Staff Writer
HOULTON — Pumpkins provided the perfect backdrop for lots of activity at the Houlton Higher Education Center (HHEC) last week. Intricately carved pumpkins created by contestants in three categories, from kindergarten through adult, raised money to benefit fuel assistance projects for the elderly and the Houlton fine arts project in memory of Lewis Wirta at Houlton High School. HHEC sponsored the contest and the community voted for entries by monetary donation which raised $177.54 for fuel assistance. Local businesses donated the prizes.
ALL IN THE FAMILY — Caleb Tribou proudly admires brother Logan’s (left) handiwork.
And the winners are
In the K-6 grade category, the winners and prizes were: Hollee Workman (first place) $20 in McDonald’s gift certificates; Walker Webb (second place) two Temple Theater tickets; Logan Tribou (third place) 50 Dunkin Donuts munchkins.
Teens 7-12 grade: Katelyn Wiggins (first place) $23 in a Movie Gallery gift certificate; Ryan Tribou (second place) a computer memory stick; Callie Foster (third place) a Dow’s Market large pizza.
Adult category: Bernadette Farrar (first place) a travel coffee mug and Tim Hortons coffee; Ryan Hines (second place) an engraved pen and letter opener set; Rose Casillas (third place) as an employee, she donated the prize back to HHEC.
Isaac Morse earned a large pizza from Dead River Food Trend for the most unique carving with his hinged door pumpkin. And Wiggins, who took first place in her category, also won the $50 Walmart gift card grand prize for raising $38.87 — the most money raised by an individual. Everyone who entered received free gift certificates for fries at McDonald’s and a choice of books from HHEC.
The pumpkins were on display when Houlton High School students toured HHEC with their instructor Dee Butler through the Jobs for Maine Graduates program.
PHOTO FINISH — Several of the contestants in the pumpkin carving contest stopped to pose for a group photo. In the back row: Katelyn Wiggins, Caleb Tribou, Jordan Wilson, Justin Wilson, Callie Foster, Ryan Tribou, Zara Farrar and Hugh Farrar. Standing in the front are: Hollee Workman, Walker Webb, Logan Tribou, and Zachary Gonya, while below left, Amanda Boulier beams with pride as she shows off her intricately carved work of art.
FACES OF INSPIRATION — Zachary Gonya (left) and Justin Wilson re-create the faces they carved on their pumpkins.
COLLEGE BOUND — Instructor Dee Butler (far right) arranged a tour for Houlton High School students recently to the HHEC: (back) Taylor Martin, Brittany Clark, Allison Robshaw, Caleb Richardson, Jordan Brown and Brandon McGuire. In front: Brigette Goguen, Amber Hyman, Jenna McGuire, Tiffany Carmichael, and Kourtney Kibler.
IT’S HANNAH TIME — Hollee Workman’s first place Hannah Montana purple pumpkin and Walker Webb’s precisely cut second place pumpkin with freckles were in the K-6 category.
