Non-profit seeks new home
Unless another building can be found, the Washburn Soup Kitchen will be closing its doors on Saturday, Oct. 31. The owner of the Kitchen building will be needing to use the premises and has been more than generous in allowing the Kitchen to use it for nearly the past 12 months.
The building is also not large enough to accommodate the needs of those who volunteer their services and those who use the Kitchen. It is open three days a week and feeds over 700 meals and packs upwards of 80 food boxes monthly.
The Soup Kitchen takes care of a great need in our community, and any help others may have to offer would be greatly appreciated.
The Kitchen Board members are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and if anyone needs further information or knows of the availability of space for a kitchen or at the very least a building or space for a pantry in order to compile food boxes in the immediate Washburn area, please contact Elizabeth Richardson at the Kitchen at 455-4900 or at her home at 764-3167, or Board members Dolores Woodman, Don Peary, Donna Turner, Mildred Bennett, Lucy Lovely and Adina Wilson.
Birthdays/anniversaries
Those celebrating birthdays this week include: Wayne Rossignol, Dillon Bragg, Scott Hatch, Tim Plumer, Wallace Tupper, Betty Umphrey, Mark Regan, Andy White, James Rowbotham, Krista Doody, Meagan Bouchard, Jazmine Bragdon, Boyd Johnson, Aidan Churchill, Mimi Rossignol, Rebecca Sperrey, Rodney Bouchey, Chris Tupper, Todd Hitchcock, Jody McNeal, Lucky Bragg, Scott Ireland, Scott Bennett, Wade McLaughlin, Vicki Griswald, Heather Ingersoll, Ivan Corey, James Cray, Barbara McLaughlin, Jean Gabourie and Shayla Enman.
Anniversary wishes go out to: Scott and Jennifer Olson, Frank and Beth Long, Dan and Shannon Olson, Nick and Andrea Pesut and Jerome and Erika Churchill.
Town Council notes
Members of Washburn’s Town Council met on Monday, Sept. 14, for their regular meeting. After opening with the Pledge of Allegiance, the Council reviewed the financial figures through Aug. 31, 2009. It was noted that all municipal department budgets were in good order, and the Council relayed appreciation to the staff for their commendable efforts. The Council also voted to approve the minutes from the Aug. 10 Council meeting and the Aug. 31 special council meeting.
Also included in the agenda was a presentation from the Washburn Soup Kitchen by Director Elizabeth Richardson. She gave the Council members some informational paperwork on the various kitchen activities, participation levels, food box products and photos of kitchen space including storage areas and the financial report for the current year.
She informed the Council that the owner of the building will be taking occupancy in December and the kitchen will likely be closing by the end of October unless another building can be found. The Council indicated that they would let her know if they heard of some other places that may be available. Several Soup Kitchen Board members and volunteers attended the meeting as well.
There will be a 1990 Chevy 4X4, 1-ton pickup with dump body and 9-foot plow available for purchase. For further information, contact Adam at the Town Office.
The Council reviewed and signed off on an Assessor Notification form for personal property for Coca Cola and reviewed the 2009 Tree Growth Tax roster and information from the Maine Bureau of Labor Standards.
The Council voted to appoint Town Manager Bev Turner the delegate for the MMA annual meeting and Council Chairman Mike Umphrey as the alternate.
The next meeting of the Washburn Town Council is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center, and all interested residents are welcome to attend. This change in date is due to the fact that Monday, Oct. 12, is a holiday.
Events/reminders
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) holds their regular meetings each Monday at the Washburn Trailrunners clubhouse, starting with weigh-in at 4:15 p.m. and a meeting to follow from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and new members are always welcome.
The Washburn Soup Kitchen schedule includes regular meals on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday, served from 3 to 5 p.m. The kitchen also does up food boxes during regular hours and a special senior citizens’ meal is served the second Friday of each month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Salmon Brook Historical Society museum summer hours are Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m., and Wednesdays, from 8 to 11 a.m. To arrange for tours at other times, please call 455-8279. The Society will be holding their quarterly meeting on Thursday, Sept. 24, at the Civic Center at 6 p.m. There will be a potluck supper followed by a business meeting. Please bring a main dish or dessert and a place setting.
