FOR YOUR HEALTH: Healthy Air, Healthy Home

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(NAPSI)—In the last several years, a growing body of scientific evidence has indicated that the air within homes and other buildings can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even the largest and most industrialized cities, warns the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Since most people spend some 90 percent of their time indoors, the EPA adds, for many people, the risks to health may be great.

In addition, the EPA points out, the people who may be exposed to indoor air pollutants the most — the young, the elderly and the chronically ill — are often those most susceptible to its effects.

With cooler weather, many people spend more time inside homes with all the doors and windows shut, so it’s even more important to make sure indoor air quality is healthy.

One easy way to help keep your family “Breathing Clean” is to clear out your HVAC system. All homes with air ducts accumulate dust and dirt, which can be a particular problem in households with:

  • pets
  • allergies or asthma
  • smokers
  • water contamination
  • remodeling projects
  • young children
  • elderly people.

After all, your heating and cooling system is, essentially, the lungs of your home. The system takes air in and “breathes” air out. Through normal occupation, people generate a great deal of contaminants and air pollutants, such as dander, dust and chemicals. These are pulled into the HVAC system and recirculated five to seven times a day and can mean a buildup of contaminants in the ductwork.

What’s more, clean ducts can save you energy and money. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 25 to 40 percent of the energy used for heating or cooling a home is wasted. Contaminants in the heating and cooling system cause it to work harder to maintain the temperature you desire. With a clean system, less energy is used, leading to improved cost effectiveness.

Fortunately, it can be easy to get your system inspected by a reputable, certified HVAC professional. It helps to heed these four hints:

  1. Ask the contractor for proof of insurance and any applicable licenses.
  2. Have the contractor specify which components will be cleaned.
  3. Verify that the contractor will limit the release of dust, dirt and debris into your home during cleaning.
  4. Ask for proof of NADCA membership and certification. NADCA sets the industry standard for HVAC system cleaning and its members must have at least one certified Air Systems Cleaning Specialist (ASCS) on staff, comply with a Code of Ethics and acquire continuing education credits.

Learn More

For more facts and tips and to find a nearby NADCA member, go to www.BreathingClean.com. Click here for a free Homeowner’s Guide to air duct cleaning.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Efforts continue to keep Chronic Wasting Disease out of Maine

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A deer afflicted with Chronic Wasting Disease. (Internet photo)

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

As the opening of the Maine firearms deer hunting season approaches, the subject of Chronic Wasting Disease has once again reared its ugly head. Recently, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife learned of the disease having been detected at a deer farm in Québec Province, Canada, in September.

Chronic Wasting Disease is a prion1, transmissible TSE of mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, moose, and reindeer. As of 2016, CWD had been found only in members of the deer family. It was first recognized as a clinical wasting syndrome in 1967 in mule deer at a wildlife research facility in northern Colorado. By 1978 it had spread to 23 states.

The disease causes irreversible damage to brain tissue, and there is no known treatments or vaccines. It can be spread by an animal’s bodily fluids and can seep into the soil and remain there for several decades.

This could cause a little inconvenience to folks who like to feed deer. Should an infected deer urinate on the ground near a feeding station, it could pass the disease to other deer who may feed from the ground where the infected deer has urinated. Most infected deer will show increased drinking and urination; the increased drinking and salivation contribute to the spreading of the disease.

Many long-time hunters are fearful that the spread of the disease to Maine would end their hunting activities. Although no cases of human affliction have been confirmed, a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests more laboratory studies are needed to monitor the possibility of such transmission. Hunters are encouraged to avoid eating deer or elk tissues known to harbor the CWD agent, such as brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, tonsils, lymph nodes, etc.

Despite the report of the disease from our neighbor to the north, no signs of CWD have been reported in Maine nor New Hampshire, our neighbor to the west. However, that does not dismiss the possibility of it finding its way into our state.

The disease is progressive and always fatal. It has been diagnosed in deer as young as 17 months old. The first signs are difficulties in movement. The most obvious sign is the weight loss over time. From there, a deer’s behavior changes, including decreased interactions with other animals, listlessness, lowering of the head, tremors, repetitive walking in set patterns, and nervousness.

Maine’s deer biologist Nathan Bieber has reported that the fear of the disease has caused a decline in the issuance of hunting licenses. Because the harvesting of female deer has decreased significantly in recent years, a record number of any-deer permits were issued in 2018. The state has issued 54,745 any-deer permits this fall, a 28 percent increase from last year. It is the highest total ever issued since the permit system was instituted in 1986. In total, approximately 170,000 hunting licenses have been issued this hunting season.

The state has been testing for Chronic Wasting Disease in deer since 1999. Bieber said, “In recent years, 450 – 500 deer have been tested, along with about 15 moose.” State officials are introducing legislation to ban feeding deer and deer-urine scents or lures. Neither is an emergency rule, so it could be some time before, and if, the ban becomes reality.

