Alna Day debuts
From left, Ryan Thompson, son, Arthur, 7 months, wife Merideth and daughter Joanna, 2, take a train during Alna Day June 16. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Well Seasoned performs at Alna Day From left are Judy Nielsen of Whitefield, playing a djembe drum made in Africa, Del Merritt of Newcastle, and on guitar, Dan Townsend of Whitefield and Pixie Lauer of Alna. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Alna’s Tom Albee sells vegetables during Alna Day. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Donald Sanger of Stafford Connecticut views a display at Alna Day. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Cindy and David Seigars man an Alna Fire Department truck at Alna Day. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Westport Island’s Waren Martel checks out the 1789 Alna Meetinghouse during Alna Day June 16. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
From left, Ryan Thompson, son, Arthur, 7 months, wife Merideth and daughter Joanna, 2, take a train during Alna Day June 16. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Well Seasoned performs at Alna Day From left are Judy Nielsen of Whitefield, playing a djembe drum made in Africa, Del Merritt of Newcastle, and on guitar, Dan Townsend of Whitefield and Pixie Lauer of Alna. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Alna’s Tom Albee sells vegetables during Alna Day. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Donald Sanger of Stafford Connecticut views a display at Alna Day. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Cindy and David Seigars man an Alna Fire Department truck at Alna Day. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Westport Island’s Waren Martel checks out the 1789 Alna Meetinghouse during Alna Day June 16. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Alna resident Pixie Lauer played guitar and helped fellow members of Well Seasoned sing John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” at Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum Saturday. At a table near the folk, blues and original music group, farmer Tom Albee, Alna born and raised, sold some of the first crop of the season.
“The rhubarb is already gone,” he said.
And sitting on the train awaiting their ride to face-painting and other fun were Alna resident of three years Michelle Peele, husband Ed, his daughter Merideth, her husband Ryan Thompson and their son Arthur, 7 months, in his father's lap, and daughter Joanna, 2, looking at the bag she held.
"Almost 3," a smiling Peele, formerly of Wiscasset, noted about her step-granddaughter. The Thompsons were visiting from Ventura, California. Alna got sun for the debut of Alna Day. Because the Cross Road nonprofit is part of the community and wants to give back to it, the event will be held each year, museum president Dave Buczkowski said. Attendees and participants interviewed were glad.
"It’s waking the town to all the heritage we have,” Albee said. Alna isn't as full of farming as it once was, but farming is growing again in town, he said.
Peele called Alna a wonderful community with a lot to offer. Alna Day was very down home and a very good idea, she said.
Westport Island's Warren Martel appreciated the town-owned historic buildings being open,including the 1789 Alna Meetinghouse on Route 218. Looking around upstairs, he was surprised the building had so much seating. He guessed there was some status or order to where people used to sit.
"You're absolutely right," Alna's volunteer archivist Doreen Conboy told him when he asked her moments later.
Donald Sanger of Stafford, Connecticut had been to the meetinghouse several years esrlier, on a rainy day. "So it was not a lot of fun." Saturday's visit was better, he said.
Also taking part Saturday were the Alna Fire Department, displaying a fire truck, and Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency, with its mobile command response unit. The Alna visit was a chance for people to learn how to be prepared and learn what the agency does, Director Casey Stevens said.
Buczkowski said later, about 100 people took train rides.
Event Date
Address
United States
