Collin Bates had committed suicide and was found between 4 and 5 p.m., Ewing said. Ewing declined to say how the police knew it was suicide out of respect for the family.

Bates attended UMaine last year as a first-year student, but wasn’t enrolled full-time, according to Peter Bates, Collin Bates’ father. He had begun to study business, and  hoped to join the Marines this fall.

“He was going to join the Marines and graduated from Orono High School — where he was an honor student, and he played football and basketball [and] ran track,” said Peter Bates. “He was full of life. He loved fishing and hunting and outdoor activities and camping and loved going to the beach.”

The body was found “in the woods in the Ayers Island area,” Ewing said.

“He had transferred to the University of Rhode Island,” said Vice President of Student Affairs Robert Dana. “[He] was a great student there [Orono High] and a great athlete. Well-loved by many.”

Collin Bates was last seen alive Aug. 26, according Ewing. Orono police officers began searching for him with the assistance of Down East Emergency Medical Institute.

“They had access to a canine tracking dog,” Ewing said, but a passerby found the body before the dog did.

Collin Bates was born April 24, 1990 — the son of Peter and Constance Bates — and graduated from Orono High in 2008. In high school he was a running back for the Orono Red Riots, according to the Bangor Daily News.

A burial mass ceremony for Bates was held Sept. 14 at 11 a.m. at Resurrection of the Lord Parish, St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Orono.

Tania Riegelman – 20 years old – and Rebecca Kosciszka – 19 years old – were sentenced to each pay a $1,000 fine, and Riegelman must have a substance abuse evaluation within 90 days, according to the district attorney’s office. Riegelman and Kosciszka pleaded guilty Thursday to furnishing a place for minors to drink alcohol, according to Penobscot County District Attorney Christopher Almy.

The two held a party Feb. 15 on Stillwater Avenue in Old Town. Lyford, who was 19 years old, was found unconscious the following morning with a fractured skull. He was transported to Eastern Maine Medical Center by ambulance where he was pronounced dead.

The DA’s office recommended 48 hours of jail time and community service in addition to the $1,000 fine, and based its recommendation on the seriousness of the situation, contact with Lyford’s family and the “cooperation that both the defendants gave to police after the incident happened.”

Almy advised students to think about the consequences of similar parties. “That was a pretty free-wheeling wide-open alcohol party,” Almy said. “There are dangers to it. … If they get caught they are risking their careers.”

Tionna Baldwin, a UMaine student and friend of Lyford, responded to the plea via e-mail. “I went to high school with Tania Riegelman, and she and I have been friends, and while I cannot blame her for Dylan’s death, I’m glad that they plead guilty, because I do feel that there was something that could have been done, that clearly wasn’t. I hope that the courts don’t give them the maximum punishment because I know how hard it was for them to deal with [Lyford's death] just as any of the rest of us, but having closure to this and knowing there was a repercussion for the actions of that night is relieving and does help the grieving process. I wish them both the best and my regards still go out to the family. Even after four months he is still missed and thought of every day,” Baldwin said in an e-mail.

While we never found time to hang out apart from our relationship as editor at the Maine Campus and Student Entertainment maestro, he texted me more than once suggesting we chat over beer.

That’s a long way of me proving the guy was a beer lover. Since last fall, he’d been a fan of Novare Res Bier Cafe in the Old Port – a pub that offers “members” a checklist to keep track of their conquest of 200 beers. When he died last Tuesday, he had 13 down, 187 to go.

Andrew Gerke’s friends and family made a pilgrimage to Novare Res on Saturday night to finish what he started, just as Christopher Tolkien finished the work of his father, J.R.R., in chronicling Middle-earth.

—

At 9 p.m., I find the brick pub and proceed to wait 15 minutes for a beer; a side bar is completely mobbed with people chipping away at Andrew’s list. Novare Res and its spacious beer garden are swarmed with people wearing both red and blue Red Sox hats reading, “In Loving Memory: Andrew Gerke: 8/8/84 – 4/14/09.” Later, upward of 40 people gather for the event to sing a boisterous rendition of the Maine “Stein Song” outside.

When I finally get my hands on the list, there are hardly any beers left. According to Andrew’s friend Brandon Aaskov, a separate group from Team Gerke heard what was going on and pitched in, purchasing some of the more expensive beers.

