Originally from New Jersey, a graduate of Trinity College (Hartford), I moved to Thorndike, Maine in 1971 along my cousin Ruffy, and many other "back to the landers". I went into business with my sister Carroll and our partners at The Grasshopper Shop on High St. in downtown Belfast in Sept. 1975, being among the first, "hippies" to open a local business downtown. We added a shop in Camden in 1976, Ellsworth in 1982, and Bangor in 1983 (with my brother Rick). We owned the Oddfellows building on Main St., which was home to the Grasshopper Shop for ten years. I was a founder of the Belfast Chamber of Commerce.  I moved from Thorndike to Northport in 1979, and later to Belfast 1989 when I renovated an abandoned house on Commercial St.  After a divorce in 1988 the Belfast Grasshopper Shop was sold in 1989. Wendy and I met at the end of 1988 and were married in 1991 at St. Margarets Church, where Wendy served on the vestry. She has been active in The Belfast Maskers from 1990 until the present. I have been a member of the Belfast Curling Club since 1980

 

    As Ellsworth was my primary business, I felt it was important to shift my Community invlovement to Hancock County. We bought a camp in Blue Hill in 1993 where we lived half the year until we completed a new house in 2002. My community involvement in non-profits began in 1992 with The Grand Auditorium in Ellsworth where I was a board member for 12 years and President for 5 terms. I was active in the Downtown Merchants Association, and served on capital campaigns for the Frenchmans Bay Conservatory and Woodlawn. In 2004 I joined the board of Hospice Volunteers of Hancock County, trained as a hospice volunteer, and served as president twice, and treasurer for several years. Wendy and I initiated a fundraising program for Hospice Volunteers called 'Dinner Parties for a Cause" which we ran for its first 10 years and which continues to present. I have continued my service to Hospice Volunteers to present. In 2011 I was recognized as Citizen of the Year by the Ellsworth C of C, and in 2012 was made a Paul Harris Fellow by the Ellsworth Rotary Club.  After retiring in 2012 I joined the boards of The New Surry Theatre,  and Friends of the Blue Hill Library. I have been active as a tennis player for many years and until recently as a trumpet player for The Brooklin Town Band. In November of last year we purchased a home in Belfast (from Larry and Betty Theye). We are delighted to be back in Belfast, close to my daughter Sierra Dietz and her family, my cousin Ruffy Loblein, my two brothers Rick and David Schweikert, and my sister Wendy Wiley. 

 

    I look forward to being able to make new friends here, rekindle old friendships, and serve this community for which I owe a debt of gratitude. Next year it will be 50 years since I arrived here in Waldo County with way too much hair, and little sense of what I was doing. It turned out to be a wonderful place to make a life, grow a business, raise a family, and attract all my immediate family out of New Jersey, including my dad who lived in Searsport for many years until passing away at the age of 92.

 

Best, Ken

 

     Considering the success of the 2020 Belfast Rotary 100 Fund, it is virtually assured that Marjorie will receive her tenth bottle of peppermint schnapps. Santa is convinced that Marjorie’s distain for this award has nothing to do with the taste of the beverage, but the fact that she does not have the proper recipes. To help Marjorie in this regard, I am sponsoring the following contest. Please research recipes for peppermint schnapps and in particular chose those recipes that best epitomize Marjorie’s success with the 100 Fund. The winning entry will receive a $25 gift card to the Chocolate Drop. The winner will be announced at the December 16 meeting. All entries must be submitted by December 14. The winning recipe will be hereafter known as “Marjorie’s Madness”. Please submit all entries to Lee Woodward at the following email address:  Lee@camdenlaw.com