On a snowy Sunday in February, eight local Cub Scouts competed in a Pinewood Derby at the Ashland Recreation Center. The top three winners were: first place – Jeremy Caron (grade 5), second place – Alex Kaiser (grade 2), and third place – Jarrett Beaulier (grade 4).
To participate in the derby, entrants are required to construct a car from an official Pinewood Derby car kit supplied by the S.W. Collins Co. of Caribou.
Specific rules must also be followed to pass inspection before being allowed to compete. Some of these rules include: overall length of the car shall not exceed 7 inches, car cannot weigh more than 5.0 ounces, only the wood provided in the kit can be used for the car, the car cannot be wider than two and three-quarter inches, and the car must have three-eighths of an inch clearance underneath the body.
Winners of the Derby went on to compete at the Scout Show, which was held at the Aroostook Centre Mall Saturday, March 1. Jeremy Caron finished third in that event and will represent Ashland in the District Pinewood Derby, which will take place in Bangor April 19. Good luck Jeremy!
Portage Lakers ATV Club Selling Raffle Tickets
The Portage Lakers ATV Club is selling raffle tickets for a mini ATV, as well as other prizes. Tickets cost $10 each and can be purchased from any ATV club member. First prize is a mini ATV, second prize is a $25 gift certificate and third prize is a $20 gift certificate. The gift certificates are to Harry’s and the Sled Shop.
Tickets will be drawn after the Memorial Day Parade at the Town Hall in Portage.
For more information, contact Kathy Gagnon at 435-6223 (home) and 435-4361 (work).
Project Graduation to Host Bluegrass Concert
Ashland Central High School Project Graduation 2008 will be hosting a bluegrass concert Saturday, April 26 at 7 p.m. featuring Wilf Clark and The Misty Mountaineers, and the Aroostook County Bluegrass Band.
The concert will take place at the Ashland Community High School, and tickets are $10.
Please come and enjoy an evening of fun and entertainment.
Summerfest Committee to Hold Meeting
Planning for the 2008 Summerfest will begin Wednesday, March 12. All those interested in helping to plan this year’s celebration are welcome to attend. The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Office. The possibility of having a craft fair during this year’s Summerfest is being considered if enough interest is shown. For more information, please contact Kathy Beaulieu at 435-2311 (work) or 435-6686 (home).
SAD 32 Community Education Programs Get Under Way
The current session of adult and community education programs began the last week of February, but it is not too late to join in. On Monday nights, GED/High School Diploma, Knitting, Math/Literacy Refresher and Woodworking courses are being offered. On Tuesday nights, Art for All, Quilting and Scrapbooking are held. GED/High School Diploma also runs Thursday evenings. The registration cost for each course is $20 unless you are 55 years or older, in which case the registration cost per course is $10. Please note that some courses may require supplies that are the responsibility of the participant. For additional information, please call 435-3481.
Music Notes
The 2008 Pops Concert will be held Thursday, March 13 at 7 p.m. in the Bobby Goding Memorial Gymnasium.
Looking for Recipes
The Portage Lake Cookbook Committee is in need of recipes for our centennial cookbook, which will be available in 2009. We are looking for favorite family recipes, both old and new. We would love to hear from past residents of Portage Lake, as well as current residents. Look through your recipe collection for recipes for snacks, smoothies, desserts, main dishes, soups, salads, etc. Please be as specific as possible with measurements, directions and the size of cans, packages and pans so that others can successfully make your recipe. The deadline for sending recipes to be included in the Portage Lake Centennial Cookbook is May 1, 2008. Recipe forms will be available at the Portage Town Office, or send your handwritten or typed recipes to Lou Sandy Boutot, P.O. Box 4, Portage, Maine 04768. Thank you.
Ongoing Events
The Ashland Area Senior Citizens group meets every Thursday at noon at the Ashland Rec. Center. Any senior citizens wishing to participate in the potluck lunches and meetings are always welcome.
The Portage Lake Seniors’ Lunch is held on the last Tuesday of every month at 11 a.m. at the Town Hall. All seniors are invited to attend and can bring a potluck dish to share or give a cash donation. 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.
If you can help plan for Portage Lake’s Centennial Celebration, please contact Barb Pitcairn at 435-2368 or Grace Nason at 435-6373.
Ladies, are you interested in crafts or have some that you’ve started and just can’t seem to finish? If so, take yourself over to the Portage Lake Municipal Building for Girlz Night every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy the company and the satisfaction of finally completing a project!
(Julie Graham-Berry is the correspondent for Ashland, Portage Lake, Oxbow, Masardis, Garfield, Nashville Plantation and surrounding townships. She can be reached at 435-7137).