Cory Sims, Andrew’s sister’s boyfriend, orchestrated the event. Cory is quick to downplay his role.

“It’s all in the name of Andy,” Cory says. After hearing Andrew was a fan of the establishment and that he’d hoped to finish all the beers, Cory spoke to the Novare Res manager.

“He’d never done anything like this before, and he was ready to just do it,” he says.

Cory left with Andrew’s sister, Katy McAlister, at seven for dinner at Margaritas.

“At that point, the bartenders were like, ‘You know, if you guys don’t finish it tonight, we’ll keep it going. You’ve got a long ways to go.’ And we got back here at nine and they’re like, ‘There’s only about 12 beers left,’” Cory says, laughing. “So people did a lot of work.”

The beers range from $5 to more than $30 and come from all over the world, with a big chunk hailing from Belgium and Germany. With no method, I pick a Belgian Augustijn Ale from the menu; the bartender ducks into the bottle room and returns with a green monster reminiscent of a wine bottle, cork and all. I’ll find out later it costs $21. I’m okay with it because I know why I’m here.

“To finish his list, to finish his goal? I think this is the perfect tribute, because no matter what Andy and I were doing, we had a blast. No. Matter. What,” says Kyle Norris, punctuating each word with a slap of his hands. He’s known Andrew since age six. “Bringing all these people together – from his fraternity, from high school, from drum corps, from bands, everyone together in one place, to celebrate the life of one of the most amazing people I’ve ever known – is incredible.”

He goes on to tell me stories unfit for print, but fit to make me laugh until my face hurts – one memory ends, “that was the best $10 I ever spent.”

That’s the vibe of the evening – there doesn’t appear to be much sad drinking. “Commemorate Andy Gerke” is the name of the Facebook event, and that’s what is happening.

“By the time today came around, we’d gotten a lot of our tears out,” says Dennis Boyd, a 2005 UMaine alum and one of Andrew’s many Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity brothers. He was at the hospital with Andrew when he died.

“He wouldn’t have wanted a bunch of people sitting around crying about it. He would’ve wanted all his friends to get together, raise a glass, here’s to you,” Dennis says. “This is how I wanna go out. Line ‘em up at the bar.”

Boyd has done his fair share working through Andrew’s list. He estimates 25 Sig Ep brothers came to Novare Res to do the same.

“We had people come incredible lengths just to say goodbye,” Dennis says. Andrew’s friends traveled from Massachusetts, New York and Colorado.

Novare Res is a pub for beer lovers. They serve beer in more than 35 styles of glasses. They decorate the tables with makeshift beer-bottle vases filled with baby’s breath. Empties of prestigious brews line every spare inch of shelf space.

A guy I’ve never met toasts my glass and says, “To Andy.” Photocopies of Andrew’s list float around – “Gerke, Andrew, November 14, 2008,” is written in his handwriting.

At 10:13 p.m., Andrew’s sister Katy buys the last beer. It’s an Allagash, from Maine.

“We are here for one man,” someone yells as a toast. Glasses clink and tears are shed.

Each person who finishes the 200-beer list is given an engraved chalice and a spot to keep it in a locked room.

“There’s one person that’s awarded with a key,” Cory tells me. He holds up a small, ordinary silver key. “Whenever we want, we can open up the gate with this key, grab the chalice and just commemorate Andy Gerke.”

We do just that. Cory removes a large link of heavy chain from a formidable metal gate, and we go into a room full of cubby holes; less than two dozen belong to champions of the challenge. The room is peaceful and quiet, even with the roar of the bar audible in the background.

Cory and Katy say the chalice will be engraved with Andrew’s name, his birth and death dates, and the word “commemorative.” They’ll also put a picture of Andrew in the cubby. They’ve been drinking from Andrew’s chalice – they give me a sip before setting it in his cubby and showing me his completed list.

The list is like Andrew’s life: You show up, it’s astonishing, and you can’t wait for it to go on and on. Then all of a sudden, it’s over with three hours till last call. And it’s still a hell of a way to be sent off. There’s no question everyone here will remember the night and tell the story for ages. The Beer Police will certainly be back, thinking of Andrew and sipping one in his honor.

