REVIEW POTPOURRI: Mother’s Day from Elijah Parish Lovejoy

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

A poem very suited for Mother’s Day from Elijah Parish Lovejoy (written when he was already living in the Mid-West during the 1830s and would be killed on November 7, 1837, by an angry mob for his anti-slavery editorials, two days short of his 35th birthday) taken from the 1854 Native Poets from Maine anthology:

Elijah Parish Lovejoy

To My Mother.
My Mother! I am far away
From home, and love, and thee;
And stranger hands will heap the clay
That soon may cover me;
Yet we shall meet- perhaps not here,
But in yon shining, azure sphere;
And if there’s aught assures me more,
Ere yet my spirit fly,
That heaven has mercy still in store,
For such a wretch as I,
‘Tis that a heart so good as thine,
Must bleed – must burst along with mine.

And life is short at best, and Time
Must soon prepare the tomb;
And there is sure a happier clime,
Beyond this world of gloom-
And should it be my happy lot-
After a life of care and pain,
In sadness spent, or spent in vain-
To go where sighs and sin are not-
‘Twill make the half my heaven to be,
My Mother, evermore with thee!

Owen Lovejoy

His mother, Elizabeth Pattee Lovejoy, outlived him.

Two of Lovejoy’s brothers, Joseph and Owen, published a book about him in 1838.

John Quincy Adams

The sixth President of the United States, John Quincy Adams, wrote an introduction to the volume from which the following two sentences are taken – “Martyrdom was said by Dr. Johnson to be the only test of sincerity in religious belief. It is also the ordeal through which all great improvements in the condition of men are doomed to pass.”

Those who wish to know more about this uniquely great man, born and raised in the then-‘Albion wilderness,’ would find his Wiki piece quite comprehensive on its own terms and a point of departure for further reading.

 

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Pressure ulcers costs healthcare billions each year

Pressure ulcers cost U.S. healthcare $10.2 billion and contribute to nearly 29,000 hospital deaths each year. But new technology can dramatically curb the pressure ulcer pandemic.

by Margaret Doucette, D.O.

(NAPSI)—American healthcare, renowned for pioneering new technology to save lives, has all but ignored one of the most costly and deadly Hospital-Acquired Conditions (HACs), which the federal government defines as preventable patient injuries.

While the number of other HACs has decreased by 8 percent, pressure ulcers have been resistant to improvement efforts. They continue to grow by 10 percent annually.

Pressure ulcers are both costly and deadly.

The U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reports that pressure ulcers add $10.2 billion to U.S. healthcare costs. As the chart above shows, pressure ulcers are associated with more than 45 percent of the nation’s 63,619 HAC-related deaths and are the leading contributor to HAC-related deaths.

Costly, deadly problem

Averaging the impact among the nation’s 5,534 hospitals means that each will treat more than 127 pressure ulcers, write off more than $1.8 million in unreimbursed treatment costs and see more than five pressure ulcer patients die every year.

Medicine has wrestled with the problem of pressure ulcers for generations. Their prevention relies on physically moving or turning a patient at frequent intervals to relieve pressure on different parts of the body. Unfortunately, turning a patient can slip on the priority list of busy hospital staff.

Technology that monitors patient movement and notifies nurses when a patient needs to be turned exists and is available throughout the United States. Dozens of studies presented in public medical forums demonstrate that a wearable patient-monitoring technology helps hospitals prevent pressure ulcers, reduce their medical costs and save lives. These studies all monitored patients at risk for pressure ulcers using the Leaf Patient Monitoring System, the only system on the market designed exclusively to help providers prevent pressure ulcers.

One randomized trial of more than 1,200 patients at a large California academic medical center concluded that the pressure ulcer incidence rate was 74 percent lower among patients monitored by the wearable monitoring system.

Tech can save lives, money

Applying the same rate of reduction to the national problem, the deployment of wearable technology could save more than 21,000 lives and nearly $7.5 billion in unreimbursed healthcare costs each year. For the average hospital, that would mean $1.36 million in annual savings.

