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Friday, March 13, 2020
Congratulations to Windham's new Town Manager Barry Tibbitts
Interim Town Manager, Barry Tibbitts being officially sworn in as the new Windham Town Manger by Town Clerk, Linda Morrill on Wednesday, March 11. He was unanimously voted in by the Town Council on Tuesday evening at the regular meeting.
Saint Joseph’s College to announce $1.45 million award to address Maine’s secondary STEM teacher shortage
President James Dlugos is set to announce that Saint Joseph’s
College of
Maine has been awarded a five-year, $1,444,983 grant from the National
Science Foundation’s
Track 1 Robert Noyce Scholarship and Stipend Program.
Governor Janet T. Mills will officiate at the announcement, which
will be made on Monday,
March 16th at 10:30 a.m. in the Baggot Street Cafe of
the Heffernan Center at Saint Joseph’s
College. The event will be open to media.
The Growing Future STEM Teachers in Maine (GFSTM) project will
provide two-year
scholarships of $25,500 per year to a total of 18 undergraduate
juniors and seniors. The program
will provide special supports as they pursue STEM degrees in
biology, mathematics, or physical
sciences-chemistry or environmental science, as well as secondary
education certification.
GFSTM is a collaboration between Saint Joseph’s and Southern Maine
Community College, and
a partnership with 7 school districts.
The seven GFSTM partner schools include: Deering High School,
Lewiston High School, and
Westbrook High School as urban schools; Bonny Eagle High School,
Windham High School,
Lake Region High School, and Old Town High School as rural
schools.
The Growing Future STEM Teachers in Maine project is designed to
increase the number of
secondary STEM teachers in an era when nearly a third of Maine
teachers are 55 years old and
nearing retirement, and to address the decades-old problem of
Maine’s shortage of STEM
teachers, in particular. By partnering with a community college
and seven high-need schools, the
Noyce project is designed to grow students from within those
sites. The project will also
encourage students from high-need school districts to return to
their communities as teachers and
leaders of the next generation of science and math educators.
for Maine schools,” President Dlugos said. “STEM education remains
the foundation and the
number one priority for training Maine’s future skilled and
educated workforce. By working with
SMCC and schools across Maine, this project promises to draw more
students into STEM-Ed
degrees, provide teacher training with diverse populations, and
plant seeds with current high
school and middle school students to become future STEM teachers.”
Maine’s Congressional leaders expressed excitement about the
program. “In order for Maine’s
students to gain STEM skills, we need to make sure they have
dedicated and well-trained STEM
educators,” said Senators Susan
Collins and Angus King in a joint statement. “For
decades,
Saint Joseph’s College of Maine has been giving teachers the
tools they need to train the next
generation of STEM workers. This funding will help the college
expand its efforts and make an
even greater impact on Maine’s students and economy.”
need our students to be well-prepared for their future careers,”
said Pingree. “Increasing the
number of public school STEM teachers will go a long way towards
preparing our children for
the jobs of tomorrow. My thanks to the National Science
Foundation for recognizing how
important this STEM education is for the future of Maine’s
workforce and for funding this
work.”
Representative Jared Golden added: “Saint Joseph’s College does critical work to prepare young
Mainers for jobs in education and other careers, positions we need
to fill in our state. This grant
will provide Maine students with opportunities to develop valuable
skills that they’ll bring back
to the classroom and help address our STEM teacher shortage. I’m
proud to see the NSF
prioritize schools in places like Lewiston and Old Town to provide
Maine students with access to
good jobs and a quality education.”
Matthew J. Lokken, Principal of Lake Region Middle School, a
project partner, said: “We
appreciate that Saint Joseph’s College will address the shortage
of science teachers in our region.
In the last few years, we have not had a large pool of applicants
for posted STEM teacher
positions. It is essential that students at the middle school
receive rigorous and authentic learning
opportunities in STEM education for not only academic success and
opportunities, but to
effectively prepare the next generation of innovators.”
The first Noyce Scholars will be awarded scholarships in Fall
2020. The grant’s investigators
and creators are Dr. Patricia Waters, Assistant Professor of
Education, Dr. Emily Lesher,
Associate Professor of Science, and SMCC’s Dr. Daniel Moore,
Professor of Biological
Sciences.
science,” said SMCC President Joe Cassidy. “Besides helping our
students, the program will
benefit Maine’s educational system by allowing us to do our part
in delivering a new generation
of STEM teachers where they are most needed. This builds upon
our mission of transforming
lives and communities through education and training.”
