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Centennial News & EventsJoin the Eagle Lake Chamber of Commerce and Northern Maine General as we celebrate our centennial with Labor Day weekend events. A fun-filled Saturday will include a parade, DJ and bands at the public beach in Eagle Lake, a beverage tent hosted by the American Legion, food stands provided by local restaurants and vendors, and evening fireworks.
Centennial Year Renovations Over the course of the centennial year, the original Northern Maine General Hospital building, now the Franciscan Home, will be renovated inside and out. Construction on the hospital building began in 1905 and the facility began providing services in 1907. Many changes have already been made to the Franciscan Home. Inside the building, resident rooms have been converted from semi-private to private rooms. The second and third floors, which house residents, have received new paint and flooring. The first floor and basement are in the process of being renovated. In addition, the entire building received new doors and windows. One of the biggest projects that has taken place inside of the Franciscan Home is the improvements made to the building’s elevator. The most visible changes to the Franciscan Home will be the new roof, completed last fall, and the new siding that will be put on the building this spring. Atop the renovated Franciscan Home will sit the original cross. The cross has always been a unique characteristic of the facility. This winter, the cross was renovated. Clayton Fournier, Director of Facilities Management, the NMG maintenance staff, and Joel Bossie of Cyr Metal Works in Fort Kent dissembled the cross. Many of the original parts of the cross were restored and new pieces were fabricated. The parts were primed and painted, and cross was reassembled. This fall, the Franciscan Home will be rededicated during a ceremony that reflects on the building’s important history and its future contributions to Northern Maine General.
Winter Centennial Events a Success On Saturday, January 21, Northern Maine General sponsored some old fashioned fun to celebrate its centennial year. Directly prior to the start of the Irving Eagle Lake Sled Dog Race, NMG held a silver dollar hunt for children. There were two separate silver dollar hunts, one for ages 4-6 and one for ages 7-10. Children searched on Eagle Lake for plastic eggs containing silver dollars. All of the silver dollars were found. On that same day, Northern Maine General sponsored horse drawn carriage rides. John and Ann Babin of St. Agatha directed their team of horses on a route that followed Furlong Road. The rides lasted fifteen minutes, and were so popular that many folks chose to take a second ride. In February, a movie theatre event was offered for the community. Children and their parents were invited to attend movies at Powell Memorial Gymnasium. The first movie, Balto II, was geared toward younger children in grades 1-4. The second movie, shown in the early evening, was Air Bud World Pup. This movie was for grades 5-8. Popcorn was donated by Sysco and the Eagle Lake Recreation Department generously provided the popcorn machine. Drinks and cups were provided by McDonald’s. Many thanks to volunteers and chaperones who made these events possible.
Employee Banquet Begins Centennial Celebration On December 8, 2006, NMG’s Employee Relations Council (ERC) hosted its annual employee recognition banquet. The council is made up of one representative of each NMG facility and meets monthly. The ERC provides a forum for employees to discuss concerns, safety issues, and agency matters. The ERC is funded by donations made by employees. The annual recognition banquet is a time to recognize the efforts and achievements of all NMG employees. In addition, long-term employees are recognized for their commitment to the agency. Reynold Raymond, CEO, presented service awards to these employees. This year, the following employees were recognized for five years of service: Tammy Michaud, CDHP; Maxine Valcourt, MH; Shelly Tobin, MPWH; Shirley Billings, FH; Wayne Bouchard, MH; Chris Parent, FPWH; Connie Soucy, MH; Betsy Nadeau, MWH; Nancy Bouchard, MPWH; Natisha Saucier, KWH; Carol Kamm, CCM; and Lisa Bouchard, FH. Ten year service awards were presented to: Galen Devoe, DBWH; Lorie Jandreau, ADTP; Elizabeth Fournier, ADTP; Sally Hebert, MH; Pat Fournier, MH: Eric Pooler, MH; Alice Boutot, MPWH; and Marie Chouinard, ADTP. Reynold Raymond, CEO, received his fifteen year service award from Norman Fournier, President of the Board of Trustees. Lucy Dube, FH and Frances Voisine, MH were honored for twenty years of service. Barbara Vaillancourt, MH, was celebrated for her remarkable twenty-five years of dedication to NMG. Employees of the quarter were also recognized at the banquet. The employee of the quarter program is sponsored by the ERC. This year’s employees of the quarter were Darlene Finnemore, PS-CAR; Morgan Wilson, CDHP; and Susan Fowler, FH. This year’s recognition banquet also marked the beginning of NMG’s centennial celebration. To kick off the year, a slideshow was presented during the banquet. The slideshow chronicled NMG’s history through images, beginning with historical pictures of the community and hospital and ending with slides of current programs and staff. The banquet dinner was followed by a Casino Night, organized by the Shriners. Employees gambled with play money and earned “cash” to bid on items at an auction that concluded the evening. Rene St. Onge, ERC President, auctioned off $800 worth of prizes provided by NMG. In addition, the ERC raffled off cash prizes and gift certificates throughout the night with one $500 cash prize drawing. Apryl Gagnon was the lucky winner of this prize. The Centennial Fundraising Committee was able to earn funds to support the coming year’s activities through a diamond raffle sponsored in part by Albert’s Jewelry in Fort Kent. Denise Simard was the recipient of the diamond.