According to the MDIF&W and the Center for Disease Control, it is still safe to eat the meat from deer killed within the state of Maine. Let’s just hope measures and precautions being implemented by these agencies continue to make it safe, and the disease is kept from being transmitted within our borders. There is nothing better than venison steak right out of the frying pan. Add some fiddleheads and it becomes a culinary delight.

1 Prions are misfolded proteins which characterize several fatal neurodegenerative diseases in animals and humans.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

What did Manny Ramirez, J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek, of the Red Sox, do in the same game in 2007?

Answer on page 11.

Legal Notices, Week of October 18, 2018

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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 October 18, 2018.

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.

2018-242 – Estate of LISA R. STERN, late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. Mitchell McCrate, 1230 New London Road, Hamilton, OH 45013 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-272 – Estate of EDWIN L. GIGGIE, late of Madison, Me deceased. Neva Moody, 72 West Main Street, Monroe, Me 04951 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-275 – Estate of FLORENCE S. RILEY, late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. Robert R. Riley, 11 Hanover Street, Skowhegan, Maine 04976 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-276 – Estate of George R. Williams, late of Harmony, Me deceased. William LeBlanc, 2 Dee Jay Road, E. Bridgewater, MA 02333 & Phyllis W. White, 61 Town Landing Road, St. Albans, Me 04971 appointed Co-Personal Representatives.

2018-279 – Estate of WALTER C. MATTHEWS, late of Bingham, Me deceased. Kathleen Matthews, PO Box 266, Bingham, Me 04920 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-280 – Estate of PATRICIA M. WHIPPS, late of Pittsfield, Me deceased. Thomas J. Whipps, Jr., 2511 West Downer Place, Aurora, IL 60630 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-282 – Estate of DOROTHY I. LOMBARD, late of Harmony, Me deceased. David M. Wilburn, 114 Main Road North, Frankfort, Me 04438 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-286 – Estate of RAYMOND F. PHELPS, late of Palmyra, Me deceased. Monica M. Clark, 173 Moosehead Trail, Newport, Me 04953 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-287 – Estate of GLORIA M. CHAMPINE, late of Fairfield, Me deceased. Raymond G. Champine, 136 Four Mile River Road, Old Lyme, CT 06371 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-288 – Estate of KELLEY JEAN DAY, late of Madison, Me deceased. Katelynn E. Gayne, 1555 Mesa Verde Dr. E., Apt 29B, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 AND Anthony S. Gayne, 4 State Street, Lisbon Falls, Me 04252 appointed Co-Personal Representatives.

2018-292 – Estate of JEFFREY L. POOLER, late of Fairfield, Me deceased. Christopher Pooler, 153 Dixon Road, Clinton, Me 04927, Jessica Pooler, 323 Albion Road, Benton, Me 04901 and Sarah Lemieux, 43 Hammond Drive, Oakland, Me 04963 appointed Co-Personal Representatives.

2018-293 – Estate of WELDON A. WAKEFIELD, late of Pittsfield, Me deceased. Jeanne Gallway, 257 Chester Street, Pittsfield, Me 04967 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-294 – Estate of ALBERT J. THERIAULT, late of Rockwood, Me deceased. Alice A. Theriault, PO Box 215, Rockwood, Me 04478 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-297 – Estate of CAROLYN J. CONNELL, late of Hartland, Me deceased. Michael H. Connell, 10 Connell Road, Hartland, Me 04943 appointed Personal Representative.

To be published on October 18 & October 25, 2018.

Dated: October 15, 2018 /s/ Victoria Hatch,
Register of Probate
(10/25)

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 October 31, 2018. 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.

2018-291 – Estate of MARKUS HOLDEN ALAN BEGIN, adult of Fairfield, Me. Petition for Change of Name (Adult) filed by Markus Holden Alan Begin, 2 Crosby Street, Fairfield, Me 04937 requesting his name be changed to Markus Holden Alan Roberts for reasons set forth therein.

2018-310 – Estate of ZANIA MICHELLE MARGARET FELKA, minor of Palmyra, Me. Petition for Change of Name (Minor) filed by Cheryal Brogdon, 410 South Ridge Road, Palmyra, Me 04965 requesting minor’s name be changed to Za’Nia Michelle AnnMarie Brogdon for reasons set forth therein.

Dated: October 15, 2018
/s/ Victoria Hatch,
Register of Probate
(10/25)

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Old time remedies

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by Debbie Walker

Wow! Guess what! I was reading a Reader’s Digest article by Jen McCaffery and Tina Dovito titled Old Time Doctor Remedies That Work. I love it! It seems the old time docs and grandmothers may have been on the ball after all! In at least the past five years, researchers have done studies on the realities of the old time remedies actually working.

I have to tell you if you decide to try any of these, DON’T do it without first talking to your doctor or pharmacist They can warn you of possible interactions with any of your medications.

I will admit to having a lot of faith in the intuitions of many of our older generations. Read the information and see how you “feel” about what you read.

You can imagine as reading this information such as:

We don’t need expensive skin creams to lighten age spots. You can apply BUTTERMILK to a cotton ball to your age spot for 20 minutes and then rinse off. Bet that upset the beauty product companies!

