Washburn Town Council notes
The Washburn Town Council held a special Town Council meeting on Monday, July 23, at 5:30 p.m.
The purpose of the meeting was to set the tax mil rate for the town of Washburn’s tax year 2007-2008. The Council completed the Tax Assessment Warrant and voted unanimously to leave the rate at its current 25 mil. The Council noted that they are responsible for billing the taxpayers for the items voted on at the annual Town Meeting, the SAD 45 budget voted on at their annual meeting and the tax billed from the County commissioners. The Council also voted to allow the Washburn municipal government to obtain a tax anticipation note in order to operate until the tax monies come in.
Also included in the agenda was information on the efforts being worked on to make cell phone reception a reality in Washburn.
It was mentioned that even though the water in the Mill Pond appears low, the red spot is growing on the ‘money-o-meter’ gauge. This is thanks to the many public donations and fund-raising efforts for the revitalization of Mill Pond Park. The new playground equipment has been ordered and will be installed in the near future.
Following the special Council meeting, Council members met with officials from the Maine Rural Water Association for information on the Washburn Water and Sewer District.
Birthdays/anniversaries
Correction: An error was in last week’s birthdays and anniversaries, listing a birthday wish that should have read ‘Mallory Martin,’ and corrected special anniversary wishes go Dan and Leslie Martin.
Those celebrating birthdays this week include: Marcie Barbarula, Leasha Fitzherbert, Adam Thompson, Alysea Beaulieu, Beth Thibodeau, Beverly White, George Martin III, Matt Cannon, Ryan Plissey, Chrissy Myshrall, Jerry Thompson, Eric Sperrey, Danna Johnson, Amanda Clark, Mark Kelley, Natalie Doody, Caleb Brown, Hillary Brown, Tony Searles, Kevin Burtt, Greg Libby, Stan Smith, Barb Churchill, Virginia Farley, Pam Tompkins, Jessica Henderson, Wayne Connolly, Jamie Barton and Justin Clayton.
Anniversary wishes go out to: Dave and Cyndi Lyon, Dana and Barb Caron, Gary and Louise Cole, Chuck and Carol Mahoney, Sheldon and Sandi Cunningham, Lyman and Velma Sperrey, Bill and April Fox, Gil and Marie Berube, and Gordon and Reta Anderson.
Important survey starting
The firemen are coming! The Washburn Fire and Rescue Department has agreed to volunteer their time and services for an income survey for some hopeful CDBG grant money. They will be coming around door to door in an effort to get 100 percent participation from the citizens of Washburn during the second week of August. If you know you won’t be available at that time and are able to come to the Town Office prior to August 17, please phone Andrea L. Powers at 455-8485 for a survey.
August Festival highlights
A very special thank-you goes out to Dennis Harris, a Washburn Rotarian who has been more than helpful in the Festival schedule being in this column.
The theme for this year is ‘A Look at the Past’ and the festivities begin on Thursday, August 16, and goes through Sunday, August 19.
This year’s grand marshal is Owen James, and the king and queen are Don and JoAnne Thompson.
Main Street will be closed on Friday night from 4:45 to 10:30 p.m. and all day Saturday. Please use the truck route aka Cannan Avenue, Victoria and the Town Hill for all through traffic.
Festival brochures should be available in local stores and businesses within the next week. The following is a short list of the various events held during the four day weekend event.
Things to see:
• On Saturday, the parade begins at 9:30 a.m. with the line up at the high school at 7:30 a.m.;
• There will be a Living History Display on the front lawn of the museum starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning;
• Also on Saturday, the Salmon Brook Historical Society Museum and Barn will be opening at 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. And on Sunday, the Salmon Brook Historical Society Museum and Barn will be open from 1 to 4 p.m.;
• Arts and crafts displays will be located in the town park, setup time is 7 a.m. and opening is scheduled for 8 a.m. on Saturday; and
• On Saturday there will be a Classic Car and Pickup Show from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Registration will be held at the high school and there will be participant judging at 12:30 p.m.
