 issue of The Bell Tower for photos of
its construction) plant and harvest its first crops. Shown here with some of the donations from the Foundation are
(L to R): Dr. Kim Borges, associate professor of Environmental Studies; Julie Trudel; Carolyn Bouchard, president
of the UMFK Foundation; Stephanie Chick, president of the Ecology Club; and UMFK President Wilson G. Hess.
LOREN MARIE PLOURDE RECEIVES MAINE BANKERS
SCHOLARSHIP
The Maine Higher Education Assistance Foundation presented a
$1,000 scholarship to Loren Marie Plourde of Eagle Lake in December.
Loren is a business management major at the University, where she
maintains a high grade-point average. She is a graduate of Fort Kent
Community High School.
Christopher W. Pinkham, president of the Maine Bankers
Association, made the presentation to Plourde at a luncheon ceremony
held at Nowland Hall along with UMFK President Wilson G. Hess, members
of UMFK’s Professional Management Division faculty, administrators,
local bankers, and Loren’s parents and family in attendance.
The Maine Higher Education Assistance Foundation was established
in the 1950s as a guarantee fund for student loans. The founders included
a wide range of banks, businesses, community organizations and individuals.
In 1990, the MeHEAF trustees initiated a scholarship
program funded by the return on the original loan guarantee funds.
The fund now is managed by the Maine Bankers Association, located
in Portland.
Participating schools select recipients who are in their second,
third, or fourth year of study and who are Maine high school graduates
majoring in a business-related subject. Selection is based on academic
standing. Scholarships are awarded for second semester expenses.
8 | The Bell Tower

FACULTYHIGHLIGHTS ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS
ERIN SOUCY COMPLETES HER DOCTORAL STUDIES
Erin (Carlson) Soucy (‘95), UMFK’s director of Nursing, completed her
Ph.D. studies in Education at Northcentral University in Prescott, Arizona
this past semester.
Dr. Soucy graduated from UMFK with a Bachelor of Science in
Nursing in 1995. She later earned a Master of Science in Nursing
Education at St. Joseph’s College in Standish, Maine. From 1995 through
2004 she worked as staff and charge nurse at Northern Maine Medical
Center in Fort Kent.
In 1998 Soucy began work at UMFK as a nursing resource center
manager. A year later she became an adjunct clinical and laboratory
instructor. In 2005 she became an instructor of nursing. In May of 2006,
she was named as the acting director of Nursing. She became the
division’s permanent director in 2007.
Dr. Soucy has served on many University of Maine System committees,
and holds membership in state, national and international nursing organizations. She has been
honored as a member of Who’s Who in American Women (2006), twice as Who’s Who Among America’s
Teachers (2005, 2006), by the Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nursing (2004), and as a member of
UMFK’s Honor Society of Nursing (1999).
WORLD ACADIAN CONGRESS CONFERENCE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Members of the Congrès Mondial Acadien/World Acadian Congress conference organization committee
came together in December to lay the foundation of the intellectual conferences. The committee
consists of professors and researchers from the University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK); Université
de Moncton, campus d’Edmundston (UMCE); and the L’Université du Québec à Rimouski campus
(UQAR). UMFK will play a major role in the organization of the scientific and intellectual conferences
to be hosted by Acadia of the Lands and Forests throughout August 2014.
Members of the committee shown here are, seated (L to R), Dr. Nicole Boudreau, assistant professor
of French, UMFK; Jacques Paul Couturier, academic vice-president UMCE; and Éric Mathieu
Doucet, director of the National Society of Acadia. Standing are (L to R) Marie-Élaine Lebel, adjunct
professor of French, UMCE; Jean-René Thuot, professor of history, UQAR; Léo Paul Charest, executive
director Congrès Mondial Acadien (CMA) 2014; Nicole Lang, professor of History, UMCE; Dr. Paul Buck,
assistant professor of History and Education, UMFK; Lise Pelletier, director of the Acadian Archives/
Archives acadiennes, and member of the international organizing committee of the 2014 CMA, UMFK;
André Leclerc, professor of economics, UMCE. Missing from the photo is Anthony Gauvin, associate
professor of Electronic Commerce, UMFK.
NOVELIST AND
UMFK ALUMNA,
CATHIE PELLETIER, IS
PRESIDENTIAL LECTURER
Award-winning novelist and UMFK
alumna, Cathie Pelletier, was the
University’s Presidential Lecturer
this past fall. The author delivered
an audience-engaging lecture entitled,
Editors, Agents & Critics: One
Writer’s Journey before a standingroom-only
crowd in Nadeau Hall
Teleconference Room.
According to Pelletier, “Many
aspiring writers believe that talent
and hard work are the necessary
ingredients to become a published
author. And that’s certainly true.
But, writing mostly in solitude for
months, even years, most authors
are oblivious to the inescapable
business of book publishing, which
includes agents who are sometimes
not very industrious, editors who
are overworked, and critics who are
downright vicious.”
The lecture contained stories
and insights from Pelletier’s journey
into the world of books, which
began at the end of the road in the
northern Maine town of Allagash,
and led her to Toronto, Ontario,
Canada, and Nashville, Tennessee,
more than one time, each, and other
stops in between. Forty years later,
she found herself back at the end of
the road in northern Maine.
Cathie Pelletier was selected
as the first Waneta Blake Visiting
Professor of Writing by the
University of Maine at Fort Kent’s
Arts and Humanities Division in
2010. She is a 1976 alumna of
UMFK.
The Bell Tower | 9

FACULTYHIGHLIGHTS ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS
ONE WORLD, ONE HEALTH
IS THE SUBJECT OF ANNUAL
SCHOLARS’ SYMPOSIUM
The third
annual Scholars’
Symposium, a
day to celebrate
the scholarly
achievements
of UMFK students
through
lectures, poster
presentations,
Dr. Sandra Steingraber
exhibits, and
performances, will be held on Friday, April
20. The theme of this year’s event is: One
World, One Health.
Dr. Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D., acclaimed
author and ecologist, will be the keynote
speaker at the symposium. Dr. Steingraber,
Ph.D. is an internationally-recognized
authority on the environment, links to
cancer and human health. Her highlyacclaimed
book, Living Downstream: An
Ecologist’s Personal Investigation of Cancer
and the Environment, presents cancer as a
human rights issue.
Dr. Samantha Langley-Turnbaugh, associate
vice president for research, scholarship
and creative activity at the University of
Southern Maine, and Dr. Dan Ferber, awardwinning
science writer/author, also will
speak during the day-long event. Ferber is
coauthor of the new book, Changing Planet,
Changing Health: How the Climate Crisis
Threatens Our Health and What We Can Do
about It.
Funding for the Scholars’ Symposium
speakers is provided through a $7,500 grant
from the Ceres Foundation.
In its short history, the Scholars’
Symposium has helped foster a community
of engaged educators, researchers, and
life-long learners who value academic excellence,
scholarship, and intellectual curiosity.
During the past two years, the day has
presented stimulating presentations and
discourse focused on issues relevant to the
region and to UMFK’s mission of providing
students with experiential learning, and nurturing
responsible citizenship, and environmental
stewardship.
Further information about the Scholars’
Symposium can be found at its website:
http://www.umfk.edu/academics/symposium/default.cfm?ref=4
STUDENTS’ DNA RESEARCH ADDED TO NATIONAL DATABANK
UMFK general biology students added their research on soil viruses (phages) to a national DNA
databank, capping a fall semester during which first-year students were engaged in a national
research program. The University of Pittsburgh’s Bacteriophage Institute (PBI) completed the
sequencing of the full genome from a mycobacteriophage, which the students isolated from
local soil last fall. Students purified DNA from several phages, and the class members selected
one (named “Dumbo”) to send for DNA sequencing. In all, nine phages that infect a soil-dwelling
bacterium were isolated from soils in Fort Kent and New Brunswick. Samples of the phages
are archived at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Ashburn, Virginia, and at PBI. The
course curriculum was developed and team-taught by Drs. Kimberly Borges and Steven Selva.
A
B
SERVICE LEARNING IN
ACTION
Dr. Soraya Cardenas, associate professor
of Sociology & Environmental
Studies, engaged her students in a
number of service learning opportunities
during the fall semester. In
photo A, students in Intro to Sociology
helped fourth-grade students in the
Wallagrass Elementary School build
alters as a cultural learning and sharing
project. In photo B, First-Year
Experience students collected pennies
for a Gym Night for seventh grade
students whose annual trip to
Deboullie Mountain was cut short by
a severe rain storm. The same FYE
students engaged first-grade students
(photo C) in a learning exercise to help
count the pennies.
10 | The Bell Tower
C