For more information about GFSTM, the scholarship criteria and
application process, see
www.sjcme.edu/stem-ed or contact Oliver Griswold at 917-617-2103 or ogriswold@sjcme.edu.
Friday, March 6, 2020
The 2020 Chase Wescott Award winner announced
(L to R) Coach Jim Beers, Jake Goslant, Chase Wescott |
In 2019,
the Chase Wescott Basketball Heart Award was created at Jordan Small Middle
School (JSMS). Last month, Jake Goslant became the second recipient of the
award.
“At JSMS
we already had a soccer award and a baseball award, but nothing for
basketball,”
explained basketball coach Jim Beers. “And while there have been
plenty of former players, I could have named the award for Ben MacDonald,
Austin McGowan, Orion Beers, Connor Pittman, Andrew Wing, Jakob Emery, and
Colby Mizner; they all culminated into Chase.
Chase
Wescott was on the team when Beers decided to create the award. “Chase is a
tremendously hard worker, constantly looking to improve, always staying late,
having to work harder than those it came naturally to, being a great teammate,
being a leader...this is what the award is all about,” added Beers.
Wescott
averaged 16 points a game, he hit 25 three pointers his eighth-grade year and
just had a real successful first year at Windham High School. Coach Beers
attended several of Wescott’s games and watched him get better each time. Wescott
was someone who had to overcome a lot: attitude wise, education wise, even
ability wise to stand out and that’s exactly what Jake Goslant has also done.
When
Goslant was in seventh grade, he had trouble showing respect to his teachers.
He was in the Special Education program for his entire seventh grade year. He
received several talks from his
family including his grandfather and his mother who explained that his teachers were trying to help him improve. After that regular school year, he had to take part in summer school. “I came back [with the] mentality to be a good student and be a good role model for everyone,” Goslant stated.
family including his grandfather and his mother who explained that his teachers were trying to help him improve. After that regular school year, he had to take part in summer school. “I came back [with the] mentality to be a good student and be a good role model for everyone,” Goslant stated.
Goslant
remained in the special education program for the first third of his eighth
grade year and after much hard work, was able to leave the program in December
2019.
Once
basketball started, Goslant was excited and wanted to keep up the hard work to
play on the team. He received encouragement from his dad that he had the potential
to do really well at basketball because of his height, and his hard work would
be crucial when he played basketball in high school.
He worked
hard to become a great player. He had strong work ethic, he stayed late and set
goals for himself. Coach Beers said he went far beyond those goals, not just on
the court, but in the classroom. He averaged six points and ten rebounds a
game.
When Goslant heard about the Chase Wescott award, he really wanted it and knew he had to work hard to get it. His hard work soon paid off.
“When I
heard that I was going to get it I was so happy; everything that I did through
last year – maturing – helped. When I came back from that day and everyone
heard that I got it, I got ‘good job, good job, you deserved it,’ my heart was
like ‘oh my god; people care about me.’ Last year I felt like no one liked me
at all.”
It meant a
lot to him to be noticed for his hard work.
“I know
Jake wants to go on to play basketball and football in high school; I think now
with this award, it will spur him to realize that people do care, people are
noticing his play, people are noticing his turnaround in the classroom,
socially, and they might recognize him more now and take him seriously, because...this
young man has the fire to go show high school what he’s made of and I think
he’s ready to do that,” commented Beers.
In
addition to his hard work, his parents and older brother, Austin, have been big
sources of encouragement for Goslant.
Goslant
plans to play basketball and football in high school and long term wants to
play college football for the Texas Longhorns.
Saint Joseph’s Professor Unearths College Campus’s Role in Maine’s Statehood
Dr. Steven Bridge |
What began as a simple
question by the former Farm Manager at Saint Joseph’s College six years ago, led Theology
Professor Steven Bridge down a rabbit hole of
discovery, inspiring his new book, “Unearthed”.
As the State of Maine
officially celebrates its Bicentennial this year, Dr. Bridge will share what he
learned about those who owned the campus’s properties in the
mid-1700s to early 1800s and how they played crucial roles in Maine’s journey to
Statehood.
All are welcome to this
free presentation on Monday, March 16 at 3:30 p.m. in the Alfond
Hall Auditorium. “Some rare, period artifacts unearthed from campus sites will
also be on display and will be included as part of the presentation,” noted Dr. Bridge.
