Patten Seniors meet
Patten Senior Citizens met at Meadowbrook Manor on July 20th, with eight members and three guests present.
The Lord’s Prayer was recited by members before the potluck meal.
After the meal, the business meeting was opened by President Annette Noyes, who also led the flag salute.
A donation was given to the Retired Senior Volunteer Program.
The birthday cake was made by Joyce Harvey.
A baked ham dinner is planned for the next meeting on August 3rd. President Noyes will pick up and prepare the ham. Members are asked to bring vegetables and side dishes.
The Game will be played.
After the meeting adjourned, George Bates entertained the group.
Present were Joyce Harvey, Nettie Shorey, Annette Noyes, Mary Lawler, Gloria Noyes, Jackie Palmer, Marilyn Somers, Marge Heath and guests Connie Berry, George Bates and RSVP Coordinator Gini Garrett.
Sherman Seniors gather
On July 21, the Senior Citizens Club of Sherman greatly enjoyed the special invitation of the Hall’s to have a picnic at their cottage home on Perry Pond in Benedicta. The Sherman gym has been closed for annual maintenance this month, so we held our meetings at other eateries.
On July 7, there were 11 members to drive to Lincoln’s Timberlake Restaurant where we enjoyed a wonderful meal and outing, which I wrote about and was published in your Houlton Pioneer Times a week later. We have been lucky to have had beautiful days for these outings.
Our next meeting will be August 4th at the Sherman gym with potluck lunch at 11:30 a.m. Expect to play beano after lunch and do come.
Only a few came yesterday. Sorry about that, you missed a special outing!
Present were Fred and Annie Atkinson (and Annie picked up Mary Dickinson so that she could visit with us at the restaurant), Richard and Marjorie Hall were the host and hostess at their cottage home, Bonita Staples, Linniea Perry and Donna Grass.
Ricker Rumblings
by Lois Downing
Good morning or afternoon! Time marches on. Here it is almost the end of July. The summer is flying by. Enjoy it while you can.
Thanks to all friends here at the plaza who bring me bags and containers. They are needed and I thank you very much.
The Rev. Michael McGarrigle has passed. He died on Friday of last week. Mike was a year behind me at the Convent school in Calais. I can remember how handsome he was. He came to Houlton to minister under Msgr. Tierney, his sponsor. My mother, Clara Phelan, made the coffee and cooked for his reception after his first Mass in Calais. Those were happy times and happy memories. For those who remember him, and to his two sisters, Marie and Doreen, our sincere sympathy.
Attending a state quarterly meeting at the Newman Center at the University of Maine in Orono on Saturday were Lynette Dobbs, her mother Louise Guillette, Alta Reardon, Jane Stile and Lois Downing. Sr. Carol Martin, attended and sends her “hellos” to all her friends in Houlton.
Karen Bither fell one day last week. She is a patient at Houlton Regional Hospital. Get better, Karen, we miss you.
Veronica Chapman, daughter Victoria of Bangor, visited Veronica’s mother, Marion Hogan at Gardiner Home Health Care facility in Houlton on Sunday a week ago.
We thank the person who left the fresh garden lettuce at my door recently. Always such good eating, healthful too and it is appreciated.
Visited several people who used to live at Ricker Plaza last week: Helen Brewer, Florence Hanson, and Althea Lloyd. Florence and Helen are friends and Althea lived on the second floor.
Darcy Shaw had an emergency visit to the Houlton Regional Hospital. She is home now and doing better. Aroostook RSVP is selling tickets. Not sure what the prize is but if you are approached, please do what you can for to help this great service.
The Ricker Plaza family is enjoying vegetables from their garden. Nothing like fresh vegetables.
Priscilla Brownlow’s husband, Ron, is now a patient at Gardiner Home Health Care. “Hi” to Ron from his Ricker friends. No more long distance or local calls for me after the recent episode of being scammed. As far as I know, no money was exchanged. Thank you Lord!
The Bible verse for the day is taken from John 14:2B-4: I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way we know.
Enjoy the summer and keep in the shade!
Island Falls news
Whittier Congregational Church will be having their annual Trash and Treasure sale on July 31, starting at 9 a.m. This sale will also include lots of homemade goodies plus homemade ice cream and is open to one and all.
Clayton and Charlene Webb hosted a Country Jamboree session and a barbecue on July 17 held at their home on Cleaves St. Many people who attend the weekly Country Jamboree at the snow club were there and all had a good time singing and playing their guitars. Clayton was in charge of the barbecue and was assisted by wife, Charlene. This affair began at 1:30 p.m. and ended at 5 p.m. with everyone anticipating another good time next year.
Joyce and Diane Curry have arrived from their home in Portland to spend some time at the Curry homestead and enjoy all the up-coming Summerfest activities. Still have lots of birds arriving at the feeders, mostly gold finch, chickadees and red poles and occasionally a woodpecker arrives to see how much he can eat. Haven’t seen the doe and her fawn for a couple of weeks—hope they are still around. Noticed while mowing that the skunks are happily digging away on parts of my lawn—will have to go fill them all in one day.
TOPS #ME 0233, Houlton
by Lois Downing
Take Off Pounds Sensibly 0233 of Houlton met at the Aldergate building on High Street for its Friday, July 23 meeting.
Nineteen ladies were weighed; five of these 19, were KOPS (Keep Off Pounds Sensibly). We were happy to learn Dale Holden reached her goal and became a KOPS. Our circle is growing. Congratulations to Dale.