Technology can help our understaffed clinical teams reduce the risk of very preventable pressure ulcers. For the sake of our patients’ well-being—and our healthcare institutions’ financial stability—we need to seriously consider the benefits new technology can provide.

  • Margaret Doucette, D.O. is chief of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Boise VA Medical Center, where she oversees wound prevention and care efforts. The founder and former medical director of the Elks/St. Luke’s Wound Care Center and a co-founder of the Idaho Pressure Ulcer Prevention Coalition, Dr. Doucette has been instrumental in developing wound care programs across the continuum of care in Idaho. She is published and presents nationally and internationally. She is adjunct faculty at several universities and a clinical associate professor at the University of Washington.

China food pantry receives donation

Melissa Goude, left, and Krystina Foote with daughter Paisley, present a check for $228.89 to the China Community Food Pantry from the Trademark Federal Credit Union. (Photo courtesy of Ann Austin)

SOLON & BEYOND: Cat is out of the bag…happy birthday to me

Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

Good morning, my friends, Don’t worry, be happy!

Just received an e-mail about a change in the topic of the program for the next Embden Historical Society meeting. The meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 13, at the Embden Town House with a change in the program. The business meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. The program at 7 p.m., Sarah Donovan will be presenting, Women on Arnold’s March in Revolutionary War and What They Wore. The original topic scheduled for May 13, History of South Solon Meeting House, has been postponed to a later date.

More news from Solon Elementary School: Students named as Most Improved Students: This spring Solon Elementary School participated once again in the Most Improved Student Contest sponsored by the Portland Sea Dogs. Each teacher got to choose a student who had shown the most improvement over the course of the year, and they could consider grades, academic skills, behavior, social skills, and/or work habits.

Each winner received a certificate and a free ticket to a Sea Dogs game. Most Improved Students were Karen Baker, Chase Hongo, Dylan Priest, Amelia Cooper, Hunter Ingersoll, Ethan Plourd and Cali Bassett.

Preparing for the MEA’S: Grades 3-5 students took the Maine Educational Assessment in reading, language arts, and math from March 18 – April 12. Grade five students will take the science assessment from April 22 – May 3.

To prepare for the test, students practiced with sample questions and a review of skills with their teachers.

The theme this year was video games and reaching the next level on the test like one does in video games. There was a poster contest to design a poster around this theme to inspire others to work hard on the MEAs. Winners of the poster contest were Fisher Tewksbury, William Rogers,and Kaitlin Dellarma.

……Finally the cat is out of the bag!!! I was given a wonderful (supposed to be a surprise) 90th birthday party, at the North Anson Congregational Church. I had not told too many people about how old I was going to be on that birthday, but of course, my daughter Mary Walz knew, and planned this wonderful occasion. Mary, and her great helpers (including Lief) must have spent a lot of time asking so many people to the party, but I was so happy to see all of them!

I’m not even going to try to tell you all of the people who were there. My three sons and their wives; some of them came back from their winter home in Florida early so they could be present. My three brothers and their wives attended; one of my grandsons and his wife and three little great-grandchildren from Texas came for the event. I was so busy trying to keep up with everything that I didn’t count how many were there. Another one of my grandsons and his wife and two of my great-grandchildren ….My grand daughter, Amanda and my great-granddaughter Mary helped entertain the smaller ones present.

One of Lief’s sisters, Judy, came up from China, but most of his other relatives live up in the County.

Was really pleased that Claire Breton and her husband, Denis, came. Claire is a long-time friend from The Town Line staff. My editor who has been so good to me, Roland Hallee, started out to attend, but an emergency came up and he had to turn around.

Would like to thank my wonderful friends from the church who cooked and served the very tasty refreshments. And special thanks to everyone for the many birthday cards, gifts, flowers…..And for the love that filled the room! My heart overflows! Have already thanked Mary for doing such a great job of planning the whole wonderful party….and everyone did seem to be having a great time.

I have just one request! PLEASE, don’t treat me like ‘ a little old lady’ now that you know how old I am!