Distinguished Service Award
Dr. Peter MacLaren Toussaint is
a sixty-year resident of the St. John
Valley. He and his childhood sweetheart,
Janet Nadeau of Fort Kent,
were married in Montreal in 1968
and returned to their hometown to
raise their six children.
This occurred after a long education leading
up to Peter’s medical degree from McGill
University in 1970, followed by five additional
years of specialty training in General Surgery.
His father, the late Dr. Leonide Toussaint,
was a general practitioner in Fort Kent for 37
years. His mother, Georgette, was an operating
room nurse in Montreal, prior to becoming
a mother to six children.
From his dad, Peter learned patient advocacy
and the healing powers of a gentle bedside
manner. Two decades ago, while serving
on the UMFK Foundation, Peter and his wife
established a Nursing scholarship in memory
of Dr. Leonide and Georgette Toussaint.
Along the way the nascent surgeon
sharpened his skills by his exposure to master
surgeons like Dr. Paul Johnson, Dr. Paul
McBrearity and Dr. Mel Aungst. This broadened
his capabilities and prepared him for the
demanding tasks that lay ahead.
After leaving his surgical practice,
Dr.Toussaint underwent additional training
in tropical medicine and parasitology at the
University of West Virginia. Soon thereafter he
accomplished a boyhood dream of volunteering
his surgical services in underdeveloped
Honorary Degree
countries. This led him to Nicaragua, Bolivia,
Burundi, and Sri Lanka with Doctors Without
Borders (Medecins sans Frontieres), the
world’s largest humanitarian non-governmental
organization providing emergency aid to
victims of natural or man-made disasters.
Over the years, Dr. Toussaint has provided
numerous community lectures on cancer,
cancer prevention, specialized operative
techniques, Doctors Without Borders, and
our global interconnectedness — Global
Raindrops (2002).
Dr. Toussaint is an advocate for universal
health care and served on Governor Baldacci’s
blue ribbon commission on health care. He
was a director and past president of the
UMFK Board of Visitors. His commitment to
Fish River Rural Health as a board member is
ongoing. He believes in disaster preparedness
and was the principal author of Eagle Lake’s,
Fort Kent’s and the St. John Vianney Parish’s
emergency management plan.
By way of personal challenge to venture
forth and not to yield, he recently (2009)
earned an MBA from the University of
Massachusetts at Amherst.
Dr. Terrence MacTaggart is an
experienced leader and scholar in
higher education. His consulting
and research work focuses on higher
education leadership and policy,
strategic planning, institutional
advancement, trustee development
and leadership evaluation. He has
served as a faculty member and
administrator at several public and
independent colleges and universities
where he has led or participated in
substantial institutional transformations.
He has held the chancellor’s
position at the Minnesota State
University System and on two
occasions at the University of
Maine System.
Dr. MacTaggart has served as a consultant
and facilitator of board retreats for numerous
colleges, universities and systems. He
also has served as chair of the Commission
on Institutions of Higher Education, and of
the New England Association of Schools and
Colleges. He has led multiple visiting teams
for several regional accrediting associations,
and has served as a Fulbright Scholar
to Thailand and to Vietnam as an expert on
accreditation and quality assurance.
MacTaggart’s research and publications
focus on governance, improving relations
between institutions and the public, and
restoring institutional vitality. Among the
many books he has authored are: Academic
Turnarounds: Restoring Growth and Vitality to
Challenged American Colleges and Universities
(2007). With James Mingle, he authored
Pursuing the Public’s Agenda: Trustees in
Partnership With State Leaders. In the late
1990s he served as the editor and lead author
of Restructuring Public Higher Education—What
Works and What Doesn’t in Reorganizing Public
Systems. He later produced Seeking Excellence
Through Independence, which focuses on
rebalancing campus autonomy and accountability
in order to achieve better results. In
2000, he wrote, along with Robert Berdahl,
a study of the partial privatization of public
institutions entitled Charter Colleges: Balancing
Freedom and Accountability.
Dr. MacTaggart’s academic credentials
include a doctorate and master’s degree in
English Literature from Saint Louis University;
a Master of Business Administration from
St. Cloud University; and an honorary doctor
of law degree from the American College of
Greece. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
The Bell Tower | 11

Cultural Events
Bhava Albert
Blake Library gallery featured the work, of artist Bhava Albert, throughout
the month of September.
The exhibit, entitled “Press Start to Play,” was Albert’s collection of
6B graphite drawings from some of her favorite video game characters.
The drawings represent characters she grew up with, befriended them
as a child, and carried her through the years. But there is another, more
important reason why she is so passionate about video games. Video
games are art, too.
“I can relate to them, laugh with them, and draw from their strong
personalities and unique stories, to help create ones of my own. They
supply me with a steady flow of ideas for inspiration, a deep well of
imaginings that never run dry,” noted Albert. “Some characters are
believable, almost real, while others take a bit more effort to accept.
Still, each one is unique and appealing in its own way,” she added.
The 24-year-old West Virginia native loves to read books, draw, paint,
write stories, and play video games. She graduated from the University of
Maine at Presque Isle with a bachelor in arts degree, and plans to attend
graduate school to major in art. Albert lives in Bangor, Maine.
Mira Michaud
Artist Mira Michaud’s exhibition, Collective
Unconsciousness, was featured at Blake Library Gallery
during the month of October.
Michaud has painted and created pieces of art
since a young age. She always painted landscapes
and still life paintings in oil, but for the last two years
she has become a painter of abstract expressionism.
“I am an intuitive artist. My art expresses the
powers abiding in the universe and the collective
unconsciousness of the human condition. I create from
the thoughts, images, and emotions evocated in the
dreaming mind. The majority of my work has a bright
flow to it,” Michaud notes.
Born in Edmundston, New Brunswick, Canada and
Art Student Exhibit
During the months of December 2011 and
January 2012, fall semester art students displayed
their work at Blake Library Gallery.
In December, the gallery showcased the
work of students enrolled in Art 451: Painting.
The exhibit, “In the Material,” displayed
completed works of art in pastels, oils,
acrylics, and graphite.
During the fall semester, each student in
the painting class was asked to choose one of
four mediums: watercolor, pastel, oil, or acrylic.
They were directed to explore the medium
of their choice and explore color and what the material can do.
The class also explored how to approach developing figurative
and abstract paintings.
In addition to their exhibit, the students and their visual arts
instructor, Therese Provenzano, hosted an “Art Talk,” open to the
public in early December.
was raised in Madawaska, Maine, Michaud
is a French Acadian descendant from one
of the first families to settle in the St. John
Valley watershed. Michaud graduated from
Madawaska High School in 1985 and joined
the U.S. Army the same year. During her
time in the Army, Michaud spent two years
in Germany, where she loved to explore
different castles and other historic sites.
Michaud earned an associate degree
from Northern Maine Community College in
1991. She is enrolled in UMFK’s Behavioral
Science program, and expects to graduate in
2013.
January’s exhibit featured
the work of students in Art 200:
Fundamentals of Art, a class taught
by Lulu Pelletier, art lecturer, during
the fall 2011 semester.
The exhibit presented students’
work, which represented techniques
including linoleum prints,
blind gesture drawing, positive/
negative space in drawing, grid
drawing, and others.
Students used different techniques
learned throughout their class. As the semester progressed,
students developed new skills and learned to become
comfortable with the various mediums to which they were introduced.
Additionally, one student, in a directed study in drawing,
worked with graphite to explore ideas resulting in representational,
abstract, or imaginary outcomes.
12 | The Bell Tower

