Chasses’ adventure comes to abrupt end
MARS HILL NEWS
by Tomi Henderson
Monday, July 18, saw Donna and Dana Chasse driving through Utah on the way to Colorado and its many parks.
Photo courtesy of Tomi Henderson
McCREA REUNION — Donna and Dana Chasse were able to meet up with some special folks on their U.S. adventure. While in Montana, they stayed with Tom McCrea, a Mars Hill native. Pictured are, from the left: Rob McCrea, Judy (McCrea) Bubar, Tom McCrea and his wife, Carlene. Rob and Tom live in Montana, while Judy was visiting following the birth of a new grandchild.
The Bonneville Salt Flats west of Great Salt Lake was an experience that Donna doesn’t care to repeat, as the salty smell was very unpleasant and the vast expanse of white landscape was hard on the eyes. The smell was even worse when the salty areas were wet!
They spent Monday night in Green River, Utah, before continuing to Colorado on Tuesday. Everything was going well until they got to a construction site in Colorado where the pavement had been torn up. The dirt road they were on became very muddy when a sudden rainstorm came up. When they met another vehicle and Dana needed to move the bike and trailer over, he got in a soft rutted area that caused the bike to tip over. They weren’t driving fast at all, but Donna didn’t fall off and roll as Dana was able to do. Both Dana and the bike came through with only a bit of mud on them, but Donna wasn’t as fortunate! Her boot’s heel caught in the mud and she broke her leg when she came off the bike.
Photo courtesy of Tomi Henderson
HOME AGAIN — Donna Chasse finally made it home after flying from Colorado with a full leg brace on her broken limb. She is pictured with her grandchildren, Ben and Jordan, who were relieved to see that Grammie was mostly OK. Jordan wants her Gram to get a purple leg cast!
After having such an unfortunate accident, there were a number of things that happened right. The construction crew was in that very area and were able to call for an ambulance when Dana’s cell phone had no reception. The first car to come up on them had an emergency room nurse on board. A fire department first responder unit was on their way back from a call and were able to help out also.
Once at the hospital, Donna called home and spoke to her daughter, Tammy. Tammy called her friend Heather — who lives in Colorado — who called her husband Gil, a nurse anesthetist, who called the hospital to find out how Donna was. Donna was X-rayed and checked out, but was released with a full leg brace and told to keep her leg elevated and iced and to not put any weight on that leg! Due to the swelling, they couldn’t do anything for it at that time. The hospital where Donna was taken to was within a couple of hours of Heather and Gil’s place. (You can find “County people” all over the place!) Gil picked them up and drove Donna to his home while Dana followed on the bike.
Photo courtesy of Tomi Henderson
ACCIDENT — Donna Chasse lays in the road as first responders help her following an accident in Colorado. While traveling slowly through a construction site, their bike slipped in the mud and fell over. Dana and the bike were OK, but Donna’s boot caught in the mud when she came off the bike and she broke her leg.
Donna and Dana decided to get Donna on a plane home and have the leg checked out by her personal doctor when she got there. They were able to get Donna a flight out on Saturday, July 23, landing in Bangor around 8 p.m., with only one stop in Pennsylvania. Donna was not real pleased with her flights, but I’ll let her fill people in on those stories. Needless to say, the airline is going to find out they “neglected” the wrong person!
Tammy picked her mom up in Bangor (the plane was only about an hour late) and they stayed in a motel that night before heading for home on Sunday. A couple of “biker” friends met their car in Houlton and escorted them north.
After a brief stop in Mars Hill to see Tammy‘s twins (or for the twins to see that Grammie was OK), Tammy took her mom directly to the hospital for X-rays, so the local doctor will know what he is dealing with. The breaks are around the knee, but seem like clean ones, so they should heal easily as long as she is careful. Donna will know more once her own doctor checks her out. She planned on calling the doctor’s office first thing on Monday morning!
Dana headed out for home on the bike after Donna left Colorado. He will be driving as many miles each day as he can and expects to be home early in the week. Keep both Donna and Dana in your thoughts and prayers as they embark on this unexpected leg of their U.S. adventure!
Mars Hill celebration
A special weekend of activities is being planned for the 100th Anniversary of the Mars Hill Fire Department. The celebration will take place on Saturday, Aug. 6, and will include a parade at 10 a.m., a barbecue from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and the Aroostook County Firemen’s Muster beginning at 1 p.m. The barbecue and muster will take place at CAHS. The $10 dinner will include rib-eye steak, beanhole beans, potato salad, rolls, soda and coffee. The Ladies Auxiliary will be offering strawberry shortcake for $3 each.
Mark your calendar now! You don’t want to miss this special event! If you would like to have an entry in the parade, please contact Dean Burtchell.
BOOK DONATION
Photo courtesy of Tomi Henderson
Children from Kids Kuriousity Child Care and Learning Center in Mars Hill enjoyed an outing to the Walter T.A. Hansen Memorial Library recently. The kids are enjoying some of the new books that the library has, thanks to a grant from the Libri Foundation. Founded in 1989, the Libri Foundation is a non-profit organization which donates new, quality, hardcover children’s books to small, rural public libraries in the United States. Thanks to the grant, the Mars Hill library has 80 new children’s books with a retail value of $1,417.61. Pictured are, in front from left: Kasen Bell, Jazmyn Brown, Lydia Alexander, Madison Theriault, Abrianna McDonald, Isaac Gillen, Elana Barnes and Jonathan McDonald. Seated in back: Bailey Alexander, Aleigha West, Blaine Bradstreet and Kohen Kinney. The dog’s name is Sadie and she’s a favorite of most of the library patrons.
Rotary Club
The Mars Hill Rotary Club met on Tuesday morning, July 19, at the Aroostook Health Center.
The special speaker was Dave Hentosh of Smoldering Lake Outfitters. He spoke about the Kicking Bear One-on-One bow-shooting clinic and campout held in Bridgewater on July 8 and 9. In its third year, the camp has grown each year and allowed a number of kids to enjoy shooting a bow and arrow at various targets.
Hentosh thanked the Rotary Club for their support of this year’s event.
Library news
The Walter T.A. Hansen Memorial Library will be selling hotdogs, chips and a soda for $3 during the afternoon of the Firemen’s Muster from 1:30 p.m. until activities end. They will be set up at the high school.
The library is selling raffle tickets on four $50 gas cards. Tickets are $1 each or six for $5. They can be obtained from any trustee or at the library during regular hours. The drawings will be held on Aug. 6 during the Firemen’s Muster events. Proceeds will be used to benefit the library.
As of June 1, 2011, the library’s operating hours will be as follows: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday from 12:30-5:30 p.m.; Wednesday evening from 5:30 to 8:30; Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. These new hours will add an additional five hours of open business for the public.
Tomi Henderson is the correspondent for Mars Hill, Blaine, Bridgewater and Westfield. She can be reached at 429-9126 or e-mail tomihen@yahoo.com
