Tyche Hotchkiss of South Portland recently received the VNA Home Health and Hospice Home Care Hero Award for June. Hotchkiss, an occupational therapist, cares for clients who are receiving home health and hospice services throughout southern Maine. She is described as thorough, positive and provides  excellent client care, coordination of care with her peers and with the physician’s office. VNA Home Health and Hospice is a Medicare certified; joint commission accredited home health and hospice care agency.  

SMCC students bring home national medals

Southern Maine Community College students brought home two medals and represented Maine this June at the National Skills Championships in Kansas City, Mo. SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled work force. 

Edwin Berry of Hollis and a recent construction technology graduate, won a silver medal in the building construction competition and Michael Doughty of North Waterboro and a senior in the communications and new media program, won a bronze medal in screen printing. 

The national championship brings students from across the county to compete, attend industry and leadership seminars, and visit one of the largest industry trade shows for high school and post secondary students in the country. More than 15,000 spectators and industry professionals came to observe more than 5,000 students compete in more than 90 separate events. 

The SMCC Team also included students Michael Giberti, who competed in auto service, and Kirk Gagnon, who competed in firefighting, and Jay Desmond, a recent graduate of the computer technology program, who serves as National Post Secondary President. Desmond is the only Maine student to ever hold a SkillsUSA national officer position.

Edwards is Fullbright Scholar

Julia Edwards, South Portland High School and University of Southern Maine graduate Recently completed her M.A. in diplomacy and international relations at Seton Hall University. She has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship as an English teaching assistant, taking her to Oslo, Norway on Aug. 6. She received one of only two positions offered in Norway for the upcoming year, and it is the first time Norway has had English teaching assistantships available. She will teach at the University of Oslo.

SAT Prep from the Ivy League

Katherine Hilton, a recent Dartmouth gradute, has returned to Scarborough to launch greater Portland’s first dedicated SAT preparation program. Hilton is working with Ivy Insiders, which started as an innovative approach to SAT training crafted by students at Harvard in 2003 and has since grown into a full company. 

Hilton began teaching with Ivy Insiders this spring after coming out at the top of a highly competitive instructor application process.  In high school she successfully  scored in the 99^th percentile on the SAT, ACT, AP, and SAT II exams, including perfect scores in math, biology, and U.S. History.   

Ivy Insiders courses will be offered in July and August, and private tutoring will be available throughout the summer. Financial aid and discounts for these programs are available.  For more information, visit www.ivyinsiders.com or email katherine_hilton@ivyinsiders.com. 

Sea Scouts set sail successfully

Sea Scouts from local Sea Scout Ship No. 12 recently launched – and then rowed in – three eight-foot long punts they made, and not one sank.

With the help of Ray Frechette, a professional boat builder from Lewiston who donated his time, the Scouts made all three punts from basic wood  materials. They painted each punt with decoration of their choice – one red and black, one white and gray, and one purple with polka dots. 

 Adult leaders include “Skipper” Steve Price of Scarborough who teaches in Cape Elizabeth, and Executive Officer Bill Newberry of Standish, who is an officer in the Portland Yacht Club, an experienced racing sailor and was named “Yachtsman of the Year, 2007” by a sailing magazine. Newberry also owns the boat on which the Scouts are training this summer.

 The project was just one of many activities the Scouts have enjoyed. This summer they will spend a lot of time on the water sailing on Casco Bay. The Sea Scouts have also done winter camping, ridden on Coast Guard cutters, participated in the annual tug boat races in Portland harbor, camped on Jewell Island, toured Admiral Peary’s Museum on Eagle Island, had an overnight stay on the Battleship Massachusetts, and toured Sabre Yacht Company among many other activities.

Babe Ruth team captures district championship

The Scarborough Babe Ruth 13 year old all-star team defeated Cumberland 7-3 Saturday at Haverty Field in Portland to capture the district championship. The Scarborough team, consisting of players from Scarborough, Falmouth and South Portland, won three straight games and went undefeated in the tournament to capture the title.

In the championship game Conner Murphy scattered five hits and struck out seven in picking up the win. Ryan Bailer opened the scoring for Scarborough by leading off the bottom of the first inning with a base hit and eventually scoring on a bases-loaded walk to Andrew Emple.  

Emple collected two hits, two walks and scored two runs to pace the Scarborough attack along with Ian Morris who collected three hits for Scarborough.  Jayme Lappin recorded three outs in the seventh inning to pick up the save.

Scarborough opened the district tournament with a 4-2 win over the same Cumberland team. Bailer again opened the scoring for Scarborough in the first inning when he got hit by a pitch to lead off the game and eventually came home to score on a passed ball. 

The  team took advantage of three walks in the second inning to score two runs on Nick Bagley’s bases loaded single. 

Connor Murphy picked up the win giving up one hit and striking out nine batters over six innings. Bailer picked up the save recording three outs in the seventh inning.

Scarborough defeated Portland 5-2 in their second game of the tournament behind Bailer’s five hit, six strikeout effort. Murphy, Emple and Nick Whitten paced the offensive attack with two hits each, and Jayme Lappin picked up the save by striking out two and walking one batter in retiring the side in the seventh inning.

The Scarborough team moves on to the Maine State Babe Ruth tournament in Farmington, beginning today.  

The team is coached by Chris Bagley, Steve Bailer and Steve Rand.