Blistered Fingers
The University of Maine at Fort Kent Foundation and the
UMFK Development Office brought the high energy, traditional
bluegrass musical entertainment of Blistered Fingers to Fox
Auditorium in October. The result was an afternoon of foottapping
and dancing in the aisles for the near-capacity crowd.
Blistered Fingers is a traditional bluegrass band from the
central Maine area, which cranks out incredibly enthusiastic
music. The band’s obvious love of bluegrass, its fans, and field
picking, made Blistered Fingers a special treat for the UMFK
crowd, with its delightful mix of original material, soulful ballads,
and hard-driving traditional bluegrass music.
Blistered Fingers has been awarded Maine’s #1 Bluegrass
Band of the Year by the Maine Country Music Association
in 1998, 1999, and 2000. In 2004, 2005, and 2006 Blistered
Fingers was voted “Bluegrass Band of the Year” by the Maine
Academy of Country Music.
Photography Club Exhibit
An exhibit of photographic works by members of the UMFK Photography Club was displayed
at Blake Library Gallery in November.
The exhibition was an insider’s look at each individual’s experience as a photographer.
More than 80 photos were on exhibit, ranging in style from nature, still-life, wildlife, landscape,
and abstract.
The club members who displayed their work included: UMFK students Christina
Beaulieu, Heather Bouchard, Anthony Brain, Stephanie Chick, Devon Cote, Mya Cyr, Sarah
Englund, Tia Lea Flaherty, and Mira Michaud. UMFK faculty member, Dr. Doris Metz, UMFK
alumnae, Kim Brain, Kaitlyn Martin, a fourth grader from Madawaska Elementary School,
and community members Jane Michaud and Polly Hafford also displayed their photos.
“Photography is more than just clicking a button, it’s something I have a tendency to
get lost in,” said UMFK student, Tia Lea Flaherty.
The photography club was started in May of 2011 and has grown to 80 members. Its
mission is to spread the enthusiasm of photography, and to create a welcoming venue,
where community members can assemble to share their passion for photography through
scheduled meetings, discussion topics, training sessions or seminars, and field trip experiences.
The club provides a framework where members can build essential skills, enhance
those skills, and display their work.
Jacques Poitras
UMFK’s Acadian Archives/Archives acadiennes
hosted award-winning author, Jacques Poitras, as
part of the launch of his new book, Imaginary Line:
Life on an Unfinished Border, in early October in the
Nadeau Hall Teleconference Room. In his latest
book, Poitras tackles a stickier subject - the sharp
divide along the “longest undefended border.”
Poitras’ appearance at UMFK was perfectly
timed since the original undivided Madawaska
Territory, known today as Acadia of the Lands and
Forests, will host the 2014 World Acadian Congress.
Once, a single francophone settlement shared both
sides of the Saint John River, until a political tradeoff
between countries split it down the middle.
From that inauspicious start, the Maine-New
Brunswick border, has served as a microcosm
for Canada-U.S. relations.
Kaitlyn Martin
In Imaginary Line, Poitras shows how for
centuries, friends, lovers, schemers, and smugglers
have successfully reached across the
line. Now, post-9/11, mounting political paranoia
has led to a sharp divide, disrupting the
lives and welfare of nearby residents. In this
exploration, Poitras travels the length of the
Maine-New Brunswick border, to uncover the
history and ongoing dispute over an arbitrarily
drawn line.
Poitras has been Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation Radio’s provincial affairs reporter
in New Brunswick since 2000, and has reported
on the New Brunswick-Maine relationship
since his days as a reporter for the New
Brunswick Telegraph-Journal.
The Bell Tower | 13

The Pride of the Bengals
14 | The Bell Tower

The Bell Tower | 15

Athletic Hall of Fame
UMFK hosts its fifth annual Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Ceremony on Saturday, March 24 in the
University’s Sports Center. The inductees of the Class of 2012 is a distinguished group: Sterling LeBlanc; Guy Cousins;
Paula Martin Zwemke; Beth Daigle King; and Andre Anderson. This year’s ceremony also recognizes the silver
anniversary of the heralded 1986-87 men’s basketball team coached by Larry Murphy (HOF ’08) and led by Jeff
Pillsbury (HOF ’09) and Juan Hernandez (HOF ’10), among others.
STERLING LEBLANC ‘69
Sterling Leblanc was an avid athlete, coach, and
teacher.
A native of Old Town, Maine, Sterling
came to UMFK following a standout high school
athletic career. He quickly made a name for
himself in Fort Kent as a driving force on a men’s
basketball team coached by the legendary
Lowell “Ozzie” Osgood (HOF ’08), averaging
15-16 points per game.
A 5’9” shooting guard, Sterling had superb
jumping skills and often could be found mixing
it up under the backboard, and soaring to
grab rebounds from taller opponents. He was
the sparkplug on very talented teams, included
ones with center Terry Drown (HOF ’09).
Sterling earned the Most Improved Player
award during his freshman year, was team cocaptain,
and was named to the all-Northeast
College Conference (NECC) team during his
junior campaign.
In his senior year, Sterling helped his team
captured its first-ever NECC conference championship.
He was again named to the NECC All-
Conference team, and was named the Bengals’
Most Valuable Player.
Sterling finished his career as a member of
the elite 1,000 point club.
Upon graduation in 1969 with a degree
in Education, Sterling began his teaching and
coaching career in Van Buren, where he lead the
16 | The Bell Tower
Crusaders to their first-ever appearance in the
Eastern Maine Basketball Tournament. He later
coached and taught English in the Presque Isle
and Rockland school systems.
Combining his love of teaching and athletics,
Sterling transitioned into the health and fitness
industry. He completed advanced studies
and received his personal training certification,
and later opened personal training studios in
the Camden and Rockport area.
Sterling was passionate about strength
training and healthy living, which he infused
into the community. He started a running club in
the early ‘80s, setting the stage for completing
numerous marathons, biathlons, and triathlons.
He was a pioneer in the sport of racquetball;
participating and hosting tournaments and
clinics throughout the state.
Sterling passed away in November 2010.
GUY COUSINS ’81 & ‘83
Guy Cousins played soccer at UMFK from
1977-1980, serving as team captain during
his sophomore, junior, and senior years.
The Caribou, Maine native was a Northeast
College Conference all-star four years running,
1978-81, and earned Most Valuable Player
awards in 1979 and 1980. He was the Maine
Soccer Colleges scoring champion in 1979 and
1980, finishing fourth in the nation in scoring
his final season.
Guy finished his career at UMFK with 62
goals and 35 assists.
Cousins received the Roger Grindle
Sportsmanship Award in 1981 and the Student
Senate award for Athletics in 1981 & 1982.
While still attending UMFK, Guy worked for
the Maine State Legislature for three years as
a bipartisan House staff member.
Guy earned an Associate of Arts in
General Studies in 1980, and a Bachelor of
Science in Education in 1983. He graduated
cum laude, with a grade point average of 3.31.
He later earned a Master of Social Work from
the University of Dundee in Scotland.
Since graduation, Guy’s professional
experiences have taken him to live and practice
in Italy and Scotland, as well in the United
States. He has worked in school, community,
residential, and hospital-based settings with
adults, children, adolescents, couples and
families.
Guy is active in community work, coaching
two high school sports teams and is a
member of the board of a local youth soccer
association. Twice he was selected Coach of
the Year by the Kennebec Journal newspaper
for girls soccer, and by the Mountain Valley
Conference coaches for tennis.
Guy joined the Maine Office of Substance
Abuse (OSA) in 2006 as its associate director,
and later as acting director. He was
appointed director of OSA in 2008. He was
appointed acting director of Adult Mental
Health Services in 2011 and was asked to integrate
the two offices within the Department of
Health and Human Services.
PAULA (MARTIN) ZWEMKE
‘89
Paula Martin played basketball at UMFK from
1986-89, serving as team captain during her
final two years. She was the team’s Most
Valuable Player in 1988 and was the recipient
of the coach’s award in 1989.
During her final two seasons, Paula was
third and fourth in Maine in three-point shooting
percentage. In one tournament game
against Husson College, she made 10 of 15

three-point attempts.
Paula was named to the Thomas College
all-tournament team in 1987 and 1988; and
to the University of Maine at Presque Isle All-
Tourney team in 1988 and 1989.
Martin was named the Maine Sports Hall
of Fame female Scholar-Athlete of the Year in
1989.
The Frenchville, Maine native and Wisdom
High School graduate received a Bachelor of
Science in Education, maintaining a 3.6 grade
point average. She was the recipient of the
Grindle Award, the Floyd “Red’ Powell Award,
and the Alumni Award. She later earned a
Master of Science in Counselor Education
through the University of Maine and the
University of Phoenix.
Paula has been employed for the past
15 years by the Douglas County (Colorado)
School District as program administrator of the
Before and After School Enterprise programs,
which serve more than 7,000 children.
Paula worked as a certified basketball
official for high school basketball games while
pursuing graduate studies at the University
of Maine. From 1996-2003 she played in a
competitive women’s indoor soccer league in
Denver, Colorado. She also has worked as a
ski instructor and coach.
She began playing golf in 2003, and currently
plays to an 8 handicap, thanks mostly to
her husband, Zane, a PGA professional. Paula
is undefeated in “HORSE” on her home basketball
court.
BETH (DAIGLE) KING ‘90
Beth Daigle played for the UMFK’s women’s
basketball team from 1985-1990 following
an outstanding high school career at Fort
Kent Community High School, where she was
named Outstanding Senior Athlete in 1985.
Playing for Coach Ed Marshall, Beth averaged
15 points and 7 rebounds per game. She
led the team in assists and blocked shots, and
graduated as the University’s assists leader.
Beth was a pioneer in establishing the women’s
basketball program at UMFK, playing her
first year on a club (non-sanctioned) team.
Beth was the winner of the Coach’s Award
in 1988. That same year she was named to
the all-tourney team for the Star City (Presque
Isle) Invitational Basketball Tournament.
Beth received both the President’s award
and the Grady award during her senior year of
1990.
Beth graduated from UMFK in 1990
with a double major Bachelor of Science in
Psychology and Education. She earned a
Master of Science in Deaf Education from
McDaniel College in Maryland in 1994,
and became certified as an American Sign
Language interpreter in 1995.
She has worked as a researcher in
Edinburgh, Scotland; as an interpreter for the
deaf at Maui (Hawaii) Community College;
and was a deaf education teacher on the K-6
levels, also in Hawaii. Today she is the owner
and general manager of Maui Moto’s, a shop
offering personal and recreational vehicles.
In her community Beth is a Rotary Club
member; served the Montessori School of
Maui as PTA President for three years; and
was the PTA President and on the board of
directors for Montessori, Halie‘ o Keiki.
Beth coached high school junior varsity
and junior high school basketball in Fort Kent
and Madawaska following her graduation.
Today she coaches basketball at the Maui
Montessori School on the upper elementary
and middle school levels.
ANDRE ANDERSON ‘11
Andre “Shorty” Anderson was UMFK’s primary
offensive weapon on the standout teams of
the mid-2000 decade, scoring 93 goals and
assisting on 54 others in 83 games.
Shorty was named to the Sunrise
Conference’s first team each of his four years
(2007-10); was named the conference’s
Offensive Player of the Year all four years; and
was named its Player of the Year each year, as
well.
Through his soccer career at UMFK,
the Bengals went to the NAIA National
Championship Tournament. The 2008 squad
made it to the Elite 8 round of competition.
Shorty captained the Bengals during his senior
season, 2010.
Anderson, who hails from Manchester,
Jamaica, was named a National Association of
Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-American
during his sophomore, junior and senior years.
In 2009 and 2010, he attained the muchcoveted
designation as an NAIA Academic All-
American.
Shorty was named the NAIA’s National
Player of the Year for 2010.
Andre received a Bachelor of Science in
Behavior Science in May 2011. He was named
to the dean’s list for seven of his eight academic
semesters, and he received the Terry
Drown Award for the athlete attaining the
highest grade point average.
A strict adherent to the Bengal’s
Champions of Character philosophy, Shorty
contributed off the field, as well. He served
as a mentor for a second-grade math program
at Fort Kent Elementary School, and as a volunteer
at the Can-Am International Sled Dog
Races for three years.
Following his graduation from UMFK,
Andre was hired by the University as an
admissions counselor.
The Bell Tower | 17