Leader Joyce Estey led the meeting. Guests were Mekay Clark of Fredericton, N.B. and Donna Cushman. Maureen Bird is a new member.
Loser of the week was Denise Kinney, runners-up were Aileen Smith and Linda Bartlett. The skinny dish winner was Barbara Whited. Barbara Grant led us in several minutes of exercises. Donna Parent, in charge of the skinny dish project, explained the process for the new members.
Janice Cote, chapter representative, was in attendance with her annual visit to our chapter. Her program was called “stress management.” Some facts causing stress are: death in the family, a new job or loss of job, finances, work and child rearing. We feel stress when we are anxious, a tightness in neck, upset stomach, deadlines. Some of the things we can do to relieve stress is learn to say “no,” learn to destress by relaxing, just breathe and practice. Do not let stress make you feel like you are a failure but tell yourself you can do it, be flexible, calm down, count your blessings, talk to friends, own a pet, manage your time.
Also start a journal, we feel worse if we are stressed; put yourself first, help others, listen to yourself and your emotions. A question and answer period completed the program.
As is her practice, Charlotte Marley took pictures at the end of the program. Linda Bartlett will provide the July 30 meeting.
If you need more information on the chapter on the chapter you may call Charlotte Marley at 757-8483 or any of the other members.
Weigh-in starts at 8-8:45 a.m. every Friday, unless otherwise rescheduled. The meeting begins at 9 and usually ends an hour later.
Everyone is welcome, teens, in-between and seniors.
Willigar Reunion held
The Willigar family reunion was held on July 11, 2010 at the Meduxnekeag Ramblers Snow Sled Club, hosted by Reba Wiggins and her family. All of the late John and Mary Willigar’s children were present except Elsie Campbell of Alabama, who was unable to attend.
The following family members were present.
Kay Brown, Vicki and Deryle Sponberg of Washburn, Scott and Angela Wardwell, Analise and Lilian, of Presque Isle, Clarence and Sandy Willigar of Miami, Fla., Nora Willigar, Charlene and John Brownlee of Crystal, Reba Wiggins, Becky, Sean and Katelyn of Houlton, Wayne Booker of Corinth, Erica and Megan Booker, Brayden and Richard Hibbard of Auburn.
Also Bob and Gloria Willigar of Crystal, Von Willigar of Patten, Florence and Kerry Hardy, Derrick, Krista and Johnathan Hardy of Dyer Brook, Kent and Sherry Willigar, Robin and Bob Douglas of Island Falls, Cora Savage of Patten, Mark Savage of Glenburn, Jane and Donald McNally, Barbara and Brittany Ireland of Sherman, Beth, Gregory and Mattaya Ryan of Island Falls, Rebecca and Pat Toner of Hodgdon, Bobby Sue, Donald and Kirk Lowe of Portland.
Also Elaine Willigar of East Millinocket, Andrew, Thomas and Samuel Willigar and Heather McGlauflin of Brewer, Chip and Ruth Lane, Sally and Guy Lane, Steven, Lynn, Alex and Nick Lane, all of Sherman, Judy James and John Crowe of Benedicta, Denis and Wanda Willigar, Christopher Willigar of Patten, Shannon and Damen Willigar of Sherman Station, Courtney and Danny Toby, Daniel, Tanika and Dawson Toby and Jordan Swimm of Littleton, Gail and John Campbell of Crystal, and George and Judy Willigar of Island Falls.
Bridge Club
By Bev Rand
In the early 1970s, Florence Hartin taught some of the ladies in the surrounding towns how to play bridge. At first, they met in the various houses for their lessons. I learned to play bridge back in the ‘30s and it was the “culbertson system.” Florence used a different system whereby the top cards were given numerical numbers and if they added up to a certain figure, it indicated what you might bid.
As a simple example, if you had the count of thirteen met, you had high cards enough to bid. This also told your partner that you had at least this number of high cards. If you had a high count of 21, a demand bid of two would be in order. This system was not foolproof. It opens itself to a lot of commitments when the cards are played out. Such as “you should of gone back into spades” or you should of bid “a no trump” as that is how they play it in Florida.
Bridge is notorious for its criticisms. In the end, th
e sizing up the way we play a hand is somewhat like the saying of beauty – “it is in the eye of the beholder”.
On one game that I was playing, I bid two hearts and my partner bid six hearts and when he laid down his hand, he did not have a single heart. This is another example of criticism. I said, “Vaardis, how dare you to bid six hearts when you don’t have a heart?” “Listen,” he responded. “If you have the hearts I have the rest of them”. True enough, I made a grand slam, that is, I took all of the tricks. Maybe that was not orthodox bidding but his judgment was good.
This loosely organized bridge club has been meeting each Tuesday for the past 40 years. It has no president, nor officers. Each member does whatever task needs to be done. However, at the present time, the one that seems to head it up is Marion Hoar.
The cost to play on Tuesday is 35 cents; 25 cents goes for the prize money each week. Ten cents buys the coffee and other supplies, as needed.
The scores are added up at the end of the day. The highest scorer gets the top dollar and the rest is divided between the second one and booby. We have from eight to 12 players each week. Nowadays, as part of the town activities, we meet in the municipal building. Over the years, there have been different people who played and today, it still has loyal members meeting each Tuesday.
This is a great bit of recreation for senior citizens and a brain stimulator, according to some medical authorities.
