Supper/auction fund-raiser
There will be a special supper held at the Washburn High School on Saturday, Jan. 20, for the benefit of Amber Palmer and her family. Amber was diagnosed last year with a form of cancer.
There will be a spaghetti supper and a silent auction. The supper will be held at the high school from 5 to 7 p.m. and tickets are $5 each. They are available for purchase at the Washburn Town Office and will also be available at the door. There will also be a 50/50 drawing during the evening with tickets available at the event. The Washburn Town Council, the town employees and many volunteers are sponsoring this event.
Several auction items will be on display including Fun Baskets for adults and youth, gift certificates from area businesses, homemade articles, hockey tickets, baked goods, two Swap, Buy and Sell subscriptions and donations from local craftsmen and artisans. You may drop off any donations or auction items at the Katahdin Trust or the Washburn Town Office or bring them to the high school the night of the supper.
All proceeds from both the supper and the auction will go to the needs of the Palmer family.
Events and Reminders
The Washburn Senior Group will be meeting on Friday, Jan. 19, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Washburn Rec Center.
The Town Office will be closed on Thursday, Feb. 1, for the purpose of closing the town books for the year. The annual town report is also being prepared, and all tax bills and sewer bills that are past due as of Jan. 31 will be listed in the town report.
There is Bingo each Tuesday evening starting at 7 p.m. at the Trail Runners Snowmobile clubhouse on Station Road.
TOPS meet each Monday at the Trail Runners clubhouse. For further information, contact Birdina Cochran at 455-8353.
Project Graduation raffle tickets for a variety of prizes can be purchased from any senior student or from any committee member at a cost of $1 each or six for $5. The prizes will be drawn on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. They are also selling jars of homemade honey.
Pack 162 Cub Scouts will be holding a Community Race Day at the Washburn Elementary School at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 20. Cars may be purchased at the event, and there is no entry fee. The Cub Scouts will be racing in their Pinewood Derby the same day at 12 noon. Trophies for the Scouts will be awarded following the race.
Members from Junior Girl Scout Troop 15 and Brownie Troop 194 are involved in the annual Girl Scout Cookie sale, which will end on Monday, Jan. 29, with the cookies will be delivered during the month of March. If a Brownie or Girl Scout has not contacted you, you may phone 455-8034 to place an order, and it will be credited to one of the two Washburn troops.
Town Council Notes
Members of the Washburn Town Council held their regular meeting on Monday, Jan. 8, at the Civic Center. Due to the stormy weather, the time of the meeting was moved up from 7 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. with announcements given on local radio stations.
The Council approved the minutes from the Dec. 11 meeting and reviewed financial figures through Dec. 31, 2006. Councilmen also reviewed a letter from the SAD 45 Project Graduation Committee and a letter of information from the City of Presque Isle regarding solid waste.
A request for assistance from ACAP for next year’s budget was announced, and the Council voted to approve the Washburn Fire and Rescue Rules and Regulations. There was also a review of information from Maine Municipal Employees’ health trust regarding an insurance rate increase.
Included in the Manager’s Report was information on the Grant Application for Federal EPA money and the possible collaboration with the school to host a workshop on pandemic flu.
The Council retired to Executive Session to discuss legal and personnel matters before adjourning.
Rec Center Schedule
On Wednesday, Jan. 17, grade 5-6 boys basketball play Caribou at Washburn at 5:30 p.m. There will be Cross Country Skiing from 2:45 to 4:30 p.m.
On Thursday, Jan. 18, grades 5-6 girls basketball will be playing Fort Fairfield starting at 5:30 p.m. The grade 5-6 boys’ team plays Fort Fairfield starting at 6:30 p.m. Both games are at Washburn Elementary School gym.
On Friday, Jan. 19, there will be a movie at the Rec Center for grades 1 through 4 from 2:45 to 4:30 p.m.
On Saturday, Jan. 20, grades 5 and 6 girls basketball play at 10 a.m. with grades 5 and 6 boys basketball playing at 11 a.m. Both games are held at Presque Isle.
On Monday, Jan. 22, there will be cross country skiing from 2:45 to 4:30 p.m. and there will be men’s basketball from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
On Tuesday, Jan. 23, grades 5 and 6 girls basketball playing at Fort Fairfield at 4:30 p.m. The bus leaves Washburn at 3:30 p.m.
Discount tickets to Big Rock are available for purchase at the Rec Center. Big Rock Junior, ages 6 to 17, lift tickets will be sold for $14, and Adult lift tickets will be available for $19. The passes are good for any open hours at Big Rock with no blackout dates. Checks need to be made out to the Town of Washburn. All sales are final, with no refunds or exchanges.
Tri-Community Elections
Municipal Elections for Perham, Wade and Washburn will be held in March 2007. Several positions are open in each community, with Wade taking nominations from the floor and voting the night of their Town Meeting. Annual re-elections are held for town clerk, tax collector, treasurer and school board directors.