Although a Theology
Professor by profession, Bridge enjoys learning about the past. So, when the
former Farm Manager
asked him about the campus’s predecessors, Bridge didn’t hesitate to dig deeper
and look beyond recent history.
“When he [Myke] asked me about the
history of those who once lived on the present day campus, I began to give him
the standard answer that is introduced to those who work for the college or
attend classes on campus,” Bridge said
In the early 1900s, much of the campus’ nearly
500-acres was owned by the Verrill Family of Portland. The present Xavier Hall
was their summer home and their property included a nine-hole golf course, a
boat house, a gentlemen’s farm (farming for pleasure rather than profit or
subsistence), an ice skating pond and warming shack, a stone chapel for Mr. Verrill’s wife (which still exists) and the Stone Barn (which also still remains). Saint
George Hall, which serves as the Admissions building
today, was a part of the Verrill family property as well.
Mr. Verrill, a
well-known attorney in Portland, owned the land until the Sisters of Mercy
approached him about purchasing it to relocate
their Portland-based College. Mr. Verrill agreed to
sell it to the Sisters in 1955.
Usually, this story ends
with, “and the rest is history.” But as Bridge discovered,
it was actually the beginning of the campus’s
fascinating past.
Having given this standard answer, Bridge was pressed by the Farm
Manager further. “I know about that
portion of history. What I want to know is who are the people who lived on this
land long ago - even before the Verrill
Family?”
Bridge had never heard
or even considered that question before.
The Manager’s inquiry
got the best of him, and it was then that his digging--both figurative
and literal--began.
Basically, two questions drove his research: “Who was here on campus
before us and what, if anything, did they leave behind?
“Soon after that
conversation,” explained Bridge, “I undertook both documentary and field research to see what I might discover. And here’s one of the very first
artifacts that I found……” Bridge said to me while he opened his book to the thirteenth chapter.
The inaugural button made in 1789 found on campus |
“It is an inaugural
button made in 1789 indicating support for the new President,” explained Bridge. “According to some
scholars, it was only given to those who served directly under George Washington or were somehow closely
associated with him.”
The button, it seems,
belonged to an individual who was connected
to some of the most powerful figures in early American history. But who?
That question led Bridge
to the Cumberland County Register of Deeds, where
he was able to trace the College’s property records
all the way back to 1773. “There have been around 130 previous property owners
of the Saint Joseph’s College campus prior to
the Verrill Family,” said Bridge. “And at
least three of those owners had some sort of
association with George Washington.”
Was it the Foot Soldier who endured
the brutal winter at Valley Forge? Was it the lawyer who
eventually became a Massachusetts State Senator and Supreme Court
Justice? Or was
it the Portland Minister who wrote this country’s best-selling work on
New England Agriculture?
Be sure to attend this free presentation to learn
more about these remarkable predecessors and the significant roles that they played in Maine’s
Journey to Statehood. Copies of Bridge’s book,
“Unearthed”, will be available
at the event for purchase ($30 each).
(They can also be ordered on Amazon.)
The presentation is
sponsored by the Cultural Affairs Committee and will be followed by a regularly priced dinner ($14 for
the public) at 5 p.m. at Pearson’s Café. The menu will feature locally sourced
food items, including some dishes made from 1820s-era recipes. To top it
all off, the College’s chefs are designing and baking
a special State of Maine Bicentennial birthday cake.
Friday, February 28, 2020
Raymond’s Boston Post Cane Award recipient shares memories of a life well lived
Teresa "Tess" Ingraham |
In
1909, as part of a publicity act, The Boston Post newspaper presented
gold-headed walking sticks, known as the Boston Post Cane, to 431 New England
towns. The stipulation was that the cane be given to the oldest citizen for use
as long as he or she lived. Although, The Post stopped its circulation over 60
years ago, the tradition continues in many Northeastern municipalities,
including right here in Raymond.
The
most recent awardee, Teresa “Tess” Ingraham was presented the Boston Cane by Town
Selectman, Rolf Olson at the Raymond Town Hall on Thursday, January 30th. Tess,
who will soon be celebrating her 99th birthday on May 29, shared
some of her story with us.
