SOLON & BEYOND: Fifth graders hold “step-up” day; Solon alumni set for July 20

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

Good morning, my Friends. Don’t worry, be happy!

Received this e-mail from Mary Frear: I hope that it is not too late to tell you about the Summer Suppers being held at the North Anson United Methodist Church the last two Saturdays of June and July : June 22, June 29, July 20, and July 27 at 5 p.m.

As always, I was very happy to receive the Solon School News: Best Wishes to Fifth Graders! We want to extend our best wishes and good luck to our fifth grade students who will enter sixth grade at Carrabec Community School in the fall.

The students attended a Step-Up Day activity at CCS on June 13 with the other fifth graders from across the district. They met their teachers, saw the school, and did some team-building activities.

We will miss our fifth graders. We wish them the best of luck in the next step of their educational journey.

Good-Bye And Good Luck To Karen Baker, Cody James, Joshua Knight, Madyson McKenney, Elenoar McKinnon, Aiden McLaughlin, Peyton Plourde, Mylee Roderick, Thomas Roderick, William Rogers, Aaron Soosman, Kaitlyn Soucie and Fisher Tewksbury.

Students in grades K-2 created a beautiful memorial to Lisa Weese, our secretary who passed away on April 17. You can see it in our library. There will be more School News next week, it’s been a long time since I’ve had this much news to share, all at once!

Received the following from the Secretary of the Solon Pine Tree 4-H Club, Sarah Craig: Last 4-H meeting was held on June 8 with Cooper Dellarma as president. We talked about what we would be using our money on.

When the meeting was over we went on a field trip to Pipers Farm. They taught us how they milk the cows and showed us how they make/get food for cows. They then showed us the baby and pregnant cows and what they do with them

On June 20 we will be going to Lake George. We will go swimming and more fun activities.

Linda French, secretary for the Solon Alumni sent me the following : Reunion day is July 20, 2019, at the Solon Elementary School, beginning at 9:30 with the registration and coffee hour with the business hour starting at 10:30 a.m. The auction will follow the business hour. Please remember your auction item. Last year we made $553 on the auction. This was matched by the Meader Family in memory of their parents Everett and Arlene Meader making a total of $1,106. Diane Oliver was the auctioneer.

Lunch will begin at 1 p.m. and will be catered by the Solon Pine Tree Club.

The class of 1969 will celebrate their 50th reunion. Members are Mae Baxter, William Farnham, Penny McQuilkin Rogers, Arthur Myers II, Reginald Padham, Dana Parsons, James Perry, Charles Philpot, Jean Quimby Wooster, Jo Rancourt Holden, Bruce Robbins, Linda Stickney Stewart, and Roberta Tewksbury Proctor. So class of 1969 we hope to see you here. This is the last class that graduated from Solon High School and they always have a good turnout.

Fifty-six alumni and guests attended last year. Allen J. Foss received a scholarship for $1,100. Jo Rancourt Holden was elected as the new treasurer replacing Brenda Padham who retired.

Deaths reported were Carolyn Waugh, class of 1931, Pat McCarty Coro 1954, Stephen Moody 1971 Carrabec, Also some well known community members Joe Wooster, Darrell Roderick, Margaret Dellarma, Pauline Mayhew, Luke Tewksbury, and Howard Rogers. Also Steven Hartley who attended Solon High School for three or four high school years and then transferred to Fairfield in 1963.

And now for Percy’s memoir:

God Grant Us Hope and Faith and Love

Hope for a world grown cynically cold,
Hungry for power and greedy for gold…
Faith to believe when within and without
There’s a nameless fear in a world of doubt…
Love that is bigger than race or creed,
To cover the world and fulfill each need…..

(These words were part of a statement by Helen Steiner Rice.)

I’M JUST CURIOUS: July crazy holidays

by Debbie Walker

Once again it is time to give you ideas for more holidays and fun for the month of July. I don’t dream these up myself. I get them from all over the internet. There are more than I can fit in one column.

I just noticed with this month’s collection they have some events posted for a certain week of the month. Ex: Week 2 of July is listed as ‘Nude Recreation Week.’ They didn’t include a link to the info for that one. Sorry. However, Week 3 is ‘Capture the Sunset Week:’ grab your camera and watch those evenings for the perfect weather sunset evening and take some pictures, but mostly just enjoy!

July 1: International Joke Day – If folks get in the habit of one happy funny day it might catch on to other days! Share your jokes and smiles.