Bengals in Action
Lady Bengals Retain
National Championship
Crown
The UMFK women’s soccer team captured its second-consecutive USCAA Soccer National
Championship with a 2-1 win against Ohio Midwestern in the national championship game in
Ashville, North Carolina. Lucas Levesque’s squad finished the 2011 campaign with a perfect 17-0
record.
The Lady Bengals took a 1-0 lead going into halftime on a goal scored by USCAA All-
American forward, Whitney Sinclair. Midway through the second half Sinclair scored her second
goal of the day, which proved to be all that UMFK would need to complete its championship
repeat. Ohio Midwestern added a goal shortly thereafter, and despite a frantic push near the end
of the contest, fell short.
The top-seeded and defending champion Bengals advanced to the championship round
by defeating the eighth seed and host Warren-Wilson College, 4-0 in opening round of play on
goals by sophomore forward Jenn Colpitts; two by Ferriera; and a tally from junior midfielder and
Academic All-American, Jamie Pelletier. The ladies defeated fifth-seeded Marygrove College in
one of the tournament’s semi-final games, 2-1, winning the contest in a shootout, 5-3.
The Lady Bengals were led throughout the tournament by USCAA All-American and
Academic All-American forward, Donike Ferriera. Ferriera was named the MVP of the women’s
championship. Joining Ferriera on the all-tournament team were teammates Sinclair;
All-American and Academic All-American midfielder, Theresa Biggs; and first-year standout
goalkeeper, Sydney Proctor.
Four starters were named as USCAA All-Americans: Sinclair, Ferreira, Biggs, and junior
defender, Marie-Michele Lachance. Nine members of the women’s national championship team
were named to the USCAA Academic All-American team for their accomplishments in the classroom:
Biggs; Ferreira, Lachance; Pelletier; defender Andrea Baril; and midfielders Camille Dugas,
Marie-Pier Daze, Callie Rigsby, and Rylee Leighton.
BENGAL MEN COME UP
SHORT AT NATIONAL
TOURNEY
The top-seeded UMFK men’s soccer
team came up short this year at
the national championship tournament
in Ashville, North Carolina, as
it was defeated by the fifth-seeded
Lindenwood University-Belleville, 2-1
in the semi-final round. Lindenwood
defeated the Bengals 5-4 in a shootout.
With the loss, the UMFK men
ended their season with a record of
15-1-1. The Bengals were the defending
USCAA National Champion and had
been ranked atop the USCAA national
poll all season.
The top-rated Bengals rolled over
host Warren-Wilson College, 10-2 in
the USCAA Men’s Soccer National
Championship quarterfinals round,
and appeared poised to retain its
national bragging rights. In the contest
against Warren-Wilson, first year
forward, Phathizwe Sacolo, scored the
game’s first three goals as UMFK built
up a 7-1 halftime lead, and an easy
opening round win.
Sacolo and senior defender and
team captain, Jarryd Phillips, were
named to the National Championship
All-Tournament team.
Four members of Coach Bill
Ashby’s squad were named to the
USCAA All-American team: Sacolo;
senior midfielder, Keith Williams;
senior defender, Spencer Jacoby; and
junior goalkeeper, David Girouard.
Jeremy Harper, a junior midfielder,
was named to the USCAA Academic
All-American team for his prowess in
the classroom.
18 | The Bell Tower

ATHLETICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT FORT KENT
Women’s
Volleyball
Recap
The 2011 UMFK women’s volleyball
team enjoyed a solid year under the
direction of first-year Head Coach
Sarah Johnston. Johnston served
as an assistant on the recordsetting
2010 Sunrise Conference
Championship team. However, last
year’s squad lost several players.
Three key players who returned
from last year’s team were sophomore
Savannah Ash (Waialua, Hawaii) and
seniors Maliesha Caesar (Cayon, St.
Kitts) and Quintina Young (Portland,
Maine).
Ash, the 2010 Sunrise Conference
Rookie of the Year, put together another
strong season in which she led the
team in assists and digs. Both Young
and Caesar stepped up their play and
were joined by 6’2 freshmen Ericka
Christensen (Warren, Maine) forming a
formidable front line for UMFK.
Ash was the recipient of the
team’s Coaches Award, while senior
Elsa Gelagay (San Jose, California)
was its Most Valuable Player. Senior
Megan Land (Salinas, California),
playing her first year of intercollegiate
volleyball, was named as the team’s
Most Improved Player.
UMFK defeated Aroostook County
rival, the University of Maine at
Presque Isle seven times, while also
getting key wins over Southern Maine,
the University of Maine at Machias
twice, and Lyndon State College of
Vermont.
Basketball Recap
The men’s and women’s basketball teams were awaiting news of possible National Championship
tourney invites as The Bell Tower went to press.
The Lady Bengals finished the regular season with a record of 11-12 under rookie coach, Brad
Holabird. It really was a tale of two different seasons for the women. The ladies began their season
losing 11 of 12 games. However, the team gelled at mid-season and finished strong, pealing
off 10 victories in their final 11 games.
The team was led in scoring by first year forward, Ericka Christiansen (Warren, Maine) with
13.44 points per game. Sophomore guard, Jenn Colpitts (Scarborough, Maine) was right behind
at 13.22 points per game. Christiansen also led the squad with 8.44 rebounds per game, while
Colpitts led the team in assists and steals.
The Bengal men, coached by veteran coach, Eric Werntgen, finished the regular season
campaign with a 17-9 record. The Bengals finished the regular season ranked number eight in the
USCAA men’s basketball poll.
The men were led in scoring by junior guard, Jeremy Thomas (Detroit, Michigan) with 18.62
points per game. Senior guard, Manny Odugbela (Providence, Rhode Island), added 16.23 points
per game. Odugbela also
led the squad in assists
and steals. Senior forward,
Othniel Hyliger (Sandy
Point, St. Kitts) led the
Bengals off the boards, pulling
down an average of 8.46
rebounds a game. Pablo
Llamas, junior forward
(Leon, Spain), led the team
in blocked shots.
The Bell Tower | 19

AWARDS
The UMFK men’s and women’s soccer teams were well represented on the 2011 United States Collegiate
Athletics Association All-Academic and All-American teams, announced by the national office. The Bengals
placed a combined ten student-athletes on the All-Academic teams and eight on the All-American teams.
WOMEN
MEN
ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS
CAMILLE DUGAS
MARIE-PIER DAZE
THERESA BIGGS
JEREMY HARPER
ANDREA BARIL
CALLIE RIGSBY
JAMIE PELLETIER
RYLEE LEIGHTON
ALL-AMERICANS
MARIE-MICHELLE
LACHANCE
DONIKE FERRIERA
THERESA BIGGS
DONIKE FERRIERA
PHATHIZWE SACOLO
KEITH WILLIAMS
20
WHITNEY
SINCLAIR
MARIE-MICHELLE
LACHANCE
SPENCER JACOBY
DAVID GIROUARD

