Hunters bring their business
to Washburn market
WASHBURN NEWS
A five-man team of hunters and their guide enjoyed some time at the North Maine Woods camp near Pete’s Pond in T 13 R 10. Those vacationing and hunting included Portage Lake residents John Robertson and Allen Robertson; Bill Beach of Blackstone, Mass.; Dan Robertson of Colby Siding; Doug Lawrence of Braintree, Vt.; and Sean Robertson of Presque Isle.
Hunter Bill Beach was a lucky winner of the Maine Moose Lottery and chose Sean Robertson as his sub-permittee. Early on the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 13, on their third day of hunting in the company of Bill Beach, Sean was the fortunate hunter to find a moose and got the running animal at 80 yards with his first shot.
Sean Robertson along with Bill Beach and John Robertson took the moose to the Washburn Food Mart and it weighed in at 470 pounds. Meat cutters Dan Martin and Pete Koch did a fine job in dividing the meat into steaks, hamburger, the tongue and even wrapping up a few special bones for the Robertson’s dog, “Goobie.”
After the weighing, Sean, a senior at Presque Isle High School, returned to his normal routine and classes, while John Robertson and Bill Beach returned to the Pete’s Pond camp for the rest of the week to continue hunting with Dan Robertson and Doug Lawrence. As it turned out, the rainstorm that hit The County cut their vacation short a day or so.
With this hunt, Allen Robertson’s sons have both gotten their moose. Ian claimed his in 2004 and Sean in 2010. Both boys were sub-permittees of Bill Beach, an avid sportsman and a frequent visitor to this area.
LUCKY HUNTER — A recent hunting trip proved successful for this group of hunters, pictured from left with the Sean Robertson’s moose: Sean Robertson, Bill Beach and John Robertson.
Those celebrating birthdays this week include: T.J. Winslow, Laura Churchill, Alex Chasse, Drew Thompson, Alex King, Bill Fox, Logan Harvath, Ryan Whipkey, Diane Pelkey, Barb Caron, Seth Robertson, Bruce Blakney, Heidi Thompson, Josh Maynard, Kathy White, George Seward, Linda Seward, Morgan Emery, Carolyn King, Hillary Albert, Kim Clayton, Christie Cochran, Mike Tupper, Tom Olson, Kristen Kramer, Marion Levesque, Marion Turner, Larry Worcester, Bill Fitzherbert, Pamela Churchill, Sean Flanagin and Joel Humphrey.
Anniversary wishes go out to: Ivan and Muriel Corey, Bob and Jackie Pribble, Eric and Julie Jencks, Larry and Linda Bragg, Harold and Barbara Hull, Michael and Zsa Zsa Simard, Marty and Kim Clayton, Matthew and Kathy Palmer, Al and Tracy Whitten, Alfred and Diana Easler, Stan and Nada Theriault, and Ray and Ardis Humphrey.
Rotary ‘wheels’
Washburn Rotary will be hosting the annual Hunters’ Breakfast to be held at the Washburn Trail Runners clubhouse on Station Road. (Be sure and check out the new permanent roadside sign at the entrance of Station Road.) Servings will be from 4:30 to 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30. The menu will consist of eggs, ham, homemade French toast, beans, donuts, coffee, milk and juice.
Prizes for a raffle will include: first prize, a $325 gift certificate for a rifle or merchandise of your choice from Walmart; and second prize will be one ton of pellets provided by MarCar Solar of Washburn. Raffle tickets will be sold for $2 each and are available from any Rotarian. There will also be many door prize drawings held throughout the morning.
This bountiful breakfast, door prizes and friendly conversation with friends costs just $5 per person. Be sure and come early for the best door prizes.
There will be a state general and referendum election held on Tuesday, Nov. 2. The polls will be at the Civic Center and will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Absentee ballots are available at the Washburn Town Office, and staff will be available to assist voters.
There will be a rabies clinic on Saturday, Nov. 6, from 2 to 2:30 p.m. at the Washburn Fire Department bay. Dr. Pesut from the Presque Isle Animal Hospital will be administering the shots, and the clinic is open to the general public. The cost will be $10 per shot and tags for dog registration will be available for Washburn residents. That fee is $7 for spayed/neutered dogs and $12 if not fixed.
