Latest News at Becket House at Norridgewock
Resident Reflects on Norridgewock Campus
November 2009, Becket House at Norridgewock
For those of you who are not familiar with the Norridgewock campus, it sits on a beautiful plot of 160 acres of land. The property boasts two ponds, fields, woods, and a small stream. Seeing 10-20 turkeys foraging near the house is an everyday occurrence, in addition to the occasional moose, deer, or fox sighting. On a more domestic note, we also have chickens, which produce a modest number of eggs each day.
On campus, many of the residents have taken an interest in creating and maintaining a network of woods trails that are located on the property. Historically, the trails have been used for hiking, snowshoeing, and on occasion a camping site. This fall we are also hoping to get a few sets of cross-country skis, which would provide another quality activity for residents and staff. I don't want to forget to mention that we will be able to ice-skate at night this winter, thanks to the spotlight towering over the pond. We anticipate a great winter this year as we've already seen 8 inches of snow!
High Energy at the World Wrestling Federation
October 2009, Becket House at Norridgewock
The World Wrestling Federation & ECW/Smackdown was kind enough to donate tickets to the Becket House at Norridgewock for their exciting event being held at the Bangor Auditorium in Bangor Maine. Having more than a few wrestling fans here in the house I can not tell how excited they were! Only to add to their joy was that our own Cheryl Elliot reached out to the guys at Big G’s in Winslow who were glad to provide the kids with their famous sandwiches for dinner. When we arrived in the parking lot and got a glimpse of the thousands of fans with their faces painted and wearing all their wrestling attire, their faces just light up. The vibe in the arena was electric…and contagious. One of our residents stated “you could power all of Bangor with this energy!”
The boys never touched their seats, they stood pumping their fists, hooting and hollering for their favorite wrestlers the entire three hours they were there. Well the kids had a great evening, I don’t think they made it ten minutes down the road before dozing off! We would like to thank Cheryl for making this exciting evening happen as well as the folks at Big G’s and ECW.
Norridgewock's Garden Variety
September 2009, Becket House at Norridgewock
As the summer is winding down, Becket House of Norridgewock has begun to reap some of the benefits of toiling in the soil behind the house this spring. The melons are about the size of a large softballs and corn is beginning to show some promise.
The students were more than happy to help pick some of zucchini and Cheri, a longtime Becket employee, made great homemade bread and muffins with it. One of the hits from the garden has been the peas. Although we have the technology to cook the peas, most of the crew prefers eating them straight from the garden. The cherry tomatoes have been very slow this year, but we hear it has been par for the course with most folks this particular year. We do have high hopes that our pumpkins will pick up the pace in time for carving, but only time will tell.
Summer Jamboree at BH at Norridgewock
August 2009, Becket House at Norridgewock
Becket House at Norridgewock recently held its seventh annual Summer Jamboree. While the weather in Maine hasn’t been the best for most of the summer, we were fortunate to be granted good weather for this special day. The young men from the Norridgewock and Belgrade houses began the day competing in a disc golf game that yielded a hole in one and ended with a tie. The group then played a “Jeopardy” trivia contest and held a hands-free pudding eating contest. The chocolate moustaches and goatees were a sure sign that the residents enjoyed this event.
After lunch, residents and staff were given the opportunity to dunk three staff members in a dunk tank that was donated especially for the Jamboree. The afternoon activities consisted of an obstacle course, swimming relay and a highly competitive canoe race. A word of thanks to all who helped make this day run smooth and eventful. We hope to see you all next year for the eighth annual Summer Jamboree!
Monster Trucks Take Over Maine!
May, 2009, Becket House at Norridgewock
 They’re loud, they’re big- It’s MONSTER TRUCK time! Yes, monster trucks came to Bangor, Maine on
May 28th, and what a show it was. They crushed, they roared, they did donuts, they jumped high, they had the crowd cheering for more. Grave Digger, Back
Draft, Instigator, and Intimidator.
The Becket boys and staff had a great time watching the stunts. The students especially loved seeing the cars
get crushed. Grave Digger jumped the highest, of course. They roared around the dirt track.