“My
children keep reminding me that I will soon be turning 100 and that I have seen
a lot of changes in that time,” Tess stated, “I don’t think much about my age but
it’s kind of amazing when I do think about it. Wow! I’m almost 100. And, my
children are right, I have seen and experienced quite a bit in my lifetime.”
Born
in 1921 in Westbrook, Ingraham was one of seven children born to a
French-Canadian mother and a Scottish father. “I am so lucky to have been a
part of a family whose parents loved each other and were content. My brother
and sisters – we all got along so well – we were not only family, we were like
friends, too.” Tess and her only living sister, twelve years her junior who
lives in Westbrook, still get together once a week for shopping, lunch and
coffee.
There
have been many changes she has seen throughout her lifetime and Tess recalls
the milk, ice and bakery delivery men who would supply these products on a weekly
basis. “We also had a rag man who would stop by our house every week to
purchase rags that would be recycled to make used clothing.”
Tess
also recollects the time when one had to go through an operator to make a phone
call. “We would lift the receiver and the operator would come on and say,
‘Number, please.’ I still remember our phone number. It was 56J.”
While
growing up, the family would spend summer months at Crescent Lake in Raymond,
not far from where she currently lives. Although she has moved around the U.S.
and lived in France, enjoying all the places she has resided, it is Raymond
where she feels her heart is most at home.
Upon
graduating high school in 1940 and with World War II in full swing, Tess worked
at S.D. Warren in the main office. During that time, most of the products made
at the company went toward the war effort.
“It
was really a scary time and we did without a lot. Because
many products went toward the war, each family was allotted a certain number of
coupons because the supply was limited,” she continued. “These coupons that
were distributed by the government would allow us to purchase things like
sugar, shoes, clothing, etc. and if you didn’t have a coupon when you needed
something – you did without.” Tess also recalled the blackout
regulations imposed during WWII, requiring all windows and
doors be covered at night with heavy curtains to prevent the escape of light
that might aid enemy aircraft.
But the war eventually ended, and it was
on the evening of VJ Day that she met her future husband, Henry “Hank” Ingraham,
who was introduced to her by sister. “You know that famous photograph of the
sailor and woman kissing in the street on VJ Day?” she asked. “Well, that could
have been us. There was so much celebration and excitement that the war was
finally over. The streets in Portland
were filled with people – the traffic was stopped completely.”
were filled with people – the traffic was stopped completely.”
Marrying in 1946, Hank remained in the armed
forces specializing in medical supplies and, as a result, the family relocated
often to various U.S. cities with a three-year assignment in France. “We moved
to France ten years after the war,” she said. “I could write a book just about
my experience there.”
While stationed overseas in the mid-1950s,
Tess and Hank were raising three of their four sons, two of which were school
age. (Their fourth son was born in 1962). Except for living a few months in a
French village apartment, the family moved to the military base when their
“home” was ready to be occupied. “It was actually the size of a small camper,”
she said. “But I loved living on the base to be closer to other military
families who we could connect with.”
Connect with others, they did. Tess and
Hank loved to entertain, so they hosted many gatherings in their small home and
often would join other couples at the Officer’s Club on Saturday evenings. “We
also helped each other out,” Tess said, giving one example of assisting one another
build an additional room to their individual trailers to create a bigger
living/bedroom space.
While living in France, she got to tour
Germany including the city of Berlin. “It was just ten years after the war.
Berlin had been completely bombed and the city was flat, and very cold and
empty. It felt very scary and we couldn’t wait to get out of there.”
Other than seeing the desolation of Berlin,
Tess remembers fondly the beauty of France. “Poppies in spring,” she said. “It
was beautiful. Just breathtaking.”
After their time in France, Hank was
assigned and stationed in Bangor, Maine in the early 1960s where their fourth
son was born. In 1963, Hank retired from the armed forces and they moved to
Bridgton where Hank was hired to be the Administrator of the newly built
hospital there. They lived in Bridgton for twelve years, eventually relocating
to Massachusetts where Hank was offered a job at another hospital. They stayed
there until
his second retirement. Upon their return to Maine, they purchased a home in Raymond 36 years ago, where Tess remains.
his second retirement. Upon their return to Maine, they purchased a home in Raymond 36 years ago, where Tess remains.
During retirement, they travelled some and
enjoyed friends and family which currently consist of not only her sons but ten
grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. “In the late 1980s, we hopped on a
bus and traveled the U.S., visiting all the friends we met while in the
service,” she said. “We just purchased a ticket and went from city to city,
ending in California where we spent some time with one of our sons who lives
there with his family. The trip took us about a month, and we had the best
time.”
