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Logging traditions celebrated in Rangeley

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The 31st annual Logging Festival parade moves along Main Street in Rangeley today for an appreciative crowd.

RANGELEY – A breezy, cool and cloudy morning gave way to bright, warm sunshine for the start of the 31st Annual Logging Festival parade today.

Crowds lined Main Street as antique and modern logging equipment, lumber-related floats, a few bands, decorated ATVs and antique cars rode by and airplanes buzzed overhead.  The earliest known skidder and other antique logging equipment with the area’s modern logging operators, participated in the parade. Gov. Paul LePage and family members were the festival’s special guests.

After the parade, the festival, sponsored by the Rangeley Lakes Region Logging Museum, kicked into high gear on the museum grounds. A bean hole dinner, along with the traditional Woodmen’s competition is going on this afternoon. In addition, artisans were showing off their talents and the museum was open for viewers.

Among those at the museum was Gov. LePage who said he was happy to be in Rangeley today for the festival and noted, “the people are so warm and friendly.” He added his wife was busy looking for property in the Rangeley area. “The lake’s beautiful. There’s not a prettier sight,” he said.

Logging Festival parade attendees in Rangeley have their cameras ready to capture Richard Verney's 1916 wood splitter that is operated by monkeys as it moves by.
Youths scramble to grab the candy thrown from the logging trucks in the parade at the 31st annual Logging Festival held in Rangeley today.
Beans were cooked overnight in holes and served up today at the Rangeley Lakes Region Logging Museum during the second day of the 31st annual Logging Festival events. The tradition of burying beans and using open-fired reflector ovens to bake biscuits was common during the early days in the logging camps throughout the western Maine mountains.
Serving up the beans is Bob Miller to hungry festival-goers at the Lucille Richard Pavilion.
Gov. LePage and one of the festival organizers, Peggy Yocom, curator of the Logging Museum, stop to greet the Logging museum's founder Rodney Richard, seated. Richard, a retired logger and a chainsaw and hand carver artist, realized early on the historical significance of antique logging equipment and worked to preserve it for future generations.
First Over-all Grand Prize Winner Matt Taylor (right) receives a STIHL chainsaw from Rodney Richard, Jr., organizer of the Woodmen’s Competition at the Rangeley Lakes Region Logging Museum’s 31st Annual Logging Festival, Saturday, July 30. (Photo by Peggy Yocom)

Woodsmen’s Competition results:

With 160 points, Matt Taylor of Peru won the first over-all Grand prize in the Rangeley Lakes Region Logging Museum’s Woodsmen’s Competition at this year’s 31st annual Logging Festival.

Competing against a field of men from Maine and New Hampshire, Mr. Taylor took home a STIHL chain saw as his award that was donated by Jim Hampton of Northeast STIHL. Tied for Second in the Over-all Grand prize competition were Sheridan Doyle of Winthrop and Jim Burak of Topsham. Both men received cash awards.

Competitor Matt Galambos of Biddeford served as competition announcer. Judges were John Chandonnet, Kirsten Frazier, Michael Frazier, and Lenita Richard, with Head Judge Bob Schriever. Mary Franklin and Ron Robichaud served as scorekeepers, and Joshua and David Frazier were judges’s helpers. Rodney Richard, Jr., and Lenita Richard of Pownal organized the competition.

Winners of individual events that counted for the Over-all Grand prize were as follows:

Crosscut saw
1st Matt Galambos, Matt Taylor 3:86 sec / 50 pts
2nd Jim Burak, Sheridan Doyle 5:29 sec / 40 pts
3rd Josh Haley, Brian Collins 7:27 sec / 30 pts

Pulp piling
1st Brian Collins 53:47 sec / 50pts
2nd Josh Haley 52:87 sec / 40 pts
3rd Zachary Kirk 53:47 sec / 30 pts

Dot split
1st Jim Burak 200 pts / 50 pts
2nd Matt Taylor 115 pts / 40 pts
3rd Zachary Kirk 175 pts / 30 pts

Stock chainsaw
1st Sheridan Doyle 22.96 sec / 50 pts
2nd Mike Granberf 24.06 sec / 40 pts
3rd Matt Taylor 24:63 sec / 30 pts

Axe toss
1st Sheridan Doyle 12 pts / 50 pts
2nd Matt Taylor 7 pts / 40 pts
3rd Josh Haley 7 pts / 30 pts

Pulp toss
1st Matt Galambos 41 ft 10 in / 50 pts
2nd Jim Burak 41 ft 6 in / 40 pts
3rd Peter Drown 34 ft 8 in / 30 pts

Winners of Demonstration events that did not count toward the Over-all Grand prize were as follows:

Stock-appearing chainsaw
1st Sheridan Doyle 4:86 sec / 50 pts
2nd Mike Granberg 11:01 sec / 40 pts
3rd Josh Haley 11:60 sec / 30 pts

Modified chainsaw
1st Sheridan Doyle 9:11 sec / 50 pts
2nd Matt Taylor 13:29 sec / 40 pts
3rd Jeff Richards 13:37 sec / 30 pts

Additional competitors were Wyatt LePage; Jacob Oakes, Buxton; Jim Haley, Colebrook, NH; Matt Jacobs; Kent LaPage; Samuel Loud; Daniel Patterson, Bangor; and Corey Towers, Jay;

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1 Comment

  1. Beautiful parade..but next time remember a logging truck should NOT go thru the parade before the color guards. That is a no no…only one that should be before the color guards is a policeman like Dennis Pike…NOT Beauragards logging truck! Shame Shame Shame!!!!! Please think of that before you do the line up again..It is, after all out of respect for our servicemen past and present!

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