By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
WOODLAND — Winter Carnival celebrated its 53rd year in Woodland on Saturday, and the community made sure the annual event was celebrated in style with a day filled with snowy races, competitions and excitement — the town even has a new King and Queen of Winter Carnival.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
Caleb Trombley, at left, proved during the second annual wood-chucking competition of Feb. 2 that woodchucks can indeed chuck wood; his classmates, from left, Destiny Skidgel, Callee McBreairty and Cameron Doody also participated in the popular event.
Six contestants competed this year for the two crowns, which are now worn by the 2012 Winter Carnival King and Queen Ricky Schmitt and Mollie Cummings.
While Saturday was undoubtedly a good day for the new regal couple, their fun and excitement was shared by the hundreds of woodchucks and woodchucks-at-heart who braved the cold to enjoy the skiing, snowshoeing, tubing, sledding and snowboarding that have become iconic of Winter Carnival fun.
While the Carnival was on Feb. 4, festivities began on Feb. 2 with the second annual wood-chucking contest in the morning and the speaking contest in the afternoon.
Awards for last year’s wood-chucking activities (which, as the name suggests, consist of throwing fire place-sized pieces of wood at a target) were determined on accuracy, Principal Susie Schloeman shook things up this year, adding a distance category as well. Winners were named for each grade in both categories for males and females.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
Dylan Dodd goes for the record snowboarding down the offical sledding hill of Woodland’s Winter Carnival, while his peers enjoy tubing down the unofficial sledding hill. Both hills were well used, and many complimented the volunteers of Crown Equipment who constructed the runs.
While wood-chucking may be a Woodland-exclusive addition to the students’ physical education repertoire, Schloeman said that “it’s something to do on Woodchuck Day that gets the students outside and having fun.”
Fun was in spades during the competition, as a few students even made their own paper pom-poms in school colors to cheer on their classmates.
This year’s calendar falling as it did, wood-chucking and the annual speaking contest to determine the next Woodland King and Queen fell on the same day, meaning Woodland students had a double-dose of school spirit.
Aroostook Republican photos/Natalie Bazinet
Maren Moir gave a helpful push down the hill for tubers Hollie McDougal, Gabbie Sutherland and Amanda Poulin.
Eighth-graders Desirae Belanger, Adrianna Bither, Gunnar Bondeson, Joshua McCormack and the winning Cummings and Schmitt each delivered meticulously prepared and confidently enthusiastic speeches to a panel of judges and their peers on Thursday afternoon, to which the audience applauded and cheered.
Speaking contest emcee Karyn Thornton commented that while only two participants could be crowned king and queen, each student was a winner in the contest.
According to Schloeman, participating in the speaking contest gives students the confidence they need to get up in front of a large group of people.
“It’s a good educational experience and it makes for well-rounded students,” she added.
Woodland has a lot of school spirit, which many credit with having a very strong PTA, a supportive community and families eager and willing to support their students.
Schloeman expressed her appreciation for all the individuals who donated items for the PTA to raffle during their annual Winter Carnival fundraiser, to the PTA members themselves and to all the families and community members who don that second set of mittens to cheer on the youngsters.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
It was a very regal court vying for the title of Woodland Winter Carnival King and Queen this year. Shown at front and center were the two crownbearers Lillian Haskell and Gage Levesque. In back, from left, are the Queen contestants Desirae Belanger, Adrianna Bither and Mollie Cummings; back center are 2011 Woodland Winter Carnival Queen and King Mackenzie Deveau and Dylan Conroy; from right center are 2012 Woodland Winter Carnival King contestants Gunnar Bondeson, Joshua McCormack and Ricky Schmitt.
Principal of the Woodland School Susie Schloeman, bottom left, waits to record the official time of snowboarder Megan Thornton as she glides her way down the snow track, created by volunteers from Crown Equipment in Caribou. Spectators commented that this was the best track the Woodland Winter Carnival has seen in years.
Too much “bling” can be heck on the hair as Jasmine Berry found out, as she freed her coif from the weight of her awards.
Woodland PTA President Karyn Thornton announced that teacher Debbie Sutherland is the new reigning champion of the highly competitive adult tubing competition.