July 2: I Forgot Day – This is not a day to remember! What are you forgetting, can you remember? Is it important? Hopefully not.

July 3: Stay Out Of The Sun Day – This day encourages us to keep cool in the shade then you will be ready for your outside activities on the 4th.

July 4: Did you know that July 4th is not just Independence Day but also National Country Music Day and Sidewalk Egg Frying Day. It’s up to you which one you choose to celebrate but giving notice to Independence Day would be nice.

July 5: It’s been a year since mom left us. Miss you Mom.

July 6: International Cherry Pit Spitting Day – The record is 100’ 4”! Can you do it?

July 10 Teddy Bear Picnic Day – Can you imagine how happy your children or grandchildren will be when you celebrate this lunch with them and their favorite bear. Happy Bday, Mim!

July 13: This is a Friday the 13th. It is a day to celebrate safely!

July 14: Pandemonium Day – Don’t let today shake you up. Just go with the flow in your calm manner and sanity will return. Big Deep Breath will get you calm.

July 14: National Nude Day – It is a way to keep cool on a hot, sticky summer day. Nudist believe the body is a beautiful and meant to be displayed. I like clothes.

July 17: Peach Ice Cream Day – I just had peach ice cream last week in Georgia. Good stuff! Peach Ice Cream, jelly, spread, candy, wine, the list goes on!

July 20: Moon Day – Enjoy this holiday watching Apollo 13.

July 22: Ratcatcher’s Day – If you see a Ratcatcher today wish them a happy day! It’s an old story from back in the year 1284, and the Pied Piper.

July 25: Thread the Needle Day – A day for those who sew (and can still see to thread a needle). It also means to walk a fine and difficult line between two issues or things.

July 31: Mutt’s Day – If you own a mutt then this is the day to celebrate a great breed, The Mutt. I believe they are even called Designer Dogs now! Enjoy!

I’m just curious what you would invent for a special day. Let me know, maybe we could start something new. Thanks for reading and as usual any comments or questions are appreciated anytime.

REVIEW POTPOURRI: The Man Who Came to Dinner

The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

The Man Who Came to Dinner

starring Monte Woolley, Bette Davis, Reginald Gardner, Ann Sheridan, Jimmy Durante, Mary Wickes, Richard Travers etc.; directed by William Keighley; Warner Brothers, dvd, released New Year’s Day, 1942, 112 minutes.

Monty Woolley

Although Monty Woolley (1888-1963) appeared in a number of other films and plays, his most well-known role is that of the radio commentator, lecturer and boa-constructor wit, Sheridan Whiteside, known as “Sherry” to his select friends. The 1942 film came on the heels of several hundred performances on Broadway of this George S. Kaufman/Moss Hart play, during which Woolley honed his character to the most exacting level.

Whiteside was based on the legendary Algonquin Round Table wit, Alexander Woolcott (1887-1943), his own larger-than-life heft and personality worthy of another column.

The plot begins when Whiteside and his secretary of many long-suffering years, Maggie, played by Bette Davis, stop for a lecture in an Ohio city during the cold of winter and accept an invitation to a luxuriant house for dinner. He walks up the slippery front steps, falls and breaks his hip. Because he is stuck in a wheelchair for an unknown number of weeks, he seizes control of the house from its rightful owners and launches a dictatorship of everyone and everything in it.

The insults and other comments among Whiteside, Maggie and others are non-stop. Meanwhile, Maggie can hold her own with sassing him back and forth, Bette Davis delivering one very fine performance in the film.

Other cast members give performances of their lifetimes. Ann Sheridan portrays Lorraine Sheldon, a successful actress, and long-time friend of Whiteside and mutual enemy of Maggie who travels from Florida to visit Whiteside for as long as she, not Whiteside, wants. Her manipulations of everyone around her add lots of comedy to the film.

Jimmy Durante

Jimmy Durante plays another friend, Banjo, and film comedian, who drops in to visit Whiteside on his way from Hollywood to Nova Scotia because he wishes to feast on salmon in eastern Canada and avoid one of his girlfriends whom he had promised to visit in New York City. Whiteside refers to Banjo as the “reform school fugitive” and invites him to stay for as long as both Whiteside and Banjo want. Banjo’s initial indecision about the amount of time to take advantage of Whiteside’s hospitality leads to Durante’s classic song-and-dance sketch, Did You Ever Have the Feeling that You Wanted to Go and the Feeling that You Wanted to Stay?

