Louise Grant, the 96-year-old who made hundreds of potholders to raise money for a church elevator, reported this week that her handiwork sold like hotcakes at the Leeds Community Church fair.

She went to the fair with about 400 potholders and left with 30.

“It went wonderful. I took in $1,200.25! I didn’t expect to go over $500,” Grant said. “You can’t imagine how happy I felt.”

At the June 22-23 fair, “all these people from Lewiston and Auburn and Farmington came,” she said. “They’d come in and say, ‘Where’s the lady from the paper?’ “

Grant was featured in a Sun Journal story on June 22.

The $1,200 she made is a help, but still a small portion of the $20,000 bill to repair the elevator, she said. On Sunday, a fellow church member announced she would match the amount of money raised by Grant.

She said she was tired out by the excitement of the fair, but “it’s so good to know you’re useful.”

– Bonnie Washuk
A dogged response

A rumor that Simones’ Hot Dog Stand is up for sale is a mixture of meat byproducts and seasonings.

In other words, baloney.

“We’ve been here for 99 years,” said owner Jimmy Simones, scoffing at the notion of selling the family restaurant. “We’re not going anywhere.”

He did sell his downtown variety store last March to employee Rhonda Turcotte, who is now operating it as Robo’s Variety, a combination of her name and her husband’s, Robert. So perhaps that’s the source of the rumor, mused Jimmy.

“Have you heard the latest one? We’re buying the Colisee,” he said with a laugh. “That way we can sell our hot dogs there.”

The businessman, whose lively downtown restaurant serves lunch with a sprinkling of politics and local news, takes all rumors with a grain of salt.

“It is fun, though …”

– Carol Coultas
Told where to go

More than 350 people turned out at Mt. Abram High School in Salem Township on Tuesday to attend the funeral of a Maine National Guard soldier, Sgt. Richard Parker of Phillips. Parker was killed in action in Iraq on June 14.

Not there was anyone from the Westboro Baptist Church of Kansas. The non-sequitur hate group had threatened to picket the funeral to send a message that dead soldiers are God’s punishment for society’s acceptance of homosexuality.

However, one of the group’s members or supporters called the local general store looking for directions to the school, said SAD 58 Superintendent Quenten Clark.

“They were told where to go,” Clark said. “And it wasn’t Mt. Abram High School.”

– Scott Thistle