Game Loft members volunteered to assist the City of Belfast with the annual wreath cleaning. During this important event, volunteers and transfer station staff collaborate to take apart the wreaths that decorate the city during the holiday season. It's an annual tradition for the Game Loft, with members and staff alike getting into the competitive spirit. Participants attempt to take apart the wreaths as efficiently as possible. This year, volunteers accomplished two weekends' worth of wreath cleaning in just one day!

The Game Loft attended the annual Snow-Con gaming convention in Orono, Saturday, January 16th, and Sunday, January 17th. It was the Game Loft’s first time participating in this gaming convention, and the experience was overwhelmingly positive.

The convention was inter-generational, with participants ranging in age from kindergarten to their grandparents. Activities included a variety of role play games, miniatures games, and a vast selection of card and board games.  Participants had the option to either sign up for specific events or to observe and participate in events as they unfolded. The atmosphere was both warm and flexible.

Game Loft volunteer Damion Saucier ran two remarkably popular D&D games, and his participants included as wide an age range as the convention itself. The Game Loft’s LARP, moderated by staff member Max Delaney, experienced similar diversity and was equally successful.
Staff member Nikky Boyington, the Game Loft’s resident Catan expert, had the opportunity to run a Settlers of Catan event, and Patricia and Ray Estabrook ran their role play game “An Unexpected Stop on the Underground Railroad.”

Events also included a panel discussion about the Game Loft, where audience members had the opportunity to ask questions about the program. Several audience members expressed serious interest in operating local chapters and are in correspondence with Patricia and Ray about possibilities.

The Game Loft’s mock trial involving the Fugitive Slave Law achieved new heights of role playing excitement and education. Under guidance of guest bailiff (and honorable judge) Susan Longley, Game Loft member Nathan presided over the case, set in the historically pivotal year 1858. James and John Williams the teenaged defendants accused of willfully harboring and transporting a fugitive slave, “Gus”, in an attempt to expedite his escape to Canada.

Belfast's Unitarian Universalist Church provided the perfect venue for the occasion.

Taran and Madryn battled for patronage among the politically-minded onlookers, hawking opposing political newspapers including the abolitionist “New Salem Gazette” and the states’ rights “Dalais Democrat.”

Trial audience members became impassioned as well; Charles Erb and Neil Peterson disrupted the proceedings with loud outbursts against the evils of slavery. Police Captain Rio escorted the protestors outside of the courtroom to a temporary holding cell.

Prosecuting attorney Jim Munch called three witnesses, including Deputy Marshall Max Delaney, local deputy Andrew Knight, and the director of a cooperage and casket making company, Kali Rocheleau. Defense attorney Irwin Brown elected not to call any witnesses, advising his clients to plead the Fifth Amendment when called. He rested his case on the alleged inability of the prosecution to prove without a doubt the guilt of the accused.

While the jury deliberated, audience members and participants had the option of sitting in on the deliberations or, alternatively, participating in a Restorative Justice Project circle discussion, led by Kali Rocheleau.

The jury’s verdict of not-guilty seemed to agree with Mr. Brown’s conclusion, although the jury issued a statement following the verdict indicating suspicion of the accused being used as pawns by some other, perhaps older, unnamed abolitionist party.

Despite weather conditions, the event was an unabashed success, with approximately 50 people in attendance. It marks the first in what will become an annual MLK tradition for the Game Loft. Next year, we're considering the possibility of period costumes for the key roles.