WASHBURN NEWS
by Tomi Henderson
There will be a Community Day at the Mill Pond Park on Saturday, Aug. 13, from 9 a.m. to noon.
Volunteers are being sought to help that day with refurbishing the walkway over the dam, and also to help rake the lawn, as town officials prepare the pond area for the August Festival weekend.
Please bring tools such as hammers, paintbrushes, lawn rakes and shovels. Materials will be provided. Also, just for fun, there will be a Children’s Duck Race, live music and more! Please join in for a day of fun and community involvement.
Basketball tournament
On Friday, Aug. 12, there will be a three-on-three basketball tourney at 6 p.m. at the high school. Participants will include many talented local players and alumni. Proceeds will be used to benefit the WDHS Booster Club. The entry fee for ages 15 and under is $25 per team; ages 16 and older $50 per team. For more information, contact Ron Ericson at 455-4501 or Larry Worcester at 455-8003.
Music night
On Saturday, Aug.13, from 7 to 10 p.m., the Nadeau Family Band will be performing classic rock music at the Washburn Trail Runners Snowmobile Club. A food vendor will be available and rain location will be at the elementary school. The event is free of charge and is being hosted by the Washburn August Festival Committee.
August Festival plans
Plans for this year’s August Festival are well under way and folks are gearing up for a great time. Brochures are available at businesses around town. Details will also be listed in next week’s paper.
This is the 150th anniversary of the town’s founding, so come on out and help celebrate this milestone!
Sesquicentennial book
There will be a new book available soon about some local Washburn history. Louise Cole and Londa Brown have worked tirelessly to record the town’s history and other local stories. This 192-page bound edition covers local events from the beginning in 1861 to current times and provides a fantastic overview of life in this small but active community.
The cost of the book is $20, with an additional $5 fee for mailing. Books may be reserved by paying at the Washburn Town Office during regular business hours. More information will be forthcoming on procuring the book via the Internet.
The book will be available during the week of the August Festival. On Saturday, Aug. 20, there will be a book-signing and reception held at the Washburn library in the afternoon.
There are only 2,000 books being printed and they will go fast, so you may want to consider reserving your copies by paying for them at the Washburn Town Office during regular business hours.
All proceeds will be going towards the benefit of the Washburn Mill Pond Project.
Canoe and Kayak Race
Don’t forget about the Canoe and Kayak Race to be held on Sunday, Aug. 21, during the Washburn August Festival. Registration will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. at or near the Diamond Flats at the end of the Gardner Creek Road on the Aroostook River at Herman Condon’s camp. Just follow the signs all along the road.
Brochures containing information and registration forms will be available at area businesses as well. There are several classifications for contestants including men or women, inexperienced or experienced, and novices and couples. Registration fees are $15 per paddler ages 16 to 64, $12 per paddler for ages 65 and older and $10 per paddler for ages 12 to 15. Checks should be made payable to Washburn Trail Runners and may be mailed to Washburn Trail Runners, P.O. Box 561, Washburn, ME 04786 Attn: Canoe/Kayak Race.
Race T-shirts will be available to the first 50 registrants ages 12 and older. The race will start three novice crafts per minute starting at 10 a.m.; experienced entrants will have a mass start following the novice starts. Life vests are required and no alcohol or animals are allowed in the crafts.
There will be a special raffle for an Old Town Vapor 12XTC Kayak, and tickets are $5 and available from most Snowmobile Club members. There will also be many door prizes during the event.
Salmon Brook Historical Society
There have been several carriages donated to the museum by Solomon Distributors. Make sure to check them out during regular hours or during the upcoming August Festival.
The museums of the Salmon Brook Historical Society will be open for tours Sunday afternoons from 1-4 p.m. and Wednesday mornings from 8-11 a.m. For tours at other times, call 455-8279 or 455-4723 a few days in advance to make arrangements.
Birthdays/anniversaries
Those celebrating birthdays from Aug. 10-16 include: Andrea Turner, Carolyn Rossignol, Debbie Bard, Lori Beaulieu, Benton Plante, Eric Corey, Barb Drost, Autumn Creasey, Tabitha Blakney, Kathy McLaughlin, Mariah Morris, Jeanne S. Adams, Mary Bragdon, Eunice Carman, Glenn Condon, David Heald, Deno Aegerter, Derek Libby, Trudy Clark, Brandon Carlow, Brett Baker, Paul Umphrey, Paul Wilcox, Debra LaPlante, Lois Pike, Kassy Belk, Amy Farley, Sheldon Cunningham, Bob Pribble, Nicholas Crouse, Troy Heald, Cheryl Bolstridge, Bruce Turner, Christina Barnes, Kristen Durost and Terry Paradis.
Those celebrating anniversaries include: Glenn and Cynthia Condon, Richard and Phyllis Farley, Charlie and Heidi Currier, Bill and Helen Hause, Chester and Arline Akerson, Rodney and Cheryl Sperrey, Kevin and Holly Tompkins, and Donnie and Julee Maynard.
Tomi Henderson is the correspondent for Washburn, Wade and Perham. She can be reached at 429-9126 or e-mail tomihen@yahoo.com
