Birthdays and anniversaries
Those celebrating birthdays this week include: Lynn Dickinson, Rodney Wardwell, Jared Dobson, Jessica Burchett, Carla Pendexter, Jim Lavway, Mackensie Harpine, Chris Willett, Connie Markham, Mark Bragg, Don Babin, Jim Wilson, Haley Howlett, Mark Doody, Shannon Olson, Ron Powell, Debbie Bird, Chris Pesut, Lyn Gresham, Travis White, Michelle Creasey, Robin Holmes, Lorri Jackson, George Haley, James Johnson, Velda Buckingham, Steven Hobbs, Eric Brown and Jean Wain.
Special anniversary wishes go out to Wayne and Barb Churchill.
Town Council notes
Members of Washburn Town Council held their regular meeting on Monday, Feb. 12, at the Civic Center. It was noted that there would be no council meeting in March due to the municipal elections on Monday, March 19, with the polls open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and the annual Town Meeting that will be on Tuesday, March 20, at 7 p.m. Those running for one seat on the Washburn Town Council include: Keith Brown, Tom Bolstridge, Daren Churchill and Brad Bragg. Those running for the two open seats on the SAD 45 School Board are Greg Doak, Allyson Bragdon and Cary Schumacher.
The Council elected Beverly Turner as Registrar of Voters for a two-year term. Also included in the agenda was the reviewing of the municipal budget and changes in each of the municipal departments.
The Council was notified that the Caribou Pet Rescue has openings for two Washburn area residents to be members on their Board of Directors. They will be involved in fund-raising efforts as well as making policy decisions. The meetings are one- to three-year terms and are held every third Thursday evening in Caribou. Anyone interested is asked to contact President Norma Milton at Milton@mfx.net or phone her at 869-5650.
The annual Budget Committee will meet on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at the Civic Center at 6 p.m. to vote on the budget that will be sent to the voters at the annual Town Meeting. There will be a public hearing for the new ordinance changes on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 6 p.m. at the Civic Center. The community is urged to attend, and suggestions, input and support will be appreciated.
The Council approved the minutes from the January Council meeting and reviewed the financial figures through January of 2007. The next scheduled Council meeting has been set for Monday, April 9, at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center.
Regular office hours for the Washburn Town Office will be Monday through Friday from 7 a.m., closing for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30, opening again until 4 p.m.
Events and Reminders
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 Night is each Friday starting at 5 p.m. with breakfast served each Saturday and Sunday starting at 6 a.m.
Friday nights at the Trail Runners Snowmobile clubhouse on Station Road in Washburn includes some great country music. Featured artists include Paul Smithkey, Warner Archer, Debbie Zoller and Bob Dixon, along with many others joining in this weekly ‘Jam.’ Donations are accepted with the proceeds gong towards helping 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. Due to the basketball tourney in February, the ‘Jam Nights’ will return to the regular schedule in March. All are welcome to attend the fun event.
There has been a change in the meeting place for the August Festival Committee meeting to be held on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 6:30 p.m. This meeting will be held at the Kathadin bank and is an important meeting for the beginning of the festival planning. It is hoped that officers for the 2007 event will be elected, and any new suggestions, ideas or other input will be appreciated.
Oscar Dow Post 48 of the American Legion holds their meetings on the third Tuesday of each month, with the next meeting scheduled for March 20. Officers include: Post Commander Kermit Fuller, Vice Comander Willie Drost, Adjutant Larry Harrison, Treasurer Kathy Philbrook, Historian Bob Brown, Americanism/Service Officer Bill Flewelling and Sergeant at Arms, the late Calvin Éclair. New members are always welcome and may contact any member or call Kermit Fuller.
Special award
The In T.O.W. Award was recently presented to Harold Easler by the Washburn Town Council and Town Manager Andrea Powers.
This is a new program to create better awareness in the community for what our municipal employees do to create a better community. Through this award, they’ll be recognized for going above and beyond their regular duties.
This is one award that Harold Easler has truly earned with all his efforts to do a job far above the average and save the town money in many different ways. He is certainly appreciated by his community, and we all hope he’ll be with the Highway Department for many years to come. Thank you, Harold.
Rec Center schedule
Please check calendar carefully, as some event times have been changed.
On Wednesday, Feb. 21, there will be Hot Shot Practice from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Also on Wednesday, the bus will be leaving from the elementary school at 12:15 p.m. and returning at 3:30 p.m. They will be going to the Caribou Cinemas and the event is for children in grades K-8. The cost is $3 and that includes the movie, popcorn and soda. One of the movie choices will be “Bridge to Taribithea.”
