Murder mystery to be solved
There are only four more days until the infamous mystery of murder is solved by those attending the Washburn Rotary supper held at the elementary school on Saturday, May 9, starting at 5 p.m. with a short explanation and greeting made by “Mayor” Beauregard T. Brady.
The dinner includes appetizers, chicken, ham, veggies, beans, rolls, rice, salads and desserts of all kinds.
The mystery theatre is entitled “Death in Them Thar Hills” (or “Who Killed Dusty Jones”) and the “actors” include many of your friends and neighbors, like Birdina Cochran, Laura Turner, Pam Wilcox, Andy White, Christie Cochran, Tom Drew, Matt Palmer, Brenda Devoe, Gary Blackstone, Gene Bradbury, Mark Hester and Bill Tasker.
This is an interactive play, with dinner guests taking part in solving the crime. There will be no real ‘Taqila’ or the milder version of ‘Gila Gold’ for consumption, or even a real murder, just plenty of good food, lots of fun and even a few surprises.
It promises to be a fun-filled evening, all for the price of $12, which goes to support local Rotary sponsorships. There will also be a silent auction, so bring your friends and family for this fun event. All the proceeds will go directly to Rotary supporting their many hometown projects.
Rec Center goes to the Circus
Several area youth went with the Rec Center program to see all the fun events under the “big top” at the Shriners’ Circus in Presque Isle last week. Those going included: Katie Ann McLaughlin, Michaela Williams, Samantha Churchill, Ethan Butler, Michaela Tozier, Abby Conroy, Natashia Lizotte, Becky Tozier and Stevie Conroy.
They saw all the acts in the event and even had a special time with Washburn’s own “Pinky” the Klown, who made flower balloons for them. They truly enjoyed the show as well as the cotton candy, snow cones and popcorn that goes along with the whole deal.
Birthdays/anniversaries
A very special first birthday wish goes out to Sophia Levesque. Others celebrating birthdays this week include: Alice Flood, Hannah White, Doris Churchill, Jason Pangburn, Katlyn Carr, Mark Hester, Jay Tilley, Matt Howe, Richard Farley, Cheryll Flanagin, Bill Hause, Herb Sands, Malika Maynard, Allen-Michael Bennett, Kevin Doody, Marty Clayton, Dale Churchill, Todd Duncan, Pam Wilcox, Sylvia Fox, Lori Levesque, Jeff Wark, Carmen Tilley, Isaac Carney, Cheryl Damboise, Darin Cunningham, Doug Everett Jr., Heather Sherman, Sandi Crouse, Velma Sperrey, Lance Plissey, Harold Corey, Erik Creasey, Daniel Creasey and Wuanita Bragg.
Special anniversary wishes go out to Lynn and Shelly Gresham.
Rec Center schedule
On Wednesday, May 6, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. there will be women’s basketball at the elementary gym.
On Thursday, May 7, there will be Junior Olympics for ages 10 to 11 at the elementary school gym at 5:30 p.m.
On Monday, May 11, there will be men’s basketball at the elementary school gym from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
On Tuesday, May 12, there will be Junior Olympics for ages 12 and 13 at the elementary school at 5:30 p.m.
For further information on these or any Rec Center activities, please contact Rec Director Marcie Barbarula at 455-4959.
Events/reminders
The Washburn Beavers’ ATV Club will hold their annual meeting on Wednesday, May 6, at 6:30 p.m. at the Gould Street clubhouse. Included in the agenda, there will be an election of officers for the upcoming ATV season. Trail officials ask that all riders keep in mind that the area trails are not open for travel until Friday, May 15.
The next scheduled Washburn Town Council meeting will be held on Monday, May 11, at the Civic Center at 7 p.m.
The August Festival Committee will be meeting at the Civic Center at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13. Anyone interested in helping with this annual project is asked to attend or contact Chairman Cindy Boot at 455-8464.
The next scheduled week for Friendly Coop is Monday, April 27 through Friday, May 1, with a pick-up date scheduled for Friday, May 15. To place your order, contact Brenda McCoy at 455-8421 or e-mail her at bunny@ainop.com.
TOPS holds their regular meetings each Monday at the Washburn Trailrunners clubhouse, starting with weigh-in at 4:15 p.m. and the meeting to follow from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. New members are always welcome.
The Washburn Soup Kitchen schedule will include regular meals on Tuesdays and Thursdays, served from 3 to 5 p.m. There will also be special senior citizen meals served on the second Friday of each month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Washburn District High School Baccalaureate will be held on Sunday, May 31, at the high school at 7 p.m.