Reading books and bird watching were some
of their favorite shared activities. In fact, they were both avid readers and Tess
explained that she was always known as Teresa until she married Hank. “He loved
the book, ‘Tess
of the Storm Country’ and when we met and married, he started calling me Tess.
It caught on and the only person who calls me Teresa now is my sister-in-law.”
Tess volunteered during their retirement
years, volunteering at the Raymond Village Library and at Portland’s Mercy
Hospital gift shop. It wasn’t until the age of 95 that she decided to step back
and retire from her volunteering efforts.
Hank passed away at the age of 84. “We
were married for 60 years,” Tess said. “And, we got to have 25 years of
retirement together. I feel very blessed to have been in a marriage filled with
support and love.”
Besides the death of her husband, her
oldest son passed away as a result of cancer at the age of 63.
As for advice, her guidance is simple. “Live
one day at a time. Do what you want. Eat what you want,” she began. “I never
went on a fad diet. If I wanted to lose a little weight than I simply ate a
little less.” She admits that she didn’t have to worry about weight much and
that she has been blessed with great genes and is a very healthy person.
Tess also advises to think positive.
“Everything is going to be okay. You have to remember that and not let the
negativity stop you from being happy. Just think positive.”
But her greatest words of wisdom? “Live
your life and forget your age!”
Congratulations Tess Ingraham for a life
well lived!
Windham resident to begin co-hosting on Coast 93.1 early morning radio program
Kelly Towle |
What
started as an opportunity to promote her business turned into a brand-new
career for Windham resident Kelly Towle, who was recently selected to join the
morning show for Coast 93.1.
Towle
founded Plucked Fresh Salsa with her husband Jason, and their business partner
Chris Fawcett
joined them in late 2015.
Building a brand is difficult, she said, especially when they were doing
everything themselves, including sales and marketing; accounting; the
production of 3-6,000 pounds of salsa per week; and labeling, filling and
packing the jars. “I’m always trying to get our name out there,” Towle
said.
Towle,
who regularly listens to Coast 93.1, heard them talking about filling Eva’s
seat while Eva was on vacation. She thought that would be a good opportunity to
advertise the company while also having a good time and embracing her love for
music.
Towle
was selected as one of the participants and spent four hours on air with Blake.
As she was leaving that morning, she said, a couple of the managers approached
her to say she’d done a great
job, was funny, and seemed to have good chemistry with Blake.
job, was funny, and seemed to have good chemistry with Blake.
She
thanked them and told them in passing that if they ever needed someone, she’d
had a great time and would come back and do it again. She never thought
anything would come of that, she said, so the email she received a couple of
weeks later was totally unexpected.
In
that email, one of the managers let her know that Eva was retiring, and they
had held the “fill the seat” event to see if they could find someone who
clicked. “They thought Blake and I
together was a great fit,” she said, and they asked if she would be interested
in applying for the position.
“I
was shocked. I have two kids and own my
own business…I hadn’t been in the corporate world for six or seven years,”
Towle said. But after she thought about what a great opportunity this could be
for her, she emailed back that she was willing to talk about it.
After
a few weeks of going through the interview process along with other candidates,
Towle was hired to join the show. As of March 2nd, she will be a
full-time radio personality. She’ll be
on the air Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m., along with doing
appearances and endorsements, she said.
Before
starting full time, Towle has been on the air with both Eva and Blake to
transition and make sure listeners understand that everyone is happy about it,
and it’s a good thing for all. “Eva’s
been there for 15 years. She’s moving to Nashville and she’s going to have the
time of her life,” Towle said.
This
new gig has prompted some nerves, Towle said. “I want to be sure I balance
everything and still be a good mom…I just need to get used to it. I think after
a few weeks I’ll get into this new groove and start this new chapter,” she
said.
February
vacation was a good test run, Towle said, since she was not only gone in the
morning, but her kids, 7 and 15, weren’t going to school. She has a great support system, she said,
that includes her husband, and both her parents and his parents.
She’s
really excited about her new career, Towle said, but Plucked Fresh Salsa won’t
disappear. The plan for 2020 was already that she would step back from
production and focus on sales and marketing. Because she’ll be out of work by
noon, she’ll still have the opportunity to meet with customers as needed, she
said.