Outstanding Alumni
The UMFK Alumni Association
honored three individuals who have
made an impact on the campus
community and on society, at
its annual Alumni and Friends
Banquet held in Nowland Hall
during Homecoming Weekend
last September.
Ronald A. Berube, a 1973 graduate,
was presented with the 2011 Outstanding
Alumni award.
Berube received a Bachelor of Science
degree from the UMFK in 1973. He later
earned a Bachelor’s degree in Professional
Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle University in
Florida, and received a Master’s degree in
Management from Salve Regina University in
Rhode Island. He was commissioned a Marine
Second Lieutenant in August 1973, attended
naval flight training at Naval Air Station in
Pensacola, Florida, and was designated a
naval aviator in September 1974.
Berube later became a member of the
Presidential Helicopter Squadron. His
assignments included Operational Test
and Evaluation Leader; Executive Flight
Detachment Program Coordinator for the
VH-3 Helicopter; Executive Flight Detachment
Assistance Aircraft Maintenance Officer; and,
Maintenance Officer.
Ron eventually became the commanding
officer of the 750-member Presidential
Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1), an elite
group of marines and military police assigned
to the security of presidential helicopters.
The HMX-1 Squadron command is the
coveted command for all Marine Corp aviation
officers. Members of the squadron are
directly responsible for the day-to-day safe
transportation of the Commander-in-Chief.
The squadron is responsible for flying the
president from the White House to Andrews
Air Force Base, where he can board Air Force
One. It also flies the president to Camp
David and other nearby locations. When the
president travels, the HMX-1 squadron sends
multiple helicopters in advance to transport
him locally.
Berube flew approximately 175 trips for
President Clinton; 35 of them overseas. Prior
to that, when he was a member of the squadron,
but not the commanding officer, Berube
flew President Reagan on 50-60 trips; about
10-15 overseas. He also flew President George
H. W. Bush when Bush was vice-president.
Ron’s military assignments have included:
operations duty officer; basic training
officer; assistant officer in charge for training
management; and squadron executive
officer, among others. Colonel Berube
attended several military schools, including
the Amphibious Warfare School; Marine
Corps Command and Staff College; The Army
War College; and, the Defense Systems
Management College.
Berube retired from the Marine Corps
in January 2000 after serving 27 years and
accumulating over 6,000 flight hours in rotarywing
and fixed-wing aircraft. Currently, he is
assigned as the Senior Manager Marine Corps
Programs with Lockheed Martin Corporation
in Stafford, Virginia.
He is married to Sally Nadeau of Fort Kent.
They have two children and three grandchildren.
Betty Skoke Burns, a 2001 graduate,
was presented, in absentia, with the
Outstanding Young Alumni award. Betty is a
leader, a teacher, and a learner.
Betty graduated from UMFK in 2001 with
a Bachelor of University Studies degree.
In 2008, she completed her Master’s of
Education in Curriculum and Instruction from
St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish,
Nova Scotia, through distance learning.
Betty is a grade three teacher at Christ the
King Elementary School, a part-time instructor
at the Yukon College, and owner of Angellina’s
Toy & Children’s Boutique, all located in
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada. Her
boutique was featured in the March issue of
UpHere Business. Betty recently was awarded
the Young Entrepreneur Award from the
Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce.
Betty was a Yukon delegate to the
Pan-Canadian Interactive Literacy Forum
held in Whitehorse in 2008. The following
year she was selected as a Yukon delegate
to the International Congress for School
Effectiveness and Improvement. She was
selected by the Yukon Department of
Education to participate in the Mathematics
Leadership Program in 2003 and 2004.
Betty is trained to be a school leader in
Mathematics, with an emphasis on the constructivist
approach to teaching. She continues
to support her colleagues at school as the
staff facilitator, as she promotes a successful
“hands-on” approach to teaching.
Betty and her husband, Damien, have
three children, Angellina (17), Ave Maria
(4) and Stella Maris (1). They reside in
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada.
The Bell Tower | 21

continued from page 21
Stephanie Chick, who will graduate in
May, was presented with the Outstanding Future
Alumni award. The honor was bestowed in recognition
of her exemplary service to the campus
community and for her distinguished career as a
student at UMFK.
Chick is president of the campus Ecology
Committee and is senior class president. She is
an active member in Student Senate and in 2009
-2011 served as its president. She planned and
organized many student activities, all while working
toward completing a Bachelor of Science in
Environmental Studies degree with a concentration
in social policy and political activism.
Stephanie has served on the UMFK President’s
Cabinet; the UMFK Presidential Search Committee;
the Scholar Symposium Committee; EMPAC
Committee; and the University of Maine System’s
Board of Trustees’ representative search. She also
worked on campus as a tour guide through the
Admissions office.
Chick is a member of the Bengal Dance Team,
and currently is working on the UMFK Greenhouse
that took shape last summer. The greenhouse
soon will produce organic vegetables, which will
be used in Nowland Hall. Stephanie has been
working on a project to determine the heartiness
of vegetables in an unheated environment in
northern Maine.
Last June, Stephanie was accepted to the
Maine NEW Leadership program, hosted by the
University of Maine in Orono.
Chick is from Lisbon, Maine; the daughter
of Scott and Maureen. Her one sister, Jennifer,
attends the University of Maine at Farmington.
A L U M N I S P O T L I G H T
DON RAYMOND, LONGTIME UMFK
REGISTRAR, RETIRES…AGAIN
He registered more students for college classes, and processed more candidates
for graduation during the past 36 years, than the human mind is able to
comprehend. And through it all, he always made time for students.
Donald Maurice Raymond, who hired on at the University of Maine at Fort
Kent a month after graduating with high honors in 1975, retired from the UMFK
at the end of the fall semester, after more than 36 years of service – 35 as the
University’s registrar. Raymond is an institution, and a friend, to countless students
and graduates from the St. John Valley, the state of Maine, and around
the world.
Raymond’s retirement at the end of 2011 actually was his second retirement.
He “officially” retired last June, but agreed to stay on through the end of the
calendar year to “show the ropes” to his successor, Humberto Portellez.
Raymond began his career at UMFK in June 1975 as a full-time data processing
machine operator, a month after receiving a bachelor of science degree with
high honors. In those days he worked in the basement of Cyr Hall. The following
summer he became the University’s director of Financial Aid and its coordinator
of Computer Services. That fall, he became its acting Registrar. He was named
UMFK’s permanent Registrar in July 1977, a post he held until his retirement.
Along the way he filled posts in computer services, and institutional research,
as well. According to unofficial University records, more than 65,000 students
registered for classes at UMFK during his tenure.
It was not uncommon for Don to put in 12-hour days, and 60-hour weeks.
During his tenure at UMFK he prepared innumerable reports for state and federal
agencies, and worked to design and deliver the University’s first statistical
abstract. Over the years, he demonstrated his faithfulness and allegiance to the
institution’s overall health and well-being; its mission; and the interest and care
of its students.
Student-centered, honest, caring, diligent, tenacious, balanced, dedicated,
scrupulous, polite, helpful, and kind are some of the words used by his coworkers
to describe Don Raymond. He was easy to work with, knowledgeable
and helpful, possessed a positive attitude, and always seemed to find the best
in any situation.
Thank you, Don.
22 | The Bell Tower