Blisters are painful. Clean the blister put PETROLEUM JELLY on the sore and keep covered with bandages. The jelly reduces irritating friction.

To ease the pain of canker sores rinse your mouth with Milk of Magnesia or apply it to sores three or four times a day.

Diarrhea: Make Blackberry Tea by boiling one to 2 tablespoons of blackberries in 1-1/2 cups of water for 10 minutes then strain. Drink several cups a day.

Gout: Those who eat about 20 Cheerios every day are less likely to experience flare-ups.

Hiccups: A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…. Oh wait, wrong one! Right one: It resets your diaphragm to stop spasms.

Indigestion: Fennel are tiny seeds. Chewing a pinch of fennel will help prevent after meal belching.

Insomnia: Valerian helps folks fall asleep. Take one to two teaspoons of Valerian tincture or two Valerian root capsules 30 minutes before bed.

Kidney stones: Lemon juice, at least 4 oz. per day could help prevent those stones.

Nausea: Chew some candied ginger root or sip some ginger ale or tea.

Tooth and gum pain: We always had cloves (clove oil) handy and knew it would help with mouth pain. Mix a few drops with olive oil, swish in your mouth. Spit.

Wounds: Apply honey directly to a wound every 12 to 24 hours and cover with gauze.

Zits: Try tea tree oil, 5 percent tea tree oil gel. I have also read honey is effective as well.

I’m just curious what your family’s old time remedies are. Oh, one more T-shirt saying: This is for Barbara D. Barb is a wordologist (my own word). This is it: “English is weird. It can be understood through tough, thorough, thought though.” Contact me at dwdaffy@yahoo.com. Don’t forget to share your remedies with me!!!

God bless all the people devastated by the weather attacks and those who are there to assist in their needs. Prayers are needed.

REVIEW POTPOURRI – Music: Classical Journey; Film: The Loved One

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Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Classical Journey

Volume 4:France;
Laserlight 79 669, cassette, released 1991.

France

Some of the best of France’s shorter classical works are to be found here – Offenbach La Vie Parissienne, the always riveting Auber Fra Diavolo Overture, Herold Zampa Overture, Boieldieu The Lady in White Overture – quite engaging and new to me, Meyerbeer Coronation March, Delibes Coppelia excerpts, Massenet Meditation, Berlioz Dance of the Sylphs, Chabrier Joyeuse Marche, and the Saint-Saens Danse Macabre.

Conductors Pinchas Steinberg, Tamas Pal, Caspar Richter, Heinz Fricke, Andras Korodi, Adam Fischer, and Rouslan Raychev are not exactly household names, but they are very good. Orchestras are Berlin Radio Symphony, Hungarian State Orchestra, Cologne Radio, Budapest Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras, and Plovdiv Philharmonic. The lineup of talent and repertoire are very well-matched and the cassette and cd should be very inexpensive. I like this a lot and will keep my copy!

James Coburn

The Loved One

Starring Jonathan Winters, Rod Steiger, James Coburn, Tab Hunter, Dana Andrews, Paul Williams, etc.

Jonathan Winters

Rod Steiger

The 1965 film, The Loved One, is a very funny satire on the funeral industry. Jonathan Winters plays a dual role as the Divinely Rev. Wilbur Glenworthy and his hapless endearing brother Harry; Rod Steiger as the mortician, Mr. Joyboy; and such seasoned stars as Milton Berle, Robert Morse, Robert Morley, Liberache as the casket salesman, Tab Hunter, James Coburn, Lionel Stander, Dana Andrews, Paul Williams etc., are in peak form. There is a five-minute sketch of Liberache’s salesmanship that conveys maximum humor in a minimum of time.

CHINA POLICE LOG: September busy month for local police

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The China Police Log is provided to The Town Line by Detective Sergeant Tracey Frost of the Oakland Police Department

September 1

5:47 p.m., traffic stop, Lakeview Dr., warning for speed.
6:29 p.m., traffic stop, Windsor Rd., warning for speed.
6:40 p.m., traffic stop, Windsor Rd., warning for defect.
6:47 p.m., traffic stop, Windsor Rd., summons for speed.
7 p.m., traffic stop, Windsor Rd., warning for speed.
7:09 p.m., traffic stop, Windsor Rd., warning for speed.
7:34 p.m., assist motorist, Lakeview Dr., services rendered.
8 p.m., traffic stop, Causeway Dr., warning for headlight/exhaust.
8:15 p.m., business check, Lakeview Dr.
8:35, business check, Vassalboro Rd.
6:40 p.m., business check, Vassalboro Rd.
8:50 p.m., business check, Rte. 3
8:58 p.m., traffic complaint, Rte. 3, no contact, passed onto Augusta Police Dept.

September 2

11 a.m., lost dog, Lakeview Dr., located.

September 5

2 p.m., aggressive dog, Waterville Rd., referred to animal control officer.
8:30 p.m., report of explosions, Rte. 3, determined to be fireworks.

