Here is an official tip of the Santa and Mrs. Claus hats to Walter and Nancy Cook of Brownville and David and Terri Knowles of Milo who, once again this year, are offering a free Christmas Day dinner to anyone who wants to attend.
This is the third year the couples have held their community Christmas Day celebration, Nancy told me.
That meal, which Nancy describes as “an opportunity for anyone who would like to share a joyous Christmas Day with other people,” will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. Christmas Day, Saturday, Dec. 25, in the dining room of the Milo town hall.
If you cannot attend or you need a ride to get there, you must call by Wednesday, Dec. 22, to make that happen.
For home delivery or transportation, call the Cooks at 965-8410 or the Knowleses at 943-7762.
This year’s menu features turkey, stuffing, potatoes, salad, vegetables and pie.
This is, of course, a free meal, but any and all donations to help make it possible are welcome.
The host couples also need volunteers to help during the afternoon of Christmas Eve Day, Friday, Dec. 24, setting up the dining room and preparing vegetables, Nancy said.
On Christmas Day, volunteers are needed to help deliver meals for those who are homebound or to pick up those who want to come to town hall and share this special day with others.
The Cooks and the Knowleses are continuing a Milo-area tradition begun several years ago by Everett and Freda Cook.
While the Cooks are not related, Nancy said, both the Cooks and the Knowleses had helped out the original hosts during dinners past and took over for them when they were no longer able to continue this marvelous community tradition.
Before heading off to spend the holidays with family, Nancy told me, Freda Cook is still an active adviser on this project, helping out in a variety of ways, from timely suggestions to supplies.
“We go to her with any questions we have, and if there’s some item we need to borrow, she has it,” Nancy said.
This gathering is especially meaningful for the seniors in the community.
“There are a lot of elderly people in this area who don’t have a lot of family,” Nancy told me.
“It seems like there are just lots of lonesome people, so it’s nice to have somebody to share the day with.”
Although it takes a lot of planning, both couples take on this project “because we enjoy it,” Nancy said.
By 7 on Christmas morning, they are at the Milo town hall, and they’ve got things pretty much wrapped up between 3 and 4 p.m., when they head home to put their feet up and reflect on the day.
In the true spirit of the season, this grand gesture by these kind people is to be admired and celebrated.
I am sure I speak for everyone who attends this dinner when I say “thank you” to Walter, Nancy, David and Terri for all they do to help make Christmas a little more special for folks living in the Milo area.
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Many of us can look around our homes and find something that will remind us of Judson M. “Bud” Grant Jr. of Bangor, who was 83 when he died this week of complications from diabetes.
Thanks to his grand entrepreneurial style, Bud’s businesses not only supplied us with that special piece of furniture we were seeking and couldn’t find elsewhere, but also put many folks in their own homes or established sites for them to build on.
His eating establishments, not surprisingly, became great gathering places.
Kev-Lan on Broadway has its regulars, of course, and then there are people like my husband and his high school classmates who always meet there to work on their reunion plans.
Although perhaps best remembered for doing things on a grand scale, Bud also knew how to quietly lend a helping hand when it was most needed.
To Bette and the entire Grant family, I extend my deepest sympathies on the passing of a man who will be fondly remembered as one of Bangor’s “larger-than-life” institutions.
Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; javerill@bangordailynews.com; 990-8288.