by Susan Feeney-Hopkins
The town of Portage Lake was alive with the sounds of music, motorcycles and good times during the town’s annual summer “Round Up” in August. The weekend-long event was filled with family friendly activities and lots of good, old-fashioned fun!
The excitement began Friday evening, Aug. 17, with a town barbecue dinner at the Pavilion followed by the luminary memorial ceremony. While a somber ceremony, it is well done and considerate. It is an event enjoyed and appreciated by those in attendance. The luminary bags were beautifully decorated with photographs and sentimental messages in the memory of departed loved ones. At dusk, the tea lights were lit within the bags casting a warm radiance under the Pavilion.
Sarah Brooks was the speaker of ceremonies respectfully reading each memorial name aloud followed by the toll of a bell, rung by Corrine Routhier and Jim Dumond. Tony Gagnon kindly shared his musical talent providing the background music on his acoustic guitar. Both events were organized by the Portage Lake Historical Society.
On Saturday morning, Aug. 18, downtown was abuzz with a morning sugar rush. Town residents and neighbors packed the grounds for the second annual Whoopie Pie Festival hosted by the Portage Lake Tourism Committee. Local organizations and residents sold and sampled homemade whoopie pies and other goodies and goods.
The motorcycle rodeo, hosted by the Portage Lakers Snowmobile Club, drew a great crowd as usual. The riders’ skills were tested in a variety of games with lots of laughs and fun and a few close calls. The pig roast followed and was also hosted by the Portage Lakers. Besides the roast pig, there were many homemade side dishes provided by club members and town residents. These folks really know how to host an event. It’s getting better and better every year!
Later that evening the ceremonial canoe carrying participants recreated the journey early settlers and Native Americans took on the Fish River Chain of Lakes from Little Machias to Portage Lake. Portage Lake got its name from the French word “por’tage” denoting the area on the chain of lakes where they were required to carry (portage) their canoes. The participants, some dressed in the style of early settlers and pioneers, launched their canoes at Little Machias and floated to the portage point and then carried their canoes for 2.1 miles before relaunching on Portage Lake and canoeing down to the Portage Seaplane base. Local members of the Wesgetsipu Native American Tribe performed ceremonial native drumming and singing welcoming the modern-day canoeists as they did in days of old.
The much anticipated fireworks show took place at dark over the lake. Thanks to the many generous cash donations and fine planning, we all enjoyed another fantastic show! It was well worth the wait! Special thanks to the organizers for their diligent fund-raising efforts. A dance at Dean’s wrapped up Saturday’s events.
Sunday, Aug. 19 proved to be a perfect day for a parade. Starting at St. Peter’s on the hill, the parade made its way down Main Street. The Boy Scouts of America were proudly represented by local Troop 179. The Portage Lakers ATV Club members made their way on four-wheelers and side-by-sides. The town’s two beauty queens, Lacey Jandreau, 7, Little Miss Ashland and Kassandra Nelson, 10, Miss Pre-Teen Ashland received thunderous cheers as they rode through town. Town elders Dorothy Bolstridge, who served as parade grand marshal and the town’s oldest male citizen, Eldon Gardiner, were welcomed with affectionate applause and cheers by their friends and neighbors.
Immediately following the parade, a ceremony honoring Portage Lake’s Civil War veterans took place at the Veterans Wall in the town square. The ceremony was planned by the Portage Lake Historical Society to honor the men from Portage Lake who served during the Civil War. Members of the society after much research discovered the town had several previously unknown veterans of the Civil War. It was also noted none of the town’s Civil War veterans were named on the Veterans Wall. It was then an additional panel was added with each of their names.
In a moving and historic ceremony, the 20th Maine regiment Civil War re-enactors, read the roll call of names, laid a wreath in their honor while an officer played “Taps.” Kyle Soeutart-Beaulier of Portage Lake was dressed in period garb and powerfully recited Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. The Maine Event Barbershop Quartet performed at the ceremony singing patriotic songs. Local veterans were in attendance to honor their fellow soldiers.
That afternoon, the Pavilion was the site of the ‘Un Bon Vieux Temp’ (the French Food Potluck). Local community members served up their best homemade Acadian and French dishes for sample. Everyone raved about the variety and flavor of the dishes! The sound of Blistered Fingers Bluegrass Band could be heard throughout the town and was a perfect way to end the Round-Up weekend.
A special thanks to all those responsible for this incredible weekend! Each event was well planned and carried out flawlessly. Congratulations for a job well done.
Moose Hunters Supper
Pioneer Lodge No. 72 Masonic Lodge will sponsor a Moose Hunters Supper for the public Saturday, Sept. 22 from 5-7 p.m. at the lodge. The menu will include deep fried turkey with all the fixins’ and dessert. The cost will be $10 per person. The Masonic Lodge is located at 32 Plum St. in Ashland.
Ashland Logging Museum plans Fall Festival
The Ashland Logging Museum is preparing for its annual Fall Festival scheduled to take place Sunday, Sept. 23 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The festival is a wonderful family outing where you can see and try a variety of different, old and new-style fall activities.
John and Ella Weeks will be running their cider press, Corinne Pelletier will be spinning, Robin Barker will be making applesauce and Tom Cote will be doing some wood carving. For the younger folks, Matt Bell’s Northeast Pellets is donating a bucket load of sawdust for a sawdust sandbox! The Boy Scouts have already begun to literally tie together their very fun Monkey Bridge — a rope bridge that requires very good balance to cross! Other kids’ activities include a culvert obstacle course, pumpkin faces, log rolling, kids’ lumberjack skills, coloring pages and foam crafts.
The Museum buildings will be open and they invite everyone to see how well the Norway Bluff Fire Tower restoration is going. All are encouraged to join in the friendly competitions. Up for grabs are bragging rights to the best bean-hole beans, pickles, jam or jelly and other canned produce. Voting on all four categories will be by popular vote as is the winner of the weirdest veggie competition. They’ll be breaking out the scale and tape measure to determine the biggest zucchini! Take a peek out amongst your garden veggies and see if you have a lurking zucchini monster or a very odd carrot, cool cuke, or super squash. All of the activities and events are free.
They will also be serving a lunch of real bison burgers with reflector oven biscuits, salads, bean-hole beans, and homemade desserts for $8 a plate. Join us for what they hope will be a spectacular fall day and a great day out! For more information, call Amanda Barker at 435-4870.
Susan Feeney-Hopkins is the correspondent for Ashland, Portage Lake, Oxbow, Masardis, Garfield, Nashville Plantation and the surrounding areas. She can be reached at 435-8232 or Feenhop@aol.com.