September 6

10 a.m., traffic complaint, Danforth Rd.,
12:30 p.m., traffic complaint, Danforth Rd.
2 p.m., traffic complaint, Danforth Rd.
3:30 p.m., traffic detail, Danforth Rd.
4 p.m., traffic stop, Pleasant View Ridge Rd., summons for speed.
4:14 p.m., traffic stop, Pleasant View Ridge Rd., summons for speed.
5:05 p.m., traffic stop, Pleasant View Ridge Rd., summons for speed.
5:17 p.m., traffic stop, Pleasant View Ridge Rd., summons for speed.
5:38 p.m., business check, Vassalboro Rd.
5:44 p.m., business check, Vassalboro Rd.
5:55 p.m., business check, Windsor Rd.
6 p.m., traffic detail, Branch Mills Rd.
6:30 p.m., traffic detail, Danforth Rd.
7 p.m., traffic detail, Main St.

September 7

3 p.m., traffic complaint, Danforth Rd.
6:30 p.m., traffic complaint, Danforth Rd.

September 9

7 p.m., traffic complaint, Danforth Rd.

September 10

7 p.m., assist other agency (Kennebec Sheriff’s Office and China Rescue), traffic crash, multiple injuries, Rte. 3.
9:04 p.m., business check, Lakeview Dr.

September 14

7:55 p.m., traffic stop, Pleasant View Ridge Rd., warning for defect.
8:17 p.m., assist other agency (Kennebec Sheriff’s Office), Arnold Trail.
8:30 p.m., civil complaint, Arnold Trail.

September 15

2 p.m., illegal dumping, Vassalboro Rd., suspect identified.
3 p.m., business check, Vassalboro Rd.

September 19

8:03 p.m., business check, Lakeview Dr.,
9:18 p.m., business check, Lakeview Dr.

September 20

10 a.m., internet harassment, Village St.

September 21

4:30 p.m., traffic detail, Danforth Rd.
5:30 p.m., business check, Lakeview Dr.
6 p.m., parade detail, Windsor Rd.
6:30 p.m., tree blocking road, Maple Ridge Rd.
8 p.m., business check, Windsor Rd.
8:10 p.m., business check, Vassalboro Rd.
8:15 p.m., business check, Vassalboro Rd.
8:20 p.m., business check, Vassalboro Rd.
8:25 p.m., business check, Rte. 3.
8:35 p.m., business check, Rte. 3.
8:45 p.m., traffic stop, Rte. 3, warning for defective headlight.

September 22

8:30 a.m., traffic detail, Village St.
9 a.m., business check, Vassalboro Rd.
9:15 a.m., community policing, Morrill St.
9:35 a.m., check Bog Road construction site.
10 a.m., traffic detail, Village St.
10:45 a.m., community policing, Deer Hill Rd.

September 23

7:30 a.m., traffic complaint, Village Rd.
6 p.m., traffic complaint, Village Rd.

September 24

7:30 p.m., traffic stop, Branch Mills Rd., warning for speed.
8 p.m., traffic stop, Lakeview Dr., warning for speed.
8:29 p.m., community policing, Rte. 3.

September 26

7 a.m., traffic complaint, Village St.
7:10 a.m., traffic complaint, Jones Rd.
5 p.m., traffic detail, Village Rd.
5:15 p.m., traffic stop, Rte. 3, warning for inspection.
5:33 p.m., traffic stop, Village Rd., warning for speed.
5:44 p.m., traffic stop, Village Rd., warning for defective brake lights.
6:20 p.m., traffic stop, Village Rd., warning for defective headlight.
6:44 p.m., traffic stop, Village Rd., warning for inspection violation.
7:10 p.m., traffic stop, Village Rd., warning for studded snow tires.

September 29

5:30 p.m., traffic detail, Village Rd.
7:29 p.m., business check, Vassalboro Rd.
7:38 p.m., community policing, Rte. 3.
8:15 p.m., traffic stop, Rte. 3, warning for defective lights.
8:27 p.m., traffic stop, Rte. 3, warning for defective headlight.
9:07 p.m., business check, Lakeview Dr.
9:16 p.m., business check, Lakeview Dr.
9:30 p.m., business check, Lakeview Dr.

Update on China Causeway project

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Construction proceeds on the China Causeway construction project. (Photo courtesy of the China Lake Association)

Comprehensive Land Techno­logies (CLT) continues its work on the bridge replacement on the Causeway at the Head of the Lake.

In its weekly report to China Town Manager Dennis Heath, they reported they have completely exposed the timber mat and have begun installation of the stone mat. Because of overnight rain, the water level upstream had risen and the area needed to be pumped down.

The stone mat was observed and appeared that things were being constructed in accordance with the design drawings.

The limits of the timber mat were discovered, and it was only found within the footprint of the old bridge. It was decided the stone mat needed to be two feet thick in all areas outside the timber mat. A surveyor was brought in to verify elevations and layout limits of the excavation.

According to CLT Superintendent Brooks Dow, erosion and sedimentation controls continued to function in the same manner as before. CLT was pumping water from the excavation into the sediment basin and filtered water was sheeting back into the pond on the upstream side of the bridge.

