One day this past spring, sisters Rachel and Chelsea Vaillancourt were in their backyard looking for flat rocks that would make good “skippers” to take to the river. During their collection, Chelsea unearthed a rock that she thought would be a really great one and she showed it to her older sister.
Upon taking one look at it, Rachel realized that the rock resembled the state of Maine and told her sis just what a special discovery she had made.
F.C.F. 3-day event planned
Freshwater Christian Fellowship (formerly New Found Hope) would like to invite you to “Ashland Camp Meeting 2008.” Friday, Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. will be “A Time to Worship” with Jay Nelson at the Ashland Central School Gym. Saturday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m. will be guest speaker, Dr. John Eckhardt, at the Ashland Central School Gym. Sunday, Aug. 24 at 10 a.m., Dr. Eckhardt will be at Freshwater Christian Fellowship, Main Street, Ashland. For more information, please contact Pastor Roland Wortman at 435-4772 or at roltam@juno.com.
Portage Lake cookbooks for sale
The Portage Lake Centennial Cookbook Committee has collected the best recipes from group members, family and friends, and compiled them into an attractive keepsake cookbook. They will begin selling their one-of-a-kind cookbooks Aug. 26 for $12. They may be purchased from any member of the organization or at the Portage Town Hall. All proceeds will go to the Portage Centennial Celebration. The cookbook contains 390 well-loved recipes including appetizers, main dishes, desserts and many others. Recipes include the contributor’s name, enabling you to find the recipes of family and friends. For more information, contact Lou Sandy Boutot, P.O. Box 4, Portage Lake, Maine 04768 or call (207) 435-6016.
Red Hat Tea scheduled
The Portage Lake Red Hat Loonies will be hosting their second annual Victorian Tea Saturday, Aug. 23 at the Portage Town Hall. Dressy, Victorian attire is required along with a teacup and saucer. Tickets for the tea are $6 and can be purchased at the Town Office or by calling Alison at 435-6661. The gathering will start at 2 p.m. and all are welcome. Hope to see you there.
80th birthday celebration planned
Friends and family are invited to attend an 80th birthday party in honor of Helen Beaulieu. The celebration will take place at the VFW Hall Saturday, Aug. 16 from 1-6 p.m.
Committee creating Portage Lake Centennial History Book
The Portage Lake Centennial History Book Committee has been working on compiling the history of Portage Lake in order for it to be published in time for the 2009 Centennial. The book will be titled, “Portage Lake History and Hearsay.”
The committee has been divided into work groups that are concentrating on compiling material from the various decades. Many people have been associated with Portage Lake over the years, and the committee would like to have people contact them with historical articles, family history, photographs and any other materials to be considered for inclusion in the Centennial book.
The committee would also like to have a preliminary count of possible book orders in order to assist them in knowing how many copies need to be printed. It is felt that this will be a one-time printing and hopefully the response from the public will assist them in determining a sufficient number to print.
Articles, photographs and related material should be sent to history book chairperson, Norman St. Peter, P.O. Box 37, Portage, Maine 04768. Norman can also be reached at (207) 435-6948. Please be sure to label photographs, and to include your name and address with any correspondence so that materials can be properly returned.
Requests for book orders should be made to Anita Theriault, P.O. Box 37, Portage, Maine 04768. Anita can be reached by calling (207) 435-4311.
Any other inquiries in regards to the Portage Lake Centennial History Book should be directed to the Portage Lake Town Office at (207) 435-4361.
Bluegrass Festival
The Aroostook River Fish and Game Club is planning a “Bluegrass By The River” Festival for Saturday, Aug. 30. There will be FREE overnight camping in the rough on both Friday and Saturday. Gates will open at noon Friday, Aug. 29, and at 8 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 30. (Please note that musical performances will take place only Saturday, Aug. 30 beginning at 11 a.m. and ending at 8 p.m.). Bands and individuals scheduled to participate are: Aroostook County Bluegrass, Blistered Fingers, Borderline Bluegrass, and Randolph Michaud.
And do not worry about eating! The club will be providing fast food concessions the day of the event from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. At approximately 4:30 p.m., there will be a supper break. All you can eat beans and franks or spaghetti and meatballs will be available at a cost of $7 for adults and $4 for children. On Sunday, Aug. 31, the eating continues with a public breakfast. All you can eat – $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under.
This is sure to be a fun and memorable event. Buy your tickets early and enjoy a great time with family and friends. Early bird tickets will be on sale until Aug. 15 – $12 per adult, children 12 and under FREE. Tickets after Aug. 15 – $15 per adult, children 12 and under FREE. Please send a self addressed, stamped envelope with a check or money order to: Aroostook River Fish & Game Club, P.O. Box 765, Ashland, Maine 04732. (Be sure to include the number of adults and children attending on your correspondence).
If you have any questions regarding the Bluegrass Festival or other events at the Aroostook River Fish and Game, please contact Lou Anne Deabay at 207-435-2931.
Advent Church Supper Changed
The “Raise the Roof” benefit supper scheduled for this past Saturday, Aug. 2 had to be postponed at the last minute. The new date for the supper, which will help fund the replacement of the damaged roof on the parsonage, will be Saturday, Aug. 23. For more information about this, please contact the church at 435-6669.
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).
Photo courtesy of Julie Graham-Berry
SISTERS CHELSEA AND RACHEL VAILLANCOURT of Ashland proudly show off the rock they discovered in their backyard shaped like the state of Maine. Their mom, Patty, framed the flat rock so that it could be displayed in their home.
Photo courtesy of Terry Sandusky
PORTAGE RESIDENT Allen Robertson, center, shown here with his sons, Sean and Ian Robertson, was the winner of the Jim Cullen look-a-like contest held during Mapleton Daze. The Haystack Historical Society hosted the contest in observance of the 135th year of the lynching of Jim Cullen.