“He was one of those people blessed with having a smile that instantly makes you smile when you see it. I’m going to miss that,” stated Brandon Aaskov, a friend of Gerke’s since seventh grade, in an e-mail. Aaskov began a Facebook group, “News about Andrew Gerke” shortly after Gerke’s car crash and admission to Maine Medical Center. The group had 527 members by press time, mourning and commemorating Gerke, who was 24 years old.

“I’m trying to celebrate his life and all the good times we had together instead of mourning his death. He was just too lively and happy a person, I think he’d rather people smile when they think of him instead of cry,” Aaskov said. He set up a PayPal donation system for Gerke’s family and funeral arrangements Tuesday morning after Gerke’s death. At press time, $1,295 had been raised in roughly 36 hours.

“I’m in shock. It’s just been such a whirlwind,” said Katy McAlister, Gerke’s sister. The siblings were two years apart and best friends, she said.

“My brother was an amazing guy. He was a mentor to a lot of people,” she said, adding they closely shared interests and friends. McAlister has been with the family in Biddeford since Tuesday. “We had a hard life together – our parents were divorced, we pretty much only had each other.”

Gerke graduated from the University of Maine in December with a degree in civil engineering. He studied and spoke German. He was a brother in Sigma Phi Epsilon and acted as one of the “naked five” at UMaine hockey games – a zealous group of shirtless fans with the letters M-A-I-N-E painted on their chests. He was vice president of the Sophomore Owls Honor Society.

Gerke was a world traveler. His Facebook shows him in Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, England and Ireland. He volunteered in Chicago for Alternative Spring Break in 2008 and coordinated YouthAIDS events as well as Rock Against Rape at UMaine.

Nearly every personal account of Gerke involved his inseparable ties to music – he was an avid percussionist and horn player.

“That kid lived for music. That’s where he felt the best, was through music. It was so much more than just an outlet for him,” student Jess Long said. She grew up on Gerke’s street and saw him every day in her sophomore year of high school. Like Gerke’s closest friends, she knew him as Andy. “He was a band geek and proud of it.”

Friend Daniel Raphael Cooper in an e-mail called Gerke “probably the most disciplined musician I’ve known,” saying he was a “serious musical inspiration” for him.

Gerke was a member of many marching, jazz and pep bands in his life. He marched with several drum corps, including the Boston Crusaders on trumpet in 2005 and the Phantom Regiment on mellophone in 2006. He traveled to Florida several times with ensembles. On Sunday Gerke told a Maine Campus editor that he was looking forward to seeing Killswitch Engage and Chimaira live this weekend in Portland.

Jamie Reinhold was a percussionist several years behind Gerke at South Portland High School.

“Andy came back every year to help out with our rehearsals and shows. He pushed students hard but in a kind and helpful way, and everyone respected him,” she stated in an e-mail, calling his enthusiasm “contagious.”

“One of my fondest memories is of him walking around our ‘practice field’ – a parking lot, actually – with his clipboard. After a really hard set, he came up to me and told me I had really good marching technique. That compliment from Andy made my night,” Reinhold said.

“I’ve had so many tell me that he’s been just such an inspiration to them,” McAlister said. She called her brother someone people could always talk to.

As vice president for Student Entertainment for most of autumn 2008, Gerke booked two high-profile acts, Dropkick Murphys and O.A.R., for one semester. Earlier, he worked on the final Bumstock in 2006, the MTVU Tour, Dashboard Confessional and Ben Folds with a resume stretching as far back as Gavin Degraw in April 2005.

“I think the students are going to love it,” Gerke said in September in an interview about the Dropkick Murphys concert. He prided himself on the cheap ticket prices he’d created for students. He said he wanted to give students and first-time concertgoers “a good time and show them what a concert’s about.”

“He’s bigger than life,” Long said. She characterized Gerke’s impossible-to-pinpoint personality as “a professional young person.”

“He looks you in the eye when he talks to you and he makes you feel like you’re there, and he sees you,” Long said. She continued to shift between past and present tense in remembering her friend.

“He was hilarious, he was fun to be around, but he knew how to get down to business,” stated alumnus Brett Sowerby in an e-mail. “I probably only know him a fraction better than the hundreds of other students Andrew interacted with – I think that was one of the great things about it: He was able to make people feel like they were great friends and truly important to him. I think he really did think they were important to him.”

Director of Campus Activities and Events Gustavo Burkett knew Gerke personally and in a professional capacity, working together to craft student entertainment.