The scheduled pick-up date for the delivery of Friendly Co-op orders will be held on Friday, Sept. 25. Please plan to pick up your orders on Friday afternoon or evening. For further information, phone Brenda at 455-8421 or e-mail her at bunny@ainop.com.
Washburn’s redemption center is currently taking bottle donations for the Washburn Soup Kitchen and the Central Aroostook Humane Society. The winners for July and August $30 drawings were Patty Doody and Roger Ellis.
Library book “marks”
On Monday, Sept. 14, Washburn Memorial Library held the fall Story Time with 24 attending. A favorite of the children, the “get ready to listen scream” opened the event and Greg Drake ready “In the Small, Small Pond” and visitor Kristin Cashman read “Wild Child.”
Door prizes were handed out and Librarian Kathy Corey read “The Stranger” and apples were served as the snack. Door prize winners included: Megan Farley, Patrick Tardie, Russell Farley, Makala Williams, Rebecca Savoy, Christopher Tardie, Natasha Lizotte, Dawson McCoy, Scott Flood, Mason Pelletier, Jacob Skidgel, Dylan Jones, Stephey Conroy, Alyssa Dennett, Paul Tardie, Reed Plummer, Sarah Maynard, Tia Savoy, Valerie Flood, Christa McCoy, Virginia Farley, Abby Conroy, Tal McCoy and Kaitlyn Maynard. The next Story Time will be held on Monday, Oct. 5, and the theme will be “pumpkins.”
The fall reading program is under way, and its theme is “Fall into Reading at Your Library.” There is still time to join in the event that goes through Oct. 9, so stop in at the library to pick up information and time sheets. As part of the reading program, the next Friday Arts and Crafts will be held on Friday, Sept. 25, from 12:30 to 3 p.m. There is a great deal of fun planned, so be sure to join in.
The knitting circle will meet Thursday, Sept. 24, from 10:30 to 12 noon.
There will be a recognition hotdog roast on Friday, Oct. 16, starting at 5:30 p.m.
Rotary “wheels”
The Washburn Rotary Club was honored to have Jeremiah McIntosh back in the County. He is a member of the Washburn Rotary and an active Merchant Marine. While Jeremiah was overseas, he had the opportunity to visit several Rotary clubs in various countries. Jeremiah is a roving ambassador for the Washburn Rotary Club and recently brought back seven Rotary banners to present to the Washburn Rotary from some of the clubs he visited in Lithuania, France, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Sweden. He also reports that foreign clubs are always excited to get banners from Washburn and notes that he is the first to inform them of our local member of Rotary International.
Jeremiah is a civilian employee of the Defense Department and currently serves as the supply officer on the USS Mount Whitney, the flagship of the U.S. 6th Fleet, covering the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic and is based in Gaeta, Italy. He supervises over 80 staff and in the course of his duties he has met many high-ranking foreign military officers, government ministers and several heads of government and heads of state.
Jeremiah is the son of Michael and Barbara McIntosh, of Wade, and his dad is also a member of the Washburn Rotary. Jeremiah graduated from WDHS and the Maine Maritime Academy.
Renovation, reconstruction and recycling
There is a good deal of work going on at the Advent Christian Church in Crouseville in order to make the church and Mission Building more handicap accessible. Workers from Langille Construction are rebuilding the front of the church in order to make the church more handicapped accessible. Church Trustee Jerry Castonguay is overseeing the entire project which includes a long-term plan to incorporate the renovation of a handicap-accessible bathroom and multilevel elevator/lift to facilitate entry through all three floors.
As for recycling, the steps originally on the front of the church are being installed at the main entrance to the Mission building across the street. The steps will be much easier to navigate than the old ones which had overly high risers.
These plans are being coordinated to phase into future plans of adding a better parking area and a church addition where the parsonage was. This will likely double the seating capacity in the next few years, and expansion plans for the Mission building are on the agenda as well.
Recipes needed for special cookbook
A cookbook featuring recipes from our local area is being compiled for publication, and a deadline of Friday, Oct. 9, has been set. The library and others are actively looking for cooks, so anyone having a favorite recipe to include in the book is asked to contact the library at 455-4814. The sale of the book is being offered as a fund-raiser for the Gates computer the library is working towards receiving next year.