And now for Percy’s memoir: Always remember to forget the troubles that passed away, But never forget to remember the blessings that come each day.

Maine-ly Harmony installs new officers

Maine-ly Harmony’s recently installed officers are, from left to right: Jenny Clair, Kathy Joyce, Janet Dunham, Barbara Combs, Candace Pepin and BJ Sylvester-Pellett. (Photo by Anne Danforth)

Maine-ly Harmony women’s barbershop chorus recently installed its 2019-2020 officers. Serving the chorus are president BJ Sylvester-Pellett, of Winthrop; vice president Candace Pepin, of Augusta; secretary Barbara Combs, of Topsham; treasurer Janet Dunham, of Belgrade; and members at large, Kathy Joyce, of Bowdoinham, and Jenny Clair, of China Village. Installing officer was Sue Staples, of Bangor, and membership representative was Nancy Bossie, of Chelsea. Directed by Kathy Greason, of Brunswick, the chorus welcomes singers to visit their Wednesday 6:30 p.m. rehearsals at the Emmanuel Lutheran Episcopal Church, 209 Eastern Ave in Augusta. Anyone interested in scheduling the chorus to perform for a special event or fundraiser should contact Nancie Hugenbruch at 293-4779 or email hugabook4@yahoo.com.

Legal Notices for the week of May 9, 2019

STATE OF MAINE
PROBATE COURT
COURT ST.,
SKOWHEGAN, ME
SOMERSET, ss
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
18-A MRSA sec. 3-801

The following Personal Representatives have been appointed in the estates noted. The first publication date of this notice May 9, 2019.

If you are a creditor of an estate listed below, you must present your claim within four months of the first publication date of this Notice to Creditors by filing a written statement of your claim on a proper form with the Register of Probate of this Court or by delivering or mailing to the Personal Representative listed below at the address published by his name, a written statement of the claim indicating the basis therefore, the name and address of the claimant and the amount claimed or in such other manner as the law may provide. See 18-A MRSA 3-804.

2019-110 – Estate of DAVID P. JUSSEAUME, late of Embden Me deceased. Steven Jusseaume, 111 North Shore Road, Hampton, NH 03842 appointed Personal Representative.

2019-114 – Estate of ROSE A. VERGES, late of Highland Plantation, Me deceased. Miguel Enrique Verges, 101 Sandy Stream Road, Highland Plantation, Me appointed Personal Representative.

2019-116 – Estate of BRIAN P. NORRIS, late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. Gloria Paradise, 14 Pineview Avenue, Skowhegan, Me 04976 appointed Personal Representative.

2019-118 – Estate of DAVID P. OUELLETTE, late of Madison, Me deceased. Steven Ouellette, PO Box 10, Fort Kent Mills, Me 04744 appointed Personal Representative.

2019-119 – Estate of CHARLES ALTON MANZER, late of Anson, Me deceased. Chris Manzer, 135 Maple Ave., Atkinson, NH 03811 appointed Personal Representative.

2019-120 – Estate of BRADLEY P. HALL, SR., late of Palmyra, Me deceased. Dan Hall, 24 Dunning Street, Brunswick, Me 04011 appointed Personal Representative.

2019-122 – Estate of SYLVIA M. LABBE, late of Fairfield, Me deceased. Priscilla M. Giroux, 17 Robinson Street, Fairfield, Me 04937 appointed Personal Representative.

2019-123 – Estate of ALLISON J. PELLETIER, late of Bingham, ME deceased. Bruce A. Pelletier, 10 Murray Street, Bingham, Me 04920 appointed Personal Representative.

2019-124 – Estate of JOANNE F. MEAGHER, late of Palmyra, Me deceased. Nicole M. Meagher, 988 Main Street, Palmyra, Me 04965 appointed Personal Representative.

2019-127 – Estate of WARREN P. BALGOOYEN, late of Norridgewock, Me deceased. Helen F. Balgooyen, 256 Oak Hill Road, Norridgewock, Me 04957 appointed Personal Representative.