The Washburn High School senior prom will be held at the high school on Saturday, May 16. This year’s prom has a Parisian theme to it and those parents, family and friends wishing to take photos are welcome from 6:40 to 7:15 p.m. Thanks for your consideration in this matter.
Project Graduation updates/additions
There is less than one month before the Friday, June 5, graduation and the Project Graduation team is working towards making the 2009 graduation a grand time for everyone. Only two more days left to get your tickets for the Senior Handprint quilt for the May 8 drawing. Tickets are $1 each or six for $5, and are currently available at the bank or from any senior class member. There will also be a drawing for a $100 gas card donated by Gil’s Sanitation and Daigle Oil. Tickets are available from any senior class member for a cost of $1 each or six for $5, and the drawing will be held on Tuesday, May 12. Anyone wishing to donate their cans and bottles to the Project Graduation event may leave them at the Washburn Redemption Center and tell Mr. Carney they are for Project Grad.
The seniors are hosting a very special Mother’s Day Bingo at the American Legion Hall in Caribou on Sunday, May 10, starting at 6:30 p.m. There will be treats and desserts available for purchase at the event. Tickets will be sold for the $100 gas card to be drawn on Tuesday, May 12.
There will be a special Bingo and Stew night at the Washburn Trailrunners clubhouse on Tuesday, May 12. The meal will be served starting at 5:30 p.m. for a cost of $5 for adults and $3 for those under 12. Desserts will also be available for purchase and Bingo will start at 7 p.m. Tickets for the $100 gas card will be sold and the winning ticket will be drawn that evening.
The team is also doing a combination car wash and bake sale on Saturday, May 30, during Presque Isle’s city-wide yard sale. This will be held at the Swap Buy and Sell Guide office area on the corner of Main and Church streets from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For further information on the various Project Graduation 2009, including buying tickets or if you wish to make a donation to the Project Graduation 2009 fun, please contact Angela Farley at 455-8048.
This class has been more than active with their various attempts at fund-raising and have adopted the slogan “It has taken 2009 years to get a class as good as this one!”
Many hands working together
The Washburn soup kitchen recently got a donation of some nice material and several of the volunteers decided to get together and make a quilt. They brought in sewing machines and spent time together cutting squares, sewing them together and finally tacking it. They were soon joined by several of their friends and family, all helping to make the quilt.
They decided to sell tickets and have a drawing on July 4 for this lovely queen-size quilt that can be seen in the bank window. Tickets are $1 each, six for $5 or 13 tickets for $10, and can be purchased from any of the ladies, at the kitchen on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 5 p.m., soup kitchen volunteers or board members, or by phoning Mildred Bennett at 455-4054 or Elizabeth Richardson at 764-3167. All proceeds will go to benefit the expenses of the soup kitchen.
Those working on the quilt included: Alice Curtis, Mildred Bennett, Gwen Bragg, Marjorie Farley, Pauline Beaulier, Dolores Woodman, Natalie Maynard, Goldie Ellis, Darlene McHatten, Dolly Norris and Debbie Smilie.
More volunteers are needed for the kitchen. If there are enough generous volunteers, the kitchen could be open another day. Please contact Elizabeth Richardson at the kitchen during regular hours at 455-4900 or at 764-3167. Any assistance will be appreciated.
Library ‘bookmarks’
The Washburn Memorial Library, along with the Salmon Brook Historical Society, is sponsoring a very special lecture to be held on Thursday, May 14, at 7 p.m. at the elementary school. Mr. Kereck Kelsey will be giving a feature speech from his thesis which was on Israel Washburn Jr. who was one of 10 children from Livermore Falls. He was also a governor of Maine from 1861 to 1863 and it was during his term of office that the town of Washburn was incorporated and chose the name from the current governor.
The governor had donated 200 books to start a library in town, but they were destroyed in a town-wide fire in 1864.
The 10 remarkable children of the Washburn family grew up in rural poverty with few advantages, but together they left a record of achievement that may never again be equaled by a single generation of an American family.
After a career in textbook publishing and banking, Kerck Kelsey received a master’s degree in history from Harvard University, just before his 70th birthday. His thesis was on the eldest Washburn brother, Israel Jr., from whom our town got its name. This thesis was later published as “Israel Washburn., Jr.: Maine’s Little Known Giant of the Civil War,” and other works by Kelsey include “Remarkable Americans: The Washburn Family.”
Everyone is urged to come and enjoy hearing about this remarkable family.
Christie Cochran is the correspondent for Washburn, Wade and Perham. She can be reached at 455-8034 or gramchristie@yahoo.com.
