Greetings, classmates! The wet summer flew by, autumn came early, and now we are enjoying the beautiful winter months here in Maine. Don and I continue to enjoy our lakeside house and look in awe at the beautiful sunsets, the return of our resident eagles as they prepare for the next breeding, and hope for an early spring.
What an amazing career Don Carrigan has had! His 50 years in the broadcast business was highlighted by Lincoln County Television in a one-hour special last August. A native of South Bristol, where he still lives, his forte has been telling stories about the “real Maine.” Don started his career at WLBZ in Bangor and served 19 years there. He also worked for Senator Bill Cohen for three years and then went to work at Maine Public Broadcasting. Don covered Maine governors starting with Ken Curtis and interviewed Maine legends like Margaret Chase Smith, Bill Hathaway, George Mitchell, and Nelson Rockefeller. As a side note, he also interviewed me last year when he did a story about the Poland Spring Water Museum. And another note, his sister’s name is Diantha and we met several years ago in Boothbay Harbor. Small world! Congratulations, Don! (The TV special appears on LCTV’s YouTube channel.)
The Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution recently announced the appointment of Susan Bachelder Hadiaris as board chair. Sue has served as a board member for 10 years and her new role will be to oversee the board’s strategic direction. Her 40-plus years as an executive in both healthcare and banking make her the perfect fit for this position. She also served on a variety of community service boards including the Saco School Committee and the United Way of York County.
Sue and her husband, Leon ’75, have been longtime business owners in Saco and enjoy being active and spending time with their children and grandchildren.
After almost 30 years, Joel Sankey is stepping down as head coach at Bucksport High School. Under his leadership, the Golden Bucks won the Class C state championship in 2004, reached the Class C state championship game in 2001 and 2011, and then the Class D state championship game in 2013 and 2019. His assistant, Sean Geagan ’89, has learned a great deal working with Coach Sankey but he also knows there are big shoes to fill. Coach Sankey loved working with his assistants and team dinners on Thursday nights, but Friday nights in Bucksport were his favorite. “There’s nothing like a Friday night in Bucksport.”
Joel coached as an assistant in Bucksport, Maine Maritime Academy, and Bangor before returning to Bucksport. His future plans are to play golf every day at Bangor Municipal Golf Course. Best wishes, Coach!
A final note — I got to spend several weeks in the summer with my Phi Mu sorority sister, Jan Lilley Additon ’72. We went to the Barbie movie together dressed in our best pink outfits. Fifty years of sisterhood!
Enjoy the remainder of the winter and please send any updates to my email, dondigrant@gmail.com. Your classmates do want to hear from you.