Lights, cookies, dancing at father-daughter dance

Sat, 02/11/2017 - 7:30am

Story Location:
242 Gardiner Road
Wiscasset, ME 04578
United States

Kiannah Hinkley, 5, of Wiscasset knew her favorite part of Friday night’s father-daughter dance at Wiscasset Community Center.

“Dancing!”

Hinkley, with a pink bow in her hair, and her father Matthew Hinkley, in tie, had just filled out a raffle entry.

In the hallway, James Osmond of Wiscasset and daughter Danika, 9, sporting heart-rimmed, red glasses atop her head, were having punch and a heart-decorated cookie. She liked getting to see her friends from school at the dance, which featured pink and white balloons, a mix of music and, in the gym, strings of white and purple lights overhead.

Olivia Peaslee and Kaydin Nichols, both 14, also cited time with friends as a highlight.They’ve been attending the dance for years, the Wiscasset Middle High School freshmen said over plates over vegetables, dip and sweets.

It was the Parks and Recreation Department’s 16th annual one, and drew more advance ticket sales than any before it, longtime organizer and department staff member Bonnie Blagdon said.

She said the department had 60 pre-sales, representing at least 120 adults and children, and other families were buying tickets on arrival at the center. Blagdon smiled as she pointed out her granddaughters on the other side of the gym: Llireva Blagdon, 2, attending for the second time, her grandmother said; and Emerson Blagdon, 9, there for the seventh time.

Maine House District 87 Rep. Jeff Hanley, R — Pittston, said he was delighted his granddaughter Parula Clark, 8, of Dresden invited him. The two were part of a family contingent that included Clark’s sisters Violet, 10, Beatrice, 3, and the girls’ parents Neal and Emily Clark.

An event where people can dress a bit more formally than usual was nice to see, Hanley said. “The world is so informal nowadays, and I think that loses something, maybe a little bit of class. So this is wonderful.” Violet Clark said she was very excited to be there.

So was Richard Mank, with daughter Brittany, 4, who wore a gold dress and white sweater. She had no comment but looked around the  crowd in the lobby as she held her father’s hand.

Anduin Armstrong, 5, and father Niles Armstrong came from Brunswick to attend the dance. They go to a dance somewhere every year, and this time it was this one,  Niles Armstrong said. They planned to go to another WCC event, Wiscasset Winterfest, the next day, he added.