ASHLAND NEWS
by Susan Feeney-Hopkins
It is with a heavy heart that I offer my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mrs.Virginia Pinkham. Mrs. Pinkham served as a vital part of our community for many years contributing so much to so many. Her caring and generous spirit will live on for generations in this community.
A Registered Nurse and business woman, Mrs. Pinkham was passionate about health care; developing and funding many philanthropic projects throughout her life serving this very important issue. The Ashland Health Center is named in her honor, as is the “Pinkham” wing at TAMC. She was also a contributor to many other organizations and interests such as: schools/education, her church, music and the arts, and the University of Maine at Fort Kent nursing program – just to name a few. What was very unique about her philanthropy was she ‘walked the walk.’ Not only contributing monetarily; she worked for them. She was dedicated to and championed for her causes working tirelessly behind the scenes networking, locating additional funding, and educating herself on whatever it was she was working on.
I was fortunate enough to have made the acquaintance of Mrs. Pinkham through our mutual association at Northwood Manor. She served on the Board of Directors, and was also one of the founding members of the facility. Her participation was instrumental to the forming of the corporation, planning and development of the Manor. Her guidance and advice have served me well. She was a role model to many young ‘career’ woman, including myself. I always thought it to be quite inspiring (and awesome) she achieved what she had considering the era she was raised in. I am grateful to have known such a smart, strong and independent woman. My life was enriched by having made her acquaintance.
Dignified and articulate, she had a savvy edge for business, which could take you by surprise because she was such a demure woman. When she spoke, you knew to listen because she had a lot to say and knew of what she spoke. Cultured to say the least, Virginia epitomized to me, the meaning of a true lady.
Refined, smart, and educated; she loved her family, her friends and northern Maine. Like me, she was “from away”, but her love of this land and its people surpass many who were born here. We giggled more than once about our shared passion for this area and how our paths in life brought us here, when so many want to leave. Her contributions to this region have been great and should be admired.
It is no secret, she and her late husband Tom were involved in good business. While yes, they earned some; she was unassuming and did not put on airs. She was down-to-earth and appreciated her good fortune in life (not just financial); and felt it a human responsibility to better the world around you if able, by whatever means you are able. For sure, she did just that. Setting a fine example for the rest of us to live by.
Farewell Mrs. Pinkham. Our neighbor, friend and mentor. You will forever be remembered and revered. One of the ladies of the ‘greatest generation’; you were a great lady indeed. May God welcome you home. Rest in peace.
The UMPI Community Band will be performing a free concert on Monday, April 26th in the Bobby Goding Memorial Gym starting at 7 p.m. The band is made up of university students and Aroostook County community members. A highlight of the evening will be the much awaited premiere of a new musical composition by Jon Simonoff, who happens to be the Ashland High School music teacher. How lucky the music students of Ashland are to have a composer in their midst!
For more information contact the high school.
The Frenchville Mission in Ashland very generously donated a Wurlitzer upright piano (with fresh tuning) to Northwood Manor. The Frenchville Mission have been good friends to the Manor for years. The residents and staff especially enjoy the Mission Singers who frequently visit. A special ‘thank you’ to Reverend Don Morton Sr, Karen MacDonald and David Morton.
Forty club members and volunteers of the Portage Lakers Snowmobile Club got together to celebrate and honor their generous volunteers. Members from as far away as Scarborough attended the event! Treated to a barbecue dinner at Dean’s, all present are volunteers who commit countless hours to the Portage Lakers whether it be assisting with trail maintenance, grooming, planning and preparation of events or administrative tasks. Without these dedicated volunteers, clubs such as this would not be able to operate.
The Portage Lakers Snowmobile Club is now recruiting for 2010-11 Officers and Directors. Please e-mail the club at plsc@ainop.com if interested in helping in any way.
Thank you PLSC for another great year. See you next season!
The Ashland Rotary Club is now selling tickets for their annual cash raffle. Only 100 tickets will be sold at a chance to win some big cash prizes. First prize will be $500, second prize will be $300 and third and fourth prizes will be $100 each. Tickets are $20 each and again, limited to only 100 being sold. Your odds at winning are pretty good!
The drawing will be held on July 10th at the eighth annual Ashland Rotary Club Golf Tournament on the Portage Hills Country Club green. For tickets, see a local Rotarian or contact the club.
The members of Pioneer Lodge No. 72 Ancient Free and Accepted Masons very generously donated $1,000 to Ashland High School’s Class of 2010 ‘Project Grad’. The check represents $500 that was raised for Project Grad at a supper held at the lodge on March 26. The Mason’s thanked the Project Grad Committee and the Senior Class for helping to serve the guests, as well as their assistance with kitchen and dining room cleanup. The additional $500 was donated from the Grand Lodge of the Maine Charitable Foundation for fund-raisers held by Masonic lodges specifically to benefit Project Graduation.
To the surprise of the Mason’s, the Project Grad Committee members and Senior Class students presented the lodge with a special gift to thank them for their continued support of the project. They presented the lodge with a beautiful bench hand made by Robert Flint, grandfather to one of the seniors, Marcas Belanger. The bench was also etched with wood burning done by Roberta Belanger. It had the Pioneer/Masonic Lodge emblem and a special message of thanks.
“Thanks to this generous donation, we have reached our Project Grad goals,” said Roberta Belanger, Project Grad Committee chair. Christine Condon, another Project Grad Committee member echoed the sentiment adding “this helped so much because a few of our other fund-raisers fell through for different reasons. This donation eased the concern we had.”
The ACHS graduating class with be going to Boston for the weekend following graduation. While there, they will visit Fenway Park, take a ride on ‘Codzilla’ in Boston Harbor and spend a day at Six Flags.
Susan Feeney-Hopkins is the Ashland area correspondent. She can be reached at 435-8232 or feenhop@aol.com.
