Dow to be honored
as oldest Perham residen
WASHBURN NEWS
by Beth Boddy
The Perham Ladies and officials of the town of Perham will be presenting the Perham Cane to the town’s most senior resident, Mrs. Eldora Mullis Dow, 91 years young. Mrs. Dow was born on Nov. 28, 1921 in Stacyville. She along with her (late) husband Tom Dow raised their family in Perham, where she remains a resident. The presentation will take place on May 18 at the Perham Town Office building on the High Meadow Road from 1-3 p.m. Cake and light refreshments will be served.
Mrs. Dow is the second recipient of the Perham Cane, which was carved by three of the Viola Boys, (Sebastian, Salvatore and Anthony) and their instructor Mr. Tom Cote, master carver and teacher from Limestone.
All are welcome to attend and share in this tribute to Mrs. Dow and her longevity and commitment to the town of Perham. We as a community recognize and appreciate the contributions made by our most senior residents to the making of our little town. We appreciate our elders perseverance in the building and maintenance of our town and the Perham Cane is one way we can recognize and thank them for their efforts.
Communities are established because of the vision of those who have come before us and we are grateful. We would love to see you all at our celebration to honor Mrs. Eldora Dow, a lovely lady and longtime resident. For additional information, call Debra Viola at 498-3433 or Ellie Jordan at 455-8016.
Roy achieves Eagle Scout status
Daniel Roy received his Eagle Scout Award on Saturday, May 4. His project involved renovating a long-forgotten cemetery in Wade known as the Randall Cemetery. The troop gifted Daniel with an enrollment in the National Eagle Scout Association. He presented father and mother pins to his parents and a mentor pin to Stacy Skinner.
Student of the Month
Maegan Fitzpatrick is Washburn District High School’s May Student of the Month. Maegan’s senior year has been a busy one! She has stepped out to do many different things this year including yearbook sales, volunteering to help the NHS members put together a county-wide conference, and manager for both the basketball and baseball teams. For the past two years she has been a student representative on the MPA Advisory Committee. Many of us see her working at Country Farms Market downtown. She is anxious to begin her college life next year at Immaculata University in Pennsylvania. Maegan is an avid reader and frequent visitor to the library where she enjoys reading the classics. Congratulations, Maegan.
Circus trip
The Washburn Elementary School 21st Century After School Program students went to the circus on Friday, May 3. The Shriners gave the group free tickets to the show and the program provided a snack for all. The students had so much fun!
The group also went to the Tri-Community recycling and sanitary landfill in Fort Fairfield on Thursday where students earned money for the program by picking up trash from the grounds. Students from the middle school Homework Haven program also went to help. Everyone did such a great job, they took on a community project with enthusiasm and big smiles on their faces.
An ice cream sundae party will be held later this month to celebrate their hard work.
Viola joins Marines
Salvatore Viola, son of Glenn and Debra Viola and one of the many Viola Boys, is leaving for the Marine Corps’ 13-week basic training at Parris Island, S.C. on May 19. His family asks everyone to pray for his success and safety in his endeavors. Becoming a Marine has been a long-held goal of Salvatore’s and those who know and love him want him to know that he will be missed; we are proud of him for following his dream.
Special guest speaker
On Thursday, May 9, Washburn District School had the pleasure of having Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap come and speak to approximately 130 students in grades 6-12. The Washburn Trailrunners’ Club members graciously allowed the school to use their clubhouse for the presentation. Dunlap told students about the men and women in the state of Maine who were impacted by the Civil War. Throughout his talk, he wove bits and pieces about the role of Washburn during the war. Originally, Washburn was called Salmon Brook Plantation, but as a result of the Civil War it was renamed after Governor Washburn. The most famous Mainer, Joshua Camberlain, wanted to be in the war but Mainers wanted him to continue to teach. Students thoroughly enjoyed Dunlap’s presentation and asked questions after he was through speaking.
Perham fire permits
Perham fire permit reminder: Fire permits can be obtained from Fire Warden Glenn Viola by calling 498-3433 or visiting his Nutting Road home. The permits are free of charge and may be given for any day that is not a “No-Burn Day.”
We have already had many “no-burn days” because of the severe lack of rainfall that we are experiencing at this time. When the Maine Forest Service issues these alerts they are not to be taken lightly. There are substantial fines and penalties for those found burning without permits, especially when a no-burn restriction in place.
If a fire was to get out of your control, there are costs that are applied to the landowner on a personal level as well as costs passed along to the town for putting out a wildfire. The risk to all of us, of burning in the wrong conditions, is too great. This affects not only yourself but other home- and landowners around you.
When the conditions are dry like this, it does not take much to have a fire get away from you. It is best to check with your local fire warden and get the right information. Seasonal permits may be issued for campfires only. You must call and come down for all other permits, i.e.: bonfires, grass burning, brush, etc. Most times permits can be written for two or three days of burning, weather conditions permitting. There are rules that will be discussed with you at the time of permitting as to what can be burned and when, as well as what items should be on site in case your fire begins to get away from you.
Be safe and responsible and we can all enjoy our time outside.
Historical Society
The Salmon Brook Historical Society will be holding their quarterly meeting on Thursday, May 23, at 6 p.m. at the Washburn Civic Center. A potluck supper will be followed by the annual business meeting with election of officers. Please bring a service setting and either a main dish, dessert or rolls. For more information, call Dennis Harris at 455-8279.
Birthdays/anniversaries
Those celebrating a birthday between May 15-21 include: Ruth Bull, Jana Ingraham, Charly Chandler, Katie Easler, Barbara Maynard, Jeremy Hartsgrove, Viola Bouchey, Robert Ecenarro, Becky Hernandez and Chandler Dobson.
Those celebrating an anniversary between May 15-21 include: Michael and Barbara Maynard, Gerald and Darcy Carney, Bill and Ruth Flewelling, and Adam and Julie Doody.
Playground fundraiser
The Crouseville Community Playground Project will be holding a Dinner and Silent Auction at the Washburn Trail Runners’ Clubhouse on Friday, May 17, at 6 p.m. The menu will include lasagna, salad, roll, and brownie-a-la-mode. The cost of dinner will be by donation and there will also be door prizes. All proceeds will go to support the Crouseville Community Playground.
Beth Boddy is the correspondent for Perham, Wade and Washburn. She can be reached by calling 455-8427 or by e-mailing bethwood@hotmail.com.