“Just talking with alumni and Sig Ep, I’ve heard more stories today than I’ve heard in years,” Burkett said on Tuesday. “He was always energized about something. He was a very positive person.”

“You would be talking about something very serious, and he would make up a word in the middle of a sentence and you’re like, ‘What?’ Then you’ll realize he just made that up. He had fun with what he was doing,” said Burkett, a Sig Ep alum.

Gerke’s Sig Ep brother and Student Government President Owen McCarthy said 15 to 20 brothers and alumni went to the hospital Monday and Tuesday.

Many Sig Ep members and friends of Gerke spent Tuesday in the fraternity’s library, consoling each other and reminiscing.

“We started telling some stories about Andrew, some funny stories,” McCarthy said. He remembered Gerke’s sense of style – specifically his stylish glasses – as a first impression.

“He made a point when you were new in the fraternity to meet you, get to know you. He really connected with you pretty immediately.”

His favorite Andrew Gerke story is last summer, when McCarthy was living in Ohio.

“He knew I was by myself, so he used to just call to talk. He was like, ‘Oh, I’m coming to Cincinnati,’ and I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s great,’” McCarthy said. “And Andrew’s like, ‘I can’t see you, though. I just wanted to let you know I’d be in the area.’ Oh, thank you, Andrew, thanks a lot.” Like many nice-guy stories about Gerke, McCarthy’s has a comic bite.

“He definitely was the typical ‘salt of the earth’ Mainer that would give you the shirt off his back even if you didn’t ask for it,” Aaskov said.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Department chair Eric Landis was Gerke’s advisor and professor. They were acquainted since Gerke was a first-year student. Landis called him likable and personable with “very diverse interests.” They met at least once per semester.

“He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, but he obviously had many opportunities in front of him,” Landis said.

Aaskov said Gerke attained an almost competitive zeal when he faced adversity.

“I’ve tried pretty hard to take that kind of attitude toward life, and I still have a hard time,” Aaskov stated in an e-mail. “You know when you see someone like Tony Hawk do a trick and you think, ‘He makes that look so easy?’ That’s how I felt about Andy.”

Aaskov said Gerke applied to more than 60 employers recently.

“It was strange how he said it though. He was just commenting on the economy, not complaining or looking for sympathy,” Aaskov said.

Burkett acknowledged it is “a painful time” and encouraged the community to find personally suitable ways to deal with their grief. He recommended UMaine’s Counseling Center.

“Use each other, because there’s no one better than someone who knew the person to help you remember,” Burkett said.

Two funeral visitation sessions will be at Hobbs Funeral Home in South Portland on Friday, April 17 from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m.

A celebration of Gerke’s life will be held Saturday April 19 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Cape Elizabeth – guests are encouraged to bring musical instruments. Detailed directions to both events are available on the Facebook group “News about Andrew Gerke.”

Brian James, 22, died this weekend in a snowmobiling accident in Aroostook County – doing what he loved, in a place he loved.

“He was most comfortable outside – kayaking, hiking – and loved being up to camp with his friends and family,” said Kristin Ireland, a friend of James and a UMaine student.

“The outdoors is where I want to be. I am from Presque Isle, and yes, I am a county boy and proud of it,” James wrote on his Facebook.

Family and friends were his No. 1 priority, but his kindness spread into the entire community.

“He would honestly do anything for anyone and was always there to help,” said Megan Sturgeon, a friend of James.

“Brian’s heart did not only extend to his family and friends. He once said to me, ‘Nobody wants to be hated because of their personality or actions. I think everyone deserves a second chance.’ Such a statement is symbolic of how he treated everyone,” Ireland said.

James was often captured smiling in photographs. He had a broad grin, encompassed by his round, rosy cheeks. His blond hair, kept in a short, military-style cut, peeked out from the baseball cap he often wore in his pictures.

A third-year student majoring in Public Administration, he was an accomplished student and soldier.

He was a senior airman in the 101st Security Forces, stationed in Bangor. Enlisting in the Air Force in 2005, the same year he graduated high school, James balanced school and his career with equal enthusiasm.

He was a distinguished graduate from his Security Force Apprenticeship Course. He also received awards for marksmanship and the Maine State Academic Achievement Award.