Space limits details on additional members in the cast but Reginald Gardiner, Mary Wickes and Richard Travers are worthy of very honorable mention.

Quotes from the film:

Whiteside: ‘Banjo, my lad, you’re wonderful. I may write a book about you.’
Banjo: ‘Don’t bother. I can’t read.’
Maggie: ‘Sheri, the next time you do not want to see anybody, just let me know and I’ll usher them right in.’

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Safeguard Your Smile, Wherever You Go

(NAPSI)—Smile. It’s vacation time—and there are so many paths to fun and adventure close to home.

Try winding your way through the Wisconsin Dells water parks or sailing Lake Superior.

If you’re thirsting for Wisconsin history—and great local brews—there’s Milwaukee’s historic Third Ward. Relax in gracious Lake Geneva. Or gear up for great hiking and biking in scenic Door County.

So pack your bags, and don’t forget your toothbrush—healthy teeth and gums don’t take a vacation.

To help, here are some toothsome tips to protect your oral health en route.

Before you go

Now is a good time to think of your last regular dental checkup. If you can’t recall, you might want to check in with your dentist and look for any imminent problems. If you take care of them before you go, it’ll be easier to keep the fun flowing.

Have toothbrush, will travel

Whether you’re road-tripping or hopping on a flight, your oral hygiene routine shouldn’t take a backseat to fun. Steer clear of dental troubles with regular brushing and flossing.

Visit the travel toiletries section of a drug or discount store. You’ll find plenty of essentials to keep your teeth and gums clean and healthy on the go—including travel-sized toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss.

Especially handy for long flights or camping: disposable mini-toothbrush packs. They don’t require water or toothpaste and fit easily into tiny purses, too.

Go ahead, vent (your toothbrush)

Moist environments breed bacteria, so keep your toothbrush as dry as possible while on the go. A vented toothbrush carrier will do the trick.

When you reach your destination, take your toothbrush out of its case so it can dry thoroughly. Keep it away from the sink and at least several feet from the toilet. (Flushing makes bacteria airborne.)

Water you waiting for?

Everyone should have a personal water bottle that’s easy to hold and carry. You’ll be less tempted by sodas and sugary drinks that aren’t very sweet to your teeth, and more likely to drink water.

“Drinking water, especially fluoridated water, helps reduce cavities and protects precious tooth enamel by washing away harmful acids and bacteria,” explained Dr. Fred Eichmiller, Vice President and Chief Science Officer for Delta Dental of Wisconsin. “And if you add ice to cool down your drink, don’t chew it. Ice cubes can crack open fillings—which can crash the best vacation plans.”

Swish, rinse, repeat

If you can’t brush after indulging in sticky, sweet treats (such as s’mores), just swish. Keep water nearby while you’re traveling. Dr. Eichmiller encourages patients to make a habit of swishing after meals in any case to clear lingering food particles from your mouth.

Brace for emergencies

If you or anyone you’re traveling with has orthodontia, it’s smart to pack some dental wax. If a bracket or wire pops loose, the wax will protect your gums and mouth from injury until you can see your orthodontist.

Do you develop canker sores from spicy or salty indulgences? Then remember to pack a small tube of benzocaine (over-the-counter topical anesthetic). Applying ice or rinsing with warm salt water can also help.

Gum’s the word

Sugar-free gum can be a lifesaver after meals on the go, especially if you can’t brush away food particles. Gum chewing greatly increases the production of saliva, which can help reduce tooth decay. It can also satisfy your sweet tooth, so you can say no to snacks that are high in sugar.

The best vacation photos are the ones in which everybody’s smiling. So keep these tooth-saving tips in mind wherever you wander—and enjoy.

Area Scouts hold service to camp camporee

Camp Bomazeen (photo credit: Camp Bomazeen, BSA Maine)

On the weekend of May 17-19, 100 Scouts and leaders from across Kennebec Valley District, BSA, attended the Spring Camporee at Camp Bomazeen on the shore of Great Pond, in Belgrade. The theme of the camporee was Service to Camp. Friday evening a planning meeting was held where project assignments were handed out to each youth leader for Saturday morning. On Saturday morning, an additional 20 youth and leaders arrived. Together with the weekend campers, they put in over 400 hours of service preparing Camp Bomazeen for the summer season by cleaning up the campsites and clearing brush. Some leaders transported new tent platforms out to the campsites, while others cleared away trees felled by winter storms. Another group of adult volunteers started construction on a new staff cabin.

