Birthdays and anniversaries
After a long absence, the Washburn column will once again be featuring local birthday and anniversary wishes each week. Keep in mind that the list is quite old, and any new additions or corrections to the roster will be greatly appreciated. You can phone 455-8034, e-mail me at gramchristie@yahoo.com or snail mail me at 64 Riverside Drive, Washburn, ME 04786.
Special Valentine’s Day birthday wishes go out to: Jamie Tarbox, David Sargent and Tori Harvath. Others celebrating birthdays this week include: Brandon Gresham, Bruce Jacobs, Jennifer Tupper, Graydon Buckingham Sr., Trina Wilcox, Tyler O’Donnell, Bryan Ouellette, Kathy Corey, Christian Boudman, Eric Beckwith, Snuffy Pinette, Mike Sands, Thirza Martin, Casey Dobson, Jonathan Durost, Ryan Dobson, Cody Miller, Doug Conroy, Michaela Levesque, Candy Pangburn, Freeman Corey, Samantha Cray, Hanford Duncan, David Forbes and Sonja Robbins.
Valentine’s Day anniversaries are being celebrated by: Brian and Pam Morris, David and Lisa Nichols and Debbie and Stan Smith. Ron and Anna Bragg, Fred and Helen Thompson, as well as Keith and Kathy Corey will also be celebrating their anniversaries during the week.
Country music ‘jams’
There will be some special musical entertainment each Friday night at the Trail Runners Snowmobile clubhouse on Station Road in Washburn. Others are welcome to join in this weekly jam session with donations accepted to be used for helping to pay for the club’s new groomer.
Washburn’s Paul Clayton and Friends play at the K of C building in Presque Isle on the second and last Saturday of each month. All listeners and artists are welcome to attend.
Events and reminders
The United Methodist Women’s group will be meeting at the Lidstone Church on Wednesday, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m.
TOPS meet each Monday at the Trail Runners clubhouse. For further information, contact Birdina Cochran at 566-8353.
There is Bingo each Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. at the snowmobile clubhouse, and Stew Nights are each Friday and Saturday starting at 5 p.m. with breakfast served each Saturday and Sunday starting at 6 a.m.
The Town Office will be closed on Monday, Feb. 19, and re-open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 20.
There will be an August Festival Committee meeting held on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at the Civic Center at 6:30 p.m. New officers will be elected, and those wishing to volunteer for any part of the festival activities is more than welcome.
The Washburn Town Office will close for the lunch hour from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day through Tuesday, March 20.
Anyone wishing a cookbook from the Crouseville Advent Christian Church, may contact Sherry M. Thibodeau at 764-0397 or Carolyn O’Donnell at 455-8437.
Project Graduation
Keep Saturday, March 3, open for the spaghetti supper being put on by the Project Graduation Committee. During the supper event, there will be a Silent Auction held and Senior Service activities. Among the auction items is a new Old Town Otter kayak, which comes complete with life jacket, paddle and other equipment. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children.
There are jars of locally made honey selling for $3.50 each available at Griffin One Stop. Proceeds from all events go towards Project Graduation 2007 events.
Senior citizen news
The senior citizens along with Charlotte Wilson of the Cooperative Extension cooking club will be meeting on Friday, Feb. 16, at the Rec Center kitchen area from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This month’s theme will be ‘Heart Healthy,’ and feature several recipes for being good to our hearts.
Over the Christmas holidays, the ladies brought some of their favorite recipes to share with others, and they each received a special gift for their efforts. Charlotte Wilson turned the recipes into really special cookbooks and each of the ladies received one. Anyone is welcome to join the group, and may just drop in at any of the monthly events.
Rec Center Schedule
On Wednesday, Feb. 14, there will be cross country skiing from 2:45-4:30 p.m.
On Monday, Feb. 19, there will be men’s basketball, 6:30-9 p.m.
On Tuesday, Feb. 20, there will be roller skating at Melody Roller Rink for grades K through 8 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
There will be a wide array of school vacation activities going on, including a trip to the movies on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 1 p.m. There will be Hot Shot practice on Wednesday, Feb. 21, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and Hot Shot competition will be held in Caribou at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22. There will be snow tubing at Big Rock on Friday, Feb. 23, from 12 noon to 3 p.m. The cost for this trip is $8.
