ASHLAND NEWS
by Susan Feeney Hopkins
The Ashland Motor Sports Association will be hosting a mud run Saturday, Aug. 31. The event will take place at the Ashland Trotting Park, located on Route 11 (just south of town). Registration begins at 10 a.m. with the event beginning at noon. The gate fee is $8.
The next day, Sunday, Sept. 1, they will be having a tough truck competition. Registration will also begin at 10 a.m. with the event starting at noon. Gate fee will be $8.
Portage Lake Summer Round Up fun
The Portage Lake Summer Round Up took place over the weekend of Aug. 16-18. The festivities began Friday evening with a community potluck supper followed by the luminary ceremony held at the Pavilion, hosted by the Portage Lake Historical Society. Bright and early Saturday morning, the community enjoyed a breakfast full of sugar, chocolate and an assortment of other delicious flavors during the Whoopie Pie Festival. Sponsored by the Portage Lake Tourism Committee, vendors made their own whoopie pies for sampling and sale. Everything from the traditional chocolate and cream, to peach flavored, to maple and blueberry with lemon filling! Vendors from Our Lady of the Lake Church made mention they met their fund-raising goals with the sales of whoopie pies and their pancake breakfast which help local families. Congratulations! The community thanks you all for your hard work and dedication.
The motorcycle rodeo, hosted by the Portage Lakers Snowmobile Club, saw a record 14 riders participating in the events. As usual, the riders showcased their expertise while entertaining the spectators. Following the rodeo was the club’s annual pig roast. The club served an average 225 meals profiting enough to fund about one month’s worth of gasoline for the snowmobile trail groomer. The Club 100 raffle winners were also drawn with Beth Jandreau earning the top prize. Congratulations Beth! The other winners in the drawing were John Richey, Andy Cusack, Stephanie Berry, Eldon Jandreau and Jolene Graham. Congratulations winners. The Portage Lakers Snowmobile Club thanks you and all others for their support.
Later in the evening, just before dark, the community welcomed the canoeists from the canoe carry, who were reenacting the voyage of early settlers from Little Machiasto Portage Lake. Waiting on the beach, the pounding of native drums alerted us to the settlers’ imminent arrival. As they paddled their way across the lake, silhouetted by the setting sun and a backdrop of mountains, you could visualize our forefathers’ journey into this land we all call home. This is always an enjoyable event which also saw more participants, as well as spectators. Many members of the community were on hand to welcome the settlers who reveled in their accomplishments as I am sure the early folks did, as well.
The town was treated to a fantastic fireworks show thanks to the efforts of the Portage Lake Tourism Committee which raised funds for the display. A huge thank-you to all responsible! Because of you, the rest of us got to enjoy one of life’s little pleasures of watching the wonder and glory of a beautiful fireworks show over our little town. A dance at Dean’s Motor Lodge, sponsored by the Portage Lakers Snowmobile Club, topped off Saturday’s Round Up events. It was reported by my inside sources that everyone had a great time dancing until the wee hours of the morning.
The weather on Sunday was a perfect day for a parade. Lucky for Portage Lake, there was a parade on the schedule. Military personnel, Scouts, ATV riders and more marched in the parade receiving cheers and applause. The French Food Fest tasting took place in the afternoon at the Pavilion with a great turnout raising around $900 in donations. The sounds of the Fiddle Heads Blue Grass Band playing at the event could be heard floating on the wind all around town.
It was a great weekend with a lot of community support and participation. Serving as somewhat of a “dress rehearsal” for the 2014 World Acadian Congress, each activity was well planned and carried out. Organizers and community members all agreed it was one of the best Round Ups yet. On behalf of the community of Portage Lake, I thank those who volunteer their time and efforts (a lot of each) to plan and organize these events for the rest of us to enjoy. Thank you very much!
Ongoing events
The Portage Lake ATV Club will meet every first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the Town Office. All are welcome to attend. Contact Rena Belanger for membership or more information at 435-2780.
The Ashland Area Senior Citizens meet the first and third Thursday at noon for a potluck luncheon at the LeBlanc Junkins VFW Post 9699 on the Portage Road with a meeting to follow. This active and growing club of senior citizens also takes trips to various restaurants throughout The County, hosts cookouts, enjoys guest speakers and entertainment such as musicians. For more information, contact Roberta Savary at 435-6422.
The Portage Lake Over 50’s Club lunch is held on the last Tuesday of every month at 11:30 a.m. at the Town Hall. All individuals 50 and over are invited to attend and can bring a potluck dish to share. For more information, contact Jean Clark at 435-8034 or Donna Martin at 435-7108.
The Red Hat Loonies of Portage Lake meet the second Thursday of every month at Dean’s Motor Lodge. Membership dues are $2. Come and have a great meal and a great time, too! For more information, contact Rachel Stevens at 435-6358.
Susan Feeney-Hopkins is the correspondent for Ashland, Portage Lake, Oxbow, Masardis, Garfield, Nashville Plantation and the surrounding areas. She can be reached at 227-7760 or Feenhop@aol.com.