Fort Kent State Normal School
Class Notes
From the Alumni
Association President
Fellow UMFK Alumni readers,
Reflection is such an important and critical
aspect of our lives, done to seek out positives,
but ultimately with the goal of growth
and improvement in mind. With spring
approaching and another academic year at
UMFK wrapping up, this is the perfect time to
reflect upon the past year here at UMFK and
our own investments and involvements as
alumni. I wish to reflect upon several
key aspects of the Alumni Association’s
involvements:
University of Maine at Fort
Madawaska Training School
1960s
l to r: Claudette, Shelly, Jerry,
Susan, and Tom
The fall Homecoming weekend was another opportunity for the Alumni Association
to honor three exceptional individuals. The 2011 honorees were: Ronald Berube
(Outstanding Alumnus), Betty Skoke Burns (Outstanding Young Alumna), and Stephanie
Chick (Outstanding Future Alumna). A heartfelt thanks goes out to all who were
involved in any way to make the events of the weekend a huge success. The Alumni
Association is currently seeking nominations for the fall 2012 Homecoming celebration.
I encourage you to visit the UMFK website, fill in the nomination form, and submit the
names of those who you believe would be deserving of these awards.
In early February, the Alumni Association put on a talent show, with its proceeds benefitting
the UMFK Alumni Association scholarship fund, as well as the Greater Fort Kent
Ecumenical Food Pantry. We had a tremendous turnout, phenomenal talent to share,
and exceeded the overall goal of funds raised. Wonderful feedback was shared regarding
the fundraising event, and again, a warm thanks to all who helped make it possible.
What a joy it will be to use the funds raised to award a deserving UMFK student with the
annual UMFK Alumni Association’s Senior Scholarship. This is truly what the heart and
soul of the association is all about!
The Alumni Association currently is transitioning toward a new year, and thus, new
volunteers are being sought out to serve on the board. I encourage any of you who
sense the call to serve in such a way to contact the Alumni Affairs office to have your
name passed on to the nomination committee. I personally have enjoyed the past six
years volunteering on the Alumni Association board of directors, and this past year as
its president. The experience has helped to keep me connected to my alma mater, and
to appreciate it in new ways. In June, my second term will be up, and my position will
be filled by a new UMFK alum. Perhaps it might be you. Regardless of role, UMFK will
always hold a special place in my heart, and I will continue to support its valuable education
for our young people.
Claudette (Bouchard) McNeil (’59 & ’63)
notes that it has been many years since she
graduated from college. She mentions Celina
Cyr as her mentor when she did student teaching
at the Pleasant Street Model School. Her
25 years of teaching in Caribou, Maine greatly
influenced Claudette and her husband, Jerry,
youngest daughter, Shelly Moody, who was
honored as 2011 Maine Teacher of the Year.
Their son, Tom, is a guidance counselor at
Winslow High School and eldest daughter,
Susan, currently is associate vice-president of
Human Resources at Maine Medical Center
in Portland. They have been blessed with six
wonderful grandchildren. Claudette and Jerry
celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last
summer. Claudette always looks forward to
receiving The Bell Tower and it is a great way to
stay in touch.
Claudette O’Connell
Best Wishes,
Meranda Hafford-Castonguay
UMFK Alumni Association President
Class of 2004
Claudette (Soucy) O’Connell (‘67) is pictured
here at Lake Louise in Alberta while on
a Trans-Canada Rocky Mountaineer train trip
last summer. She visited Vancouver and the
British Columbia capital city of Victoria with
The Bell Tower | 23

Fort Kent State Normal School
Class Notes
University of Maine at Fort
Madawaska Training School
its famous Butchart Gardens. On the train
trip to Kamloops, BC and Jasper National
Park in Alberta, she saw spectacular views
of rivers, lakes, mountains, canyons, and
wildlife. Some momentous parts of the trip
were seeing a grizzly bear in Banff National
Park, an excursion to Athabasca Glacier, and
the panoramic scenery through the Canadian
Rockies. After a three-night journey through
the western prairies and plains, her travels
ended in Toronto, Ontario and a visit to
Niagara Falls. When at home in Bangor,
Claudette continues to enjoy retirement and
works part-time as a test administrator for
Pearson-VUE, a computer-based testing
company.
1970s
Beurmond Banville (’70) former Bangor
Daily News reporter was inducted into the
Maine Press Association Hall of Fame during
a ceremony held last October. Beurmond
covered the St. John Valley and northern
Aroostook County from 1972 through 2007.
David Lacombe (’70) retired from the Drug
Enforcement Administration four years ago,
after spending 30 years with the DEA. David
now spends his time gardening, golfing, and
attending classes at the local Osher Lifelong
Learning Institute, which is affiliated with
George Mason University.
Bruce Hanken (’72) lives in South Hiram,
Maine and teaches at Sacopee Valley Middle
School in Hiram. He has taught for 37 years.
He teaches seventh grade English. Bruce is
married to Carol, who is an eighth grade science
teacher at the middle school. They have
been married for 36 years. Bruce coaches the
junior varsity girls’ basketball team at Bonny
Eagle High School in Standish. In the spring,
he is an assistant coach for the high school
softball team. Bruce and Carol have three
children, Jeremy, Jason, and Katie. Jeremy
lives in New Haven, Connecticut, with his
wife, Sara. Jeremy is a lawyer and Sara is a
physical therapist at Yale Hospital. Jason
lives in Sanford, Maine with his wife, Laci.
Jason is assistant director of recreation for
Barrington, New Hampshire and Laci is a
pre-school teacher at the Children’s Center
in Portland. Katie lives in Gorham with
her husband Chris. Katie is a fourth grade
teacher in the Bonny Eagle District. Chris
24 | The Bell Tower
is an environmental educator at Bradbury
Mountain.
Chip ‘Charles’ Cain (‘74) graduated with
a degree in social sciences and began working
with the State of Maine Department
of Human Services in Lewiston, where he
remained for nine years. He spent another
year with DHS in the Portland office, than
began working as a school social worker for
the Portland School Department in 1984.
While employed as a school social worker,
Chip attended University of Southern
Maine at night and during summers, and
earned a Master in Counselor Education in
1990. Charles spent 27 years working at six
different schools from elementary to high
school. He spent the last 20 years at King
and Lincoln Middle Schools, a population he
enjoyed working with. His favorite highlights
during those years were working with English
as a second language / English language
learner students and their families from Asia,
Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East,
as well as wooden boat building with a group
of behavioral special education students. In
1984, Chip married a Portland girl, Cecile
DeRoche, who is a piano teacher, a church
organist, and a choir director. At his request,
Cecile attempted to teach Chip to play the
piano, but he ultimately decided he had more
success with the guitar and is sticking to that.
Chip and Cecile have lived in the same house,
in Portland, since 1984. They have three
children, Melissa, (35), from his first marriage;
Mathieu, (26), and Amy, (24). All the
kids are gone, but they have two little dogs,
Scooter and Mozart, to keep them occupied.
The girls are both students at Kansas State
University; Melissa studies anthropology
and Amy writing. Matt is a young man with
special needs, who lives in a nearby group
home in Portland and loves his job working
in the greenhouses at Morrison Center in
Scarborough. Chip has many interests that he
hopes to pursue in his free time. He enjoys
African drumming; playing guitar with an
on-again, off-again band called the Rusty
Folkswagon; canoe; camping (visited UMFK
one summer after an Allagash trip); the outdoors
in general; being his wife’s cook since
she still works; traveling, all manner of boats;
and working with wood. Chip is hoping to
spend time each year traveling to underdeveloped
countries and working with locals to
make positive changes. Chip and Cecile are
planning a trip to Kenya this July to work in
the Kakamega orphanage for three weeks. For
four years they have sponsored two sisters
there, Eddah and Yvonne, who are anxious to
finally meet them.
Debbie (Johnson) Blanchette (’75) would
love to know where and what her classmates
are up to. Let Debbie know, by sending her an
e-mail to: newswede@maine.rr.com
Connie Michaud
Constance ‘Connie’ Michaud (’78 & ’00)
earned two bachelor of science degrees; one
in education and the other in computer
applications. She still remains associated
with the campus through various affiliations
and considers herself an engaged perpetual
lifelong learner. Her parents have established
the Ludger & Bernice Michaud scholarship
through the University, in their honor.
Connie’s first love is technology and participates
in computer-related courses throughout
the St. John Valley. Connie’s primary employment
is coordinator for the St. John Valley
Area Retired Senior Volunteer Program
(RSVP). In this capacity she interacts with
senior citizens by recruiting volunteers, fundraising,
and promoting wellness. She also is
employed by SAD #27 Adult & Community
Education as a teacher. She enjoys the flexibility
of incorporating technology and education
to enhance the learning process. Connie
is an active member in PAWS Animal
Welfare Society, Inc. in the capacity of web
master, caring for the cats, and board member.
She has always been an advocate of animal
husbandry. Another position that Connie
participates in is the Business & Professional

