Island Falls News
Mr. and Mrs Clayton Varney, Winterport, and their daughter, Cheryl Sandquist, from Texas, arrived last week to spend several weeks at the Varney cottage on upper Mattwamkeag Lake. While here they plan to do some visiting with their many friends and relatives in the area. Hopefully they will get to enjoy some of the fresh strawberries that will soon appear on the Cox farm in Sherman.
Claudette and Dickie Delong are now here in Island Falls, arriving last week from their home in Brooksville, Florida, for their annual three weeks visit. They are former residents of Island Falls and look forward to renewing old friendships and seeing relatives.
The Country Jamboree, which had been on hold for several months due to the illness of its leader, Clinton Roy, has again been started and a potluck supper was held on Wednesday with a good crowd there. Have been having a hard time keeping my birdfeeders full because of the pesky gray squirrels. They always find a way to get at them, no matter where I put them, and they hang by their toes from any branch of the cedar tree to get their fill.
I now have a feeder attached to my kitchen window — the birds like it, but the squirrels are some frustrated as they can’t touch it. I still have about six big black crows who arrive in my back yard every afternoon and also perch in my big birch tree there. They stay two or three hours finding stuff to eat among the grass there and sometimes I throw out some bread crumbs that they make short work of. Watched a mother robin feeding her baby the other day — he was bobbing along behind her waiting for a handout. Still no deer seen but keep hoping.
Take Off Pounds Sensibly ME 0233, HOULTON
by Lois Downing
Take Off Pounds Sensibly Chapter 0233 of Houlton met at the Aldergate building on High Street on Friday, July 1 for its weekly meeting. Because of the holiday, only 12 members attended, three were KOPS (Keep Off Pounds Sensibly).
Leader Denise Scott was in attendance. Loser of the week was Joanne Scott with Dellie Bennett as runner-up. Lois Downing took the skinny dish home. Reports were given by Charlotte Marley, Joanne Scott and Janette Nelson a financial report. Denise stated the Stars contest is going well and will end the end of July. Her talk was on nutrition for the brain and health.
The next meeting will be July 7 at the same location. If you wish more information about the chapter, you may contact Charlotte Marley at 757-8483 or Betty Ivey at 532-9653. Each Friday morning weigh-in is at 8:00-8:45 a.m.; no weigh-in is after this time. The meeting starts at 9 a.m. and usually ends an hour later. Everyone’s welcome.
Spring Tea
The Women’s Missionary Guild of Bethany Baptist Church sponsored their 10th annual Spring Tea with 102 women in attendance on May 21. Anna Walsh started these teas in 2001 as president of the Guild. Each year members decorate everything in pink and white. This year pink and white May baskets were hung from the ceiling.
The tables were decorated with beautiful teapots and cups and saucers from each hostess’s home. Each hostess prepared gift bags for the guests at their table. Kerry Walsh made little decorative candy baskets for all the guests. Connie McCrum made teapot tissue holders for each table, with one lucky guest at each table receiving one to take home. Kerry Walsh made teabag holders for each woman, suitable for carrying in their handbag.
“We do these teas each year to reach out and touch the lives of women throughout the County, regardless of their denominational affiliation. There is no charge for these teas; we simply take up a free-will offering to give to our guest speaker. This year we were instrumental in bringing Carol Anderson Shores from North Carolina. She is a professional actress who combines theatre with inspirational teachings. Her performance was outstanding and left a lasting impression on everyone,” said Gail Wylder, president of the Ladies Missionary Guild.
In other entertainment, Debbie Ackerson and daughter Kristin sang.
Table hostesses were: Lana Avery, Diane Hersey, Marlene Tompkins, Connie McCrum, Lorri Jackson, Anna Walsh, Kerry Walsh, Gail Wylder, Irma Weeks, Bonnie Wylder and Kristin Ackerson. Other helpers were Joyce Hartt, Ruth Wood, Millie Jalbert, Debbie Hersey, Shirley Kidney, Kaye Taylor and Patsy DeLong. Guests came from as far as New Limerick to Fort Kent and Easton to Mapleton.
Food for guests consisted of green salad, fresh fruit cups, finger sandwiches and an abundance of delicious sweets.
“Everyone seemed to have a wonderful time,” noted Wylder. “The women look forward to coming to this each year.”
East Grand Dames Book Group celebrates 15 Years
On a summer day in 1996, six women of Forest City were sharing afternoon tea and conversation came up. These lovers of reading decided to start a summer book group, and so the East Grand Dames Book Group was born.
The original six members consisted of sisters Ruth Wheaton, recently deceased; and Alice Weatherby, now of Brewer; sisters Jane Cook and Pam Taylor; Alice Brooks and Barbara Pipines. The current membership consists of approximately 40 women, both seasonal and year round residents of the East Grand area from both sides of the Maine-New Brunswick border.
In 15 years, the choice of books has been wide ranging in both fiction and nonfiction. Several books by local authors have been enjoyed, such as: “The 20th Maine,” by John Pullen; “Forest for the Trees,” by Roger Milliken; and “Education of a Yankee,” by Judson Hale. There were talks with authors with Forest City connections, such as David Snow, M.D., about his memoir “Years of Practice” and Monica Wood about her novel “Secret Language.”
The group has also read books from around the world such as the novel “The Bone People,” by Maori author Keri Hulme; “The Endurance,” by Caroline Alexander about Shackleton’s ill-fated voyage to the Antarctic, and the memoir “Life and Death in Shanghai” by Nein Cheng.
This year’s books are: “Beyond the Beauty Strip,” by Mitch Lansky of Wytopitlock, about forestry practices, which will be discussed on July 27 in Danforth; “Olive Kitteridge,” by Maine author and Pulitzer Prize winner, Elizabeth Strout —connected short stories about small town Maine residents — for Aug. 10 in Green Mountain, N.B.; and “1,000 White Women,” by Jim Fergus, a novel about an attempt to pacify Native Americans with the offer of wives, scheduled for Aug. 17 in Orient.
On Aug. 3 in Houlton the group will make suggestions for the three books for 2012. The group meets at 10 a.m. For information call 448-2928.
