By Kara McCrimmon

Early on in Cobscook Institute’s story, Mary Belenky, a beloved educator and author of the notable “Women’s Ways of Knowing” and other works, gifted Cobscook with the tagline “your community home place.” Mary, who taught at the first Cobscook Gatherings two decades ago, passed peacefully with her husband by her side in 2020. While she has passed on, her gift to us remains. As a “homeplace,” Cobscook serves as a space to gather and learn together, make music, share meals, and celebrate the seasons. Increasingly, it’s also a place where the community comes together to mourn and remember. With nearly 20 years of rooting in this place on the shores of East Stream, people have gathered many times to remember members of the Cobscook community who have made a mark on this place and in our hearts.

As we continue to remember those who have come and gone, this year we remember Wayne Newell, David Wilder, John Viselli and Mary Lemmon for their unique and lasting contributions to the community.

Wayne Newell was an accomplished educator, storyteller, singer, author, and scholar. A member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Motahkomikuk (Indian Township), Wayne worked throughout his life to sustain, retain, celebrate and live Passamaquoddy language and culture. His legacy extends far and wide. In 1971, he directed the first bilingual/bicultural education program for the Passamaquoddy Tribe. Wayne was active in his Tribe’s continuing struggles for justice for Native people. He served on the Tribal Council, as Tribal Representative of the Maine Legislature, and on the Maine Human Rights Commission. He was the first Native American to serve on the Board of Trustees for University of Maine, and he helped create the Native Studies Program and the Wabanaki Center at the University. Wayne was also appointed by former President Jimmy Carter to serve on the National Indian Education Advisory Committee. He held degrees from Harvard Graduate Schools, Emerson College, Ricker College, and the University of Maine. Among these prestigious affiliations, in 1999, he accepted an invitation to become a co-founder of what was then Cobscook Community Learning Center, and even today Cobscook’s mission, vision, and values reverberate with his wisdom. He guided Cobscook’s founding group to center “love” at the core of our values and modeled the importance of listening to and learning from one another’s stories. Wayne served as a board member and mentor to Cobscook Institute from its founding, and even though he has passed on, we continue to learn from and be guided by his words and his example.

David Wilder and John Viselli were both incredible musicians who volunteered their time and talent at the many fundraisers and community events at Cobscook over the years. David, a regular at Monday Night Music, was known for his gentle finger-picking on the guitar and original songs about the region. John was known for his ability to play nearly any string instrument and for being a veritable jukebox of tunes and songs. Both men were skilled craftsmen, and the work of their hands lives on across the Cobscook campus. In the summer of 2012, David worked with a group of our high school students to build a much-needed addition to Rice Hall. He served as the instructor for a two-week summer course in building trades, and the room he and those students constructed ten years ago is actively used today by our current high schoolers. We call that room the Wilder Wing in honor of David.

All of the stone masonry work on campus is the result of courses John taught over the years. The fire ring in the center of the campus, the cob oven, the benches and waterfall in the reflective Jimmy Soctomah Memorial Park, and the orange concrete dance surface in the Don and Sue Furth Memorial Amphitheater are all the result of John's masonry skill and his fluency as a teacher. While we miss both David and John, their legacy of music and skilled craftsmanship lives on.

Mary Lemmon, Cobscook’s friend and supporter, was a compassionate mental health professional who dedicated herself to helping people process their grief and trauma. She was a keen judge of character who instinctively understood the importance of trust, listening, and responding to people’s needs. Mary’s commitment to generously supporting community programs including her time and her talents stemmed from a long family tradition of philanthropy. She knew that she could make a difference in people’s lives, and she was always open to new ideas and new people. A team from Cobscook was introduced to Mary in 2018, as we were beginning to pilot a multi-year research and practice work in Washington County elementary schools with TREE: Transforming Rural Experience in Education. TREE was a major undertaking – doubling the budget and staff team for Cobscook, and it was made possible through the generous philanthropic support of individuals and foundations. Mary agreed to join our circle of support and remained engaged in helping sustain our programs and impacts right through 2022. Mary’s support for our TREE program empowered a dedicated group of psychologists, trauma-informed educators, and researchers at a critical time. Her generosity and caring were instrumental in helping generate a model of school transformation detailed in the newly released book, “Trauma-Responsive Schooling.” Mary’s legacy at Cobscook will continue as we work to envision and bring to life a new round of trauma-responsive training, research, and programming.