“It
was good timing,” Towle said. “If this was years ago, there would have been no
way, but it’s just perfect timing. It’s like it was meant to happen.”
Plucked
Fresh Salsa is available in a couple hundred locations in the northeast,
including Hannaford and Whole Foods stores.
Friday, February 21, 2020
Raymond man raises awareness about the importance of AEDs after surviving cardiac arrest at daughter’s wedding
Mary Bowie could have
lost her father on one of the happiest days of her life. On Memorial Day 2019,
at Bowie’s wedding reception, Tom Wiley collapsed on the dance floor. Fortunately,
the right help was available, and he survived the ordeal.
“Without the aid of trained people who know CPR and an AED at the reception, I may not be here now” said Wiley. While three men at the wedding who had CPR training (the bride’s uncle Danny; her new father-in-law Chris; and one of the groomsmen, Tyler) sprang into action, that alone may not have been enough to save Wiley. Fortunately, the reception site, Camp Ketcha in Scarborough, had an automatic external defibrillator (AED) on site. The men were able to revive Wiley before EMS arrived.
Wiley didn’t have any
symptoms of heart trouble like chest pain, headache, nausea or vomiting that
day. “I
was dancing, and then I wasn’t. I don’t remember anything from beginning to
dance to being outside going in the ambulance,” he said.
Since then, he has
learned a lot about the heart, he said.
He has a defibrillator, does a rehab program, and will meet with a
genetics cardiologist soon. He said he’s had a good support system with family,
church members, and co-workers. “I’m very lucky, and I
want to spread the news,” he said.
Before
his experience, Wiley said, he didn’t understand the importance of the AED. He
works for the city of South Portland and when they purchased some AEDs a few
years ago, he wondered why they were necessary, especially since there was a
fire station right next door.
There
is also a fire station right across from Camp Ketcha, he said, but the
ambulance sent for him came from somewhere else. “I was told that I was the
third cardiac arrest that day in Scarborough, and I was the only one that
survived,” Wiley said. Later, when he
was in the hospital, Wiley received a visit from the Scarborough EMS chief who
told him, “I don’t usually get to talk to survivors.”
Spreading
information about why AEDs are valuable is part of his healing process, Wiley
said. His efforts to raise awareness are already paying off in the community. His
story was the focus of a segment on Newscenter’s 207 last July. He recently ran into someone who told him that
as a result of the news story, his workplace had installed two AEDs.
After the episode of
207 aired, Wiley said, he started thinking about what might have happened if
his cardiac arrest had occurred at Raymond Village Community Church, where he
is a member. “I am always there for meetings, dinners, etc.” Wiley said. “I have even slept in the church vestry as a
scout leader.”
The church is also
used by the community for a variety of functions: scout meetings and events,
concerts sponsored by the Raymond Arts Alliance, community dinners and much
more.
With everything that
happens in the space, he said, he realized how lucky they’ve been that they
haven’t had this issue at the church. Securing a donation of an AED for the
church seemed very important, Wiley said.
He began to look for
organizations that donated AEDs in New England.
During his research, he came across a website for an organization called
In a Heartbeat. When he visited the site, he found a link to his own story.
He applied for a
donation for the church, noticing that although most of their donations had
been to youth organizations, they had also made a previous donation to a
church. In his application, Wiley noted the number of events that happen for
people of all ages at the church. “I even stated that I knew the importance of
preventing sudden cardiac arrest as I was the dad in the story on their
newsfeed,” he said.
After a few months of
not hearing anything, Wiley called the organization. The founder, Mike Papale,
who had experienced cardiac arrest on a basketball court at the age of 17,
called back to say they would likely be able to help, but they needed to wait a
couple of months until after they held a golf tournament fundraiser.
A few more months
passed, and he hadn’t heard back. Then he wrote an article for the church
newsletter centered around the question “Why bother?” This got him thinking about the donation
again, and he decided he would bother, and called once more. That persistence paid off, and the donation
was confirmed. It arrived in late January and was installed at the church on
February 1st, 2020.
Wiley said he
took a shot in the dark in asking the In a Heartbeat foundation for a donation,
since they hadn’t previously made any donations beyond
Massachusetts. The group has donated 124 AEDs to date, Wiley said. Although he hopes
the AED at the church never gets used, he said “I’m grateful for
the organization and the donation. I hope that people would consider making a
donation to that group themselves.”
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