The quad runners from Maine and New York competed in 3 races. Those were the muddiest; I wouldn’t want to do their laundry. The first race was won by
New York – BOOOO!! Maine won the second race – YEAH! The final race was quite close, but Maine managed to win.
Many locals had their own 4x4’s out
playing in the mud as well. A 1993 Chevy Blazer nearly got stuck. With a little luck and some help, he finally got out. I would hate to see Grave Digger run him over.
By the end of the show everyone had a sore throat from hollering, it definately was a great time all around!
First Fish of the Season, written by Norridgewock student
April, 2009, Becket House at Norridgewock
On an overcast April afternoon, a small Becket House at Norridgewock group descended on the
Kennebec River in Skowhegan. The date being only Aril 8th left the crew navigating snow banks and slush puddles. Two of the residents
were very optimistic despite the less than desirable weather conditions.
Staff Mr. Mike Giguere led the outing and took part in wetting a line as well. The group decided to fish near a dam in downtown Skowhegan.
Early on, it
appeared that the group was just spending their time drowning worms.
After only a few casts, and much to everyone’s surprise, one student suddenly hooked onto something really big. As Steven battled the fish, against a strong current, the group
cheered him on. As the fish got closer to shore it was clear that it was not only a fish, but a nice one at that. One student landed a beautiful 17-inch brook
trout, with ease.
After seeing the great catch, it was more than enough to keep others casting the rest of the afternoon.
The big fish ended up being the first and only fish
caught on April 8th, but everyone left with a smile on their face.
The student noted, “We hope to catch many more fish this season and I want to give special recognition to Mike, for he has been amazingly helpful to the Becket
Program. He has a way of really connecting with kids and makes everyone happy here.”
Maine Ice Fishing "Fish Off"
March, 2008, Becket House at Norridgewock and Belgrade
 Staff and students from Norridgewock and Belgrade recently met on East Pond in Belgrade for a fine day of ice fishing. Belgrade arrived first on the pond and soon had 15 traps in the ice. No sooner had the last trap been set when the first flag of the day came. The boys went quickly running from trap to trap catching bass and pickerel.
Norridgewock then arrived and also had their fair share of traps in the ice. After only a few minutes everyone from Norridgewock were checking their traps as well and catching up to Belgrade in no time at all!
The Great Maine Winter Carnival
February, 2008, Becket House at Norridgewock
With "ol' man winter" bearing down on our Maine programs, the Great Maine Winter Carnival comes as a great relief to get outside and enjoy a little friendly competition between our Maine programs. This day was full of activities, such as; ice hockey, sledding basketball, chili cook-off, snowshoeing race, and an ice chiseling contest. Becket students showed great sportsmanship practiced an incredible amount of teamwork to make the day full of fun.
 With cloudy skies threatening above, students started the day with a sun dance in hopes to entice blue skies and ward of precipitation. The chili cook-off was a big hit between the Norridgewock and Belgrade houses. After everyone tasted and voted between the two chili’s, and Norridgewock went home claiming the best chili.
At the end of the day, everyone came inside to enjoy ice cream cake (thank you Dairy Queen!) and some hot cocoa. Graphic Explosion provided Becket Winter Carnival t-shirts for everyone to take home as a keepsake for the day's festivities. The Great Maine Winter Carnival certainly was a day to remember for both staff and students alike! Until next year, we will have to wait and see if Norridgewock loses their title as the best chili in the area!
Honoring our Veterans at Becket House at Norridgewock
November, 2008, Becket House at Norridgewock
 The Veterans' Day Parade was a great honor for everyone at the Becket House at Norridgewock this year. Two of their young gentlemen are members of the Civil Air Patrol, Waterville Division, and were asked to walk in the Veterans Day Parade. Both boys walked with such pride and did a fantastic job honoring their veterans. Neither one of the boys had ever been in a parade before and spent many hours practicing for the big event. For the Waterville Civil Air Patrol, it truly was a proud moment; this was the first time they had been in the parade in 2 years. Again, Congratulations!
Becket House at Norridgewock's Work Readiness Success
September, 2008, Becket House at Norridgewock
These are exciting times here at Becket House at Norridgewock. Along with the beautiful changes that autumn brings to our surrounding landscape, we also have many great changes on the inside as well.
