Revisiting Thoughts of Our 2016 Year
by Meg Gardner
"The falling leaves...drift by my window...” I hated that song when I was young (actually, I still do), but the tune was chosen for our eighth grade graduation class song and I had to accompany the class as they wailed it out. We are closing in on the end of 2016 and many of us have picked up a lot of information as we went along. You may remember some of our high points, both recorded and not recorded, during the past BHHS year.
We again hosted a tour for Scouts, this time Buxton Wolf Pack 14 led by Erin Curtis. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening with them. They were interested in many things, but most of all – Donna and Millie Hanson take notice! – their gracious thank-you note said that they liked the old pump organ that was saved from the Fire of 1947 best! I am sure that the expertise of President Jan Hill at the keyboards (and pumps) contributed to their admiration. It is wonderful to have students in and about asking questions about history and appreciating all of the unique artifacts donated by Hollis and Buxton residents. We hope many more will become part of our visiting and participating volunteers.
In the same vein, wasn’t it great to have Maypole dancers from the All That Dance Studio at our Victorian Social in May? Again, young people bring history alive with new eyes, new vigor, and new enthusiasm, and encouraging them to be part of BHHS enhances everything that we do. I hope those adults who work with children in some way will approach us with their ideas so that we can continue to liven up our offerings. We had so many people that our cake was too modest and there wasn’t enough for everyone. On the other hand, that was a really good outcome for us as we tried out a new idea.
Jan Hill chose the hottest day of the summer to repair and paint the ceiling in one of the upstairs rooms.
The new fundraising idea that moved from a Box Lunch Social Auction to an informal appraisal estimate, but remained in the Atkinson’s intriguing Brewster Barn attracted a big crowd as Bruce Buxton threw out some surprises (and a few duds, but he was gracious about those as well). The sushi platter hors d’oeuvre was very popular; who’d have thunk, out here in the sticks of Maine, that sushi would outweigh baked beans on a summer Saturday night?
The first really extensive exhibition we planned has taken about two years longer than we anticipated to mount, but it is going to be spectacular: Bar Mills Village. We have had some amazing donations for the exhibit and we can’t wait to show everything to you. Brent Hill, Barry Plummer, and Steve Atripoldi, along with assistance from President Jan Hill, have done the lion’s share of the work in between multiple other “minor” projects – such as redoing the whole back entrance to make our Community Meeting Room handicap accessible.
Do you realize that it has been seventy years since the “Great Fire”? Some of us still think of it happening the day before yesterday. We trembled at the drought we had this summer, so much like the summer before the fire.
We have had a few people contribute articles to the newsletter, and they are a great addition. Memories and first-person stories are always better that culling something from a “dull” history book. If you would like to contribute to the newsletter either in writing or with pictures (or both), or if you are curious about a topic and would like me or another member to research and write about it, please leave me a message via BHHS contact information. Be sure to leave your name, idea, and contact information. The more I am involved with history, the more it seems “curiouser and curiouser!” to me, just as Alice cried when she encountered Wonderland.
"The falling leaves...drift by my window...” I hated that song when I was young (actually, I still do), but the tune was chosen for our eighth grade graduation class song and I had to accompany the class as they wailed it out. We are closing in on the end of 2016 and many of us have picked up a lot of information as we went along. You may remember some of our high points, both recorded and not recorded, during the past BHHS year.
We again hosted a tour for Scouts, this time Buxton Wolf Pack 14 led by Erin Curtis. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening with them. They were interested in many things, but most of all – Donna and Millie Hanson take notice! – their gracious thank-you note said that they liked the old pump organ that was saved from the Fire of 1947 best! I am sure that the expertise of President Jan Hill at the keyboards (and pumps) contributed to their admiration. It is wonderful to have students in and about asking questions about history and appreciating all of the unique artifacts donated by Hollis and Buxton residents. We hope many more will become part of our visiting and participating volunteers.
In the same vein, wasn’t it great to have Maypole dancers from the All That Dance Studio at our Victorian Social in May? Again, young people bring history alive with new eyes, new vigor, and new enthusiasm, and encouraging them to be part of BHHS enhances everything that we do. I hope those adults who work with children in some way will approach us with their ideas so that we can continue to liven up our offerings. We had so many people that our cake was too modest and there wasn’t enough for everyone. On the other hand, that was a really good outcome for us as we tried out a new idea.
Jan Hill chose the hottest day of the summer to repair and paint the ceiling in one of the upstairs rooms.
The new fundraising idea that moved from a Box Lunch Social Auction to an informal appraisal estimate, but remained in the Atkinson’s intriguing Brewster Barn attracted a big crowd as Bruce Buxton threw out some surprises (and a few duds, but he was gracious about those as well). The sushi platter hors d’oeuvre was very popular; who’d have thunk, out here in the sticks of Maine, that sushi would outweigh baked beans on a summer Saturday night?
The first really extensive exhibition we planned has taken about two years longer than we anticipated to mount, but it is going to be spectacular: Bar Mills Village. We have had some amazing donations for the exhibit and we can’t wait to show everything to you. Brent Hill, Barry Plummer, and Steve Atripoldi, along with assistance from President Jan Hill, have done the lion’s share of the work in between multiple other “minor” projects – such as redoing the whole back entrance to make our Community Meeting Room handicap accessible.
Do you realize that it has been seventy years since the “Great Fire”? Some of us still think of it happening the day before yesterday. We trembled at the drought we had this summer, so much like the summer before the fire.
We have had a few people contribute articles to the newsletter, and they are a great addition. Memories and first-person stories are always better that culling something from a “dull” history book. If you would like to contribute to the newsletter either in writing or with pictures (or both), or if you are curious about a topic and would like me or another member to research and write about it, please leave me a message via BHHS contact information. Be sure to leave your name, idea, and contact information. The more I am involved with history, the more it seems “curiouser and curiouser!” to me, just as Alice cried when she encountered Wonderland.