Deputy Tax Collector Lisa Mette reminds residents that a 7 percent interest on the outstanding 2010 taxes will begin on Monday, Nov. 1. This is with the exception of Washburn’s tax club members.
A large selection of coats from the Salvation Army Coat Program is available at the Town Office. An assortment of hand-knit hats and mittens donated by local residents is also available. Stop by and see the staff about picking coats out.
The Washburn Town Office will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 11, in observance of Veteran’s Day.
The November order week for Friendly Co-Op will be Monday, Oct. 25 through Saturday, Oct. 30. The scheduled delivery and pick-up date is Friday, Nov. 5. Please have all orders either called in at 455-8421 or e-mailed to bunny@ainop.com.
There will be a spooky night coming to the Washburn Rec Center on Saturday, Oct. 30, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Donations will be taken at the door and their will be warm cider and goodies to purchase. All proceeds will be going to the 2011 Project Graduation.
The Senior Class is also selling raffle tickets for a bountiful Thanksgiving basket from the Washburn Food Mart, which will be drawn on Wednesday, Nov. 15.
Residents may drop off their bottle donations at the Redemption Center, and let Gerald or Darcy know you want to donate to the 2011 Project Graduation account.
During the heat of our recent summer, leaves on maple trees were thicker than usual, and many more than normal fell during the recent couple of days of rain and heavy winds. Working with their parents Lisa and Mike Berube, 8-year-old Austin and 5-year-old brother Zack Hostetler really seemed to enjoy diving into the piles of leaves on their front lawn.
The family is new to Washburn, but not The County, as they are former residents of Madawaska. The boys are likely more than happy to rake, pile, jump in, rake and pile again before finally bagging the leaves.
On Thursday, Oct. 28, there will be an exciting Halloween egg hunt held at the elementary school field. This is open to grades K-5 and will begin at 6:30 p.m. All “hunters” need to bring a flashlight and their own basket or treat bag.
Beginning in November, basketball for grades K through 3 will be starting, and registrations forms will be sent home with the children from school. Also in November, there will be the Elks Hoop Shoot, a basketball competition in conjunction with the phys ed classes at the school, and is open for children ages 8-13.
Prior to the October Town Council meeting, a public hearing was held regarding adopting the Maine State General Assistance Ordinance Appendices for the 2010-2011 year. The adoption was approved and councilors signed off on the issue.
Members of Washburn Town Council met on Monday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. for their regular meeting. The meeting was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, and public participation included Washburn Snowmobile Club President Bill Pike bringing the annual application for a grant enabling the snowmobile club to file for a grant to assist them in the financial costs of their various activities including fixing trails, bridges and fencing, among other things. The councilors signed all the paperwork on this issue.
The Council voted to accept the minutes of the Sept. 13 Council meeting, the Sept. 13 special Town Meeting and the Oct. 4 special Council meeting. They also reviewed and approved the financial figures through Sept. 30, 2010.
Also included in the meeting was information presented by Salmon Brook Historical Society members Jack Phelan and Dave Rand. They were at the meeting to inform the Town Council and municipal government of the lack of volunteers to provide museum tours and other services needed. They have recently just been opening the barn for tours, unless specifically requested. They are hopeful for new members to join the Society and volunteers are needed if the museum is going to continue to be an active part of Washburn. Anyone wishing to join or be a part of a volunteerism program, please contact Jack Phelan at 492-8271 or David Rand at 455-4850.
The Council also had a discussion about the annual August Festival Committee and the many ideas and activities involving the event, especially during Washburn’s Sesquicentennial (150th) year.
Hospitality Inn owner Steve Dobson addressed the Council and asked for them to agree to have a one-mile section of Route 164 to have limited access for ATVs from the rail spur to the inn. This effort will include signage along the route. The Council voted to give the okay in order for Dobson to continue his efforts with the state.
The Council also decided not to support the code enforcement officer for Washburn to work for any other community as part of his employment. Two applications for property tax abatements were looked into with the Council voting to deny two and accept one of the applications.
The Council went into executive session for issues concerning economic development, legal and personnel matters.
The next scheduled meeting will be held on Monday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center.
Christie Cochran is the correspondent for Washburn, Wade and Perham. She can be reached at 455-8034 or gramchristie@yahoo.com.