Excavation work continued on the Causeway at the Head of China Lake to prepare the subgrade to continue the build out of the stone mat. (Contributed photo)

COMMUNITY COMMENTARY: Kennedy’s observations spot-on correct

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by Glenn McDonald
Combat disabled Vietnam vet

I wish to commend The Town Line newspaper for performing a public service in publishing the excellent Community Commentary by my “brother veteran” Gary Kennedy in the October 11, 2018 edition.

He is a highly-respected veterans’ advocate and I can confirm that everything Gary said about Ryan Lilly and the new (hopefully temporary) director at VA Togus is spot-on correct and the absolute truth.

There are more than a few of us – I am a 100 percent combat disabled Vietnam vet – who have legitimate long-standing complaints about the very well-paid V.A. Togus “leadership.” But because of the way the “system” works there, some of us have felt helpless and hopeless that we can successfully expose what has been going on. No longer. United we stand, divided we fall.

Like Mr. Kennedy, I wish to hear from any veterans out there that have had less than satisfactory treatment from Lilly and his fellow bureaucrats at the top of the V.A. health care system. After the election, and come the first of next year, I will be in a much stronger position to make a positive contribution to preserving veterans’ rights.

I served in the military over a span of 33 years (1966 – 1969 in Vietnam) at first, as a very young NCO, Army combat correspondent, and later, company-grade and field-grade officer in the Regular Army, Army National Guard and finally, Army Reserve. I’m a life member of the DAV, American Legion and VFW. Please e-mail me at: mcc.majormac@gmail.com. Thank you.

Community Commentary is a forum The Town Line makes available for citizens to express their opinions on subjects of interest to our readers. The Town Line welcomes, and encourages, supportive comments, differing opinions, counterpoints or opposing views. Keep the rebuttals positive, and informative. Submissions containing personal attacks will be rejected.

ERIC’S TECH TALK: Surviving the surveillance state

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An artist’s rendering of a Neanderthal.

by Eric W. Austin

Let me present you with a crazy idea, and then let me show you why it’s not so crazy after all. In fact, it’s already becoming a reality.

About ten years ago, I read a series of science-fiction novels by Robert J. Sawyer called The Neanderthal Parallax. The first novel, Hominids, won the coveted Hugo Award in 2003. It opens with a scientist, Ponter Boddit, as he conducts an experiment using an advanced quantum computer. Only Boddit is not just a simple scientist, he’s a Neanderthal living on a parallel Earth where the Neanderthal survived to the modern era, rather than us homo sapiens.

Contrary to common misconception, the Neanderthal were not our progenitors, but a species of human which co-existed with us for millennia before mysteriously dying off about 28,000 years ago, during the last ice age. Based on DNA evidence, modern humans and Neanderthal shared a common ancestor about 660,000 years in the past.

Scientists debate the causes of the Neanderthal extinction. Were they less adaptable to the drastic climate changes happening at the time? Did conflict with our own species result in their genocide? Perhaps, as some researchers have proposed, homo sapiens survived over their Neanderthal cousins because we had a greater propensity for cooperation.

In any case, the traditional idea of Neanderthal as dumb, lumbering oafs is not borne out by the latest research, and interbreeding between Neanderthal and modern humans was actually pretty common. In fact, those of us coming from European stock have received between one and four percent of our DNA from our Neanderthal forebearers.

The point I’m trying to make is that it could as easily have been our species, homo sapiens, which died off, leaving the Neanderthal surviving into the modern age instead.

This is the concept author Robert Sawyer plays with in his trilogy of novels. Sawyer’s main character, the Neanderthal scientist Ponter Boddit, lives in such an alternate world. In the novel, Boddit’s quantum experiment inadvertently opens a door to a parallel world — our own — and this sets up the story for the rest of the series.

The novels gained such critical praise at the time of their publication not just because of their seamless weaving of science and story on top of a clever premise, but also because of the thought Sawyer put into the culture of these Neanderthal living on an alternate Earth.

The Neanderthal, according to archeologists, were more resilient and physically stronger than their homo sapien cousins. A single blow from a Neanderthal is enough to kill a fellow citizen, and in consequence the Neanderthal of Sawyer’s novels have taken drastic steps to reduce violence in their society. Any incident of serious physical violence results in the castration of the implicated individual and all others who share at least half his genes, including parents, siblings and children. In this way, violence has slowly been weeded out of the Neanderthal gene pool.

A comparison between human (left) and Neanderthal (right) skulls.

About three decades before the start of the first novel, Hominids, a new technology is introduced into Neanderthal society to further curb crime and violence. Each Neanderthal child has something called a “companion implant” inserted under the skin of their forearm. This implant is a recording device which monitors every individual constantly with both sound and video. Data from the device is beamed in real-time to a database dubbed the “alibi archive,” and when there is any accusation of criminal conduct, this record is available to exonerate or convict the individual being charged.

Strict laws govern when and by whom this information can be accessed. Think of our own laws regarding search and seizure outlined in the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution.