Fort Kent State College of the University of Maine
Fort Kent State Teachers College
Fort Kent State College
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION DONATES TO
LOCAL FOOD PANTRY: UMFK Alumni
Association President, Meranda Hafford-
Castonguay (third from right), presents Leslie
Kelly, a board member of the Greater Fort Kent
Ecumenical Food Pantry, with a donation of
$360. The UMFK Alumni Association Board of
Directors held a talent show in February featuring
a variety of local talent, including vocal, instrumental,
and dance performances. The proceeds
of the talent show benefited both the food pantry
and the UMFK Alumni Association Scholarship
Fund. Shown here (L to R) are Roger Damboise,
Raymond Phinney, Michelle Dubois, Kelly,
Beurmond Banville, Hafford-Castonguay, Bruce
Nadeau and Robby Desjardin.
Woman’s Club (BPW) as the Fort Kent
local’s secretary. Furthermore, Connie also is
a board member of the Fort Kent Historical
Society, which is preserving the area’s Acadian
Heritage and preparing for the World
Acadian Congress in 2014. Connie enjoys
being philanthropic with her community
social network, real or virtual. She states, “I
have reached a stage in my life where I enjoy
sharing my talents by helping others.”
Feel free to contact Connie at:
conniemeadowbark@gmail.com
1980s
Mark ‘Cashew’ Cashman (’80) graduated
from the environmental science program. He
has worked with environmental consulting
firms in Nashville, Tennessee since graduation.
Most of his travel has been on the east
coast, along with some international work in
Scotland and Mexico. Mark currently works
for Phoenix Environmental Engineers Inc.
in Nashville. His position is to oversee its
wastewater treatment contract operations
group, which operates wastewater treatment
plants in Kentucky and Tennessee. Mark’s
wife, Linda, works at a local environmental
laboratory in Mt. Juliet, as a client service
manager. Their son, Patrick, finished his
first semester at Samford University in
Birmingham, Alabama. He currently is
studying in preparation to be accepted into
the pharmaceutical school. Mark and Patrick,
along with alumnus, David Lage, and his
children, return to Fort Kent each year to visit
their long time good friends, Murph and his
family. Mark, Patrick, David, and his family
spend time with the Murphy family prior
to three to four days of fishing in the North
Maine Woods. Patrick followed his father’s
love for soccer, but at a much greater skill
level. Patrick has played soccer since he was
five-years-old, playing recreational, followed
by Division I travel soccer, high school soccer,
and now playing on Samford’s club soccer
team. Mark would love to hear from and
about other classmates and find out what they
may be doing.
Cheryl and Ed Zebrowski
Cheryl (Ragalevsky) Zebrowski (‘81) married
Ed Zebrowski on October 8, 2011, at
Watkins Glen International race track. Ed
was instructing drivers, as well as racing that
weekend. Cheryl was in charge of the entire
weekend, which included a drivers’ school,
three races, and a wedding. They wanted to
have a fun, unique wedding, which they did.
The weather could not have been nicer, and
they were surrounded by great friends and
family. Cheryl continues to own and operate
her own veterinary house call business. This
will be the 20th year of operation for Home
Veterinary Care. Much of Cheryl and Ed’s
time is devoted to home remodeling. They
live in an 1888 farmhouse, which needs some
TLC for basic updates. They’ve overhauled
two bathrooms thus far, done a partial kitchen
remodel, and they are now discovering what
lurks beneath the carpeted floors upstairs.
So far, they’ve been pleasantly surprised with
hardwood floors, but in an old house, one
never knows. In addition to their racing
activities in the summer, Ed and Cheryl have
become quite adept at vegetable gardening,
with thoughts of opening a farm stand next
year. Cheryl would love to hear from other
alums. Please feel free to contact her via
Facebook.
Jacqueline (Parker) West (’84) graduated
with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences.
She works at the Community Council of
Greater Dallas, which is a social service planning
agency in Dallas, Texas. Jacqueline has
worked as director of Community Youth
Development since 2007. The program serves
to prevent juvenile delinquency in the zip
code areas with the highest juvenile arrest
rates. The program works, as evidenced by
the fact that the agency with more than 2,000
youth in 2011, and not one was arrested.
Recently, Jacqueline was promoted to deputy
director, second in command to the executive
director. If you would like to check out
the agency, the web address is: www.ccgd.org.
Jacqueline has two children, Franklin West,
(23), and Simone Donaldson, (17), and a
granddaughter, Arianna Jacqueline West, (2).
Jacqueline West and her daughter, Simone
Nancy (Farrar) Scott (‘86) and Mark Scott
(‘84) are happy to announce the marriage of
their oldest child, Shiloh Lindsey Scott to
Tyrone Young Jr. II. The wedding will take
place on May 26, 2012 at Camp Ladore in
Pennsylvania.
Maureen Perry (‘89) has written two guest
columns for library publications: “Resources
for your rhymes: Sites for slam/spoken word/
performance poetry.” College & Research
Libraries News, v. 72 n. 3 (March 2011).
“A reference librarian in special collections:
The Bell Tower | 25

Fort Kent State Normal School
Class Notes
University of Maine at Fort
Madawaska Training School
Making the most of a learning opportunity.”
Reference & User Services Quarterly, v. 50
n. 4 (Summer 2011). Happy New Year to
everyone at UMFK.
1990s
Beth (Daigle) King (’90) is a UMFK graduate,
who lives on the island of Maui, Hawaii
and recently joined a capitol campaign committee
for Carden Academy, in hopes to raise
money for school expansion. She also serves
on the Imua Fantasy Ball committee, to raise
funds for the Maui program that services
babies born with special needs. Beth will be
in Fort Kent during the month of March to
celebrate her induction in UMFK’s Athletic
Hall of Fame.
John LaBrie in Iceland
John LaBrie (’90) recently was appointed
dean of the College of Professional Studies
and vice president for Professional Education
at Northeastern University in Boston,
Massachusetts. John assumed the role of
dean almost two years ago in an interim role.
John has overseen the ongoing expansion,
in depth, and quality of CPS programs, and
has played a continuing and important part
in planning for Northeastern’s first regional
campuses in Charlotte, North Carolina
and Seattle, Washington. He is a leader in
continuing education whose experience in
professional and graduate-program development,
online and on-site education, and global
collaboration matches the accomplishments
and aspirations of the college. John’s five
children and his partner, Charles Mitchell,
still reside in Cumberland, Maine. Meg, (18),
will graduate this spring and begin classes at
Southern Maine Community College. Maya,
26 | The Bell Tower
Miles Clouston (‘00) and his wife, Joy, enjoy some down time in Singapore.
(16), has aspirations of becoming a culinary
artist and attends Catherine Mcauley High
School in Portland. Corey, (14), is an aspiring
genre novelist, and Luis, (12), loves playing
hockey. Gabi, (9), is as sweet as ever. Beyond
Charlotte and Seattle, travels have taken John
to Iceland, Denmark, Canada, and a number
of American cities. 2011 has been very exciting
and fruitful.
Peter Walsh (’92) has attended college in
Florida since 2010 and will graduate this May
from Saint Leo University in Tampa, Florida,
a large Catholic University with a Bachelor
of Arts in Criminal Justice. It has been a long
time coming. Peter started college back in
1972 at the University of Maine at Augusta.
He later earned an associate of arts degree in
criminal justice in 1992 from UMFK. Now,
20 years later, a bachelor’s degree. “The good
lord has been good to me keeping me alive for
41 years to finish my education,” notes Peter.
Liz Hebert (’94) graduated from UMFK
with a Bachelor of Science in Computer
Science. Liz has resided in Litchfield, Maine
with her 16-year-old son for more than
seven years. Currently she is enrolled at the
University of Maine at Augusta’s nursing
program, working towards a second degree
and hoping to enter clinicals this fall. Liz is
employed at St Mary’s Hospital in Lewiston,
as director of the Center for Family Urology.
“I enjoy being close to everything such as ski
hills, concerts, different cultures, shopping,
family, and lots of awesome restaurants and
people that Maine has to offer,” says Liz.
Rena (Tardif ) Daigle (’96) is married to
Ron Daigle. She lives in Sinclair, Maine in
the winter months and in Stonington during
in the summer. Rena loves the ocean air. This
year her family has grown by two grandsons,
Ryan and Blake Daigle. Rena and Ron now
have nine grandchildren and one in heaven.
Rena works as a licensed practical nurse at a
local facility. She looks forward to returning
to UMFK in the near future to earn a degree
in nursing.
2000s
Miles Clouston (‘00) This past January,
Miles’ family visited his wife, Joy’s family
in Singapore to celebrate their daughter
Maelee’s ninth birthday. Joy and Miles took
an overnight side trip to nearby Batam Island,
Indonesia, while Maelee and Denley stayed
with Joy’s mother.
Freddie Beaulieu (‘02) and his wife
Christina (Gendreau) Beaulieu (‘01),
welcomed their beautiful daughter, Elise,
in June of 2010. The couple both earned
a Master of Business Administration from
Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts last
December. Freddie and Christina live just
outside of Boston and both are executives
with Target. They look forward to their
career development at Target, with the help of
their master’s degrees.

