Soldier surprises class
Students in Mrs. Desfosses’ and Mrs. Devoe’s class got quite a surprise and a very special visit from their “adopted” soldier last week. The students thought they were just attending a school assembly to explain to the rest of their fellow classmates what it was like for them to have adopted a soldier.
Little did they know the surprise they were in for, a visit from their “big brother Sgt. Josh” Doroen. It turned out that he was able to get a short leave and came home to Caribou for a visit with his wife and two children. One of the top priorities for Josh was a visit with “his kids,” and he came in full uniform, bringing lots of video photos of his base and the country he was stationed in, Afghanistan. The visit truly took the kids by surprise, and their excitement was more than evident all through the assembly, with the students hardly taking their eyes off him. Doroen thanked the class for adopting him, telling them that this was probably one of the most valuable things people back in the states could do for their servicemen. Even letters are more than appreciated by the soldiers. He was so grateful for all he received and was able to share with his comrades overseas and far from home and family. The only thing he had a hard time parting with was his favorite treat, a Slim Jim!
After the assembly, Doroen and his wife spent the rest of the day with the students in their classroom, checking out all the things they had been collecting about him.
It all started the first week or so of school when Brenda Devoe checked through the National Guard agencies for approval in this special adoption. It was approved and accepted by Doroen of the Army National Guard and his wife, and went on from there, growing every day.
The students had a bulletin board dedicated to the soldier, and it contained photos of him at his station in Afghanistan, as well as e-mails that he sent almost daily to the students, giving special messages to each one of them. During the year, the class sent him two boxes of special treats along with a box from the Washburn Food Mart and one from the Food Mart employees. If he didn’t e-mail them every day, the students began to worry, so Josh told them sometimes that he’d be out of the base for a few days, but not to be concerned, and noted how strongly he appreciated this class reaching out to him in such a special way.
One odd coincidence surfaced during an e-mail exchange. Mrs. Devoe told him where a box had come from and mentioned her son-in-law’s name, Dan Martin. It turned out that Dan and Josh knew each other due to attending karate, each bringing one of their children with them! It really is a small world.
This great event was also televised with interviews of the teachers, Doroen and the students who were more than excited to see themselves on the nightly news!
The class will be continuing this adoption until he comes home for good, and the Doroen family is planning for future times with the kids as well.
Birthdays/anniversaries
Those celebrating birthdays this week include: Don Babin, Parker Corey, Jim Wilson, Haley Howlett, Mark Doody, Evelyn Woodman, Shannon Olson, Connor Howe, Ron Powell, James Johnson, Debbie Bird, Chris Pesut, Lyn Gresham, Travis White, Velda Buckingham, Steven Hobbs, Eric Brown, Beth Veeneman, Bill Sargent, Bob Clayton, Kyle Corey, Colby Hitchcock, Karen Carmichael, Betty Putnam, Kyle Rider, Bob Sands, Danny Creasey, Eva Levesque and Jean Wain.
A special anniversary wish goes out to Craig and Crystal Hobbs.
A special life celebrated
On Dec. 19, 2007, Nicholas Howard Roberts came into the world with a cry and a pink complexion, beautiful, but very ill. He spent all but a day and a half of his life at Children’s Hospital in Boston, endured four heart surgeries, two heart cauterizations and a full esophagus/trachea fistula repair as well as being fed by tubes, and endured a tracheotomy, all before he was 3 months old.
Nicholas was born with a CHD; a congenital heart defect. He was the son of Michael and Nicole Rawan Roberts of Boston, Mass. His dad was born and raised in Perham, the son of the late Reverend Howard Roberts and mom Gail Roberts. Pastor Howard Roberts holds the record of the longest standing pastor of the Perham congregation.
On Saturday, Feb. 14th, known to most as Valentine’s Day but known to Mike and Nicole as CHD Awareness Day, Mike’s hometown got together to raise money for the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit of Children’s Hospital, Nicholas’ only home. This event was spearheaded by Kelly and Stacy Baker, friends of the Roberts since childhood, who got friends and family together at the Perham Baptist church to send off balloons in Nicholas’s memory. In addition, a raffle was held at the Washburn Elementary School during the boys’ and girls’ 5th- and 6th-grade basketball games where the Baker’s son, Derek, plays on the team. All together, these events raised over $250 which will be donated made to the Children’s Hospital in Boston in Nicholas’s memory.