2019-128 – Estate of JOANNE F. BICKFORD, late of Canaan, Me deceased. Mahlon C. Bickford, 466 Albion Road, Unity, ME 04988 appointed Personal Representative.

2019-142 – Estate of ALLEN CURTIS WILLETTE, late of Fairfield, Me deceased. Cheryl Elliot, 4 Winter Street, Fairfield, Maine 04937 appointed Personal Representative.

2019-143 – Estate of CHRISTINE E. BEAULIEU, late of Fairfield, Me deceased. Judith Pelotte, 424 Ridge Road, Fairfield, Me 04937 appointed Personal Representative.

2019-144 – Estate of ELLESE H. GOODWIN, late of Fairfield, Me deceased. Brian R. Goodwin, 50 Back Road, Fairfield, Me 04937 appointed Personal Representative.

To be published on May 9 & May 16, 2019
Dated: May 6, 2019 /s/ Victoria Hatch,
Register of Probate
(5/16)

STATE OF MAINE
PROBATE COURT
41 COURT ST.
SOMERSET, ss
SKOWHEGAN, ME
PROBATE NOTICES

TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE ESTATES LISTED BELOW

Notice is hereby given by the respective petitioners that they have filed petitions for appointment of personal representatives in the following estates. These matters will be heard at 10 a.m. or as soon thereafter as they may be May 22, 2019. The requested appointments may be made on or after the hearing date if no sufficient objection be heard. This notice complies with the requirements of 18-A MRSA §3-403 and Probate Rule 4.

2019-108 – Estate of ELIZABETH GRACE WESTON. Petition for Change of Name (Adult) filed by Elizabeth Grace Weston, 58 West Front Street, Skowhegan Me 04976 requesting her name be changed to Elizabeth Grace Lehan for reasons set forth therein.

2019-117 – Estate of LEIGH DAWN MICHAUD. Petition for Change of Name (Adult) filed by Leigh Dawn Michaud, 283 Salisbury Road, Canaan, Me 04924 requesting her name be changed to Leah Dawn Michaud for reasons set forth therein.

2019-126 – Estate of CRAIG MICHAEL JOHNSON. Petition for Change of Name (Adult) filed by Craig Michael Johnson, PO Box 263, Shawmut, Me 04975 requesting his name be changed to Craig Michael Tibbetts for reasons set forth therein.

2019-129 – Estate of SAVANNA NICOLE LAWRENCE. Petition for Change of Name (Adult) filed by Savanna Nicole Lawrence, 173 Main Street, Madison, Me 04950 requesting her name be changed to Savanna Nicole Kandiko for reasons set forth therein.

2019-135 – Estate of LANDON A. WOODBURY. Petition for Change of Name (Minor) filed by petitioner Jobie D. Lee, 23 Shady Lane, Canaan, Me 04924 requesting minor’s name be changed to Landon Allen Lee for reasons set forth therein.

2019-139 – Estate of JOSHUA MATTHEW GETZ. Petition for Change of Name (Adult) filed by Joshua Matthew Getz, PO Box 653, Skowhegan Me 04976 requesting his name be changed to Matthew Albert Adams for reasons set forth therein.

Dated: May 6, 2019
/s/ Victoria Hatch,
Register of Probate
(5/16)

Roland’s Trivia Question for Thursday, May 9, 2019

Who is the only player in New York Yankees history to achieve over 3,000 hits in his career?

Answer:

Derek Jeter (3,465).

 

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Porcupines seem to be everywhere this spring

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

While on my way to work this week, I saw no less than five dead porcupines on the side of the road. The thought then came into my mind: Porcupines, nuisance or ecological necessity?

It all depends with whom you talk. I know some people who are overrun by the animals to the point where they are raiding the gardens, and having to deal with their dogs being injured by porcupine quills due mostly to the dog’s own curiosity. While others find a use for them.

Simply put, porcupines are rodents. That puts them in the same class, and are actually related, with raccoons, rats and beavers. They are indigenous to the Americas, Southern Asia, Europe and Africa. They are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and beaver.