The library hopes to include at least 150 recipes and wishes to feature some from each of the surrounding towns of Wade and Perham and family recipes, heirloom taste treats as well as some humorous and “antique” cooking efforts. None will be turned down, and hopes are that anyone wishing to will be included. It is well known that there are and were wonderful cooks in the area and these fantastic recipes are being sought for inclusion in the book. Organizers are also hoping to find recipes from children. Recipes that were a favorite of a family member no longer with us will be put in as a memorial.
Themes can range from medicinal, home balms, beauty products, canning and many other topics. For more information, feel free to call the library at 455-4814.
It will also be a special keepsake with some special family recipes, unusual recipes, new and time-tested ideas for cooking, traditional and old recipes are all more than welcome. Chapters may include casseroles, desserts, main dishes, jellies, jams and candies, and even home remedies-old or new. Be sure and include names with your submissions — yep, even great grandma’s. Don’t hesitate to submit any odd recipes; guaranteed, there will be someone interested in trying it out.
This will make for a great Christmas gift, so please get your recipes to Kathy at the library. For further information, feel free to call her at the Library at 455-4814. The hours are Monday and Wednesday from 1 to 7 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday from noon to 4:30 p.m.
Boy Scouts
Members of Boy Scout Troop 177 attended the annual North Star District Fall Camporee held at the Nordic Heritage Center and sponsored by Troop 171 of Presque Isle.
This year’s theme was “Back to Basics,” following the original campout at Brown Sea Island in England about 100 years ago. Scouts participated in competitions covering skills in compass reading, fire building, tent pitching, patriotism, knot tying, as well as a service project for the Center.
The Saturday-night supper was a banquet with meal items prepared by each unit for over 100 Scouts, leaders and guests. Once again, Washburn Scouts did a superb job of Dutch oven cooking with chili and biscuits and cobblers.
On Sunday, during the awards ceremony, Washburn Scouts received the coveted first-place award for their fire building using just a bow for friction to start a fire. They also received second place for compass reading and third place in the patriotism division.
The troop also received the prestigious Ward Silsbee traveling trophy which will be displayed in Washburn until next fall’s Camporee. Requirements for this award are participation, Scout spirit, working together as a unit, troop campsite inspection and more.
Those Scouts and leaders participating in the weekend event were: Brandon Cropley, Keagan Page, Tyler Jardine, Parker Thompson, Adam Wilcox, Kody Brissette, Taylor Skinner, Daniel Roy, Jacob Reed, Curtis Thompson, Scoutmaster Larry Harrison, Assistant Scoutmaster Donald Wilcox, Committee members Greg Page, Randy Thompson and Committee Chairman Stacey Skinner.
Christie Cochran is the correspondent for Washburn, Wade and Perham. She can be reached at 455-8034 or gramchristie@yahoo.com.
Photo courtesy of Christie Cochran
CROUSEVILLE CHURCH UPGRADE — A Langille Construction crew recently began digging out and shoring up the front entrance area of the Crouseville Church. Workers pictured, from left: Rey Theriault and Phil King.
Photo courtesy of Christie Cochran
WASHBURN ROTARY CLUB members gathered for a group photo at the Washburn Civic Center, holding Rotary banners from other countries. Pictured, kneeling in front: Stuart Turner and Andy White. Second row: Charlotte Griffin, Mike Umphrey, Cindy Richendollar and Barb Turner. Back row: Mike McIntosh, Dennis Harris, Larry Harrison, Jeremiah McIntosh, Kermit Fuller and Steve Boddy.
Photo courtesy of Christie Cochran
JERRY CASTONGUAY and Ryan Rogers have begun building and replacing the front steps to the Mission building in Crouseville.
Photo courtesy of Christie Cochran
LIBRARY GUEST READER — Kristin Cashman, a friend and visitor from Florida, recently came to the Washburn Library and read “Wild Child” to those attending the September Story Time.
Photo courtesy of Christie Cochran
BOY SCOUTS at North Star Camporee included, in front, from left: Brandon Cropley, Keagan Page, Tyler Jardine and Parker Thompson. Second row: Adam Wilcox, Kody Brissette and Taylor Skinner. Back row: Daniel Roy, Scoutmaster Larry Harrison, Jacob Reed and Curtis Thompson.
