ASHLAND NEWS
by Susan Feeney-Hopkins
The Portage Lake Association will be hosting its annual community potluck dinner at the Town Hall Friday, Aug. 9 beginning at 5 p.m. All residents are invited and welcome to come. A short business meeting will be held after dinner, with entertainment by Larry Jenkins of Fort Fairfield following the meeting.What an enjoyable way to spend a Friday night in town! Bring a covered dish to share and join in the fun.
Portage Lake Summer Round-Up schedule
It’s that time of year again! The town of Portage Lake will be celebrating its Summer Round-Up during the weekend of Aug. 16-18. It’s always a fun time to be in Portage, so “round up” your family and friends and head to the lake!
Beginning Friday, Aug. 16 at 5:30 p.m., there will be a town-wide potluck supper at the Pavilion. Bring your favorite dish to share while enjoying the company of your friends and neighbors. Following the supper, the memorial luminary ceremony will take place. Hosted by the Portage Lake Historical Society, this fund-raising event is a way to honor and remember loved ones who are departed.
For those who have never attended, votive candles are placed inside a white bag and arranged under the Pavilion. The votive candles are lit inside the bags at dusk and cast a beautiful glow. Each person being remembered will have their name read aloud with a moment of silence and remembrance. This event isn’t entirely somber in nature. It’s actually been a wonderful time for the community to reminisce and remember old neighbors and friends. You can usually hear lots of laughter from those recalling a funny story or adventure. Bags can be purchased at the Town Office for $3 per bag. Bags will also be available on the evening of the event at the potluck supper and before the luminary ceremony. Bags are typically decorated in memory of a loved one with their name and if you’d like, a design or message. Please be sure to give the name on your luminary memorial to one of the organizers to ensure their name is read during the ceremony.
A full day of fun begins at 10 a.m. with the Whoopie Pie Festival on Saturday the 17th. Hosted by the Portage Lake Tourism Committee, the festival features a host of whoopie pies to sample in traditional and non-traditional flavors. Vendor chefs will feature their favorite whoopie pie recipes to share. Vendor tables are still available for $10 each.
Entrance to the festival is free, but participants must purchase tickets to sample the pies which are eight tickets for $1. There will be a raffle drawing with the winner receiving a 5-pound (yes pound!) whoopie pie as the prize! Tickets will be 50 cents each with the winner being drawn at the festival. Judges will be on hand to vote for the Most Original Whoopie Pie and the Best Traditional Whoopie Pie. There will be a first, second and third place in each category. All monies raised are used by the Portage Lake Tourism Committee to promote tourism within the town. For more information, contact Wilza Robertson at 435-6211 or any member of the committee.
Everyone’s favorite event, the motorcycle rodeo, begins at 3 p.m. at the Town Hall. Competitive categories include the slow race, tennis ball/cone course and plank race to name a few. There will be a $5 per bike entry fee which includes participation in all games. This event is sponsored by the Portage Lakers Snowmobile Club along with the Pine State Motorcycle Club. Riders from all over the county are invited and welcomed to join in the fun! It’s always a great ride out to Portage Lake. There’s a lot going on, so come early and stay late. Make a day of it!
The annual pig roast will begin at 4 p.m. at the Town Hall. The menu will consist of fresh roasted pig and chicken, potato and macaroni salads, coleslaw, baked beans, a roll and a drink. The fee is $8 for adults and $4 for children under 12. There is plenty of seating available inside the Town Hall, as well as outdoors. If you can’t stay, take out is available. The club will also be drawing the winners of the Club 100 tickets at the roast. A limited number of tickets are still available. The club sells 100 tickets for $20 each. The first place winner will receive $500 and there will be five $100 dollar winners.
As a reminder, this is a very important fund-raising year for the Snowmobile Club! Please come out to support their efforts.
The canoe carry, hosted by the Portage Lake Historical Society, will be held from 6:30-8 p.m. The canoe carry reenacts a portion of the journey through the Fish River Chain of Lakes made by early settlers and Native Americans (which is how the lake and the town of Portage Lake received its name). Due to the topography of the area, travelers had to “portage” their canoes through the woods to get to the lake. It’s a step back in time to see the participants come across the lake as the sun sets to the hypnotic beat of native drumming.
Fireworks will begin over the lake starting around 8:45 p.m. Hosted by the Portage Lake Tourism Committee, the fireworks are made possible by generous volunteers and the cash donations from community members and friends.
Rounding out Saturday’s events, the Portage Lakers Snowmobile Club will host a dance at Dean’s starting at 9 p.m. There will be a $5 per person cover charge. Live music by the band Common Crossings will be playing throughout the night for your listening and dancing pleasure.
A parade on Main Street will begin at noon Sunday, Aug. 18. At 2 p.m., the Tourism Committee will sponsor the Un Bon Vieux Temps (French Food Taste Fest) at the Pavilion. Come sample a variety of local French dishes provided by our local chefs. The club will accept donations for the event. Live music will be performed by the Fiddle Head Band. This was a huge hit last year and is expected to be once again! Hope to see you there.
Ongoing events
The Portage Lake ATV Club will meet every first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the Town Office. All are welcome to attend. Contact Rena Belanger for membership or more information at 435-2780.
The Ashland Area Senior Citizens meet the first and third Thursday at noon for a potluck luncheon at the LeBlanc Junkins VFW Post 9699 on the Portage Road with a meeting to follow. This active and growing club of senior citizens also takes trips to various restaurants throughout The County, hosts cookouts, enjoys guest speakers and entertainment such as musicians. For more information, contact Roberta Savary at 435-6422.
The Portage Lake Over 50’s Club lunch is held on the last Tuesday of every month at 11:30 a.m. at the Town Hall. All individuals 50 and over are invited to attend and can bring a potluck dish to share. For more information, contact Jean Clark at 435-8034 or Donna Martin at 435-7108.
The Red Hat Loonies of Portage Lake meet the second Thursday of every month at Dean’s Motor Lodge. Membership dues are $2. Come and have a great meal and a great time, too! For more information, contact Rachel Stevens at 435-6358.
Susan Feeney-Hopkins is the correspondent for Ashland, Portage Lake, Oxbow, Masardis, Garfield, Nashville Plantation and the surrounding areas. She can be reached at 227-7760 or Feenhop@aol.com.