For any questions, or further information, contact Rec Director Marcie Barbarula at 455-4959.
Girl Scout notes
On Monday, Feb. 19, there will be a special event including a hike on snowshoes and making some interesting snow sculptures. Dress for the weather. If there is no snow, the group will be doing some fun indoor science events with quick outdoor activities. This will be held at the Girl Scout Field Office at 3 Houlton Road (behind the Chamber of Commerce) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To sign up, contact girlscoutsinaroostook@yahoogroups.com.
Several area Junior Girl Scouts recently attended a fun day activity and earned their Toymaker badges. The girls invented their own board game, complete with decorations, play pieces and directions; they made toys from trash, and others including a stuffed snowman, worry dolls from yarn, and other toys from the past.
They also saw a short film on the history of toys, and discussed safety issues and age-appropriate toys. The scouts saw a display of older toys including some china dolls and even a few Cabbage Patch original dolls dressed in scout uniforms. Those attending included: Rachel Patenaude, Tori Harvath, Kassy Belk, Miranda Flannery, Brooke Dinatale and Emily Brawn. Adults assisting the girls were Penny Kern, Karrie Brawn and Christie Cochran.
There will be a Daisy Snow Fun Day held at the Abnaki Field Office in Presque Isle on Wednesday, Feb. 21, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. If there is snow, the girls will be outside most of the time, so dress for the weather. To sign up or for further information, contact the Field Office at 764-7945.
Babysitting course available
There will be a Red Cross Babysitting Course offered on Tuesday, Feb. 20, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Abnaki Field Office at 3 Houlton Road (behind the Chamber of Commerce) in Presque Isle.
Those wishing to attend need to register through the Red Cross Office in Presque Isle and can phone 762-5671. The cost is $45 and fee includes babysitting kit, all materials for the class and card/certification in Infant and Child CPR. There will also be a noontime snack available.
Busy eightieth birthday
Ken Fox recently turned 80 years young, and was surprised by his co-workers at Griffin One Stop with cake and some birthday cards. Friends and family members also attended and enjoyed a sample of his carrot cake, complete with half of the cake covered with a delicious crème cheese frosting, and the other half with sweet white icing. The cake was made and served by ‘chef’ Shirley Kidney. All were alerted to the special birthday by a big sign in the window, and apparently everyone except the birthday boy noticed it!
Ken and his wife Verdella have three children, Charlotte Griffin, and Curt and Larry Fox, along with six grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Ken is a busy man, enjoying his “retirement.” He’s still active in his ministerial work, preaching to churches from the local area to Oxbow. He also works mornings at Griffin One Stop for his daughter and son-in-law. He’s active enough and was the first one up from the party, heading back to work.
The family enjoyed a special birthday party at Ken and Verdi’s that evening and Ken’s favorite supper of pizza burgers and graham cracker pie was served. The couple’s son Curt is home on vacation from Del Rio, Texas, where he’s recently retired from the U.S. Border Patrol.
Fire Department ‘Embers’
Several firemen from Washburn took part in a Wildland Fire Training Course that was put on by the Maine Forest Service out of Masardis and held in the Presque Isle area.
Kevin Goodine, Ryan Goodine, Josh Plummer and Greg Sperrey all received the training and certification and plan on sharing their knowledge with their fellow officers.
As Washburn, Perham and Wade are surrounded by woods and dense brush areas, this training will be a valuable asset to the Washburn Fire Department, expanding their capabilities in the event of a forest fire.
Several Washburn firemen went to a fund-raising breakfast in Mapleton. This was their second breakfast trip, and it was to help Mapleton’s Fire Department in their efforts to purchase hydraulic rescue equipment.
The Mapleton firemen pitched in several years ago and assisted the Washburn crew in fund-raising efforts to purchase this valuable piece of lifesaving equipment. The breakfasts and other fund-raising efforts are just a way for Washburn’s firemen to help their neighboring communities, as well as their own.