Breakfast reunion
Caribou cousins and family members made a special trek to the Washburn Trailrunners clubhouse for breakfast. The group members spent a great day on the trails, the last riders finally making it home for supper after 7 p.m., traveling as far as Upper Frenchville and Madawaska during their day-long run.
Riders Ron and Nate Ouellette hail from North Carolina, Richard Ouellette lives in Caribou along with Dave and Anissa Levesque and Kassy Belk. Galen and Mark Levesque are from Denver, Colo., while Kevin Levesque and Denis Lavoie traveled to the County from New Hampshire. Several members of the Trailrunners wondered why someone from Denver would travel to our area to sled, and he commented that three days prior, he was riding his motorcycle to work, as the snow in Colorado is mainly in the mountains.
The group visited with their father and uncle, Addes Levesque, who resides at the Maine Veterans Home in Caribou, taking him out to supper each evening and spending some quality time with him. One evening meal was provided at the home of Dave and Anissa Levesque where the family enjoyed some great homemade lasagna. Each rider also took home an embroidered T-shirt as a keepsake of the family’s 2009 ride.
Project Graduation news
Please keep your calendars open and attend the special spaghetti supper put on by WDHS Seniors and their parents for the benefit of the 2009 Project Graduation. This will be a relaxing and entertaining event, held at the WDHS gym on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 6 p.m.
The meal includes spaghetti with all of the fixings, even garlic bread, and will be served by members of the Class of 2009, including dessert, coffee, tea or cocoa.
The evening will also include entertainment with Aroostook County’s very own comedienne, Joy Whited. The cost for this gala evening event is $5 per person, and families of four or more will be given a family rate. All proceeds will be going to benefit the Washburn Project Graduation Class of 2009. For further information, contact Kathy Palmer at 455-4341.
Project graduation is also taking bottle donations at the Washburn Redemption Center. Just let Mr. Carney know that you would like to donate all or a portion of the returns, and he will see that it gets to Project Graduation.
Tickets for a special quilt made by Angela Farley, which includes each of the Senior Class member’s handprints and names, are $1 each or six for $5 and are available from any Senior Class member. All proceeds will go towards Project Graduation. For further information, contact Angela Farley at 455-8048.
Perham news
Only 10 more days until the day of racing, community winter fun, a chili cook-off, a 50-50 drawing, door prizes, raffles for items including a gift basket, and tickets for a lap quilt. The Chili Cook-Off will begin at 12 p.m. and all chili recipes are welcome, with leftover chili after the judging to be sold. All proceeds for the day’s events will go to benefit the Salmon Lake Bog Project. There will be prizes awarded for the top three winners. Other events being held during the day-long festival will be plenty of outdoor activities as well as a snowshoe softball game, a guided snowshoe tour and an afternoon of snow fun for the children. A poor-weather date has been set for Saturday, March 14.
Events/reminders
The Salmon Brook Historical Society will be holding their quarterly meeting on March 26 at the Washburn Civic Center at 6 p.m. There will be a potluck supper followed by a business meeting. Please bring a main dish or dessert and a place setting. All are welcome so bring your friends and neighbors.
There will be cross country skiing at the Rec Center from 2:45 to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25. On Thursday, Feb. 26, there will be indoor soccer at the elementary school with grades 4 to 5 playing from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and grades 6-8 playing from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
TOPS will be meeting each Monday at the Washburn Trailrunners clubhouse, starting with weigh-in at 4:15 p.m. and the meeting from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. For further information, contact Birdena Cochran at 455-8353.
There will be special exhibits at the Caribou Historical Society and Learning Center covering displays of historical Caribou Boy Scout information, with shows from Saturday Feb. 27 through Saturday, Feb. 28 from noon to 4 p.m. and featuring information on antique snowmobiles which will also include an outdoor exhibit as well as an indoor forum from Saturday, Feb. 21 through March 14. Girl Scout Month is March and there will be a special display of Girl Scout memorabilia each Saturday from March 7 through March 21 from noon to 4 p.m. For further information, please contact the museum at 498-2556.
Be sure and get your ticket for the raffle sponsored by the Oscar Dow Post 48 of the American Legion. Excellent and valuable prizes are available and the drawing will be held on Tuesday, March 17. Tickets are $1 each or six for $5, and can be obtained from any Legion member.
