Rotary wheels
Twelve members attended the September 12 meeting of Washburn Rotary and counted it a productive session.
Joyce Sewall, who has been cooking for the Rotary for the past three years, supplied her final meal that evening, ably assisted by her granddaughter, Brooke Lovely. Joyce was thanked for her delicious contributions to the weekly meetings and given a gift certificate and flowers in sincere appreciation from the Rotary.
Photo courtesy of Christie Cochran
ROTARY PRESIDENT Cindy Richendollar presented a bouquet and gift certificate to Joyce Sewall on her retirement as Rotary cook.
Joyce noted that she’s going to miss the interaction and fun she shared with all the Rotarians and may stop by some evening for a free meal and give them some fun aggravation. Andrea Bragdon, whose cooking abilities are well known, will be filling the position beginning September 19.
Also included in the agenda was the discussion of the annual Hunter’s Breakfast, scheduled to be held on Saturday, October 27, from 4:30 to 8:30 a.m. at the Washburn Civic Center. Breakfast tickets are selling for $5 and each ticket makes the purchaser eligible for a grand door prize drawing of one night and three meals for two adults at Moose Point Camps on Fish River Lake. There will also be a raffle held with tickets selling at $2 each or three for $5, and the first prize is a Remington Model 700 with Weaver Scope and carrying case, with second prize being 100 gallons of fuel oil donated by Perham Oil and deliverable within a 30-mile radius. Ticket holders for these raffle tickets and the grand door prize winners do not need to be present to win.
A wide array of additional door prizes will be drawn throughout the event, and ticket holders must be there in order to win. For those unable to attend the breakfast, tickets can be purchased from any Rotarian.
Librarian Kathy Corey presented a program on some of the projects done at the library including the Reminiscence program and various reading groups for school-age patrons. The Rotary gave a grant donation to the Washburn Memorial Library to assist in their literacy projects.
There was also an August Festival meeting held after Rotary. Among the items discussed was the election of new chairpeople for the 2008 festival. Andrea Powers was elected chair and Peggy Bugbee was elected vice chair. The next scheduled August Festival Committee meeting was set for January 16, 2008.
Birthdays/anniversaries
Those celebrating birthdays this week include: Jordyn Martin, Andrew White, Krista Doody, Aidan Churchill, Daniel White, Kristi Pike, Tim O’Donnell, Elke Woodman, Betty Umphrey, Marlene Forbes, Sara Pinette, Jesse Potvin, Mike Wilcox, Lottie Ford, Crystal Butkovic, Robin Drost, Adeline Hammer, Diane Young, Blyn Tilley, Shawn Scott, Christen Hobbs, Wallace Tupper, Linda Russell, Chelsea Fitzherbert, Liam LeConey, Skyler Bragg, Wayne Rossignol, Dillon Bragg, Scott Hatch, Tim Plumer, Merissa Cannon, Ashley Corey, Mark Regan and James Rowbotham.
Anniversary wishes go out to: Dan and Shannon Olson, Frank and Beth Long and Scott and Jennifer Olson.
Events/reminders
TOPS meet each Monday starting with weigh-in at 4:15 p.m. and the program goes from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Washburn Trailrunners clubhouse. For further information, contact Birdena Cochran at 455-8353.
There will be Bingo each Tuesday at 7 p.m. hosted by the Washburn Trailrunners Snowmobile Club at the clubhouse on Station Road.
There will be a meeting of the Perham Planning Board the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall.
The upcoming schedule for Recreation Department soccer is as follows: Each Tuesday and Thursday evenings at the elementary school fields with grades K-2 playing from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m., followed by grades 3 and 4 playing from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m.
There will also be men’s basketball at the high school gym each Monday starting at 6:30 p.m. For further information on any Rec Center programs, contact Director Marcie Barbarula at 455-4959.
Municipal minutes
Prior to the Council meeting, the Washburn Riverside Cemetery Association met at 6:30 p.m. Included in the agenda was notification of survey-type markers used to facilitate keeping the lots straight. Since the beginning of the cemetery, lot markers have moved due to frost and could lead to irregular arrangement of new burial markers. The Cemetery Association is taking proactive steps to make sure this doesn’t happen.
The Washburn Town Council held their regular meeting on Monday, September 10, at the Civic Center at 7 p.m.
The Council approved the minutes from the August 13 Council meeting and reviewed the financial figures through August 31, 2007.
There was some discussion regarding scrap materials at the Washburn Industrial Park, including owner liability. The Council members and town manager will be doing a ‘walk through’ in the near future and plans are currently being made for cleanup of the area.
There was also update information given regarding the construction of a cell tower, with plans being to start the foundation within the next two weeks and complete construction of the tower hopefully by the end of October. The tower will be erected on town-owned property near the reservoir. The town manager is working on using some possible in-kind services to save the town money. The Council voted to increase the amount of money needed to cover some rising costs of construction. The final cost of the tower may be allayed by the sale of several items owned by the town of Washburn.
The council was told of playground equipment items that are currently on back order, and hopes for a special Community Day at the Mill Pond to be scheduled for the middle of October. Plans were also discussed to add lighting for both the Mill Pond and Thomas Brewer Parks. The bathroom facilities at Thomas Brewer Park were leased for one year, when the possibility of a grant will enable Washburn to purchase their own facilities for the area.
Also included in the agenda was the notification of the Council being invited to attend a FEMA workshop, and the town looking into funding for 9-1-1 numbers. The Council addressed a complaint on area ditching in the area and voted to sell some currently condemned property, provided that it will meet all health officer standards by an October 30 deadline.
The next scheduled meeting of the Washburn Town Council will be on Monday, October 15, at the Civic Center at 7 p.m.
Historical Society news
The Salmon Brook Historical Society will be holding their quarterly meeting on Thursday, September 27, at the Washburn Civic Center starting at 6:30 p.m.
There will be a potluck supper followed by a business meeting. Please bring a main dish or dessert and your place setting. A special program will follow, featuring country music entertainment by Warner and Friends. Bring your friends, family and neighbors; all are welcome.
Wednesday, September 19, is the final workday and museum hours of the season. There will also be no Sunday hours until the new season until the first weekend in July. For further questions or information on the museum, phone Tim and Carolyn O’Donnell at 455-8437.
Nursing graduation ceremony
Crouseville resident Amy O’Donnell graduated magna cum laude with honors, averaging between a 3.6 and 3.8 grade average, on Friday, August 17. She attended the University of Southern Maine College of Nursing and Health Professions at the Portland Campus. This was a special 15-month accelerated program and a four-year college degree along with some additional special science courses were required for attendance. Amy found the course intense and fast-paced, but focused on nursing and found it more than worth the effort in the end.
The convocation, or ceremony for presentation of degrees, included presentation of a rose given by Viola Palmacci, one of the first USM nursing program graduates, and the Hooding Ceremony was conducted by USM President Joseph Wood and College of Nursing and Health Professions Dean Brian Toy. Amy received her Bachelor of Science nursing degree and was ‘pinned’ by her mother Carolyn O’Donnell and her niece Christine O’Donnell.
Guests attending Amy’s graduation included her parents, Tim and Carolyn O’Donnell, of Crouseville; her brother and sister-in-law, Tyler and Jamie O’Donnell, of Gray; and special friends Oubda Kassoum, of West Africa, and Sandra Gorman, of Windham.
Amy will be taking her next stage of nursing education by taking her NCLEX Board exams for her registered nurse’s license at the end of September. She also has plans to go to Calcutta, India, in mid October. She will be volunteering at a few of the Mother Theresa homes in the area and is looking forward to the working adventure.