“He was an exceptional student at the military course he attended and at the University of Maine,” said Capt. Shannon Cotta of the Maine National Guard.

Cotta said James held an important position at the Bangor base. Because most military aircraft flows through Maine on foreign deployments, security is crucial. His division was also trained in refueling military planes bound for Afghanistan and Iraq over the Atlantic Ocean.

“He played an important role safeguarding those activities,” Cotta said.

James carried this sort of commitment over to his schoolwork as well.

“He was a very good student. I remember him with a big smile, cracking a joke here and there,” said Tom Taylor, chair of the Public Administration department.

“We were just shocked when we heard about this. . We really feel sorry we’re missing a good man.”

His classmates remember him similarly.

When Marie Guignard transferred to UMaine from University of Maine at Presque Isle, she was worried about meeting new people.

“I always found something to talk about or usually laugh about when talking to Brian and my other classmates. My worries about being scared about being a new person on a new campus were soon over,” Guignard said.

“Statistics class just will not be the same, especially being able to laugh at certain things in class – like laughing about last week’s lecture on three-way Chi-squares.”

James also kept himself busy outside school and work.

He completed emergency medical technician training at Eastern Maine Community College and had plans to become a firefighter.

He hoped to be a border patrol agent or a Drug Enforcement Administration agent after graduation.

“His goals were never-ending,” Sturgeon said.

According to a news release by Maine State Police spokesman Steve McCausland, Gerke was traveling northbound on the Maine Turnpike in Saco when he lost control of his 1987 Nissan 300 at 5:45 p.m. The car rolled three times before landing on its wheels in the southbound lane and Gerke, who was not wearing a seat belt, was thrown from the vehicle.

According to the release, “witnesses to the crash told [a trooper] Gerke’s car veered suddenly into the far left passing lane and it appears Gerke overcorrected causing the vehicle to overturn.” Driver inattention, not speed, was the cause of the crash, McCausland said.

Gerke was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland where he was listed in critical condition. The 24-year-old died at 7:50 a.m. Tuesday, according to Mary Saucier, a spokesperson for the hospital.

“If he had been seatbelted, he would likely have survived this crash,” McCausland said.

An official cause of death has not been determined and will not be released by the medical examiner for several weeks.

Gerke graduated in December with a degree in civil engineering. He worked as vice president of Student Entertainment while at UMaine.

This Tuesday, The University of Maine lost a good friend and a phenomenal personality to a terrible accident. Andrew Gerke will be missed.

It might seem selfish, but I can only comment on Andrew’s life and death in respect to how it has affected me. Realistically, it’s all any of us can do right now. Some may say Andrew’s death was a tragedy because he was young or because he had potential. I say it’s a tragedy because Andrew was my friend and a damn good one to have around. He knew how to endure adversity and was an asset to have in your corner. I think if he could, he would console those who are grieving now. That ass, always trying to be a better man than I can be. But that’s the thing about Andrew – he inspired me to be a better person.

A quick glance at Facebook reveals Andrew had more than 900 friends, of which I am one. Was he a “friend collector”? Hardly. Andrew knew these people – I’m not even sure I can say that for the people in my friend list. I bet most of them would even call Andrew their friend, not just a mere acquaintance.

I can’t pretend I was Andrew’s best friend; I simply wasn’t. I think the closest approximation of our relationship would be “business associates,” but I would nonetheless call him a friend. I, like many others at UMaine, just knew him. I looked forward to my encounters with Andrew, whether it was seeing him shirtless, running around the Alfond Arena, or just enjoying a cup of coffee across from that huge grin he showed off most of the day – generally, shirt on.

It was almost impossible to have avoided Andrew’s presence, what with his gregarious personality and involvement in so many facets of the university community. He was able to do the amazing juggling act: simultaneously donning the hat of the constant entertainer, wearing the suit of a businessman, carrying the letters of Greek life, fulfilling the rigors of engineering, all while being that guy everyone wants to hang out with.

This was one thing about Andrew I found especially amazing: He was a man wearing many hats, but was able to transcend all of these roles. He refused to be two-dimensional and made real connections with so many people because of it. He was at once the guy in the pep band, the guy playing music outside his dorm room, the guy in Greek life, the booking agent down in Augusta, and yet was never boxed in by any of the stereotypes those roles may have.