NMG -- Celebrating 100 Years In 2007, Northern Maine General will celebrate its centennial. Since its creation as a hospital in 1907, NMG has grown and changed in response to the needs of the St. John Valley. When NMG was created by the Maine State Legislature in 1907, it was the only hospital North of Bangor. The Little Franciscan Sisters of Mary ran the home for sixty years, until they left in 1966. Despite the Sisters’ departure, the Board of Trustees was determined to keep NMG open even though they realized that financially it was no longer possible to operate the hospital. As a result, Northern Maine General Hospital opened the Northern Maine Security Home, a facility that provided care for the elderly. Portland’s Sisters of Mercy arrived in Eagle Lake in 1968. With only a handful of employees, they took the reins of Northern Maine General Hospital’s nursing and boarding programs. The Sisters soon recognized the demand for separate nursing and boarding facilities. They advocated for the construction of a new nursing home, and finally, in 1973, their proposal was accepted and construction began on a sixty-bed nursing facility. The corporation, the parishioners of St. Mary’s parish in Eagle Lake, and the community have formally acknowledged these pioneers who, along with the trustees, made Northern Maine General Hospital a reality rather than merely a vision. The nursing home is now named the Mercy Home and the boarding home is called the Franciscan Home. These titles honor the contributions of the Sisters of Mercy and the Franciscan Sisters. Since the 1960’s, NMG has undergone changes that reflect the needs of the St. John Valley. In 2004, the new name, Northern Maine General, was implemented to reflect these changes. The mission of NMG is to effectively provide for the physical, psychological, social, emotional, and spiritual well being of every consumer being served by each division of the corporation. NMG’s services now include nursing and skilled nursing care, outpatient rehabilitation, residential mental health services, case management, children’s services, and residential care and training for adults with developmental disabilities.
NMG Pavilion Project July 2007 As an agency that has spent the last one hundred years focusing on improving the quality of life for Aroostook County residents, NMG plans to make a lasting gift of a pavilion to the community of Eagle Lake to memorialize its centennial year. Pam Buck, from Buck Engineering volunteered her time to develop the plans for the pavilion at the public beach in Eagle Lake. Construction is planned for late summer or early fall. The pavilion will serve multiple functions for the community. It can be used to provide shelter for local events such as family or class reunions, recreation department programs, and accessed by NMG consumers who participate in community inclusion activities. Most importantly, the pavilion will be a landmark of the services provided by NMG and the spirit of helping those with whom we live and work. The construction of the pavilion in Eagle Lake will be a community event in itself, drawing on the skills and knowledge of local individuals. By utilizing volunteers in combination with professional workers, the construction of the pavilion will reflect the spirit of Eagle Lake. After community members have participated in the construction of the pavilion, the structure will be gifted to Eagle Lake. The pavilion will highlight the heart of Eagle Lake – the lake, itself. As a gathering place and a central location for events throughout the year, the lake and public beach are in many ways the center of the community. If you are interested in volunteering for this project, please contact Clayton Fournier at 444-5152 for more information.
Open House and Summer Solstice Arts & Crafts Fair June 2007 On Saturday, June 23 Northern Maine General held an Open House and Summer Solstice Craft Fair. The Open House gave community members and visitors a chance to tour several of Northern Maine General’s facilities. The Franciscan Home, Mercy Home, Kennedy Waiver Home, Brooks Waiver Home, Northern Aquatics, and Day Program were all open to the public with staff available to discuss programs and services. During the Open House, a Fun Run was offered to visitors. Individuals who visited four NMG facilities were entered in a drawing to win an L.L. Bean Acadia Cruiser trail bike. The winner was Edgar Parent of Eagle Lake. The Summer Solstice Craft Fair brought over 200 people to the Powell Gym. Sixteen vendors from around the state sold their goods. Items for sale included furniture, photographs, pottery, maple products, artwork, glassware, clothing, leather goods, and knitted items. A pair of Adirondack Chairs was raffled at the fair as a fundraiser for centennial events. The winner of the chairs was Aimee McClellan of St. Agatha.
NMG Walk-a-Thon Results June 2007 Total raised for event: $3,378; total number of walkers: 32 (and two dogs); total number of sponsors: 175; walker who raised the most money: Tom Roy; Door Prize Winners Bald Eagle Gift Certificate: Rachel Blair; Massages from Simone Ezzy: Morgan Wilson and Tammy Parent; Kathy’s Gift Certificate: Missy Boutot; NMG Shirts: Erica Anderson and Lisa Devoe; all Caribou participants received $5 Houlton Farms gift certificates in place of a big door prize. Thanks to all the participants, sponsors, and businesses that supported this event!
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