They can grow in size to be 25 – 36 inches long with an 8 to 10-inch tail, and weigh from 12 – 35 pounds.

The common porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum, is an herbivore, so look out gardens. It eats leaves, herbs, twigs and green plants. They may eat bark in the winter, evidence of which I have seen in many places. The North American porcupine often climbs trees to find food. Like the raccoon, they are mostly nocturnal, but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Because of the scarcity of predators, porcupines are plentiful and are not endangered.

The name porcupine comes from Middle French porc espin (spined pig). A regional American name for the animal is quill pig.

The porcupines’ quills, or spines, take on various forms, depending on the species, but all are modified hairs coated with thick plates of keratin, and they are embedded in the skin.

Quills are released by contact with them, or they may drop out when the porcupine shakes its body. The porcupine does not throw quills, but the flailing muscular tail and powerful body may help impale quills deeply into attackers. The quills’ barbed ends expand with moisture and continue to work deeper into flesh. Porcupine quills have mildly antibiotic properties and thus are not infectious. Quills, however, may cause death in animals if they puncture a vital organ or if a muzzle full of quills leads to starvation.

Once embedded, the hollow quills swell, burn and work their way into the flesh every time a victim’s muscles contract, digging a millimeter deeper each hour. Eventually, they emerge through the skin again, some distance from the entry point though sometimes they spear right through the body.

I have had first hand knowledge of how painful a porcupine quill can be. Many years ago, my children had chores to do after they got home from school. One of them was to make sure they picked up after themselves following their after-school snack. Upon returning home from work, I found a folded paper towel on the counter. I grabbed it to crush it into a ball to throw away when this sharp pain shot through my hand. When I unwrapped the towel, I found a porcupine quill inside, but now embedded in my hand. It turned out my daughter had brought it home from school to show it to me. She obtained the quill from a “show and tell” session at school.

Because they have few effective predators, porcupines are relatively long-lived. The average life span of the porcupine is 7 – 8 years, however, they have lived up to 15 years in the wild, and 18 years in captivity. A predator needs to learn only once to leave a porcupine alone. Bobcats, great-horned owls, mountain lions, coyotes and wolves, when extremely hungry and unable to catch anything else, may give it a try anyway. The fisher, however, is a skilled porcupine killer. It uses its speed and agility to snake around a porcupine’s rear guard defense and viciously bite its face until it dies.

Native American quill art

At one time, however, especially when game was scarce, the porcupine was hunted for its meat and considered a delicacy. A practice that continues in Kenya today. Because they are slow, and can remain in the same tree for days at a time, they are about the only animal that can be killed simply with a large rock. Native people of the North Woods also wove elaborate dyed quill-work decorations into clothing, moccasins, belts, mats, necklaces, bracelets and bags. Because the work was so time-consuming and highly valued, quill embroideries were used as a medium of exchange before the coming of Europeans.

When not in trees or feeding, porcupines prefer the protection of a den, which can be found in rock crevices, caves, hollow logs, abandoned mines and even under houses and barns.

Porcupines are highly attracted to salt. They may chew on any tool handle that has salt left from human sweat. They have even been known to chew on outhouse toilet seats. Road rock salt is very tempting to them, and puddles of water from the snow-melt in the spring are especially luring and could account for their high road-kill mortality rate. They have even been seen gnawing on automobile tires that have been exposed to rock salt.

In Maine, porcupines join a short list of other animals that are open to hunting all year, including coyotes, woodchucks and red squirrels.

So, are porcupines a nuisance, or do they have a role in the grand scheme of things, ecologically?

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Who is the only player in New York Yankees history to achieve over 3,000 hits in his career?

Answer can be found here.

Selectmen sign proclamation for Municipal Clerks Week

Vassalboro selectmen have signed a proclamation marking the week of May 5 through May 11 as Municipal Clerks Week, recognizing the work of town clerks and their deputies.

