A Project of the Central Massachusetts Caricature Carvers Club, Fitchburg, MA 

By Edsel L. Johnson

The 1940 Water­front Scene was an inspi­ra­tion that came about from Pete LeClair.  He was inter­est­ed in a scene cen­tered around a nau­ti­cal theme.  Since the club meets at two dif­fer­ent sites each week, one on Tues­day night and a Thurs­day morn­ing with a total of 20 indi­vid­ual carvers, a great degree of coor­di­na­tion was need­ed.  The scene had to be erect­ed and dis­as­sem­bled numer­ous times in the course of the four and one half months until it came to fruition.

It was fin­ished in time for the Spir­it of Wood con­test last Octo­ber, spon­sored by the New Eng­land Wood­carvers, which was held at the Mid­dle­sex Com­mu­ni­ty Col­lege, Bed­ford MA.

The Water­front Scene took First Place as a group project, best­ing the oth­er entry, a build­ing scene.  The New Eng­land Pier is filled with char­ac­ters of all descrip­tions.  The Fall sea­son­al back­drop set off the build­ings that loom over the water and dock.

Carvers who won the group prize includ­ed Pete LeClair, Scott Arse­nault, Rick Boy­er, Bob Guay, Pete Tomasel­lo, Frank Des­or­bo, Gail Han­sche-Godin, Top Siat, John Lussier, Mandy Thibault, Len Hill, Ger­ald Kottman, Gary Fil­i­ault, Edsel John­son, Bill Manser, Ed Laetz, Nor­ma Jean Quinn, Lynne Read­on, Joe Read­on, Frank Quinn, Ron Roth and Ernie Charpentier.