Volunteers make quilts for Hospice of Aroostook
WASHBURN NEWS
by Christie Cochran
The group recently named their quilt-making troop “Stitching and a Giving.” By naming their non-profit band of seamstresses, it entitles them to a discount at Marden’s fabric counter.
The group volunteers to make some nice, warm and friendly little quilts, donating them to Hospice of Aroostook. They in turn give them out to youthful members of families who have young parents who are terminally ill.
They meet at the Washburn Trail Runners clubhouse on Tuesdays, from around 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and volunteer to take turns bringing lunch. Since last October, the group has turned in 24 quilts to Hospice of Aroostook coordinator Robin Haynes.
Anyone wishing to join in this group will be more than welcome. They are a working group but have lots of social time, sharing of patterns and recipes too. The group will not be meeting during the February vacation due to high activity at the clubhouse.
Participants in the seventh annual Andy Santerre Sno-Run
HOPING TO BEAT SATURDAY’S SNOW, participants in the seventh annual Andy Santerre Sno-Run opted not to stop at the Washburn Trailrunners’ clubhouse so that they could make it to Chapman where a group photo of riders and their sleds was staged in an open area, with the design this year being the outline of Aroostook County. Here, the group slows to cross the road near Thomas Brewer Park in Washburn as they travel through Shaw Siding on the old B&A rail bed.
WAITING TO CROSS THE ROAD, riders on the seventh annual Andy Santerre Sno-Run passed through Washburn’s Shaw Siding on Saturday as they traveled to the Chapman Ridge Runners’ clubhouse for lunch, before making the trip back to where they started at the Caribou Inn and Convention Center. Over 100 snowmobilers made the journey this year to benefit AMHC’s sexual assault services.
Birthdays/anniversaries
Those celebrating birthdays this week include: Emily Driscoll, Samantha Cray, Bryan Ouellette, Kathy Corey, Glenys Dahlgren, Carly Rogers, Christian Boudman, Eric Beckwith, Snuffy Pinette, Mike Sands, Sonja Robbins, Charlie Currier, David Forbes, Cooper Libby, Casey Dobson, Jonathan Durost, Ryan Dobson, Nicholas Viola, Lynn Dickinson, Rodney Wardwell, Michelle Creasey, Jared Dobson and Jessica Burchett.
Anniversary wishes go out to Fred and Helen Tompkins and Keith and Kathy Corey.
Town-wide notes
There will be a meeting of the Sesquicentennial group at the Washburn Civic Center at 7 p.m., following Rotary, on Wednesday, Feb. 16. Included in the agenda will be updates of inquires and other information for the special booklet.
Looking ahead, the Washburn municipal election will be held on Monday, March 21, with the polls at the Washburn Civic Center open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The annual Town Meeting will follow on Tuesday, March 22, at the high school starting at 7 p.m.
Rec Center schedule
On Wednesday, Feb. 16, there will be cross country skiing from 2:45 to 4:30 p.m. There will be Zumba held at the elementary school from 6 to 7 p.m.
On Thursday, Feb. 17, there will be a girls’ basketball game for the grades 4-6 team held at Mars Hill at 4:30 p.m.
On Friday, Feb. 18, there will be a 4 p.m. basketball game for the grades 4-6 girls’ team at Caribou.
On Monday, Feb. 21, there will be Zumba held at the elementary school from 6 to 7 p.m. followed by men’s basketball from 7 to 9 p.m.
On Tuesday, Feb. 22, there will be a round robin for the girls’ 406 basketball at Mars Hill. There will be roller skating at Caribou for students in grades K-8 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Coming during the vacation break, there will be Hot Shots at the Caribou Rec Center starting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 23. There will be movies at the Caribou Cinema for grades K-8 from 1:30 to 3:45 p.m.
On Thursday, Feb. 24, there will be lunch at McDonald’s and ice skating at the Presque Isle Forum from noon to 3:30 p.m. This is open to students in grades 3-8.
On Friday, Feb. 25, there will be a special Winter Fun Day at the Aroostook State Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is open to students in grades 3-8.
Project Graduation notes
Congratulations go out to Billy Pike as the winner of the Basketball Tournament Package!
The Project Graduation group also wishes to extend a very special note of appreciation for the use of the Trail Runners clubhouse for their stew night. It was a huge success. Without the support of this group, this Project Graduation event would not have been possible.
For further information on the Trail Runners clubhouse, be sure check them out at www.washburntrailrunners.org.
Remembering Washburn’s History
Many thanks go out to the assistance of Gwen (Shaw) Bragg for some of the historical data used in the column.
Photo courtesy of Christie Cochran
WASHBURN’S INFRASTRUCTURE at the turn of the century included the new bridge of 1901 and the ferry in the lower right-hand corner of the bridge.