In the afternoon, several activities were held for the scouts as a thank you for their service. Some of the more popular events included: the Gaga Pit, a version of dodge ball; Catch the Snappah, where scouts lashed together a fishing pole to catch mouse traps, each one marked with what they caught such as an old boot, shark, or large fish; and Hula Hoop Circle, where the scouts joined hands in a circle and had to move one or more hula hoops around the circle without letting go of the hands of the others.

While the service and activities took place, about 12 new volunteer leaders completed Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills training to help them safely take youth out on future camping trips. At the Saturday evening campfire, there were songs and skits. Near the end of the program, 31 youth and leaders were recognized for being elected into the Order of the Arrow, the BSA’s national honor society.

The following units participated in the camporee for the weekend: Troops 142, 200, 207, 446, 454, 586, & 622. Crew 254. Packs 603 and 622. Troop #199 attended during the day on Saturday. Kennebec Valley District provides support to young boys and girls ages 6 to 20 in various Boy Scout programs in five Maine counties: Kennebec, Somerset, Franklin, Lincoln, & Knox. If you would like to learn more about our organization, please search for Kennebec Valley District, BSA on Facebook or go to the Pine Tree Council website: http://www.pinetreebsa.org/

Area athletes show off skills

Jacoby Bragdon, 7, prepares to launch a ball in the longest throw competition. (photo by Beth Fisher, Central Maine Photography staff)

Gavin O’neal, 7, connects with a pitch during a tie breaker for most hits at this year’s hit-a-thon. (photo by Beth Fisher, Central Maine Photography staff)

Bryce Doyon, right, of Waterville, gets a high five from former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, during his recent visit to Waterville at a fund raiser for the Alfond Youth and Community Center. (photo by Mark Huard, owner Central Maine Photography)

Huard’s Sport Karate team member Jackson Jandreau, 6, of Clinton captured first place in fishgint and second place in forms at the KICKS USA Nationals at Gardiner High School recently. (photo by Mark Huard)

Huard’s Sport Karate team member Issa Citro, 10, of Waterville, captured first place in fighting at the Worcester Classic on May 4, and also at the KICKS USA Nationals in Gardiner recently. (photo by Mark Huard)

SCORES & OUTDOORS: It’s a bumble bee! It’s a hummingbird; no, guess again

Hummingbird moth, left, taken by Pat Clark, of Palermo, and an internet photo of a hummingbird moth.

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Last week I received an email from a reader, who resides in Palermo. She sent a photo and asked what kind of bumble bee it was? She had photographed it feeding on her lilacs.

At first glance, I thought it was a sphinx moth – better known as a hummingbird moth. But the more I looked at it, the less sure I was. It was a photo taken from behind, and most of its characteristic suggested hummingbird moth, but some of the coloration didn’t seem right. I began doubting myself.

I sent the photo off to Michael Parisio, forest entomologist with the Maine Forest Service, who confirmed it was a hummingbird clear wing moth. His comment was that the moth had done its job very well, fooling the photographer into thinking it was something else than what it really was.

I was right, after all.

The hummingbird clear wing moth, Hemaris thysbe, is olive green and burgundy on its back, and white or yellow and burgundy on the underside. Its wings are transparent with a reddish-brown border. It has light-colored legs, which combined with the lack of striping on the underside, is diagnostic. Beating their wings rapidly, they hover to collect nectar from a variety of flowers. The combination of its appearance and its behavior commonly leads to it being confused with a hummingbird or bumble bee. That certainly was the case with our reader.

They are found in a large portion of North America, with a range extending from Alaska to Oregon in the west and from Newfoundland to Florida in the east. It is a migratory species and is most common in southern Ontario and the eastern United States. They have two broods a year in the southern portion of its range, but only one in the north. The caterpillar feeds on honeysuckle, dogbane and several types of fruit trees.

As a caterpillar, it burrows into the soil to overwinter as a brown, hard-shelled pupa. In the late spring, it emerges as an adult moth. They lay green eggs on the underside of plant leaves, which hatch in about a week. Development takes four weeks, after which the caterpillar spins a cocoon at ground level. Two to four weeks later a moth emerges for a second breeding cycle before summer’s end in southern climates. It has a single mating cycle per year.

It has minimal economic impact to humans, acting neither as a crop pollinator nor as a pest. The moth is a flower pollinator, especially some species of orchids. They are not endangered nor threatened.

