Pictured here (l. to r.) are Maine’s newest game wardens, Taylor Valente, Kayle Hamilton, Megan Miller, Lauren Roddy, Camden Akins, and Kyle Franklin.

Taylor Valente, 24, of New Gloucester was among the five Maine Game Wardens who graduated recently from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy’s 18-week Basic Law Enforcement Training Program (BLETP) in Vassalboro. Among the many topics they studied were crime scene processing, emergency vehicle operation, firearms proficiency, traffic and criminal law, domestic violence and sexual assault.

The wardens who will now enter their next phase of training, a twelve-week Advanced Game Warden Academy, also based out of the Academy in Vassalboro, that focuses on skills more specific to game warden work. In addition, they will participate in an intensive Warden Training Officer program involving field work, team building and problem solving.

Graduating from the program with Valente were game wardens Camden Akins, 23, of Winslow, Kayle Hamilton, 26, of Buxton, Megan Miller, 22, of Pittsfield, and Lauren Roddy, 21, of Belgrade.

The new wardens have been assigned their patrol areas. Valente has been assigned to the Rockwood district, Akins has been assigned to the Chamberlain Lake district, Hamilton will head for the Clayton Lake district, Miller will go to the Mars Hill district, and Roddy will cover the Jackman district.