You never know what you have until it’s gone, and the residents of Ashland and the surrounding areas learned just that while the One Stop was closed due to smoke and water damage caused by a fire in the second floor apartment July 24. Thankfully, as we all know, everyone, except a chinchilla named Stitch, may he rest in peace, made it out safely and they were able to begin the process of cleaning and repairing the store.
Celebrating their reopening last week, employees are glad to be back at work, and are enjoying their new digs.
“It’s nice to see our customers again,” said employee Gayle Burby. Mirroring that sentiment, the other employees chimed in saying that is what they missed most … the daily contact with their customers.
Though the exterior still looks the same, it feels like a new store when you walk through the front door. The new floor and fresh paint really brighten things up, the aisles have been aligned differently, and some shelving and cabinetry were added making better use of the floor space. Best of all, there is a new and much more spacious kitchen area allowing the staff to continue making everyone’s favorite menu items. You will find the same staff and products we have all enjoyed … its now just better!
Welcome back! Your community missed you.
Portage Lake Centennial Meeting
There is a centennial meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall. During this meeting, planning for the annual Christmas party will take place. The party is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 12. Everything needs to be organized and they need your help! All are encouraged to attend. At the last meeting, only two people attended, and that is not enough! “It takes a village” to raise children as the saying goes, well it takes a village to raise the roof, too! Come on folks (young, old and in between) – you all enjoy attending the party and it’s always a lot of fun, so please help make it a well-organized success. Any amount of time you can offer, I am sure, will be greatly appreciated. Feel the spirit of Christmas in October!
Au Revoir to Portage Lake Resident
It is with much sadness that we bid au revoir to our friend and neighbor, Lucille Cyr. Lucille has sold her home and will be moving to the Bangor area to be closer to some of her family members. Lucille has been a beloved member of our community for the past 54 years.
Raising six children with her late husband, Gilman, Lucille was also a familiar face at the Portage Lake School as a custodian until its closure. Lucille has been a very active member of Our Lady of the Lake Roman Catholic Church. You could always find her bowling with “the girls” on Wednesday, hitting the golf course, cross country skiing, and just general involvement in the community. Missing “the girls” she says will be the hardest part, though she is ready for the “next adventure” and all the amenities the greater Bangor area has to offer. Family and friends threw her a going away party at Dean’s last Thursday which she appreciated proving she has many friends here who are going to miss her.
Though I haven’t known Lucille for many years, I feel a kinship with her because she is my neighbor (who reminds me very much of my Mom who lives away) and because a common thread has connected our lives. I bought her (brown) home … the home she built with her husband and where she raised her family … the home I now share with my husband, where we finished raising our son and built our lives. Within the bones of this home, I always felt it was a special place. You could literally feel the warmth exuding from the walls, just as you can from Lucille’s smile. From our first day in town, she made us feel welcome. She introduced us to other community members, invited us to family gatherings and took the time to get to know us.
She and I always joked whenever we saw one another that you would think we lived 100 miles apart (versus next door) because with our busy lives, we rarely even saw one another. Now sadly, that is going to be just the case. Lucille, I for one am going to miss you for your smiling face, friendship and for the easy comfort I feel in your presence. We never did get to having lunch did we? Maybe now that we will in fact live a 100 miles apart it will give us the perfect excuse to do just that! Best of life and health to you Lucille. Visit often. We will all miss you.
St. Mark’s CCD Classes to begin
CCD classes will be starting soon at St. Mark’s Church. Classes begin on Tuesday, Oct. 13 for grades K-4. Middle School grades 5-8 will be held Sunday nights at 6:30 p.m. with the starting date to be announced. Registration for classes will be held after mass Sunday, Sept. 27. For more information, please contact Corrine Routhier at 435-6854.
Portage Lake Exercise Night
Do you have any plans for Monday nights? If not, why not head over to the Town Hall at 6:30 p.m. (every Monday night) for “Exercise Night?” It’s that time of year again when it’s getting a bit chilly, and soon snow (gasp!) will be covering the ground. As we all know, the winters are long and we don’t get outdoors or move as much. This isn’t a formal exercise class. No one is in charge, and you decide what you are going to do. There are exercise videos and equipment available or you can bring/use your own. This is just a fun way to get out of the house and exercise with your peers to stay healthy. Hope to see you there! For more information, contact the Town Hall at 435-4361.
Ongoing Events
The Ashland Area Senior Citizens group meets every Thursday at noon at the Ashland Recreational Center. Any senior citizens wishing to participate in the potluck lunches and meetings are always welcome to attend.
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 Wilza Robertson at 435-6211 or Grace Nason at 435-6373.
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 surrounding townships. She can be reached at 435-8232 or feenhop@aol.com.