Perham currently has nomination papers available at the Perham Town Office for one position for a three-year term on the Board of Selectmen. Incumbent Woody Doody is currently running for re-election.
Nomination papers must be returned to the Town Office no later than Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007, at 4 p.m. The municipal election will be held on Monday, March 19, and the annual Town Meeting being held on March 20, at 7 p.m.
Washburn has nomination papers available for one position for a three-year term on the Town Council and two positions for three-year terms on the SAD 45 School Board. Those running for School Board include Greg Doak and Allyson Bragdon. Nomination papers must be returned to the Town Office no later than Thursday, Feb. 1, and the municipal election will be held on Monday, March 19, and the Town Meeting held on Tuesday, March 20.
Photographer Wins Twice
It was a great holiday gift for Gene Cyr, having been notified that he had won for two of his entries by the InforME panel of judges for the 2006 Maine.gov Winter Photo Contest. Gene notes that it is the first time he’s won for two photos and that both were taken right in Washburn.
The photo titled “Cherry Snow Cones” was judged first-place winner for the Agriculture category, and the photo titled “Winter Blues” was judged the first-place winner for the Inland category.
Winning photographs will be displayed in the Winners Gallery on the Maine.gov web site at www.maine.gov during the months of January, February and March, 2007. Last fall Cyr won an honorable mention for his photo called “Harvest Time” in the Agricultural category, and last summer his wife, Deb Cyr, won first place for her photo called “Moose Family” in the Wildlife category. Gene also won first place for a photo called “Spring Clouds” in the Inland category. He donated that photo to the town of Washburn for their efforts in the Mill Pond Restoration project.
UMW Notes
The ladies of the United Methodist Women’s group from the Lidstone Memorial Methodist Church held their first meeting of the new year on Wednesday, Jan. 10. They met at the home of member Jackie Doak and she furnished some delicious refreshments. Devotions were led by Charlotte Wilson, and Lois McDivitt notified the women that she was given two large bags of blankets, sheets and tucks which will be used for helping some Washburn residents throughout the next year.
This was considered a planning meeting to discuss options and activities for the upcoming year, and the ladies accomplished a lot. They voted to sponsor the Martha and Mary Kitchen in Presque Isle as well as assisting the local chapter of the American Red Cross. The ladies also voted to join a mission group that buys sewing machines and teaches women in Third World countries how to sew.
The group will also be active in supporting an overseas mission ‘Adopt a Child’ where groups or individuals can send a donation and help support a child. The UMW also joins with several other Methodist women’s groups and will be making up donation bags of school supplies through the Methodist organization U.M.C.O.R. that sends school supplies to various areas where they are needed.
Locally, the UMW will be filling baby bottles with pennies and donating them to the Pregnancy Crisis Center in Presque Isle and donations of hats and mittens to the Washburn school system.
The group will be having their regular annual suppers, pie and bake sales, along with their Christmas donation of a shoebox full of gifts to the Franklin Graham charity, Operation Christmas Child, as well as the favorite Washburn church bazaar.
Current officers for the UMW include: President – Charlotte Wilson, Vice President – Lois McDivitt and Treasurer and Acting Secretary – Falicia Rossignol.
The next scheduled UMW meeting will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 14. As this is Valentines Day, the women discussed making valentine baskets for shut-ins.
Library News
Washburn Memorial Library celebrated Maine Library Week in a variety of ways including a special story time. They read Maine authors. Greg Drake read “Snow Day” by Lynn Plourde, and Librarian Katherine Corey read “Grandfather’s Trolley” by Bruce McMillian. They enjoyed refreshments and door prize winners were: Danielle Cyr, Nick Doody, Scott Flood, Mason Pelletier, Desiraie Rediker, Dade Engstrom and Valerie Flood. All received coloring handouts before leaving.
The library also had some special prizes awarded throughout the week, which included Maine Libraries: Something for Everyone mugs for the adults, and children had a chance of winning a Reading is Cool sports bottle. Those signing up during a trip to the library received a bookmark and the adult winners of the mugs were: Angel Howe, Jackie Pribble, Byron Flood, Rena Tarbox and Christian Beckwith. Those winning sports bottles were: Brett Baker, Kala Farley, Nick Doody, Jessica Little and Dade Engstrom.
The Reminiscence Group at the library meets on the first Wednesday of the month and are using worksheets to help create ‘books’ about their lives. These will be great items for families to cherish and will be enjoyed by several generations. The chapters have included “Birth and Early Childhood,” “My Home When I was Small” and “Growing Up” and “Celebrations.” All interested residents may pick up a worksheet at the library for the next scheduled meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 4, at 7 p.m. at the library.
The Middle School Reading Group will be meeting on Monday, Jan. 20, to read and discuss “How to Eat Fried Worms” by Thomas Rockwell. All interested middle school students are invited.
Country Jam
The Washburn Trailrunners will be hosting a Country Jam every Friday night beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Trailrunners Clubhouse located at 48 Station Road, Washburn. All interested individuals are invited to come and enjoy some music or take part in the event.