On Thursday, Feb. 22, The Regional Hot Shot Competition will be held at Caribou from 3:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Also on Thursday, there will be skiing or snowboarding at Big Rock. The bus will leave the Rec Center at 3:30 p.m. and return at 8:30 p.m. This is for children in grades 4-8 who already know how to ski or snowboard. The cost is $10 and includes the lift ticket and ski rentals.
On Friday, Feb. 23, the bus will leave for Big Rock to go snow tubing from the Rec Center at 11:15 a.m. and return at 3:30 p.m. This is for children in grades 4-6 and the cost is $8.
Both trips to Big Rock are limited to the first 14 who sign up. Participants will need to call the Rec Center at 455-4959 to sign up. Anyone wishing to take their own vehicles on this event is requested to let Marcie know. The snack bar at Big Rock is open for both events if your child wants to bring extra money, otherwise they may bring their own lunch.
On Monday, Feb. 26, there will be cross country skiing from 2:45 to 4:30 p.m. There will also be men’s basketball from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
On Tuesday, Feb. 27, there will be indoor soccer for grades 3-4 at the elementary school from 6 to 7 p.m.
On Wednesday, Feb. 28, there will be cross country skiing from 2:45 to 4:30 p.m.
Project Graduation
Members of Washburn’s Senior High School class recently drew the winning tickets for the Pampered Chef Raffle. Winning the Baker’s Set was Judi Kirschner, Taking home the Grilling Set was Pam Wilcox, with Dan Llonde winning the Cutting Edge Set. The top winner taking home the Executive Cookware Set was Mena Irving.
Members of the committee greatly appreciate all those who participated in the raffle and their generous support of the Project Graduation efforts.
Also available through the Project Graduation are jars of locally made honey, selling for $3.50 each. They are available at Griffin One Stop. Upcoming March events include a special dinner as well as Senior Service and silent auctions. There will also be an auction for a new Old Town Canoe Otter Kayak. Tickets are $5 each for adults and $3 for children. There will be a “Ms.” Washburn Pageant featuring several Washburn high senior boys on March 31, and a special Bingo Night on April 27 at the Trail Runners clubhouse. Anyone wishing information on the events may contact any committee member or senior student.
Boy Scout news
Boy Scout Troop 177 took part in the 2007 Scout Show at the Aroostook Centre Mall on Saturday, Feb. 3. Their booth showed skills on first aid and camping and had tests for visitors to take. Those ‘passing’ the tests won some candy for their efforts. The Scouts also took part in the Pioneering Project conducted by the North Star District. For the End of the Day events at the closing ceremony, our boys came up with some songs and a skit to help out the North Star District.
Bryan Schurman was the winner of the MP3 drawing for selling over 30 tickets for the Kayak drawing.
On Sunday, Troop 177 took approximately 16 Scouts and leaders to church at the Lidstone United Methodist Church. Joining them were about the same number of Cub Scouts from Washburn’s Pack 162, and church members were certainly glad to see both Scouting levels represented. The next public event for the Scouts is their community bean supper to be held in March.
Scouts taking part in the Scout show were Jacob Reed, Adam Wilcox, Jared Reed, Nick Gumprecht, Curtis Thompson, Josh Flagg, David Roy, Bryan Schurman and Jensen Reed. Leaders attending included Scoutmaster Larry Harrison and Assistant Leaders Donald Wilcox, Ronald Rand and Troy Wilcox.
Library ‘bookmarks’
Washburn Memorial Library took part in Celebrate Libraries Month at the mall on Saturday, Feb. 10. They co-sponsored bringing the Amazing Lou and had brochures and library business cards to hand out. There was also a Power-Point presentation in which the library showed off its building, employees and some of the programs. Anyone wishing to see it is welcome to stop into the library and ask about it. Washburn’s Assistant Librarian Janet Peary played the Cat in the Hat for the day.
The library is currently selling tickets for a St. Patrick’s Day raffle to be held on Saturday, March 17. The prize is a queen-sized quilt made by Carolyn Hayden. Tickets are $1 each or five for $6 and can be purchased at the library or various Washburn area businesses. All proceeds will go for Washburn library programming.
The library held its monthly story time on Monday, Feb. 12, and the theme was Mardi Gras. There were 24 children and 10 adults in attendance. Connie Head read the book “Mardi Gras: A City’s Masked Parade” by Lisa Gabbert, and Janet Peary read the book “The Greentail Mouse” by Leo Lionnni.