If you had asked me three days ago, I would have had no doubt that Andrew Gerke was destined for great things. No, scratch destined. I thought he would chisel great things out of life’s opportunities. Andrew reminds us how much responsibility we can take on our shoulders and still be decent, giving individuals. He has reminded me to keep in mind our short time on earth.

Given the recent deaths that have affected many students, I sincerely hope the UMaine community uses this opportunity to address mortality, regardless of the feelings of squeamishness it may cause.

Appreciate the people you know. Be a hugger. Love your friends. Let petty differences go. Call your family more often. Above all else, hope.

Brett Sowerby wishes life’s lessons didn’t have to be so painful.

James, 22, was a third-year public administration student and a member of the Maine Air National Guard. He was from Presque Isle.

The accident occurred in Township 9, Range 7 in Aroostook County, about seven miles from Ox Falls.

The wardens were notified shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday, but the accident happened at approximately 11:45 p.m. Saturday, according to Ward.

James fractured his neck and died on impact when the snowmobile he was driving left the trail and struck a large birch tree. “He was traveling a little too fast for the conditions,” Ward said. “… We have snow banks probably a couple feet high, and it appears he just got over to the right a little bit, and the corner probably came up on him a little too quickly, and he wasn’t able to negotiate it.” James was wearing a helmet.

James was snowmobiling with Cad Lavway, 22, also of Presque Isle. Lavway passed the scene of the accident without noticing it and continued to the family’s camp. When Lavway discovered James was not already at the camp, Lavway and two other men from the camp searched for him.

When James was found, the search team called the Warden Service. Four wardens, including Ward, responded, as well as Ashland Ambulance and Fire.

“He was a very good student,” said the chair of the Public Administration department, Tom Taylor. “I remember him with a big smile, cracking a joke here and there. … We were just shocked when we heard about this.”

James was taken to Duncan Graves Memorial Home in Presque Isle.

According to a news release by Maine State Police spokesman Steve McCausland, Gerke was traveling northbound on the Maine Turnpike in Saco when he lost control of his 1987 Nissan 300 at 5:45 p.m. The car rolled three times before landing on its wheels in the southbound lane and Gerke, who was not wearing a seat belt, was thrown from the vehicle. According to the release, “witnesses to the crash told [a trooper] Gerke’s car veered suddenly into the far left passing lane and it appears Gerke overcorrected causing the vehicle to overturn.” Driver inattention, not speed, was the cause of the crash, McCausland said.

Gerke was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland where he was listed in critical condition. He died at 7:50 a.m. on Tuesday, according to Mary Saucier, a spokesperson for the hospital.

“If he had been seatbelted, he would likely have survived this crash,” McCausland said.

Gerke graduated in December with a degree in civil engineering. He worked as vice president of Student Entertainment while at UMaine.

Watch The Maine Campus for more in-depth coverage.

University of Maine student Brian James died from the result of a neck fracture in a snowmobile accident Saturday night, according to Sgt. Tom Ward of the Maine Warden Service.

James, 22, was a third-year public administration student and a member of the Air Force Reserve. He was from Presque Isle.

The accident occurred in Township 9 Range 7 in Aroostook County, about seven miles from Ox Falls. The wardens were notified shortly before 1 a.m. on Sunday, but the accident happened at approximately 11:45 p.m. on Saturday, according to Ward.

James fractured his neck and died on impact when the snowmobile he was driving left the trail and struck a large birch tree. “He was traveling a little too fast for the conditions,” Ward said. “We do have some snow up here, we got some more yesterday. … We have snow banks probably a couple feet high, and it appears he just got over to the right a little bit and the corner probably came up on him a little too quickly and he wasn’t able to negotiate it.” According to Ward, James was wearing a helmet.

James was snowmobiling with Cad Lavway, 22, also of Presque Isle. Lavway passed the scene of the accident without noticing it and continued to the family’s camp. When Lavway discovered James was not already at the camp, Lavway and two other men from the camp searched for him.

When James was found, the search team called the Warden Service. Four wardens, including Ward, responded, as well as Ashland Ambulance and Fire.

“He was a very good student,” said the chair of the Public Administration department, Tom Taylor. “I remember him with a big smile, cracking a joke here and there … We were just shocked when we heard about this.”

James was taken to Duncan Graves memorial home in Presque Isle.