Talking business & community with
Maine influencer
Jim Godbout ’ 80
While this interview was taking place at Starbucks , an elderly gentleman sitting nearby suddenly started gasping for air and panicking . Without hesitating , Jim Godbout ’ 80 ran over to comfort the frightened man and to see how he may be able to help until the paramedics arrived . Once the gentleman was in good hands , Jim walked back over to complete the interview without skipping a beat .
Named one of the Top Fifty Influential People in Maine , Rotarian of the Year , recipient of the Rotary Humanitarian award , as well as Saco ’ s Outstanding Community Service award , and several accolades for the success of Jim Godbout ’ s Plumbing , Heating , and Air Conditioning , one might think Jim has accomplished everything he ’ s set out to do . Not so . “ My goal is to work as long as I can to make as much of an impact on as many people as I can . It ’ s not what you have , but what you are remembered for .”
Forced to grow up quickly , Jim Godbout learned responsibility , hard work , and perseverance at a young age . At five years old , Jim ’ s twin brother , John , died of leukemia . His father left the family shortly afterward and Jim was in charge of helping to raise his younger brothers . Aside from having to help with the cooking and cleaning , Jim went to work at age 12 . “ All the money I made went to family and paying the bills . That was not common back in my generation . I learned early on that my work ethic and drive could help the people I cared about most .”
During his high school years , Jim had ongoing health issues that made academics a challenge . He was disinterested in class work and needed a better option . With the suggestion of his guidance counselor , Richard Beaumont , and Headmaster Jim Jortberg , he was introduced to
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Jim Godbout Plumbing and Heating , Inc . has been named one of the top 100 Plumbing & HVAC companies in the U . S . numerous times .
Carmen Johnson ’72:
STORY BY EMMA DEANS
PHOTO & ARTWORK COURTESY OF CARMEN JOHNSON
STORY & PHOTO BY EMMA DEANS
Performing on a national stage
Bringing
nations
together
art
through
When Carmen (Cassette) Johnson ’72 moved up to Fort
Fairfield in northern Maine a few years ago to be near
her husband’s family she welcomed a quieter pace of
life and rolling hillsides. However, having lived most of
her life in southern Maine, on one day in 2015 she got
lost while out driving and ended up crossing the border
into Canada where she pulled into a gas station to ask
for directions. It was there where she met, by chance,
the honorable Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick,
Jocelyne Roy Vienneau.
Carmen is an artist who uses ink and watercolors to
capture beautiful landscapes, finding inspiration in
Vincent van Gogh’s style and opting for bright colors.
“Art has always been a part of my life—it’s a talent that
God gave me,” she said. She sells prints, postcards, and
magnets, and thought it would be a nice gesture to
send Lieutenant Governor Vienneau some of her art,
including magnets featuring Maine’s iconic Portland
Headlight and a moose.
“She responded with a thank you note along with an
invitation to visit the Capitol, in Fredericton, New
Brunswick. I could not make it this past summer, so
a surprise came right before Christmas—an invite to
come to the Governor’s mansion to celebrate the New
Year’s Day afternoon levee with them. I was just thrilled
and excited. I brought her some of my artwork and my
husband and I received a gracious tour of the estate.
There was a four-piece jazz band, homemade chicken
soup, apple cider, and an assortment of cookies.”
Carmen has donated her artwork to several charitable
organizations, including prints for the 2017 Thornton
Fund Auction, which will be held on May 6!
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Elizabeth Roy ’ 18 and Anne Wilkinson
L to R: Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick Jocelyne Roy Vienneau,
Carmen Johnson ’72 , and Ronald Vienneau, at the Government House in
Canada. Below: Portland Headlight watercolor by Carmen Johnson ’72.
“Music gives me an escape—I can express myself. It feels
genuine and completes me,” says Thornton Academy violist
Elizabeth Roy ’18. The most challenging part of playing
the viola for her is that “it’s very technical; there are so
November 10-13, 2016. All-National Honor Ensembles are
represented in the following components: Concert Band,
Mixed Choir, Symphony Orchestra, and Jazz Ensemble.
Elizabeth was then selected to the All-Eastern Honors
Thornton Academy has a “comprehensive program that supports
students at all levels to achieve and reach for the stars.”
many things to think about.” Elizabeth has embraced this
challenge and has excelled. This year she was selected
to the National Association for Music Education’s All-
National Honor Ensemble for Symphony Orchestra—the
first student from Thornton Academy to achieve such a
feat. The All-National Honor Ensembles represent the
top performing high school musicians in the United
States. Elizabeth was chosen based on a highly selective
review process that included a video audition and a
recommendation from Orchestra Director Mrs. Anne
Wilkinson. Both Elizabeth and Anne attended the All-
National Honor Ensembles, held at the Gaylord Texan
Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas, from
Orchestra and invited to perform in front of an audience
of thousands at the historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic
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