The Friendly CoOp order week will be from Monday, March 2 through Friday, March 6, with a projected pick-up day of Friday, March 13. To order, please contact Brenda McCoy at 455-8421 or by e-mail at bunny@ainop.com.
Washburn Memorial Library will be holding a workshop for the Women, Work and Community group on Friday, Feb. 27, at 9 a.m., with stress management the theme of the day.
August Festival update
Washburn August Festival will be held the weekend of Aug. 14-16. Plans are currently being made, and any input is greatly appreciated. The following are listed as contacts for various events. For reserving space in the park for arts and crafts, please contact Paul Carter at 455-4669. For questions on the children’s events, contact Cindy Boot at 455-8464 or e-mail keithboot@msn.com. Anyone needing information for entertainment is asked to phone Dennis Harris at 455-8279 or e-mail at drharris@juno.com. Those needing information for the gospel concert may phone Matt Palmer at 455-4341 or by e-mail at palmer1985@juno.com. Advertising contact for the festival is Peggy Bugbee, and she can be reached at 764-8424. Parade entrants may contact Mike Umphrey at 455-4836 or e-mail at MIUmphrey@yahoo.com. The contact person for the food booths is Dennis Harris and he can be reached at 455-8279 or drharris@juno.com. Suggestions are also being taken for king and queen and the grand marshal, and the contact person is Charlotte Griffin. She can be reached at 455-8498, or e-mail at cgriffin@mail2maine.com. Volunteers are also needed for events including the annual car show, the alumni banquet, the Saturday night meal and the Sunday brunch. For any information or those willing to volunteer, please contact Festival Chairman Cindy Boot at 455-8464 or by e-mail at keithboot@msn.com. If you would like to make a cash donation or sponsor an event, please mail to P.O. Box 45, Washburn, ME 04786.
Church movie
The Crouseville Advent Christian Church will be showing a film entitled “The Climb,” about two climbers who worked together through harsh odds to climb a mountain in the Andes. It will be on Friday, Feb. 27, 6:30 p.m. at the church, nursery provided. Free admittance.
Events/reminders
The Washburn Snowmobile Club is holding a fun evening on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at the clubhouse on Station Road. Supper will be served starting at 5 p.m. and playing time for Bingo will begin at 6 p.m. There will be a variety of door prizes available as well, and all proceeds from this event will go to the Washburn Drama Club.
Rotary “wheels”
Make time to enjoy the second annual snow event to be held on the hill behind Washburn District High School, on Saturday, Feb. 28, from noon to 3 p.m. There will be lots of fun time spent sliding, so bring your sleds, skis, snowboards, as well as all your friends and family, for an afternoon of fun. There will be free hotdogs and hot chocolate provided by the Washburn Rotary Club.
Christie Cochran is the correspondent for Washburn, Wade and Perham. She can be reached at 455-8034 or gramchristie@yahoo.com.
Photo courtesy of Christie Cochran
WDES students in the class of Mrs. Desfosses and Brenda Devoe pose with their “adopted” soldier, Sgt. Josh Doroen, of Caribou. Pictured, front row, from left: Richard Easton, Nick Baechle, Stephen Kinney, Sgt. Josh Doroen, Kody Brissette, Anthony Singletary and Dylan Jones-Fuller. Back Row: Matt Forrand, Gary Hewitt, Justin Farley, Mike Forrand, Keith Tarbox and Marianne Helton.
Photo courtesy of Christie Cochran
BREAKFAST SLED TRIP — Caribou residents, past and present, recently took a weekend snowmobile trip, joined by a few loved, to the Washburn Trailrunners’ clubhouse in Washburn where they enjoyed breakfast, then headed back out on the trail. Riders pictured, counterclockwise, from left: Kassy Belk, Anissa Levesque, Ron Ouellette, Nate Ouellette, Kevin Levesque, Dave Levesque, Denis Lavoie, Richard Ouellette, Mark Levesque and Galen Levesque.
Photo courtesy of Christie Cochran
IN LOVING MEMORY — A group gathered at Perham Baptist Church recently, letting go of red and white heart-shaped balloons in memory of Nicholas Roberts. The event served as a fund-raiser for research on the heart condition the led to the boy’s death a few years ago.