Fort Kent State College of the University of Maine
Fort Kent State Teachers College
Fort Kent State College
Freddie and Christina Beaulieu with Elise
Cassie (Jandreau) Roy (’02) resides in Fort
Kent with husband, Dale Roy, and their
two children, Ahliya, (2 1/2), and Grayson,
(8 months). Cassie recently earned a master’s
degree in 2011 from the University of
Southern Maine and teaches Kindergarten/
first grade classes in St. Francis.
Craig Caron (’04) earned an associate’s
degree in forestry. Since August of 2004, he
has worked for the state of Maine as a forest
ranger II in the Allagash district. In 2008,
Craig married Tina Picard from Frenchville.
She works for St. John Valley Pharmacy in
Fort Kent. In June of 2009, the couple had
their first child, Caleb. They reside in Fort
Kent.
Craig Caron and
family
Megan Forman with her fiancé, Criag
Megan Foreman (‘05) has been teaching
middle school math in Fryeburg, Maine since
graduating from UMFK. Currently she is
working to obtain a Master in Education
Administration from St. Joseph’s College.
Megan was engaged to Craig Barry last July. A
June 2012 wedding is planned in Fryeburg.
Nick Foley (’07) is a graduate from the
teaching certification program at UMFK. He
recently published a book, Act Like You’ve
Been There: Rules For My Brother, which is
available on Amazon.com. Nick also recently
launched a campaign called Celebrate The
Hero, that is designed to empower people
to upload their stories to a blog about times
they have done something good for the world,
then the stories collected will be published as
a book. If you would like more information
on the project, please contact Nick at (613)
922-6662 or e-mail him at: celebratetheheroteam@gmail.com
or e-mail: n_foley1@
hotmail.com
Marcie (Cromwell) Jipson (’07) and her husband,
Justin Jipson (’07), became proud new
parents of a baby girl, Elise Ella Jipson, born
on July 5, 2011. Elise weighed 9 lbs, 3 oz and
was 22 inches long.
Donatas Sumyla (’07) currently is in
Lithuania, back to his hometown of Vilnius,
which is the capital. He returned home in
the spring of 2009, after spending a year in
Boston and a half year in Hawaii. Donatas
is back home for good, after being abroad
for nine years. It was strange and great at the
same time. He came back during difficult
times of the economy, so finding a good job
wasn’t easy. Donatas worked as a sales associate
for Grand Circle Travel in Boston. He had
experience in sales and tourism, however in
Lithuania everything is different, so he
had to start from zero. Donatas worked two
years for different travel agencies as a sales
representative selling vacation packages and
as a tour guide traveling with tourist groups
to different European countries like Italy,
Austria, Switzerland, etc. Then he decided to
completely switch directions and temporarily
work for Puma, although he still felt that
he was not using his full potential. In the
fall of 2011, Donatas found a job in an IT
department at a bank. After three months, he
was promoted. Now he is a team leader for
Internal User Support at Swedbank. “I feel
this opportunity is something I was looking
for and this will allow me to use the knowledge
and education I received at UMFK,”
says Donatas. “Ok, enough about work. I
am still single, have a girlfriend, though. We
have been together for almost two years now
and everything is looking good. No children
yet, but we are thinking about one, hopefully
in a year or so,” adds Donatas. He still plays
soccer in a local Sunday league during the
summer and also plays in an indoor league
during the winter. This year Donatas plans to
travel a lot. In February, a group of eight traveled
to Morocco. The group flew to Madrid,
where they met Jaime Rodriguez Marco (’06).
Donatas was in Morocco for eight days. He
spent the night in the Sahara desert and had a
swim in the Atlantic Ocean. In June, he plans
to attend Alekhine Veloso’s (’07) wedding in
Rome, Italy. Donatas will bring his parents
along since they have never visited Italy. In
September, he plans to be in Fort Kent. He
is organizing the greatest UMFK alumni
reunion ever. He is expecting alumni from all
over the world, to attend the reunion, scheduled
for September 14-16.
Lyndsey (Benvie) Morris (’08) graduated
with a degree in secondary education. During
her time at UMFK, she met Sean Morris,
a logger from St. John, Maine. Lyndsey and
Sean were married in August 2009. After
graduating from UMFK, Lyndsey and Sean
moved to northern Manitoba (north of the
57th parallel). Sean and Lyndsey have had
many northern adventures such as watching
the northern lights, fishing for some of the
biggest fish in Canada, travelling to remote
cabins, and hunting for caribou. Lyndsey
currently teaches high school English, art,
and music, and is taking nine of her students,
along with three chaperones, to Costa Rica in
April.
The Bell Tower | 27

Fort Kent State College of the University of Maine
Class Notes
Lyndsey and Sean
Morris
Fort Kent State College
Fort Kent State Teachers College
Recently Deceased Alumni
The following alumni have passed away
in recent months. The UMFK campus
community extends our heartfelt sympathy
to family and friends.
Annette J. (Pelletier) Gagnon
1935
Janet (Roy) Brown
1940
Martin R. Blaney II (‘08) graduated
on December 10, 2011, from Virginia
Commonwealth University, after completing
the Master of Science Nurse Anesthesia
(MSNA) program. Martin passed the
National Certifying Examination (NCE).
Now Martin can seek licensure in the state
of Maine as an advanced practice nurse. As
a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist,
Martin will provide anesthesia care to
patients at Down East Community Hospital
in Machias, Maine. He is very excited to
begin work, even as he completes the final
semester, of his doctoral program at VCU.
Martin’s doctoral work is in human factors
in anesthesia patient safety, and upon
graduating in May, he will hold a Doctor of
Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) degree.
“I would like to thank the nursing faculty at
UMFK for preparing me for graduate education.
I hope someday to pay it forward,
by helping to prepare the next generation of
nurses and nurse anesthetists,” states Martin.
Pam Harpine (’09) now is enrolled in the
Master of Science in Nursing program
at University of Maine in Orono. Pam
would be glad to pass on her books to other
County nurses. Contact her at (207) 896-
3047 or by e-mail: harpines@ainop.com
Maria L. Reynolds (’09) graduated with a
bachelor’s degree in behavioral science with
a criminal justice minor. She also earned an
associate’s degree in human services. Maria
still resides in the St. John Valley.
Steven Guimond (’11) began working at
Defense Finance and Accounting Service
(DFAS) in Limestone, first on an internship
beginning October 2010 and later
on, full-time employment at DFAS. In
January, he was accepted in the Leadership
in Motion (LIM) program. The program
is a two-and-half year program that prepares
a person for leadership roles, such as
project leads or supervisors. While in the
Steven Guimond
program you are expected to give three or
more talks. The talks are a small portion of
the program. Participants also are asked to
set up meetings, developmental assignments,
work with management, and attend high
level meetings, that give them exposure to
what to expect, when they move higher into
their careers. DFAS and the LIM program
are great learning experiences for Steven
and he enjoys every minute of it. Most of
his work assignments consist of analyzing
transactions between databases that monitor
the flow of funds between treasury and the
military. Steven’s oldest child has decided to
attend Eastern Maine Community College
as a culinary art student. His two younger
children are striving to do their best in high
school and middle school, so that they may
attend college, like their father. Steve is
working towards a Certified Government
Financial Manager certification, and has
plans to earn a master’s degree in business
administration.
Bernice J. (Nicknair) Ouellette
1940, 1967
Gerald W. Lawrence
1941
Theresa (Toussaint) Henderson
1941
Georgia ( Jones) McIver
1947
Ernest LaFrance
1951
Alvey P. Dubois
1952
Philip R. Bennett, Jr.
1967
Rose M. Charette
1972
Carol (Lebrun) Lebel
1981
Sheldon R. Lyons
1987
Janet G. Hammond
2000
We Want to Hear From You!
Have you recently changed jobs, were married, had a child, received an honor or award,
furthered your education or just want to let fellow alumni know what you are up to? We
will include information sent to us in the Class Notes section of the next edition of The Bell
Tower. You can keep in touch with us by e-mail. Do not forget to send us photos.
Baby Photo Policy: We love to receive photos of your children, but our policy is that an
alumna/us needs to be in the photo, as well, in order for it to be published in The Bell Tower.
Send your latest information to:
umfknews@maine.edu
or mail information/photos to:
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT FORT KENT
ALUMNI AFFAIRS OFFICE
23 University Drive
Fort Kent, Maine 04743
28 | The Bell Tower

Save the Date!
Homecoming 2012
September 14-16
Honoring the Classes of 1932, 1942,
1952, 1962, 1972, 1982, 1992, and 2002
We’re already planning the Homecoming 2012 celebration.
The weekend will include Bengal Pep Rally, 5K Road Race, Parade,
Soccer Games, Outstanding Alumni Awards Banquet
...and much more!
Check the Alumni and Friends Homecoming website,
often for news and updates.
Questions?
Contact the Office of Alumni Affairs at 1-888-879-8635
or umfknews@maine.edu

23 University Drive
Fort Kent, ME 04743-1292
Non-Profit
Organization
US Postage
PAID
Bangor, Maine
Permit No. 46
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
The University of Maine at Fort Kent Foundation/La foundation Université du Maine à Fort Kent
presents its fall 2012 event…
T-Acadie
Sunday, October 14, 2012
2-4 p.m.
Fox Auditorium
T-Acadie is a dance band and folk trio from
Bowdoin, Maine, which plays French dance
music from North America (Quebecois, Acadian
and Cajun), as well as New England, Maine, and
Southern old-time tunes and songs, sea shanteys,
and original tunes.
Tickets
$10 per person and may
be purchased through the
Development office at
834-7800, or at the door.