Due to the variable appearance of the moth, it has often been mistakenly described as multiple distinct species. It was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius, in 1775, as a Sesia thysbe. The species name is likely a reference to Thisbe, half of a pair of ill-fated lovers in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The name thus associates the blood-stained scarf of Thisbe to the reddish-brown coloration of the moth.

Hummingbird moths are members of the sphinx moth family. Their size makes them different from the actual hummingbird. The ruby-throated hummingbird can be three inches long, while the hummingbird moth is much smaller at 1-1/2 inches long.

While most sphinx moths fly at night, hummingbird moths fly during the day. They can be found in a wide variety of habitats, including open meadows, forest edges, and suburban gardens. They feed on flower nectar, dipping in a long thin proboscis. Both the Palermo resident and Parisio spotted hummingbird moths feeding on lilac bushes.

Adult hummingbird moths feed on nectar, so filling your garden with native nectar-bearing plants is a great way to attract hummingbird moths, as well as ruby-throated hummingbirds and butterflies.

Mystery solved!

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

In inches, how big is the diameter of a basketball hoop?

Answer can be found here.

Alan Johnston shows special everyday courage

It is always inspiring to see how our combat-injured veterans may rise above the limitations of their permanent injuries and restore themselves to full and active lives. Alan D. Johnston, of Windsor, a former U.S. Army captain active in veterans affairs, and who is now the commander of the Maine Chapter of the Military Order of the World Wars, exemplifies the indomitable spirit we so admire in our injured service personnel. These veterans truly show the rest of us a special kind of everyday courage.

Although legally blind, Alan recently competed in the National Veterans Golden Age Games, for those 55 and older, divided into various categories including male and female divisions, wheelchair bound, visually-handicapped and ambulatory. As with other senior athletic competitions, entrants compete against contemporaries in five-year age blocs, and in categories matching those with similar abilities and handicaps. Any veteran over 55, handicapped or not, may compete. This year, about 750 veterans from 48 states competed in the 33rd National Veterans Golden Age Games, in Anchorage, Alaska.

Alan won in his age category of visually-impaired veterans in five events, receiving gold medals in bowling, horseshoes, and shuffle board, and bronze medals in blind disc golf and bocci. He is also a recipient of the Department of Defense Valor Award, a civilian award equivalent to the Distinguished Service Cross.

Alan is very proud of his service dog Gypsy, a five-year-old Malinois. They have been together for four years having gone through a 40-week training course. The Military Order of the World Wars was established 100 years ago under the leadership of the legendary General John J. Pershing, and is open to all active and former military officers. Those interested in possibly joining the order may get more information from the National website at www.moww.org or by calling Alan at 207-549-3951.

General John J. Pershing

Central Maine Motors makes gift to art center

Paul J. Schupf Art Center in Waterville, ME. (photo credit: Colby College)

Waterville Creates!, a nonprofit supporting and promoting high-quality, accessible arts and cultural programs and institutions in Waterville, Maine, announces a gift in the amount of $25,000 from Central Maine Motors Auto Group in support of the community capital campaign for the Paul J. Schupf Art Center.

Designed to bring together under one roof some of Waterville’s most beloved arts institutions, including the Maine Film Center, Common Street Arts, and a new gallery of the Colby Museum of Art, the Paul J. Schupf Art Center will be constructed on the current site of The Center building at 93 Main Street, directly adjacent to the Waterville Opera House and City Hall building and downtown’s central green space, Castonguay Square. Waterville Creates! and Colby College are partnering on this transformative project, which will create a distinctive hub for visual arts, performing arts, arts education, and film for children and adults. In addition to enhancing Waterville’s reputation as a destination for arts and culture, this new facility will add vitality to downtown Waterville during both the daytime and evening hours and serve as an economic driver for the region.

“Central Maine Motors Auto Group is dedicated to supporting the community of Waterville because we are Waterville – this is where we live, work and play,” says Chris Gaunce, president of Central Maine Motors. “Supporting our community means supporting the arts, especially this new art center, which will create accessible arts opportunities for people of all ages and have a huge economic impact on the city.” Central Maine Motors’ gift was pledged in support of the $2 million community capital campaign being led by Waterville Creates! as part of the overall fundraising goal of $18 million for the project.

“The impact Central Maine Motors Auto Group has on Waterville cannot be overstated – they generously fund so many community events, like our free summer concert series, Waterville Rocks!, and support programs and organizations that bring a high level of visibility to Waterville, including the Maine International Film Festival and the Waterville Opera House.”