Sporting fun:
• On Saturday, registration for the road race starts at 8 a.m. with the race beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the high school;
• Also on Saturday, there will be a dunking booth in the town parking lot at 12 p.m. with all proceeds going towards the Mill Pond Project;
• The Washburn Rotary will have their booth open on Saturday in the town park selling the 2007 antique calendars, beverage insulators, 25th anniversary glasses, fireworks 3-D glasses, T-shirts and various August Festival souvenirs;
• There will be registration for the antique tractor pulls will be held on Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon with the pulls starting at 1 p.m. at the McCrum’s plant on the River Road;
• There will be a wrestling demonstration from 1 to 4 p.m. at the bank parking lot on Saturday;
• Registration for the horseshoe tournament will be held at 1 p.m. with the tourney starting at 2 p.m. at the Thomas Brewer Memorial Park on Saturday. This will be a double elimination event and the cost is $5 per person. The prize is half of the total entry fees collected, and this event is sponsored by Boy Scout Troop 177;
• On Sunday there will be registration for the ATV pulls at 11 a.m. and the pulls start at noon, rain or shine. Cost is $10 per class and the location is at the ATV clubhouse on Gould Street behind the Food Mart. Cash awards will be given and admission is free;
• On Thursday, there will be softball games for everyone ages 14 and older, starting at 6 p.m. at the school fields; and
• For an indoor sport, there will be Bingo on Saturday at the Civic Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Food for all:
• On Saturday, TOPS will be serving soups and sandwiches and the Washburn Fire Department will be holding their famous chicken barbecue starting at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $6 for adults, and children under 12 eat for $3. The meal includes the chicken, coleslaw, potato salad, chips, roll and drink;
• The United Methodist Church will be selling pies in the town park Friday evening;
• AMCS’s fund-raiser food booth sponsored by DFAS on Saturday will be in the town parking lot;
• There will be a Customer Appreciation Day with a free hotdog roast starting at 11 a.m. in the bank parking lot on Friday at 11 a.m.;
• The crowd favorite Alumni Banquet will be held on Friday. Guests are asked to bring a salad, casserole or dessert. Beans, rolls, coffee and place settings will be provided. The social hour starts at 5 p.m. and supper will be served at 6 p.m. Donations will be accepted and new officers will be elected;
• Saturday begins with breakfast 6 to 9:30 a.m. at the Washburn Trail Runners’ clubhouse. The fee is $6 and includes a full breakfast menu;
• The Pentecostal Church Youth Group will be putting on a baked bean supper at the Civic Center on Saturday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. A nominal fee will be charged; and
• Sunday begins with the famously delicious Perham Ladies Brunch held at the Civic Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets are $6 for adults, $3 for ages 5-12 and those under 5 eat free.
Fun for the young:
• On Friday, there will be a Baby Parade starting at 6 p.m. in front of the Town Office, to be followed by a Bike Parade and a Noah’s Ark Animal Workshop held at the town parking lot;
• The Kids Carnival will be held at 11 a.m. at the Mill Pond Park with lots of prizes to be awarded and donations are welcome;
• On Saturday there will be a Scavenger Hunt held near Brownie Troop 194’s booth at the Mill Pond Park at 11 a.m. There will be different levels of the hunt for various age groups. A first-place prize will be awarded in each category and the event is $2 per person with all proceeds going towards the benefit of the Mill Pond Project; and
• There will be a Rubber Ducky 50/50 Derby held at 4 p.m. on Saturday with the launching point held at the Mill Pond Foot Bridge. There will be pre-sales of ducks at the Washburn Town Office, and from the Rotary booth in the town park. 150 ducks will be sold for $5 each and the proceeds will go towards the Mill Pond Project.
Music and talents:
• The Saturday Night Variety show will be held at the Washburn High School from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children under 12;
• On Friday night, the Aroostook County Bluegrass Band will be performing in the park by the gazebo from 7 to 10 p.m. donations will be appreciated;
• On Saturday, Fireman Fred will be on the porch of the Town Office from 7 to 10 p.m., and donations will be appreciated.
• Paul Clayton and Friends will be holding a Saturday afternoon Country Music Jam from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Mill Pond Park. Donations will be appreciated;
• On Sunday there will be a Gospel Concert featuring local artists held from 2 to 4 p.m. at the high school gymnasium. Donations will be appreciated;
• Saturday night music will be provided by Randy Michaud and held at the elementary school parking lot from 8 to 9 p.m. Donations will be accepted and merchandise will be available for sale;
• Music by ScapeGoat will be available Saturday night from 8 to 11 p.m. in the town park. There will be a late 1980s tribute band with a light show; and
• The fireworks will be held on the hill behind the high school starting at 9:30 p.m. sharp on Saturday night. Special 3-D glasses will be sold during the weekend by the Washburn Rotary at the cost of $1 each.
Events/reminders
The first day of the 2007-2008 school year for Washburn District High School will be on Tuesday, August 14, at 8 a.m. There will be a teachers’ workshop on Monday, August 13. Parents or students with questions may contact Ron Ericson or Andrea Hallett at 455-4501. New students may register for classes in the Guidance Office from Monday, August 6 through Wednesday, August 8, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Parents with questions regarding bussing should contact Dave Conley at 455-8301.
Washburn’s Paul Clayton and Friends play at the K of C building in Presque Isle on the second and last Saturday of each month. Their next scheduled session will be held on Saturday, August 11.
There are still a few boxes of Girl Scout cookies in the area. There are six boxes of All Abouts, a shortbread top with a thin chocolate bottom layer. Six boxes of the shortbread Trefoils and two boxes of delicious sugar-free Little Brownies. Anyone wishing to finish out the cookie season for our area troops may phone Christie Cochran at 455-8034, and the cookies will be delivered to you at a nominal fee of $3.50 per box.