By these two elements — a companion implant which monitors each citizen 24/7, and castration as the only punishment for convicted offenders — violence and crime have virtually been eliminated from Neanderthal society, and incarceration has become a thing of the past.

While I’m not advocating for the castration of all violent criminals and their relations, the idea of a companion implant is something that has stuck with me in the years since I first read Sawyer’s novels.

Could such a device eliminate crime and violence from our own society?

Let’s take a closer look at this idea before dismissing it completely. One of the first objections is about the loss of privacy. Constant surveillance? Even in the bathroom? Isn’t that crazy?

Consider this: according to a 2009 article in Popular Mechanics magazine, there are an estimated 30 million security cameras in the United States, recording more than four billion hours of footage every week, and that number has likely climbed significantly in the nine years since the article was published.

Doubtless there’s not a day that goes by that you are not captured by some camera: at the bank, the grocery store, passing a traffic light, going through the toll booth on the interstate. Even standing in your own backyard, you are not invisible to the overhead gaze of government satellites. We are already constantly under surveillance.

Add to this the proliferation of user-generated content on sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. How often do you show up in the background of someone else’s selfie or video podcast?

Oh, you might say, but these are random bits, scattered across the Internet from many different sources. We are protected by the very diffusion of this data!

To a human being, perhaps this is true, but for a computer, the Internet is one big database, and more and more, artificial intelligences are used to sift through this data instead of humans.

Take, for example, Liberty Island, home of the Statue of Liberty. A hot target for terrorists, the most visited location in America is also the most heavily surveilled. With hundreds of cameras covering every square inch of the island, you would need an army of human operators to watch all the screens for anything out of place. This is obviously unfeasible, so they have turned to the latest in artificial intelligence instead. AI technology can identify individuals via facial recognition, detect if a bag has been left unattended, or send an alert to its human operators if it detects anything amiss.

And we are not only surveilled via strategically placed security cameras either. Our credit card receipts, phone calls, text messages, Facebook posts and emails all leave behind a digital trail of our activities. We are simply not aware of how thoroughly our lives are digitally documented because that information is held by many different sources across a variety of mediums.

For example, so many men have been caught in their wandering ways by evidence obtained from interstate E-ZPass records, it’s led one New York divorce attorney to call it “the easy way to show you took the off-ramp to adultery.”

And with the advancements in artificial intelligence, especially deep learning (which I wrote about last week), this information is becoming more accessible to more people as computer intelligences become better at sifting through it.

We have, in essence, created the “companion implant” of Sawyer’s novels without anyone ever having agreed to undergo the necessary surgery.

The idea of having an always-on recording device implanted into our arms at birth, which watches everything we do, sounds like a crazy idea until you sit down and realize we’re heading in that direction already.

The very aspect that has, up ‘til now, protected us from this constant surveillance — the diffusion of the data, the fact that it’s spread out among many different sources, and the great quantity of data which makes it difficult for humans to sift through — will soon cease to be a limiting factor in the coming age of AI. Instead, that diffusion will begin to work against us, since it is difficult to adequately control access to data collected by so many different entities.

A personal monitoring device, which records every single moment of our day, would be preferable to the dozens of cameras and other methods which currently track us. A single source could be more easily protected, and laws governing access to its data could be more easily controlled.

Instead, we have built a surveillance society where privacy dies by a thousand cuts, where the body politic lies bleeding in the center lane of the information superhighway, while we stand around and complain about the inconvenience of spectator slowing.

Eric W. Austin writes about technology and community issues. He can be reached by email at ericwaustin@gmail.com.

Obituaries, Week of October 18, 2018

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PATRICIA F. MCKENNA

SIDNEY – Patricia Francis (Flaherty) McKenna died at home Tuesday, July 17, 2018, in Sidney. Pat was born on September 14, 1949 in Skowhegan, to John Flaherty and Arlene (Flanagin) Hilton.

Pat married Larry McKenna in 1972. They raised their three children at their home in Sidney. Pat graduated from the University of Maine in 1993 with a degree in mental health services. She spent most of her career working in the mental health field, caring for individuals with mental illness and was very passionate about her work. She enjoyed knitting, arts and crafts and most importantly, being around family.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Lawrence McKenna, of Sidney; her brother, Richard Flaherty, of Madison; mother, Arlene (Flanagin) Hilton, of Madison; and father, John Flaherty, of Madison.

Pat is survived by her children, Robert McKenna, of Sidney, Amy McKenna and her spouse, Kenneth Bowring, of Sidney ,,and Miriah Deveau and her spouse, Michael Deveau, of Sidney; grandchildren, Megan McKenna, of Portland, Justin McKenna, of Sidney, Kayla McKenna, of Sidney, Cody McKenna, of Sidney, Garrett McKenna, of Sidney, Emily McKenna, of Clinton, and Aldan McKenna, of Sidney. She is also survived by her sister, Laurie Hilton, of Waterville; multiple cousins and several nieces and nephews.

A graveside service is scheduled for Saturday, October 20, 2018, at the Forest Hill Cemetery, in Dresden. A gathering will follow at her daughter Miriah’s home, 228 Pond Road in Sidney. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Pat’s life.

