Ledoux on duty
Derek Ledoux, 20, graduated Navy basic training on March 10 at Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Ill.
Ledoux, who graduated from Gorham High School in 2004, is the son of Arty and Wilma Ledoux, who traveled to Illinois for the ceremony. They spent time with their son over the weekend following graduation exercises and visited the Sears Tower and the Navy pier in Chicago.
Following basic training, Derek Ledoux is now attending a school for master-at-arms at Lakeland Air Force Base in Texas.
Great memories
Harris “Had” and Ruth (Lee) Parsons of Ossipee Trail celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary on Saturday.
They were married on March 18, 1938, in the parsonage of the South Gorham Baptist Church. The Rev. S.A. Walker officiated.
Jean McDougall attended the bride and Burton Elliot of West Gorham was the best man. Had Parsons said that Elliot paid the minister with a bushel of potatoes.
After marrying, the newlyweds lived on the “old Cotton place” in West Gorham, renting from Chet Spiller. They raised pigs and kept a herd of Jersey cows. He milked the cows and she churned 30 pounds of butter each week.
Had Parsons, who graduated from Gorham High School in 1936, recalled how his brother, Howard Parsons, helped harvest their hay.
During World War II, Had Parsons was a tank driver in Europe with Gen. George Patton’s tank corps. After her husband was drafted, Ruth Parsons joined the Navy Waves and was stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
The couple has two daughters, Susan Parsons and Julie Marshall, both of Gorham.
Woman’s Club to meet
The Gorham Woman’s Club will meet on Thursday, April 13 in the Fellowship Hall of the First Parish Congregational Church.
Refreshments will be served at 12:30 p.m. followed by the meeting at 1 p.m. This month the members will be sharing their talents, as club members have an opportunity to display and talk about their special talents and hobbies.
The club is currently preparing for their spring luncheon at the First Parish Church at noon on Friday, April 28. This is an annual function that is well received within the community. Entertainment will be provided by Larry Allen after the luncheon. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased by calling Alice Keddy at 839-4579.
Enrollment is open to anyone wishing to become an active volunteer. Guests are always welcome to all meetings. For more information, contact Keddy at 839-4579.
Ragin’ Cajun feast
A Ragin’ Cajun feast was held on March 12 at First Parish Congregational UCC Church.
The event sponsored by the missions committee of First Parish was a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity. The Mardi Gras festival featured New Orleans specialty items such as jambalaya, gumbo, po’boys, beignets, bananas foster and the traditional king cake.
All foods were made by church members (including Rev. David Butler, church pastor). New Orleans jazz music filled Fellowship hall as family and friends dined on the specialty foods. More than $600 was raised for Operation Home Delivery, the Gulf Coast relief through Habitat for Humanity.
Library logo contest
The Baxter Memorial Library Association is sponsoring a contest for a logo for the library newsletter, “Baxter Briefs.”
The contest is for students in grades six through 12 and entries must be submitted by 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 15. The logo, which may be of any size, must be resizable to fit on the newsletter masthead. Entries must be submitted in black and white or gray scale on an 8-by-11 sheet of white paper.
Each entry must include the student’s name, address and phone number printed neatly on the back of the entry.
The contest winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to the Art Guru and a $50 gift certificate to Casablanca Comics. Three judges will evaluate entries for originality, creativity, appropriateness and neatness. The prizes will be awarded to the winner at the Baxter Memorial Library Association meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 3, at the library on 71 South Street.
For more information, call Baxter Memorial Library Director Pamela Turner at 839-5031.
U.S. taxpayer debt
The Bureau of Public Debt reported on Thursday, March 16, that the U.S. public debt was $8,271,005,203,336.67
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