ATHOL – It couldn’t have been a more perfect weather day for the North Quabbin Community Senior Picnic Thursday afternoon at Silver Lake Park. “We’ve lucked out almost every year,” said Lil Bachelder, who was working at the ticket table. A line of ducks swam across the shimmering lake beneath a bright blue sky, with an occasional breeze, creating a relaxing backdrop for the event.
Beneath the Richard C. Phillips Jr. Pavilion, the air was filled with friendly chatter as local band The Relics (Brian Mallet and James “Lefty” Cullen) played a set of oldies, rock and country music. Ladies standing just outside the pavilion were having a good time dancing and singing along to the tunes.
Before lunch was served, Athol Council on Aging Director Cathy Savoy welcomed the crowd. Two members from the Northeast Houndsmen conducted demonstrations. Ray Jackson, who works with the Phillipston Police Department, explained how they use scented articles to hunt down people, “some that are missing and some that don’t want to be found,” as well as Alzheimer’s patients and autistic children and adults. He said sometimes a scent can be followed two to three miles away, recalling a case from a couple of years ago where the scent of a suspect picked up in Orange originated in Athol. Peter Campo and bloodhound Maya gave a demonstration using a towel to trace the scent of a “missing” person who was hiding nearby in the trees. Jackson and his bloodhound Seamus conducted a similar demonstration.
Following the lunch of burgers, hot dogs, chips and soda, a variety of cakes were served.
The event was sponsored by the Athol Council on Aging, the Friends of the Athol Council on Aging, the Golden Agers, Mt. Grace Chapter of AARP, LifePath, Inc., and Quabbin Valley Healthcare.