BH at Norridgewock focuses towards work readiness and building a solid foundation for our clients in the community. The Norridgewock Team has created several on-campus jobs such as: house laundry, kitchen aides (cooks), landscaping and chicken coup attendants, to name a few. This has created an important teaching tool to familiarize our clients with the interview process and the day to day challenges that come with the responsibility of having a job.
We are very proud to announce that one of our students is now successfully working in the community! Michael has been working at a local restaurant for over a month. He credits his experience with his house job of cooking in the kitchen as an asset to getting and maintaining this employment. Michael stated “I learned how to work with others and I also learned how to work safely and to keep my work area clean.”
Michael has already been asked to take on more responsibility by working more shifts and longer hours per shift. We are all proud of the strides Michael has made and he is a good role model for his peers. Michael told his peers that “if you work hard and don’t give up, you can be just like me!”
With a team approach to teaching at Norridgewock, we believe these changes will benefit not only our clients but our community as well.
Norridgewock's Day at Funtown Splashtown
August, 2008, Becket House at Norridgewock
With summer coming to an end, Becket House at Norridgewock recently took full advantage of the beautiful weather to enjoy a day at Funtown Splashtown USA. Located in Saco, Maine, the park is the home of Maine’s only wooden roller coaster, Excalibur, as well as New England’s longest and tallest log flume ride. The favorite ride among the Norridgewock group was a toss-up between the Excalibur and Dragon's Descent. And of course, students couldn't resist soaking staff as they came down the Log Flume ride!
Norridgewock's Annual Summer Jamboree
August 2008, Becket House at Norridgewock
Becket House at Norridgewock and Becket House at Belgrade met for the big “face off” at the Annual Summer Jamboree in Norridgewock, Maine. Steady rain and storms did not scare Belgrade away from the festivities as they camped outside and braved the elements the night before the Jamboree.
Students competed in the Rubik’s cube race, a “no-hands” pudding eating contest, canoe relay race, water balloon toss, and swim relay race. The Redintgon Fairview EMTs provided a safety demonstration as well as a tour of the ambulance. Subway provided tasty sandwiches for lunchtime! Prizes included; ice cream cake, t-shirts, skate boards, fishing poles, Rubik’s cubes, and various awards.
The Annual Summer Jamboree was full of great summer fun, laughs, and memories all the students will take home. Both houses are already gearing up for the next challenge during Winter Carnival when both houses will “face off” again for new challenges.
Winter Carnival Week 2008
March 2008
Even Mother Nature, with her frigid temperatures and unrelenting wind, could not keep Becket from enjoying their Annual Winter Carnival at Norridgewock. The week started off with an ice fishing derby on Salmon Lake at Spaulding Point. The kids put out their traps, played football, drank hot chocolate, ate lunch, and waited for the fish to bite. Throughout the week students also played ice hockey, sledding, basketball, ice soccer, and had a snowshoe relay.
 The Big Chili Cook-off was a favorite for students and faculty. Everyone was very eager to see which house would create the winning chili - Norridgewock with the little bit of spice, or Belgrade with the little bit of nice. It was very close, but Norridgewock won again this year. Go Norridgewock!
Awards were handed out to all participants and everyone received a t-shirt designed by Absolute Graphics. The big finale of Winter Carnival Week was going to Waterville Flagship Cinema and seeing Spiderwick Chronicles. A few parts of the movie even kept some of the big boys on the edge of their seats.
Overall, Winter Carnival Week was a great way to get together and have fun in the middle of winter. By all the laughs and smiles on the kids' faces, it was well worth all the effort to put the carnival together. Hope to see everyone at the Summer Jamboree!
Please visit Becket's Latest News to read about more
adventures at our Becket programs.
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The Becket House at Norridgewock is an 8-bed residential treatment program for adolescent males and females, specializing in the treatment of serious mental health challenges.
Each resident is provided with individualized mental health treatment that focuses on stabilization, community reintegration, and skill development.
The Becket House at Norridgewock is situated on 150 acre parcel of land boasting two ponds, sporting fields, gardens, and hiking trails. Each resident is provided with their own bedroom for purposes of privacy, safety, and self expression. Educational services are available within the community or at our Private Special Service day school located on our Belgrade campus (see CMLC).