Library bookmarks
On Friday, August 17, at 2 p.m. at the Washburn Memorial Library, special recognition will be given to past Librarian Barbara Porter. She will be awarded the position of ‘Honorary Trustee’ by the library Board of Directors. This will be given in honor of her many years of excellent service as librarian by current Board members Bill Forbes, Sue Fuller, Gary Cole, Karen Milton, Cheryle Mattowitz, Linda Bourgoine, Ellie Snyder and Harold Leonard. All are welcome to attend.
On Friday, August 17, at 5:30 p.m. there will be an Awards Program for the summer reading program that’s been ongoing this season. The theme was Get a Clue @ Your Library, and readers were required to commit to and read at least two hours. Awards include a grand prize as well as a wide array of prizes. There will also be a total of 15 lucky winners chosen to take a trip to Bangor’s Discovery Museum on Tuesday, August 7.
American Legion news
Members of the Oscar Dow American Legion Post 48 met on Tuesday, July 24, at the Civic Center. Included in their meeting agenda was the drawing of ticket winners for their recent fund-raising raffle. The hand-sewn quilt and two pillows made by Ruth Flewelling and Rhoda Brown was won by Lynn Umphrey. The afghan, made and donated by Kathy Depeau, was won by Shirley Churchill and the Buck knife was won by Rhoda Brown.
Stan Theriault has recently transferred to the Washburn Legion from a Caribou Post.
The Legion voted to be the Color Guard Unit for the August Festival Parade, and flag bearers will be Kermit Fuller, Larry Harrison, Dale Whitten and Kathy Philbrook.
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 21, at the town park on Main Street and will include a special flag retirement ceremony. Taking part in this impressive ceremony will be members of the Post 48 American Legion, Washburn Boy Scout Troop 177, Junior Girl Scout Troop 15 and Brownie Troop 194.
The public is encouraged to bring their lawn chairs and spend approximately 45 minutes at this impressive ceremony. Anyone having faded, frayed or torn flags of any size to dispose of may bring them to the ceremony or contact any legion member prior to the ceremony. Following the ceremony, participants will be treated to a hotdog roast with soda and chips by members of Washburn’s Rotary Club.
There will be no Legion meeting in September, beginning their regular schedule in October. The Washburn Legion is responsible for putting flags on veterans’ graves in our five local cemeteries, and the coordinator for this is Dale Whitten. Anyone who knows of a deceased veteran that does not currently receive a flag placed at a grave each year may contact Whitten at 455-4905.
Legion meetings include potluck suppers, and members as well as their spouses or guests are invited.
Rec Center notes
Members of the Washburn, Wade and Perham communities take this opportunity to thank Recreation Director Marcie Barbarula for all her work and planning that made for another successful array of summer programs. Her efforts, along with those of her summer staff, are appreciated by parents and students alike.
There will be a final field trip to the County Fun Day held at Aroostook State Park on Thursday, August 2, for ages 9-13. This trip is limited to the first 13 and you will need to call the Rec Center to sign up. The cost is $1 and the van will leave at 9:15 a.m. and return at 2:30 p.m. The youth will be kayaking or canoeing, hiking along with enjoying a variety of carnival games. There will be a hotdog roast for lunch.
For any further information on Rec Center programs, contact Marcie Barbarula at 455-4959.
Perham notes
There will be a special election to fill a vacated seat on the Board of Selectmen. The election will be held on Thursday, August 2, and voting polls will be open from 2 to 8 p.m. Nomination papers for this vacancy have been taken out by Ray Wood.
The Perham Selectmen hold their regular meeting on the First and Third Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m.
The Perham Planning Board now meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 9:30 a.m. These hours will soon be going back to the 7 p.m. time, so check for postings. Additional board members are still needed, and anyone interested is asked to call Deb Viola at 498-3433.
The public is welcome and encouraged to attend both these town sponsored meetings.
The Perham Grant Committee will be holding their first office meeting on Tuesday, August 14, at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall on High Meadow Road. The Committee is headed up by Jan Grieco of Perham and members include Debra Viola and Ray Wood. Any and all interested residents are welcome to attend the meetings and share input and ideas.
The next scheduled meeting of the Perham Selectmen will be held on Monday, August 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall. All interested residents are encouraged to attend.
The next scheduled Planning Board meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 7 at the Town Hall. Anyone interested in becoming a member of this board is asked to call Deb Viola at 498-3433.
Perham residents are being notified of two household hazardous waste collection days, sponsored by NMDC. They will be held on Saturday, August 18, in Presque Isle, and Saturday, August 25 in Houlton. Special Notice: Perham residents may participate for free if pre-registration prior to July 27 with NMDC was done, and you must bring your permit with you on the day of the event. For registration and your permit, or for more information, contact Connie Bondeson at 498-8736.