One wonders just how many remember hearing that the town of Washburn had a ferry. Areas of Washburn were a very busy industrial area even a few years prior to becoming a town. These areas included plantations, townships and settlements. In 1845, a road was cut through from the south bank of the Aroostook, opposite the mouth of Salmon Brook, to what was then called the “State Road,” and it led from Presque Isle to Ashland. By use of the ferry across the Aroostook, settlers were able to do their trading in Presque Isle much easier.
Around 1866, mail for these areas was carried from Houlton to Presque Isle by horseback courier. From there it went to Wilder’s mill through the State Road and the ferry across the river, where Benjamin Wilder, who was the postmaster, transferred it to residents including those in town as well as others up river from Washburn’s west line. Some of the families dependent on the ferry system for mail and other goods included the Shaws, Hales, Porters, Holmes and Randalls.
Since the early days, the ferry below Salmon Brook had been operated by several men who lived nearby. Starting in 1880, William and his son Herbert Shaw ran the ferry for travelers. They would later be followed by another family member, also named William Shaw. The Shaw family lived on the west side of the river opposite Holms Brook which was much larger in those early days.
In 1882, Jesse and William Crouse built a new ferryboat which cost the town $158.04, and the town paid the Shaws an annual fee of $257 for operating it. After the Shaw family stopped operating the ferry in 1890, John Doyle and James Searles operated the ferry for a stipend of $297 yearly.
The Shaw family owned and operated a boarding house which included a large white home with a very large red barn, located where the Thomas Brewer Memorial Park is now. This was run by Herbert and Myrte Shaw. After the death of Herbert, their son William and wife Mildred and new baby Gwen Shaw moved in to assist with the operations of the boarding house and farm. William’s three sisters — Mary, Ada and Ida — also worked with the chores connected with running a large boarding house.
Patrons of the boarding house were mill workers at the nearby Wilder’s Mill, and one well-known tenant was George Podvin who eventually worked at a bowling alley in town after the large pulp pile at the mill burned.
The second home for the Shaw family was a bungalow-style shingled home, complete with large fireplace, and was built at the Washburn end of the Parsons Road across the road from the Thomas Brewer Park. The last generation of Shaws who occupied this home was that of William and Mildred Shaw. In the telephone directory for the Aroostook Telephone and Telegraph Company in 1931-32, the number for William Shaw on the River Road (now Parsons Road) was 71-2. This area was known as Shaw’s Siding, and this information was inadvertently left out of the Jan. 26 edition of the Bangor and Aroostook rail system in Washburn.
A steel bridge was built and opened in July of 1901, very near where the ferry was located. In the accompanying photo for this article shows the ferry just to the lower righthand side of the bridge.
*Cites of reference include 1930 telephone book, Washburn 1961 centennial booklet, Ray Carter’s “History of Washburn,” Wiggins “History of Aroostook” — George H. Collins data, And a 1902-03 Maine Register.
Wade notes
A special meeting for a vote on the Pay-as-You-Throw program was held for the town of Wade on Tuesday, Feb. 8. There were 12 residents attending and Andrew White was elected and sworn in as moderator.
Dana Fowler was present to answer any questions including landfill, the tipping fee increase, Wade contract commitment with Presque Isle, cost of PAYT bags and where they can be purchased and recycling.
There were eight votes cast and the PAYT program was accepted. Gil’s Sanitation will be the hauler for the town of Wade, and starter packages with all pertinent information for the transition along with a free starter bag will be sent out in the near future.
Swishing lesson
Barb Hade’s 3rd grade class recently learned an important lesson in dental care, through the use of fluoride. SAD 45 School Nurse and Oral Health Director Christine McPherson has been helping students with their weekly fluoride swish. The Maine Oral Health Program has been providing a weekly fluoride mouth rinse to many of Maine’s school children for over 25 years. The School Oral Health Program was designed to promote oral health education and to reduce dental disease among Maine children. Fluoride is the single most effective way to reduce tooth decay, making teeth stronger and preventing cavities.
Photo courtesy of Christie Cochran
FLUORIDE USE was one of many things Barb Hade’s 3rd grade class in Washburn learned about dental health recently. Nurse Christine McPherson who is the oral health director for SAD 45, once again oversaw the program, helping students with their “weekly swish.” Helping me with the swish lesson in the photos is Charlotte Grass, an NMCC nursing student.
Helping McPherson with the swish lesson were NMCC students, including Charlotte Grass, who’s a nursing major. Charlotte and two other NMCC senior nursing students, Scott Tilmont and Shirley Grant, worked with McPherson in the school for three days each as part of NMCC’s Home-Based Nursing Rotation: Partners In Care.
Christie Cochran is the correspondent for Washburn, Wade and Perham. She can be reached at 455-8034 or gramchristie@yahoo.com
