Wells-Ogunquit schools celebrate budding authors at 38th Literary Awards
WELLS, Maine — The Wells-Ogunquit Community School District presented its 38th annual Literary Achievement Awards Ceremony on April 25.
At this well-attended event, 68 students who placed in this writing competition were recognized on stage in the Olenn Auditorium at Wells High School. This year’s top prize of $500 went to senior Nathan Muchemore for his fictional story, “Out of the Shadows.”
At the start of the event, co-chair of the contest Pamela Lear introduced guest speaker Darcy Ramsdell who spoke of her father David Page who, almost four decades ago, was the first to envision this contest for the school district. Page, then president of Ocean National Bank in Wells, presented the idea to the superintendent and business manager at that time who then made it a reality in 1986. Accompanying Ramsdell was her mother Barbara Page, a former teacher at Wells Elementary School.
The awards were presented by contest co-chair Alison Clark.
Those who received the honor of first place in their respective grade categories were: Avery Martin (kindergarten), Quinn Avery (grade 1), Grady Rounds (grade 2), Finley Reed (grade 3), Aurora Krauss (grade 4), Sicily DiNardi (grade 5), Caleb Hinkel (grade 6), Scarlett Lantz (grade 7), Katelyn Chase (grade 8), Annora Ferris (grade 9), Christopher Buckley (grade 10), Pieper Morris (grade 11), and Nathan Muchemore (grade 12). All entries were judged anonymously at two levels by district staff and community members.
This year the contest was sponsored by the Wells-Ogunquit CSD, the Rotary Club of Wells, and the Rotary Club of Ogunquit. The top winner at each grade level, except Grade 12, received $100. Second-place winners received $50, third-place winners received $25, and honorable mentions received $15 gift certificates to Las Olas Taqueria in Wells. Rotarians present to award prizes included Danielle Defelice of Wells, Rick Coyne of Wells, and Rick Barber of Ogunquit.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Wells-Ogunquit schools celebrate budding authors at Literary Awards