JOHN E. CROMMETT JR.

FAIRFIELD – John E. Crommett Jr., 50, of Fairfield, passed away unexpectedly on September 30, 2018, in Shawmut. John was born in Waterville on August 20, 1968, the son of Beverly (Davis) Crommett and John E. Crommett Sr.

John attended Fairfield schools.

He was predeceased by his parents; and his sister and best friend, Holly Crommett Bellerose.

He is survived by his longtime companion, Kathy Falbo and her family; his son, Jed Crommett and his fiancée Mariah Barnett, of Winslow; his granddaughter, Aubrey Crommett; his sister Bonnie Clifford; his sister, Johnette Bowers; his brothers, Timmy Elkins, and Dickey Davis; many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A celebration of John’s life will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 27 at the Fairfield VFW.

An online guestbook may be signed, and memories shared at www.familyfirstfh.com.

Arrangements are by Lawry Brothers Funeral & Cremation Care, 107 Main St., Fairfield.

JANICE R. HISLER

SOMERVILLE – Janice Ruth Pelton Hisler, 80, passed away Wednesday, September 19, 2018, at her home, in Somerville. Janice was born June 15, 1938, to Rosco and Bertha Pelton.

She married Andrew Hisler June 1981.

She worked in health care and as a security guard at a bank for a short period. She was also known as Pastor Jan and ministered to the needs of others as long as she was able. Her favorite times were family gatherings and celebrating her anniversary.

She enjoyed traveling with Pauline Weeks, photography and baking pies for Andy. When she was 57 she joined a dance class and performed in a show at the Waterville Opera House.

She was predeceased by her parents; a sister, Virginia Hansen; and grandson, David C. Chase.

She is survived by her children, Kim and Murphy Powers, Kelly and Bill Noble, Kathy and Chuck Pease, Leslie (Dusty) and Darlene French and Kyle Ross; ten grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren; siblings, Rosco (Junior) and Pauline Pelton, Jerry and Pat Pelton, Betty and Herbert Flint, and Sandra Curtis.

A celebration of her life will be held October 21, 2 p.m., at the American Legion, Post #205, 440 Eastern Avenue, Augusta.

EDWARD H. WILLIAMS

FAIRFIELD – Edward Herbert Williams, 61, passed away Friday, October 5, 2018, at his home, in Fairfield. He was born August 13, 1957, in Houlton, the son of Woodrow Lane and Frances Rebecca (Rogers) Williams.

On June 22, 1991, he married Sharon Greene. He was employed for many years as a mechanic at Ranger Contracting where he was employed by owner and friend, Bill Sanborn as well as working for Asplundh, a tree expert company. He enjoyed race cars, guns, hunting, camping, and spending time with family and friends.

He is survived by his wife of 27 years (they were together for 38 years), Sharon (Greene) Williams, of Fairfield; three sons, Edward Williams II and wife Heather, of Fairfield, Christopher Williams I, of Norridgewock, and Dominic Bailey, of Sidney; daughter, Nyoka S. Williams-Lizotte and husband Nicholas, of Sidney; four brothers, Woodrow Williams, of Florida, Rodney Williams Sr. and wife Debbie, of Oakland, Perley Williams and partner Cindy Abbott, of Oakland, Guy Williams Sr. and wife Debbie, of Rome; three sisters, Linda Bailey and husband Mike, of Sidney, Vicki French, of Palermo, Debbie Davis and husband Donnie, of Oakland; seven grandchildren; many nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, October 27, 2018, at 1 p.m., at 111 Greene Road, in Fairfield, with his brother, Rev. Rodney Williams, officiating.

In lieu of flowers, friends wishing may make donations in Edward’s memory to Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care P.O. Box 828 Waterville, Maine 04903 Ask for Linda Allan 207-626-7237

Arrangements under the direction and care of Dan & Scott’s Cremation & Funeral Service, 445 Waterville Road, Skowhegan, ME 04976

PAMELA J. SMILEY

WINSLOW – Pamela Jean (Sterling) Smiley, 61, of Winslow, died on Saturday, October 6, 2018. She was born on September 27, 1957, in Waterville, to Richard and Valerie (Sawtelle) Sterling.

Pam graduated from Waterville High School in 1975. After marrying Frederick Smiley in 1976, they lived in both California and Texas, then eventually moved back to Winslow to raise their family. Pam worked at the Winslow Town Office for 31 years, most recently as the town clerk.

Known to her grandkids as Grammy or Gramma-Pamma, she loved to be with them and spent most evenings and free time bouncing around visiting them. Selfless and hardworking, Pam never hesitated to help anyone and never asked for anything in return. Her kind, loving soul and infectious laugh brought comfort to many.

She enjoyed cooking, gardening and “preserving the harvest.” Pam’s famous dilly beans, Chex mix, tourtiére pie and meatballs are among the many items loved by family and friends. Family was the most important thing to Pam. Her favorite times were summer trips to Rhode Island and holiday gatherings surrounded by all the chaos, good food and love.