2019 is the 50th anniversary of the annual observance, according to the proclamation. The proclamation describes the office of clerk as “the oldest among public servants,” existing world-wide as a “vital part of local government.” Clerks are recognized as a neutral professional link between citizens and their government, local, state and national, and as “the information center on functions of local government and community.”

Selectmen sign warrant for June 3, 11 town meeting

by Mary Grow

At their May 2 meeting, Vassalboro selectmen signed the warrant for the June 3 and June 11 town meeting and discussed a proposal it includes asking voters to spend $1,000 to improve Soldiers Memorial Park in East Vassalboro (Art. 27).

Selectman John Melrose came up with the park plan as part of the 2021 observance of Vassalboro’s 250th anniversary.

The tall granite statue of a Civil War soldier on a field between the East Vassalboro boat landing and the former East Vassalboro schoolhouse, now the historical society museum, would remain the centerpiece of the park. The soldier stands on a platform listing names of Vassalboro’s Civil War veterans. Melrose still hopes someone knows where the soldier’s missing rifle is and will help the town reclaim it.

Melrose’s plan calls for a handicapped-accessible walkway from Route 32 to the statue, a circular walkway around it, gardens on both sides and storyboards commemorating Vassalboro residents’ service in wars from the Revolution to Vietnam.

The process of removing dead and diseased trees and planting new ones on the school and park grounds has started, with help from Fieldstone Gardens, the public works crew and volunteers (including local beavers). Melrose plans to continue to collaborate with interested town organizations, businesses and individuals.

There was a brief discussion of moving the two monuments in front of the old town office in North Vassalboro to the park, if North Vassalboro residents are willing. The older monument recognizes Vassalboro men who served in the War of 1898 and World War I (identified as “The World War 1914-1918”), with names listed. The younger and smaller, put up by Ronco-Goodale American Legion Post #126, honors “All veterans from Vassalboro.”

The other two selectmen support Melrose’s plan.

Discussion of the land encompassing the boat landing, park and former school touched on three related issues: state plans to rebuild Route 32, including the need to define road right-of-way boundaries before planting roadside trees in the park; ARI (Alewife Restoration Initiative) plans to install a fishway at the China Lake outlet dam; and boundaries between town-owned land and land owned by the Kennebec Water District (KWD).

The June town meeting warrant includes a request to authorize selectmen to approve modifications to the dam to restore passage for alewives into China Lake.

Town Manager Mary Sabins said she and KWD officials are still negotiating renewal of the agreement under which KWD has managed the dam in return for a $1,200 annual payment from the town. KWD, under new managers, now wants to double the payment and lessen its duties.

Vassalboro’s include accepting the KWD proposal, perhaps with modifications; taking over dam management and paying KWD nothing; or, as state law allows, abandoning the dam. The assumption is that if Vassalboro abandoned the dam, self-interest would require either KWD or the Town of China to take it over, the former to maintain water levels and quality, the latter to protect the taxes paid by shoreline owners.

In other business May 2:

  • Sabins reported replacement of Vassalboro’s streetlights with LED lights is tentatively scheduled for July, August or September of this year.
  • The manager said Central Maine Disposal, the company contracted to haul Vassalboro’s trash and supply porta-potties around town, has merged with Pine Tree Waste-Casella, effective May 1. She was told there will be no immediate changes.
  • Volunteer Fire Department spokesman Michael Vashon said the value of replacing the worn-out boiler at the North Vassalboro fire station with heat pumps is questionable. He reported that with help from J. J. Wentworth of the public works department, firefighters had their hoses and ladders tested; they need to replace some hose sections and repair their longest and least-used ladder.

The next regular Vassalboro selectmen’s meeting will be Thursday evening, May 16. The annual town meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 3, at Vassalboro Community School, where voters will act on the first 63 warrant articles, including municipal and school budgets. The last three articles – local elections, confirmation (or rejection) of the school budget and a decision on continuing the school budget ratification vote for three more years – will be presented for a written-ballot vote on June 11. Polls at the town office will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.