Door prizes were won by: Tanya Tarbox, Kerri Pulk, Rebecca Savoy, Dylan Jones-Fuller, Hannah Heald, Mykayla Espling, Valerie Flood Dawson McCoy, Amara Dixon, Scott Flood Eirene Dixon, Kylie Haines, Victoria Savoy, Laina Mette, Catelyn Coulombe, Richie Stickney, Alexander Pulk, Nate Tarbox, Tal McCoy, Desiraie Rediker, Adrianna Arribas, Alyssa Dennett, Courtney Cannon and Skylar Mette.
Each child decorated their own kitty or puppy mask and received a strand of Mardi Gras beads. They enjoyed refreshments.
The next story time will be on Monday, March 12, and weather will be the theme.
The Women Work and Community support group met on Wednesday, Feb. 14. Each participant was asked to bring at least one poem to read to the group. Many wonderful poems were read and one participant even wrote a touching one about the group. There is a lot of camaraderie with the current group, and there is always room for more. If you are interested in joining or would just like more information, please contact the library at 455-4814. The next scheduled meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 7, at 9 a.m.
Welcome home!
The home of Kermit and Sue Fuller was a happy place last weekend, as a special group of friends got together to welcome home a classmate from Iraq. Dave Guerrette returned home from a seven-month tour of duty. Not being one for publicity, he ‘snuck’ back to his home on the Washburn Road, avoiding the fire and police escort. Even without this escort, the town residents are proud of his efforts and welcome him home.
His school chums from the class of 1966 at Washburn High School met at the Fuller home for a buffet of snacks and enjoyed watching the slides and video brought by Guerrette. The film and slides included everything from his training and his unit’s job of night convoysecurity. He was stationed right near the border of Kuwait and Iraq with an engineering company.
Dave is the son of Claude and Cecile Guerrette of Washburn and is a veteran of the U. S. Navy and Naval Reserve. He is a current master sergeant in the National Guard. He was one of the oldest in his unit and most of them called him ‘Gramps,’which he took good naturedly. He met lots of new buddies there, but also ran across another county guy from the Van Buren area.
Friends and classmates attending the party included Deryle and Vicky Sponberg, Dana and Barb Caron, host and hostess Kermit and Sue Fuller, guest of honor Dave Guerrette, Cathy Chapman, Milford and Diane Long, as well as Bob and Diane Deeves.
Classmates invited, but unable to attend, included: Sheldon and Sandi Cunningham, Gerald Easler, Darrell Rouse and Charlie and Mura Durost.
The group enjoyed the evening reminiscing over old times, comparing service days and truly enjoying having their old friend back with them again.
Birthday girl
Macey Barker turned 7 on Tuesday, Feb. 6, and celebrated early with a party of Sunday, Feb. 4, at her home. Even though she shares her birthday with her dad, Michael Barker, the party was all hers with a fun Scooby Doo theme to it, including a cake, piñata and party games.
Macey received lots of wonderful gifts including games, Polly Pockets, clothing, gift cards, special jewelry and a fishing pole from daddy.
Those attending included her parents Michael and Amy, her sister Lexie and a cousin Abbey Violette. She also enjoyed visiting with her Nana Diane Berube and grandparents Clifford and Janet Barker. Others attending were Conner, Cameron and Michaela Bragg and Katie and Abbie Easler. The guests got prizes for the games and each received fun birthday treat bags.
Senior citizen fun
A group of Washburn Senior Citizens had a busy day on Friday, Feb. 16. They got together at the noontime with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension nutrition program and enjoyed some good heart-healthy foods.
For their supper, the ladies were picked up in the Rec van by Director Marcie Barbarula and all enjoyed a potluck supper at the Rec Center. The cooking was great and included dishes like green bean and pasta casseroles, a delicious whole kernel corn and corn meal dish, hamburger and rice casserole, honey buns and a valentine cake. The theme for the evening was Valentine’s Day, and the decorations included red-colored tablecloths, hearts and valentine candies.
After supper, the ladies played Bingo with varieties including blackout, four corners and regular Bingo. Bingo callers were Marcie Barbarula and Kassy Belk and helper Christie Cochran. Prizes included a lap blanket, a basket, note cards, a vase, a tote bag, covered pan, candle, manicure set, coasters and a cash prize for the blackout game. Each player ended up with two prizes for the evening. Those attending included Bern Rossignol, Norma Baker, Lorraine Harrison, Glenna Ewing, Gwen Bragg and Margaret Barker.