Pam was predeceased by her parents; mother and father-in-law, Richard and Beverly Smiley; and her husband of 33 years, Fred Smiley.

She is survived by her four daughters and their spouses, Rene Smiley and Jack Stepp, of Winslow, Jessica Smiley and Peter Cheesman, of Winslow, Emily Smiley, of Waterville, Jillian Smiley and Joe Bard, of Fairfield; six grandchildren, Eliott, Nora, Marion, Hudson, Atlas and Jane; five siblings; eight sisters and brothers-in-law; 22 nieces and nephews; and eight grand-nieces and nephews.

Family and friends are invited to celebrate Pam’s life on Saturday, October 20, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Waterville Elks Banquet Center, 75 Industrial Street.

There will be a private family burial.

In liew of flowers, donations may be made in Pam’s memory to Maine General Health to benefit Hospice Care: Maine General Health Office of Philanthropy, PO Box 828, Waterville ME 04903-0828.

DANIELLE LEFEBVRE

WINSLOW – Danielle “Danny” Lefebvre, 44, passed away on Wednesday, October 10, 2018, in Winslow, following her three year battle of Multiple Myeloma.

Danielle was born on March 13, 1974, in Norwich, Connecticut. She grew up in Colchester, Connecticut, where she attended and graduated from Bacon Academy in 1992 before packing up and moving to Maine. She worked at5 Inland Hospital, in Waterville, for a few years before transitioning over to working as a secretary for the Edmund Irving Pediatric Center at MaineGeneral Medical Center, in Waterville. She worked for MaineGeneral for about 20 years until she was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in August of 2015.k From there Danielle was in and out of the hospital working on getting treatments from the Harold Alfond Cancer Center in Augusta, before she moved down to Zephyrhills, Florida, where she continued treatment at the Moffitt Cancer Center, in Tampa, Florida.

Danielle was an inspiration to all who knew her, volunteering many years to organizations like the Brain Injury Support Group Association. She always brought light and joy into the lives of all of those she would meet. She was a loving and amazing mother, daughter, sister, and friend. She went through life with both beauty and grace, using her hilarious sense of humor to help power through the years she spent her cancer. She was and always will be a “Wonder Woman” to her children and to those who knew her well. She was incredibly proud of her children and always encouraged them to follow their hearts and chase their dreams. She was truly inspiring, strong, brave, and an all-around beautiful soul.

She is survived by her three children: Alicia, Abigail, and Christopher Carpenter, of Oakland; her ex-husband, James Carpenter, of Waterville; her parents, Joseph Raymond and Yvonne Lefebvre, of Winslow; as well as her siblings, Ronald Lefebvre, of Nantucket, Massachusetts, Michelle Bourez, of Chester, Connecticut, and Lynn Wagner, of Olalla, Washington.

Danielle’s funeral will take place on Monday, October 22, 2018, at 11 a.m. at Notre Dame Catholic Church, 112 Silver St., in Waterville. There will be a receiving line at the back of the church prior to the funeral mass. Interment will follow after the funeral at St. Francis Cemetery.

Arrangements under the care and direction of Dan & Scott’s Cremation & Funeral Service, 445 Waterville Road, Skowhegan.

Donations can be made to the Harold Alfond Cancer Center or to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation at www.themmrf.org.

LEONE I. PAGE

WINSLOW – Leone Inez Page, 75, passed away Sunday, October 14, 2018, at Maine Medical Center, in Portland. She was born July 6, 1943, in Waterville, the daughter of Willis Herbert and Lucille I. (Hunt) Page.

She attended Clinton High School. She was a homemaker, excellent in crocheting, making people happy, and a friend to all animal life no matter the size. Dusty, her bird, was everything to her. They were inseparable and enjoyed each other’s company.

Leone is survived by son, Ira Armour and wife Pam, of Winslow; three brothers, Eddie Page and wife Gloria, of Clinton, Nobert Page, of Albion, and Allan Page and wife Tina, of Clinton; two sisters, Annie Page, of Durham, Linda Page and husband Carl Brickett, of Clinton; grandson, Nathan Armour and friend Brandis Carver, of Waterville. She was predeceased by her husband.

A graveside service will be held at a later date at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers, friends wishing may make donations in Leone’s memory to Humane Society Waterville Area, 100 Webb Road, Waterville, Maine 04901.

Arrangements under the direction and care of Dan & Scott’s Cremation & Funeral Service, 445 Waterville Road, Skowhegan, Maine 04976.

OTHERS DEPARTED

ELAINE M. MORRISON LACHAPELLE, 89, of Winthrop, passed away on Thursday, September 27, 2018, at Heritage Rehabilitation & Living Center, in Winthrop. Locally, she is survived by two sons, Bill, of Readfield, and Rick, of Vassalboro.

HAROLD G. WARREN JR., 78, of East Boothbay, passed away on Saturday, October 6, 2018, at Central Maine Medical Center, in Lewiston, following a courageous battle with heart disease. Locally, he is survived by a son, Mark Warren, of South China.